Chapter 90: Worshiping Buddha

Chapter 90: Paying Respects to the Buddha

Early in the morning, Deng Dalang and Deng Erlang from Luxiang Village arrived at the small gate of the county office. They noticed that most people, like them, had brought peppers, soybeans, and sesame to sell.

Guo Cai was tallying the quantity and quality of the items they brought, then estimating their value, and he was quite accurate. When it came to the Deng brothers, Deng Dalang was a bit nervous, as this was his first time selling goods at the county office.

Guo Cai didn't even look at them, just had someone empty the contents of their baskets, reported the weight, and wrote down, "Total of two taels and five qian."

The two brothers had carried two large baskets and sold them for two taels and five qian of silver. The money was easy to earn. As they left the small gate of the county office, they were still in a daze. They had heard from villagers in Lanlong Village that last year, planting medicinal herbs had made a lot of money. Both brothers had carried large baskets and had packed them tightly to avoid making multiple trips to the county office. The price was quite reasonable.

Deng Erlang glanced at the Clerk weighing the goods and saw that he was not cheating.

They went to buy some items and finally arrived at the grain store, feeling anxious, worried that the grain might be too expensive. With the locust plague, merchants would inevitably raise prices.

When it was their turn in line, they were at the Xu family's store. The clerk asked them to fill out their household registration and address. They were a bit confused, as everyone before them had done the same. They answered truthfully, and the clerk even asked how many people were in their household, warning them not to lie, as the county office might randomly visit homes to verify.

Buying grain felt like being interrogated. Was this still doing business?

Deng Dalang still provided the details of his household. The grain store staff said, "Old rice is nineteen wen, new rice is thirty-eight wen. You can buy ten jin of rice today."

"Ten jin of old rice."

Originally, old rice was nine wen, but it had increased by ten wen. The price hike wasn't too bad, but they could only buy ten jin. The two brothers left the grain store with their baskets and overheard some scholars discussing something at the county office's notice board. Neither brother could read, so they didn't understand what was written.

"Lord Zheng's method is good. Limiting each household's grain purchase prevents malicious price hikes."

"And convincing the wealthy families in the city to cooperate with the county office—this must have cost the county office something. After all, this has never happened before. Merchants are profit-driven; they wouldn't do something without benefit."

"I heard that in the neighboring Lan County, grain prices have already risen to one hundred wen per jin, and they're still rising. In some places, the price of grain changes every day," one well-informed scholar lamented.

"One hundred wen per jin of grain—that's several times the price of meat. Can ordinary people afford to eat?"

"This is really..." one scholar said indignantly.

"Be careful with your words!" another scholar quickly interrupted, sensing his classmate was about to say something rebellious.

"Officials like Lord Zheng, who truly care for the people, are rare," one scholar said subtly, bowing respectfully toward the county office.

Deng Dalang and his brother overheard this and took a bullock cart back home. Deng Erlang asked gloomily, "Brother, it seems like Jiang County might also have a locust plague. This is unavoidable everywhere."

Deng Dalang held the basket tightly. They couldn't take up seats on the bullock cart, so they held the baskets in their laps to save space. Seeing the grain inside, Deng Dalang's eyes welled up with tears. "Yes."

When the bullock cart arrived in the village, the two brothers hurried home, put down their baskets, and grabbed wooden planks to head to the fields.

Old Deng saw his sons return and quickly called the eldest over to ask, "How much did you two sell at the county office?"

Deng Dalang replied honestly, "Two taels and five qian."

Old Deng was surprised. He hadn't expected them to earn so much silver. His face lit up with joy, but then he remembered he had told them to buy grain before leaving. "How much did you spend on grain?"

Deng Dalang recounted his entire experience to his father.

Old Deng was silent for a long time, then wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Deng Dalang glanced at his father's eyes and saw they were red.

"Lord Zheng is a good official."

The common folk at the bottom hadn't received much education. They didn't know many characters, only knew to work hard in the fields and dutifully pay taxes to the court. But they knew who truly cared for them.

Old Man Deng waved his hand, signaling Deng Dalang to go and kill the locusts, while he himself continued to swat the locusts with a plank.

The whole family worked together in the fields to kill the locusts. After finishing, they returned home for lunch at noon. Old Man Deng told the family how much money the two brothers had earned and how much they had spent on buying grain. The whole family was very happy.

"We made the right call coming to Xinfeng County."

Some villagers from Luxiang Village also went to the county yamen today to sell things like chili peppers and similarly bought grain, returning joyfully. This wasn't just happening in one village; villagers from Xinfeng County would go to the county yamen to sell their goods and then buy grain, all benefiting from this. Thousands of commoners felt a huge burden lifted from their shoulders.

