bookcurios Chapter 226: County Magistrate's Reward
Chapter 226: County Magistrate's Reward
Chapter 226: County Magistrate's Reward
Except for Zhao Xiuwen who was called away by the two young masters of the Zhu family, and Cheng Shuang and Wei Qinglang who were nowhere to be found, everyone else followed Cheng Lizheng back to Chengjia Village after looking at the list.
The official from the county government had already come to announce the good news, and the villagers already knew about the great event that all four people in the village had passed the imperial examinations.
As soon as the people came back, the villagers, young and old, heard the noise and rushed out from their homes and fields, surrounding the people who had returned to congratulate them. The children excitedly squeezed in and out of the crowd, and the whole village was immersed in a joyful and festive atmosphere, as lively as the New Year.
The first thing Cheng Lizheng did when he came back was to take a few children to the ancestral hall, where a group of villagers gathered outside.
"Our village hasn't produced any scholars in years, and this time we have four. It's really a great honor for our ancestors."
"It's better to move. Our village is definitely a Feng Shui treasure land."
"That's right, those of us with the same surname also benefit from it."
"Now no one in the surrounding area dares to bully us because we are new to the village."
"Xiu Wen is ranked first. I never thought that would happen."
"The Zhao family has truly brought honor to their ancestors."
"The four talented men haven't even married yet. It's going to be a busy time. The matchmakers will be knocking down the door."
Everyone was jubilant, especially Boss Cheng, who was so happy as if he had passed the imperial examination, and his whole body was shaking.
Hu Chunhua rolled her eyes and looked unhappy. Her son won the exam, but so did several others. Two of them ranked much better than her son, and the villagers' eyes were all on them.
Especially Zhao Xiuwen, who suddenly became the Wenquxing in the eyes of the villagers.
Her sense of superiority was greatly reduced.
As the villagers were immersed in joy, there was another burst of noise coming from the village entrance.
I saw several yamen runners holding water and fire sticks leading the way, the people behind them carried a sedan chair, and a few people rode horses, all the way to the ancestral hall where the crowd gathered.
The lawyer dismounted and ushered out a middle-aged man in official uniform from the sedan chair. He then looked at the stunned villagers and asked, "The county magistrate has arrived to visit. Where are you in Chengjia Village?"
The villagers looked at each other, and a clever young man immediately ran in to report the news. After a while, Cheng Lizheng and his group hurried out.
"Your humble servant respectfully welcomes the county magistrate!" Cheng Lizheng knelt down and saluted as soon as he approached.
Seeing this, the villagers also knelt down and saluted, including Cheng Mingli and Cheng Caijun, who were already scholars, and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Excellency the County Magistrate."
Only Cheng Wanpeng just bowed. He was a scholar now and did not have to kneel when meeting the county magistrate.
Before the relocation, the village had seen the prefect many times and also the imperial envoy. The people of Chengjia Village no longer trembled when they saw officials as they did before.
Many people looked up and took a peek. It turned out that this was the magistrate of Huanhua County. He was about forty years old, with a kind face. He was wearing a dignified official uniform and it seemed that he had a good temper.
"Everyone, please stand up."
Huanhua County Magistrate Shen stepped forward with a smile and personally helped Cheng Lizheng to his feet. "Four people from Chengjia Village passed the imperial examination, and the top scorer is also from your village, so I came here specially to congratulate you! This is a great joyous event for our Huanhua County!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency the County Magistrate, for your kindness!" Cheng Lizheng looked flattered.
County Magistrate Shen nodded and looked at the young men dressed as scholars behind him. "Which one is Zhao Xiuwen, the top suspect in this case?"
"To answer the county magistrate," Cheng Lizheng said respectfully, "Xiu Wen was called away by the prefect's two sons and was unable to return with us."
Upon hearing this, Lord Shen's face showed some regret, but he quickly smiled and said, "That's all right, that's all right. Mr. Zhao won first place in the exam, and knowing that the prefect appreciates him, he will surely have a bright future."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, and two officers behind him brought up two trays.
