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

The next day, Zhang Sanlang took his four children to the street.

happy Mei led Qing Ge'er in front, while Lin Qiao'er pulled Lin Xiu'er behind.

The streets were crowded. A large crowd had gathered around the stalls selling door gods and stove gods, and an old man holding up a Zhong Kui portrait was shouting, "Five coins a piece, guaranteed to keep your whole family safe!"

Qingge tried to peek, but Ximei grabbed him by the back of his collar. "Don't push, or we'll get separated and a kidnapper will take them."

A firecracker stall stood on the street corner, surrounded by several teenagers who were picking through the firecrackers, pushing and shoving each other. A boy in a short brown shirt held up a string of firecrackers and shouted, "This one's loud! This one's loud!"

Lin Xiuer covered her ears and hid behind Lin Qiaoer.

Zhang Sanlang stopped in front of a shop and bought door gods, stove gods, and peach wood charms, along with a few sheets of five-colored paper. The shopkeeper tied them up with straw rope and handed them to him.

Lin Qiao'er took it and put it in her basket.

Passing by Song's Grocery Store, Manager Song stood at the door and greeted, "Zhang Qianxing, come in and have a look! The new maltose has arrived, and it's selling better than usual!"

Zhang Sanlang went inside, weighed out five catties of maltose, and also bought red dates, dried persimmons, lotus seeds, and longans, wrapping two packages of each. Manager Song quickly calculated on his abacus, "That'll be one hundred and eighty coins in total, one hundred and fifty coins will do!"

Zhang Sanlang counted the money and put it on the counter.

Qingge'er clung to the edge of the counter, his eyes fixed on the maltose.

Shopkeeper Song smiled and broke off a piece, handing it over.

He stuffed it into his mouth and mumbled, "Thank you, Uncle Song."

Shopkeeper Song smiled and gave Zhang Sanlang a thumbs-up, "This kid's learned to be sweet-talking; he's bound to amount to something!"

After leaving the general store, they went to the butcher shop.

The butcher was chopping bones with his knife, and on the chopping board was half a pig, with fat three fingers thick.

Although the county government distributed meat, it was mostly fatty meat.

Zhang Sanlang bought five catties of pork belly and added two large pork bones.

The butcher wrapped the meat in lotus leaves and said, "Zhang Qianxing, the bones are free."

Zhang Sanlang thanked him.

Xi Mei took the meat bun, and Lin Qiao'er reached out to help her carry it, but she shook her head, "I can manage."

At the end of the street, there was an old man selling hawthorn berries on a shoulder pole. A dozen or so strings of berries, coated in sugar, were stuck on a straw mat. Qing-ge'er stopped and refused to go any further.

Zhang Sanlang bought four skewers, one for each person.

Qingge took a bite, the sugar coating cracked open, and the sour taste of hawthorn rushed up. He squinted his eyes and slurped his saliva.

Lin Xiuer nibbled on the candy, which stuck to the corners of her mouth. Lin Qiaoer took a handkerchief and wiped it off for her.

happy Mei held her string of skewers to Zhang Sanlang's lips, "Dad, you should try some too."

Zhang Sanlang took a bite, patted her shoulder, and smiled.

The streets were crowded with people, jostling and pushing.

Zhang Sanlang picked up Qingge'er and let him ride on his shoulders.

Qingge held his head in both hands, with the candied hawthorn on his head, and danced around with joy, twisting his neck until it ached.

happy Mei saw it from behind, and wanted to laugh but held it in.

After wandering around for a while, Zhang Sanlang suddenly felt something was wrong.

He felt someone following him as soon as he left the butcher shop. He glanced back, but the street was crowded with people, and he couldn't make out anything. After taking a few steps, he looked back again.

I still can't tell who it is.

His heart tightened, and he couldn't help but think of Feng Bazi, who had been on the run.

He quickened his pace, crossed the main street, and turned into the alley.

There were few people in the alley, and the sound of footsteps bounced back and forth between the two walls.

He turned back again.

But then they saw a man in a gray cloth short jacket standing at the alley entrance, his head down and back bent as if he were tying his shoelaces.

