CHAPTER 625: CHAPTER 625: THREE YEARS

However, it was only after arriving at the county that Gu Jinli realized that the one crying the most bitterly was not Village Chief He, but droves of villagers from all directions who had come to see off County Magistrate Xu.

The entire county was swarming with people, each one weeping and wailing, shouting: "County Magistrate Xu, please don’t go, stay with us!"

Gu Jinli was dumbfounded, it was the first time she discovered there were so many people in Tianfu County.

More dumbfounding scenes followed.

An old farmer with a walking stick and a head full of white hair shakily stepped forward and slowly kneeled towards County Magistrate Xu, trembling as he kneeled, which made Gu Jinli’s heart tremble, fearing his old bones wouldn’t hold up and he would fall flat on the ground.

Fortunately, the old gentleman’s bones were strong, and he managed to kneel properly.

Upon seeing this, County Magistrate Xu hurried over to help the old farmer up: "Elder, please rise, I am no longer the magistrate of Tianfu County, you don’t have to kneel to me."

But the old farmer shouted: "Although you’re no longer the magistrate of Tianfu County, you are our reborn parents! You have rid us of the scourge that was Zou Bastard, avenged the wronged men who were sold by him, compensated us farmers with silver, allowing us to survive! Again, you’ve captured all the county’s hoodlums, ensuring our daughters are no longer preyed upon by these wretches and can safely marry, you’ve been a good official, our reborn parents!"

He bellowed throughout the ordeal, spraying County Magistrate Xu’s face with spit, and almost deafening him with his shouts.

But County Magistrate Xu didn’t dare to reproach him, all because Zou Jiang whispered nearby: "My lord, he’s hard of hearing, shouting is the only way he can hear himself speak."

County Magistrate Xu: "..."

No need to shout, I can hear you speaking normally just fine.

Could he say that? No, he could only respond kindly and gently: "You’re too kind, elder. Please, stand up."

However, the old farmer shouted: "I will not rise!"

From a distance, Gu Jinli, Xiao Ji, and Nanny Tao sitting in the mule cart were laughing so hard they almost cried; Old Master, you really are stubborn.

The old farmer then said: "I am here to bring a gift to the lord!"

He finished speaking and pointed behind him shouting: "Bring forth the gift!"

"Yes, coming!" Three men dressed in red carrying a large umbrella came forward, accompanied by one playing the suona and another striking a gong, marching up with music and fanfare bearing the umbrella.

County Magistrate Xu was confused by the spectacle and asked: "What is this all about?"

Unfortunately, the noise of the suona and copper gong was too loud, and the old man was hard of hearing, so he didn’t catch what Xu said, instead instructing the people to blow harder, and the three with the umbrella started to jump.

County Magistrate Xu: "..."

When will this end? Just a giving an umbrella, does it need to be as grand as a funeral procession?!

Xu Dexian silently tugged on his father’s sleeve, signaling him to endure, you must not lose your temper, Father.

County Magistrate Xu was very patient, using the same tolerance he had for Zou Youlian over the years, finally enduring until the suona finished, and the large umbrella was brought before him.

With several thumping sounds, the men carrying the umbrella all knelt down together, saying to County Magistrate Xu: "My lord, this is the civilian umbrella given to you by the people of Tianfu County. It’s said that an official with such an umbrella can be shielded from all storms and trials in his official career, and so we are presenting you with one."

They continued: "But we, the farmers, can’t write, so only a hundred or so signed their names, the rest all pressed their thumbprints, a full ten thousand thumbprints. Count them yourself, we didn’t deceive you."

As they spoke, the three holding the umbrella stood and flung it open with a swoosh, revealing countless red thumbprints crammed onto it, which was dazzling to the eye, yet it brought County Magistrate Xu to the brink of tears, he choked up and said: "You’re giving me the civilian umbrella?"

Since the founding of Great Chu, there have been fewer than five officials who have received the civilian umbrella, and those five upon entering the Capital all became cabinet ministers, recorded in the annals of Great Chu as high-ranking officials.