The lawyer beside him said loudly and discerningly, "Zhao Xiuwen from Chengjia Village is a young man of great talent. His victory in this case is a sign of his flourishing literary fortune and a glory for our county. The county will grant you a reward of one hundred taels of silver. We hope that you will pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom in the future, where you can achieve great things."
"There are also students Cheng Mingli, Cheng Caijun, and Cheng Wanpeng. They are young talents, diligent and studious, and have passed the imperial examinations. I will give them fifty taels of silver as an incentive. I hope you will continue to work hard and have good luck in the future imperial examinations."
Everyone in Chengjia Village was surprised and happy. Cheng Lizheng turned around and called Zhao the hunter to come forward to claim the reward. Zhao the hunter, an honest man, was so nervous that he didn't know where to put his hands. He took the tray, stammered, and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
After finishing his business, County Magistrate Shen, accompanied by the head of the village, strolled around the village, saying that he wanted to find out how the people of Chengjia Village were living after moving there.
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Cheng Shuang and Wei Qinglang, who did not return to the village together, were busy cooking in a small kitchen in the backyard of Taibai Building.
Half an hour ago, the two found Xie Zhiyou in Taibai Tower and said that they would personally cook a meal for him and then discuss an important matter.
Xie Zhiyou was confused, but he still asked someone to clean up a small kitchen in the backyard and let the two of them work on it.
The two men asked the guys in the building for help, carried two large boxes into the kitchen, and then closed the door and didn't let anyone approach.
The two boxes were filled with various cooking ingredients, including a bucket of lively crayfish, chicken, duck, fish, green and red peppers, millet peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, bitter melons, preserved eggs, etc.
There are also seasoned fermented black beans, chili sauce and sweet potato starch, all of which Cheng Shuang bought directly from the mall.
Various aromas kept coming out of the kitchen. Xie Zhiyou came to see it several times and was very hungry, but he knew there would be a surprise when he smelled the aroma, so he insisted on saving his stomach and waiting for them to finish cooking.
After two hours of hard work, the kitchen was finally opened. Cheng Shuang called the waiter who was guarding outside and put a large round table in a room in the backyard. Then several people came and brought the dishes from the kitchen to the table one by one, filling the table.
Xie Zhiyou received the message and came over. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he smelled a strange and strong aroma. He was curious about what kind of food could smell so good.
"Brother Wei, what on earth did you two do to make it taste so bad..."
As he stepped over the threshold and looked at the large table of food inside, Xie Zhiyou's voice stopped abruptly.
The table was filled with dishes he had never seen before. The most eye-catching ones were the two large plates of red things in the middle. They were bright red in color, and each one had its claws and fangs bared, which looked a bit scary.
He quickly walked to the table and looked at the things on the table with a look of astonishment and curiosity.
Xie Zhiyou had never seen food like this before, and the strong spicy aroma stimulated his nasal cavity.
He couldn't help but sniff, then turned his face away and sneezed.
The two people on the side looked at Master Xie's reaction and smiled with satisfaction.
Wei Qinglang made an invitation gesture, "Thank you, brother, please sit down."
Xie Zhiyou quickly pulled a stool and sat down, still a little nervous.
Cheng Shuang held her head high, chest puffed out, and smiled. She extended her hand and said, "Spicy crayfish, braised prawns, duck with fermented black beans, steamed grass carp with fermented black beans, spicy fried chicken, stuffed bitter melon with meat, eggplant with green and red peppers, stir-fried beef with green and red peppers, stewed beef brisket with potatoes, mashed potatoes with sauce, fish fillet with tomatoes, pork chop with tomato sauce, preserved egg and lean meat porridge, and preserved egg salad."
Xie Zhiyou remained in a state of surprise as Cheng Shuang introduced the names of each dish one by one. "Did you make all of these? Did you also grow the ingredients?"
Cheng Shuang nodded, "Yes, thank you, Master, for a try."
Xie Zhiyou was overjoyed. Could it be that this couple came to sell food?
If all these ingredients were supplied to his Taibai Tower, his business would surely regain its glory.