Magistrate Meng had left behind such a huge mess that he really ought to come back and deal with it.
The carriage passed through the city gate. A huge crowd of refugees had gathered there. It was noon, and the sun was scorching. The refugees were listlessly sheltering in the shade beneath the city gate, waiting for the daily distribution of rice porridge.
The city gate was heavily guarded, and the refugees were not allowed to enter or leave at will.
Seeing the magistrate’s carriage, Constable Shi, who was on duty, immediately brightened and hurried forward. “My lord, you’re back?”
It had been seven or eight days since the last delivery of rice, and there were only a dozen or so sacks of grain left in the granary.
Magistrate Meng lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down. He was a refined and handsome middle-aged scholar with a fair, clean-shaven face and a tall, slender build. Perhaps because he was exhausted from the journey and had not rested well, dark circles had formed beneath his eyes.
He glanced at the refugees gathered beside the city gate, and the worry between his brows deepened. As he walked into the city, he asked, “Constable Shi, how is the situation outside the city now? Is the number of people still increasing?”
Constable Shi replied, “Since there’s only one serving of porridge a day, and the rain has stopped these past few days, quite a few people have gone straight back to their hometowns. But there are still more than a thousand people gathered at the city gate. My lord, you’ve been gone for so long. Did you manage to secure any grain?”
Magistrate Meng sighed, his brows heavy with gloom. “Over the past half month, I visited the magistrates of Ding’an, Linjiang, and Jinqu Counties, but they were all willing yet powerless to help. All the counties suffered droughts or floods to varying degrees last year and this year. They couldn’t collect enough taxes or complete the quotas assigned by their superiors, so they truly had no way to lend us a hand.”
Constable Shi asked, “What about Prefect Song of the prefectural city? Did you go and urge him as well?”
Magistrate Meng looked even more troubled. “The first place I went when I set out this time was Lord Song’s residence, but I waited for two days, and Lord Song still refused to see me.”
Constable Shi suddenly did not want to walk back with him.
What a mess. His superior would not help him, and his fellow magistrates would not help either. Magistrate Meng’s trip had been completely pointless.
Constable Shi stopped walking. “My lord, eight days ago, the Eldest Young Master sent three thousand six hundred jin of coarse rice. It barely ensured that the daily distribution of porridge at the city gate could continue without interruption. But eight days have passed, and we have less than seven days’ worth of grain left. If the prefectural city and the other magistrates are unwilling to help, then please decide as soon as possible what we should do next. I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t accompany you back.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
That left Magistrate Meng standing alone in the middle of the street.
A trace of disdain flashed through the coachman’s eyes. Only after a while did he drive the carriage over. “Master, please get in. Let’s go home.”
But Magistrate Meng shook his head. “You go back first. Qi’er will be finishing school soon. I’ll go find him.”
Hearing that his son had sent more than three thousand jin of coarse rice to the county government office, Magistrate Meng wanted to ask what had happened. Moreover, his son was already a xiucai. Perhaps if father and son met, they could discuss their plans for the future together.
Upon hearing this, Yu Dayong drove the carriage back.
The county school was on the western side of the county town. It took Magistrate Meng only a little over a quarter of an hour to reach it. He did not go inside but stood at the entrance and waited. The students gradually came out, and Meng Guanqi spotted his father waiting across the way at a glance.
His eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to greet him. “Father, you’re back?”
When Magistrate Meng saw his son, who was as elegant as a jade tree and fragrant orchid, a look of satisfaction flashed through his eyes. He smiled faintly and helped him up. “I just arrived. I thought I’d come by and pick you up while I was at it.”
Meng Guanqi glanced behind him. “Since Father came all the way back in such a state, why don’t I see the coachman?”
Magistrate Meng did not think much of it. “I wanted to take a walk, so I sent him back first. Let’s talk as we walk.”
Meng Guanqi readily agreed and handed his book chest to A Sheng, who was following behind, then walked alongside Magistrate Meng.
In a low voice, Magistrate Meng told him everything that had happened over the past dozen or so days. At the end, he sighed. “Qi’er, do you think your father was truly wrong to take in these refugees that day?”
Meng Guanqi said, “Father simply couldn’t bear to see the people displaced and suffering. Taking them in and giving them porridge came from your sincere concern for the people. How could that be wrong?”
