Linxia

Chapter 156, Return Home

Traveling with the caravan was indeed extremely relaxing and leisurely, and the pace was not slow. After all, it was a horse-drawn carriage, which was much faster than walking. And there was no need to carry heavy luggage. In just a few days, most of the distance was covered.

——This is much faster than Fang Lin’s family expected. This is their first time following a caravan. They didn’t know about it before and had some stereotyped impressions.

That evening, we passed by a village, Changli Village.

As usual, the caravan rested at the entrance of the village, and Ji Guangxiang took Fang Lin and his party into the village to eat.

In the center of the village, the door of a house was open, and the golden sunlight of the evening shone in, turning the house golden. A girl of about sixteen or seventeen walked out.

Even though Fang Lin was knowledgeable and experienced, he was still shocked at the time. This girl was so beautiful, with black eyebrows and big eyes. She was like a clear spring in the mountains, or a wild flower on the mountain, innocent, pure, and beautiful yet unaware of it.

The girl came out of the house and saw Ji Guangxiang, Fang Lin and his party. She knew that they were guests, so she greeted them with curiosity and friendliness in her eyes. She quickly ran into the house and asked her parents to come out.

Fang Lin was just admiring; Fang Chuanhui and Fang He were really stunned, blushing and lowering their heads; Fang's mother couldn't help but say, "This girl is so pretty."

Ji Guangxiang was of this age, had a wife and children, and it was not the first time he had seen them. He was quite calm and introduced them to Fang Lin and his party: "This is Yang Cunzheng's family. The girl just now is named Xiu Lian."

Yang Cunzheng was not at home as he had some things to do and had not returned yet. The hostess came out, invited them to sit down, and made them some tea. It was not sesame bean tea, but finely chopped carrot and white radish tea, pickled with salt and stored in a porcelain bottle, with some homemade tea leaves and chrysanthemums added. When it was poured with hot water, it had a light fragrance and a little bit of saltiness.

Fang Lin and others drank it and found it tasted delicious.

The hostess went to the kitchen to cook, and Yang Xiu Lian chatted with her, full of curiosity about the new guests from the capital.

Ji Guangxiang was quite a good person. He emphasized that Fang Lin wrote books, opened a bookstore, and had a huge reputation in the city, etc., highlighting Fang Lin.

The topic was passed on to others. Facing the expectant gazes, Fang Lin talked about some of the things he had seen in the city and some interesting stories, but he only briefly touched upon the subject.

Xiulian was fascinated by what she heard, her eyes full of joy and curiosity. When she learned that Tian Xuan was Fang Lin's wife, she became especially close to Tian Xuan and sat next to her, just like a little animal that likes to cling to people.

Not only Fang Lin and his friends said this, Xiulian also said: "Our village is a little far from the county town, and we rarely go to the county town. I heard that the prefectural city is very lively, with all kinds of shops selling everything." She also said: "I had a younger brother who had measles and a high fever. The doctor didn't catch up that time, so he died."

When she talked about happy things, she smiled and her snow-white teeth were arranged like pearls. When she talked about sad things, her furrowed brows made people feel heartbroken.

Fang Chuanhui and Fang He, who were normally quite eloquent, were unable to utter a word at this moment. Their faces turned red and they lowered their heads. Fang Lin tried to take over the conversation, but the two of them acted like idiots, which made him laugh and shake his head.

However, this is not surprising. In terms of appearance, Xiulian may be inferior to Shi Wenjun and Gu Yuyan, but her temperament is different from the other two girls' coldness, independence, liveliness and cunningness. She has a purity like a mountain spring. For the young man who already knows Mu Ai, her attraction is indescribable.

For dinner, we had a big bowl of bacon, which smelled so good that the aroma filled my nose before it was even served.

