jdhmnovel Chapter 169 Three Men Make a Tiger
Chapter 169 Three Men Make a Tiger
Lin Chang'er understood immediately; it was something she shouldn't hear.
Zhiqu said, "If you need anything, just have someone take me there."
Wu Qingfeng waved his hand and instructed his attendant, "Speak freely."
The servant smiled apologetically at Lin Chang'er, "It was originally related to you, Miss, but I was afraid of upsetting you, which is why I hesitated just now."
He bowed and continued, "There is a woman named Yang Cuihua outside the county government office who requests an audience with Third Master." This servant had not gone to Linshui Village with him yesterday.
However, almost all the yamen runners from the county government went there yesterday. They had all met Yang Cuihua and knew about the grudges between Lin Chang'er and Yang Cuihua.
Therefore, when announcing the news, he added an extra word.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'er chuckled and said, "I see. We're going our separate ways now. As long as she pays off the money she owes me, I won't bother to bother her anymore."
The servant bowed again, saying, "I was overthinking it."
Lin Chang'er smiled and turned to Wu Qingfeng, "Third Brother, go and see what kind of trouble she's up to this time?"
Wu Qingfeng lifted his eyelashes, "I'm not going!"
Lin Chang'er: "..."
Wu Qingfeng said, "What kind of place is the county government office to her? And who am I to her? If she has any grievances, she can beat the drum to appeal for justice."
They requested a private meeting, as if they had a very close relationship.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'er nodded and smiled, saying, "Then let her stay out of the room?"
Wu Qingfeng nodded, "Let it air out."
"I understand!" The attendant bowed and withdrew.
Lin Chang'er went back to the donkey cart first, and when no one was watching, she took out a bucket of seafood from her space.
Then he went to the kitchen with Wu Qingfeng, and the chef gave them a pot.
Lin Chang'er was in charge of cooking, and Wu Qingfeng assisted her, washing and chopping vegetables and tending the fire. Although it was the first time the two had worked together, they were very in sync, as if they had done it a thousand times before.
In the kitchen, the helpers were almost speechless as they watched the handsome county magistrate cook without any airs.
Even the constables outside, upon hearing the news, went to peek out of the kitchen to see what was going on.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I never expected our county magistrate to have such a down-to-earth side."
"What are you talking about? Our county magistrate is a human being, not a god."
"Hehehe, why talk about such trivial things? Am I the only one who thinks those people locked up in the jail are despicable? If it weren't for them, the county magistrate would have brought Miss Lin to the county office long ago, and who knows..."
The constable who was speaking winked at his companions, and seeing that they were too dense to understand, he even gave them two thumbs up, making his meaning clear.
Then he sighed in regret, "If that were the case, we might have already benefited from the county magistrate's influence and been living a life of luxury every day."
A constable nearby couldn't help but slap him on the head. "You're finished! You complained that Chef Liu's cooking wasn't good. You'll regret it later..."
The constables, who had been peering in and joining in the fun, burst into laughter.
The yamen runner, who had been teased, quickly shushed him, saying, "Keep it down, keep it down. I really can't accept Chef Liu's kindness."
The cook at the county government office was surnamed Liu and came from the north, while Ninghai County was located in the south.
The constables were all locals, so they never got used to the food served at the county government office.
But Chef Liu was exceptionally hospitable. He assumed you were too embarrassed to waste food, so he always gave the constables plenty of food when serving them.
As time went on, Chef Liu himself began to notice some clues.
But people often have a bit of a rebellious streak; if you don't like something, it's probably because you haven't experienced how good it is to you.
What can you do? Eat more, you'll get used to it and like it...
Believe it or not, over time, the constables really did become numb and used to it.
But if another option suddenly appears on the first day, the situation will definitely be completely different.
The hustle and bustle outside is irrelevant to the busy people inside.
Lin Chang'er focused all her attention on cooking. She first simmered the Solomon's Seal and Old Duck on a small stove, then fried the fish, followed by several servings of clam omelets. The duck blood and vermicelli soup was a bit simpler.
As for leafy greens, Chef Liu had already prepared them, so Lin Chang'er took a shortcut.
However, she didn't have the habit of eating other people's food for free, and besides, Wu Qingfeng was, after all, the head of the county government.
She also had to help him win people over, so she brought in extra fish, clams, and shellfish.
I made extra grilled fish and a seafood platter.
When it was time to eat, the constables arrived at the dining hall early and lined up. When they saw the brightly colored grilled fish and the seafood ordered, they knew that it must have been made by Lin Chang'er.
There were many people in the county government office, but limited supplies, so grilled fish and seafood were served around a table, with one serving per table.
The constables didn't mind eating less; how much they could eat depended entirely on their speed.
Several constables who had become familiar with Wu Qingfeng felt deeply disappointed when they didn't see him and Lin Chang'er in the dining hall.
Then he started teasing their county magistrate, "Tsk tsk tsk, this is the first time the county magistrate has eaten away from us since he came here. Is he afraid that our table manners will frighten Miss Lin?"
"Haha, you do have some self-awareness."
"What nonsense are you talking about! Miss Lin is the kind of person who would risk her life against pirates with just a wood-chopping knife. She's not so easily intimidated."
"That's different. No matter how capable a person is, she's still just a young girl. Young girls are reserved, especially in front of that thing."
Just then, a loud "smack" came from the next table.
The constables who were talking were startled and subconsciously looked over there. They saw that it was Magistrate Li, who had slammed down his chopsticks and was now looking at them with a dark face.
Seeing them looking over, Magistrate Li's thin lips moved, his tone sharp, "It's harmless for you to say some crude things on ordinary days, and no one will restrain you."
"I haven't seen any of you drink horse urine today, so why are you all making up stories about your superiors and innocent women?"
"Three men can make a tiger. Although Magistrate Wu is upright and honest, and Miss Lin is a woman who is just as capable as any man, and everything they do is for the benefit of the people, do you know how much damage your nonsense will do to the reputation of Magistrate Wu and Miss Lin if it gets out?"
In particular, Miss Lin is a newly widowed woman. Even though most people in Linshui Village have benefited from her kindness, people's hearts are always unpredictable.
Since arriving here, Lord Wu has been wholeheartedly dedicated to serving the people's livelihood, even personally taking risks. It is truly rare to find a good official who comes from a distinguished background and is willing to do practical work at the grassroots level. His future is sure to be bright.
It's no wonder he reacted so strongly. Those remarks, though meant as a joke, could very well become a point of attack for his political enemies in the future.
The constables who had just spoken suddenly stared at each other, unsure of what to do.
They didn't mean it that way. They were overjoyed with Lord Wu and Miss Lin, so why would they slander them? It's just that they're being mean. They were just joking around because they thought they were all on the same side. Nobody thought of that other meaning.
The men looked at each other, and finally had no choice but to ask Zhu Zhubu for help.
Zhu Zhubu was already used to cleaning up messes, and he and Li Xiancheng always played the roles of good cop and bad cop.
He then mediated, saying, "I suppose that's not what the brothers meant. They've been reprimanded, and they'll remember it."
After saying this, he addressed the constables, "Do you now know what kind of jokes are acceptable and what kind are not?"
The constables hurriedly counted, responding loudly, "Got it, got it!"
He handed a clean pair of chopsticks to Magistrate Li, saying, "Calm down!"