Chapter 123: The Commendation Letter

Chen Xiao Mai walked into Lu Lin's study with a worried look on his face.

Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiao Mai and said happily, "Mai, you are here how can I help you?"

"Lin Ge, our mules are gone, all of them," said Mai with his eyes wide open.

"Oh, the mules! Recently, I can't find enough meat, so I've asked a butcher to butcher them all, "Lu Lin said with indifference.

Chen Xiao Mai asked excitedly, "Meat? When? Why? And most importantly, how come I didn't have a slice?"

Chen Xiao Mai let out a piercing shriek, giving Lu Lin a start.

The resources in Sha County were rather poor. Even if Lu Lin had money to buy meat, meat was just not available on the market.

Ji Yun An followed Chen Xiao Mai in. When he heard Lu Lin making up that story to trick Chen Xiao Mai, he could not help but shake his head, 'That is a mean joke, Mai isn't going to take it well.'

"Mai, come on now, relax, Magistrate Lu is just joking with you." With that Ji Yun An looked at Lu Lin and judged him a bit in the heart.

"Joking with me? You mean he lied to me?"

Chen Xiao Mai stared at Lu Lin with puffed up cheeks.

"The mules are rented by the villagers," Lu Lin said embarrassedly as he felt Mai's anger.

Chen Xiao Mai asked suspiciously, "Rented?"

Lu Lin nodded. "The villagers will return them in a few days."

Livestock was very valuable in this time and space, especially in a remote and backward place like the Sha County, even more expensive than humans. A mule was sold for seven or eight taels of silver, much more expensive than a maid or a servant sold by the human traffickers.

Chen Xiao Mai pouted his lips and said, "Why did you do that?"

Lu Lin rubbed Chen Xiao Mai's head and said, "The mules have been doing nothing but eating all day, they need some exercise, isn't it a good thing they can help the villagers to do some work? Plus, the villagers will work for us for free according the how many days the mules have worked for them."

Chen Xiao Mai tilted his head and nodded. "Lin Ge, you're so smart."

"I guess I'm all right."

Ji Yun An looked at Lu Lin and thought to himself, 'This magistrate is so smart, it almost borders on scheming! He has so many strategies to lure the villagers to work for him, but I guess he is right, he is helping the villagers out by renting out the mules and trolleys. I don't know should I call him cunning or smart.'

......

Soon the Yamen County was thronged with visitors who were here to rent 'trolleys', Chen Xiao Cai couldn't attend to them all, he came up with the idea of distributing six 'trolley' to each village. Whenever the villagers wanted to rent one, they could just go register with their Village Head, and the Village Heads would report the registration to Chen Xiao Cai.

This had expelled the villagers' misgivings, they became more active in renting 'trolleys' from their own Village Head.

For a time, villagers working with a plough could be seen everywhere.

A Village Head and an anxious-looking villager came to Chen Xiao Cai's tofu shop this day

Chen Xiao Cai glanced at them and asked, "Village Head Zhang, did something happen?"

Village Head Zhang said awkwardly, "Master Chen, one of the trolleys is broken."

Chen Xiao Cai raised his head and glanced at the anxious-looking man next to Village Head Zhang. He estimated that it was this man who had broken the trolley The man was a nervous wreck, Xiao Cai felt sorry for him.

"Have you brought the broken trolley with you?"

"Yes, yes."

"Can I have a look first?"

Chen Xiao Cai checked the plough and said in an assuring tone, "Don't worry, it's not serious. Would you like to leave it here so we can repair it? I will give you a new one later."

Village Head Zhang said with disbelief, "Master Chen, how come you're not angry!"

Chen Xiao Cai said casually, "There will always be accidents, it's no big deal, don't stress."

Chen Xiao Cai looked at the man beside Village Head Zhang and asked, "Is it you who has broken it?"

The man said anxiously, "Yes, it's me. I swear I don't know what happened, something just fell apart when I was working."

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "I know you didn't do it on purpose, but the thing is broken by you. I can't pretend that nothing happened. It will set a bad example."

Village Head Zhang chimed in, "Master Chen, He is just a poor villager, please..."

"You need to work two more days for us."

Village Head Zhang was delighted on hearing that, "Just two more days of work?"

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and let out a "yes".

Village Head Zhang hurriedly said, "Thank you so much, Master Chen."

Village Head Zhang then left with Song He in raptures.

"He, you are really lucky this time, Master Chen is such a nice person. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble this time!

Song He scratched his head and smiled. "Master Chen is Magistrate Lu's brother-in-law, but he is so approachable! Today is really my lucky day, I've broken such a fancy tool, but he doesn't demand an exorbitant price or even the repair fee, all I need to do is to work for him for two more days! I don't think he even wants to use that as a punishment, I guess this is just a matter of principle."

Village Head Zhang nodded and said, "That's true. It's said that this Master Chen is a great merchant."

Song He nodded as he heard what Village Head Zhang just said, his footsteps were so brisk and his smiles were so genuine, completely different from an hour ago. He stayed up all night the night before, now he could finally let out a sigh of relief.

......

Ji Yun An was reading books in the room, he would be buried in thought from time to time.

Lu Lin let Ji Yun An run free since he found out who Ji Yun An really was, and Ji Yun An had a lot of free time in hand.

Ji Yun An found that Lu Lin was so talented in a lot of things, especially cooking.

'Food is the first necessity of the people.'

