Linxia

Chapter 163, Return to the City

Fang Lin and his party arrived at the county town and found Ji Guangxiang's caravan at the agreed location. They learned that the caravan would depart in the afternoon, so they asked Fang's father, mother, Tian Xuan, Fang Chuanhui and Fang He to rest there while Fang Lin went to do some things.

……

The Wei family is the home of Wei Qing, a minor official with the surname Wei. He came to Haining County to do some shopping a few days ago. He has been here before and is now familiar with the place, so he brought some things with him.

It happened that Wei Qing was on a day off, so he warmly welcomed Fang Lin in.

At the door, Wei's wife, who was chatting with her neighbors, suddenly stood up and prepared to go home.

"Madam Wei, your guest is here again! Hey, this time he brought Tongfuzhai dim sum and the smell of roast chicken... He was so generous, but you didn't tell me last time. Who is this person in your family?"

"My dear lady!" Wei's wife said this and turned back without looking back.

"Brother Fang, this is not the first time you have come here. Why do you have to be so polite and bring so many things? Also, Brother Fang, you are not allowed to refuse today. You must stay for dinner." Wei Qing took Fang Lin's wrist and walked towards home.

The previous two times Fang Lin came, he came to the county town to make purchases, so he came and left in a hurry. Naturally, he did not stay long, which made him very regretful.

"Okay, I'll trouble you this time, Brother Wei. I just have something to ask you." Fang Lin said as he walked in and put down his things.

"Come on, Brother Fang, go in. I'll ask my wife to make some food and we'll talk slowly." Wei Qing became serious after hearing this.

For lunch, Wei's wife prepared delicious food and wine, which was extremely sumptuous, making his two children drool with envy - although it was not long before the Chinese New Year, today's meal was much more sumptuous than the one they had at home during the Chinese New Year!
According to the rules, women and children are not allowed to sit at the table, especially since Fang Lin said he had something else to discuss, so Wei's wife and two children ate in the kitchen.

Fang Lin looked at the two little ones with eager eyes, waved for them to come over, and divided half of the meat and vegetables on the table, such as chicken and duck, and put them in bowls for them to take over.

"Brother Fang, this..."

"We can't eat so much, so let my sister-in-law, nephew, and niece have a taste."

"Well, why don't you thank your Uncle Fang?"

"Thank you uncle."

The two little ones went there happily, turned around and closed the door. Wei Qing came over and sat down to pour wine, and the two of them started talking while drinking.

The two chatted about how they first met and their respective experiences... Soon, Wei Qing started talking about Romance of the Three Kingdoms and praised it highly.

Yes, he had inquired about Fang Lin these days.

Wei Qing naturally wanted to find out how Fang Lin, a refugee villager, had become what he is today. It wasn't because he had any dirty thoughts, but because he didn't know anything about these things. It was awkward to talk about them when they met, and he thought that Fang Lin didn't value the other person!

After inquiring, he learned that Fang Lin had opened several bookstores in the city, making other booksellers in Huai'an city unable to raise their heads. His copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms was famous all over the world, and the prefect wrote the preface... He was not an ordinary citizen, but also worked in the government system. He knew very well that Fang Lin could do this only because of the strong network of contacts behind him.

These two days, I even found a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and was fascinated by it.

"Not worth mentioning." Fang Lin waved his hand and talked about business, asking: "Brother Wei, what do you think of County Magistrate Hou?"

When he said this, his tone was calm and he showed no inclination.

Wei Qing was unsure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for Magistrate Hou. He smacked his lips and said objectively, "How Magistrate Hou is, whether he is good or bad, depends on whose perspective you look at it from. When Magistrate Hou first came to Haining County, he showed weakness to the wealthy families in the city. Later, after several battles, he finally overpowered them... Last year, many places in Daxia suffered from disasters. We in Jianghuai increased taxes. Magistrate Hou forced the wealthy families in the county to bear most of the taxes... Magistrate Hou is naturally not good for the wealthy families in the county; but for the people in the county, he is good."

