Ger, So Proud

Chapter 94

In the back garden, where County Magistrate Zhou often visited to check on the peony:

“Hey! Stop, stop, stop!” A gardener snatched the scissors from He Ze’s hands, looking at the two green branches on the ground in anguish. “Young Master He, what’s wrong? You said these two branches didn’t need to be cut!”

“Sorry, I…”

“What’s going on? What happened?”

Before He Ze could finish his explanation, County Magistrate Zhou and his wife hurried over from the corridor, looking flustered and anxious.

Before the gardener could answer, He Ze bowed his head and apologized first, “I was a bit distracted and accidentally cut two branches from the peony. Please forgive me, Sir.”

“This, this…”

County Magistrate Zhou picked up the branches from the ground, heartbroken. His wife circled the peony twice, relieved to see that the flowers appeared even more vibrant than usual.

Previously, it was mentioned that both Zhou Wen and his wife are flower enthusiasts. During the past few days, He Ze often saw Zhou Wen come to see the flowers.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, the roots are not damaged. Consider these two branches as needing proper pruning. Maybe the flowers will grow even better!” Zhou Wen’s wife leaned in to smell the fragrance and smiled to comfort Zhou Wen.

He sighed, “He Ze, do you have something on your mind these past two days? If it’s inconvenient to come to the mansion, you can wait until you’re free…”

He noticed He Ze was absent-minded every time he came over the past couple of days. This time, he just cut off two branches, but what if he cuts the main stem next time!

“This… nothing is wrong at home,” He Ze replied.

Seeing He Ze’s hesitation, Zhou Wen’s expression became more serious as he placed his hands behind his back. “He Ze, speak directly. If there’s something troubling you, I can help. At the very least, I can offer advice. If you keep this up, I can’t let you near my prized Yao Huang.”

“Exactly. This flower means a lot to him. If you don’t set his mind at ease, he won’t sleep well tonight.”

“This…” He Ze looked directly at Zhou Wen, then suddenly knelt down, “I humbly request that you advocate for the villagers of He Family Village!”

Zhou Wen and his wife exchanged a surprised glance.

“What is this about?”

The gardener quietly stepped aside.

With a look of anguish, He Ze earnestly described the poverty and hardships of He Family Village and the arbitrary and unjust actions of Shi Xingwen. When he mentioned the conscription increasing from three to nine men, even Zhou Wen’s wife, prepared as he was, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Nonsense! How dare a mere Li Zheng act so brazenly! My lord…”

“Nine men,” Zhou Wen frowned, “Four villages, the other three each contributing one, but your village alone to provide nine? That’s indeed unfair. If this is true, I will certainly advocate for you.”

It was common knowledge in those times that most conscripts would not return.

“But from what you said, there seems to be more to this matter?”

“Yes, before the conscription was announced, Shi Xingwen came to me, demanding one hundred taels. When I refused, he retaliated out of anger, leading to this demand for nine men!”

“Is what you say true?” Zhou Wen’s expression hardened.

“Every word is true. If you doubt me, I will write a formal complaint against Lizheng Shi Xingwen for disregarding imperial law and taking bribes, and present it to you.”

Zhou Wen was silent for a moment. “You know that without evidence, even though Shi Xingwen is not a formal imperial official, you could be punished.”

“What if I find evidence?” He Ze’s eyes burned with determination.

“If you have evidence, I will handle the matter impartially,” Zhou Wen declared firmly, inspired by He Ze’s resolve.

He Ze achieved his goal and didn’t linger. “Please give this humble citizen two days. In three days, I will present both the complaint and the evidence!”

The young man’s figure was determined and fearless, pressing forward without hesitation.

“He’s a good child,” Madam Zhou said with a gentle smile.

With a soft heart and a friendly manner, coupled with the fact that He Ze was known to be a friend of his younger brother, he had grown fond of him and treated him like one of his own juniors. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken up for him just now.

He Ze was unaware that he had received another favor from Luo Zhanming.

“You, with your soft heart, are easily taken advantage of,” Zhou Wen remarked. He had been stunned earlier, but now he suddenly burst into loud laughter, stopping only after a while.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I just realized this kid is quite cunning.” Zhou Wen called the gardener over. “Let me ask you, has He Ze only appeared distracted when I’m here to see the flowers?”

The gardener thought carefully before replying, “Yes, sir, that’s correct.”

“Was this planned all along?” Madam Zhou’s smile faded.

“It’s not exactly a plan, just a clever maneuver. He appeared to be forced to speak, but think about it, was that really the case?”

By using his “distraction” to turn the situation in his favor, he spoke movingly about He Family Village, and when it came to filing a complaint against Shi Xingwen, he was precise and passionate. The transition between the two was seamless, indicating he had prepared thoroughly.

“He’s a little fox,” Zhou Wen stroked his beard, sighing, “It’s a shame if such talent isn’t put to use in officialdom.”

He maintained a sense of integrity and passion while also being sharp and shrewd. What a waste of potential.

By now, Madam Zhou understood the nuances of the situation and smiled. “Even with Zhanming, you don’t show such regret. Is it really such a pity?”

“It’s not the same. Zhanming is smart and capable, no less than anyone, but he’s youthful and lacks steadiness and tact.”

As they chatted, He Ze, having received Zhou Wen’s promise, quickened his pace. However, as soon as he stepped out of the county office, he halted. Who else but Lin Yu was pacing at the entrance?