“But the prefect refuses to see me, and the magistrates of the various counties refuse to help me. The court’s disaster-relief funds haven’t arrived, yet the county government’s granary is already running out of grain. There is no grain left to use, while the refugees outside the city continue to arrive. I am already caught in an impossible situation…” As he said this, he coughed several times, and his face instantly turned pale.
Meng Guanqi hurriedly supported him, his heart aching as though it had been cut by a knife.
His father was a concubine-born son, and he had developed a habit of neither competing nor fighting for anything while living in the family estate. Even after passing the metropolitan examination and becoming an official, he followed the doctrine of the middle way and remained utterly inconspicuous. Who would have thought that after suddenly being promoted to Minister in the Ministry of Personnel and gaining real authority, he would instead offend someone and have his mistake seized upon, resulting in his demotion to Miyang County? Now he had to make every decision himself, his superiors offered no support, and his subordinates refused to stand behind him. With troubles both within and without, how could his health not suffer?
Meng Guanqi could only hate that he was too young and had nothing more than the status of a xiucai, leaving him unable to help his father solve the problem.
Meng Guanqi did not know how to break the current deadlock either. After speaking with Constable Shi, he already knew that the porridge distribution at the city gate absolutely could not stop. Otherwise, the refugees outside would surely riot, making the situation even harder to control. If anything went wrong, Magistrate Meng, as the highest-ranking official in the entire county, would bear the brunt of it. It would unquestionably be a serious crime.
He thought for a moment before saying softly, “Father, could we ask Grandfather for help?”
Even if Grandfather had cruelly separated their family from the rest of the household, Father was still his son. Grandfather had served as an official for many years. Although he had already retired from office, he still had many connections in the imperial court. If he were willing to offer even a little guidance, Father might be able to get through this crisis.
Magistrate Meng paused, and a trace of bitterness flashed through his eyes.
How could he not have asked his father for advice? But his father’s reply had been icy cold. The entire letter had been filled with accusations that he should never have taken it upon himself to open the granary privately to provide relief for the refugees. Now that he had brought trouble upon himself, he wanted to drag the Meng family down with him as well. It was utterly disloyal and unfilial, with none of the conduct expected of a son. He had bluntly stated that Magistrate Meng had already been separated from the family, and that from then on, whether things went well or badly had nothing to do with them. He told him not to write to the Meng family again.
Magistrate Meng had been so furious that he vomited blood on the spot.
Being reprimanded by one’s father so mercilessly was an extraordinarily humiliating matter. He did not dare mention it in front of his son and could only sigh. “Your grandfather is far away in the capital. Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire. How could I disturb him in his retirement? I’ll find a way myself…”
Meng Guanqi was speechless. Apart from his grandfather, he could think of no other way to solve this problem. There was already very little grain left in the county government’s granary. If they could not find a way to resolve the problem once and for all, their family could only continue paying out of pocket to fill the hole.
But where could their family get that much money? A concubine-born son received a share of the family property entirely according to the grandparents’ wishes when the household was divided. It was impossible for them to receive an equal share of the estate like his father’s legitimate-born brothers and uncles. The fact that their family had received a hundred mu of farmland outside the capital, a shop, and fifteen hundred taels in cash was already considered favorable treatment from his grandfather.
Meng Guanqi had never seen his mother’s private account books, but so many unexpected changes had occurred in the family over the past six months or so. They had been demoted, traveled to take up the new post, dealt with illness, paid money to dismiss the clerks and servants, and then had to make up the county government’s shortfall in grain and money. Their expenses must have been considerable.
Now there was yet another bottomless pit dug by his own father that needed to be filled. If they really stopped the daily distribution of porridge outside the city and caused the refugees to riot, it would only take an instant for their family to be charged with a crime.
Could they really have everyone driven away? Once the people were driven away, this expense would disappear. His father would only have to replenish the grain in the granary as quickly as possible. In that case, the offense would be somewhat less serious.
Magistrate Meng suddenly remembered what Constable Shi had said. “Qi’er, Constable Shi said that you sent more than three thousand jin of coarse rice to the county government office a few days ago. Was that your mother’s idea?”
Meng Guanqi froze. “No, it wasn’t…”
Magistrate Meng was puzzled. “It wasn’t? More than three thousand jin of coarse rice would cost over a dozen taels of silver. That’s no small sum. Where did the money come from? Your monthly allowance?”
