"Little sister, hold on tight. When we get to the county town, big brother will buy you candied hawthorn!~"
Yun Daman sat at the reins, a wide straw hat on his head, leisurely flicking the whip...
Xiao Xitian's tooth no longer hurt, and she could eat sweet things again.
"Thank you, big brother!" Xiao Xitian said crisply.
This summer had seen abundant rainfall, and the roads leading to the county town were lined with dense mugwort.
The drainage ditches were filled with the croaking of frogs, and occasionally a toad would hop out, only to be crushed into a pulp by the speeding carriage...
The siblings arrived at the county town. Yun Daman went to park the carriage, while Xiao Xitian waited by the entrance of the county yamen.
"Yo, isn't this Sweetie!~" Advisor Zuo bustled out to greet her.
He seemed to be waiting for Xiao Xitian, holding a paper umbrella in his hand. "Come, get under here, the weather is too hot..."
"Oh my, what's gotten into the heavens? First, it was so dry the crops died, and then it flooded everywhere!~"
"Oh, right, Sweetie, has your house been built yet? Are those old bricks enough?"
Advisor Zuo was a chatterbox, launching into a monologue as soon as he saw her!
Xiao Xitian stood under the paper umbrella, tilting her small head. "Uncle Advisor, the house is almost finished..."
That rascal and Young Master Kong were urging the craftsmen to work faster every day. They would probably be able to move in soon.
Advisor Zuo patted her head and asked, "Sweetie, are you here to change the land deed? Magistrate Chen isn't at the yamen, shall Uncle help you with it?"
It was his honor to help the little daughter of the 'Yao Men Zhi Jia' with her business...
After all, some villagers had to make three or four trips to get a single document processed.
The civil officials at the county yamen were all very aloof. They ate the emperor's grain and received the court's salary.
They just went through the motions, and whether they would help or not was another matter...
"Thank you, Uncle Advisor!~" Xiao Xitian's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled her thanks.
"No problem, it's my duty. Come, Uncle will take you inside!"
Advisor Zuo took Xiao Xitian's hand and turned towards the yamen's office.
Yun Daman tied up the carriage and also hurried over...
Changing the deed simply involved collecting Yun Wangcai's land deed and issuing a new one to Xiao Xitian.
After signing and stamping, and with the county yamen's seal affixed, everything was done.
"Sweetie, take good care of it. These five mu of land are yours from now on!~" Advisor Zuo said with a smile.
Xiao Xitian held the square land deed, her big eyes sparkling...
She was now a 'landlady'.
Happy!
Yun Daman asked, "Advisor Zuo, what's happening with Yun Wangcai and Lu Jinping now? How did the yamen rule?"
Advisor Zuo said indignantly, "Hmph, those scoundrels deserved their fate. Magistrate Chen said that Yun Wangcai's death sentence could be commuted, but he couldn't escape punishment. He's been banished to the barren lands of the northern frontier to reclaim and farm..."
Xiao Xitian blinked after hearing this.
This outcome was quite unexpected.
She thought Yun Wangcai would be imprisoned for life, which at least would have guaranteed him food and drink, without having to suffer out there...
Who knew Magistrate Chen was even more ruthless than she thought.
He had directly exiled Yun Wangcai to the northern frontier.
"What about Lu Jinping?" Yun Daman continued to ask.
Advisor Zuo fanned himself. "She's locked up in prison. She'll be released in a month!~"
Lu Jinping was an accomplice. She was instigated by Yun Wangcai and Yun Goudan to steal the old bricks...
In any case, no one knew the truth.
"Daman, when Lu Jinping is released, you must be careful. A cornered dog will jump over the wall. If she does anything detrimental to your family, just tie her up and send her to the yamen!~"
Because Yun Daman and Yun Erman were themselves yamen officials and carried the county yamen's tokens.
They had the authority to detain prisoners...
"Understood, thank you for your concern, Advisor Zuo!" Yun Daman cupped his hands.
Advisor Zuo added, "Take some time to go up the mountain. Although Magistrate Chen didn't say anything, you can't just not go once, can you!~"
The Agarwood Forest didn't require constant tending, but Yun Daman was an yamen official...
Furthermore, his job was to plant trees, water them, and fertilize them on the mountain.
Now that he was spending all his time building a house, he wasn't balancing things properly. How would the other yamen officials think?
And Yun Erman, how long has it been since he reported to the yamen?
A few days ago, some constables complained that Daman and Erman were bullying people in the village relying on Sweetie's reputation...
They were still receiving their salaries and eating the yamen's provisions.
Many people were resentful.
Yun Daman's face turned red when he heard this.
He hadn't expected this matter to have such a negative impact...
Magistrate Chen was too embarrassed to say it, but he himself hadn't realized it. This was truly inexcusable.
"Thank you for the reminder, Advisor Zuo. I'll pack my things and head to the mountain tomorrow!~" Yun Daman said guiltily.
Advisor Zuo grunted and took two candies from his pocket, giving them to Xiao Xitian. "Eat them, they're very sweet!"
"Thank you, Uncle Advisor!~" Xiao Xitian put the candies away without eating them.
The siblings sat at the yamen for a while longer, then Yun Daman took his sister away...
They wandered around the street for a bit, buying her a skewer of candied hawthorn and two sugar figurines.
They were out of salt and vinegar at home, so Yun Daman bought some more.
Things like soy sauce and fermented bean paste could be made at home.
Besides, the Old Chu family in the village specialized in making soy sauce.
"Big brother, our family always eats stinky bean paste, can we try something different?~" Xiao Xitian asked.
The bean paste blocks made by sister-in-law always smelled pungent every year...
But everyone in the family liked the smell, though Xiao Xitian couldn't enjoy it.
Yun Daman ruffled his sister's hair and smiled, "Sister, isn't stinky bean paste delicious dipped with scallions and small bok choy? People in the county town can't even buy it!~"
Last time, a wealthy gentleman had come all the way to Dashui Village in his carriage specifically to buy stinky bean paste...
Sister Suzhen had sold a whole vat in one go, earning quite a bit of silver.
Xiao Xitian twitched her lips and looked towards a grocery store.
Just then, a shop assistant stood at the entrance, calling out, "Sweet sauce, sweet sauce! Ten copper coins a jar, cheap and delicious!~"
Xiao Xitian's eyes lit up, and she trotted over.
"Little girl, are you buying sweet sauce? You can try it before you buy it..." the shop assistant winked at her.
"Mhm, I want to try!~" Xiao Xitian nodded.
The shop assistant scooped a little sweet sauce with a small spoon and handed it to Xiao Xitian. "Here, try it! If you like it, buy a jar to take home, it's not expensive anyway!"
He knew children liked sweet things.
She would definitely like this sauce.
Xiao Xitian tasted it, her eyes shining with little stars. "Wow, it's so delicious!~"
It had the taste of apples and pears...
This should be called fruit sauce.
Yun Daman bought two jars for his sister. As long as she was happy.
Xiao Xitian decided that when they got back, she would make fruit sauce herself and let her family try it.