Daily Life at the County Office

The street vendor, seeing that the buyer was straightforward, quickly handed the red bean bracelet to Lin Ge’er. Lin Ge’er wore the bracelet, unable to put it down, “Thank you, Lanyi.”

“Ha, it’s nothing,” Yu Lanyi waved confidently.

Zheng Shanci: “…”

Feeling like he was about to let himself go.

Yu Lanyi looked at a clothing shop and said, “Let’s go in and buy some clothes. You all should get a couple of thick garments.”

The group entered the clothing shop, with Zheng Shanci and Zheng Shancheng following behind the three Ge’ers. Zheng Shancheng asked, “Shanci, you’re making them spend money.”

Zheng Shanci: “Big brother, stop saying that.”

The shopkeeper already recognized Yu Lanyi, knowing he was a big customer, and seeing the County Magistrate also there, his expression became even more attentive.

“Our shop has a variety of clothing styles. These winter clothes are selling the best. Young Master Yu, take a look.”

Yu Lanyi took a liking to a blue robe and asked the shopkeeper to bring it over. The blue robe was lined with cotton, soft to the touch, and the outer fabric was bright, embroidered with daffodils. He thought this robe would suit Zheng Qingyin, and with a blue cloak over it, it would look even better.

The shopkeeper mentioned that this style was popular, but the price was a bit high.

Yu Lanyi didn’t mind the shopkeeper’s words, “Qingyin, go to the fitting room and try on this outfit.”

Zheng Qingyin followed Yu Lanyi into the shop, looking at the various clothes, almost dazzled. At home, he only had five outfits for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, washed and worn repeatedly. Occasionally, when he went to town with his big brother to sell handkerchiefs, he didn’t even enter clothing shops, fearing the shop assistants would look down on him for being poor.

Now, seeing Yu Lanyi dressed so richly, and his second brother standing there with an official air.

Listening to Yu Lanyi, Zheng Qingyin obediently took the clothes to the fitting room to try them on.

As soon as Lin Ge’er entered the clothing shop, his eyes lit up, feeling like he was back home. He looked around, touched the fabrics, and was truly happy with the quality.

Yu Lanyi said, “Elder Sister-in-law, what do you think of this outfit?”

Yu Lanyi pointed to a goose-yellow robe, which looked very bright. Lin Ge’er was moved, thought about his age, and said, “Isn’t this a bit inappropriate for me? I’m already nineteen.”

“Nineteen is nothing. Nineteen is still young. In our Capital City, even seventy-year-old grandmas wear floral clothes. Clothes are meant to be worn, regardless of age. As long as you’re happy wearing them.” Yu Lanyi stuffed the robe into Lin Ge’er’s arms, “Elder Sister-in-law, go try it on. You’re so good-looking, anything you wear will look good.”

Zheng Shanci: “…” This sounds familiar.

Hearing this, Lin Ge’er’s hesitation vanished, and he was overjoyed. No wonder he’s a Ge’er from the Marquis’ Mansion; his words are so comforting, and the upbringing there is truly good.

He took the robe Yu Lanyi handed him and went into another fitting room.

Yu Lanyi sized up Zheng Shancheng and picked out a dark blue robe for him. Zheng Shancheng felt a bit uneasy, “Second Brother’s wife, I don’t need to buy anything. I’m not used to wearing such clothes. What I’m wearing now is fine.”

Yu Lanyi squinted and smiled, “Not used to it? Wear it more, and you’ll get used to it.”

Zheng Shancheng: “…”

Yu Lanyi had the shopkeeper pick out a suitable dark blue robe and pushed Zheng Shancheng to try it on. Zheng Shancheng couldn’t resist Yu Lanyi’s strength; he couldn’t just stand there like a log when Yu Lanyi pushed him.

To his surprise, Zheng Shancheng found that Yu Lanyi was quite strong.

Zheng Shanci laughed, “Big brother, just listen to Lanyi and try it on.”

Zheng Shancheng went into the fitting room, hearing Zheng Shanci’s words, feeling a bit sour. His second brother had really grown up, knowing how to be good to the family. He felt a bit sad for a moment but quickly became happy again.

Zheng Qingyin was the first to come out, and Yu Lanyi’s eyes lit up, “You look great, Qingyin. Walking down the street, many people will surely ask me where this handsome Ge’er came from.”

Zheng Qingyin blushed at Yu Lanyi’s straightforward words.

He looked at himself in the bronze mirror, almost not recognizing himself. The Ge’er in the mirror had curved eyebrows and eyes that seemed to shine. He shyly lowered his head.

