How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

"Master is currently on the river, so let's discuss this matter another day!" Old Qi said.

Young Master He's face darkened: "What? Am I, the magistrate of Qishan County, so indifferent to a major case where bandits shot and killed innocent villagers?"

"Exactly! An official who doesn't serve the people might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes!" Another young man said, "Seventh Young Master, why don't we go to the prefectural government and ask Prefect Chen to replace the magistrate!"

"How dare you!" Old Qi shouted in a deep voice.

His masterful demeanor immediately stunned the young man.

But Young Master He slammed his folding fan down in his palm: "Officer Qi, you're just an officer. I won't stoop to your level. You might as well relay my words to the magistrate: if this matter is handled unfairly, I'll go to Lingnan Prefecture in half a month and ask the prefect how a county magistrate should handle such a heinous crime... Let's go!"

He mounted his horse and rode away.

On the street, pedestrians bowed deeply...

Old Qi's face turned ashen, and he let out a long breath.

Zhou Wenju's voice came from beside him: "This is the seventh young master of the He family?"

"Yes, Seventh Young Master He Wen."

"Hexi Valley, what's going on?"

"The former magistrate, now Prefect Chen Zhang, did some terrible things. He gave the land cleared by the villagers to the He family with just a deed. Others worked hard to cultivate the land, but he just reaped the benefits. Just like you said earlier..." Old Qi shook his head slightly: "Second Young Master, let's go into the yamen. Madam lives in the backyard of the yamen."

The county government office was very dilapidated.

This is the norm in this era.

Why?

Because scholars who become officials always have to show something, the government offices have to be dilapidated when the people suffer, so that officials can show that they share the suffering of the people. Therefore, there is an unwritten rule in officialdom: officials do not repair government offices.

But the backyard is quite elegant.

Bluestone benches and paths, with large and small trees growing wildly on both sides, create a sense of elegance as they are arranged in a staggered pattern with the antique courtyard walls.

A middle-aged woman sat under the courtyard wall, doing needlework.

This is the mother of Zhou Wenju's physical body.

The former wife of a vice minister, now the wife of a county magistrate, has actually started doing needlework.

Old Qi's footsteps could be heard.

The lady looked up, and a maid washing clothes behind her also looked up. This maid was named Xu'er, and she was also in Zhou Wenju's memory. It was her elder brother who gave her this name, because this girl's life was like duckweed drifting in the wind...

The lady's eyes suddenly widened, and she abruptly stood up: "Wen'er!"

Zhou Wenju stepped forward and greeted her: "Your son greets Mother!"

bow.

The lady grabbed his shoulder: "Wen'er, you...you're back!"

"Yes!" Zhou Wenju looked at the pile of clothes in front of him: "Mother, why do you do all this needlework?"

"Since I'm just idling around anyway, I might as well learn something..."

Xu'er spoke up: "Second Young Master, don't you know? Since the master arrived here, he hasn't given us any food or drink. The madam has to do needlework to make ends meet and provide us with two meals a day in the backyard of the county government office."

Ok?

Even the imperial stipends are being cut?

This is just too much...

Old Qi sighed softly: "I know this. It's not that the higher-ups are cutting it, but rather that each prefecture has its own custom. Officials take their salaries from the people and deduct it from taxes. The local people are too poor, and the lord simply can't bring himself to do it."

My goodness, you pedantic old scholar, how am I supposed to comment on you?

Zhou Wenju took a deep breath, and a smile slowly appeared on his face: "Mother, don't worry, I just received a reward from Huding Mountain. Let it help you through this difficult time."

The lady's eyes lit up: "My son actually received a sect reward?"

Zhou Wenju placed the large bag on the stone table and untied it...

Gold and silver items, a pile of silver notes...

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief...

"Wen'er, this...this must be worth several hundred taels!" The lady's lips trembled slightly.

"Well, there are also some silver notes, totaling about seven thousand taels," Zhou Wenju said.

"What? Seven thousand... Wen'er, what a great service you've done for the sect!" The lady jumped up...

"Hmm... Mount Huding is a sect that refines artifacts. Mother, you don't know, the artifacts we refine are high-end items, people are willing to spend money on them." Zhou Wenju lied through his teeth without batting an eye.

Old Qi frowned, standing there half-believing and half-doubting.

