Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 15 - 15 14 Cheap Father-in-Law

Chapter 15: Chapter 14 Cheap Father-in-Law Chapter 15: Chapter 14 Cheap Father-in-Law “Sir, sir~”

In the county governnt, a governnt official hurriedly ran into the rear hall.

In the study of the rear hall, Luo Jin, the County Magistrate of Anning County, was frowning as he read the docunts. Suddenly hearing soone shouting, he looked up, displeased.

“What is it?”

Luo Jin was around thirty years old, slightly thin with a sowhat scholarly appearance, but he carried an authoritative presence without showing anger, his simple words exerted a substantial pressure.

The governnt official ran in, bowed, and reported: “Sir, Scarface Liu has been murdered!”

“Scarface Liu!” Luo Jin murmured, imdiately recalling who the man was.

Luo Jin truly despised the bandits causing trouble under his governance, and he longed day and night to eradicate them swiftly.

Unfortunately, as a County Magistrate, the number of soldiers and officials he could mobilize was limited; he could not conduct a large-scale crackdown on the roaming bandits.

Therefore, he had no choice but to offer a large reward, issuing a bounty in the na of the county governnt.

“How did he die?” Luo Jin stood up and asked.

“Yesterday, Scarface Liu led dozens of his n in an attack on the Jiang Family Village in Qinghe Town. Martial Artist Yang Zhenshan from Yang Family Village discovered the situation and imdiately went to the rescue. Firstly, he killed the bandit leader Scarface Liu, then slew more than twenty of his followers, and afterwards, the Village Chief Yang Zhengxiang of Yang Family Village led twenty able-bodied n to round up and kill most of the fleeing bandits,” the Governnt Official reported.

They had already inquired about the situation in the Jiang Family Village. Although they had not witnessed the battle, based on the narratives of villagers from both the Jiang Family Village and the Yang Family Village, they were able to confirm the entire process.

Upon hearing this, Luo Jin’s expression imdiately improved considerably.

He wasn’t one of those officials who only knew how to extract every last penny from the populace. He had only beco a Scholar two years prior and had managed to secure an official position through his family’s connections with great difficulty.

He had originally thought he could make a difference after taking office, but it was only after arriving in Anning County that he realized he had been too optimistic.

Anning County was poor, and if it were rely poverty, that would have been manageable; but the key issue was that Anning County was also in chaos.

Anning County was near the Northern Border, with Changqing Mountain within its territory. There were many arrogant soldiers and fierce warriors at the Northern Border, and many bandits and rogues in Changqing Mountain.

He couldn’t control the arrogant soldiers and could never fully eliminate the bandits and rogues. How could he make a difference in such a situation?

The news of Scarface Liu’s death was probably the best news he had heard in his two years in Anning County.

“Who is Yang Zhenshan?” Luo Jin suddenly beca interested in this person.

Surely, anyone who could kill Scarface Liu was not weak.

The Governnt Official grinned and said, “Sir, I know of this man.”

“Oh? Tell more!” Luo Jin said.

The Governnt Official continued, “Yang Zhenshan, a villager of Yang Family Village, thirty-eight years old this year. Twenty years ago, he served in the border defense camp, and later retired due to severe injuries from the battle at Black Cloud Mountain.”

“Also, he is the brother-in-law of Lu, the clerk of the military registry.”

The reason this Governnt Official was so familiar with Yang Zhenshan was that he knew Lu Zhaoqi well.

Lu Zhaoqi was Yang Zhenshan’s uncle by marriage, serving as a clerk in the military registry of the county governnt—a civil servant of sorts.

The county governnt had six departnts: civil, population, rituals, military, justice, and works, each with one clerk and two registrars. The military departnt was in charge of conscription and training of able-bodied n, city defenses, bandit suppression, as well as post stations, stationing of troops, and the Inspection Bureau matters.

The military departnt was sowhat akin to a Public Security Bureau of a county; the clerk was the director, and the registrar was the deputy director, but they were both rely lowly officials.

For a registrar like Lu Zhaoqi, he naturally would not catch the eye of Luo Jin. However, after being ntioned by this Governnt Official, he recalled that there was such a person as Lu Zhaoqi in the county governnt.

“Go, call Lu Zhaoqi here!” Luo Jin ordered.

Lu Zhaoqi, now forty-four years old, was conversant with the saying, “Iron-clad clerks and epheral officials.” He joined the county governnt as a clerk at the age of thirty and had served for fourteen years, weathering three County Magistrates. However, this was his first ti being summoned alone by the County Magistrate.

