Chapter 14: The Convenient Old Man
In the county government, a runner rushed into the back hall.
County Magistrate Luo Jin, who was in his mid-30s, with a slender build and a studious appearance, looked up from the documents in his hand, his brow furrowed in disapproval.
“What is it?” he asked.
The runner reported, “Sir, Scarface Liu has been killed!”
“Scarface Liu!” Luo Jin murmured, his eyes narrowing as he recalled who Scarface Liu was.
As for the bandits who had been causing trouble under his jurisdiction, Luo Jin was determined to eliminate them, day and night.
Unfortunately, as the county magistrate, he didn’t have many soldiers at his disposal to launch a large-scale campaign against the bandits.
So, he was willing to offer a generous reward in the name of the county government.
“How did he die?” Luo Jin asked, standing up.
The runner reported, “Yesterday, Scarface Liu led a group of bandits in an attack on Jiang Family Village in Qinghe Town. Yang Zhengshan, a skilled martial artist from Yang Family Village, discovered the attack and rushed to rescue them. He first killed Scarface Liu, then killed over twenty bandits, and finally, Yang Zhengshan led twenty strong men from Yang Family Village to slaughter the remaining bandits.”
Luo Jin’s expression brightened significantly upon hearing the news.
He wasn’t one of those officials who only cared about extracting wealth from the people. He had passed the imperial examinations two years ago and had struggled to secure a government position through family connections.
Originally, he thought he could make a name for himself when he took office, but after arriving in Anning County, he realized that he had been too optimistic.
Anning County was poor and chaotic, with the Longqing Mountains nearby, where bandits and outlaws roamed free.
Luo Jin couldn’t control the border troops, and he couldn’t eliminate all the bandits. Under such circumstances, how could he achieve anything significant?
The news of Scarface Liu’s death was the best news he had heard in two years as the county magistrate of Anning County.
“Who is Yang Zhengshan?” Luo Jin suddenly became interested in Yang Zhengshan.
The person who had killed Scarface Liu must be a formidable individual.
The runner smiled and said, “Sir, I know him.”
“Oh, tell me more!” Luo Jin asked.
The runner replied, “Yang Zhengshan is a 38-year-old villager from Yang Family Village. Twenty years ago, he served in the Border Defense Camp, but due to injuries sustained during the Black Cloud Mountain War, he had to retire.”
“Additionally, he is the brother-in-law of Lu Zhaoqi, a clerk in the county government’s military department.”
The reason the runner was familiar with Yang Zhengshan was because he was acquainted with Lu Zhaoqi.
Lu Zhaoqi was Yang Zhengshan’s brother-in-law and worked as a clerk in the county government’s military department, equivalent to a local public servant.
The military department was responsible for managing martial arts, horse breeding and training, city defense, bandit suppression, postal stations, and patrol inspections.
Lu Zhaoqi, as a clerk, was not someone who would catch Luo Jin’s attention, but after being mentioned by the runner, Luo Jin remembered that there was such a person in the county government.
“Summon Lu Zhaoqi for me!” Luo Jin ordered.
Lu Zhaoqi, 44 years old, had been working in the county government for 14 years, experiencing three changes in county magistrates. This was his first time being summoned alone by the county magistrate.
Yang Zhengshan, unaware that his brother-in-law had shed light on his own merits, was currently carrying a package to Qinghe Town to visit his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
As for his father-in-law, well, his nominal father-in-law, Yang Zhengshan held him in high esteem.
Although his original wife had passed away a year ago, he hadn’t forgotten about his father-in-law.
Lu Songhe was an old scholar, and Lu Zhaoqi had been able to enter the county government due to Lu Songhe’s influence.
Yang Zhengshan respected Lu Songhe not only because he was his father-in-law but also because he was the highest-ranking person he could currently interact with.
Yang Zhengshan wasn’t someone who didn’t understand the importance of interpersonal relationships.
Merging with the Yang clan and socializing with Lu Songhe were all part of his plans.
If he wanted to live a good life in this world, he naturally had to manage these relationships well.
Lu Songhe resided in Qinghe Town, in a large two-story courtyard house. Although he was just an old scholar, he had accumulated significant wealth over the years.
Yang Zhengshan was greeted by Lu Wenxun, Lu Songhe’s grandson, when he arrived at the Lu residence.
“Uncle, why are you here?” Lu Wenxun asked, surprised to see Yang Zhengshan.
This was Yang Zhengshan’s first visit to the Lu residence since his original wife’s passing.
“How are your grandparents doing?” Yang Zhengshan asked.
“They’re doing well, uncle! Please come in!” Lu Wenxun replied, leading Yang Zhengshan into the reception hall.
As Yang Zhengshan was served tea, Lu Wenxun went to inform Lu Songhe of his arrival.
Before Yang Zhengshan could finish his tea, he saw Lu Songhe, a slender old man, walking into the reception hall with his hands behind his back.
“Father!” Yang Zhengshan hastily stood up and called out.
It was nice to call someone “father” finally.
Having been called “grandpa” or “great-grandpa” all day, Yang Zhengshan felt old.
Now, he finally had someone he could call “father,” and he suddenly felt younger.
Lu Songhe was a serious old man who didn’t smile or joke, only giving Yang Zhengshan a brief, distant glance before sitting down in the main seat.
“What brings you here?” Lu Songhe asked, his tone neither warm nor cold, giving Yang Zhengshan the feeling that he was being kept at arm’s length.
However, Yang Zhengshan didn’t feel resentful or annoyed because he knew Lu Songhe’s attitude towards his original self.
In reality, Lu Songhe loved his daughter dearly and had often provided financial support to the Yang family, giving them whatever he could.
Of course, his love was only for his daughter, and towards his son-in-law, the original Yang Zhengshan, he had significant dissatisfaction.
The original marriage was arranged before Yang Zhengshan enlisted, when he was a talented young martial artist. Lu Songhe was naturally delighted to have such a son-in-law.
However, after Yang Zhengshan returned and got married, he became disabled and poor, which made Lu Songhe unhappy.
It wasn’t that he looked down on the poor, but he didn’t want his daughter to suffer.
But since the marriage was already arranged, Lu Songhe could only reluctantly accept it.
Later on, the Yang family’s life became increasingly difficult, and Lu Songhe’s dissatisfaction with Yang Zhengshan grew.
His daughter’s hardship was due to Yang Zhengshan’s lack of ability, so why would Lu Songhe show him a good face?
A year ago, his daughter passed away, and Lu Songhe was heartbroken, which only increased his resentment towards Yang Zhengshan.
Today, he was willing to see Yang Zhengshan, which was already a sign of his magnanimity.
“Father, I brought some cotton clothes made by Smoke for you and Mother. Please try them on to see if they fit!” Yang Zhengshan opened his package and took out the clothes.
Lu Songhe looked at the clothes, and his displeased expression softened slightly.
Yang Yuyun’s needlework was learned from his original wife, and the stitching habits were exactly the same as his original wife’s. Even the embroidered bamboo leaves on the clothes were identical.
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