“Try these two as well.” Yu Lanyi handed Zheng Qingyin two more new outfits. Zheng Qingyin couldn’t refuse and took them to the fitting room to change.

Lin Ge’er came out in his new clothes, still not used to the fabric, but his eyes were full of joy.

Yu Lanyi picked out a few more for Lin Ge’er and a few for Zheng Shancheng. After they tried them on, Yu Lanyi didn’t even ask the price and directly said, “Shopkeeper, wrap them up and have the staff send them to our residence.”

The shopkeeper quickly responded, “Yes, Young Master Yu, rest assured, I’ll have someone send them to your residence right away.”

Lin Ge’er was dumbfounded, walking out of the shop with light steps. Not even asking the price before buying and having the shop deliver them to the residence—this life is as carefree as a god’s.

Zheng Qingyin felt a bit embarrassed, having spent so much of Second Sister-in-law’s money.

Zheng Shancheng was even more embarrassed. Shanci’s family might have a lot of money, but they can’t keep spending like this.

Yu Lanyi thought for a moment and then took them to buy boots, getting a few pairs of thick boots, and the shopkeeper even threw in three pairs of wool socks.

Out of the fifty taels of silver, only twelve taels had been spent. The prices in Xinfeng County were lower than in the Capital City. The clothes in the shop weren’t as expensive as those in the Golden Clothes Pavilion, so the fifty taels could last a long time.

Zheng Shanci watched as Yu Lanyi took Elder Sister-in-law and Little Brother to buy scarves and gloves. The three Ge’ers were all good-looking, attracting attention.

Lin Ge’er smiled, his tiger teeth faintly visible, “These rabbit ear muffs suit Qingyin.”

Zheng Shanci and Zheng Shancheng, two big men, just watched from the side.

Zheng Shancheng hadn’t seen Lin Ge’er this happy in a long time, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Lin Ge’er married him, and although his father and dad didn’t make things difficult for him, they didn’t give him a good life either.

When Lin Ge’er married him, he had a lame leg and couldn’t move independently, relying entirely on Lin Ge’er’s care.

He had good looks, was diligent, and still married him.

Thinking of this, Zheng Shancheng looked at Lin Ge’er with even more tenderness.

“Big brother, you come pick one too, and you, husband,” Yu Lanyi called out.

Zheng Shanci and Zheng Shancheng stepped forward, and Yu Lanyi found a scarf and had Zheng Shanci lower his head to put it on him.

“Now it’s much warmer.”

Yu Lanyi and Zheng Shanci wore scarves of the same color scheme.

Lin Ge’er and Zheng Qingyin bought quite a few things, still feeling a bit dizzy. They visited jewelry shops, snack stalls, and the clothes and boots had already been sent home.

Feeling a bit tired from shopping, Yu Lanyi and the others went to buy fried sandwiches. Fried sandwiches are made by slicing lotus root, eggplant, or bamboo shoots into connected slices, stuffing them with fish, meat, crab roe, or vegetarian fillings, coating them with batter, and frying them in oil.

Such snacks are popular in Xinfeng County. Whenever Yu Lanyi feels a bit hungry at night, he asks Jin Yun to buy him a couple of fried sandwiches. Yu Lanyi bought five, one for each person.

Zheng Qingyin took a bite of the sandwich wrapped in oiled paper, finding it fragrant and crispy, with a chewy texture. The lotus root on the outside was flavorful. He had never eaten such a fried sandwich before.

In the evening, there were still people selling night-time steamed buns, but this shop usually didn’t make many at night. Customers were served on a first-come, first-served basis, and if they sold out, they wouldn’t make more.

Yu Lanyi and the others were lucky, getting the last basket of buns.

As the time was about right, the group headed back.

Yu Lanyi didn’t spend much today, only thirty taels of silver, with twenty taels saved for future needs. This time, Yu Lanyi felt he did well, happily following Zheng Shanci home.

The two husbands returned to their room, and Yu Lanyi patted Zheng Shanci’s shoulder, proudly putting his hands on his hips, “How was it? Didn’t embarrass you, right?”

Zheng Shanci hung his cloak on the coat rack and said, “I think Big Brother, Elder Sister-in-law, and Little Brother already like you a lot.”

Yu Lanyi: “I’m just that likable.”

The room had a heated kang, making it very warm. Yu Lanyi thought, “I should have the people below change the beds in the guest rooms to heated kangs too. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

Yu Lanyi casually hung his cloak on the coat rack, and after washing up, he hummed a tune, feeling very happy.

Zheng Shanci: “…”

Spending money makes him this happy.