Yangcun was just coming back before dinner. He was of medium height, and a little darker than usual due to years of farm work, but his facial features were pretty. No wonder he gave birth to such a daughter. He warmly entertained her, saying, "We raised a pig on our farm and killed it during the New Year. We pickled and smoked it and kept it all for ourselves. It tastes great. You guys should eat more..."

The bacon is authentic pork belly with alternating fat and lean parts. It is cut into thin slices and turns light yellow after being steamed. It tastes oily but not greasy and is indeed delicious.

A bowl of pickled mustard greens with thin layers of dried tofu in it, which are very chewy when chewed.

A bowl of steamed eggs, trembling in the spoon.

In addition to these three steamed dishes, there is also a bowl of stir-fried cabbage, which is sweet and delicious.

Maybe because they were hungry or something else, Fang Lin's family, Fang Chuanhui, and Fang He all felt that the food that night was exceptionally delicious.

……

Farewell the next day.

As the caravan went away, Fang Lin looked at Fang Chuanhui and Fang He, the two boys, sticking their heads out of the curtain of the carriage and looking back from afar. He also looked over and saw Xiulian holding her sister, standing there watching the caravan go away.

This was an unexpected surprise and fun thing on the way home, and it is worth mentioning.

Fortunately, the weather was fine and the journey was smooth. After a few days, we finally returned to Haining County.

……

In Haining County, Qiao Cunzheng and his eldest son Qiao Sheng came to pick up Fang Lin and his party.

Before Fang Lin and Tian Xuan got married, they had already decided to return to Xiaohe Village. The letter mentioned the departure date, and because the caravan and the uncle were following the same group, the return time could be roughly estimated.

At the caravan's stop in the county town, Qiao Cunzheng saw Fang Lin and his party, and shouted and waved.

"Master Ji, thank you for your kindness, but there are already villagers here to pick us up, so there is no need to trouble you any further. Please send a carriage to take us to our village." Fang Lin said.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Fang? You've received so much money, so you should take good care of it. Why would you bother?" Ji Guangxiang said, looking at the donkey cart in Xiaohe Village, and then said, "Mr. Fang, I see you have a lot of stuff, and that donkey cart may not be enough. Let me send someone to take you a little further!"

In fact, Qiao Cunzheng also thought that Fang Lin and his party might bring a lot of stuff back, so in order to free up the donkey cart and not sure whether they could pick up Fang Lin and his party, no one from the Fang family came over for the time being. But now it seems that there are still too many things and they may not be able to fit them all.

"No need for that, we can just buy a carriage."

Fang Lin said to Fang's father, Fang's mother, and Tian Xuan, "Buy a carriage so that you can use it here and it will be more convenient for traveling. When you don't need it anymore, you can sell it. Who knows, in the end, not only will you not lose money, you may even make a profit!"

When Mr. and Mrs. Fang thought about it, they all agreed that this made sense.

After hearing what Fang Lin said, Ji Guangxiang did not insist any more, but later, he still accompanied Fang Lin and his party to buy some things. His caravan's business here did give him some face, and he had quite a few acquaintances, so he could get discounts in many places when buying things.

After finishing the shopping, Ji Guangxiang and Fang Lin agreed on the time to return after the New Year, and Fang Lin and his party prepared to set off back to Xiaohe Village.

"County Magistrate Hou is here!" At this time, a voice suddenly came.

When Ji Guangxiang heard this, he didn't think it was a big deal. He was the head of this caravan and had traveled all over the country and dealt with many county magistrates. Fang Lin seemed to know something and was not too surprised. Fang's father, mother, and Tian Xuan had all seen the world in the provincial capital and were not surprised either. Even Fang Chuanhui and Fang He had broadened their horizons and were not surprised.

However, Qiao Cunzheng and his eldest son Qiao Sheng suddenly became nervous. After all, this was the chief official of a county!

"Is that our friend Fang Lin in front? It's a blessing for Haining County and for me, Hou, that your family has returned home in glory!" County Magistrate Hou got out of the sedan chair and said to Fang Lin enthusiastically.

