Chapter 8 It’s done
The north wind is still blowing but the snow has stopped, and the sky is gray as if it has been castrated.
Meng Yuan's goal of walking in the snow in search of plum blossoms has been achieved, but the result is still unknown.
Nowadays, there is no power, no power and no sword. If you want to do something, you will inevitably have to take advantage of the situation, and the consequences are naturally difficult to control.
If Li Zhuangtou can be brought down, everything will be easy. If it fails, Meng Yuan will have to find another way.
There are many people coming and going on the main road in Songhe Fucheng, and they are all in a hurry. It can be seen that there is no leisure time in winter.
Meng Yuan bought a pig's trotter, wrapped it carefully in oil paper, and put it in his arms. I bought two more big cakes and ate them while walking.
After leaving the city, we took a ride on a charcoal seller and continued westward.
Riding the wind and snow, my shoes got wet, and I didn't rush back to the ranch until dark.
It was past dinner time, and Meng Yuan went directly back to his residence.
"It's snowing so hard and you're still running around outside." Jiang Tang felt very distressed when she saw that Meng Yuan's shoes and socks were wet. Without waiting for Meng Yuan to say anything, she ordered Meng Yuan to sit down, removed his shoes and socks, and brought some hot water. Water to wash.
"Is your cough better today?" Meng Yuan took out the medicine bag and oil paper bag from his arms.
"I'm not in the way. You, on the other hand, have been running around in the ice and snow all day." Uncle Jiang didn't know that Meng Yuan went to find Xunmei. He just thought he was going to buy medicine. He smiled and said, "This girl asked Tieniu for firewood, and the stove was still there. She didn’t stop and said she would prepare hot water for you. She was not so nice to me. She didn’t reply and kept talking about picking you up.”
Jiang Tang sat on the small bench, lowered his head and washed Meng Yuan's feet without saying a word.
"Silly girl." Meng Yuan smiled and flicked Jiang Tang's forehead. She raised her head, her face was flushed, and she didn't know why she was shy.
"I'm not stupid." Jiang Tang lowered his head again. He didn't know what he thought of, and he giggled twice before scratching the soles of Meng Yuan's feet.
After soaking her feet, Jiang Tang dried them carefully, then picked up the shoes and socks she had changed and threw them into the basin before going out to wash them.
"Don't worry." Meng Yuan grabbed her and said, "I bought you meat, eat it first and then get busy."
"Meat?" Jiang Tang's big dark eyes lit up and he said quickly: "Then I'll wash the food first before eating!"
She hurriedly took the basin out, washed it quickly, and fried the medicine. Only then did she have time to open the oil paper package.
The pig's trotters had long been cold, but Jiang Tang was still very happy. He let Old Jiang eat it first, and then Meng Yuan, so the two of them naturally wouldn't compete with her to eat it.
In the dim room, Jiang Tang was gnawing on the pig's trotters. Uncle Jiang chatted with Meng Yuan, saying that Jiang Tang's grandmother gave birth to seven children, and several aunts also had children. This was used to prove that Jiang Tang would also be fertile in the future. .
On the second day, because the snow had not gone away, there was no need to go to the ground. It's just that Li Zhuangtou is really using people to death and let Meng Yuan shovel manure for a day.
There was no movement on the third and fourth days. Seeing that the New Year was getting closer and closer, Meng Yuan thought that the results would not come until after the New Year, when bursts of horse hooves resounded at the ranch.
All the villagers came out to take a look and saw six horses guarding a carriage coming to the front of the hall.
The six guards, each armed with knives, dismounted and protected the carriage.
An old man got off the carriage first, and then Xunmei.
Xunmei changed her attire, wearing a bright red cloak and a touch of pink and white, which made her look somewhat heroic.
"Tie him up!" Before Li Zhuangtou understood what was going on, Xunmei gave the order.
Two guards came forward, immediately held Li Zhuang's head down and tied his hands behind his back.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Li Zhuangtou didn't know what was going on, but he was full of fear. He knelt on the ground and shouted, "Xunmei, what are you doing? Why do you tie me up? I am an old man who married the princess! I Want to see the princess!”