He had never dreamed that he himself would receive the civilian umbrella.

Unreal, too unreal, he couldn’t help but ask, "Is this a mistake?"

Zou Jiang rolled his eyes inwardly, County Magistrate Xu certainly didn’t disappoint him, dumb enough to ask that.

The men who brought the umbrella laughed, "Of course not, this civilian umbrella has been prepared for a month, specifically to be presented to Xu Chongfeng, Lord Xu. You are a good official."

You are a good official.

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Xu couldn’t contain his tears any longer, crying out, "I’m not, I don’t deserve your kind treatment, you should be berating me, yet you still bring me this umbrella... sob sob sob..."

How moving!

Zou Jiang couldn’t help but curse inwardly, for heaven’s sake, why the hell are you crying? Is this really the time to cry?

His hand, hidden within his sleeve, pinched County Magistrate Xu hard, whispering a reminder, "Hurry up and say something touching."

County Magistrate Xu hiccuped with tears from the pinch, but he was too moved to cry, and couldn’t find any touching words to say, which almost drove Zou Jiang to the brink of kicking him.

Thump!

Suddenly, County Magistrate Xu knelt down in front of the people who brought the umbrella.

Seeing this, the villagers who came to see him off were frightened and quickly knelt down as well, circle after circle, creating a large group of them on their knees.

"Please stand up, my lord. You are an official, how can you kneel before us?"

County Magistrate Xu shook his head and said, "Xu came from a peasant family, carried manure and farmed the land since I was young. By chance, I passed the exams for an official position and became a parental official of a region... I did not fulfill my duties well, yet I receive such treatment from my fellow villagers, and I feel guilty inside. Please accept my bow."

With that, he bowed deeply to all the peasants with a solemn kowtow.

The farmers who came to see him off also hurriedly returned the gesture with a kowtow.

Chief Steward Xu, observing this scene of mutual respect between official and civilian, was utterly astonished. Having been in the Imperial Palace for most of his life, witnessing many grand events, none compared to the scene before him.

Zou Jiang was quite satisfied with this. Not bad at all, with the civilian umbrella and now this scene of mutual respect between official and civilian, no one in the Capital would dare to assassinate Xu Chongfeng.

"Please get up, my lord." Zou Jiang helped County Magistrate Xu to his feet.

After County Magistrate Xu stood, he also helped the kneeling old farmer to his feet: "Please, stand up, sir."

After raising the old farmer, he received the civilian umbrella with Xu Dexian’s help, stowed it in the mule cart, and spoke with the people of Tianfu County for a while longer. It wasn’t until Chief Steward Xu urged him that he reluctantly left.

Sitting in the mule cart, County Magistrate Xu kept waving back at the people of Tianfu County until they were out of sight, after which he lowered the curtain and continued to weep. He said to Zou Jiang, "I want to be a good official."

Zou Jiang replied perfunctorily, "Yes, you will certainly become a good official."

He then advised, "Please stop crying, my lord. If you cry any more, these clothes will be of no use."

County Magistrate Xu didn’t care and continued crying, until Zou Jiang couldn’t stand it anymore and went to sit in another mule cart.

The news of County Magistrate Xu entering the Capital with the civilian umbrella indeed sent shockwaves throughout Great Chu, and those affected by the Water Bandit Case didn’t dare to send anyone to assassinate him.

After County Magistrate Xu left, the people of Tianfu County talked about the civilian umbrella for a few days, then set it aside and began to prepare for the New Year.

The families from Qin, Gu, and Luotian were busy slaughtering pigs and preparing for the New Year’s goods, with Gu Jinli buying over three hundred pig legs, curing them to make ham. In three years’ time, the ham would become a signature dish at the Yanfu Building.

Gu Jinli kept herself busy, following her plans step by step, planting medicinal herbs, and making Convenient Medicine.

Time flies, slipping by faster than a white horse, and before they knew it, three years had passed.