The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune

Chapter 29: Chapter 28: Can We Trust This County Magistrate? Chapter 29: Chapter 28: Can We Trust This County Magistrate? Dinner was ready an hour later.

Since tonight was a taste test of the zizania, Madam Liu prepared six different dishes with it: stir-fried zizania with rabbit meat, stir-fried zizania, cold zizania salad, stir-fried zizania with duck eggs, lamb and zizania soup, with zizania chicken porridge as the main course.

In any case, every dish featured zizania, some spicy and some not.

Madam Liu was skillful, and her dishes were a feast for the eyes and the palate.

The whole family was almost drooling!

“Delicious! This zizania is really good!”

“I thought it would taste like regular bamboo shoots, but it’s not the same at all! Tasty!”

“Who would have thought zizania could be so good! Xuanbao is amazing for finding this great ingredient, now our family has another dish to enjoy.”

“Right, how did we never realize before that geng grass could be such a delicacy.”

…

Everyone kept praising it.

There was no choice, with the vegetables eaten by insects, they could only eat wild greens every day, and the whole family grew tired of the bitter taste in their mouths!

“The meat is tasty,” Ruo Xuan said, gnawing on a lamb’s hoof with effort, her words muffled.

She still preferred meat, rabbit meat, lamb meat!

The family laughed.

Ruo Zhou heard her and served her sister a piece of rabbit meat.

“Thank you, big brother.” Then, with a lamb’s hoof in one hand and rabbit meat in the other, Ruo Xuan gnawed on each in turn, savoring the flavors.

Seeing her enjoy the food so much, the family felt incredibly satisfied.

Indeed, good food can heal all, and all the day’s troubles were temporarily forgotten.

Ruo Chuan excitedly said, “This zizania, along with the dishes, if taken to the city’s restaurants, will definitely sell well! It’s not just the restaurants, but wealthy families too, who love to try new things.”

Ruo Chuan immediately thought of several business plans.

“Also, take some to sell at the market, in the town, the county, and the prefecture.”

“I’ll go sell too!”

“And I will go!”

Upon hearing this, the children expressed their desire to go sell as well. Xuanbao understood how to make silver, and they, as older brothers, could not fall behind.

The family enthusiastically discussed how to divide tomorrow’s tasks, and without realizing it, they forgot about the recent unpleasantness.

Granny Lei was very pleased that each of her descendants was sensible. As long as everyone in a family worked together towards a common goal, things would not be too bad.

At night, while the family was busy peeling zizania, Ruo Xuan ran off now and then — once to check on Ruo He’s eye that was treated with medicine, another time to massage Ruo Jiang’s crippled leg, and she even wanted to check on their detained uncle in the backyard. Madam Liu discovered her and pulled her back to the room to sleep.

Lying in bed, Xuanbao thought, wouldn’t evidence be needed for tomorrow’s court session?

The marks on her body from Zhao’s pinching had healed due to her cultivation practice.

So Xuanbao tearfully pinched herself, creating red and purple bruises.

Wuuu…

It hurt her to death!

The sacrifice was too great!

~
The next day, before dawn, the family got up to continue peeling the zizania that hadn’t been finished the night before. Ruo Shui and Ruo Jiang took advantage of the dark to cut another cartload to bring back.

By the time it was about to get light, Granny Lei had already made zizania and multigrain pancakes.

Madam Liu had also prepared a portion of each dish from last night to take for the restaurant Shopkeeper to try.

Today, they had to report the matter to the Government and also sell the zizania.

Granny Lei then arranged, “Fourth son, fourth daughter-in-law, you accompany the third son to the Governor’s Office to report the incident. Second son, second daughter-in-law, and the fifth child, you take some kids to sell the zizania.”

Everyone responded in agreement.

Granny Lei then asked her darling granddaughter, “Xuanbao, who will you go to town with today?”

Without hesitation, Ruo Xuan replied, “I’ll help Third Uncle report the incident, he’s not articulate and can’t explain things clearly; I’m not worried about Little Uncle selling zizania.”

“Pfft!” The family couldn’t help but laugh.

Ruo Chuan hugged his little niece and kissed her, never expecting her to think so highly of him.

Granny Lei glared at the third son, “See, even Xuanbao knows your tongue-tied gourd needs help!”

