Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

In the fields.

Li Yu was freely scattering sweat, digging at the ground again and again.

His expression was solemn and serious, mixed with a hint of pain.

This kind of land is really hard labor, and there's a lot to learn.

You have to turn the soil and clear the stones.

At first, after working for a short while, his arms were sore, his back ached, and in less than fifteen minutes, his calf muscles were cramping.

There were only two meals a day, potatoes and pickles.

However, after a day of hard work, the originally bland potatoes tasted a bit sweeter.

He even slept soundly at night, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

After two days, although working was still painfully difficult, he felt a little better than when he started.

He could only bury himself in work like this, and if he worked hard, he should be able to go home sooner...

Not far away, Fang Chenyu was lazily lying by a tree, legs crossed, with a blade of grass in his mouth.

He wore a straw hat, probably picked up from somewhere, half-covering his face, lamenting how time seemed to drag on.

He never worked, never had since the day he arrived.

Too lazy to work, and it was meaningless anyway!

He was just waiting for someone to pick him up so he could go home and enjoy life.

"Hey... why haven't they come to pick me up yet... It's been three days."

As he was talking to himself, the figure of Mao Dan gradually appeared in the distance, carrying a small basket in her hand.

She was bringing them food.

Mao Dan ran to Fang Chenyu's side with small steps and whispered, "Brother Fang, I've come to bring food."

"Who's your brother? Always calling me that! Is it potatoes and pickles again today?" Fang Chenyu didn't even lift his head.

"Yes..."

"Boring... just put it there." Fang Chenyu flicked his toes, his upper body still motionless.

Mao Dan bent down and placed a bowl of pickled potatoes aside, and walked towards Li Yu and Zhou Fugui.

She had only taken two steps when Fang Chenyu suddenly put his leg out.

Mao Dan was instantly tripped and fell flat on her face, her small body sprawling on the ground.

"Ah..." Mao Dan burst into tears instantly.

While crying, she frantically checked the basket containing the potatoes.

Fortunately, she had consciously protected it before falling, and the food inside had not spilled out.

"You bullied me again... Waa..."

With tears on her face, Mao Dan smeared it all over her face, picked up the small basket, and stood there helplessly.

"Tch! If you take out the meat hidden in your house, I won't bully you anymore." Fang Chenyu raised his hand slightly to prop up his straw hat, revealing a face full of disdain.

"My family doesn't have meat..." Mao Dan cried aggrievedly, wiped her tears, and turned to walk towards Li Yu and Zhou Fugui.

Her dad hadn't eaten yet, and she still had to deliver the food.

Seeing that he had gotten nowhere, Fang Chenyu put on his straw hat and continued his nap.

In the distance, Li Yu saw this scene and a burst of anger surged into his heart. He dropped his hoe and strode towards Fang Chenyu.

Mao Dan immediately picked up the small basket when she saw him coming: "Brother Li, eat food."

Li Yu stopped and said softly, "Oh, you and your dad eat first, I'll eat later."

After speaking, he continued towards Fang Chenyu.

Walking closer, he raised his foot and kicked the tree trunk next to Fang Chenyu's head, roaring, "Fang Chenyu, get up for me!"

Bang!

Fang Chenyu trembled in fright, and his straw hat fell off.

Seeing that it was Li Yu, he kept patting his chest and said, "Oh... Lao Li, you scared me to death, what's wrong?"

Li Yu clenched his fists, glaring at him fiercely, and said, "I'm asking you, it's fine if you don't work these past two days, but why are you bullying Mao Dan again? I'm warning you, if you dare to bully her again, I'll beat you up!"

Fang Chenyu curled his lips: "Lao Li, we're brothers, are you going to beat me up for an outsider?"

"Besides, it's not like I haven't been working, look at that." Fang Chenyu pointed to a small pile of stones behind him, "I'm building a toilet, if it's built, you better not use it."

Li Yu said angrily: "Who wants to use it! You're not my brother if you keep acting like this. Mao Dan cooks and delivers food every day, and you still bully her?"

Fang Chenyu clicked his tongue: "So what if I bully her? That little liar."

"Say that again?!" Li Yu glared.

Fang Chenyu waved his hand helplessly: "I'm telling you, Lao Li, I see you working like an idiot all day long and getting tired, haven't you realized it yet?"

"Realized what?" Li Yu's anger subsided slightly, replaced by doubt.

"Forget it, I'll just tell you directly. It seems you can't figure it out yourself."

"It's fake! It's all fake, everyone is acting, can't you see?" Fang Chenyu stretched out his hand and pointed at the people planting in the fields around him one by one, "Those people planting in the fields around us. Mao Dan, Zhou Fugui, and his dad are all actors! They're specifically acting in front of us, and you're actually going to work with them."

"Why do you say that?" Li Yu asked.

"I'm asking you, do you usually read the newspaper?" Fang Chenyu asked back.

"Yes, we were always told to read the newspaper during morning reading at school, what does it have to do with the newspaper?"

Fang Chenyu shook his head and sighed: "That's right, we read the newspaper, and the newspaper always writes that our Great Jing is thriving and the lives of the people are getting better and better, right?"

"How could there be so many poor ghosts? They can't even eat meat or drink honey water every day, is that reasonable? Is everything a waste of time?"

Li Yu's mind was a little muddled.

It seemed like it was... He hadn't felt anything was wrong until he said it, but now that he said it, it felt like everything was wrong.

Every day he read the newspaper, and it said that Great Jing was all good, so where did so many poor people who couldn't even eat meat come from?

It was indeed too unreasonable!

Fang Chenyu continued: "Also, what are we eating every day?"

"Potatoes, two meals a day, so what?"

"That's even more wrong, I used to read in the newspaper that there are stalls in the capital that make snacks with potatoes, and they can earn more than ten taels of silver a month! Even the people in my dad's newspaper office don't earn that much!"

"Also, those who grow flowers, grow melons, sell this and sell that have all made a fortune! Their families have everything they need. Why does Mao Dan's family eat potatoes every day and not take them out to sell and make money? Why are they digging the ground here so miserably, what's the point?"

Li Yu scratched his head.

"Hiss... hiss... You're right! Why doesn't Mao Dan's family go to the capital to sell potatoes? That's much easier than planting... But, maybe they don't know how to do business?"

Fang Chenyu said disdainfully: "I can think of that, wouldn't adults think of that? It seems you're not awake yet...."

"There are no poor people in our Great Jing, I even have evidence!"