Chapter 45: My Second Brother’s Little Thoughts

Chapter 45

Zheng Ruqian brought Pang Dashan from knocking on the door to going in, in just a dozen or so breaths.

They arrived so quickly that even they themselves were in a daze, thinking they were the nephew of the county magistrate of Yunshui County.

It wasn't until they saw the county magistrate Pang, dressed in casual clothes, in the back courtyard.

He came up and asked, "You two, have you been bullied again?"

Zheng Ruqian's nose suddenly turned sour.

This kind-hearted county magistrate had people open the door so swiftly, afraid they would be bullied again.

"Replying to you, sir, it is this commoner who thanks you for saving us. We've specially prepared some local products from Xieyang County, and hope you'll happily accept them," Zheng Ruqian respectfully lowered his head, concealing his red rims while offering up several bags of honey cakes.

Magistrate Pang breathed a sigh of relief, stroking his small beard, smiling and shaking his head, "No need for gifts, you can keep them for yourselves."

"Sir, these are just some local products, not worth any money." Zheng Ruqian refused to take back his hand, "This is a token of appreciation from my sister and I. We only wish to thank you sir, please accept them."

Magistrate Pang's hand stroking his beard froze midair. He sighed, and waved his hand at the old servant.

Pang's old servant happily came forward and took the local products from Zheng Ruqian's hands.

Over the years, the county magistrate had been upright and honest, working hard for the common people, yet always refused to take even a thread or a penny from them.

If not for still having something to discuss with Zheng Ruqian today, he probably wouldn't have accepted these local products either.

Sure enough, as soon as the old servant took away the gifts,

the county magistrate Pang carefully began, "I heard that recently you've been collecting vegetables in Yunshui County."

Zheng Ruqian was surprised that a county magistrate would pay attention to these things, and was immediately flattered, "I have been collecting vegetables, only because...the commoners of Xieyang County didn't dare sell vegetables to me."

What a "didn't dare"!

County magistrate Pang put his hands behind his back. "Yunshui County is a nice place, with abundant resources and pleasant weather. The villages to the south can still collect vegetables to eat at the end of the year. It's a pity that the Dayu Dynasty covers a vast territory, and every household is used to staying in their small corner of land, resulting in many products eventually being wasted by feeding chickens and ducks, which is quite a waste."

"When I was young I had thought, if I had a few carts, and transported these vegetables to sell in another place, wouldn't it benefit both sides?"

"Unfortunately after becoming a county magistrate, I was too busy to do it, and could only put aside the idea."

"Young man, you're doing what I had most wanted to do when I was young. Yunshui County will always welcome you and open its doors in the future."

After saying his resonating words, Zheng Ruqian was stunned for a long time.

Until county magistrate Pang patted him on the shoulder, did he solemnly cup his fists, "Good, good, good."

County magistrate Pang also didn't avoid it, and righteously accepted his three kowtows.

In the end, Zheng Ruqian couldn't help it, and with a "plop" knelt on the ground.

The county magistrate was shocked.

"Sir, we threatened the wife of the Xieyang county magistrate for self-preservation, and had no choice but to lie about our close relationship with your nephew. Ruqian knows this was wrong, and comes to ask you to punish me."

Zheng Ruqian kept his head lowered, and honestly recounted the story.

At the end he pointed to Pang Dashan, "This is the fabricated nephew."

First he spent three or two silvers to buy a new donkey cart, then personally taught Pang Dashan to drive the cart.

They collected vegetables in Yunshui County for three days, and Pang Dashan practiced for three days.

By the time both carts were full, Pang Dashan could steadily follow behind driving the donkey cart.

The two hurried back home.

It took about three or four days to reach Xieyang County.

Still the usual routine, they first went back to the broken temple, and left the gifts for their family there.

Pang Dashan was a bit confused, "Can't we first deliver the vegetables to You Ran House, then take the empty carts and gifts back home? Why do we have to pass the county seat first, go back to the broken temple, then deliver the vegetables to the county, isn't that going out of the way?"

Zheng Ruqian smiled without answering.

When they arrived at the broken temple gates, he tied the donkey cart to a big tree, and glanced at the villagers peeking out. He laughed coldly.

These villagers had been so frightened by Gao Hu's few words that they didn't dare sell him a single vegetable.

Now he had gone to Yunshui County and brought back cartloads of vegetables, naturally wanting to show the villagers clearly.

To see clearly that without these people's support, he, Zheng Ruqian, could still collect vegetables and earn money.

"Second brother." Jiang Sheng hopped out from the broken temple, "Did you bring anything tasty?"

Zheng Ruqian took out two bags of pastries from his robe.

When distributing them he discovered everyone wasn't there.

"Where did big brother and third and fourth and fifth go?" he asked.

Jiang Sheng deeply inhaled the scent of the pastries, complaining, "Silly second brother, big brother went to school, third brother and Uncle Zhang went hunting in the mountains, fifth brother went with fourth brother into the village to see patients."

So she was left behind to watch the doors.

Zheng Ruqian held in his laugh, "Then you eat first. I'll take Dashan to deliver vegetables to You Ran House, and come back quickly."

He had shown off what he needed to, now it was time to do business.

The two walked to the big tree, and had just untied the donkey cart's reins, when they saw Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun carrying small medicine boxes out from the village.

Behind them followed several shy village women.

Although Zheng Ruqian's relationship with the villagers was strained, Wen Zhiyun had not stopped treating the villagers. They were straightforward people, keeping business and medical care separate. Business could be refused but illness still needed treatment.

It was precisely for this reason that the villagers felt that their relationship with Zheng Ruqian could still be eased. After Gao Hu was detained by the magistrate of Yunshui County, they tried to probe a few times and finally couldn't help but follow behind the medical practitioner, wanting to sell vegetables again.

The woman stopped in front of Zheng Ruqian and tried hard to make small talk, "Ruqian is buying vegetables again. Auntie, how about these few cabbage heads? They just got a lot of nutrients after the new year, eating some cabbage is good for the body."

Zheng Ruqian kept his head down without speaking.

He remembered this auntie. Before the new year when he went door to door to buy vegetables, auntie spoke gently but persistently refused to take out a single cabbage stalk. After he left disappointed, she even rolled her eyes.

At that time, he already understood what it meant for human feelings to wax and wane.

"Oh, why don't you speak, child?" The woman nagged a few times but still got no response, and became a little anxious. "We didn't deliberately refuse to sell you vegetables at the beginning. We were really forced to have no choice. How can you, a child, still hold such a grudge?"