The county government lobby is very lively today.

In the corridor, there is an endless stream of official servants serving tea and water. The threshold of the lobby is almost flattened, and occasionally a few unlucky people fall down.

The county magistrate, who has always been simple in style, suddenly entertained guests with great fanfare, so he naturally had to treat him well.

County government lobby.

Major foreign grain merchants who have been active in the Longcheng rice market recently, as well as twelve rural gentry and landowners who have been rooted in Longcheng for many years, gathered together.

Magistrate Diao County, Captain Yan, and the female master named Xie who often appeared next to the young county magistrate recently were all in the lobby, drinking tea with the guests.

But in the eyes of the grain merchants and squires present, two of the most important people were missing in the hall.

"Why didn't Master Liu come? Could it be that he didn't invite you..."

"Where is the County Magistrate? Didn't I say that I have something important to explain..."

There was a lot of chatter in the lobby.

Diao Xian Cheng stood up and said with a smile: "Everyone, please be patient. The Ming Mansion just had something to do. I'll be here soon."

Wang Caozhi and other grain merchants and a group of squires felt a little at ease.

However, due to Liu Ziwen's absence, some of the squires who came over at short notice looked a little embarrassed and exchanged glances, just when they were hesitant to find a reason to leave.

A bustling and busy figure broke into the lobby, went straight to the stage and walked to the koan table, grabbed the tea cup, raised his head and drank, wiping his mouth and sighing.

Like a person who is lost in the desert encountering sweet rain.

"Is everyone here?"

The lobby was quiet, and no one replied. They stared blankly at the strange dress of the young county magistrate:

He was not wearing official uniform, and he was a little dirty all over. One sleeve of his regular uniform was rolled up to half of his arm. He must have forgotten to pull it down before entering the door. There was a piece of white gauze wrapped around the middle finger of his right hand, and there was a faint trace of dry blood on the fingertip.

I don’t know why, as the magistrate of a county, I have to do all those dirty and tiring tasks all day long.

Some grain merchants and squires in the lobby muttered, but Xie Lingjiang, Yan Liulang and others were obviously used to it, and their expressions did not change.

"I just finished a small errand. I didn't expect everyone to come so early. By the way, there shouldn't be any lack of hospitality, right?"

It's still the young county magistrate's signature sincere smile and enthusiastic attitude... It's still the familiar recipe and familiar taste.

Everyone in the lobby had mixed reactions.

However, these days, Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li and others who have seen the young county magistrate's tricks can't help but shrink their heads, fearing that the young magistrate with a bright smile will "accidentally" slip the teacup in his hand and jingle from it.

Five hundred swordsmen and axemen jumped out from behind the lobby, swarmed over them, and chopped them into meat paste.

Then why are they so afraid? They still have to come today, because they are really forced to do nothing by the price of food. In addition, there is also food that shopkeeper Li lost and recovered, which gives people a hint of hope.

"No, no, no poor hospitality. Master Diao, Captain Yan, and Master Xie are all very welcoming. Coming to the magistrate's place is just like going home."

Wang Caozhi and everyone quickly waved their hands.

"That's good."

Ouyang Rong looked at them and smiled with relief. He didn't waste any words and directly ordered outside: "Ah Shan, go and bring up the food."

The tall, dull man who was waiting with his hands down outside the lobby immediately turned around and went out.

Not long after, everyone followed the gaze of the young county magistrate and looked straight through the open door of the lobby. Outside the gate of Longcheng County Government, there were ten carriages loaded with bulging rice bags, slowly stopping.

Ouyang Rong chuckled at the stunned shopkeeper Li in front of a room full of food and squires:

"Shopkeeper Li, would you like to go check it out? The nine hundred and twenty-one stones of fine rice you lost in the suburbs are all here."

He paused and looked apologetic: "Sorry, the speed is a bit slow, but I keep my word... In addition, I have personally criticized and educated the refugees involved in the case. Here, I apologize to Shopkeeper Li on their behalf.

."

"No need to apologize. No need to apologize. The county magistrate is too polite. The common people cannot afford it..."

Shopkeeper Li jumped up from his seat as if his butt was burning, waved his hands wildly, and turned around to get out of the way of the young county magistrate's salute.