After washing up, both were a bit tired. Zheng Shanci still felt warm inside, while Yu Lanyi was too excited to sleep, so he started talking to Zheng Shanci.

“Zheng Shanci, your Big Brother and Elder Sister-in-law are quite nice. They seem like a loving couple. How old is Little Brother? So young. It’s been a while since I’ve met such a well-behaved Ge’er.” Yu Lanyi thought of the Ge’ers in the Capital City and vented to Zheng Shanci, “The Ge’ers in the Capital City look obedient on the surface, but they’re quite troublesome and have a lot of schemes.”

Zheng Shanci laughed, “Qingyin is fourteen.”

Yu Lanyi nodded, “So young indeed.”

Yu Lanyi thought that once Zheng Shanci went to the county office, he could hang out with Elder Sister-in-law and Little Brother. Seeing how reserved they were, Yu Lanyi wanted them to feel more at ease. Before meeting Zheng Shancheng and the others, Yu Lanyi was anxious, unsure if Zheng Shanci’s siblings and brother would be easy to get along with, but they turned out to be very easygoing.

Yu Lanyi squinted and smiled.

Zheng Shanci noticed his shoulders shaking and leaned closer, realizing Yu Lanyi was laughing.

So strange.

“Zheng Shanci, your family is quite nice.”

Zheng Shanci was stunned for a moment, then said, “Your family is nice too.”

Yu Lanyi yawned, feeling a bit sleepy, and fell asleep on Zheng Shanci.

Zheng Shanci thought about how he used his brain a lot at the county office, but after work, he didn’t do much, just accompanied Yu Lanyi and the others for a stroll. He didn’t understand why he felt so tired. Zheng Shanci couldn’t figure it out, but he still fell asleep, knowing he had to work the next day.

…

The next morning, Zheng Shancheng, Lin Ge’er, and Zheng Qingyin, accustomed to their routine, got up early and happened to meet Zheng Shanci coming out of his room.

Zheng Shanci called out to Big Brother and Elder Sister-in-law, asking the kitchen to bring breakfast.

“Why isn’t Lanyi here?” Lin Ge’er asked. He felt refreshed after waking up, still wearing his old clothes, as the new clothes Yu Lanyi bought last night were taken by the maid to be washed and returned.

Lin Ge’er handed the laundry basket to the maid, once again amazed by the maids and servants in the residence.

“He needs more sleep. We’ll eat first, and the kitchen will make something for him when he wakes up,” Zheng Shanci explained.

Breakfast was simple, with crab roe buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk.

Zheng Shanci specifically instructed someone named Deng Xue, a house-born servant of the Yu family, who was very capable. Jin Yun and Wangfu had to follow Yu Lanyi and himself, respectively. Deng Xue was in charge of the residence.

“Big Brother, Elder Sister-in-law, Qingyin, if you need anything, just ask Deng Xue. She’s the head steward here.”

Deng Xue curtsied, “Young Master and Fulang, Little Young Master, feel free to instruct me if you need anything.”

After saying a few more words, Zheng Shanci went to work.

Zheng Shancheng ate a crab roe bun and three fried dough sticks, soaking the dough sticks in soy milk, which tasted great.

Zheng Qingyin only had breakfast and then returned to his room.

“Big Brother, Elder Sister-in-law, I’ll head back first.”

Zheng Shancheng: “Go ahead.”

Zheng Qingyin brought his needlework and other things, and with a brazier in the room, it wasn’t cold at all. He had embroidered a mandarin duck sachet for Second Sister-in-law, which he forgot to give yesterday. He planned to find Second Sister-in-law after he woke up.

He lay on the soft bed for a while, still feeling like he was floating in the sky.

Two months ago, he was still in Qingxiang Village, worried about He Tian’s affairs, and used to being frugal. Suddenly, when Big Brother said Second Brother didn’t want the family to subsidize money anymore, he was still confused. He was used to subsidizing, and suddenly not having to spend money on Second Brother, leaving the money for himself.

He didn’t know how to spend it, even if he liked something, he held back, thinking of saving money to buy things for his father and dad. Now, in Xinfeng County, he didn’t know how much of Second Sister-in-law’s money he had spent.

Zheng Qingyin quite liked the bright and flamboyant Second Sister-in-law.

He seemed fearless and carefree, which was something Zheng Qingyin envied. Now that he was in Xinfeng County, with Second Brother treating him well, life would only get better.

…

Zheng Shanci arrived at the county office, skillfully handling official duties. He set aside problematic tasks and those involving prominent families in the city. Despite handling official duties for so long, he hadn’t found any dirt on the Qi family. 

The Qi family had a Qi County Deputy here, and the documents probably reached Qi County Deputy before they reached him.

