Ye Luoxin and Xiao Mu looked at each other. What did the county magistrate want to do with them?
The two said goodbye to Mr. Sui and asked Xiao Song to go shopping on the street first. Then they followed the yamen servant to the back hall of the county yamen and saw Magistrate Liu in casual clothes, drinking tea and waiting for them.
"Sir!" Xiao Mu stepped forward to salute, "I wonder what your lord wants to see us for?"
"Here we come!" Magistrate Liu put down his tea bowl and gestured to his position: "Sit down."
"The common people still won't sit down. Please tell me, sir, why are you looking for us?"
Magistrate Liu seemed to be in a good mood. He raised his hand and said to the two of them: "This is not a courtroom. You two are welcome. Please sit down."
Xiao Mu and the two had no choice but to sit opposite the county magistrate. Someone came up immediately and poured them a cup of tea.
Magistrate Liu then spoke: "The Xu family's case of selling illegal salt has finally come to an end. The prefect Lu Yunlin secretly colluded with the Xu family, and they have made countless silver taels from selling illegal salt over the years.
Five days ago, they were all escorted back to Beijing, awaiting further trial at Dali Temple. I will not go into the details of this with you one by one. "
Xiao Mu: "Sir, there is really no need to talk to us ordinary people about such a big matter."
Magistrate Liu glanced at him sideways and continued: "What I originally wanted to tell you was another matter."
Ye Luoxin was very curious and immediately pricked up her ears to listen.
The Xiao family was innocently involved in the entire salt smuggling case. The county magistrate should be aware of this, so what else is there to say?
Magistrate Liu said: "The new magistrate took office ten days ago, and he is Leng Buyan Leng who was transferred from the capital.
Mr. Leng is diligent and caring for the people. Before his transfer, he served in the Ministry of Household Affairs, so he is very concerned about the farmers' grain harvest.
Looking through the files a few days ago, I learned that our county had handed over a threshing machine. Mr. Leng was very happy. "
Ye Luoxin and Xiao Mu did not speak, and Magistrate Liu continued: "Master Leng said that this initiative among the people deserves great recognition, but the previous prefect did not report the matter to the court."
Hearing this, Ye Luoxin was already excited: "So there is still a reward from the court? She thought the one given by the county magistrate was already a reward!"
Xiao Mu said: "It turns out that the previous magistrate did not report it. I thought it was the Lord in the court who took all the credit!"
Liu Mian's face suddenly turned dark.
Xiao Mu's "lord of the court" must also include him!
Even if he, Liu Mian, has been an official for many years and has not made any achievements, he will not take the credit of a villager!
What's more, since this kind of thing happened in the county under his jurisdiction, his reward will definitely be inevitable!
At least in terms of political achievements, a serious note must be made.
"Not all court officials are like Lu Yunlin! He sells private salt to enrich his own pockets. Of course he will not take such trivial matters of people's livelihood seriously."
County Magistrate Liu also became happy as he said, "You are also lucky to have fallen in love with Master Leng!
Master Leng has already told me that he will give you a reward. But there are so many people in your family, who should this reward be given to? "
Xiao Mu said without hesitation: "Of course it's for my wife!"
"Did your wife come up with that threshing machine?"
Liu Mian looked at Ye Luoxin in surprise again.
Such a cleverly conceived thing, which so many scholars cannot come up with, was actually thought up by a woman?
Who is this woman?
"I just came up with an idea, and it was actually my husband and my third brother who came up with it." Ye Luoxin still maintained her previous statement.
"There is no room for negotiation on this matter." Xiao Mu insisted.
"We all do it according to my wife's ideas, so if there is a reward, this reward must be for my wife."
"Okay!" Magistrate Liu picked up the tea bowl: "Then I wish Madam Xiao in advance that she will receive a generous reward from the court."
The three of them took a sip of tea, and the county magistrate's wife suddenly came out from behind the screen and called to Ye Luoxin: "How can you not let me know the Xiao family's wife, who is such a powerful person?"
Ye Luoxin looked back at Xiao Mu, and Xiao Mu nodded towards her.
She knew that the county magistrate wanted to send her away to talk to Xiao Mu alone, so she got up and went to the back garden with the county magistrate's wife.
The back garden of the county government office is very large.
There is a lotus pond inside. At this time, the lotus flowers have passed their peak, but they are still blooming beautifully.
The county magistrate's wife invited Ye Luoxin to the pavilion in the middle of the lotus pond, and a maid immediately brought her cakes and tea.
She looked at Ye Luoxin carefully and laughed immediately when she saw her calm face, neither scared nor flattered.
"I heard from that brat Xu Cai before that the wife of the second son of the Xiao family was cruel and cruel. She made him work in the fields and he was so tired that he couldn't even straighten his back!"
Ye Luoxin raised her eyebrows, "Is this what he said about me?"
"Yes!" The county magistrate's wife smiled and said: "But later he changed his mind and said that you are good-looking and kind-hearted. Mainly because you are far-sighted and successful, you are very dissatisfied with him, and you are a person who can achieve great things. !”
"It's really hard for him!" Ye Luoxin sighed, "He can still say a few nice words for me."
"I see that boy, I admire you so much. He has a domineering personality, and sometimes even his father won't accept it. It's really not easy for you to control him like this."
Ye Luoxin also laughed: "Madam, you are joking, how can I control him.
It's just that his father suddenly threw him into our house. He has to follow our living habits. We can't adapt to him as a family, right? "
"That's reasonable, that's reasonable!" The county magistrate's wife nodded and asked, "I see that you speak well and behave politely. Are you really from a peasant family?"
Ye Luoxin bowed slightly: "I dare not hide it. I was born in Xiaodang Village and married in Qingshan Village. In fact, I am just a peasant woman."
"But," Ye Luoxin asked curiously, "Why is Madam so familiar with Young Master Xu?"
She had vaguely felt before that Magistrate Liu seemed to be particularly partial to the Xu family, especially after the Xu family's accident, Magistrate Liu's behavior became even more obvious.
"Don't you know, girl?"
The county magistrate's wife had a look of surprise on her face, "My family and the Xu family submitted the marriage contract, and the children of the two families were engaged in marriage three years ago."
"ah?"
This time it was Ye Luoxin's turn to be surprised.
It turns out that Xu Cai is the quasi-son-in-law of the county magistrate!
"Xu Cai has lived in the girl's house for so long and he didn't mention it?" asked the county magistrate's wife.
"No!" Ye Luoxin replied.
"No wonder!" The county magistrate's wife nodded: "My father and Master Xu have a good relationship, but both children do not agree with this marriage. It would be strange if he mentioned it!"
Hearing this, Ye Luoxin said: "It's not sweet if you force yourself to do it. If the lady doesn't agree, it's better not to force it."
The county magistrate's wife nodded: "Yes, once the Xu family leaves, they don't know when they will come back. I have mentioned the dissolution of the engagement to the master before, but the master has not agreed. Let's see at the end of the year."
Ye Luoxin ate the cakes in silence, never expecting to hear such news when she came to the county government office.
The county magistrate's wife seemed to be fast-talking and had nothing to do with the city, and the two of them were talking happily.
The other side.
In the living room, the county magistrate's expression changed towards Xiao Mu.
"You still refuse to tell me the truth?"
