In mid-August, Jiangnan, especially in the afternoon, the sun is on fire, the ground born of heat waves, heaven and earth like a steamer.
In the world in the steamer, villages scattered, in a semi-circle arching a small county, barely counting the city.
Small county circumference of six kilometres or so, the city wall is not high, looks about five metres, than the wall of the rich and powerful families in the city are not much higher. The wall is built of earth, white grey masonry, due to the rainy south of the Yangtze River, small county and near the coast, more rain, the weather and tide, the wall is quite a few places are rain soaked and damaged, dilapidated and worn out.
There are four gates in the small county, the east gate named Yingxi Gate, the south gate called Guanlan Gate, the west gate called with Fen Gate, the north gate called Wangyue Gate, each gate outside the urns, but the urns are even more dilapidated than the city walls.
For the livelihood, life of people running in and out of the city gate, out of the urn doorway, an exposed sun, all feel like being roasted by fire. Even wearing a hat, neck with a wet towel, can not help but sweat, can not help but open the chest, with a hand pulling the clothes up and down, fanning, sweating more than.
The old and dilapidated city gate, this time only let people stay.
“This doggone heaven, no no no, too hot, or rest, wait for the sun to deviate a little before going down.”
“Go, go to the root of the wall under the rest, this field is not urgent this time, this day heat can be sunburned people into jerky, this time to go down to the ground is allowed to heat out of the disease, we if the sun is bad, then the family’s mother-in-law and baby who care ah.”
“Hahaha, Liu Laosan, my home is living next door to your home, if you heat bad, your mother-in-law, I help you look after.”
“Roll, put your mother’s fart, is you Zhang Laowu heat bad, I’m also fine. Your mother-in-law, I help you look after, guaranteed over it ten months, you have another big fat boy, hahaha ……”
Outside the North Gate Wang Yue door, a line of five or six open chest shoulder with a hoe of the Hanzi, really can not stand the burning sun, laughing and coming to the root of the city wall, looking for a piece of shade, the hands of the hoe on one side, sitting on the ground, while tugging at the clothes and fanning, while laughing and joking and scolding.
Crop men are like this, vulgar meat words you come and go, labouring days added a lot of fun.
“Hehe, you guys see, in that pavilion in front, isn’t that our county minister? Last time our village next to the Zhangwang village east of that Liu cripple his sister is not married to him as the third concubine, his sister was picked up the day, I happen to be in the Zhangwang village blacksmith shop that repair hoe, I saw, it is him, Zhangwang village village is nodding in front of him like a grandson. And the one next to him, that must be our county’s chief minister, and the one next to him, isn’t that the county’s famous squire Zhang Laozi, and that one, that one is the county’s head constable, and that one, that one, good boy …….What day is it today? Why are all the dignitaries of Jingnan County running out of town to bask in the sun? Usually these big lords, we can’t see once a year, why are they all gathered together today? Don’t you mind the heat?”
When a man sat down to rest his feet, he saw a lot of people gathered under the pavilion in the distance, and the sharp-eyed man recognised the county minister among them, and shouted in surprise, and then recognised several others, all of whom were big names in their Jingnan County, and could not help but be curious.
“Hehe, it s really true, the one fanning by the pavilion I know, that is our town Wang s member ……What’s going on here, these people are either officials or rich, anyway, they are all dignitaries, why are they all running here? This is to do what?”The man next to him reminded by him, also staggered up, he recognised the crowd of the wang magistrate, that is the most dignified person in the countryside.
“What is this?”
“These dog days, what bad water are they up to again?”
The other resting hans also found out, one by one, they were curious and surprised to speculate.
“You guys this will not know right? Oh ……”
Next to the crop han there was an old man in a long coat who was also sitting under the wall to cool off, hearing the han’s words, he stroked his beard and laughed.
“You’re Yao Lao, I recognise you, you’re the man of understanding in Dayao Village, you’re the one who takes care of all the red and white events in the village. My daughter-in-law is from Dayao village. You’re very knowledgeable, tell us what’s going on, why are all the dignitaries from Jingnan County here?”Among the crop men, someone recognised the old man in long clothes, knowing that he was the understanding man of Dayao village, having studied for a few years, although he didn’t pass the exams for anything, he knew more than the crop men, and was recognised by the village as being knowledgeable, and the village would look for him to ask for advice on anything.
