Chapter 251: The Road to High Office 51

Chapter 251: The Road to High Office 51

From the forehead, to the eyelids, to the pink lips, the foreplay as gentle as flowing water left Cheng Ge Er feeling somewhat unsettled.

His fair arms wrapped around the neck of the person before him, his usually bright cat-like eyes now blurred, as if a thin mist had obscured his vision, leaving him to rely solely on his husband.

"Enough, enough."

Cheng Ge Er's long, fair legs naturally intertwined, his pinkish fingertips turning pale as he restrained his trembling voice, struggling to speak: "Pingping, come, come in."

Xu Zeping didn't reply but instead gently yet firmly took control.

The gentle yet forceful strength made Cheng Ge Er completely succumb.

Three times in a single night, Xu Zeping thoroughly satisfied Cheng Ge Er.

When carrying Cheng Ge Er to the side room to wash, Cheng Ge Er was as pliant as spring water, too lazy to even lift a finger.

"Do you still want more?" Xu Zeping affectionately nuzzled his forehead, revealing his inner mischief.

Cheng Ge Er rolled his eyes, tucked his head in, and nestled into his sturdy chest, lazily like a kitten: "No more, you're just a scoundrel."

"Xiang'er, you're so naughty, using me and then tossing me aside."

Cheng Ge Er's neatly trimmed nails slightly dug into Xu Zeping's chest, angrily pressing: "If you keep spouting such nonsense, I'll make you pay."

Xu Zeping was indeed "threatened" by this.

He chuckled softly, obediently dried the water droplets from both of them, and then carried his little treasure back to the canopy bed to lie down.

By then, the bedding had already been replaced with clean ones by the on-duty autumn, so Xu Zeping had no psychological burden, gently dressing his little treasure in clean clothes.

After finishing, he realized that the little treasure in his arms had already fallen asleep.

Quietly watching Cheng Ge Er's sleeping face, Xu Zeping was filled with tenderness, his slightly calloused fingertips wanting to touch Cheng Ge Er's smooth cheek, but ultimately suppressing the urge, he leaned down to kiss his brow bone, whispering affectionately: "Cheng Ge Er, have sweet dreams."

When Cheng Ge Er woke up, the person from yesterday was no longer by his side.

Looking at the window covered in frost and snow, he no longer felt loneliness, but a sense of full security.

Perhaps it was his sensitivity, but whenever Pingping was not by his side, he always slept restlessly.

"When did Pingping leave?"

Cheng Ge Er got dressed and got out of bed, naturally walking to the dressing table, letting Xia Tian help him with his hair.

"The young master got up at 5:45 AM, had breakfast, and then went to the government office to handle affairs." Under the guidance of autumn, Xia Tian's skills had become increasingly nimble, quickly styling Cheng Ge Er's black hair: "The young master said he would come to have lunch with you at noon today, to discuss the embroidery workshop with you."

"What time is it now?"

"Half a cup of tea away from noon."

Cheng Ge Er was surprised, "Did I sleep that long?"

"Young master, the temperature has dropped again today, it's a good time to stay indoors." Xia Tian inserted a crabapple silver hairpin into Cheng Ge Er's hair, teasingly saying, "You rest a bit more, and we can also take a break, right?"

Xu Zeping entered the government office at 7:00 AM, and as soon as he arrived, he called for Clerk Yuan, County Deputy Yang, and Chief Clerk Chen for a small meeting.

Clerk Yuan reported on the recent expenses of the government office, County Deputy Yang reported on toothbrushes and drama, and Chief Clerk Chen summarized the livelihood issues of the twenty-seven villages in Xiaoman Town.

After the small meeting concluded, everyone had a clear understanding of the events of the past two months.

"Once Liu Scribe is back, we'll go over the success of the Qixin Ditch once more. If there's nothing else, everyone can go about their business," Xu Zeping summarized the key points of today's meeting, put down his brush, and looked at County Deputy Yang: "By the way, County Deputy Yang, stay for a moment."

After Chen Registrar and Yuan Scribe left, County Deputy Yang softly inquired, "Sir, do you have any orders?"

"County Deputy, our government office has only Yuan Scribe in the six departments, which is ultimately insufficient. Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

How could County Deputy Yang not feel the shortage of manpower in the government office?

But this...

"Sir, you may not know, but Lingbei is poor, and there are pitifully few scholars," County Deputy Yang said with difficulty. "When we do manage to produce some scholars, they are all assigned to the towns below."

The town heads and village chiefs all need literate people to serve.

Many scholars in Lingbei stop studying after passing the local exams for two reasons: one is that they cannot afford to continue, and the other is that Lingbei's educational resources are limited.

The Lingbei County School has only an old professor who is a provincial scholar; the rest, such as the school principal, instructors, and tutors, are only local graduates.

Xu Zeping paused, taking in the current situation: "Alright, once the economy picks up next year, we'll hire a few scribes from neighboring counties."

"Yes!"

"How is the toothbrush production by Zhang the Craftsman going?"

"Zhang the Craftsman has already produced all three grades of toothbrushes. The first grade is made from a blend of horsehair, goat hair, and badger hair, which is very soft.

