Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 682: Chapter 683: Couldn’t Be More Suitable_1

Upon hearing An Jing’s question, Official Liu then said, ”All agricultural production activities in Qilin County are under the management of our Agricultural Institute. Lord An, you come from a farmer’s family and should be very familiar with every aspect of farming. I won’t say more to you. I just hope that Lord An can make some breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of diseases and pests.”

An Jing said, ”Does this mean that my duty is to be in charge of the prevention and treatment of diseases and pests?”

Official Liu nodded and said, ”For the moment, that is the case. Last July, when we officials learned that Lord An you were appointed as the Farmer official of Qilin County, we discussed it. Considering your effective control of locusts, we all felt that this task couldn’t be more suitable for Lord An.”

”Indeed, it couldn’t be more suitable,” the other officials all echoed.

Last year, Official Liu, Master Zhou, as well as Officials Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li indeed had a real discussion about this matter.

The task of preventing and treating diseases and pests was the most troublesome issue in agriculture. They had never made any achievements in this area, and even because of this, they were always being scolded and blamed by their superiors.

Now, if they could unload this headache onto An Jing, they naturally wouldn’t ask for anything better.

”This...” An Jing was somewhat hesitant. Although she was a modern person, she was not at all confident about handling the problem of diseases and pests in the fields.

Seeing An Jing like this, Official Liu pretended to be kind and said, ”Lord An, if you don’t accomplish much in the prevention and treatment of diseases and pests within two years, I will arrange another duty for you. How does that sound?”

How astute An Jing was! Could she not see that Official Liu and the others wanted to foist the most troublesome issue of the Agricultural Institute onto her?

Even though she saw through their scheme, her face did not show it, and she simply replied with a smile, ”Good.”

Before she arrived here, she had been informed by Meng Zhuqing that these officials had done nothing in terms of preventing and treating diseases and pests. And as a modern person herself, even if she took over this task and did nothing else, she would do better than these officials.

Official Liu didn’t realize that An Jing had already seen through their intentions. When he heard An Jing agree, he felt self-satisfied, even thinking An Jing naive: A woman is a woman, after all, not equal to a man. Even as an official, she is still inferior to men!

Master Zhou, Official Zhao, Official Qian, and Official Sun all felt a relief akin to having tossed away a hot potato.

Hearing that the hot potato had been passed to An Jing, Li Jifan also felt relieved, but at the same time, he felt somewhat guilty. He was a man after all, and yet he had colluded with others in throwing this burning issue onto a woman, which made him feel he had wronged An Jing.

...Well, no matter, the future is long. If An Jing encounters any difficulties later, he can simply extend a helping hand.

With that thought, Li Jifan stopped feeling guilty.

After exchanging pleasantries, An Jing led her husband to the place where she would work.

Being a Farmer official, a 7th-grade officer, she had a dedicated room in the Agricultural Institute for work and rest, and the Agricultural Institute would also assign two junior officials to her, ready for her command at any time.

Official Liu, Master Zhou, Official Zhao, Official Qian, and Official Sun all thought the same four words when they saw An Jing taking the initiative to hold Xiao Changyi’s hand: Shameless!

The old conservative, Master Zhou, was so angered he nearly blew his beard and glared his eyes. Not until An Jing and Xiao Changyi left his sight did he stop murmuring indignantly, ”The morals of society are degenerating! The morals of society are degenerating! The morals of society are degenerating!”

Li Jifan also saw An Jing take the initiative to hold Xiao Changyi’s hand. He was first taken aback, then he didn’t think An Jing was shameless but rather that she had quite some nerve.