Meng Guanqi suddenly remembered Li Xiaoxiao, as well as what she had said while driving the ox cart and patting him on the shoulder. After thinking for a moment, he explained the whole story. “It was a servant from our household kitchen…”
After hearing everything, Magistrate Meng not only failed to feel relieved but became even more distressed. “Human trafficking is clearly a serious crime. They should have been arrested, brought to justice, tried, and imprisoned. Yet because of me, we cannot arrest them now. Qi’er, your father is guilty.”
Meng Guanqi’s heart ached terribly. He supported Magistrate Meng. “Father, since it has already happened, let’s think of a solution together. I refuse to believe there is truly no way to solve this. You should go home and rest properly first. Then we’ll discuss it at length.”
Magistrate Meng was exhausted to the bone. Upon hearing this, he merely nodded and said nothing more.
When Magistrate Meng returned home, the rear courtyard was naturally filled with joy.
Madam Liu hurriedly instructed Yingchun to fetch water from the kitchen for the master to wash up, and personally brought him a set of newly made clothes. “I made these recently. The fabric is light and airy, perfect for wearing in summer.”
Magistrate Meng nodded tiredly and closed his eyes to rest.
Granny Qi came in and gave Madam Liu a meaningful look. “Concubine Luo is here.”
Madam Liu glanced at Magistrate Meng, who was resting with his eyes closed, and said displeasedly, “Tell her that Master is tired and resting. Have her go back for now.”
Granny Qi bowed in acknowledgment. She went outside and said to Concubine Luo and Meng Liniang, who were waiting nearby, “Concubine Luo, Young Miss, please go back for now. Master has been traveling all this time and is tired. He will be resting after washing up. You should come again tomorrow.”
Concubine Luo’s face was full of disappointment. “Is Master all right?” Her body, however, continued moving forward.
Granny Qi calmly stepped in front of her. “Madam is attending to Master. Please go back and rest for now.”
With her path blocked, Concubine Luo could not force her way inside. She could only glare resentfully at Granny Qi before turning to Meng Liniang. “Then we’ll come tomorrow to pay our respects to Master and Madam.”
Meanwhile, Yingchun hurried to the kitchen. “Mama Mao, Master is back. Madam ordered us to carry water over for him to wash up.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Xiaoxiao? Isn’t she here?”
Mama Mao hurriedly looked outside through the window at the back of the kitchen. She happened to see Li Xiaoxiao tying the ox to the ox shed she had just built a few days ago. She called out, “Xiaoxiao, Master is back. Hurry and go with Yingchun to take water to Master.”
Li Xiaoxiao answered with an “Oh,” then first went to the well to wash her hands. Mama Mao had already ladled the hot water into the wooden bucket. Yingchun was about to help her carry it, but Li Xiaoxiao waved her off and told her to go ahead. She easily lifted a full bucket of water with one hand and followed behind her toward the main room.
Although Yingchun had already witnessed it many times with her own eyes, she still could not help marveling at how strong Li Xiaoxiao was. The wooden bucket alone weighed nearly ten jin, and when filled with water, it weighed a good fifty or sixty jin. Yet she carried it with one hand without even wobbling or spilling a drop. Yingchun was practically green with envy.
It was only recently that Li Xiaoxiao learned that the residence had rules. Servants like her who worked in the kitchen were not allowed to casually enter the masters’ rooms when they had no business there. Even when they brought something over, they were supposed to leave it at the door, and the people serving inside would naturally take it in.
This world was so poor and backward that it did not even have light bulbs, yet people were still divided into all sorts of social ranks. It was ridiculous.
Still, she had no interest in entering Madam’s room either. She set the bucket down at the door and turned to leave.
Yingchun hurriedly grabbed her. “Wait a moment. Granny Qi just received Master’s orders and went to the front courtyard to find Steward Zhao. I can’t carry this bucket by myself. Wait until I report to Madam, then come in and carry it with me.”
Li Xiaoxiao could only wait at the door.
The main room was not very large. Moreover, after recovering from her injuries, her hearing had become exceptionally sharp, and Madam Liu’s quiet sobs came clearly to her ears.
“Master, if we have neither money nor grain, what are we going to do?”
…
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