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

Zhang Sanlang's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting. "Indeed, it is County Magistrate Sun. I am the former head of the household registration department of this county. I received a document from the prefecture before the new year, and fifty mu of fertile land in Nanjidian has been allocated to me."

"Thanks to your intervention just now, those hooligans are used to running rampant on the streets. They deserved to run into Magistrate Sun today."

Sun Jizu nodded but did not reply.

He glanced down at the child squatting behind him. The child was seven or eight years old, with bright eyes, and was tugging at Sun Jizu's empty sleeve.

Zhang Sanlang glanced at the sky. "County Commandant Sun, it's fate that we met today. There's a teahouse up ahead, shall we go in and have a seat?"

Sun Jizu frowned slightly. "Tea?"

Zhang Sanlang nodded.

Sun Jizu thought for a moment and shook his head. "If you want to curry favor with me, you might as well invite me to dinner."

Zhang Sanlang paused for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. Let's eat then."

He led Sun Jizu and the child into a neighboring street and stopped in front of a restaurant called Huixianlou.

The shopkeeper was doing accounts behind the counter when he looked up and saw Zhang Sanlang. He quickly put down his pen, came out from behind the counter with a big smile on his face, and said, "Oh, Zhang Qianxing! It's been a while since you've been here."

"We just slaughtered a sheep today. We'll cut two pounds of fresh mutton for you. Just a thin slice and it'll be cooked in the hot pot. We'll serve it with chive blossom sauce and minced garlic, along with four side dishes, a bowl of soup noodles, and a pot of old wine. I guarantee you'll have a very satisfying meal."

Zhang Sanlang nodded. "Alright. You can decide what to do."

Upon hearing this, the innkeeper called upstairs, "Get the private rooms ready! Zhang Qianxing has arrived!"

He turned around again, personally led the three of them upstairs, opened the door, and stepped aside to let them sit down. "Please have a seat, the food will be ready soon."

The private room was clean and elegant, with two sprigs of winter plum blossoms in a delicate porcelain vase on the table.

Zhang Sanlang knew that the Zhengdian restaurant was different from ordinary restaurants. It did not sell individual seats, but only served dine-in dishes. Those who could afford to enter the Zhengdian restaurant were either rich or noble.

He travels alone, and usually only treats guests to meals at street-side eateries. He came here twice recently to buy New Year's goods for the household, but he has never come here to eat and drink alone.

If I want to befriend the new county magistrate today, I'll have to spend a lot of money.

Before long, the waiter came up from the stairwell, carrying a copper hot pot in one hand and a multi-layered red lacquered food box in the other.

He actually delivered it steadily and cleanly, without spilling a single drop of soup!

He placed the hot pot in the center of the table, and took out two plates of sliced ​​mutton, four small dishes of condiments, four plates of hot dishes, a pot of wine, and a stack of bowls and chopsticks from the food box, and arranged them one by one.

The dishes were braised pork hock, steamed assorted preserved meats, pan-fried yellow croaker, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

He then took out a small copper basin from the bottom of the food box. The basin contained several pieces of red-hot silver charcoal. He used his tongs to pick up one piece and stuffed it into the vent at the bottom of the pot. He added two more pieces of broken charcoal, and the soup quickly boiled.

He lifted the lid, and white steam billowed up. "Zhang Qianxing, the lamb slices were just cut in the kitchen. Just blanch them in the pot for three breaths and they'll be tender."

He stepped back, stood with his hands at his sides, and waited for Zhang Sanlang to nod before turning around and going downstairs with light steps.

Zhang Sanlang filled the wine cup and was about to raise his glass to exchange a few polite words when Sun Jizu picked up his chopsticks with his left hand, grabbed a piece of braised pork hock, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, swallowed it, and then hurriedly grabbed another piece.

The boy didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a soup dumpling from the bowl and started slurping it up. Half of the dumpling fell back into the bowl, splashing a few drops of soup. He wiped it with the back of his hand, then continued slurping, the slurping sounds filling the entire private room.

