The playboy county magistrate

Li Xuanzhi was talking about one thing after another when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Why does it feel like there are fewer footsteps amidst the sound of rain?

Li Xuanzhi glanced back at the group of people standing there, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. He took a purse from his waist and handed each person a string of copper coins.

"Is this enough to buy firewood?"

The three of them's eyes lit up simultaneously, and they nodded vigorously.

Magistrate Cao pointed to the rows of thatched huts that could be seen in the distance. "Sir, we've arrived."

Li Xuanzhi looked at the neatly arranged thatched houses not far away and was very pleased to see that the villagers had already started working despite the rain.

That's good. They learned to save themselves before the authorities even arrived. From a distance, it looked like there were men, women, young and old, and they were cooperating quite well.

Li Xuanzhi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "As expected of someone from a military family, he's far superior to those who just open their mouths and howl while waiting for rescue."

"What are you all standing there for? Go help!"

The county magistrate, Cao, was quick-witted. He immediately found the village head and asked him to take some people and go with Li Xuanzhi to the threshing ground to arrange temporary accommodations.

It looked fine from a distance, but as we got closer, we discovered that many of the low-rise houses had been destroyed by the rain.

Fortunately, the people reacted quickly, and only a few people were injured; no one lost their lives.

Li Xuanzhi nodded secretly. This was good. At least he didn't have to worry about further losses to their already small population.

Nowadays, Fuyu County is truly in dire need of resources in all aspects, and the labor force cannot be reduced under any circumstances.

Whether it's a man or a woman, an old person or a child, they all have their own uses, and none of them can be missing!

When the village head was dragged over by County Magistrate Cao, he was still a little dazed. He really didn't expect the people from the yamen to arrive so quickly.

It's important to know that over the years, there have been instances of buildings collapsing.

Lord Zhao, who loved the people like his own children and stood with them through thick and thin, had brought people with him before.

However, Old Master Zhao always came at the last minute, bringing people to help build houses and repair roads. He never appeared when it was pouring rain and there was no telling when it would stop.

The village headman nervously rubbed his hands together, looking uneasy, worried that he might say something wrong and leave a bad impression. However, his admiration for the new magistrate, Li, was soaring; he genuinely admired Li's courage and decisiveness.

In his youth, he had distinguished himself in battle, traveled extensively throughout the country, and seen much of the world.

He naturally knew what the sons of wealthy families were like, and he also knew that even if the children raised in such families were not spoiled, they knew how to assess the situation and find a safe place to give orders.

But now?

Magistrate Li actually came directly, even braving the torrential rain.

Although we went to the threshing ground, which is a relatively safe place, wouldn't it have been safer to stay in the government office and wait for the rain to stop before coming back?

No wonder Lord Zhao said he could follow the newly arrived Lord Li with peace of mind. How could they not be excited to find another official like him, so devoted to the people?

The village head blushed and coughed awkwardly, remembering how his men had recently caused a disturbance at the yamen gate.

Li Xuanzhi didn't connect this matter with the village head's messy ideas at all. At this moment, Li Xuanzhi had already arrived near the threshing ground under the village head's guidance, and took the lead in going into the warehouse to start directing people to work.

"There are wooden plank frames inside to keep the ground dry. Take those apart and use them as temporary bed frames so that the families whose houses collapsed can stay here temporarily. Don't sleep directly on the ground; it's bad for your health."

"The roof isn't leaking, but there are no windows, and the ground is far too damp. When the people and firewood arrive, one of you should keep watch. Light a campfire inside to keep warm, but don't set the house on fire. Also, don't try to seal the door shut to prevent drafts; leave a crack to let in some air, in case of poisoning."

Li Xuanzhi gave his instructions methodically, and the village headman beside him nodded more frequently than the young men he had brought with him.

What Li Xuanzhi didn't know was that the others who were busy repairing houses and organizing the safe evacuation of the people not far away were also busy with their own tasks while loudly praising him.

"Our Fuyu County has finally received a good official! Thinking back to those who avoided us like the plague, this Magistrate Li is truly exceptional!"

"Fortunately, we caused such a scene at the yamen gate, yet our Magistrate Li not only didn't blame us, but treated us so kindly. He's truly a magnanimous and benevolent official!"

"We must be careful in the future. If there is anything, we should go to the village head. If the village head can't solve it, we should go to the county government to find Magistrate Li. We shouldn't bother Magistrate Zhao for no reason."

"Yes, yes, from now on, Magistrate Zhao won't be a proper magistrate anymore; he'll be a retired elder. We should still go to the magistrate for help when we need something, and not do anything to usurp his authority. We should be grateful!"

"I'll cook some extra rice porridge later and send it to Magistrate Li. Does anyone here have a handful of millet to spare? I'm afraid we don't have enough rice."

"We have some! Keep what little you have. Your third child is still young and was sick recently, so keep it to help him recover."

Should I cook rice porridge?

The county magistrate and his men were dumbfounded.

This treatment... even Magistrate Zhao, whom the people loved for thirty years, didn't receive this treatment.

Just then, a heart-wrenching cry sounded particularly mournful amidst the torrential rain.

"Doggy... wake up! My dear Doggy!"

Magistrate Cao hurried toward the source of the sound, walking very fast and nearly slipping on the muddy dirt road several times.

"What's wrong? Sister, what happened?"

The woman was crying so hard that her snot and tears mingled with the rain, making her face completely wet. When she saw Magistrate Cao coming over, she felt as if she had found her pillar of support and grasped at a lifeline. She rushed over and hugged Magistrate Cao's leg, wailing loudly.

"My dog ​​is only four years old. I was carrying my baby, who was born last month, outside when he was hit on the leg because he was slow. Now..."

The woman looked toward the direction where the child had been knocked unconscious, and Magistrate Cao followed her gaze, his mind going blank for a moment.

Magistrate Cao's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.

If this injury had been on an adult, they might have been able to wait for a doctor to come.

But by the time the constables ran back to borrow Lord Li's carriage to go out of the county to fetch a doctor from the neighboring county and then rushed back to save the child, the child would probably have bled to death.

The other two constables arrived at this moment, and the taller one of them reacted the fastest.

"Our Magistrate Li comes from the capital; he's well-traveled and knowledgeable. Perhaps he can find a solution?"