The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 557 - 546: Acquaintance (Additional update for pledges made by all book friends to the crowdfunding alliance leader)

Chapter 557: Chapter 546: Acquaintance (Additional update for pledges made by all book friends to the crowdfunding alliance leader)

County Magistrate Tang looked at the familiar-looking young girl and couldn’t help but walk to the fence with his hands clasped behind his back, looking up at her, "You, young lady, are quite bold. What are you looking at?"

"Just watching how you deal with those vegetables," Manbao asked, "Are you going to shovel them up?"

County Magistrate Tang turned his head and glanced at the vegetable garden hidden behind the trees, was silent for a while before saying, "We don’t have the energy for that. You lot, you’re not allowed to sneak over here, understand?"

Manbao nodded, assuring him, "We are law-abiding citizens."

County Magistrate Tang looked at her skeptically; what kind of law-abiding citizen would use a ladder to peek into the garden of their neighbor?

An officer ran over to report, "My lord, the carpenter’s department says they need to fix the prince’s garden first, they can’t spare anyone to block the courtyard right now, what should we do..."

County Magistrate Tang hissed, feeling a bit of a toothache. He waved his hand and said, "Fine, withdraw, send someone to tidy up the collapsed wall, pile up the lumps of earth, first make sure no one gets in."

The officer acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Only then did County Magistrate Tang look up at Manbao and ask, "What brings all of you to Yizhou?"

Manbao blinked and asked, "Do I really have to tell you?"

County Magistrate Tang lifted his chin and said, "If you tell me now, I’ll just note it in my mind, otherwise I’ll have the officers and the Land Officer pay you a special visit later."

Manbao quickly said, "We’ve come here to study; my Junior Brother wants to try for the county school, so our teacher brought us to Yizhou in advance to have a look."

County Magistrate Tang looked at her face and size, pondered a moment about the two youths who were with her in the hall today, and asked, "The two with you today, are they your Junior Brothers?"

Manbao nodded.

County Magistrate Tang clicked his tongue and said, "Quite impressive for your young age. What is your teacher’s name?"

"Our teacher’s surname is Zhuang, his given name is Xun."

"Zhuang Xun?" County Magistrate Tang thought for a moment, certain he had never heard of this person before. He squinted and asked, "Are you from Yizhou?"

"We are from Mianzhou."

"Isn’t that still within the Jiannan Road? With just a day or two’s journey, I haven’t heard of your teacher’s name," County Magistrate Tang turned to leave but thinking of something else, he paused and looked back at her, squinting, "Do you know someone named Yang Heshu?"

"Oh, you know our County Magistrate Yang."

County Magistrate Tang uttered a tsk sound, turned back to stand under the wall, and beckoned her, "Come here."

Manbao glanced at the height of the fence and shook her head decisively, "I don’t know martial arts."

County Magistrate Tang fell silent for a moment before saying, "Wait there, I’ll come to you. By the way, is your teacher at home?"

"No, he’s gone out to meet friends."

"I see, then tell your teacher that tomorrow County Magistrate Tang will pay a visit."

Manbao looked surprised, "Oh, County Magistrate Tang, are you not coming in an official capacity?"

County Magistrate Tang smiled and said, "What do you think?"

Manbao just laughed at him.

County Magistrate Tang didn’t know what she was laughing at, but he also couldn’t help smiling. Shaking his head, he turned and left.

After watching him walk away, Manbao climbed down the ladder, rushed into the study, and told Bai Shanbao, who was reading a book, "County Magistrate Tang seems to be an acquaintance of County Magistrate Yang. He’s coming to visit our teacher tomorrow."

She also said, "County Magistrate Tang probably doesn’t have much money; he couldn’t even hire the craftsmen from the carpentry department. They just piled up the broken wall."

Bai Shanbao finally raised his head from the book, "What do you want to do about it?"

"What can I do? Just letting you know. I can’t possibly sneak over to pick the vegetables from their garden, can I?" Manbao sat down in her own spot, resting her chin in hand, "But I am quite curious about how much is left at the Yan Residence now."

The officer was also reporting this matter to County Magistrate Tang, "The remaining furniture, like tables and wardrobes, has also been moved out by the Xiao Family, so now the Yan Residence is empty, nothing left."

County Magistrate Tang said, "Is the Xiao Family a reincarnation of locusts?"

The officers bowed their heads and remained silent. The head catcher couldn’t help but whisper, "My lord, we’ll still have to pay for the renovation of the house from the County Governmental Office’s funds. Although the ghost rumors have subsided, it’s hard to sell such a house that has offended an official, and we still need to fix the fence..."

County Magistrate Tang clicked his tongue and waved his hand, "Our County Governmental Office has no money, let the Xiao Family pay for it. Get them to repair the wall behind their house well with the same bricks and stones, make it strong. If it collapses again, I will have their entire family fill it."

"Yes."

Before leaving, County Magistrate Tang looked at the Yan Residence and shook his head, "Is it worth it for such a rundown residence?"

"Will you be lenient with the Xiao Family?"

"Not lenient," said County Magistrate Tang with his hands behind his back, "The crime might seem small, but the intent is malicious, deserving of death; a severe punishment is in order."

The officer understood that they were not allowed to accept any mediation from the Xiao Family.

In the afternoon, Mr. Zhuang returned, and the Land Officer and the landlord came to visit together.

The Land Officer came to express his sympathies, and the landlord came to express his gratitude.

Clearly having heard about this morning’s interrogation in the County Governmental Office, he was particularly happy and decided to exempt them from one month’s rent.

Ever since the ghost rumors began, the price of this small courtyard had dropped repeatedly, but it still couldn’t be sold, nor could it be rented out. The landlord’s family had moved to another street to open a shop, so they couldn’t live here either.

A vacant house will fall into disrepair.

The landlord was almost worried to death.

Who would have thought he’d see the light at the end of the tunnel? The new tenants not only caught the ghost but also dispelled the rumors. Not to mention anything else, just wait for three to two months after this incident, and his small courtyard won’t lose out, whether he decides to sell or rent it.

So the landlord came visiting with a smile and brought many gifts.

Mr. Zhuang politely sent both visitors off, handed over the gifts to Zhou Si, and looking at his three proud disciples, he said, "You’ve done a good deed this time, so I won’t punish you."

The three cheered in unison.

Mr. Zhuang continued, "Apart from going out to wash clothes tomorrow, don’t you dare run about aimlessly again. You’ll let Silang do the shopping. The rest of you stay home and study hard."

Manbao immediately raised her hand, "Teacher, County Magistrate Tang will visit tomorrow as a private individual."

Mr. Zhuang was surprised and asked, "Just this morning, and you’ve become friends with County Magistrate Tang?"

"Whether we’ve become friends, I’m not sure, but he seems to be friends with County Magistrate Yang," Manbao laughed, "Today he even asked if I knew Lord Yang."

Mr. Zhuang was confused, "How did you end up talking about Lord Yang?"

"I don’t know," Manbao replied very honestly, "He just suddenly asked, so I answered truthfully."

Mr. Zhuang eyed his eldest disciple skeptically, feeling something was off but unable to pinpoint what it was.

Taking a couple of steps, he remembered to ask, "Did he ask you this in the hall? How did you start chatting there?"

"No, it was later when he came to the Yan Residence that we met and he asked."

Mr. Zhuang then turned to look at the fence and fell silent for a moment before asking, "The main gate of the Yan Residence is on Kangxue Street, half a street away from here. How did you happen to meet him?"

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