Yu Lanyi was in the tavern, using a gourd to kill locusts. He noticed more people on the streets these days. The yamen runners had been spraying pesticide daily and killing insects. Some stalls had started to open. Today, there were especially many people, all carrying baskets on their backs.

Proprietor Song had just bid farewell to some regular customers when Yu Lanyi asked, "Why are there so many people today?"

"They must be here to sell chili peppers and such at the county yamen. They just passed by here, and I could smell the chili," Proprietor Song said nonchalantly, also killing a locust with his gourd.

"..." Yu Lanyi was speechless. Did Proprietor Song have a nose as sharp as a dog's?

Yu Lanyi thought happily that having the right connections really made a difference.

He looked at the crowd, resting his head on his hand, and noticed that the worry on people's faces had lessened. Indeed, the locusts on the streets had decreased, and they were happy.

Zheng Shanci was still busy. The harvest season had arrived, but there was no grain to harvest. They could only send up the grain stored in the granary last year by the village heads. This grain had been collected from the villagers, who had contributed money for it. The grain was bought last year at last year's prices, with the villagers contributing some money to pay the taxes.

Since arriving in Xinfeng County, many areas required the cooperation of the town heads and village heads. Those who did not cooperate or were corrupt were replaced by Zheng Shanci to avoid lowering efficiency and making life harder for the common people. The new village heads were either respected elders or influential locals.

Seeing the report that the locust plague had eased considerably, Zheng Shanci breathed a sigh of relief. He had not dared to relax for a moment during this period. After a drought, there was a high risk of plague, and he had to prepare for that too. With the wealthy families in the city keeping quiet, he felt much more at ease about the grain situation. They had their own grain channels, and there was no shortage of grain for now.

After a drought, water sources were likely to become contaminated. The prolonged drought made it difficult to effectively remove pollutants from the water, leading to water quality deterioration. Drinking such water could easily cause infections. Many animals died during the drought, and their bodies could not be properly disposed of. The death of natural predators also led to an increase in the population of other organisms, disrupting the ecological balance.

Zheng Shanci called Scribe Jiang over.

"Write a notice and then inform the town heads and village heads that water must be boiled before drinking, and the bodies of locusts and any livestock must be burned immediately. Every household should fumigate with mugwort every five days to prevent the outbreak of plague," Zheng Shanci instructed, adding some other details after some thought.

Scribe Jiang jotted everything down and left.

"County Magistrate Zheng, here is a letter from County Magistrate Fang," Wang Fu presented the letter.

Zheng Shanci had previously written to County Magistrate Fang, and he had also received a letter from Fang, which was full of vague and empty words. Reading the letter, Zheng Shanci realized County Magistrate Fang was just going through the motions.

This time, County Magistrate Fang wrote to borrow grain, planning to take it without payment and only return it next year when grain was available.

Zheng Shanci only had the grain from the Zheng residence. The grain in the county yamen was not his to decide alone, and with the locust plague still ongoing, the granary in the county yamen had to prioritize the people of Xinfeng County.

The locust plague had only lasted ten days. Could Lan County not last ten days? Moreover, Zheng Shanci saw no sincerity in County Magistrate Fang's request to borrow grain. Zheng Shanci only sent a formal, bureaucratic response.

Besides writing to Zheng Shanci, County Magistrate Fang also wrote to the County Magistrate of Jiang County. Upon receiving the letter, the County Magistrate of Jiang County sneered, "We haven't even sorted out our own county's affairs, and now Lan County is dragging us into this."

County Magistrate Fang did not manage to secure any grain. Grain was expensive, and Madam Fang had suggested to her family to lower the prices, which they did, reducing the price from 200 wen per jin to 180 wen. The wealthy families in the city immediately rushed to buy and hoard grain, driving the price back up to 250 wen. The people of Lan County were in a state of panic. The streets reeked, locusts swarmed everywhere, shops were shut, and only the grain stores had long lines.

The cloth shop owned by the Xu family was still in Lan County. A few days ago, a clerk had returned to the textile factory in Xinfeng County to transport fabric. The streets of Xinfeng County carried the scent of medicinal herbs, with far fewer locusts and no stench. The stall owners had set up fine nets, allowing customers to enter and eat noodles without affecting business.

The grain prices were stable and had somewhat recovered. In contrast, in Lan County, the clerk felt goosebumps all over, sensing a pervasive atmosphere of death on the streets.

"It's better to do business in Xinfeng County. In Lan County, if it weren't for the young master treating the county office staff to meals and giving them money, we wouldn't even be able to keep the Xu family's shop open."

"I heard the young master has decided not to move the business to Lan County anymore, only keeping a few shops there."

Today, the cloth shop had no customers, only hearing the bustling activity at the grain store nearby. They closed the shop and went inside to have their meal. Naturally, they bought their grain from Xinfeng County; they weren't foolish enough to buy grain in Lan County.