"Of course, it's not true to say that County Magistrate Hou is honest and selfless. He is basically fair in judging cases and handles practical matters in the county. But he may not be honest. With his salary, he can't afford to live in such a big yard. There must be something dirty behind his back, but as far as I know, the money for disaster relief after the disaster two years ago was distributed in full..."

In official circles, it is important to distinguish one's position. Wei Qing knew that although he was a subordinate of County Magistrate Hou, everything he had today, including promotion, special treatment from superiors and colleagues, and all his bright future, was because of Fang Lin. Therefore, when Fang Lin asked about County Magistrate Hou, he immediately told him everything he knew, whether it should be said or not, without hesitation.

"I understand, Brother Wei, come and have a drink."

Fang Lin nodded. He had also inquired elsewhere in the county these days, but the information he got from Wei Qing was the most detailed. After verifying each other, he had a rough idea in his mind: "People are extremely contradictory and complex aggregates. It is difficult to judge them simply as good or bad. In the context of today's era, overall, although Magistrate Hou has flaws, he is already a good official."

……

After bidding farewell to Wei Qing, Fang was about to go to look for County Magistrate Hou.

There was no need to elaborate on the politeness, and he quickly got to the point: "A few months ago, the extravagant style in Huai'an City became more and more rampant, and Prefect Pu was very upset about it. Therefore, there was the village drinking ceremony... In addition, Prefect Pu often mentioned the matter of the 'strange fields' in the prefecture in front of me, and he sighed and lamented about it, and regarded it as a serious concern..."

Before leaving the city, Prefect Pu said that if he met County Magistrate Hou, he would take a closer look. If he didn't meet him, then forget it. He also gave further instructions. If he thought this person was good, he could reveal a few things and give him a chance to observe, a chance to join Prefect Pu's faction.

——This can be considered as a favor done by Magistrate Pu Fanglin.

County Magistrate Hou was a smart man. He naturally understood Fang Lin's hidden meaning and knew what he had to do. "Since I am an official, I should help the people out of their difficulties and share the worries of the emperor. Haining County should also respond to the government and put an end to the extravagant lifestyle and crack down on the illegal farming. It is our duty..."

He was not afraid of any examination because he was confident in his abilities, but he was afraid that there would not be such an opportunity.

This time, Fang Lin didn't say anything, just smiled. As long as the other party understood, his words had been conveyed.

"Thank you, Mr. Fang." Magistrate Hou hesitated for a moment and promised, "If you have any problem, please write to me. As long as it does not violate the law, I will definitely do it."

Although it does not violate the law, this limitation is large, but it is the only way to show sincerity. If he says "I will do everything I can to the best of my ability", then it would be just a cliché.

"Your Excellency is too polite." This was what Fang Lin wanted to hear.

The good connections made this time will also pave the way for the future, such as possibly bringing people overseas.

After Fang left, County Magistrate Hou told Mr. Qin about his conversation with him.

After hearing this, Master Tan sighed and said, "I thought that Magistrate Pu wrote the preface for Fang Lin, which meant that they had a good relationship. I didn't expect that he would tell Fang Lin about this matter. It seems that Magistrate Pu and Fang Lin have a closer relationship than I expected... It turned out to be a good idea to get closer to this boy before."

"Yes, as the saying goes, a phoenix emerges from a deep mountain. I didn't expect that a unicorn would emerge from the small ditch of Xiaohe Village."

Hou Zhixian thought for a moment and said, "Take care of Xiaohe Village more... By the way, the money for repairing the dike has been allocated this year. You should keep an eye on it and don't let anyone get their hands on it. Some idiots don't even know which money can be used and which cannot be used... Also, the dike of Xiaohe Village should be reinforced first."

"Don't worry, sir. I understand."