The second grade is made from a blend of horsehair, goat hair, and pig bristles, which is relatively soft.

The third grade is made from a blend of sheep hair and pig bristles, which is softer than using pig bristles alone and does not harm the teeth.

Right now, Zhang the Craftsman is working on the handle for the Sage toothbrush. As per your request, he will definitely carve a five-clawed golden dragon that will awe the world."

Hearing County Deputy Yang's detailed response, Xu Zeping was very satisfied. Next year, he plans to employ the twenty young men from Gaoshan Village in the toothbrush factory.

First, to make use of the labor force, and second, to give them a trade.

In the future, if they work in the factory, they will be paid according to their contracts; if they want to work independently, they will share profits, with thirty percent of their profits going to the government coffers.

"December is almost here. Can Zhang the Craftsman finish carving the toothbrush handles?" Xu Zeping said, then immediately added, "Never mind, let's visit the factory together this afternoon."

"Yes!"

After the conversation ended and County Deputy Yang left the office, Xu Zeping began to handle the pile of official documents on his desk.

Although Lingbei County is poor, it is peaceful, with little intrigue. Most of the documents are trivial matters, such as disputes between neighbors.

Xu Zeping skimmed through the pile of documents. Finding no major life-and-death issues, he set them aside.

With so much to do, Xu Zeping focuses on the big issues and naturally has no time to deal with these minor matters.

When he reached the second stack of documents, Xu Zeping's expression became more serious. These documents were mostly submitted by town heads, all reflecting one situation—Sir, you must not be biased. You have supported Xiaoman Town; when will it be our turn?

Xu Zeping picked up his brush and began to reply—Don't worry, I will come eventually.

His elegant Liu-style calligraphy stood out starkly against the sloppy handwriting on the documents. Xu Zeping couldn't help but laugh at the sight, as not one in ten documents had a decent calligraphic style.

After writing the repetitive replies, Xu Zeping tossed the documents aside and began to organize his thoughts.

In the end, he decided to follow his initial idea, starting governance from the poorest areas, aiming to ensure that the entire county could achieve a level of basic sustenance.

After reviewing these documents, Xu Zeping noticed a letter underneath, dated October 30th, from Prefect Xu...

His heart skipped a beat; something was wrong.

He immediately opened the letter, pulled out the paper, and scanned it quickly.

Fortunately, there was no urgent matter; it was just Prefect Xu agreeing to this year's annual theatrical performance, with one condition: the performance should include Liaobei Prefecture, meaning it would be a joint effort between Lingbei County and Liaobei Prefecture.

After much thought, Xu Zeping considered this a good option.

After all, Lingbei is just a small county, and adding Liaobei Prefecture would make it more noticeable.

Xu Zeping was just using this performance to boost Lingbei's reputation, leveraging Liaobei Prefecture for a win-win situation!

He then picked up his brush to write a reply to Prefect Xu.

After a busy morning, Xu Zeping only realized it was noon when Little Tiger came to invite him for lunch.

"Sir, would you like to join us for lunch?"

In the first few days of his duty, County Deputy Yang and others had also waited to have lunch with Xu Zeping. But after Xu Zeping established the duty regulations, they followed him for two days and realized that Xu Zeping wasn't one for formalities, so they naturally abandoned the old rules.

Xu Zeping waved his hand and said, "No, I'll go back for lunch today."

County Deputy Yang teased, "Ah, young people, always find brief separations sweet."

Xu Zeping cleared his throat and responded with a smirk, "County Deputy Yang, if you keep being shameless, I'll have you spend the New Year in the rural areas."

"I apologize, sir, please be magnanimous."

After exchanging a few words of banter, Xu Zeping led Little Tiger out of the government office towards the residence.

The government office was connected to the residence, and Xu Zeping, to save time, had gotten used to taking shortcuts.

Looking at the milky crucian carp soup, Xu Zeping was surprised, "Cheng Ge Er, where did you get fresh crucian carp?"

Crucian carp and tofu soup naturally tastes best with fresh live fish.

Cheng Ge Er ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Xu Zeping, his cat-like eyes curved with pride, "It's all because Lingbei has a good county magistrate. People often bring live fish they've caught or live rabbits they've captured to sell here."

Xu Zeping understood immediately and asked, "Did you give them money? These people are not well off."

"Yes, don't worry," Cheng Ge Er added, fearing he might feel embarrassed, "We paid them the market price; we wouldn't cheat the people out of their goods!"

"Cheng Ge Er, you really are a reliable husband."

Cheng Ge Er blushed and glared at him, "Eat properly, stop talking nonsense."

The crucian carp and tofu soup, Lingbei's three delicacies, and a dish of pickled beans filled Xu Zeping's stomach.

During his time away, he hadn't had a full meal, so today he was satisfied.

Seeing Xu Zeping's demeanor, Cheng Ge Er said nothing, just silently served him more food and soup.

After lunch, Xu Zeping took a moment to wake up, realizing that one shouldn't eat too much, or else they'd easily get sleepy.

Once he regained his senses, Xu Zeping remembered the important matter he needed to discuss with Cheng Ge Er.

"Cheng Ge Er, what do you think of the Qin, Cao, and Zhao families?"