Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 615 Can't You Hear Me?

Zhou Erya could easily detect the sarcasm in her words.

Being told this by the daughter you raised with so much effort is more humiliating than being slapped in the face by a stranger.

Zhou Erya is uneducated and cannot describe her feelings, but she knows she is upset and very upset.

Zheng Xidong regretted saying those words. If there was anyone in the family she still couldn't bear to part with, it was only her mother.

She knew perfectly well that her mother cared for her, yet the two of them still got along so awkwardly.

There were too many people between the two of them, including some that Zheng Xidong couldn't tolerate.

Having uttered harsh words, Zheng Xidong stood frozen, unsure how to end the conversation. She wanted to say something conciliatory, but the anger in her heart wouldn't let her back down. She wanted to say a few more harsh words and simply stop seeing her mother from now on, but looking at her mother's face, she couldn't bring herself to say them.

Neither of them knew how to bring it up.

Just then, Zheng Xichun said, "Sister, now that you've entered the county government, many people in the school envy you."

"Is it."

"Yes, yes, everyone envies you in private. But when you get together, they say that you can only work in the county government and are not as capable as those who take the imperial examinations."

Zheng Xidong sneered, "Let them say what they want, I don't care, and you don't need to complain to me."

“If you could be like your sister and pass the county government exam, your father and I would thank our ancestors for their blessing. What about taking the imperial examination to become an official? So many people study to read and write, but how many of them can actually become officials?” Zhou Erya said this to Zheng Xichun, but she was looking at Zheng Xidong.

Zheng Xichun smiled at Zheng Xidong, seemingly unconcerned no matter how Zheng Xidong spoke to him. "Sister, when are you going home? Dad says it's not good for you to keep living in the county government's house."

“Is it not good for me to live here? Where else would it be better?” Zheng Xidong retorted. Zhou Erya seemed to have thought of something important. “Xidong, I heard from the village chief that you agreed with the county government that you would only stay until last autumn harvest. Now that you’re still staying, I’m afraid the county government will ask you for money.”

Zheng Xidong smiled, amused that they knew about this but didn't ask about it during last year's autumn harvest.

She was determined to escape that kind of father, and even if she had nowhere to live and ended up begging on the streets, she would never complain to that family.

But she didn't need such feigned concern; it only sounded ironic.

“Madam Meng is kind and knows my situation. She allowed me to stay here until I got married,” Zheng Xidong said. “I am very happy living here.”

Zhou Erya opened her mouth and stared blankly for a while, then frowned and said worriedly, "After all, it belongs to the government. If they didn't want anything from you, why would they let you live here? Child, think about it."

Zheng Xidong didn't know what she wanted her to think. Did she want her to think that things were bad outside, or that she should hide back in that house with her and be treated like a slave like her?
Zhou Erya lowered her voice and said, "I heard that the county magistrate here is not married yet. You are not bad-looking, so maybe he will take a fancy to you."

"Ha." Zheng Xidong was both amused and exasperated. "What do I look like? Why would anyone want me? People like them would only date someone of equal social standing."

“You’re young, there are many things you can’t think of,” Zhou Erya said. “The more capable a man is, the more promiscuous he is; he won’t just have one woman. If a family like ours were to marry an official, we wouldn’t even know how we died.”

Zheng Xidong grew increasingly irritated as he listened. "Lord Meng has no ill intentions towards me, and I have no other intentions towards Lord Meng. There's no need to say such things. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

“Xi Dong.” Zhou Erya quickly stepped in front of Zheng Xi Dong. “You must listen to me. If someone like us takes a liking to us, it’s definitely not going to be a good thing.”

Zheng Xidong asked in bewilderment, "Mother, can't you hear what I'm saying?"

“I…heard it,” Zhou Erya said hesitantly.