Xunmei folded her sleeves and said in a cold voice: "You also know that you are married to the princess? Have you listened to the princess's teachings? The princess has always been considerate of you old people. She usually takes advantage of others and sells Zhuangzi. Just pretend you don’t see the chicken, duck, and eggs inside.”
As she spoke, Xunmei took two steps forward and continued: "But the princess has repeatedly warned you not to use the name of the palace to bully the people! But you use the name of the palace to hook up with outsiders, bully the orphans and widows, seize the fields, and eat people to death!"
"I didn't..." Li Zhuangtou knew what had happened, his voice became much softer, and he knelt on the ground absentmindedly. "When I came here last time, I told you that you should be lenient to the villagers, but you force the villagers to plow their fields in winter!"
As Xunmei spoke, her tone became more and more unkind, saying: "The princess said that refugees gather to make trouble in disaster years. Firstly, the officials are incompetent, and secondly, they are forced by people like you!"
Li Zhuang's head was trembling, he couldn't say a word, and he no longer had the arrogance of the past.
"I know you are not convinced. Once you have withdrawn the land deed from the bitter owner, accounted for what you got, go back to your hometown and tell the old lady!"
Meng Yuan looked on in surprise. He did not expect that the princess was very insightful and acted in a decisive way.
The search for plum blossoms was not over yet, so Li Zhuangtou's home was also sealed pending an inventory.
"He will be your new head of the village from now on." Xunmei pointed to the old man who came with her, and warned the old man, "It is easy for the people to be abused. I hope you will live up to the trust of the princess and do not treat the villagers harshly." .”
After saying this, Xunmei didn't stay any longer and got on the carriage.
The wheels grinded through the snow, creaking, and as we walked out, the curtains opened.
Xunmei saw that all the villagers were still in a trance. The young man was standing in the crowd, his face also full of surprise. There was a girl leaning against the young man, who was also confused.
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Looking at this scene, Xunmei thought that this young man might not know that it was his unintentional words that led to what happened today.
"Come here." Xunmei smiled and waved to the young man. Seeing that the young man was stunned for a moment, she hurried forward.
"Sister Mei." Meng Yuan said honestly.
"Do you still want to go to the palace to learn martial arts?" Xunmei asked with a smile.
"Think!" Meng Yuan said immediately.
"You have a simple temperament. I'm afraid you will be bullied when you get to the palace." Xunmei smiled and said: "But I will protect you. You can go to the head of Xinzhuang later and ask him to write a note for you. You will go to the palace tomorrow. Report.”
"Thank you, sister!" Meng Yuan's wish came true, and he felt happy in his heart.
The carriage drove away, followed by Li Zhuangtou and his son, who were no longer as arrogant as before.
A crowd of villagers came to pay homage to the head of the new village.
The surname of the head of Xinzhuang was Sun. After he inspected Zhuangzi, Meng Yuan, Old Uncle Jiang, and Zhao Datou and his son came to the door together.
Sun Zhuangtou was very kind. He wrote a letter of recommendation smoothly and asked Zhao Datou to drive a donkey cart to deliver it tomorrow morning.
"It's different if we change the person! In the end, the princess is better!" After nightfall, Zhao Datou and his son came to find Meng Yuan and held Meng Yuan's hand away, "Tie Niu is naive and can't speak and do things with his head. Xiao Meng will trouble you a lot." Take care of yourself.”
Zhao Datou pressed Tieniu's head again and asked him to obey Meng Yuan in everything.
Meng Yuan agreed to come down and asked Datou Zhao to take more care of Old Man Jiang.
After seeing off Zhao Datou and his son, Meng Yuan pinched Jiang Tang's face when he saw that Jiang Tang remained silent.
"Brother, will you come back?" Jiang Tang asked cautiously.
"Yes." Meng Yuan said very seriously, "I will take you to live in the city in half a year at most."
Jiang Tang nodded obediently, and without saying anything else, she sat on the edge of Meng Yuan's bed and sewed his cuffs. The stitches were so precise that they seemed to last forever.
It was foggy in the morning. Meng Yuan and Tieniu had breakfast, and Zhao Datou drove the donkey cart into the fog together.
(End of chapter)