Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 426 There are countermeasures
The sky gradually darkened. Luo Laofeng stood in the courtyard of the yamen. The fear in his heart continued to grow. He glanced around and felt that he was about to be swallowed up by these houses.

He wanted to talk to the bailiff next to him, but the bailiff didn't even look at him.

Just wait like that.

At a time when people are inherently unequal, it is easy for Meng Changqing, who is in a superior position, to make things difficult for someone with no background.

When Luo Laofeng thought he was going to wait till his death in the government office, someone suddenly called him, "Over there, Lord Meng is looking for you, why are you still standing here?"

"Ah!" When Luo Laofeng took a step forward, he felt a pain in his knee and almost fell down.

He endured the discomfort in his legs and walked in the direction pointed by the bailiff.

He poked his head at the door several times but didn't dare go in.

"Go in." The bailiff urged impatiently from behind.

"Hey, hey."

Luo Laofeng had no choice but to go in and push open the door. He saw someone sitting behind a long table, pouring water with something he had never seen before.

Looking more closely, the person sitting there was none other than the county magistrate.

Luo Laofeng quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "I pay my respects to the county magistrate."

"You don't have to be so polite." Meng Changqing spoke to him with a smile, "I heard from the people below that you have been waiting for a long time. I'm sorry, I'm really busy with official business."

How could Luo Laofeng dare to be embarrassed by the official? However, from the other party's tone, he felt relieved that there was no intention to embarrass him.

"I heard you're getting married." Meng Changqing said, "Congratulations."

"No, no, it's not presentable for a countryman to marry a woman."

Meng Changqing took a sip of tea and continued, "I heard that you are taking a concubine this time?"

"Yes, yes, my sister is the matchmaker. She's a country girl who knows me well." Luo Laofeng wanted to tell Meng Changqing that this man was not from human traffickers.

"Well." Meng Changqing said, "I don't object to you taking a concubine. If you have the ability to find another woman, I will be happy for you. But there is one thing I have to tell you in advance. No matter where we are in Daliang, concubines are not allowed to have property under their names.

I know you don’t understand, so I’ll put it in words you can understand.

If that woman came to Beishan County to be a concubine, the government would not give her any land."

Luo Laofeng stood there in a daze, listening to the senior official asking, "Do you understand?"

He nodded dazedly.

Meng Changqing said: "If you understand, go back and do what you need to do."

Luo Laofeng fell ill that night when he returned home. A neighbor who knew the inside story advised Luo Laofeng, "Give up the idea of ​​marrying a young girl. The government here never makes things difficult for people. You must have offended them."

"Our county lord hasn't married anyone yet, and you're planning to marry a second one. How can he be happy?"

"That's right, don't mention it."

Luo Laofeng felt that what the neighbors said made some sense. Just as others had said, his restless heart gradually calmed down.

Who would have thought that the next day, Luo Laofeng's sister came to his house and Luo Laofeng changed his mind again.

Two days later, Yang Zheng found Meng Changqing again regarding Luo Laofeng's family affairs.

"Sir, this guy has a really crooked brain!" Yang Zheng sighed before he even finished talking about the matter.

"how?"

"Do you remember Luo Laofeng? The guy you made stand in the yard for two hours came to the government office again today and found me to say he wanted to divorce his current wife.

He is illiterate, yet he knows how to divorce."

"To divorce, his wife must also agree. Is his wife here?" Meng Changqing asked.

"He did." Yang Zheng did not hide his disgust for Luo Laofeng, "How could his wife not agree? I'm afraid the divorce was fought for by his wife." At this point, Yang Zheng took a deep breath and then said, "It's my fault. I asked you to be more cautious and not do anything to him. A person like him is a waste of my kindness."

Looking at Yang Zheng who kept shaking his head, Meng Changqing poured him a cup of tea and asked him to sit down and calm down.

"Anyway, I'm in charge of this matter, so you don't have to get so angry."

"Oh, how can I not be angry, sir?" Yang Zheng held the tea without drinking it. "You can figure out what he is planning with your toes. Can his former wife still live alone after the divorce? He still needs to give up two more acres of land in Luo Laofeng's family.

There are many families like his in Beishan County. If he sets an example, I don’t know how many people will follow his example. "

"As long as his wife agrees to divorce, we will agree to divide the family property, land and children, and give him a clean break." Meng Changqing comforted Yang Zheng, "Don't worry, he can't start this."

Not long after, the bailiff outside came to report, "Luo Laofeng is here with his woman."

Meng Changqing said: "Just ask them to come to me."

Luo Laofeng was still outside teaching his wife the rules of the government office, "Don't look around, stand here and don't move."

"How can we bear that?" his wife asked. "Will we have to wait for a while?"

"There is time to wait, so stay here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bailiff who had gone to report earlier came over and called out, "Come here, Lord Meng will see you in person."

After entering the door, there was still the same long table, but there was a bench on one side of the table.

"Sit down and talk."

Today’s county magistrate was different from the one Luo Laofeng had seen before. He seemed easy to talk to.

The two of them sat down with some fear.

"I heard that you wanted to divorce?" Meng Changqing said in a relaxed tone, as if he was chatting.

"Yes." The two people opposite nodded together.

Meng Changqing's eyes locked on Luo Laofeng's wife, "I still don't know your name?"

"My name is Hongxiang." Hongxiang responded, her face showing the vicissitudes of life that matched her age. She added, "My maiden name is Lin."

Meng Changqing said, "This is a great name. It tells me that you are a good-tempered person."

Hongxiang smiled and scratched her face.

"By the way, do you know what divorce is?" Meng Changqing asked, staring at Hongxiang.

"I know. I asked someone." Luo Laofeng said.

"Divorce means that both of you agree to separate," Meng Changqing said. "You have to sleep in separate beds, separate homes, separate money and children. From now on, in the government's household registration, you are two families. Whether you remarry or remarry, you have nothing to do with each other.

I can't say that because you and I had a past relationship, I have to take care of your family affairs. This is not allowed."

Meng Changqing confirmed with Hongxiang again, "Have you thought about it?"

Hongxiang, who had nodded decisively before, now hesitated.

Meng Changqing saw this and asked Luo Laofeng to go out and wait, leaving her and Hongxiang in the room.

Hong Xiang then said, "I have no choice, but after all, I am married to someone else and it is their whole family's decision, what else can I say?

This divorce was just to save my face. Originally, he wanted to divorce me, but I refused to do so, so they agreed to the divorce.

He told me that he only went to the government office once, and that his family would continue to live the same as before."

"Do you believe what he says?"

"What can I do if I don't believe it?" Hongxiang asked back.