The lawsuit couldn't be filed today, so the four people dismissed by the clerk had no choice but to leave the magistrate's office.
"Village Head, I'm sorry you and Zhuzi had to make this trip," Liu Ming'an said, turning to the Village Head as they exited. "You can go back now. I'll write up the complaint myself and submit it tomorrow."
The Village Head hadn't expected their progress to be hindered by a single document. With no other options, he nodded in agreement and then consoled Liu Ming'an, "Don't worry, Ming'an. The county magistrate is an upright and honest official. Even if Zhao Qiang is the clerk's nephew, the clerk won't dare to cover for him with the magistrate watching. He'll see that justice is done for you."
Liu Ming'an smiled and said, "I know."
"Brother Ming'an, aren't you going back today? Where will you stay now that your house has burned down?" Zhuzi, who had been quiet until now, couldn't help but ask.
Zhuzi was the Village Head's grandson, a 13-year-old boy whose full name was He Di, but everyone in the village followed the Village Head's lead in calling him "Zhuzi."
Zhuzi's question made the Village Head worry as well. "That's right, Ming'an. Your house is gone. What are you going to do now? Why don't you come back to the village and we'll fix up your old place?"
Liu Ming'an shook his head, not saying much except, "Don't worry about me, Village Head. I've already made arrangements. Have a safe trip back!"
Knowing Liu Ming'an was a man with a plan, the Village Head didn't press further. He and Zhuzi simply said, "Well, we're off then," and headed back to the village in their ox cart.
Once the cart was out of sight, Liu Ming'an felt his stomach growl. They had rushed to Lingshan Town without even a sip of water, so he said to Jiang Ning, "Let's find a place to eat first."
Jiang Ning was hungry too, so she nodded and followed Liu Ming'an down another street.
Just as they turned the corner, Jiang Ning's pupils contracted slightly. She paused, pretending to pick something up from the ground while glancing behind them. A man in gray athletic clothes, who had been peering out at them, quickly ducked back behind the wall, hiding himself completely.
"This woman is indeed as formidable as Brother Hou said!" the man thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
He had hidden so quickly, surely he hadn't been noticed? Better head back now.
With this thought, he swiftly retraced his steps.
"What's wrong, Jiang Ning?" Liu Ming'an asked, puzzled by her sudden crouch.
Jiang Ning stood up, lowering her eyes. Her long lashes concealed the dark look in her eyes. "It's nothing. Let's go eat, I'm hungry."
Hearing this, Liu Ming'an didn't press further and led her to the noodle shop they had visited before.
As Jiang Ning followed Liu Ming'an, she glanced back. The end of the street was empty, and she no longer felt that sensation of being watched.
It seems he's gone back to the Gold Jade Hall, Jiang Ning thought.
She had clearly seen the man's face, though it was unfamiliar to her. But while she didn't recognize the face, she was very familiar with the clothes. They were unmistakably the uniform of the Gold Jade Hall's enforcers.
A faint murderous intent flashed in Jiang Ning's eyes. She thought she knew who had set that fire.
After they finished eating, Liu Ming'an took Jiang Ning to a small shop called "Hundred Knowledges Tower."
"This place may look small, but it's famous in Lingshan Town," Liu Ming'an explained to Jiang Ning. "Hiring, renting, buying and selling property, bartering, finding antique books and paintings, matchmaking... they do it all. Basically, you pay for information. They're like the 'Thousand-Mile Eye' and 'Favoring Wind Ear' of Lingshan Town."
Jiang Ning nodded, quite surprised. She hadn't expected such a "real estate agency" to exist in this era.
They entered the shop and paid fifty copper coins, saying they wanted to buy a house suitable for two people. In less than half an hour, Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning had a new home on North Street in Lingshan Town.
The previous owner of the house had reportedly gone to do business in another town, and after his business grew successful, he had settled there, leaving this house vacant.
When Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning went to see it, they found a modestly sized courtyard that showed signs of age. There were two bedrooms, a study, an outhouse, a kitchen, and a storage room. The courtyard had some flowers and plants growing in it, with a large porcelain vat in the center containing water lilies about to bloom, giving the place a serene and elegant atmosphere.
The Hundred Knowledges Tower representative said the house cost thirty taels of silver. Jiang Ning agreed without hesitation.
A house for thirty taels of silver, with only fifty copper coins as a "commission fee," and such good quality—what a bargain! It was so much better than those unscrupulous modern real estate agents!
They had a house now, but to live in it, they needed pots, bowls, ladles, and daily necessities.
For the next half day, Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an ran around buying everything they needed for the house. They spent nearly ten taels of silver in total, finally making their new home feel like a real home.
"Ah, money flows like water!" As evening approached, Liu Ming'an, having finished their errands, sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and sighed, looking at the remaining seventy-odd taels of silver in the box.
Jiang Ning sat on the other side, resting her chin on her hand as she poured a cup of water for each of them. "It's alright. Save where we can, spend where we must. Don't worry about it."
"I'm never as open-minded as you," Liu Ming'an said, taking a sip of water and smiling slightly at Jiang Ning's carefree attitude. "But it's good that we're living in town now. I can set up my stall every day."
"If you set up your stall every day, when will you have time to study? Aren't you still planning to take the provincial examination?" Jiang Ning immediately countered, then realized her words sounded a lot like saying, "If you play games every day, how will you get into university?"
Liu Ming'an laughed, "I've already memorized those books inside and out. But speaking of the provincial exam, I just remembered—if I pass, the magistrate's office will give me ten taels of silver. That'll be enough for us to live comfortably for a while."
Jiang Ning was surprised, "The government gives out money?"
She knew that in modern times, some places would give rewards to students who got into good universities, but this was ancient times. Weren't the ruling classes supposed to be trying to exploit the common people? Did they really understand such advanced concepts as "developing the country through science and education" and "strengthening the nation through talent"?
Liu Ming'an nodded. Seeing Jiang Ning's interest, he elaborated, "In the past, many scholars who passed the provincial exam couldn't afford to travel to the capital for the metropolitan exam due to poverty, so they gave up. Prime Minister Nangong, concerned about the future of the country, specifically petitioned the emperor. The enlightened emperor then established this rule of giving money to successful candidates, to ensure that more talented individuals could enter government service and serve the country."
"This Prime Minister Nangong is quite capable. This is indeed a good policy that benefits both the country and the people," Jiang Ning commented.
Liu Ming'an finished his water and stood up. "I'm going to write the complaint now. We've had a long day today, and we didn't sleep last night either. Let's try to rest early."
As Jiang Ning watched Liu Ming'an's back as he walked towards the study, she couldn't help but think about everything that had happened that day.
If it weren't for Zhao Qiang and that fire, she would have left a note and been gone by now. But now she couldn't leave—first because of Zhao Qiang's matter, and second because of the Gold Jade Hall issue. She needed to clear away all potential threats for Liu Ming'an. How else could she go to Quwater City with peace of mind?
Jiang Ning also stood up. Seeing the sky slowly darkening, she realized it was getting late. Time to make dinner.