Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

The aroma of fried cicadas in the courtyard hadn't yet dissipated, while the savory smell of braised eel sauce wafted from the stove all the way into the main room.

Huangfu Ce swallowed the meat in his mouth, then picked up a fried cicada. "Third Master, this is delicious too. Why don't you try some?"

Zhang Sanlang took the iron pot off the stove and placed it on the counter. He took the damp cloth that A-Yun handed him and wiped his hands. "I can't eat this."

Huangfu Ce paused, his chopsticks still. "What's wrong?"

Lu Qiucheng raised his eyelids and glanced at Zhang Sanlang. "The Third Master probably developed a rash all over his body after eating it, and it's terribly itchy. It's not that he doesn't want to eat it, it's that he can't eat it."

Huangfu Ce looked at Zhang Sanlang, quite surprised. "Is that so?"

Zhang Sanlang draped a cloth over the edge of the stove. "The first time I ate it, I didn't think much of it, but I couldn't sleep at night because of the itching, and I scratched myself all over with red marks. After that, I never ate it again."

He carried the iron pot to the well, scooped in half a ladle of water, rinsed it twice, and put it back on the stove.

In the courtyard, Qing-ge'er and Xiao-sun-ce were still arguing over the last few fried cicadas. Their voices came through the kitchen wall, mixed with Lin Xiu-er's laughter and Liu An's quiet shouts.

Ah-Yun squatted down at the stove opening, stuffed the last piece of firewood in, then stood up and patted the dust off her knees.

Wang Yue'e came out of the main room and took away the salt and pepper cicadas, saying, "Eat in the main room, there's wine!"

At this moment, the lights in the main room were turned on, and several dishes, a pot of wine, and four sets of bowls and chopsticks were placed on the octagonal table. Zhang Sanlang and Huangfu Ce had just sat down when Lu Qiucheng also came out of the kitchen with his bowl of rice and sat down at the table.

Zhou An had already washed the grime off his face and changed into a new set of clothes. He sat down at the table, glanced at the bowl of eel segments on it, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He picked up the wine pot and poured wine for everyone; the bowls clinked together with a crisp sound.

Just as the group was about to begin eating and drinking, the courtyard gate suddenly rang.

Lu Sanbao poked his head out from the gatehouse, still chewing on the fried cicadas Wang Yue'e had given him, his voice slightly muffled, "Master, someone is looking for you."

Zhang Sanlang put down his bowl, stood up, and walked to the courtyard gate.

But Fang Zhong'an was standing outside the threshold.

His gray official robes were wrinkled, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He held a scroll of documents in his hand, glanced at Zhang Sanlang, and looked somewhat uneasy.

"Brother Fang?" Zhang Sanlang asked, somewhat surprised. "Is something the matter at this hour?"

Fang Zhong'an smelled the fragrance in the courtyard, sniffed it, and smiled awkwardly. "Third Master, I've figured it out. The reason I was exempted from the expedition is actually my own fault. Before..."

Zhang Sanlang waved his hand to interrupt him, "Brother Fang, have you eaten yet?"

Fang Zhong'an was taken aback. "I've eaten. No, no, not yet..."

Zhang Sanlang stepped aside to clear the doorway. "Better late than never. I just made braised eel and salt and pepper cicadas. Since you've figured it out, come in and have a drink."

Zhang Sanlang turned and walked into the courtyard, as if he was certain that Zhang would follow.

Fang Zhong'an hesitated for a moment, then stepped over the threshold.

Lu Sanbao peeked out from the gatehouse and then closed the door again.

Fang Zhong'an entered the main room behind Zhang Sanlang and saw three people sitting at the Eight Immortals table, so he slowed down a beat.

Zhou An sat at the table, holding a bowl in his hand. He glanced at him, then looked down and continued to pick up food.

When Lu Qiucheng saw that it was Fang Zhong'an, he stood up and nodded to him.

When Huangfu Ce saw a guest enter, he quickly put down his chopsticks and smiled.

Zhang Sanlang pointed to the empty chair by the table. "Brother Fang, please sit down. Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Huangfu Ce, who usually teaches a few children. You already know Brother Lu and Young Master Zhou, so I won't go into details."