Instructor Liu held a literary gathering and invited Zheng Shanci. After some thought, since the instructor was responsible for county education, he decided to attend. He also hadn’t met the scholars and candidates in the county office, so he needed to see them.

According to the register from Registrar Jiang, there were twelve scholars and five candidates registered in Xinfeng County. Scholars and candidates could hold official positions in the county office. 

Besides his position as County Magistrate, candidates could hold positions below the seventh rank. Scholars held lower positions, but they were essentially reserve officials. 

Scholars with titles received quarterly grain subsidies from the county office, ensuring a stable food supply so they could focus on their studies.

The literary gathering was scheduled during his rest day, so it didn’t conflict with his schedule.

Zheng Shanci took Registrar Zhu and three people from the workshop out. He saw a report about a road in Dong’an Town being cracked by the cold, fortunately not injuring anyone but scaring everyone. He had planned to repair the roads in Xinfeng County in the spring, so he decided to investigate.

The roads were difficult to traverse, and the carriage reached Dong’an Town, where the snow was too thick. Zheng Shanci and Registrar Zhu had to dismount and walk. Upon reaching the cracked road, the town mayor of Dong’an Town, hearing that Zheng Shanci had arrived, hurriedly came forward to greet him, “Greetings, Zheng Daren.”

“No need for formalities. Tell me about the current situation.” Zheng Shanci saw people clearing snow from the road.

The town mayor explained that the road cracked the night before last, and they submitted a report yesterday. He had the townspeople clear debris from the road, intending to resolve the issue himself, but the cracks were too severe, requiring intervention from the county office.

One of the workshop members said, “Zheng Daren, we need to assess the length and depth of the cracks and the extent of damage to the entire road.”

“Start measuring,” Zheng Shanci instructed.

The workshop members brought their tools and began working. The town mayor felt relieved seeing the county office’s help.

⸻

Pressing his hand on the road, Zheng Shanci asked, “You also mentioned a water shortage in the report. What’s that about?”

The town mayor, hearing Zheng Shanci’s inquiry, broke into a sweat despite the cold weather. “This winter is too cold. The town only has four wells, which aren’t enough. If we try to break ice on the river for water, it’s easy to fall in and not get out. Zheng Daren, I’m not trying to create trouble for you. This hasn’t happened before. In winter, everyone conserves water.”

Dong’an Town had a larger population, and hearing there were only four wells, Zheng Shanci frowned.

“This is a matter concerning the people. You did well to report it,” Zheng Shanci reassured the town mayor.

The town mayor, hearing Zheng Shanci’s words, breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard that the new County Magistrate was a new scholar and treated people like corrupt officials. 

During the autumn harvest, he invited the county office’s yamen runners for a drink and realized the new County Magistrate restrained them from committing autumn crimes. The town mayor then dared to bring the long-standing water shortage issue to Zheng Shanci.

This wasn’t just a winter water shortage; it was a summer issue too. The townspeople considered hiring someone to dig wells. However, Xinfeng County had a lot of sandy soil, making it difficult to find a well site. 

They pooled money to hire someone, but it was futile. Only the county office’s workshop members might find the right well site.

The town mayor had written reports before, but they disappeared without a trace. With the new County Magistrate in office and the winter situation as it was, he took a gamble and wrote a report to Zheng Shanci.

The workshop members finished measuring the cracks. They brought repair tools. Zheng Shanci went to check, finding the material similar to concrete but not as sturdy. 

Smaller cracks could be repaired with cement slurry, but the road in Dong’an Town was too severely cracked to be fixed with just cement slurry.

“Zheng Daren, the cracks are quite large. I need to return to the county office to get some mortar.”

“Go ahead, and bring a few well-diggers from the workshop,” Zheng Shanci said.

“Yes, Zheng Daren.” The workshop members hurried back to the county city.

Zheng Shanci didn’t rest either. Having come to the town, he wanted to look around.

He saw small cabbages growing in the fields. The town mayor, seeing his interest, said, “These small cabbages are hardy in winter and easy to grow. We usually plant them in winter and switch to other crops in spring.”

The town mayor then led Zheng Shanci to a riverbank, where several large holes had been cut in the ice. People were carrying buckets and fishing with rods.

“In winter, when there’s nothing to do, they like to fish by the river and eat some fish. We also put buckets in the river to draw water. The ice is quite thick.”

Seeing the time, the town mayor took Zheng Shanci and Registrar Zhu to a restaurant for a meal. He handed the menu to Zheng Shanci, letting him order.