He had just wanted to tell the second young master that, unless absolutely necessary, it would be best not to tell him the bad news of his dismissal as soon as they met, so as not to spoil the lady's mood.

The kid didn't mention this matter without being reminded.

He then produced seven thousand taels of gold and silver, and it was real gold and silver...

Huding Mountain is indeed wealthy, but really... giving such a large severance pay to expelled disciples?

He expressed his doubts...

It's important to know that in this world, ordinary people mainly used copper coins. Silver was a luxury item. Two taels of silver could basically buy a young virgin, and one of quite good quality at that.

With a whoosh!

It came from the backyard entrance.

Almost simultaneously with the sound of the wind, a woman's voice rang out: "Second Brother!"

Zhou Wenju suddenly turned around.

Then he saw a figure riding the wind, which turned out to be his sister, Zhou Shuang.

Zhou Shuang prefers military uniform to makeup.

In the capital, he was a street tyrant who would fight and roll his sword at the end of the street.

It is said that almost every official family in the capital had one or two such spoiled brats. His father was farsighted and kept him and his elder brother under strict control from an early age. He named them "Military Scholar" and "Civil Scholar" to constantly remind them that they were destined to pass the imperial examinations and should not be like those spoiled brats.

They basically did what their father wanted and weren't considered spoiled brats.

However, the father still forgot one person, and that was his daughter Zhou Shuang.

Zhou Shuang has become a spoiled brat...

Moreover, once they embark on the path of a spoiled brat, they never turn back.

By the time he realized something was wrong, this young woman had already gotten into seven or eight fights in the capital, earning the title of "female tyrant"...

At that moment, Zhou Wenju knew as soon as he got home that even though she had been exiled to the south, his sister's temperament remained the same as yesterday.

It rolled horizontally, and the banknotes on the table flew everywhere...

"Ah? My father has finally started embezzling! That's great, I knew he was always so clueless..." Zhou Shuang's eyes were glued to the gold, silver, and banknotes on the stone table, and she couldn't even take her time catching up with her second brother...

Snapped!

A sharp rap on the forehead struck her, and the lady glared angrily: "Stop slandering your father! Even if all the officials in the world are corrupt, he wouldn't be! This is a reward from the sect for your second brother's great service!"

"Sect rewards? How is that possible?" Zhou Shuang stared at the things on the table: "There's gold, silver, silver notes, gold jewelry... My God, there's even a silver belt! Have you ever seen a sect give out rewards like this? I highly suspect this is..."

"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand!" Zhou Wenju quickly interrupted, "You don't even know what the Master of Weaponry is like."

Zhou Shuang was stunned...

"The way of crafting weapons is to deal with cultivators from all walks of life! Cultivators get their money from all sorts of sources. Is it strange for a female cultivator to exchange her hairpin for a single slash? Is it a problem for a male cultivator to exchange his belt for a single sword strike? Don't be so naive!" Zhou Wenju scolded her, "Mother, you should put these away!"

The lady sighed deeply: "I don't care how much money it is, what I care about is that my son is promising and has received such a great reward from the sect. How can I express how much the sect values ​​him? If Wen'er can be so promising, even if I suffer in Lingnan for the rest of my life, I will be happy... Xu'er, go outside and buy some fish and meat, and brew a pot of good wine to welcome the Second Young Master!"

"Yes, Madam!" Xu'er took a piece of silver and went out excitedly.

Old Qi's gaze fell on Zhou Wenju, his face still showing suspicion.

"Old Qi, you stay too, accompany the Second Young Master for a meal and a couple of drinks."

"Yes, Madam!"

"Second Brother, come with me..." Zhou Shuang's gaze shifted slightly as she led Zhou Wenju into her room...

The door closed, and Zhou Shuang looked up: "Second brother, I'm giving you face in front of Mother. What are you going to do to thank me?"

"What?" Zhou Wenju frowned.

"Don't try to fool me! This pile of money of yours is 100% stolen! Tell me, which bandit hideout did you raid?"

Zhou Wenju's eyes widened.

Wow, this girl is really good at this...

Not only did it capture the essence of "robbery" through the chaotic composition of the valuables, it also precisely described the target of the robbery...

Zhou Shuang chuckled: "Your eyes betrayed you. It seems my bold guess was right... Hurry up and arrange some hush money for me."