Ji Yun An admired Lu Lin for his cooking abilities.

Chen Xiao Mai ran in, his face flustered. "I'm in trouble! Trouble!"

"What's wrong?" Ji Yun An asked.

Chen Xiao Mai showed a book in his hand to Ji Yun An. "I've tarnished Lin Ge's book with my drool, what should I do!"

Ji Yun An looked at the oily paper, he frowned and said, "You went to the magistrate's study?"

Chen Xiao Mai nodded, "Yeah!"

Ji Yun An was confused, "What were you doing in the magistrate's study?"

Lu Lin's study was filled with books. And Mai hated books. This guy dozed off when he read a book or sometimes in the vicinity of a book.

"Some villagers sent Lin Ge a turtle, Lin Ge kept it in his study. I just went to feed the turtle. I accidentally fell asleep by his desk after I fed his turtle," Chen Xiao Mai made a face as he said that.

Ji Yun An also knew about the turtle Chen Xiao Mai was talking about, he was home when the villagers sent Lu Lin the turtle as a thank you gift.

Lu Lin had helped the poor villagers to build kangs, recently he rented mules and ploughs to the villagers, so some villagers sent a turtle to him as a thank you gift. Lu Lin felt so touched and he offered the villagers some money, of course they didn't take it, so he gave the villagers some tofu as return.

Ji Yun An looked at Chen Xiao Mai and thought, 'Did you really just feed the turtle? Did you not poke the turtle or try to play with the turtle? Naughty boy, naughty naughty naughty.'

Chen Xiao Mai was a little depressed, "What should I do now?"

Ji Yun An smiled and said: "It's not a big deal. I'll copy the tarnished pages for you."

Ji Yun An secretly felt that the handwritings on it were messy and he doubted it would be anything important, but seeing that Chen Xiao Mai was anxious, he offered to help to ease Mai's mind.

Chen Xiao Mai was surprised, "You can read and write? You are literate?"

Ji Yun An was rendered speechless.

'Of course I'm literate, have you been under the impression that I don't read and write?' Ji Yun An screamed in his heart.

Ji Yun An's father was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations, therefore, he was erudite through paternal teaching and influence. Ji Yun An had his own tutor since he was a toddler, reading wasn't his passion, but he had established a foundation of profound learning inherited by the family. His father was very strict when it came to his study, he would even physical punishment when he slacked off.

The Ji family was a military officer family, but they valued reading just as much as martial arts skills.

After Ji Yun An was taken into the Ji family, he read many books and Ji Cheng Kang was very strict when it came to his study.

"Yes, I'm literate," said Ji Yun An with a darkened face. "I can attend the imperial examination if I want to."

"Bullshxx," Chen Xiao Mai looked rather dubious.

Ji Yun An, "Hey, don't underestimate me."

Chen Xiao Mai blinked and said, "My Second Brother is also literate."

Ji Yun An nodded and thought to himself, 'Yeah, Mai, keep telling yourself that. I've seen your brother's handwriting, the same style as Magistrate Lu's, I could write better than them when I was three.'

Ji Yun An transcribed the characters on the tarnished papers and put it back in the study.

Chen Xiao Mai's eyes travelled back and forth between the tarnished papers and the new ones, "Hmm, such different handwritings."

Ji Yun An smiled and said, "The characters are the same, just different styles."

Chen Xiao Mai tilted his head and said, "Lin Ge's handwriting is way more beautiful."

Ji Yun An sat there transfixed on hearing that. 'Are you joking me? I spent years on my calligraphy and my tutor spoke high of me about it! How can you say your Lin Ge's handwriting is better than mine!'

Chen Xiao Cai and Lu Lin didn't have the best handwritings in the world, but they were both go great at math, so was Shen Chi. Ji Yun An had seen them using abacus, it was just mind-blowing how fast they could get all the right numbers within seconds.

"Yes yes yes, your Brother Lin and your Second Brother have beautiful handwritings," Ji Yun An did not bother to argue with Chen Xiao Mai.

......

During the winter, Ji Yun An and the Chen brothers got along better and better.

It was soon spring ploughing season, the ploughs were becoming more popular.

The ploughs had greatly reduced the difficulty of the farmer's work.

The Ministry of Works had also earned a lot of money by selling the ploughs. The Emperor was overjoyed by that news, he had even issued a commendation letter to praise Lu Lin. The letter, however, was sent to the Lu family instead of the Sha County.

Neither the Emperor nor the officials in court had a clue of the relationship between Lu Lin and the Lu Family. They didn't know Lu Lin was married into Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin had nothing to do with the Lu Family already.

If the imperial government didn't know, it was even more impossible for the Emperor to know.

The commendation letter had provoked an uproar in the Big Stone Village.

"Lu Lin is really impressive. He has gained recognition from His Majesty."

"I didn't expect him to be so capable."

"Yeah! I heard that Sha County is not a good place. I didn't expect Lu Lin to do so great that he has received the Emperor's commendation."

"What exactly did he do?"

Curved Iron Plough was just popularized in the capital city, it hadn't made it to the Big Stone Village yet.

"Who cares!"

"Granny Shen had discerning eyes that could tell greatness from mediocrity. Shen Chi is related to Lu Lin now, so lucky."

"Yeah! It is a pity that Granny Shen has already passed away, but I'm sure she can rest in peace now."

The girls in the village all wished it were themselves who married Chen Xiao Cai and be the one who was related to Lu Lin.