There was a hint of flattery in these words, which surprised Qiao Cunzheng. His eldest son Qiao Sheng was even more shocked when he heard these words.

——Unlike his younger brother Qiao Xu, he led the Xiaohe village team to the provincial capital and had many dealings with Fang Lin on the way. He knew that Fang Lin was capable. In fact, he was a little dissatisfied with the fact that the reputation of the old Fang family in Xiaohe Village gradually overshadowed that of the Qiao family. But what he saw and heard at this moment, that dissatisfaction instantly disappeared.

In fact, they were not wrong. County Magistrate Hou was trying to please Fang Lin because Prefect Pu wrote to him and mentioned that his nephews were returning home. How could a subordinate like him not pay attention to this matter mentioned by his superior?
Furthermore, even if there was no factor of Prefect Pu, with Fang Lin's current reputation as the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it would not be impossible for him to meet a county magistrate if he wanted to.

The last point is that County Magistrate Hou has no background. If he can use Fang Lin as a link to join County Magistrate Pu’s faction, that would be a great thing!
Ji Guangxiang's reaction to County Magistrate Hou was not surprising; Fang's father, mother, Tian Xuan, Fang Chuanhui, and Fang He were a little surprised. They knew that Fang Lin had some connections, and they didn't expect that they would be useful when they returned to the county.

"My Lord, you are too kind to me. I know Uncle Pu's letter. Logically, I should take the initiative to visit him."

Prefect Pu did tell Fang Lin that County Magistrate Hou seemed to be a good official at the moment, sticking to the bottom line, and the degree of fraud in Haining County was relatively mild. However, he wanted Fang Lin to see what kind of character he had, and if he didn't meet him, then forget it.

In other words, he did have the final say and could decide the fate of County Magistrate Hou.

After some greetings, County Magistrate Hou knew that Fang Lin and his party were eager to return home, so he would try to keep them. He only said that next time Fang Lin came to the county, he must come to his house for a visit.

Fang Lin agreed, and suddenly his eyes fell on the man who came with County Magistrate Hou, it was the minor official named Wei.

——It was at the beginning, when they arrived at the county town, Fang Lin helped the other party who was trapped, and later he gave the Fang family's food for four people to the clerk who had ten people!

"At first, thanks to the ten portions of food, my mother fell ill and my family was on the way to the capital, so we were able to hold on."

Fang Lin remembered this favor, so he walked over to County Magistrate Hou and said hello: "Brother Wei, do you still remember me? Thank you for what I did that day."

The clerk named Wei naturally remembered Fang Lin, as he had just seen him look familiar. But thinking that the man was just a refugee, and now this man was someone that even the county magistrate had to pay attention to, he thought he had recognized the wrong person, but he didn't expect that it was actually the same person.

Because he had to go back to Xiaohe Village, Fang Lin did not say much to the other party. He only asked for the address and said that he would visit him when he came to the county town again, and then took his leave.

However, the significance of his action itself is extraordinary.

After Fang Lin and his party left, County Magistrate Hou came over and asked the name of the minor official named Wei.

"My Lord, I am Wei Qing. The Wei in Wei Qing, the Qing in the prosperous and peaceful times."

"Haha, what a great Wei Qing, what a nice name!" County Magistrate Hou looked at the man deeply and patted him on the shoulder.

Wei Qing was secretly excited, knowing that County Magistrate Hou had remembered him and that he would have a bright future.

He is also a veteran in officialdom, and he knows clearly that it is very difficult to advance in officialdom without a background. He had already given up on muddling through life, but now that good luck has come, he can't help but feel more curious and grateful towards him.

……

This day.

Wei Qing was congratulated by his colleagues in the yamen, bought a roast chicken, and carried two kilograms of old rice wine home.

The children at home saw it, smelled the aroma, and came over, swallowing their saliva.

