our cowardice.""You... you... you, don't come any closer!" Zong Pingkang saw that not only was he unthreatened by his words, but he had even picked up the stick from the door.Suddenly, she was so frig...Fang Jinshu stepped forward and also tried to talk to the guards at the county government gate. The guard saw the iron pillar behind her and immediately frowned, looking impatient as he spoke.

“How is it you again!”

"Everyone said that the magistrate wouldn't see you lot, and you don't look like the type who could afford a mountaintop. Don't waste our time with this."

Fang Jinshu smiled. She was pretty, and good-looking people always had an advantage. The clerk immediately stopped talking.

“Officer, I heard from our village head that the government actually encourages common people to buy and cultivate wasteland.”

"Instead of leaving those idle lands barren, why not sell them to the common folk in need The government could generate income, and the people could grow more food for a better life. Isn't this a win-win situation"

"Why did the magistrate suddenly change his attitude and refuse to sell us the barren mountain"

Fang Jinshi spoke very tactfully and clearly. Although she was stating facts, her words were particularly pleasant to the ear, subtly enhancing the image of the government office.

One shouldn't strike a smiling person, let alone a beautiful woman like Fang Jinshu. Her words are also gentle and polite.

The clerk actually answered.

"Miss, you're absolutely right. The magistrate did indeed encourage the common people to buy and cultivate wasteland before. And the prices were very cheap."

"But now there's a drought, no water. The people can't even grow crops on the land they already have, so who would come to buy abandoned wasteland"

The county magistrate mentioned in passing that those who came to buy abandoned and uncultivated land at this time were all looking to capitalize on the disaster and the people's misfortune.

"In some places, if the government office faces financial pressure, it might sell uncultivated land, including good farmland, at a low price to people. But natural disasters will eventually pass. It's precisely when disaster-stricken people need land most."

"The magistrate said that he would rather forgo his achievements than assist the wicked, helping those unscrupulous merchants exploit the misfortune of the refugees."

Fang Jinshiu couldn't help but laugh and cry after hearing this. To think so much of the common people, he was indeed a good official.

“Officer, we really aren’t those kind of black-hearted merchants. Please show us some leniency and let us meet with the County Magistrate. I can definitely prove to him face-to-face that our purchase of this wasteland isn't just for our own benefit.”

Tie Zhu stood behind Fang Jinshi, already dumbfounded. He had tried hard before, but the clerk refused to say a word. Why could he speak so much when his sister-in-law arrived

He wasn't like this before, saying things like how could we possibly know what the magistrate was thinking.

The clerk hesitated for a moment, “Alright, I’ll go report to the magistrate. Whether he agrees to see you or not is beyond our say.”

Fang Jinxiu hurriedly nodded with a smile, "Thank you, officer!"

As soon as the officer left, she turned around and looked up, startled. The two men behind her were looking worse and worse.

"What's the matter with you two The constable agreed to report for us, which is a good thing. Why are you both making such sour faces"

Wang Tiezhu muttered, "Sister-in-law, why is this officer treating you so differently from me"

Fang Jinshi spread her hands, "I don't know."

Zong Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed Tie Zhu's collar, pulling him aside. "Don't smile at them anymore," he said.

The man scowled, and Fang Jinshu burst into laughter.

What a strong smell of vinegar, how cute is her Ah Yu.

Zongyu was serious, not thinking his words were at all laughable. He liked his wife and was willing to indulge her in doing anything she wanted.

Only he can make me smile so beautifully!

Zongyu had never made a move on Jingxiu before. Her smiling face hadn't even returned to its normal state when the next second she felt a hand on her chin.

He grabbed her entire chin, forcing her to lift her head, distorting the flesh on her face.

Fang Jinxiu was surprised, Zong Yu lowered his head and stared intently at her, you couldn't ask for more seriousness.

"No."

"Don't smile at other men the way you smile at me."

When he said this, his eyes were filled with possessiveness, which startled Fang Jinshu.

No other man dared to treat her like this; they would have been pierced by the silver needles in her hand, becoming paralyzed hedgehogs.

With her chin being held, she couldn't utter a single complete sentence, could only nod helplessly.

Zong Yu only then released her jaw, her gaze falling on her daughter-in-law's chin. Her fair skin bore several finger marks, slightly reddened from being pinched.

He gently traced it with his finger, and the pain in his eyes now was as intense as the ferocity just moments ago.

Fang Jinxiu deliberately extended her chin, "Look at you, being so jealous."

"If I could really buy the mountaintop, there would be so many times when I'd have to deal with outsiders. I couldn't just wear a straight face like you all the time, could I"

Zongyu's gaze shifted from her chin to her smiling eyes, "Hiring someone, Xiaoyue would be good."

Fang Jinxiu was a little surprised, she didn't expect that her A Yu actually understood the way to use people.

"Xiaoyue hasn't even been cultivated yet, so you're already thinking about having her take charge"

Fang Jinshu said this jokingly to Zongyu, but the man secretly took it to heart and appreciated it. As a result, Xiao Yue was so busy every day that she didn't get back to her room until the moon was high in the sky before going to sleep. When she lay in bed, she couldn't help but think about it.

She wondered what she had done to anger the master. Even if she was grateful for the kindness he and his wife had shown her, it didn't justify treating her so cruelly.

This is the rhythm of cultivating her into the second mistress. How many people can compare to a mistress's abilities and intelligence

After Dazongyu and Fang Jinshi returned home from the county town, Xiaoyue began to live a life of waking up earlier than the chicken and sleeping later than the dog.

Iron Zhu silently turned his head away. He was still a young man who hadn't settled down yet. For some reason, seeing Zong Yu's brother and sister-in-law so affectionate always gave him an indescribable feeling of melancholy.

Maybe, next time his mother wants to tell him about a wife, he should try taking over

Suddenly, Chunlan's face flashed through Tiezhu's mind, scaring him so much that he quickly shook his head. It was too terrifying.

It's still better to be alone. Getting married to a woman is truly terrifying.

How many people in this world are as lucky as Brother Ayou to have married a woman like Sister-in-law

The other clerks at the county office entrance also silently turned their gaze in another direction, wearing expressions of grief. What they were thinking remained a mystery.

The officer who went to report came out after a while. Fang Jinshu was about to greet him when Zong Yu gently pulled her arm back. This man who didn't usually speak actually took the initiative to step forward.

"Master Zhixian, please come in."

Wang Tiezhu was even more puzzled. Was this all he could do How could he ever face his sister-in-law again if he couldn't even accomplish this Wouldn't she think he was useless

Zong Yu nodded and thanked her, walking ahead of her with his wife's hand in his.

The constable led them to the back courtyard of the county office, which was just the time when the magistrate was resting after finishing his official duties.

After approaching, they could clearly see the magistrate's appearance.

A young man, about thirty years old, of medium build and slender frame, with a Facebook-like air, was quite different from the officials Fang Jinshu had imagined.

"Greetings, County Magistrate."

During his break, the magistrate was still holding a book and reading. He's really dedicated to his work.

"Master County Magistrate"

The clerk shouted again, and he only grunted in response. He didn't even raise his head and said directly.

"Give me a reason to sell you this barren mountain. How do you prove you're not swindlers"triarch was instantly in a panic, weighing the pros and cons, he felt that it was more worthwhile to divide the land.The drought has parched the land these days. Even the fertile fields are now as dry...