Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 511: Be a Pragmatic and Good Official

Lu Lang was now more relaxed, and his speech became clearer. He smiled and said, "If we have any questions in the future, we must speak up in person."

"Don't keep it to yourself, it's easy to misunderstand."

Shen Yu smiled and nodded, "So that's it. Okay, then we have a deal. If you have any concerns or questions, you must not hide them."

“Although we may have different opinions, we should respect each other’s ideas.”

After she finished speaking, she giggled and asked, "Mr. Lu, I actually have a question that I can't figure out. Now I'm asking you, please don't be angry."

Lu Lang hurriedly said seriously: "Of course, we have already agreed on this. Do you want to high-five as an oath?"

Shen Yu smiled and waved his hand, "That's not necessary. I will naturally believe what you say."

As she spoke, she wentssiped, "I've never understood why you gave up your good job as an official in Beijing and came here to serve as a county magistrate?"

"Your father's term of office has not yet expired. Is it true that he was promoted just by providing relief to disaster victims?"

"Is it so easy to get promoted here?"

She smiled sheepishly: "I don't mean anything else, I'm just curious."

"I've been thinking about this question for a long time, but I can't ask anyone else, so I'm waiting for you to explain it."

Lu Lang didn't expect Shen Yu to ask such a serious question. Looking at her determination to get to the bottom of the matter, he couldn't help but laugh.

He thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, my grandfather also asked me this question."

"Why did you give up the promising Imperial Academy and come to Anping County to be a small county magistrate? Father has done a good job in the past six months."

Shen Yu nodded and agreed: "Yes, after you left, although the county magistrate was not very diligent, he did handle government affairs well."

"During the spring and summer flood season this year, it was all thanks to the county magistrate's willingness to step up and help. Otherwise, Anping County would not have been able to get through the flood season safely this year."

Lu Lang shook his head: "Father only loves music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He is a very casual person."

"It was only because of my grandfather's push that I came to Anping County to be the county magistrate."

"If my grandfather hadn't chosen two capable advisors, my father would have been scolded by the people for being the magistrate of Anping County."

"Now is the perfect opportunity for us to take advantage of the people's umbrella to give my father. Why don't we stop while we are ahead and continue to embarrass my father?"

"Now he has gone to the Taichang Temple to serve as the Doctor of Music. On a daily basis, he only needs to manage the ritual music used during festivals."

"I don't have to be responsible for the people, my name sounds noble, my grandfather can save face, my father can live a comfortable life, and I don't have to live apart from my mother. Isn't this great?"

Shen Yu seemed to be thinking about something, and then he heard Lu Lang continue, "It's good to work in the Hanlin Academy."

"But after spending some time with my father in Anping County, I deeply felt that if I wanted to be a good official, I had to start as a county magistrate who had the closest contact with the people."

"Only by understanding the sufferings of the people and personally seeing and experiencing their lives can we better care for the people, rather than reading thick documents every day in the Hanlin Academy and using imagination to understand the sufferings of the people."

At this point, Lu Lang said with some worry, "I chose to be a minor local official, and gave up the better future and faster promotion to the Beijing official. You won't despise me for having no future, right?"

"Don't worry, I won't always be a seventh-rank county magistrate."

Shen Yu was somewhat moved. She knew that Lu Lang usually had the temper of a nobleman.

The son of an aristocratic family, he was brought up well and had no real contact with the people at the bottom of society.

Unexpectedly, helping the county magistrate in handling the affairs of the county government in Anping County would allow him to realize that it is indeed not easy to be a good official who truly does practical things for the people.

She immediately expressed her sincere feelings: "How could that be? You can think this way and want to be a pragmatic official instead of just thinking about your future. I really admire you."

"Really?" Lu Lang felt as sweet as honey in his heart when he received Shen Yu's praise. His face immediately lit up and he became happy like a child.

The two were chatting happily when they saw Qi Xi peeking at the door.

Shen Yu saw it at a glance, and greeted him with a smile: "Qi Xi, come in quickly."

Lu Lang felt that he was interrupting their conversation, and said unhappily, "Why are you acting like this? What's the matter?"

Qi Xi secretly made a face at Shen Yu and said to Lu Lang, "Master Liu sent someone over. There are some matters at the county government office, and they are waiting for the young master to go back and deal with them."

Lu Lang was about to ask more, but Shen Yu stood up with a smile and said, "It's getting late. If you have something to do, Mr. Lu, go and do it. It must be something important, otherwise Master Liu wouldn't have sent someone to chase you here."

Lu Lang had no choice but to stand up and say, "Can I come over for dinner another day when I'm free?"

Shen Yu smiled and nodded, "Of course. If you want to come over in the future, it's best to let Qixi come over and tell us in advance. Just order whatever you like."

Qi Xixi smiled happily, rushed forward to salute and said: "Thank you, young lady. It's better to go back to Anping County. We will have a good time again."

Lu Lang looked at Qi Xi and said with disdain, "I can't keep you as a slave anymore. Have you been starved in the mansion?"

"Fortunately, Miss Shen knows your background, otherwise she would think that I treated you harshly."

Qi Xi was used to being scolded by Lu Lang, so she smiled shamelessly: "Since the young master and the young lady are a family from now on, I will just tell the truth."

"The food in the mansion is not as delicious as the food in the girl's house."

"This time when I went back, I ate the food my father cooked, but it wasn't as delicious as before. I guess I was used to eating delicious food at the girl's restaurant, so I didn't feel used to it when I went back."

Shen Yu knew that Qi Xi was joking, but he couldn't help but laugh out loud at his amusement.

Lu Lang's face, which was pretending to be angry, could no longer remain tight, and he smiled with the corners of his mouth curled up.

A few days passed like this, and in the blink of an eye it was early August.

During this period, Lu Lang came to have dinner again. After dinner, he was busy with work, so he didn't say a few words to Shen Yu and hurried back.

On the second day of August, the weather was clear and the air was as cool and refreshing as in early autumn.

Early in the morning, Li was looking around at the door of the restaurant, looking uneasy.

Shen Yu felt strange, so he stood beside Li and looked at the street market.

After looking for a while and not seeing anything, he smiled and asked, "Mom, what are you looking at? You are so engrossed in it."

Li was originally staring at the street in a daze. Shen Yu had been standing next to her for half a day, but she didn't notice him. When he suddenly asked her, she was startled.

Li smiled and said, "How come you walked without making any sound? When did you stand next to me? You suddenly made a sound and scared me."