Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Meng Changqing started waiting after sending out the confession letter.

Meng Chang waited from the seventh to the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month, but still received no news from the capital. Now he felt relieved.

If she waited a few more days to see if Wen Ruxu would be in trouble, she would be able to guess what the person on the throne was thinking.

She was standing by the canal and smiling, but her expression suddenly turned cold. Thinking of what her mother had told her, she realized that her old habit had come back and she started guessing again.

"Master!"

Meng Changqing looked up and saw Bafang running towards him from the direction of the yamen.

Before Meng Changqing could ask what was going on, Bafang ran up to him and said, "Lord Ding from Luojiang County is here!"

Meng Changqing was pleasantly surprised and said to Xi Bei behind him, "Master, Lord Ding knows a lot about agricultural management. I have already worshipped him as my master some time ago. It is a rare opportunity for him to come here. Come back to the county government with me and I will introduce you to each other."

Xi Bei was not interested. "I am just a warrior. Why should I know him?" He took the hoe from Meng Changqing's hand. "I won't join in the fun. You should go back."

"Oh!" Meng Changqing immediately ran to the county government office.

When she returned to the county government office, her mother Wen had already brought people to entertain Ding Aixiu.

Ding Aixue was originally sitting politely, but when he saw Meng Changqing coming over, he stood up immediately, "Changqing!"

"Master!"

The two hadn't seen each other for only a dozen days, but they looked like they were meeting again after a long separation.

Wen immediately stood up and said, "It's rare for Lord Ding to come to Beishan County. I'll go prepare lunch now."

"Thank you, Madam Meng. Please keep the food simple."

Wen nodded. She was just using this as an excuse to leave the front yamen and there was no need for her to really prepare lunch.

After Wen left, Ding Aixue breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Meng Changqing worshipped him as his master and he was of the same generation as Wen, she was the wife of General Dingbei, the wife of someone he admired. In front of such a person, he couldn't help feeling a little restrained.

Meng Changqing is different, he is his real disciple.

"Master, why did you come here in person?" Meng Changqing had an expression of surprise on his face.

Ding Aixue smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you before that when I'm not busy, I will come to visit you in Beishan County." Who would be unhappy to see such a happy face looking at themselves?

But he added: "It's just that I didn't inform you in advance. I have to trouble Madam Meng to worry about it."

"Mother knows that I am your disciple and has always wanted to meet you. She is also very happy that you can come today." Meng Changqing invited him to take a seat. "Please take a rest here for a while. After lunch, I will take you to various places in Beishan County. How about that?"

Ding Aixue said: "Why wait until after lunch, let's go now!"

"Okay." Seeing that he insisted, Meng Changqing of course followed his wishes. He asked Bafang to pack some cakes and bring some tea, then left the yamen and headed towards the county town.

It is called a county town, but there are only a few rows of mud houses, which looks very shabby.

Ding Aixue thought it was good, "Your houses are built very neatly." He went to the empty house that was temporarily unoccupied and saw the kang in the inner room. After asking about its purpose, he gave Meng Changqing a thumbs up and said, "The principle of your kang is very similar to the fire wall in the capital, but it is easier to build and can be promoted in cold areas.

But this thing is like a fire wall, you can't be short of fuel. There are many people and forests here, so you don't have to worry about firewood, but you have to use a lot of it. Some places also need to buy firewood, so it's not suitable."

Meng Changqing nodded as he listened.

Ding Aixue looked carefully and soon noticed the wall. "Although your house here also has mud walls and thatched roofs, the walls are much thicker than other places. How is the cold-proof effect? ​​Is it uncomfortable to live in in summer?" "The effect is naturally better than thin walls. Thick walls can not only resist wind and cold, but also have good heat insulation effect. The disadvantage of reducing window and door openings is also obvious. It is darker than ordinary houses, so such houses are not suitable for being built too large."

Ding Aixue continued, "It takes a lot of heat to make it bigger, this size is just right. Changqing, I'm asking, can you teach me how to make this kang?"

"Of course." Meng Changqing said to the yamen runner who followed him, "Please go back and find Mr. Qi and ask him to go to the reference room to find the blueprints of the heated kang."

"Yes."

After the bailiff left, Ding Aixue thanked Meng Changqing several times.

Meng Changqing quickly replied: It’s my duty.

Meng Changqing took Ding Aixue along the way and introduced the things in front of him. Of course, he not only introduced the things in front of him, but also talked about the future plan. "I plan to build a new street here in the future and concentrate the spontaneous trading of goods by the people on this street."

Ding Aixiu asked: "What about the market? Do you have other plans?"

“Yes, when the market was first built, it was indeed for the convenience of managing scattered merchants. But if it was only for these small businesses, it would not have to be built on such a large scale. I plan to separate small businesses from large transactions in the future, and the market will only allow large transactions and transactions authorized by the government.

Of course, this is all for the future.”

As Ding Aixue listened to Meng Changqing's ideas, his understanding of this man rose to a new level. He asked himself, if he were to be the magistrate of Beishan County, he would not have such a detailed plan.

From the so-called urban area, Ding Aixiu felt familiar when he saw Luojia Village and the people busy in the farmland.

He made many suggestions on reservoirs and canals, which were areas that Meng Changqing had previously overlooked.

Meng Changqing listened and recited at the same time, planning to write it down in the evening so as not to forget it later.

As for the Luojia Village area, from Ding Aixue's point of view, it was not bad. However, when they moved to the new village, they saw the people still busy farming.

"There are too many left over here." Ding Aixue said, "But I brought nine cows with me this time. I will arrive later. As long as we make reasonable arrangements, we will not miss the spring planting."

"It is only with Master's support that Chang Qing dares to give it a try."

Ding Aixue waved his hand and smiled, "I can't help you with anything big, only these small things. Just ask for what I can do."

"Changqing deeply thanks Master."

After looking around for more than an hour, it was already past lunch time.

But with Mrs. Wen around, lunch was ready just in time for them to return.

The three of them sat together for this meal. With Meng Changqing at the table, he took very good care of Ding Aixue, no matter in conversation or eating.

After dinner, it was getting late, so Ding Aixiu asked to leave, and Meng Changqing naturally asked him to stay overnight.

Ding Aixiu's reason for refusal was the same as what Meng Changqing had said before, he was too busy with official duties to delay.

Meng Changqing had no choice but to stay any longer, so she gave the blueprint of the kang to Ding Aixue, harnessed the horse, and escorted him to the gate of Yangmen County.

The master and the disciple talked at the door for a long time before they parted. But before she had taken a few steps, she heard Ding Aixue calling her from behind.

Meng Changqing looked back and saw that the cow had arrived!

Meng Changqing was overjoyed, got off the horse, and let Bafang lead her as she ran back to Ding Aixue. (End of this chapter)