County Magistrate Xu, upon hearing this, dared not delay and imdiately shouted, "Prepare the horses, prepare the horses, I must hurry to pursue."
"Yes," the servants complied and quickly went to prepare the horses.
Soon, two horses were led to the governnt gate, and County Magistrate Xu and Steward Tian hurriedly mounted.
Xu Dexian, who had learned much from studying with Zou Jiang for a period, upon learning that Zou Jiang had left without saying goodbye, also imdiately rode out to pursue.
Scholars of Great Chu value the six arts of a gentleman, and horseback riding is one of the essential subjects to learn; thus, all three of County Magistrate Xu and his company could ride horses. Spurring their horses into a gallop, after three hours of pursuit, they finally caught up with the mule cart that Zou Jiang was in.
"Uncle, please wait!" County Magistrate Xu called out from a distance.
Inside the mule cart, Zou Jiang sneered, recalling the past when they used to scold him as a thieving old man, an old fox, and now that they knew his worth, they called him uncle.
He said to the driver, "Go faster."
"Yes, Old Master," the driver, a newly bought servant of Zou Jiang, who had been well trained to obey, imdiately whipped the mules hard, and with a few cries of distress, they broke into a wild run.
County Magistrate Xu felt like vomiting blood, why did the more he called, the faster they ran?
But the horses were faster than the mule cart, and after about a quarter of an hour more of running, County Magistrate Xu and his party finally got ahead of the mule cart and blocked its path.
County Magistrate Xu dismounted and rushed to the front of the mule cart, saying, "Uncle Jiang, please stop, do not return to the countryside yet. Save my life!"
Zou Jiang responded with a slightly surprised tone, "Lord Xu, why have you co here? I heard Lord Xu is on the way up, your official career thriving, and a legacy in history is without question. What could you possibly need Zou Jiang to save?"
County Magistrate Xu was on the verge of tears. Looking around and seeing no one else on the official road, he simply laid out his predicant and finally said, "Old Jiang, with your extraordinary wits and exceptional ans, only you can help , save from this crisis."
However, Zou Jiang, after listening, said, "It’s certainly not easy for Lord Xu, but... why should I help Lord Xu? Zou Jiang only wishes to return ho to pass his later years in peace. The silver owed to the county governnt, I will repay. Lord Xu doesn’t need to press the debt."
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Xu almost choked, quickly apologizing, "Old Jiang, I was excessive in the past, I should not have misunderstood you, Old Jiang. I offer my apologies and hope you can forgive my past actions and lend a helping hand to your junior."
Zou Jiang heard County Magistrate Xu refer to himself as a junior and was quite satisfied, but it was not enough.
Seeing Zou Jiang remained silent, County Magistrate Xu saw his son riding up on horseback and continued, "You have taught Brother Xian for nearly two months, you got along well, and regard him as if he were your own grandson. You wouldn’t want to see him implicated by and have his days numbered, would you?"
"Father," Xu Dexian dismounted, called out to County Magistrate Xu, and then said to Zou Jiang in the mule cart, "Grandpa Jiang, please don’t leave. Co with us to the Capital. You are alone; going back ho must be lonely."
County Magistrate Xu quickly added, "Exactly, exactly, you would be lonely and alone returning to the countryside. It would be better to accompany our family to the Capital."
County Magistrate Xu glanced at his own son, gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Xian greatly respects you, Old Jiang. What if, if you don’t find it beneath you, you beco his godfather and act as his grandfather?"
Xu Dexian’s eyes widened, had he just been sold off by his own father? His father really must be terrified of death.
Finally, Zou Jiang spoke, "There’s no need for godfather adoption, Brother Xian is a decent and righteous man; even without the relationship of a godfather, when the old man passes away, he will see the old man off on his final journey."
Compared to the family of County Magistrate Zou, Zou Jiang obviously preferred the family of County Magistrate Xu. County Magistrate Xu was an uncommonly upstanding official, and Xu Dexian was also deeply loyal. Unlike the brothers Zou Yuzhen, each and every one of them ungrateful wretches.