Of course, Yang Zhenshan didn’t know that his uncle by marriage had gotten the opportunity to et with the County Magistrate because of him. At this mont, he was carrying a bundle on his back, heading to Qinghe Town to visit his in-laws by marriage.

As for his father-in-law, well, his nominal father-in-law, Yang Zhenshan held him in high respect.

Although the original host’s wife had passed away a year ago, he did not neglect this elderly father-in-law.

Lu Songhe was an old Scholar, and it was thanks to Lu Songhe’s influence that his eldest nephew, Lu Zhaoqi, was able to work as a clerk in the county governnt.

The reason Yang Zhenshan placed importance on Lu Songhe was not only because he was his nominal father-in-law but also because Lu Songhe was the highest-status individual he could currently interact with.

Yang Zhenshan was not soone who was ignorant of worldly affairs; he was very clear on the importance of social interaction.

Integrating into the Yang family and associating with Lu Songhe were all part of his planned activities.

Since he wanted to live well in this world, he naturally needed to manage these interpersonal relationships well.

Lu Songhe lived in Qinghe Town, and his residence was a large compound with two courtyards. Although he was just an old Scholar, he had been operating in Qinghe Town for many years and had accumulated quite a wealth.

Upon arriving at the Lu family, Yang Zhenshan was greeted by Lu Wenchun, the eldest grandson of the household.

“Uncle-in-law, what brings you here?”

Upon seeing Yang Zhenshan, Lu Wenchun was sowhat surprised.

This was Yang Zhenshan’s first visit to the Lu household since the original host’s wife had passed away.

“How’s grandpa and grandma’s health?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

“Good, grandpa and grandma are doing well! Uncle-in-law, please co in!” said Lu Wenchun while leading Yang Zhenshan into the main hall.

Lu Wenchun served tea for Yang Zhenshan and went to call Lu Songhe.

Before even half a cup of tea was finished, Yang Zhenshan saw a thin little old man with hands clasped behind his back entering the hall.

“Dad!” Yang Zhenshan quickly stood up and called out.

It felt good to call soone “Dad,” it made him feel younger.

Constantly being addressed as grandpa or great-grandpa, Yang Zhenshan felt as though he himself was in his seventies or eighties.

Now, finally having soone to call Dad, he suddenly felt much younger.

Lu Songhe was a stern little old man, not one to smile or speak needlessly, rely giving him a brief glance before taking his seat at the head of the hall.

“Why have you co?”

The tone was neither salty nor bland, giving Yang Zhenshan a feeling of being kept at a thousand miles’ distance.

However, Yang Zhenshan neither took offense nor got angry because he knew that this was how Lu Songhe had always treated the original host.

In fact, Lu Songhe loved his daughter dearly; he often subsidized the Yang family in the past, providing food, clothing, and anything the Lu family had, so of which he would send to the Yang family.

Of course, his love was only for his daughter; he harbored plenty of resentnt and dissatisfaction toward the original host, his son-in-law.

The original host’s marriage had been arranged before he was enlisted in the military. At that ti, the original host was an extraordinary young Martial Artist, so Lu Songhe was naturally pleased to have such a son-in-law.

But later, when the original host ca back to get married, with his health failing and being poor, Lu Songhe beca reluctant.

It wasn’t that he despised poverty and loved wealth; he simply didn’t want his daughter to suffer.

But the marriage agreent had been set, so even though he was unwilling, he had no choice but to marry his daughter off.

As ti went on, and the Yang family’s life grew harder, Lu Songhe’s dissatisfaction with the original host also increased.

His daughter leading a hard life ant that this son-in-law was incompetent, so it would be strange if Lu Songhe would show a good face to the original host.

A year ago, when his daughter passed away sickly, Lu Songhe sending off a younger person than himself filled him with even greater resentnt; his willingness to et Yang Zhenshan today was already a display of his magnanimity.

“Dad, Yan’er has made a set of cotton clothes for you and Mom. Please try them on first to see if they fit!” Yang Zhenshan unfolded his bundle and took out the cotton garnts.

Lu Songhe looked at the cotton clothes, and his displeased expression eased considerably.

Yang Yunyan’s needlework was learned from the original host’s wife, and the stitching style was exactly the sa as the original host’s wife, even the bamboo leaves embroidery that she liked to add on clothes was a tradition that Yang Yunyan continued.