Zhang Sanlang was dumbfounded, his hand still raised in mid-air. Seeing the father and son engrossed in their rice, he put down his wine cup.

The father and son ate very quickly, their chopsticks flying up and down the plate, neither of them saying a word.

Zhang Sanlang picked up a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks, chewed it twice, and carefully examined them.

Sun Jizu wore a short gray cloth coat with frayed edges on the cuffs. The child's clothes were a size too big, with the cuffs rolled up twice, revealing his thin wrists.

Zhang Sanlang was somewhat surprised.

The newly appointed county magistrate, although he has not yet taken office, is a man with military merits. How could he be dressed like this?

He wanted to speak, but Sun Jizu's mouth was stuffed with meat, and the child didn't look up, so he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Zhang Sanlang could only eat and drink in silence, and ordered three more plates of mutton.

After a quarter of an hour, Sun Jizu, having eaten and drunk his fill, put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and then used his sleeve to wipe the corner of the child's mouth.

The child let out a burp, leaned back in his chair, and squinted.

Sun Jizu looked at Zhang Sanlang and asked, "You just said you'd give me fifty mu of land?"

Zhang Sanlang quickly put down his chopsticks. "Yes. Allocate fifty mu of land near Nanjidian."

Sun Jizu was silent for a moment, then curled the corners of his mouth into a smile. "You flatter me. Before I retired from the army, I distributed all the rewards I received to my fallen comrades."

"Their families need that money more than I do. I traveled all the way back from Bingzhou with Ce'er, and we ran out of money on the way. Now I only have a few dozen coins left."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanlang felt a surge of respect. He picked up the wine pot and poured a bowl of wine for Sun Jizu. "I see. County Magistrate Sun, if you don't mind, please come and stay at my old house."

"Although the courtyard is dilapidated, there are still a few empty rooms in the backyard. You can move to the county magistrate's residence after the county government reopens after the New Year."

Sun Jizu, holding his wine bowl, looked at Zhang Sanlang with wary eyes. "We're complete strangers. It's one thing for you to invite me to dinner, but now you want me to stay at your house? What are you after?"

Zhang Sanlang put down the wine pot. "County Commandant Sun, I work in the Revenue Department of the County Government. After you take office, just let me know if you need anything. This is also to establish a good relationship."

"You have a child with you and haven't reported to the county government yet, so it's difficult to arrange official accommodations. Staying at an inn costs a dozen or so coins a day, and the money you have won't last long. Why don't you stay at my humble abode for a while and we can discuss it again after the New Year when the official seal is issued?"

Sun Jizu did not respond, still cautiously weighing Zhang Sanlang's movements.

The child tugged at his empty sleeve, looked up at him with bright eyes, and said, "Dad, stay here. I'm tired."

Sun Jizu glanced at his son, then looked at Zhang Sanlang for a moment.

He picked up the wine bowl, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then put the bowl on the table. "Alright. I'll take my leave then."

Just then, the innkeeper came in with a copper basin to add charcoal. Zhang Sanlang quickly calculated that the meal would cost at least four or five hundred coins. He didn't have that much cash on him, so he stopped him, "Manager Wang, let's put it on the tab first."

The shopkeeper chuckled and replied, "Zhang Qianxing, what are you saying? Your willingness to eat here is a favor to my small business. It doesn't matter when you pay."

He added the charcoal, glanced at Sun Jizu and his son, and tactfully withdrew.

A moment later, the three of them came out of Huixianlou and walked towards Kujing Lane.

Zhang Sanlang walked ahead with his hands in his sleeves. Sun Ce walked in the middle, his steps light and quick, occasionally looking back to see if his father was keeping up.

Sun Jizu walked at the back, his empty sleeves swaying gently in the wind.

In a quarter of an hour, the three entered Kujing Lane. Zhang Sanlang pushed open the gate of the old house and stepped aside to let the father and son in.