Zheng Ruqian brought Pang Dashan from knocking on the door to going in, in just a dozen or so breaths.
They arrived so quickly that even they themselves were in a daze, thinking they were the nephew of the county magistrate of Yunshui County.
It wasn't until they saw the county magistrate Pang, dressed in casual clothes, in the back courtyard.
He came up and asked, "You two, have you been bullied again?"
Zheng Ruqian's nose suddenly turned sour.
This kind-hearted county magistrate had people open the door so swiftly, afraid they would be bullied again.
"Replying to you, sir, it is this commoner who thanks you for saving us. We've specially prepared some local products from Xieyang County, and hope you'll happily accept them," Zheng Ruqian respectfully lowered his head, concealing his red rims while offering up several bags of honey cakes.
Magistrate Pang breathed a sigh of relief, stroking his small beard, smiling and shaking his head, "No need for gifts, you can keep them for yourselves."
"Sir, these are just some local products, not worth any money." Zheng Ruqian refused to take back his hand, "This is a token of appreciation from my sister and I. We only wish to thank you sir, please accept them."
Magistrate Pang's hand stroking his beard froze midair. He sighed, and waved his hand at the old servant.
Pang's old servant happily came forward and took the local products from Zheng Ruqian's hands.
Over the years, the county magistrate had been upright and honest, working hard for the common people, yet always refused to take even a thread or a penny from them.
If not for still having something to discuss with Zheng Ruqian today, he probably wouldn't have accepted these local products either.
Sure enough, as soon as the old servant took away the gifts,
the county magistrate Pang carefully began, "I heard that recently you've been collecting vegetables in Yunshui County."
Zheng Ruqian was surprised that a county magistrate would pay attention to these things, and was immediately flattered, "I have been collecting vegetables, only because...the commoners of Xieyang County didn't dare sell vegetables to me."
What a "didn't dare"!
County magistrate Pang put his hands behind his back. "Yunshui County is a nice place, with abundant resources and pleasant weather. The villages to the south can still collect vegetables to eat at the end of the year. It's a pity that the Dayu Dynasty covers a vast territory, and every household is used to staying in their small corner of land, resulting in many products eventually being wasted by feeding chickens and ducks, which is quite a waste."
"When I was young I had thought, if I had a few carts, and transported these vegetables to sell in another place, wouldn't it benefit both sides?"
"Unfortunately after becoming a county magistrate, I was too busy to do it, and could only put aside the idea."
"Young man, you're doing what I had most wanted to do when I was young. Yunshui County will always welcome you and open its doors in the future."
After saying his resonating words, Zheng Ruqian was stunned for a long time.
Until county magistrate Pang patted him on the shoulder, did he solemnly cup his fists, "Good, good, good."
County magistrate Pang also didn't avoid it, and righteously accepted his three kowtows.
In the end, Zheng Ruqian couldn't help it, and with a "plop" knelt on the ground.
The county magistrate was shocked.
"Sir, we threatened the wife of the Xieyang county magistrate for self-preservation, and had no choice but to lie about our close relationship with your nephew. Ruqian knows this was wrong, and comes to ask you to punish me."
Zheng Ruqian kept his head lowered, and honestly recounted the story.
At the end he pointed to Pang Dashan, "This is the fabricated nephew."
County magistrate Pang stroked his beard.
To tell the truth, Pang Dashan's features were well-defined, he was tall and sturdy, not ugly at all.
Dressed in fine cloth robes and new cotton shoes, he cut quite a dignified figure.
Most importantly, they had only made up this tiger skin to protect themselves, and didn't act arrogantly or endanger the village.
Zheng Ruqian kowtowing like this frightened county magistrate Pang greatly, making him think the two boys had done something unforgivable.
"Alright, I'll take this nephew." County magistrate Pang looked at Pang Dashan, "You should continue what you were doing. As long as you don't harm the common people, I will be lenient for now."
This was a true parent official, serving the country and people.
If Xieyang County also had an official like this, how could they have been forced to this point?
Zheng Ruqian looked at him gratefully, holding Pang Dashan's hand, and solemnly kowtowed three times to the county magistrate.
The county magistrate didn't avoid it, and righteously accepted them.
Finally, he helped up the two boys and sent them to the door.
"Good kids, come by when you have time."
This farewell, in the eyes of the Xieyang county yamen runners, was an uncle bidding his nephews farewell.
Shocked, they didn't dare linger, and raced back to Xieyang County to report everything.
"This is not right, not right at all." The Xieyang county magistrate mumbled.