Zhang Sanlang turned around and continued walking. After walking a few dozen steps, he turned back again, and the man was still at the alley entrance, standing straight and looking this way.

Zhang Sanlang remained calm and quickened his pace.

At this moment, happy Mei'er noticed and looked up at him, "Father?"

"It's alright. Let's go."

Before long, they reached the entrance of Kujing Alley. Zhang Sanlang stopped, took Qingge'er off his neck, and nudged Ximei'er's shoulder. "You two go back first. Move your things inside and close the door."

happy Mei glanced at him but didn't ask any questions. She then took Qing Ge'er's hand and walked quickly toward the courtyard gate.

Lin Qiao'er also pulled Lin Xiu'er along behind.

Zhang Sanlang slipped into Old Man Wu's pancake shop.

Old Man Wu was kneading dough on the cutting board when he saw him come in and paused for a moment. "Sanlang?"

"Wu Bo, someone is following me."

Old Wu continued making noodles, then gestured with his chin toward the backyard.

Zhang Sanlang walked through the shop and into the backyard.

Wu Feng, the eldest son of the Wu family, was squatting by the well washing his hands, while Wu Yan, the second son, was wiping a short stick beside him. When they saw Zhang Sanlang enter, they both stood up simultaneously.

"Sanlang? Didn't you go out?" Wu Feng shook the water off his hands.

"Someone was following me. He was dressed in short, greyish-brown clothes, had a square face, and a mole on his left eyebrow. He was at the alley entrance."

Wu Feng wiped the water from his hands on his pants and winked at his younger brother.

Wu Erlang tucked the short stick into his waistband, and the two brothers went out through the side door.

Wu Yan walked to the shop entrance, lifted half of the curtain, and looked outside.

The man at the alley entrance was still there, peeking in cautiously. Seeing no one in the alley, he hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.

Wu Yan lowered the curtain and retreated back into the shop.

The man walked a dozen steps into the alley when suddenly a large hand reached out from behind and covered his mouth.

Wu Feng emerged from behind the wall, grabbed his wrist with one hand, and pressed it down.

The man groaned, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.

Wu Yan tied his hands behind his back, wrapped them twice with hemp rope, and dragged him by the ends of the rope.

The man was dragged into the backyard and thrown to the ground.

Wu Yan pressed him against the wall, squatted down, and lifted his chin upwards.

Zhang Sanlang walked over and looked down at him.

The man looked up, saw Zhang Sanlang, his eyes flickered for a moment, and then he lowered his head again.

Wu Yan squatted down and patted him on the back of the head. "You look unfamiliar, you're not from around here, are you? Tell me! Where are you from?"

The man didn't speak.

Wu Yan slapped him hard again. "I'm asking you a question."

The man's Adam's apple bobbed, and a voice squeezed out from his throat, "No one sent me. I was just passing by."

Wu Yan stood up and kicked him in the leg.

The man swayed slightly but then regained his balance.

"Just passing by? You followed me from the main street all the way to Kujing Lane. And you say you just passed by?"

The man fell silent.

Wu Yan pulled a short stick from his waist and waved it in front of the man.

The man's eyes followed the short stick, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Wu Yan thrust the short stick into the man's shoulder and pressed down. The man immediately groaned, half of his body slumped to the side, unable to hold on any longer, and his face pressed against the ground.

"This is a case handled by the county constable. If you don't talk, you'll be locked up in jail!"

The man's face was pressed against the ground, and he was breathing heavily.

Wu Yan moved the stick up half an inch, placed it against the man's chin, and lifted it up. The man's neck was twisted into an awkward angle, and a gurgling sound came out of his throat.

"I'm asking you a question."

"I...I'm not a bad person," the man's voice squeezed out from his throat. "I'm just a resident of this county."

Wu Yan frowned and glanced at Zhang Sanlang.

Zhang Sanlang walked over and squatted down.

The man looked up, his face a mixture of dust and sweat, with a scar on his left eyebrow and bloodshot eyes.

Zhang Sanlang asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why are you following me?"