“So it’s Yao Lao ah, we have also heard, you give us to say say, save us open-eyed blind guess. If we don’t know why this is such a big deal, we’ll be so bored that we won’t even be able to sleep when we get back.”
The other croppers followed suit, asking Yao Lao to tell them.
“Oh, well, well, then old man will give you guys a talk, so that you won’t be laughing.”
Yao Lao stroked his beard and laughed, he loved this feeling of being surrounded by people, being asked for knowledge, and being made the centre of attention.
“Thank you Yao Lao.”
The crop farmers gathered around, one curious little look in their eyes.
“I also learnt about this news from my old friend, Oracle Zhang, which is why I’m sitting here waiting to open my eyes.”Yao Lao swept a glance at the crop hans, satisfied with their curious eyes, stroked his beard and started to say, “Today, it’s the day that our Jingnan County’s new governor, the Grand Master, is going to take office. So, the officials, bureaucrats, oracles, instructors, officials, students, and local officials, merchants, and elders, all have to go out of the city to the reception pavilion to receive the new governor into the city.”
“Huh? The day when the new governor’s grand master takes office?”Each of the crop farmers had their mouths wide open.
“Ran also.”Yao Lao nodded.
“Another one to send to death, what’s there to think about ……”A crop han smacked his lips and floated out a sentence with a bit of gloating.
“Nonsense.”Yao Lao twisted his head and glared at him.
“Yao Lao, I’m not talking nonsense, our county has had seven governor lords die in these five years.”The crop man scratched his head and muttered, “It’s only been eight months this year, and already two governors have died.”
“What do you know!”Yao Lao once again glared at him, “What do you mean by governor, a governor is a parent official, what does parent official mean, a parent official is the parents of our people, can you curse your parents behind your back?!”
“I also know that the governor is our parents, but not some of the governor when it’s not a thing, not a little bit of parents. On that death of the first governor, he that is to judge the case, he is to judge the money, who gave him more silver, he will judge to who. Liu Laoshi why fight with him, but not his case, we have seen with our own eyes, Liu landlord robbed Liu Laoshi’s daughter-in-law, but also Liu Laoshi to beat a half dead, but because Liu landlord to the dog magistrate stuffed silver, magistrate on the open-eyed Hu judge, said what is Liu Laoshi’s daughter-in-law seduced the Liu landlord, Liu Laoshi blackmail Liu landlord, the landlord hit him in self-defence, Bah ……!Liu Laoshi has been honest all his life, and killing the dog magistrate was also forced.”The cropped man was a little unconvinced.
“Yes, there is that flat rebellion was killed by the Miao barbarians that governor, he usually know to fish for money to play women, he which is flat rebellion was killed ah, he is clearly drinking and playing women, immediately wind dead, the above afraid to lose talent said flat rebellion died …….The only bully outside people don’t know, we Jingnan who don’t know ah.”Next to the crop man also followed, “And, forget it, the other will not say, it is not easy to come to a not so greedy not so bad, the result of the death of a faster, how to die are not found out ……”
“Catching wind and catching shadows, don’t talk nonsense if you don’t have evidence, be careful of the trouble coming in from the mouth.”Yao Lao glared at them once again.
“We know, we are not talking to your old man, we are life is not good, did not spread on the good governor, we next door next door Chunan County, people that Hai Ruihai governor how good ah, simply is the Baochengtian in the world, mentioned the sea governor, that does not give a thumbs up ah.”The crop man envied the people of Chun’an County, envied them a good governor.
Hearing the crop man mention the sea governor, Yao Lao also can’t help but be a little lost in thought, some of the bottom of the air, “Perhaps our this governor is a good governor.”
“Good governor, heh ……”The crop man laughed and shook his head, not hopeful about what Yao Lao said.
“Look, the new governor is here ……Hehe, so young ah ……”
Suddenly, at this moment, there was a commotion in the crowd, all of them getting up and pointing towards the front.
In the distance, a carriage, escorted by six riders, stopped in front of the receiving pavilion. A teenager lifted the carriage door curtain, wearing a governor’s official uniform, appeared in front of the crowd, dusty, with a naive smile on his face.