“What are you doing here?”

After several days of not seeing each other, He Ze couldn’t hide his surprise and joy, a smile spreading across his face.

“You’re finally out. If you didn’t come out soon, I was going to go in!”

It was early spring, still cold, and Lin Yu had clearly been standing outside for a while. He rubbed his hands together to warm them. Seeing no one around, He Ze grabbed Lin Yu’s hands and placed them on his chest. “How is it? Warmer?”

“Let go!”

Lin Yu’s face turned beet red, whether from the cold wind or from embarrassment due to He Ze’s actions. Only in front of He Ze did he show such youthful pride.

After a playful exchange, He Ze finally settled down. Holding Lin Yu’s hand, he asked again, “Why are you here?”

“I came from the flower shop. I asked Xiao An and found out you were here.” The conscription issue had stirred up the village, and when Lin Yu couldn’t find He Ze at home, Dad Li told him He Ze had seemed preoccupied and secretive these past few days. Worried, he had come looking for him.

However, Lin Yu didn’t voice these thoughts.

But how could He Ze not know his worries? “Since you’re already here, how about I show you something fun these next two days, my dear wife?”

“Hmm?”

He Ze often teased him verbally, and Lin Yu had long been used to it.

The two went back to the flower shop to inform He Youcai, then drove the ox cart towards the village. He An wanted to join them but was mercilessly rejected by He Ze.

“Stingy!”

Watching the ox cart slowly disappear into the distance, He An grumbled and returned to the counter.

On the ox cart, He Ze explained everything that had happened in the past few days to Lin Yu. “So, this whole issue is because Shi Xingwen got angry when his extortion failed? But why would he target the He family? Could it be because…”

He Ze and Lin Yu exchanged a glance, both having the same thought. “I’ve considered that too. Once we deal with Shi Xingwen, I’ll find out the truth. Whoever it is, they’ll pay the price.”

“Hyah—”

This time, they went to Shi Family Village again, but not to Shi Xingwen’s house. Instead, they went to the house of the village head, Shi Dashan. They had arranged for him to be approached through Clan Leader He Hong. At this point, it didn’t matter if Shi Dashan had done it on purpose.

What mattered was that someone in Shi Dashan’s position would naturally be discontented.

Like others, he was a village head. He had no authority, no respect, no benefits, and had to constantly humble himself. He once respected Shi Xingwen’s father, now he had to respect Shi Xingwen, who was just a junior. Year after year, if given a chance, he would probably chew Shi Xingwen’s bones.

Three days ago, He Ze had identified the breakthrough point—Shi Dashan.

As expected, when he and Lin Yu arrived, Shi Dashan initially appeared cold in the courtyard. However, once inside, he became much more hospitable, even volunteering information: “Before I knew about the Li Zheng’s intention, a man named Lin Tiangui visited the Li Zheng’s house.”

All their previous speculations were confirmed at once.

He Ze squeezed Lin Yu’s hand. “Village head Shi, do you know the purpose of our visit?”

“Of course I know,” Shi Dashan replied confidently with a hearty laugh.

All these years, Shi Dashan knew the personalities of the Shi family father and son inside out. Shi Xingwen’s obsession with “money” surpassed even his father’s, and he was much bolder. After learning that Shi Xingwen had been inquiring about the He family, he anticipated that such an event would happen.

However, regarding the He family, he knew a bit more than Shi Xingwen, such as the county magistrate’s secret visit to the He family’s flower shop on its opening day.

Just this one piece of information let him know his opportunity had come.

As expected, Shi Xingwen’s greed led to a falling out with He Ze. For the sake of pride and to vent his anger, Shi Xingwen would not let it go easily, and the He family would also think of ways to deal with him. When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt.

And he, Shi Dashan, would remain in the background, unaffected by whoever won or lost. If Shi Xingwen won, he would continue being the idle village head. If the He family won, he would reap the major benefits of the victory. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Clearly, Shi Dashan had thought everything through. He cooperated fully, detailing to He Ze the bribes Shi Xingwen had taken in taxes, land expropriation, and conscription, including who might have paid him and who suffered because they couldn’t pay. He even sold out all the illicit gains of Shi Xingwen’s father.

As Shi Dashan spoke, He Ze wrote, filling two whole pages.

“Everything is here. Apart from the exact amounts of money, everything else is accurate.”

Shi Dashan took the two pages and blew on them, a subtle smile curling at his lips.

He Ze and Lin Yu left fully loaded. Once outside, Lin Yu looked puzzled, “Shi Dashan is discontent, and Shi Xingwen certainly won’t fully trust him. How does Shi Dashan know so much about the Shi family father and son’s affairs?”

“Little fool,” He Ze pressed Lin Yu’s head into his embrace and ruffled his hair, “Think about it, Shi Dashan has held the village head title under the Shi family’s watchful eyes for so many years. Doesn’t that already say a lot?”

“You’re right. So, what do we do now…”

“We’re not going back. We probably won’t return until very late tonight.” He Ze didn’t explain further, pulling Lin Yu along as they strolled leisurely through Shi Village.

From west to east, from south to north, they wandered idly.

It was already evening. The sunset’s glow cast its light on the mottled courtyard walls, the verdant plants, and the two figures walking hand in hand, rendering everything into a chiaroscuro painting of indescribable beauty.