A picture of officials, benevolent and filial to the people suddenly appeared in the lobby.

Shopkeeper Ma stared blankly for a while and stood up to ask, "Where's mine?", but Wang Caozhi, who had quick eyes and quick hands, quickly pulled him back.

He glared at Shopkeeper Ma.

You have a big stick, Shopkeeper Li has red dates, why are you joining in the fun?

The young county magistrate seemed not to notice the pull between Wang Caozhi and Shopkeeper Ma.

"Hey, shopkeeper Li has recovered the leftover food, why is he still looking sad? So are you gentlemen."

Ouyang Rong looked puzzled, shopkeeper Li was speechless, and Ouyang Rong turned to look at the grain merchants and squires in the lobby, who all looked embarrassed.

"Oh, right……"

Ouyang Rong's face suddenly dawned, and he quickly put the tea cup back on the table, showing the caring expression of a parent to all the guests:

"Is the recent food price issue in Longcheng bothering you?"

He sighed and nodded with concern for the people: "Five qian a dou, everyone worked so hard to transport it here... It is indeed too low."

The smiles on the faces of the foreign grain merchants and the local gentry who all sold grain at home became increasingly awkward.

"Everyone here, some are guests from afar, and some are law-abiding and good citizens of Longcheng. As the magistrate of a county, I not only care about the refugees, but also care about all of you, and treat them equally."

After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, he lowered his head to think, walked to the public case, and Xie Lingjiang helped him grind ink and lay paper.

He rolled up his sleeves, took out a pen with his middle finger wrapped in gauze, and asked directly in front of the entire audience:

"How much grain does Shopkeeper Li have that needs to be sold?"

Shopkeeper Li was shaken when his name was called.

All the grain dealers also twitched their lips. How much grain do we have in stock? I guess they are more familiar with it than the rats in the rice warehouse...

However, under the gaze of the young county magistrate, Shopkeeper Li still had to bite the bullet and said honestly: "Sir, forty... more than forty thousand stones."

Ouyang Rong's face was calm, he wrote down his notes, then raised his head:

"Where's the shopkeeper Mr. Wang?"

Wang Caozhi laughed awkwardly and did not dare to call his brother-in-law in front of Xie Lingjiang: "Your Majesty, it's about 40,000 dan."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and wrote it down again, then continued with his mouth.

"Where's Shopkeeper Ma?"

"More than fifty-eight thousand stones."

"Where is the head of the Cheng family?"

"More than seventeen thousand stones."

"..."

"..."

A certain young county magistrate had a very good memory. He called out the names of every visitor in the lobby. In the end, all but the Liu family were interrogated.

He lowered his head and looked at the paper and raised his eyebrows, "Hey, everyone together has almost three hundred thousand dan to store food, which is enough for all the people in Longcheng County to live in vain for three years without doing anything."

Even though they were very thick-skinned, everyone still looked a little embarrassed when Longcheng's parents told him in public. They coughed and tried to explain, but suddenly there came a light word from the young county magistrate.

"Okay, I want them all."

"..."

The whole place was silent.

Seemingly seeing some grain merchants shaking their legs and some squires turning around to run away, Ouyang Rong realized something and explained softly:

"If you give me money, you won't do it for free."

There was an explosion in the lobby.

Everyone was talking:

"The county magistrate wants them all?"

"Why does the magistrate need so much food?"

"Are you serious? Give me money, how much?"

"Lord County Magistrate, please stop teasing us..."

Ouyang Rong rubbed his temples, as if he had a headache due to the noise. He stretched out his right hand, and the junior sister thoughtfully handed over the gavel. The grain merchants and squires in the audience immediately shut up obediently.

Ouyang Rong glanced sideways at the quiet crowd and nodded:

"I'm not kidding you.

"And on behalf of the county government, I will give you a fair price, eight qian per dou."

As soon as the price of the last four words was reported, the lobby was shocked into silence. Everyone stared at the young county magistrate holding up the rice paper with the record of 300,000 shi of grain in both hands, lowering his eyes and blowing on the wet ink. He chuckled.

:

"I want all the 300,000 stones on paper, and you can handle the rest by yourself. By the way, the time is until dinner, so everyone should think about it carefully."
To be continued...