……

In the afternoon, they set off from Haining County. The caravan still reserved a Taiping carriage for Fang Lin and his party, so they would not suffer from the bumpy ride. They had a variety of food, including game and meat. They often stopped at villages and had meals at the homes of the village chiefs. They were treated well and the food and drink were comparable to that of ordinary people during the New Year.

A few days passed quickly and they had walked half the distance and were about to reach Changli Village. Fang Chuanhui and Fang He, in particular, had obvious anticipation on their faces.

Fang Lin also thought of the girl who was as innocent, pure, and unaware of her beauty as the clear spring water in the mountains and the wild flowers in the fields, as well as the warm family, the tea with diced red and white radishes that he drank that day, and the extremely delicious meal that he ate.

With this expectation, the gloomy weather does not hinder the bright mood.

At noon that day, the caravan rested at the entrance of the village. Fang Lin and his party went to the village, but did not see Miss Xiu Lian come out. There were only Yang Cunzheng, his wife, and a little girl, who was Xiu Lian's sister, who also came to see them off that day.

Although they had only not seen each other for a month or two, Yang Cunzheng's hair had turned a lot whiter, and he seemed to have lost his vitality. Fang Lin and others asked about Xiulian. "She... is dead." Yang Cunzheng said.

Fang Lin and his party were all surprised, even Ji Guangxiang didn't know about this, because if there were no distinguished guests in the caravan, he would not have come into the village to eat.

Yang Cunzheng went on to say in detail: "It was a good day, with clouds floating in the sky. The sun was not very strong, disappearing in the clouds for a while and then appearing again. This kind of weather is the best for work. Xiulian is a diligent person, so she and another girl from the village walked towards the path up the mountain to chop wood.

All the firewood in the valley had been cut down. As they walked, they looked up and saw a patch of bushes on the top of the mountain that no one had ever cut. The two of them discussed going there.

As she climbed up the mountain, Xiulian accidentally stepped on a protruding rock, stumbled, and fell. She was surrounded by cut bushes, and she didn't have time to grab anything, so she just rolled down the mountain. After rolling for several feet, her face hit a tree stump, and the slanted side of the stump was like a sharp knife, piercing her cheek...

When I saw Xiulian, she was covered in blood. The blood flowed from her chin into her neck and came out of her mouth... She died that night."

After Fang Lin and his companions heard this, they were all silent. They couldn't believe that such a pure and beautiful girl was gone just like that.

For lunch, Yang Cunzheng's wife prepared bacon, pickled mustard greens, and steamed eggs, but Fang Lin and his party could not enjoy the food.

Leave in the afternoon.

Rumble!
Spring thunder exploded and it began to rain. Inside the Taiping carriage, there was no wind or rain, but Fang Lin and his companions became much quieter.

……

After leaving Changli Village, a few days passed. The rain stopped and the sky cleared up. We were almost reaching the provincial capital. At noon that day, we passed by Changliu Village again.

Not far from the entrance of the village, there were a few old camphor trees that two people couldn't even hug together. Their huge trunks were bulging with crooked scars. There were also a few buffaloes or cattle lying under the trees...

Just like the day when I returned to Xiaohe Village, it was noon that day. The big sun covered the village. There were some children surrounding the caravan. It seemed that nothing had changed compared to that day.

As usual, the caravan rested at the entrance of the village. Ji Guangxiang took Fang Lin and his party into the village and had dinner at Fan's house.

When we arrived at the east end of the village, we saw that the door of the Fan family was wide open. Villagers wearing patched clothes were coming in and out, carrying stalls and wooden buckets to fetch water.

"Master Ji, this..." Fang Lin looked over.

"I don't know either." Ji Guangxiang smiled bitterly and shook his head: "When I was in Haining County, I visited Mr. Fan and brought some of the latest popular novels."

At this time, a villager passed by.

"Brother Wu!" Fang Lin called out to the other party.

This was the day when Fan Qingzeng asked one of the two farmhands, named Wu Liang, to accompany Fang Lin and Tian Xuan to visit the village.