Fang Zhong'an sat down in the chair, but only half of his buttocks touched the chair.

He beamed at Zhou An, his back hunching slightly. "Young Master Zhou, you're here too. I was unaware of your presence; I'm so sorry to have bothered you."

His voice was three degrees lower than usual when he said this, and his gaze lingered on Zhou An's face for a moment before moving away, as if he was afraid that looking at him too long would offend him.

Zhou An, holding his bowl, only hummed in response, his chopsticks continuing to move, as if he hadn't heard her.

Fang Zhong'an didn't feel embarrassed at all. He turned to Lu Qiucheng and nodded, "Mr. Lu, Feng the Scarface still died from the poison."

Lu Qiucheng glanced at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, which was taken as an agreement.

Fang Zhong'an then turned to Huangfu Ce, his smile deepening.

He didn't know the man's background, but Zhang Sanlang himself said that he "usually taught a few children to read," so he was a trusted confidant invited into his home.

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed slightly, saying, "Mr. Huangfu, I am Fang Zhong'an, a clerk in the Criminal Division. I have a long-standing friendship with the Third Master. I have long admired your name, and it is truly an honor to meet you today."

Huangfu Ce quickly nodded in return, "You're too kind, Fang Tiesi."

Seeing Zhang Sanlang's smiling face, Fang Zhong'an sat up straight, relaxed, and looked at the pot of eels. He sniffed, swallowed, and said, "Third Master, this eel is really...delicious!"

Zhang Sanlang poured him a bowl of wine, saying, "Eat more if it smells good. Don't just look at it."

Fang Zhong'an leaned over, hurriedly took the bowl with both hands and drank a mouthful. Seeing Zhang Sanlang pick up some food, he also picked up a piece of eel and stuffed it into his mouth.

After taking a bite, his eyes lit up, and he picked up three or four more pieces before putting down his chopsticks as if remembering something. "Third Master, your eel is absolutely delicious! It's even more flavorful than what the chefs at the restaurants make..."

Huangfu Ce didn't know his temperament. At first, he talked along with him, but after a while, he shook his head with a wry smile and couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Fang Zhong'an chewed on eel meat, gesturing with his chopsticks in the air, "Mr. Huangfu, you don't know, the county magistrate's advisor's real name is Zhao Xie, courtesy name Changyan."

"His hometown is Yanzhou. I heard his family used to own a restaurant. The Zhao family ancestors were chefs, and Mr. Zhao said he loves to eat eel..."

Hearing this, Zhang Sanlang put down his chopsticks, looked at Fang Zhong'an, and couldn't hide the lines around his mouth. "Brother Fang, your information network is indeed excellent. Hehe...hehe..."

Fang Zhong'an was stunned for a moment, not quite reacting, and then picked up another piece of eel and stuffed it into his mouth.

Huangfu Ce turned his gaze from Fang Zhong'an's face to Zhang Sanlang, "Third Master, Fang Tiesi said Mr. Zhao's real name, what's so funny about that?"

Zhang Sanlang picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and glanced at Zhou An. "It's fine that Mr. Huangfu doesn't know your name, sir. But how come you didn't recognize it either?"

Zhou An was eating with his head down when he suddenly looked up. "What?"

He paused, his eyes darting around, his chopsticks resting on the rim of his bowl. "Zhao Xie? Li Hang? Hang... Xie... Magistrate Li and Mr. Zhao together, aren't they in cahoots!"

He couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking, and almost spat the food in his mouth onto Huangfu Ce's face. He quickly covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

Huangfu Ce was taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

Lu Qiucheng's lips twitched. He picked up a piece of eel meat with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly a couple of times, and then smiled.

Fang Zhong'an hadn't quite figured it out yet. Seeing the group laughing together, he also chuckled dryly a couple of times.

Zhang Sanlang put down his bowl, pointed at Zhou An, and said, "How dare you! That's the magistrate of Juancheng County. You mustn't make fun of him."

After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but laugh again, and quickly picked up the wine bowl and took a sip.

However, when she put down the bowl, there were still smile lines on her lips.

Fang Zhong'an finally realized what was going on, and he grinned, baring his teeth and laughing loudly.