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

He moved forward and hurriedly interjected, "Mother, Uncle Zhang moved into Kujing Lane when he was at his lowest point. He had just been kicked out of his home, and with two children, he couldn't even get a hot meal."

"Aunt Wang did his laundry and cooked for him, and Sister Yun sewed clothes and made shoe soles for Ximei. They never asked for anything in return. Uncle Zhang was a sentimental man; he always took care of them, treating Yun even better than his own niece!"

"I heard that the Sun family went to make trouble and forced A-Yun to marry an old shopkeeper, but it was Uncle Zhang who stood up for them. He also helped them establish a female household registration, severing their ties, so that she would no longer be bullied by her husband's family."

"And another thing! Uncle Zhang said that childbirth is difficult, and women cannot marry too early. He says A-Yun will only be allowed to marry after she turns eighteen. Mother, don't you think this is even more caring than towards a niece?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang's eyebrows twitched slightly, as if she were somewhat surprised.

She looked at Zhou An, her gaze carrying a hint of reconsideration. After a long while, she turned to Jiang Laocheng, her voice softer than before, "Father, do you think... this can work out?"

Jiang Laocheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Whether it works out or not depends on what you think. Anlang is willing, and the girl does sound quite nice. But she's only sixteen, so there's no rush."

Zhou An suddenly looked up, "Grandfather!"

Old Master Jiang raised his hand to stop him, his gaze falling on Madam Jiang's face. "It's not urgent, but it's fine to settle things first. Otherwise, other families might get interested and rush to do it."

"Find someone to pick an auspicious day, and send a matchmaker to deliver the message. Don't be too ostentatious; just make a verbal agreement first, and then formally betroth the girl when she turns eighteen."

Madam Jiang was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Zhou Ji, and gave Old Master Jiang a slight bow. "Father, I understand. I'll make the arrangements when we get back."

Jiang Laocheng picked up his teacup. "Alright. Since it's settled, take Anlang back. Don't disturb my peace and quiet here."

Zhou An was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Jiang Laocheng, saying, "Grandfather, An'er thanks you!"

Jiang Laocheng waved his hand, and Zhou An turned and followed his parents out of the main house. When he reached the door, he glanced back. Jiang Laocheng had already picked up his prayer beads again, and was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, at the Juancheng County government office.

As the sun began to set, the door to the second hall remained open.

A summer breeze, carrying heat, wafted in from the courtyard, along with the warm fragrance of several pots of impatiens under the eaves, which had been baking in the sun all day.

Li Hang sat behind his desk, flipping through an official document issued by the prefecture. Zhao Xie leaned back in his chair, holding a half-bowl of cold tea, looking more deliberate than usual.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, the soles of boots stomping on the blue brick floor, the steps large and firm.

Li Hang put down the document and looked up to find Sun Jizu already standing outside the threshold.

He rarely came to the Second Hall; he spent most of his time in the archers' barracks, hanging out with Wu Yan and the others.

Sun Jizu grinned, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Li Hang was slightly taken aback, nodded to him, and pointed to the opposite side, "It's rare for County Magistrate Sun to come to the second hall. Please sit down."

Sun Jizu did not sit down. He slightly lowered his right shoulder, raised his left hand, joined his five fingers together, palm facing inward, fingertips level with his eyebrows, and performed a one-armed cupped-hand salute to Li Hang.

"Your Excellency, a thief came to Jinshi Lane yesterday, but we chased him away with Captain Wu. It's a pity he got away, so I've come to report this."

Li Hang glanced at Zhao Xie, his tone gentle and natural, "How could there be such a daring person in Juancheng County who would dare to offend County Commandant Sun? His identity must be extremely extraordinary; he might even be an inspector from the Imperial City Guard."

When Sun Jizu heard him mention the Imperial City Guard, the smile on his lips faded slightly. He didn't respond to Li Hang's words, but instead turned his head and looked at Zhao Xie.

The room fell silent for a moment, except for a gust of warm wind from the courtyard that ruffled the corner of a blank sheet of paper on the table.

"Mr. Zhao. Last night, that little thief was in a panic and abandoned a precious sword. I thought it was flashy and quite beautiful. I come from a military background and prefer simple tools."

As he spoke, he reached behind his back with his left hand, pulled out a sword, and placed it on the low table by the door.

The ebony-covered copper scabbard has a copper clasp engraved with cloud patterns. The patterns are fine and regular, unlike the workmanship of an ordinary blacksmith's shop, and have a hint of official craftsmanship.

The hilt of the sword was wrapped with a green silk cord, the knots tied with great care, and the end of the cord was adorned with a small, white, lustrous bead, about the size of a fingertip, that gleamed with a warm, gentle light. The tassel was a dark green silk ribbon, woven extremely finely, that hung down over the edge of the table and swayed gently.

Sun Jizu patted the sword, making a dull sound. "I think this sword would suit Mr. Zhao well, hanging at his waist as a ceremonial weapon. Mr. Zhao is a scholar, and it would be respectable for him to carry a fine sword at his waist."

"But... I'm used to spending money lavishly and don't know how to keep track of it, so I'm a bit short on cash lately. Mr. Zhao, why don't you name a price? If it's suitable, I'll sell it to you!"

Zhao Xie's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. His expression shifted several times; he felt a surge of anger rising from his nostrils, yet dared not lash out. He put down the teacup and glared at Sun Jizu, who also glared back with a smirk.

The two were standing a good distance apart when their eyes met, and neither of them looked away first.

Zhao Xie, feeling somewhat guilty, looked away after a moment of confrontation. "County Commandant Sun is joking. How could I possibly afford such a fine sword?"

Sun Jizu didn't reply, he just stood by the threshold. The smile was still on his face, but the light in his eyes was cold.

Li Hang glanced at the two men and spoke slowly, "County Magistrate Sun is right; Changyan does indeed love swords. He was just telling me yesterday that he wanted to find a suitable sword. How about this, I'll make the decision: twenty strings of cash for it?"

He said this calmly, as if he were talking about an ordinary purchase.

Zhao Xie glanced at him sideways, then turned back to glare at Sun Jizu.

Upon hearing the price of twenty strings of cash, Sun Jizu's smile finally relaxed, transforming from a chilling laugh into a hearty laugh. "Your Excellency truly has a magnanimous heart! Haha!"

He bent down, picked up the sword from the low table, weighed it in his hand, and suddenly flicked his wrist, throwing it towards Zhao Xie's left side.

The sword drew a straight line in mid-air, and the sheath cut through the air with a faint hum.

Zhao Xie instinctively reached out and caught it. The moment his fingertips touched the scabbard, the force traveled from his palm to his shoulder.

He gripped the sword tightly with his left hand, his body slightly tilted to one side by the force, the wound on his left shoulder was aggravated, he felt as if a crack had opened up, the pain was as if someone was sticking a red-hot needle into his bone.

Zhao Xie grunted, but did not loosen his grip on the sword. He then placed the sword across his lap.

Sun Jizu glanced at him, then turned and walked towards the door. Reaching the threshold, he turned back to Zhao Xie and sneered, "Mr. Zhao, keep your sword safe, don't lose it. It's worth twenty strings of cash! Humph!"

Zhao Xie felt a burning sensation on his face, his lips twitched, and then twitched again. His expression seemed to have uttered every curse word he could in a very short time, but he didn't dare to utter a single sound.

He felt as if his head was a steamed bun in a steamer, rising little by little with unstoppable force. His entire face turned an eggplant color.