Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 559: Chapter 291: Country Beauty

Under the scorching sun, County Magistrate Li was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with Li Gengtian without pause. He constantly pointed to the fields and crops, the mountain forests and ponds, putting on the air of a benevolent official who loved his people. But Li Gengtian felt nothing but unease and dread, a stark contrast to how a single word of praise from the previous magistrate, County Magistrate Hu, would have left him too excited to sleep all night.

After carefully choosing his words, he offered a cautious, placating smile. ”The folks in our Qingnan Village have only started to recover in the last couple of years. Before that, we couldn’t even fill our bellies.”

Beside them, Zheng Changhe’s heart ached—’His family had been so poor back then!’—and he desperately wanted to step forward and have a word with the Lord County Magistrate. But Zhang Dashuan held him back firmly, warning him with a look not to be impulsive. He then glanced at Qingmu and Zhang Huai, signaling that the younger generation would handle it. ’We don’t know the right things to say; let’s not cause trouble for them.’ Only then did Zheng Changhe swallow his words in frustration.

County Magistrate Li sneered, ignoring Li Gengtian’s words. He turned and asked, ”Who is Zheng Qingmu?”

Qingmu hurried forward and bowed. ”This humble one is Zheng Qingmu.”

County Magistrate Li sized him up for a long moment before nodding. ”Not bad. A capable man. Hmm, are you the one in charge of the sausage workshop?”

Qingmu replied in a steady voice, ”Yes, Your Lordship. However, it’s the off-season right now, so the workshop has closed. It won’t reopen until the autumn.”

County Magistrate Li nodded. ”Since I’m here, let’s go have a look. I am very pleased that you have all been so self-reliant and have forged a new path. If every village in Qinghui were like yours, my job as county magistrate would be much easier.”

Qingmu said, ”You are right, Lord County Magistrate. But we are simple country folk, ignorant and inexperienced. We just cobbled this together to work, so the workshop is quite a mess. That’s why it hasn’t grown any bigger. I’m afraid you will find it laughable, Your Lordship.”

County Magistrate Li chuckled. ”Let’s go have a look before we say any more!”

And so, the group headed to the sausage workshop. It was indeed closed for the season; only Uncle Lin was present, standing guard at the gate.

Qingmu and the others escorted County Magistrate Li on a tour of the workshop. The magistrate gave no orders, leaving them puzzled. They didn’t dare to ask what he was thinking, secretly hoping he would find the workshop unimpressive and simply leave.

After leaving the workshop, County Magistrate Li and his party returned to the gate of the Zheng Family’s home. He smiled cheerfully at Qingmu. ”Steward Zheng, I’d like to trouble you for a cup of water. May I come in?”

Qingmu’s heart sank, but he quickly responded, ”For Your Lordship to grace our humble home is a great joy for my entire family. I only fear that our small, simple home is too messy and that you will find it laughable.”

County Magistrate Li waved it off, saying it was no bother, and led his men into the Zheng Family Mansion. Qingmu and Zhang Huai exchanged a worried glance before reluctantly following them inside to play host.

Seeing so many visitors, the Zheng Family’s two dogs erupted into a frenzy of earth-shattering barks. Qingmu quickly silenced them and led County Magistrate Li’s group into the main hall. He gestured for them to take the seats of honor at the head of the square table, then bowed again and served tea.

County Magistrate Li glanced around casually, clearly in an excellent mood. He shared a few jokes with Li Gengtian before turning to praise Zheng Changhe on his promising son. The string of fine words left Zheng Changhe light-headed, and he chuckled foolishly. ”The Lord County Magistrate’s praise is more than we deserve. But my son, he’s definitely more capable than me. Our family is doing alright these days—we can fill our bellies—but it’s exhausting work. He’s the one running the household; these old bones of mine just can’t keep up anymore.”

County Magistrate Li waved his hands dismissively. ”With a son like that, you ought to be at home enjoying a life of leisure. Let the younger generation handle these matters; it is their filial duty, after all.”

Zheng Changhe’s eyes widened. ”How could we possibly do that? We bought dozens of acres of land! If we don’t tend to it carefully, we won’t even be able to pay the taxes. You don’t understand, Lord County Magistrate, an acre of land doesn’t yield that much grain, mainly because there’s no fertilizer. We do raise a few pigs, and collecting their manure helps a little. But those pigs can really eat! You have to mix in plenty of corn and Huangdou stalks... Oh, it’s not easy at all! I’m out in the fields from dawn till dusk...”

Seeing that the County Magistrate was actually asking about farming and making a living, Zheng Changhe’s floodgates opened. He began to talk nonstop about planting crops and raising pigs—it was his favorite subject. Furthermore, he only ever kept track of the finances related to his farming; he never factored the money Juhua and Qingmu earned into his calculations as disposable income. As a result, the way he told it, a farmer’s life was one of immense suffering. And with his naturally simple and honest face, his account sounded completely genuine and heartfelt!

This made County Magistrate Li a bit awkward. He looked at the man, who was in his forties; with such an earnest expression, he didn’t look like he was lying. The magistrate cleared his throat and said, ”You have such a capable son, and I hear you also have a capable daughter-in-law. What is there to worry about? Hmm? Where is the rest of your family?”