Love Lock

Chapter 41 Its advantage lies in its rarity

"Demonstrate? Demonstrate what?" Wei Dabao opened his eyes a crack and glanced sideways at the two servants.

The two looked at each other, and their lips twitched violently.

"Sir, this is not a demonstration, it's distributing food. Just like distributing porridge."

Upon hearing this, Wei Dabao frowned slightly. These days, being able to give away porridge is already considered a great act of kindness. Who would be so wealthy as to give away food?
"They recruit so many lowly people just to feed them?"

His words carried a hint of doubt and incomprehension, as if he found the matter too unbelievable.

Yesterday, his steward reported that a restaurant on the street was recruiting a large number of farmers, and many of his tenants were lining up in front of the restaurant to sign up. The steward also saw the county magistrate and those farmers riding out of the city in a carriage.

He initially thought it was nothing, but then he realized that if all his tenants were recruited by the county magistrate, what would he do in the spring when he had no tenants to work in the fields? Besides, those farmers were just peasants; where could the county magistrate go if he rode in a carriage with them?
So he sent two servants to keep watch near the restaurant.

Last night, after it was completely dark, I saw horse-drawn carts carrying peasants back to the restaurant. After a while, the restaurant was noisy and bustling, and then it seemed the peasants turned off the lights and went to rest. I didn't notice anything unusual.

He had planned to send two servants disguised as peasants to sneak in. However, when the two servants went there this morning, the restaurant was no longer recruiting. And according to the people in the nearby shops, the people recruiting had left by carriage early in the morning. The two servants found nothing.

Tonight, things finally started to move. Unexpectedly, those peasants were lining up in front of the restaurant, waiting to be given food.

"Yes, sir. We also saw many beggars queuing up."

"There are beggars? Do they have so much money they can't spend it all?" Wei Dabao was even more surprised, his eyes widening and darting around.

"Yes! We also heard those beggars shouting, 'Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness! Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness!'" the servant continued to report the information he had gathered.

Ok?
As soon as the servant finished speaking, Wei Dabao sat up abruptly from the rocking chair.

"A prince? What, another prince? Where did this prince come from?"

Wei Dabao was so startled that he immediately lost interest in listening to the music. He waved his hand gently, and the melodious tune stopped instantly. The songstress, holding her pipa, stood up, bowed, and left.

The two servants were startled by Wei Dabao's actions and quickly replied, "We don't know where this prince came from! We just heard those beggars shouting, 'Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness.'"

"Didn't you see the prince with your own eyes?"

"Reporting to Master, it was too dark when those peasants returned, and there were too many of them. We didn't know which one was the prince!" The two servants were speechless. They couldn't just grab a peasant and ask him who the prince was, could they?

"What else?" Wei Dabao got up from the rocking chair, and his chubby companion paced back and forth in the room, his hands twirling a string of beads.

A servant scratched his head, thought hard for a moment, and replied, "I saw some yamen runners from the county government maintaining order, and I even recognized the county yamen's registrar."

"Again, people from the county government?" Wei Dabao muttered, stroking his beard. A strange irritation settled over him.

He knew all the princes in the capital. Which prince had come to Qingshui County? If a prince were to visit Qingshui County, Prime Minister Wei would surely have sent someone to inform him, instructing him to be discreet or to host a banquet in his honor! How come he hadn't received a single word of it?

Besides Magistrate Luo, he was the most powerful person in Qingshui County. He usually bullied the people and acted like a tyrant in the countryside. With Prime Minister Wei backing him up, Magistrate Luo always turned a blind eye and never did anything to him. He, in turn, never took Magistrate Luo seriously.

Now, the prince and Magistrate Luo seem to be on good terms. Should he rush forward to flatter and entertain them, or pretend not to know a prince is visiting Qingshui County?

What puzzled him most was that it was one thing for a prince of such high status to come to Qingshui County so quietly, but what were he and the county magistrate doing with so many farmers in the restaurant? They couldn't possibly be planning to open a restaurant, could they? Besides, farmers have nothing to do with opening a restaurant!
Meanwhile, Wei Dabao was utterly baffled by the arrival of a mysterious prince in Qingshui County. At the restaurant, everyone had finished dinner and gone to rest. Han Lei and Zhao Zun returned to the magistrate's residence with Ruohai. They were to depart for the capital tomorrow, and Han Lei had many things to discuss with Luo Hai, as well as to say goodbye to Madam Luo and Luo Yuanyuan.

Solar-powered lights illuminated Luo Hai's study, where his family, Han Lei, and Zhao Zun were all present.

The solar-powered light was a gift Han Lei gave to Luo Hai a couple of days ago, because Luo Hai often has to deal with official documents and read at night.

In just a few days, Han Lei and Luo Hai's family became much more familiar with each other.

"Aunt Luo, Yuanyuan, thank you for your hospitality. I had a very happy time in Qingshui County." Han Lei held Mrs. Luo and Luo Yuanyuan's hands, her eyes full of sincerity and reluctance to part.

"You're always busy running around, we haven't had a chance to properly entertain you. I'll come to the capital to have a proper get-together with you all when you and Zun'er get married!"

Mrs. Luo was delighted. She liked Han Lei very much and thought that Han Lei and Zhao Zun were a perfect match.

Upon hearing about going to the capital, Luo Yuanyuan immediately said, "I want to go too! I want to see Brother Zun and Sister Han Lei get married."

"Alright! I'll be waiting for you in the capital. You must come!" Han Lei said, taking two brocade boxes that had been prepared beforehand from Zhao Zun and handing them to Madam Luo and Luo Yuanyuan.

"Aunt Luo, Yuanyuan, this is a gift for you. Do you like it?"

"Give us back our gifts? Thank you so much, Sister Han!" Luo Yuanyuan was flattered and snatched the gifts away.

"Hehe, you little rascal, you don't know how to be polite at all." Madam Luo glared at her with a smile, which made Luo Hai and Zhao Zun laugh along with her.

"Yuanyuan, hurry up and open it to see if you like it!" Zhao Zun urged with a smile. He was also very curious about what strange things Han Lei had given them.

"Ok!"

Luo Yuanyuan responded and eagerly opened the brocade box.

Inside Luo Yuanyuan's box was a cloisonné enamel necklace in the shape of a butterfly. The butterfly's eyes were inlaid with rhinestones, which sparkled under the solar-powered lights.

Below the necklace was an oval mirror with a plastic rim, about the size of a large bowl, perfect for placing on a dressing table to do makeup.

These two gifts are not particularly valuable, but they are rare in this era.

In Madam Luo's box, besides the same mirror, there was also a framed embroidery piece. It was a double-sided embroidery, a type of Shu embroidery, an intangible cultural heritage. One side was embroidered with a lifelike kitten, and the other side with blooming lotus flowers. The dew on the lotus leaves was three-dimensional and realistic, making the entire lotus flower look delicate and beautiful.

Even though Madam Luo and Luo Yuanyuan were the wives and daughters of officials, they had never seen such unique and exquisite gifts. Both of them held their gifts, looking at them from left to right, and were very fond of them.

Especially Madam Luo, who exclaimed repeatedly, saying that she had done needlework her whole life and had never seen such exquisite embroidery. She feared that even the ladies of the palace probably didn't possess anything so precious!

The mother and daughter held onto the gifts tightly, unwilling to let go. If they kept looking at them like this, it would probably take all night. Luo Hai smiled and shook his head helplessly, quickly sending the mother and daughter back to their room to look at them at their leisure.

He, Han Lei, and Zhao Zun had important business to discuss!

Those with monthly passes, please support!



(End of this chapter)