To be honest, he was a minor official, but his family could just about eat enough. Except for the holidays, they could only have a decent meal once a month or so. This was better than 99% of the people in the county.

"Usually, we just buy a little meat for a snack. Why did you buy a roast chicken today? Is there any good news?" asked Wei's wife.

"Indeed, there is good news. I have made a small step forward in the government. However, this is secondary. The most important thing is the future!" Wei Qing started from the beginning, talking about the day he met Fang Lin, and then to what happened today.

"So, it was Fang Lin who helped you first, and you helped him later. Now he is grateful for your kindness, and he helped you again with just a gesture, which made you catch the eye of the county magistrate... This is really a rare thing." Wei's wife laughed.

"Yes, we do things with a clear conscience, and sure enough, good things are always waiting for us." Wei Qing said in a very good mood. He distributed the chicken legs and wings to his children and daughter-in-law, and gnawed on the chicken neck himself, drinking some old rice wine and humming a tune.

……

County Magistrate Hou and his own advisor were also talking about Fang Lin at this moment.

"Sir, I have found out everything."

Master Tan talked about the relationship between Fang Lin and Wei Qing, and then said, "I think Fang Lin is extraordinary. In just one year, he went from being a refugee to becoming famous and earning a lot of money. The preface to the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written by Prefect Pu himself, which shows that... With such a reputation, it is easy to make connections. In addition to Prefect Pu, Fang Lin may have connections of the same level. Your Excellency should not take it lightly."

He set the tone. Fang Lin was different from those common people who could make the other party shed tears of gratitude and bow down to him just by showing an attitude or doing some small favors.

"This person is indeed not an ordinary person. We can see that from our dealings today. He is neither humble nor arrogant, and he is flawless. He is a real character." County Magistrate Hou nodded slightly, agreeing with this evaluation. After a pause, he continued, "To be honest, this person is indeed capable, but what I value more is his good character and his gratitude."

Master Tan observed the expression of County Magistrate Hou and continued, "Your Excellency is right. As I thought, this person is of such character that he is worthy of being a close friend. He can not only serve as a link between you and County Magistrate Pu, but also maintain your personal relationship with him. If you manage this for a long time, he may bring you surprises in the future... This requires you to put aside some of your face and show your goodwill, even if you may suffer some grievances."

"What's wrong with that?"

County Magistrate Hou waved his hand and smiled: "When I first took office in Haining County, I showed weakness to the wealthy families in the city, but now I have subdued them, haven't I? Nowadays, popular novels are popular. Fang Lin is a great novelist of his generation. In the future, he may be a figure like Li Bai or Su Dongpo. What does it matter if I bend down and show my goodwill? It may become a good story in the future."

"Your Excellency has an open mind." Master Tan complimented him, and then he added, "The other party is so smart. If we only talk but don't do anything, it will only offend him. If we only do things but don't say anything, it will only be half the result with twice the effort. After thinking about it, I think that Your Excellency should do both. Specifically, Your Excellency should show favor but do nothing. I will talk about it from the side and point out what Your Excellency has done. With the help of the words of the village chief of Xiaohe Village and the old Fang family of Xiaohe Village, I can convey the favor. In this way, people's hearts will be revealed over time, and this relationship will be established."

"Okay, let's do it."

County Magistrate Hou pondered for a moment and said, "Aren't the wealthy families in the county contributing money to prepare for the New Year celebrations? Let's send a troupe to select some villages to perform for free so that the people can have fun together."

Master Tan immediately understood and assured, "Don't worry, sir. I will do it right away. I will also remind Qiao Cunzheng and tell him the reason behind this and let him know who is behind it... In short, when Fang Lin and his party return home this time, we must make them happy and give them enough face."

……

Fang Lin was of course unaware of the discussions behind Wei Qing and County Magistrate Hou's back. At that moment, they were on their way back to Xiaohe Village. He had no idea that the joy of returning home had just begun.

……

(End of this chapter)