Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 445 Several New Faces
Meng Changqing looked at Liu Dexiang, who was smiling at the host seat, and thought, what would it feel like if one day he was also treated to a meal by a group of people who were flattering him?
When I thought about it, my brain got stuck. How could I imagine a feeling that I had never experienced before?
After a lot of flattering words, the welcoming banquet was already halfway through. With a glance from Hua Rujin, Meng Changqing knew what the next step would be.

Hua Rujin went to the door and took out a long wooden box. He walked steadily to Liu Dexiang's side and said respectfully, "This is my first visit to the governor. This is a small gift from me. I hope you won't mind it."

Liu Dexiang glanced at the box in front of him and said, "Well, as long as the intention is there, I won't ask what this thing is. You should just take it back."

Hua Rujin did not back down. Having been in the officialdom for many years, he knew that he could not retreat but had to hand it forward, so he pushed the box in his hand forward and said, "This is the Green Pine Painting by Shi Wengong. It was collected by me by chance. Now I am giving it to you, the governor. You are the owner of this painting."

"Oh?" Liu Dexiang's eyes flashed with surprise, "Is this a painting by Shi Wengong?"

Seeing that he was interested, Hua Rujin immediately ordered the waiter outside the door to bring a long table and spread the scroll on the table for Liu Dexiang to appreciate.

The waiter was very considerate. Fearing that there was not enough light in the room, he lit several candles and carefully covered them with fireproof covers.

Liu Dexiang looked around the painting of green pines several times and exclaimed: "Great! It's a really good painting!"

Meng Changqing followed the group in circles. With her level of skill, she couldn't tell what was good about the painting, so she just nodded along.

After Liu Dexiang looked at it, he didn't refuse to accept it. Hua Rujin immediately wrapped it up and handed it directly to Liu Dexiang's servant.

With flowers as valuable as gold as the first gift, it will be natural for other people to give gifts.

Considering that Liu Dexiang was a scholar, and the gifts given by others were all things that scholars loved, Meng Changqing's set of pens was not of any particular design, except that the materials used for the pen holders were very expensive, which made it seem a bit tacky compared to the gifts given by others.

Liu Dexiang didn't say anything and accepted it along with the gifts from others.

After the gift was delivered, the banquet came to an end. After finishing the wine and dishes on the table, everyone advised Liu Dexiang to go back home to rest. As the old saying goes, rest early after a hard journey.

As soon as he stood up, Meng Changqing was released. Everyone surrounded him and sent him back to the government office, then they said goodbye to each other.

Ding Aixue yawned twice and shook his head helplessly at Meng Changqing, "Let's go back too."

"Master, be careful on the road." Meng Changqing first helped him to get on the horse before returning to Bafang and the others.

Get on the horse and return to Beishan County.

It was already the late night when Meng Changqing arrived at the Beishan County Government Office. He lay in bed but could not fall asleep for a while.

Today's events naturally came to his mind. Thinking of the new prefect, although it was the first time they met, seeing what he said and did, Meng Changqing felt a little resistant to this man.

She advised herself in her heart that it was too early to judge a person based on a single encounter, and that it would be difficult to see a person's true nature if one was blinded by prejudice.

However, she soon had the opportunity to meet Liu Dexiang for the second time.

Two days after the welcoming banquet, a messenger from Liangzhou Prefecture came to deliver a message, saying that the prefect wanted to see her regarding this year's grain register.

Meng Changqing first recalled the contents of the account book, then asked Bafang to go to the study and get the copy she had made. After confirming that there was no problem with what she had given, she went to Liangzhou Prefecture.

When we arrived at the place, we saw several new faces among the yamen runners in front of the government office.