A daughter who had married into Xinfeng County came back with her husband to visit her parents in Lan County. As they entered through the city gates, they frowned at the stench on the streets of Lan County and immediately headed to her parents' house.

"Why have you come? Is there no grain to eat in Xinfeng County either?" her father asked, worried that their return would mean two more mouths to feed, which was a significant expense.

"What are you talking about, Father? Our county is doing just fine," the son-in-law retorted. He was a literate scholar and a student at the academy, while his father-in-law was an old scholar. The son-in-law explained the situation in Xinfeng County to his father-in-law.

"Can we go buy grain there?" the father-in-law asked.

"I'm not sure. Buying grain at the shops requires household registration, and I don't know if they allow people from other counties to buy," the daughter replied, sighing at the grain prices in Lan County.

Their household consisted of three people, plus a maid. The children were still young and didn't eat much, and the husband had lunch at the academy.

The son-in-law thought for a moment. "I eat lunch at the academy, and our son doesn't eat much. We can share some grain with you. Originally, there was a daily purchase limit, but now it's been changed to once every seven days. We still have enough."

The daughter and son-in-law didn't stay long. As they left, they saw a long line at the grain store, with the price displayed at the entrance: 250 wen per jin. The son-in-law felt uneasy.

They endured the stench on the streets and breathed a sigh of relief once they boarded their carriage. The daughter even considered suggesting that her parents change their household registration to Xinfeng County.

After seeing the situation outside, they realized how good their own county magistrate was. They had always known Lord Zheng was good, but without comparison, they hadn't fully appreciated it. Now, with the contrast, they felt even more grateful.

"I used to think Lan County was better than Xinfeng County, but now that I've returned, it's completely different," the daughter said.

The son-in-law agreed, "The Lan County government surely won't just sit back and do nothing."

The daughter sighed and said no more.

The Xu and Gao families had their own grain supply routes and had already sent merchant teams to neighboring prefectures to buy grain.

The county office's dining hall had fewer dishes, but the yamen runners still ate with relish. Eating in the dining hall was free, and after finishing their work, sitting down for a meal relieved half their fatigue.

Lord Zheng also came to the dining hall to eat. The cook, seeing Wang Fu bring a plate to serve food, piled it high without hesitation.

After finishing his meal, Lord Zheng drank a bowl of soup. He remembered his hair loss crisis and made sure to eat more greens. After he left, the yamen runners began chattering.

"Life is so peaceful now. Lord Zheng must be very busy."

"Lord Zheng is so good. I used to curse him in secret. I really deserve to die."

Archivist Zhu, who had been eating quietly, looked up and gave him a smack on the head. "You finally realize it."

Lord Zheng had been a bit more relaxed these days, not needing to keep a constant watch. Half a month had passed, and the locusts could no longer wreak havoc in Xinfeng County. He sent the county's taxes to Qingzhou. Tan He's road construction project was temporarily halted, and Tan He was sent to the towns and villages to ensure that his instructions were being followed.

Lord Zheng rubbed his temples and went to his inner chamber for a nap.

Yu Lanyi, having eaten at the Zheng family's restaurant, was satisfied. Eating at home all the time could get monotonous, so it was nice to occasionally dine out. He went to a snack shop to buy some "bobo chicken." Zheng Shancheng, noticing it was him, sat down across from him. "If you want to eat tonight, I can have it delivered to your residence."

"That's great! Big brother, you're so kind," Yu Lanyi said, his eyes lighting up. He ordered other snacks, and Zheng Shancheng agreed to all of them.

After finishing his duties, Lord Zheng didn't take the carriage. He tried to walk to and from work to avoid gaining weight. As he left, he saw Yu Lanyi drinking tea at a teahouse near the county office, with Jin Yun waiting outside.

"Sir, the young master invites you for tea."

Lord Zheng chuckled and entered the teahouse. Yu Lanyi had ordered green tea and, seeing Lord Zheng arrive, poured him a cup with great ceremony.

"What made you think of having tea today?"

Yu Lanyi replied, "Because I wanted to wait for you to go home together."

Zheng Shanci's hand, holding the teacup, paused, a warm smile spreading across his lips. The tea warmed him to his core.

He spoke softly, "After I finish my shift, I usually don't go anywhere else and come back immediately."

Yu Lanyi folded his arms and glanced at Zheng Shanci, noticing the joy in his eyes, which made his own heart race. The more time he spent with Zheng Shanci, the deeper he fell. He was good-looking and had a great build, and his temperament was just as good.

"I just wanted to see you, regardless of when you get home," Yu Lanyi said, taking a sip of tea to mask his emotions.

After sharing tea, they headed home together. Yu Lanyi stood next to Zheng Shanci, feeling content. Just being by his side made everything seem better.

"Zheng Shanci, you're off duty tomorrow," Yu Lanyi said, linking arms with Zheng Shanci.

