Love Lock

Chapter 40 Don't Get Yourself into Trouble
She had once lived a carefree life in a peaceful and prosperous country, and had only ever seen scenes of starvation and cannibalism on television. Today, however, she had personally witnessed the scene of people bowing down for a meal of meat, a scene that both saddened and shamed her.

The heartbreaking thing is that people in this era lived in extreme poverty, often going hungry and lacking proper clothing. For these people, this meal of meat was more than just a meal; it was a source of warmth and hope.

What she felt ashamed of was that, apart from the broth made with wild game, these delicacies weren't specially prepared for the people. They were the result of the cooks' repeated practice and accumulation of recipes. They were shared to avoid waste and so that people would spread the word after tasting them.

People behind her continued to push forward, and Han Lei's shouts were drowned out by the surging crowd. Fearing she would be pushed, Zhao Zun pushed her into the restaurant and told his guards and the county officials to quickly maintain order.

"Everyone line up, stop pushing!" Zhao Zun raised his hand to his mouth, made a megaphone shape, and shouted. "Anyone who pushes will not get food."

Zhao Zun's authoritative voice boomed like a bell through the noisy crowd, instantly drowning out the surrounding clamor.

The crowd gradually quieted down. Zhao Zun stood on the steps, glaring angrily. Those who met his gaze couldn't help but shrink back and consciously began to look for a place to queue.

“Uncle Luo, we need to find time to teach these people the rules. From now on, no matter what they do, they have to line up.” Seeing that the situation was under control, Zhao Zun turned to Luo Hai, who was standing next to him, and said.

“Alright, when we get to the wasteland tomorrow, we’ll train them in discipline first.” Luo Hai nodded, deeply agreeing. The scene just now, where they were about to snatch people, had startled him.

But after thinking about it, he felt relieved. He knew that these people rarely saw meat on their tables. If it were him, he might have crowded even more than they did! Besides, these people were all from his jurisdiction, and their miserable lives indirectly demonstrated his incompetence.

So he secretly prayed in his heart that Han Lei's plan could be implemented smoothly, that Qingshui County could develop, and that the lives of the people would be better.

The people below pushed and shoved each other into line, slowly moving forward. A row of young women standing behind the wooden tubs began serving food to everyone with spoons.

These women were all handpicked by Han Lei to work as waitresses in the restaurant; they were all homeless orphans. From then on, they would live and eat at the restaurant, which would become their home.

In ancient restaurants, waiters were all men, and Han Lei wanted to break that rule starting with her restaurant in Qingshui County. Now, the food was already excellent, and with these young female waitresses, the restaurant was sure to be a huge success.

Ancient women's clothing was cumbersome and dragged on the ground, making it difficult to walk. Han Lei distributed uniforms to the restaurant staff, and these waitresses, wearing modern restaurant uniforms, instantly transformed their demeanor. Not only were they more convenient to work in, but they also became a beautiful sight in the restaurant.

Hundreds of people were waiting to get their food, and half of the food in the wooden bucket was gone in no time, but there were still many people queuing behind. Zhao Zun quickly turned around and went into the restaurant.

"Girl, I'm afraid we'll have to ask the cook to prepare some more food; there's not much left outside. Besides, I see a few scattered beggars gathering this way in the distance," Zhao Zun said to Han Lei as he entered.

Han Lei was standing by the wooden door, peering out to observe the situation outside. She also saw the beggars gathering in the distance. Hearing Zhao Zun's words, she responded and quickly went to instruct the kitchen.

The aroma of the steaming food filled the air, attracting many beggars from the vicinity.

They were ragged and emaciated, staggering to the back of the crowd. Their eyes were fixed on the tempting food, and they swallowed hard. When the officials in charge of maintaining order saw them, they were about to drive them away, but Zhao Zun stopped them.

"Don't chase them away, let them join the queue at the back!" Zhao Zun shouted again, gathering his inner energy. "Yes!" the person maintaining order responded, directing the beggars to line up. "Quickly line up, line up, His Highness has been merciful, allowing you to join the queue at the back as well."

In the cold wind, the beggars, some leaning on canes, others carrying tattered bags, their faces filled with hunger and expectation. After lining up, they all knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhao Zun in the distance. Perhaps they knew that there were too many people and Zhao Zun wouldn't be able to hear them, but they still thanked him loudly.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness! Thank you so much, Your Highness!"

Watching this scene from the steps, Zhao Zun sighed softly, "Alas! When will the suffering in this world end? I only hope that this small act of kindness can bring them a little warmth!"

Seeing this, Luo Hai frowned slightly. "No wonder Miss Han is afraid His Majesty will say you're trying to win over the people. Zun'er, look at those beggars, they're all shouting their gratitude to the Prince for his great kindness. I hope your good intentions won't bring you trouble!"

"It doesn't matter, Your Majesty can think whatever you want!" Zhao Zun shook his head indifferently, turned around and went into the restaurant to have dinner, and Luo Hai followed him in.

What they didn't see was that two figures standing at the street corner also turned and left.

The two figures moved through the streets and alleys, finally entering a large mansion. Above the gate of the mansion hung a plaque with two large gilded characters: Wei Mansion.

In ancient times, only the residences of those who had obtained relevant titles could be called "fu" (府). For example, in the Song Dynasty of China, the houses of officials and princes could be called "fu".

The only official in charge of Qingshui County is the magistrate of Qingshui County. This family surnamed Wei is neither the magistrate of Qingshui County nor a prince, yet they still swagger around and hang the words "Wei Mansion" on their gate.

The owner of this house was named Wei Dabao, who was related to Prime Minister Wei of the capital.

This powerful family boasts a long history and profound heritage. Throughout the Great Jing Dynasty, they have consistently acted arrogantly and domineeringly, even commanding respect from the late emperor. Prime Minister Wei is the head of this powerful family in the Great Jing Dynasty, with its various branches forming a complex and intertwined network of relationships. This Wei Dabao family is a branch of the Wei family in the capital.

Prime Minister Wei is not only the emperor's tutor, but also the prime minister of the Great Jing Dynasty. With such a background, in this remote and inaccessible Qingshui County, who can do anything to him with just a sign that reads "Prefectural Governor" above his door?

When the two figures walked in, Wei Dabao was sitting in a rocking chair with his eyes closed, listening to the songstress sing.

"Master, Master, we've found out!" the two men shouted as they entered, then stood respectfully with their heads bowed before Wei Dabao.

"What are they doing?" Wei Dabao asked lazily with his eyes closed, his fingers tapping lightly on the table to the rhythm of the little tune.

"Those peasants returned in horse-drawn carriages, and they lined up in a long queue in front of the restaurant to distribute food."

"Demonstrate? Demonstrate what?" Wei Dabao opened his eyes a crack and glanced at the two men.

Red envelopes are being sent out! May all my book lovers have a prosperous 2025, with wealth flowing in every day! (Investment in this book is welcome.)
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(End of this chapter)