The warm summer breeze blew gently, and traces of green were reflected in the blue waves.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't plan to go back to Xin Cai County for the time being. They wanted to organize the preliminary work in the county so that it would be easier for others to take over after they had laid down a good foundation.
As for whether they would be absent from work, they weren't worried at all. They had applied for three days of leave, two days of leave for this month, and ten days of sick leave after five days. In total, they could stay outside for half a month.
Of course, they didn't say anything. They wanted to show their faces more often. It would be best if Feng Changgong found out and wrote an impeachment report. Even if it couldn't do anything to him, it would at least make him feel disgusted.
On the third day after they arrived in Xin Cai County, they went to the Ru River and found a spot on the shore. They sat there and watched an old man fishing.
The water was urgent, so there were no floats. The old man brought three fishing poles and a few lead stumps with many hooks. He hung live bait on the hooks one by one, then threw it into the water with a whoosh. He straightened the line and set the poles on a rock to complete the task.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't say anything. They just watched. It was hard for others to know what they were thinking.
The old man wore a bamboo hat on his head. He was probably afraid of being dazed by the sun. When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came over, he glanced at them. Seeing that their clothes weren't made of hemp, he couldn't guess their family situation. However, judging from their expressions, he felt that they weren't from an ordinary family, so he didn't take the initiative to talk to them.
There were boats passing by the river from time to time. Fortunately, the hook the old man set wasn't too far from the shore, so it wasn't caught by the boats. He must have taken this into consideration.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan stayed there for an hour. From time to time, Zhang Xiaobao would stand up and take out a monocular from Wang Juan's pocket to look around. Wang Juan, on the other hand, had a hard straw stick in her hand and occasionally drew on the ground.
The old man's luck was pretty good today. Within half an hour, he had caught more than a dozen fish. Among them, there were even three that weighed more than two catties. The three of them were always sitting there silently, so the old man couldn't help but glance at the two older children every once in a while.
Suddenly, he felt that something was wrong. In the past, when the children saw him catch fish, they would shout happily. When he left, he would give the children a few fish. Everyone didn't come in vain.
These two were strange today. Why weren't they like other people? When he caught a fish, he just glanced at it and continued to sit there. Just now, the two children might have been hot, so they pulled a lot of grass from the side and weaved it into a big hat to cover their heads. If he didn't look carefully, he wouldn't have noticed that there were two people here.
The fishing rod trembled violently twice, and the old man quickly pulled the line. This time, he caught a fish that weighed about three catties. The old man happily said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Children, do you want to eat fish? When you leave, bring a big one home. "
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were still busy with their own things. When they heard the old man speak, they turned their heads at the same time and saw a catfish. Wang Juan glanced at Zhang Xiaobao and then said to the old man, "Grandpa, this is the one in your hand. Xiao Bao and I bought it. We'll braise it when we get back."
The old man didn't want to give the big one. It was more difficult to catch catfish with the rod today. Although it was big, the one in his hand was much smaller than the real big ones in the river. If he encountered that kind of catfish, he wouldn't be able to catch it at all. He wanted to keep it for one night and sell it tomorrow.
Seeing that the two of them wanted to buy it now, he hesitated for a moment and said, "There's no need for money. Take it and eat it. The two of you are quite good-looking. Hehe, it's not easy to accompany this old man for so long."
"Thank you, grandpa." Wang Juan didn't refuse. It was just a fish. When the factory and workshop were repaired, they would find someone to keep watch at night. At that time, many old men with nothing to do would have leisurely jobs. She would arrange a good one for this old man.
When the old man heard Wang Juan's voice, he nodded happily and said, "Then I'll put it in the net first. When I leave, I'll take it. The two of you are good kids."
"Grandpa is also a good person. Good people will be rewarded. Grandpa, are there many catfish in the water?" Wang Juan also replied.
"Yes, there are big ones. If I really encounter a big one, I have to throw the rod. I don't dare to pull it up. If I drag people in, they will disappear. There are also Korean fish." The old man was willing to listen to Wang Juan's crisp voice when she spoke, so he said with a smile.
Wang Juan thought for a moment and said, "Grandpa, are there many idle people in your house? Why don't you dig a pond and catch Korean fish? The fish are delicious and you can make a lot of money. "
"There are many fish in the river. Why should I raise them? I just have nothing to do, so I catch a few fish and exchange them for money to buy candies for my grandson. If there are more fish, I will take them back and stew them." When the old man talked about his grandson, the wrinkles on his face piled up together, making him look very kind.
Wang Juan understood that the old man's family was living a good life, so she stopped persuading the old man to raise fish. There were many fish in the river, but it was not as comfortable as raising fish. He could catch fish whenever he wanted.
In this way, the old man might not be able to keep watch at night. Wang Juan suggested again, "Grandpa, why don't you build a house nearby? Maybe it will be useful in the future."