And as a widowed old man, by accompanying the family of County Magistrate Xu, he could still experience days with the companionship of a family.
Zou Jiang finally relented, saying to County Magistrate Xu, "Your request, this old man will accept."
County Magistrate Xu was so overjoyed upon hearing this that he nearly cried with happiness; his life was finally spared.
Zou Jiang then said, "The weather is cold, Lord Magistrate should return first, this old man still has to hurry on my way."
County Magistrate Xu was confused, "Does Old Jiang still not forgive ?"
Why does he still need to leave? The old man is pushing himself too hard.
Zou Jiang said, "It has been many years since I have visited my hotown, it is ti to go back for a look, otherwise, when I follow Lord Magistrate to the Capital, who knows in which year or month I’ll be able to return."
Therefore, his sudden departure today was to frighten County Magistrate Xu and, indeed, to return to his hotown.
After hearing this, County Magistrate Xu heaved a sigh of relief but, fearing Zou Jiang would not return, he gave it so thought and then dragged his son over, saying, "Brother Xian has studied with you for so ti now, he has made considerable progress in both his studies and in conduct. It would be good for him to accompany you back and continue his studies."
Zou Jiang did not refuse, but he asked Xu Dexian, "Would Brother Xian like to return with to the hotown for a month or so? We will return before the New Year, and you won’t have to spend it in Luchang County."
Hearing this, Xu Dexian, no longer worried, nodded and said, "Brother Xian would naturally be happy to."
Zou Jiang smiled, "Then let’s go."
The mule cart set off again, and Xu Dexian followed on horseback towards Luchang County.
County Magistrate Xu, having successfully sought Zou Jiang’s help, was finally at ease and smilingly said to Master Tian, "Our lives have been saved."
But as he laughed, his face turned grim again and he asked Master Tian, "Do you rember what County Captain Jiang said last night? He suggested I go invite Old Jiang last night to prevent any mishaps."
Master Tian replied with a serious face, "I don’t rember such a thing, Lord Magistrate must be mistaken, County Captain Jiang probably never said that."
"Really? Was I too drunk then?" County Magistrate Xu muttered to himself, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he’d been duped by Zou Jiang again, and that County Captain Jiang seed to be aware of it.
Master Tian earnestly said, "Lord Magistrate, don’t overthink it, let’s hurry back. We still have three hours of horse ride ahead of us, and it will be dark by the ti we return to the county."
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Xu quickly mounted his horse and galloped back to the county.
By the ti he returned to the county, County Magistrate Xu had co back to his senses. Damn it, he had indeed been tricked again.
But what could he do? Zou Jiang was indeed clever and resourceful, soone who could be very helpful to him.
After returning to the county, County Magistrate Xu began to familiarize Lord Zheng with various official duties in the county.
...
In Da Feng Village, after finishing the harvest of Mingya Grass, Gu Jinli started thinking about new dishes, preparing to open a restaurant.
All facilities were in place in the Fugui Building owned by the Zou family, with no need for repairs. The kitchen staff were servants bought by Daya, and as long as new dishes were prepared and a few waiters were hired, the restaurant could open before Dongzhi.
Upon hearing that she had a share in the town’s restaurant, Lady Xia, wanting to show goodwill, especially had Brother Cheng deliver a cookbook to her.
In ancient tis, cookbooks were family heirlooms considered secret recipes, usually not shared with outsiders, but Brother Cheng said, "The teacher’s wife said that this cookbook should be given to our family."
Gu Jinli imdiately understood and accepted the cookbook. As she flipped through the dishes, she found that... these dishes were expensive and wasteful to prepare; cooking lamb required slaughtering a chicken to first make a rich broth, and then slow-cooking the lamb in the chicken soup.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, the town’s restaurant isn’t ant for the banquets of the wealthy and noble. Making such costly dishes, are they planning to go out of business as soon as they open?
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