Ruo He felt helpless, wasn’t it because his mother scolded him for being a tongue-tied gourd just last night? It was then that Xuanbao asked what it meant to be a tongue-tied gourd and thus accused him of being tongue-tied!

Soon the family split up to carry out their tasks.

Shaxi County Governor’s Office
Ruo Xuan curiously examined the bell and drum in front of the door and, pointing with her chubby fingers, asked, “Daddy, what are those used for?”

Ruo Shui then explained to his daughter, “These two items, one is the large bell, the other is the large drum, are for the convenience of the common people to report to the authorities, colloquially known as ‘beating a drum to air a grievance.’ In our Xuanyuan Country, all levels of government offices have installed a drum and a bell at their gates and decreed that once the bell or drum is struck, the officials must attend court as a testament to their accessibility and moral governance.”

“Then do we need to beat the drum and ring the bell?”

Ruo He replied, “Right, your third uncle is going to beat the drum now.”

Xuanbao quickly said, “I’ll do it!”

She hadn’t played with the bell and drum yet!

Then the earth-shattering sounds of the bell and drum were heard, frightening the County Magistrate so much he thought there was a serious grievance. He slammed his official hat onto his head and hurriedly ran to take court, not even noticing it was askew!

On the magistrate’s bench.

Ruo Xuan followed her father and third uncle in performing a proper salute.

County Magistrate Zhang was immediately captivated by the sight of the diminutive Xuanbao.

This little girl is so adorable, just like his daughter!

County Magistrate Zhang habitually raised the court beater high, but as he brought it down, he remembered something and softened his blow.

Then, the court beater hit the desktop with a faint “tap” that was almost inaudible!

Shocked, the clerk and the bailiffs on both sides all looked towards the County Magistrate under the high-hung mirror.

Is the Lord not well-fed today?

The Lord County Magistrate cleared his throat, he was just wary of scaring the child after all.

Curiously, Xuanbao glanced at the Lord County Magistrate, thinking he was quite handsome, somewhat resembling Qian Brother.

She sniffed with her little nose and realized, indeed, the County Magistrate had also eaten the persimmons, dates, and chestnuts from her home.

County Magistrate Zhang cleared his throat and declaimed, “Who is below the bench? What matter… requires beating the drum?”

As he spoke the last few words about beating the drum, he locked eyes with Xuanbao’s curious big eyes, and his voice involuntarily became gentle and soft!

The clerk: “…”

Has the Lord encountered something strange today?

Where is his authority?

Ruo Shui and Ruo He: “…”

Is this new Lord County Magistrate a bit too delicate?

Is he reliable at all?

Seeing that her father and third uncle were so engrossed in the County Magistrate’s good looks that they were both spellbound, Xuanbao took the initiative by kneeling on the ground and holding up her small fists while reading the main contents of the complaint, “Lord County Magistrate, the silver from my home has been stolen! I am here to report to the government, accusing Madam Zhao of Xishui River Village of one: stealing silver; two: scheming to trap my third uncle, ruining her chastity, pretending to be pregnant to deceive him into marriage; three: abusing a young child.”

After finishing, Xuanbao rolled up her sleeves to reveal two short arms.

Everyone gasped in shock!

The County Magistrate was so horrified he stood up.

The short arms were covered in bruises, a truly heart-wrenching sight!

Ruo Shui’s eyes reddened with pain, “Xuanbao, did Madam Zhao beat you again?”

Just yesterday, Xuanbao’s little arms were still white and tender, weren’t they?

“Does it hurt, Xuanbao?” Ruo He’s heart clenched, his fists tightened, blaming himself for not realizing that Madam Zhao had been abusing Xuanbao!

At this moment, he not only wanted to divorce Madam Zhao but also kill her!

Xuanbao winked at the two men, signaling this was a ruse!

Ruo He heavily kowtowed to the Lord County Magistrate, “I beg Your Honor to stand up for your humble servant and give my niece justice!”

Nothing else mattered now; he had to get justice for Xuanbao!

The Lord County Magistrate’s daughter was about the same age as Xuanbao, and seeing how terribly abused Xuanbao had been, he was so angry he could hardly catch his breath, “Summon the men, bring Madam Zhao here!”