"Mr. Fang?" Wu Liang recognized Fang Lin.

Fang Lin asked, "Brother Wu, can you tell me where the Fan family is?"

"The house was confiscated by Lord Han."

“Master Han, Han Yuan respects Master Han?”

"Yes, it was this lord. He said it was because of some 'strange field'. We ordinary people don't know... I heard that Lord Han had been investigating this matter and collecting evidence... On the 16th day of the first lunar month, many yamen runners came and arrested Master Fan... Not only our village, but also many villages..."

When Ji Guangxiang heard this, his face was full of shock.

Fang's father, Fang's mother, Fang Chuanhui and Fang He just lamented the impermanence of life.

Fang Lin thought of more: "After the village drinking ceremony, Han Yuanjing had something important to do and left Master Ou's house. Was it because of this? He wanted to investigate the matter of the 'strange field'? That day at Master Ou's house, I told him about my visit to the Fan family and their extravagance. Maybe he targeted the Fan family because of this? It's not a personal vendetta, but the Fan family has problems to begin with, so it was a perfect opportunity."

"Come to think of it, I have a part to play in this?" He laughed.

Wu Liang continued, "When the Fan family fell, the government dismissed our farmhands, maids, and servants, and divided up our former land... The private school teachers also left. This big house was originally going to be demolished, but Lord Han didn't agree, saying it was too wasteful. The house was demolished and the land was given to the people who occupied the land. The well belongs to our entire village, and everyone can come to draw water..."

Fang Lin thought about what he saw that day. The villagers all fetched water from the pond, which was a stagnant pond. Men and women, the men washed their faces, the women washed their hair, and the water they fetched was full of mud and dirt. Now that they have switched to well water, the situation is much better.

As he thought about this, he looked into the house. It still had the same carved beams and painted buildings, but the owner had changed.

The villagers walked around in the garden where various flowers, including roses, gardenias, cockscombs, as well as fruit trees, including plum trees, peach trees, orange trees, and pomegranate trees, were planted.

Next to the garden, there was a stone pond with fish swimming around in it. The children from the village lay beside it and watched with rapt attention.

There was a wheel axle on the well. The villagers turned the handle with both hands, and buckets of water were lifted up with creaking sounds.

When I looked up again, some birds flew out of the garden and into the village.

"The swallows that once flew in front of the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people." Fang Lin suddenly remembered this line of poetry.

"There's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to make do with Mr. Fan's house for lunch." Ji Guangxiang apologized.

"This is as it should be. Thanks to Master Ji for taking care of me, how dare I be picky?"

For some reason, although Fang Lin didn't have a good meal, he felt happier than if he had had a full banquet.

Leaving the village, I passed by a big pond. On the other side of the pond, there were some small thatched houses that I saw last time, but now there was no one there.

Fang Lin thought again of what he had seen that day: more than a dozen families, some with four people, and some with seven or eight people of all ages, crowded into a small thatched house, with flies and insects buzzing and flying all over the sky, emitting a foul smell.

There was also the boy who was sleeping on a rotten bamboo chair. His mouth and face were covered with flying insects, as black as a circle of beard. There were three or two flies crawling in each of the four corners of his eyes. There were also some flying insects on his black chest and crotch...

"Now those families, as Wu Liang said, have moved into the former Fan family," he thought to himself.

Tian Xuan obviously thought of this as well. She walked briskly and hummed a little tune.

The two of them walked behind holding hands. At a certain moment, they looked at each other inadvertently and smiled knowingly at the same time.

Behind them, under the big afternoon sun, the dazzling sunlight enveloped and splashed onto the earth. The shadow between heaven and earth was squeezed to the smallest at this moment.

……

After passing Changliu Village and the octagonal pavilion that we saw on the way here, Huai'an City finally came into vague sight. Thousands of sails could be seen passing by in the river. After many days, Fang Lin and his party returned to the long-lost city.

……

(End of this chapter)