"That can't be done. I heard that a workshop is going to be built here. Don't occupy other people's place." The old man knew a lot. He didn't know that Wang Juan just wanted him to cook some dishes for the people in the workshop after building the house and make more money.
Seeing that the old man didn't agree, Wang Juan didn't continue to persuade him. She lowered her head and continued to draw.
Perhaps it was true to Wang Juan's words. The old man's three fishing rods caught the fish one by one. After a while, the net that was put into the water to hold the fish was full. There were at least fifty catties of fish in the net, and the fish were squeezing each other and flipping back and forth.
Just as the old man was thinking about how to go back and catch a big fish for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, a group of people came to the shore.
There were carriages and horses. After they stopped at the shore, three people in government uniforms surrounded by people in government uniforms walked to the front.
"Sir, what do you think of this place? Let His Royal Highness set up the workshop here. "One of the officials asked while bowing beside the surrounded officials.
"Well, not bad. That's what I want. Huh? There are a lot of fish. Why don't we eat fish today? Don't go too far. Find two pots in the house nearby and stew the fish and water. "
The surrounded official glanced at the place and felt that it was a good place to build the workshop. When he saw the old man struggling to pull the net up, he wanted to eat fish.
Hearing the official's words, the old man looked again and quickly bowed his head. "County Magistrate Feng is here. County Magistrate Feng, you can't build the workshop here. There are holes in the ground. If it rains heavily today, it will collapse easily. You have to choose a good place to build the workshop."
"What do you know? Do you know cement? No matter what holes there are, just pour the cement in. Leave the fish here. Take the money and buy some meat buns and dumplings. "
A government official next to him was dissatisfied with the old man. He took out more than 20 copper coins and threw them on the ground. He wanted to buy all the fish and reached out to take the fish.
The old man was obviously unwilling. He didn't dare to say anything, but his hands were very tight. It was not only the fish, but also the net. It would take more than a day to make a net. It was not easy to make twine.
While they were in a stalemate, a voice suddenly rang out. It almost scared County Magistrate Feng into the river.
"Old grandpa, he wants to buy a fish. Just sell it to him. I didn't expect County Magistrate Feng to be in the mood to eat fresh water and live fish by the river. This is the southwest. Aren't you worried that something might happen and you might lose your life? What's the crime of buying by force, Xiao Bao? "
As he spoke, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan stood up with their straw hats on. County Magistrate Feng stepped back and stood still. Only then did he take a closer look at the person who had suddenly appeared. At first glance, his good mood was gone.
Zhang Xiaobao said, "I think it's a capital offense. At the very least, he should be sent to Lingnan. Hmm, when I'm in Lu Zhou, I'm kind. "
"Give it to him now." Feng Changgong was not in the mood to listen to Zhang Xiaobao's nonsense. He shouted at the yamen runner who was still holding the fishing net tightly. It was not a big deal if the two of them were to impeach him.
It was not that the yamen runner did not recognize Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. It was because he knew who they were that he was so scared that he forgot that he was still holding the net. When he heard the county magistrate's voice, he quickly let go of the net. He was so fast that it was as if what he was holding was not a net but a burning iron wire.
As he stepped back, he stared at Wang Juan to see if Wang Juan would laugh or not. He would rather believe it than not.
The old man was surprised. "Wow, these two kids are awesome. They scared County Magistrate Feng with one sentence each. Who are they?"
"Oh, it's Registrar Zhang and County Deputy Wang. You two are in a good mood. You ran to the riverside to hide and scare people. Just now, you didn't buy by force. Instead, you asked someone to help me carry the fish."
Feng Changgong still felt that his heart was beating fast. He said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan indignantly.
Wang Juan did not care about his indignation. She trotted to the place where the yamen runner threw the money. She bent down and picked them up one by one. She waved at Zhang Xiaobao and said, "Xiao Bao, money. I don't know who dropped it. Buy some meat and make some dumplings later."
"Then we have to ask who dropped it by accident first. What if the owner is right next to us? Who dropped it? Who dropped the money? No one said yes. Take it. "
Zhang Xiaobao had a good understanding of the terrain today. He was very happy and played along with Wang Juan.
The old man finally knew who the two kids were. They were the new Registrar Zhang and Deputy Wang Juan of Baoxin County, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. No wonder they looked different from ordinary kids. He did not care about the fish anymore and said to them hurriedly, "Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, you can't build a workshop here. I heard that you have a good relationship with a Commandery Prince. Tell him that you can't build a workshop here."
Wang Juan smiled at the yamen runner who threw the money just now. She put the money away and asked the old man, "Grandpa, are you familiar with this place?"
"Yes, I'm familiar with it. This place is unusual. I don't have other skills, but I can see the Earth Qi." The old man finally met someone who he thought could compete with County Magistrate Feng. He immediately patted his chest and promised.
"Earth Qi?" Wang Juan did not expect to meet a master who had a legendary skill. But many people still believed in it. It was said that some mines were not measured by instruments, but by people. Even the officials at that time also believed in it.
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