jdhmnovel Chapter 976 Reunion of Friends
Chapter 976 Reunion of Friends
He pulled Fang Tong aside and whispered a few words to him.
"Uncle, you mean what happened just now? It's not that my second brother didn't give the magistrate face; he already did."
The old village chief was puzzled. Refusing people so many times...wouldn't that offend someone?
He didn't know how to become an official, but he knew that no matter your status, you should never look down on anyone.
Even insignificant people can stab someone in the back.
Fang Tong noticed his concern and explained in detail.
"Uncle, don't worry. The magistrate just came over to test Second Brother."
"My second brother not only holds a high official position, but can be considered a close advisor to the emperor. He also wields real power. The county magistrate is worried that with such a person returning to his jurisdiction, he might not be too well-behaved."
"The probes just now came from three aspects: fame, profit, and power. No matter which one Second Brother accepts, the magistrate will be able to figure out what Second Brother wants, so as to decide how to get along in the future."
The old village chief thought for a moment and said, "A living shrine is just a way to gain fame."
What benefits the industry is what brings them.
The final welcoming banquet allowed Yinzi to meet with the wealthy families in the county, which was a way of giving him a say in the power dynamics of the county.
Oh, I see.
"If Second Brother refuses everything, the magistrate should take it to heart. Is Second Brother dissatisfied with him?"
"Although my second brother doesn't have the direct authority to replace the county magistrate, given his status, it wouldn't be difficult for him to pull some strings. That's why the county magistrate is so uneasy."
"But after my second brother refused all of them, he invited him over for drinks. That's how he treats people well."
Simply put, the magistrate has already grasped the point.
General Fang had no intention of making money, gaining fame, or vying for power in the county; he was genuinely visiting relatives.
At the same time, the fact that they were willing to have some contact with the county magistrate, the local official, shows that they had no objections to him.
The old village chief understood why the magistrate's attitude had changed from respectful to trembling with fear, and finally to friendly.
When high-ranking officials speak, there are always hidden meanings in their words.
There are countless layers of meaning in a single sentence.
No wonder he's a county magistrate while he's just a village head.
"By the way, Uncle Village Chief, are there any remaining residential plots in the village? Preferably nearby. Could you approve one for my family?" Fang Tong kneaded the dough, took it into the kitchen, and then came out again.
They had no plans to buy a house in the county.
But things are different now; the house in the village is like an old house.
The old house still needs to be repaired.
They had discussed it before they returned, planning to build two three-courtyard houses next to each other.
One is Fang Tong's house, and the other is Fang Yin's house.
Of course, we won't build it now. We need to buy the land first, and then have Tiezhu and the others oversee the construction after spring.
"Yes, however much land you need, we'll measure it later." The old village chief understood and agreed.
We must build a big house. Otherwise, what if outsiders come to visit and look down on silver and copper because the house is dilapidated?
It's not like we're short of money; if we should show off, we should.
Meanwhile, Fang Nanzhi and her brother had already arrived in the prefectural city.
The carriage stopped in front of the Zheng residence. The servants of the Zheng residence, knowing that Miss Fang had come to visit, had already excitedly gone to inform her.
They were quite familiar with Ms. Fang; they used to see her often.
Moreover, Miss Fang was an approachable person and was always friendly to them, her servants.
Furthermore, it was also because their master kept mentioning Miss Fang after she came to Beijing.
Sometimes, the attitude of servants reflects the attitude of their masters.
"Zhizhi!"
As Fang Nanzhi entered the second gate carrying gifts, a familiar voice called out to her.
She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a person standing under the tree.
"Wanru!"
Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she ran straight over.
The two girls hugged each other, being very affectionate.
They hadn't seen each other for a long time.
They maintained a close correspondence, so their relationship remained very strong.
However, after the initial excitement, Fang Nanzhi vaguely sensed something was wrong. Holding Wanru, she felt that the other woman was very thin, with no flesh on her body, almost just skin and bones.
Looking at her again, her small face was made up, but it couldn't hide her paleness.
Wearing a cloak in winter gives the feeling that you're about to be crushed by it.
"Wanru, are you sick?"
Zheng Wanru smiled and said, "No, come on, it's cold outside. Let's go inside and talk. Grandfather is waiting."
Fang Nanzhi was led inside by her hand.
Qin Yan silently followed behind the two girls.
In the main hall, Mr. Zheng had already had tea prepared. When he saw his young disciple enter, his eyes lit up with joy.
"Sir!" Fang Nanzhi was also very happy and called out in a clear voice before bowing.
Qin Yan also bowed and said, "Mr. Zheng."
"Okay, okay, get up quickly."
Mr. Zheng first carefully examined his disciple. He had grown taller and looked energetic, indicating that he had not suffered any mistreatment when he went to the capital.
Looking at Qin Yan again, he is tall and slender, dignified and polite, and his demeanor has improved considerably in the past six months.
He was satisfied.
Fang Nanzhi and Zheng Wanru sat on either side of Mr. Zheng, looking very close.
Qin Yan sat to the left of his younger sister, listening to their conversation.
"Sir, I've missed you so much! The bookstores in the capital are huge, with many books I've never seen before. I brought some back for you..."
"Sir, it's been half a year since I last saw you. You look even younger, with only a few gray hairs. However, I've learned a new formula that can turn gray hair black. Would you like to give it a try?"
"Sir, I must thank you. I only just realized how remarkable Mr. Deng is, so young yet on par with those great Confucian scholars..."
Fang Nanzhi started talking and talked, covering everything from the south to the north.
Mr. Zheng only occasionally said a word or two, which would elicit a long string of words from her.
Although the master and apprentice had mentioned many things in their letters, Fang Nanzhi couldn't help but talk about them more and in more detail when they met now.
Zheng Wanru listened with great interest, her eyes shining brightly.
Mr. Zheng only changed the subject with a smile when Fang Nanzhi became so thirsty from talking that she started drinking tea.
"Old Zhou sent me a message saying that your medical skills have already made some progress. Why don't you take a look at Wanru?"
Zheng Wanru frowned slightly and forced a smile, saying, "Grandfather, Zhizhi just arrived, there's no need for her to examine me. Besides, I'm perfectly healthy."
Mr. Zheng looked at his granddaughter without saying a word.
But the pity and heartache in his eyes were very obvious.
Fang Nanzhi had originally intended to ask this question, so she put down her teacup.
"Okay, Wanru, don't be afraid. Although I'm not as good as the master at taking pulses, I'm still very experienced."
Zheng Wanru glanced at her, sighed, and finally helplessly extended her wrist.
Just by taking Wanru's pulse, Fang Nanzhi knew how bad Wanru's health was now.
She was in a state of disarray, suffering from insufficient blood and qi, physical weakness, and cold uterus... Most importantly, she had recently suffered a miscarriage.
Her small face turned serious.
Seeing her like this, Zheng Wanru couldn't help but comfort her: "Zhizhi, I know my own body, you don't need to be too troubled."
Fang Nanzhi remained silent and continued to listen attentively to the pulse.
After a long while, she withdrew her hand, her small eyebrows furrowed: "You just had a miscarriage, and it's so cold. You should have stayed inside and rested. You shouldn't have come out to pick me up today."