Chapter 191 – You’ll Be a Lawful Constable Now

Chapter 191 - You'll Be a Lawful Constable Now

However, it soon caught the scent of someone familiar and instantly clung to one of He Zhiran's legs.

He Zhiran patted the little guy affectionately on the head. "Good boy, Riceball. Let's go back first. I'll hug you later."

As if understanding, Riceball reluctantly released its owner's leg but still followed obediently.

The little fellow skipped along behind Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran, returning to their campsite together.

In the meantime, He Zhiran took out a few wet wipes from her space and wiped the black blood off her body briefly.

Seeing that Meng Huaining had no immediate intention of leaving, Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran exchanged a glance before heading in his direction.

At that moment, Meng Huaining and Mo Chuhan were having an animated conversation, and Mo Chuhan's laughter could be heard from afar.

Mo Jiuya quickened his pace and approached the pair.

"What could possibly bring such joy to Eighth Elder Brother?"

Upon hearing Mo Jiuya's voice, Mo Chuhan's first thought was of Fifth Brother's detoxification.

However, in front of Meng Huaining, he didn't feel it appropriate to inquire further.

Nonetheless, from Mo Jiuya's tone, it wasn't hard to deduce that Fifth Brother's detox had been successful. This realization caused Mo Chuhan's smile to broaden even more.

"Ninth Brother, Brother Meng has offered me a position as a constable at the local office, and I've accepted. Once family matters are settled, I'll head there directly."

In Mo Chuhan's view, this role was tailor-made for him. Firstly, the fixed salary would supplement the family's income. Secondly, with a constable in the family, no one would dare to cause trouble at home. Most importantly, Mo Chuhan believed that having connections was crucial wherever one went, and being a constable would allow him to forge more relationships.

Mo Jiuya didn't object. He knew that Eighth Elder Brother was an active person who had grown up practicing martial arts. If he were kept at home to farm and hunt all day, Mo Chuhan doubted that it would be the life his brother desired.

Furthermore, Eighth Elder Brother's name wasn't on the list of exiles. If County Councillor Cui hadn't acted unfairly, there would be no need for an exile mark on Eighth Elder Brother's household registration in the first place.

Thus, there was no question of legitimacy for Eighth Elder Brother to work as a constable.

While he was pondering, Meng Huaining spoke up.

"I'll rectify Eighth Elder Brother's household registration tomorrow, so your position as a constable will be completely legitimate."

Mo Chuhan laughed heartily once more. "Excellent, I'll leave it all to Brother Meng then."

After such a long conversation, Meng Huaining finally found the chance to inquire about the black and white ball of fluff beside He Zhiran.

"Is this a pet that your lady keeps?"

Seeing someone inquire about her black and white ball of fluff, He Zhiran hastily picked it up.

"This was a gift from Fifth Brother. I really adore it."

Upon hearing He Zhiran's response, Meng Huaining didn't seem particularly pleased.

"Madam, do you know what this creature is?"

He Zhiran raised an eyebrow. "It's an Iron-Eater! A panda!"

"Madam, the records say that the Iron-Eaters have razor-sharp teeth. It might seem adorable now, but it could cause harm when it grows up."

He Zhiran was well-versed in pandas' nature. Just like humans, animals had feelings too. With love and proper guidance from a young age, anything was possible.

She understood that Meng Huaining's concern was genuine, and she pondered over her response.

Just then, Mo Jiuya spoke up.

"Brother Meng, rest assured. With us brothers around, this little fellow won't be able to cause any real trouble."

Meng Huaining was also a martial artist, albeit not as skilled as the Mo brothers. Nevertheless, if he were to confront an adult Iron-Eater, it wouldn't pose a significant challenge.

Moreover, the Mo family had three highly skilled warriors – there was no need for excessive worry.

"I was overly concerned, brother," he said with a sigh of relief, the tension in his voice easing as the shadows of courtly intrigues that so often haunted their lives seemed to momentarily fade away.

As he spoke, he also extended his hand, intending to tousle the little darling's head affectionately.

Unexpectedly, as if it had comprehended Meng Huaining's words, the Rice Ball, upon seeing him reach out, opened its mouth and bit down on his hand.

Seeing the situation, He Zhiran swiftly retreated a few steps, preventing the food ball from succeeding in its attempt.

Feigning displeasure, she chided, "Riceball, if you bite anyone again, I shall have to forsake you."

With its big eyes wide open, Baozi stared at its master pitifully, looking extremely wronged.

Upon seeing Baozi's pitiful appearance, He Zhiran's heart melted.

Given the presence of outsiders, she couldn't afford to appear overly indulgent, so she maintained her stern expression.

Seeing that its owner wasn't comforting it, Baozi leaned against her shoulder, dejected, and refused to look at Meng Huaining anymore.

This action caused the group of men to burst into laughter.

As the laughter subsided, the eldest sister-in-law hurried over to call everyone for dinner.

Meng Huaining didn't express his intention to leave at this point, clearly indicating that he had no plans to depart. Naturally, he and the other officials would be included in the evening meal.

The sisters-in-law who were cooking had long since noticed this and thus prepared a much more lavish dinner than usual.

In addition to the ingredients He Zhiran had previously purchased, there was also a roe deer that Fifth Brother had hunted on his trip to the mountains that day.

While the Mo family had tasted various delicacies during their time in the capital, their culinary skills were not as refined as He Zhiran's. Therefore, they decided to make dumplings with the roe deer meat.

Accompanied by a few appetizing side dishes, the dinner could certainly be described as bountiful.

Although the food was well-prepared, the dining environment posed a challenge.

Unable to secure a yard rental today, they would continue sleeping in tents at night and dine alfresco for this meal.

Without tables or chairs, just like during their days of exile, they spread oilcloth on the ground and laid out the array of delectable dishes upon it.

The Fang and Xie families also witnessed Mo Jiuya's return with the county magistrate, confirming that this official had a close relationship with the Mo family. As a result, they prepared some dishes to offer the magistrate a taste, bringing them over to the Mo residence.

Given the large number of guests today, the food prepared by the Mo family women was not enough for everyone. Hence, they only invited Family Heads Xie Tianhai and Fang Chuanzhou to share dinner with them.

Meng Huaining was aware that two other families had come with the Mos, both of whom were aligned with the Mo family. Thus, he treated Xie Tianhai and Fang Chuanzhou warmly.

Now, the sisters-in-law had learned a few basic cooking skills from He Zhiran and could prepare delicious meals themselves.

As Meng Huaining savored the delectable food, he made up his mind.

Since he was here, he would settle their housing issue tonight before leaving.

After satisfying his hunger and thirst, Meng Huaining stood up and called the officials to go with him into the village.

He instructed them to beat a drum, gathering all the villagers of West Ridge Village together.

The villagers, curious about the situation outside, had been observing keenly to see if the county magistrate had left.

Upon hearing the officials beating their gongs and calling for them to assemble at the village center, both the Zhao and Zhou families, filled with anxiety to learn the cause, hurriedly rushed to the designated spot in a swarm.

At the same time, the Cui family, who lived nearest to the commotion, also began to arrive one after another.