"Tomorrow, I'll spend the entire day with you," Zheng Shanci said, gently squeezing Yu Lanyi's palm, full of affection.

"Great, then you better stick with me," Yu Lanyi said, his steps light.

That evening, as Zheng Shanci was about to eat his small fish, Yu Lanyi pressed against his chest, "When it gets colder, we'll stop doing this. It's too cold, I don't want to bother."

Zheng Shanci was momentarily taken aback, a bead of sweat from his hair falling onto Yu Lanyi's chest, making him shiver. The surroundings were still warm. The request made sense, but what about him? He usually only indulged during his days off, always restrained during work hours. He met Yu Lanyi's gaze, gently kissed his lips, and agreed.

From then on, they would continue even on workdays.

Zheng Shanci quietly made this decision and continued eating his small fish, stir-fried.

On their day off, after breakfast at home, they chose not to eat there. Lin Geer arrived with the child for a meal and only found Zheng Qingyin, asking, "Are Shanci and Lanyi not at home?"

"Second brother finally had some free time, he and his wife went out to play," Zheng Qingyin said, serving himself a bowl of red date chicken soup.

He appeared to be in good spirits. The textile factory had managed to secure orders even during these times, and the workers were unaffected. The locust disaster's impact on Xin Feng County's residents was far less severe than anticipated. Now, half a month later, life had returned to normal.

"That's true. When Duo Duo is older, I'll travel with my husband," Lin Geer said, feeling stifled. She hadn't been able to leave the child for the first year, so it had been two years since she last had fun.

Back in Qingxiang Village, Lin Geer and Zheng Shancheng would linger in the mountains while gathering firewood, sharing their thoughts and enjoying the breeze, feeling utterly content.

Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi went hiking. The autumn leaves had turned yellow, and there weren't many locusts left. Whenever they saw one, Zheng Shanci would step on it for Yu Lanyi.

"Zheng Shanci, locusts are terrifying," Yu Lanyi said, tugging at Zheng Shanci's sleeve, looking pitiful.

"Don't be afraid, I've crushed it," Zheng Shanci comforted Yu Lanyi softly, who then jumped into his arms. Zheng Shanci held his waist, feeling secretly pleased.

"It's all your fault for insisting on hiking. I'm scared of these bugs," Yu Lanyi complained.

"I'll chase them all away for you."

After walking for a while, Zheng Shanci got tired. He hadn't exercised in a long time, and his body couldn't keep up. Yu Lanyi walked ahead on the new stone steps.

Soon, he only heard his own footsteps. Turning back, he saw Zheng Shanci bent over, panting.

Yu Lanyi glanced lightly, "Zheng Shanci, you're too weak. Come on up."

Zheng Shanci looked up at Yu Lanyi, twenty steps apart.

Zheng Shanci straightened up and walked up the steps to Yu Lanyi, small beads of sweat on his forehead, his throat moving.

On this mountain, there was also a temple. Besides hiking, they came to visit the temple. Ever since hearing Ding Xuan's ghost stories, Yu Lanyi had started believing in Buddhism.

Zheng Shanci: "..."

He didn't believe in Buddhism, but his body was honest. Since they were here, they might as well pay their respects.

Yu Lanyi reached out and took Zheng Shanci's hand, "After we return to the capital, you should practice martial arts with my elder brother every morning, starting with horse stance."

Zheng Shanci felt a wave of despair. In the Great Yan Dynasty, attending court was equivalent to waking up at five in the morning in modern times. If he had to do horse stance, he'd have to get up at four, meaning he'd hardly get any sleep.

"I can exercise on my own; there's no need to trouble your elder brother," Zheng Shanci declined.

Zheng Shanci's hands were sweaty, but Yu Lanyi didn't seem to mind the sweat, holding on without hesitation. The two arrived at the temple, where a bald monk led them to worship the Buddha. Yu Lanyi asked where they could wash their hands, wanting to cleanse them before offering incense. Zheng Shanci also went to wash his hands.

Both knelt down with deep reverence to pray to the Buddha.

After making their wishes, the bald monk asked them to draw lots. Yu Lanyi donated five taels of silver (a significant amount of money) as an offering, and the monk looked at him more kindly.

Zheng Shanci was relieved to see that Lan Yi was being more careful with money.

Yu Lanyi drew the best possible fortune.

The monk interpreting the lots reached out, expecting Yu Lanyi to hand him the lot. Instead, Yu Lanyi turned his head with a bright smile and shouted, "Zheng Shanci, look! I got the best fortune! Come check it out!"

The monk had never seen such an energetic and enthusiastic worshipper. His eyelids twitched as he saw a young, handsome man walk over from the front of the Buddha, his presence commanding, with sparkling eyes and sharply arched brows—a truly impressive sight.