He moved quickly, and within just the Lantern Festival was able to dig up that Pang Dashan had been begging in Xieyang County for ten years, originally thinking it was just these kids boasting, didn't expect it to be true.
Even if it wasn't true, county magistrate Pang was still backing these beggar children.
This would be hard to handle.
County magistrate Xieyang and county magistrate Pang were colleagues, at best they could fight to a draw.
Moreover, Gao Hu had been reckless first, if they really clashed, county magistrate Xieyang feared he might not even beat county magistrate Pang.
"What to do, what to do." The county magistrate's wife cried and sobbed behind the screen, "Husband, I only have this one brother, I can't just watch as he's imprisoned for seven years, he still needs to continue our Gao family line."
The county magistrate was headache from her crying, and held his forehead with one hand.
After a long while, he said, "What's there to cry about, aren't these kids still in Xieyang County?"
There's a saying that a dragon is hard pressed on its native ground.
In Yunshui County, Pang was the authority.
But in Xieyang County, he was the authority.
The cries of the county magistrate's wife suddenly stopped, only her hands clutching her handkerchief tightened, clutching harder and harder.
Yunshui County.
After explaining everything clearly to magistrate Pang, Zheng Ruqian felt much more relaxed.
On the way there they still needed to conceal Pang Dashan's identity, but now under county magistrate Pang's protection, they weren't afraid of exposure.
First he spent three or two silvers to buy a new donkey cart, then personally taught Pang Dashan to drive the cart.
They collected vegetables in Yunshui County for three days, and Pang Dashan practiced for three days.
By the time both carts were full, Pang Dashan could steadily follow behind driving the donkey cart.
The two hurried back home.
It took about three or four days to reach Xieyang County.
Still the usual routine, they first went back to the broken temple, and left the gifts for their family there.
Pang Dashan was a bit confused, "Can't we first deliver the vegetables to You Ran House, then take the empty carts and gifts back home? Why do we have to pass the county seat first, go back to the broken temple, then deliver the vegetables to the county, isn't that going out of the way?"
Zheng Ruqian smiled without answering.
When they arrived at the broken temple gates, he tied the donkey cart to a big tree, and glanced at the villagers peeking out. He laughed coldly.
These villagers had been so frightened by Gao Hu's few words that they didn't dare sell him a single vegetable.
Now he had gone to Yunshui County and brought back cartloads of vegetables, naturally wanting to show the villagers clearly.
To see clearly that without these people's support, he, Zheng Ruqian, could still collect vegetables and earn money.
"Second brother." Jiang Sheng hopped out from the broken temple, "Did you bring anything tasty?"
Zheng Ruqian took out two bags of pastries from his robe.
When distributing them he discovered everyone wasn't there.
"Where did big brother and third and fourth and fifth go?" he asked.
Jiang Sheng deeply inhaled the scent of the pastries, complaining, "Silly second brother, big brother went to school, third brother and Uncle Zhang went hunting in the mountains, fifth brother went with fourth brother into the village to see patients."
So she was left behind to watch the doors.
Zheng Ruqian held in his laugh, "Then you eat first. I'll take Dashan to deliver vegetables to You Ran House, and come back quickly."
He had shown off what he needed to, now it was time to do business.
The two walked to the big tree, and had just untied the donkey cart's reins, when they saw Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun carrying small medicine boxes out from the village.
Behind them followed several shy village women.
Although Zheng Ruqian's relationship with the villagers was strained, Wen Zhiyun had not stopped treating the villagers. They were straightforward people, keeping business and medical care separate. Business could be refused but illness still needed treatment.
It was precisely for this reason that the villagers felt that their relationship with Zheng Ruqian could still be eased. After Gao Hu was detained by the magistrate of Yunshui County, they tried to probe a few times and finally couldn't help but follow behind the medical practitioner, wanting to sell vegetables again.
The woman stopped in front of Zheng Ruqian and tried hard to make small talk, "Ruqian is buying vegetables again. Auntie, how about these few cabbage heads? They just got a lot of nutrients after the new year, eating some cabbage is good for the body."
Zheng Ruqian kept his head down without speaking.
He remembered this auntie. Before the new year when he went door to door to buy vegetables, auntie spoke gently but persistently refused to take out a single cabbage stalk. After he left disappointed, she even rolled her eyes.
At that time, he already understood what it meant for human feelings to wax and wane.
"Oh, why don't you speak, child?" The woman nagged a few times but still got no response, and became a little anxious. "We didn't deliberately refuse to sell you vegetables at the beginning. We were really forced to have no choice. How can you, a child, still hold such a grudge?"
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