Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

The long journey had left him utterly exhausted.

Fang Zheng leaned back on the familiar recliner in the backyard and quickly fell asleep.

He didn't know how long had passed before he was shaken awake.

Opening his eyes, he saw Xiaotao looking at him with a happy face, cheerfully saying, "Young Master, why didn't you send someone to tell me you were coming back?"

Fang Zheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around.

He pulled a long face and said, "Heh, I wouldn't dare disturb your milk bath."

Hearing Fang Zheng tease her, Xiaotao grinned.

"I'm suffering and working hard outside, while you're living a more carefree life than me in the county!"

As she spoke, she caught sight of Bai Yi, who was like a quail beside her.

She was already fair-skinned, and he didn't know if it was because she had taken a milk bath, but she was almost glowing white.

However, she was timid and shrinking back, not daring to speak.

Seeing her like this, Fang Zheng chuckled, "Why are you hiding? The cost of the bath will be deducted from your wages!"

"A milk bath! I haven't been this white in three days since I died!"

Bai Yi's face immediately fell.

From the moment Fang Zheng returned, she had been feeling uneasy.

Having been a maid for a long time, she always had an inexplicable feeling towards Fang Zheng.

A bit afraid... and also inferior, she couldn't adjust her mindset no matter how hard she tried.

Afraid of being scolded and having her wages deducted, and as expected... she was scolded again this time.

Xiaotao glanced at her and quickly smoothed things over, saying, "No, no, I'm treating her."

"Xiaobai, you go out first. I have something to say to the Young Master."

Bai Yi was relieved as if she had been granted amnesty and quickly fled the courtyard.

Seeing her leave, Fang Zheng stretched lazily, "Give me a shoulder massage."

"While I was away, did anything happen at home?"

"Has Xiaobai been acting strange?"

Xiaotao squatted down and started massaging Fang Zheng's shoulders, puzzled, "No, Xiaobai is usually with me, strolling around the streets and buying things."

"But she doesn't have any money, so I buy everything for her."

Fang Zheng got up and glared at Xiaotao, "No, you're a maid, and she's a maid?"

"I always feel like there's something strange about Xiaobai!"

Xiaotao pressed Fang Zheng back down and continued, "There is something a bit strange."

"In the capital, she always liked to go to a cloth shop called Qian Sheng's. I went to check it out, and there was nothing wrong with it."

"I had someone follow her, and Xiaobai always looked lost and dejected after coming out of there."

"I guess... she probably wanted to buy new clothes but didn't have the money."

"Young Master, you don't give her enough money."

Not enough? He gave her three taels of silver a month, and she wasn't even from Taoyuan.

Fang Zheng felt that he was generous enough. The reporters under him only got one tael of silver a month.

An unknown maid got three taels a month.

Usually, she just cooked. Other maids were responsible for cleaning.

Even if Xiaobai was pleasing to the eye, she wasn't as good-looking as silver!

"What maid spends twenty taels on a bath? You can't find that kind of treatment anywhere in the capital."

Xiaotao rolled her eyes, "Then I took one too. Do you want me to give you the money?"

"Heh! You've been by my side since you were so little. I've raised you to be this big. Can Xiaobai be the same?"

As he spoke, Fang Zheng used his hand to gesture the height.

When he picked up Xiaotao, she wasn't even as tall as his waist.

Malnourished, a skinny little snot-nosed kid, always clinging to him, no different from a real little sister.

In the blink of an eye, she had grown into a big girl.

"I'm too lazy to care. Who doesn't have a few secrets? You can take care of your own maid."

"This time, Young Master, I brought back a new batch of silver from outside. You go to the vault and recount the silver and keep good accounts."

"Also, you've become more and more extravagant while I've been gone! From now on, you're not allowed to spend more than five hundred taels a month."

Hearing this, Xiaotao muttered, "I got a discount card for the milk bath. Thirty times for only five hundred taels..."

"What! Is five hundred taels not enough!"

Xiaotao increased the pressure on her hands and continued to mutter, "I was the one who made the monkey wine in the county. I earned forty thousand taels for the county! What's wrong with spending a few hundred taels on a bath?"

So it was this girl who was behind it.

Fang Zheng was a little embarrassed. He coughed twice and put on a stern face, "Deceit and fraud are shameful! We do legitimate business in our county. There must be no next time!"

"From now on, it's only five hundred taels of pocket money a month. Not a penny more. If you want to spend more, earn it yourself!"

"Stingy!"

Fang Zheng laughed, "I'm stingy? Go out and ask around. Who isn't grateful to Young Master and praises me for being generous?"

"I even brought you something good this time."

"What is it?"

Xiaotao's eyes lit up, and she stopped her hand movements.

Fang Zheng casually pointed to a bundle thrown on a long chair in the backyard veranda.

Xiaotao quickly went over, picked up the bundle, opened it, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! So many pieces of jewelry?"

"Pick out a few you like and take them!"

Xiaotao looked through it for a while and said disappointedly, "Eh~, it's better to sell it for money."

"Although there are quite a few valuable pieces of jewelry here, they're not as pretty as the glass jewelry in the county!"

"Forget it, I'll pick out two pieces for Xiaobai."

Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes at Xiaotao, "I'm saying... don't be fooled by Xiaobai."

"That's impossible. Xiaobai looks dull and silly. She's always spacing out by herself. I guess she misses her parents."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her. It hasn't been two years yet. I'll tell you if there's a problem."

"Well, that's good too."

Fang Zheng crossed his arms and looked at the sky in a daze.

Thinking back to his life before he transmigrated.

So many years have passed. I wonder if artificial intelligence has taken over the earth, if earthlings have landed on Mars, and if controllable nuclear fusion has been successfully researched?

I wonder if my parents received compensation after I died of overwork at my workstation.......

...........

Time flew by, and it was evening.

In the backyard of the county office, Li Yuanzhao, Zhang Biao, and others gathered in the courtyard.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, reflecting in the lotus pond in the backyard in patches, and you could vaguely see koi swimming in the water through the lotus leaves.

From time to time, a few insect chirps came from the flowers and plants, and a few small bonfires were lit on the ground for lighting.

The crackling sound of burning firewood continued, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

Several people were sitting around a large table, with many candles lit on the table, filled with various delicacies and fine wine.

In the very center was a roasted piglet that was charred, fragrant, and crispy, divided neatly, and you could still see rich gravy between the cuts.

Everyone looked at the roasted pig with envious eyes, except for Xiaotao and Bai Yi.

A pig that grew up drinking bathwater? Forget it, they really didn't have much appetite!

Fang Zheng was quite greedy.

In his previous life, he had heard of cows that drank beer and listened to music, but he had never eaten them.

Today, can he taste a pig that drinks milk and listens to music?

Looking at the expectant expressions of everyone, Fang Zheng couldn't help but smile.

"Everyone, don't be polite! Let's not go home until we're drunk tonight! Let's eat!"

.......

Gastrointestinal bleeding, today I heard that Brother Feng retired, a double blow of physiology and psychology.

I will take care of my stomach during this time, the update may not be so punctual, but it will not be interrupted, please rest assured!