Zheng Shanci ordered four dishes and a soup, leaving the rest to Registrar Zhu, who ordered braised pork. The town mayor handed the menu to the waiter.

“I see there are many shops in town, but not many people,” said Zheng Shanci.

The town mayor laughed. “It’s too cold in winter, and no one wants to go out. Plus, winter is the most expensive season. Whether it’s firewood or coal, everything is expensive. For example, firewood usually costs four wen per bundle, but in winter, it can go up to six or even eight wen. The families in town either have a lot of land rented out or rely on the weather for their livelihood. Some do small businesses, but if no one buys, they don’t make much.”

“In our town, we usually grow chili peppers, sea buckthorn, persimmons, and peanuts. I don’t see much else. In winter, we have oranges, pomelos, and pears, which are delicious but don’t sell for much.”

Zheng Shanci nodded. “Chili peppers sell for two wen per jin in the market. The county office has opened a chili sauce workshop, buying chili peppers for three wen per jin. I planned to have Registrar Jiang post a notice in the spring, but since I’ve met the town mayor, I’ll tell you now.”

The town mayor was delighted. Even a single wen more could add up significantly. He noted this down, planning to inform the village heads tomorrow to spread the news.

“In spring, you can plant other crops. The county office will post notices and send clerks to inform the town mayors,” Zheng Shanci said.

It seemed Zheng Daren intended to make significant changes in Xinfeng County, which the town mayor welcomed. He would wait for Zheng Daren’s notice in the spring.

In the afternoon, the workshop members repaired the cracks, advising, “Avoid stepping on this section of the road to prevent further damage. Keep it moist but not too snowy. Sweep the snow morning and evening.”

Additionally, five unfamiliar faces appeared before Zheng Shanci. One of them respectfully greeted him, “Zheng Daren, this climate isn’t suitable for finding well sites. We looked around, but the snow cover makes it too difficult. Winter lasts three more months, but we have a simple method to manage for now.”

“Tell me,” said Zheng Shanci.

The workshop members had made bamboo pipes, long enough to connect, with a raised press at the top.

“Zheng Daren, we can insert and secure the bamboo pipe. As long as nothing goes wrong, it will work. By pressing down here, it creates water pressure, drawing water from the river. Without pressure, the river water won’t flow out.”

Zheng Shanci: “…”

Genius.

“Good, come to Dong’an Town in the spring to dig two wells.”

The workshop members agreed.

This trip resolved Dong’an Town’s issues, and Zheng Shanci returned to the county office.

The town mayor had someone bring a bucket to test the water pressure. They watched closely, and sure enough, water flowed from the bamboo pipe.

“The county office people are truly capable,” the town mayor sighed.

He hadn’t expected the County Magistrate to personally visit after writing a report. With the county office buying chili peppers, there was no fear of them going unsold. With the county office backing them, the market wouldn’t be able to suppress prices.

The county office’s unified purchase was convenient and profitable.

“In the spring, we’ll dig two more wells, and there’ll be enough water.”

The town mayor said, “Put up a sign prohibiting wandering on the repaired road. If anyone damages it again, they’ll be thrown in jail.”

Working in the county office required flexibility, as unexpected situations could arise at any time.

…

Yu Lanyi woke up at home and had breakfast, then asked Deng Xue, “Where are Big Brother, Elder Sister-in-law, and Little Brother?”

“Young Master, they’re all in their rooms.”

Indeed, with the weather so cold, if he weren’t hungry, he wouldn’t want to leave his warm bed, preferring to lie in bed all day. He thought about visiting them but reconsidered, thinking it might be inconvenient to visit Big Brother and Elder Sister-in-law, as they were a couple. It would be awkward to walk in on something.

Remembering he was too tired last night and went to bed early, he hadn’t touched Zheng Shanci’s abs. Yu Lanyi planned to make up for it tonight.

He walked over to find Zheng Qingyin.

Reaching the door, Yu Lanyi knocked, “Little Brother, can I come in?”

Zheng Qingyin put away his basket and got up to open the door, “Second Sister-in-law, come in.”

The brazier was burning warmly, and Yu Lanyi remembered the heated kang and quickly instructed Jin Yun to handle it. He explained, “Sleeping on a heated kang is warmer than using a brazier. You won’t feel cold at night.”

“Qingyin, how are you settling in here?” Yu Lanyi asked.

“Thank you for your concern, Second Sister-in-law. I’m doing well.” Zheng Qingyin took out a mandarin duck sachet he had embroidered from under his pillow, shyly saying, “Second Sister-in-law, I don’t have much to give you. This is a sachet I embroidered myself. I wish you and Second Brother a long and happy life together.”