Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 495: Besieged on All Sides (Part 4)
County Magistrate Su also took the main seat, taking the lead in drinking two sips of hot tea before putting down the teacup and looking around at everyone.

“Today, it’s rare for everyone to be here. We will have lunch in the backyard later. I have already ordered my wife to prepare the food, and everyone must eat and drink well…”

“Lord Su, Di didn’t come to have a meal today.”

Di Yelei interrupted Su County Magistrate’s words without waiting for him to finish. His expression was not good.

Recently, he has been going to the county government every day to deal with the armory.

In Macheng County, there have been no wars for nearly 30 years, so the armory has been left unattended for many years. When he took over, the wooden shelves that once held weapons had been eaten away by termites. Long spears without wooden handles were rusted, along with machetes, bows and arrows, crossbows, swords, halberds, forks, and iron chains. They were all badly damaged.

Such weapons can’t even kill chickens, let alone enemies.

He checked the archives repeatedly and had to admire Sisi’s foresight. Although he didn’t recognize many words, he could still understand the general idea.

The last time to record the armory was more than a decade ago.

The imperial court’s financial support for the armory had been received by Xin Quan before and had all been embezzled by him, but he couldn’t get a single dime from Xin Quan.

Today, when he heard that Su County Magistrate didn’t mention the main issue but talked about eating, he was furious and interrupted him immediately.

“Lord Su, you should know about Lord Xin’s matter. I’m not interested in the past events, but now that I am responsible for the armory, I can no longer let it be in such a state.”

BANG!

Across from him, Xin Quan put his teacup down heavily and frowned with a cold snort!

“You, surnamed Di, clarify what you mean, are you saying I am not like a sub-captain?”

Di Yelei glanced at him indifferently, thinking that it would be better to offend Xin Quan sooner than to save himself the trouble.

“I dare not. I am deeply grateful to the Imperial Envoy for appointing me to this position. Naturally, I must be loyal and do what I should do for the well-being of the people. I dare not waste this opportunity and disappoint the favor of the Imperial Envoy.”

As he spoke, he gave a fist greeting to the north.

Xin Quan’s face grew even uglier!

“Surnamed Di, don’t think that by mentioning the Imperial Envoy, I will be afraid of you! The armory was handed over to you as it was when I was responsible for it. I cannot bear your accusation.”

“Lord Xin, when dealing with the affairs of life, one must be worthy of the heavens, worthy of His Majesty, worthy of the common people, and worthy of one’s conscience! As the saying goes, man does and heaven watches. I don’t want to say more about it. Sir, you must hand over the funding recently granted by the imperial court!”

“Surnamed Di, don’t think that because you are bigger, I, Xin Quan, will be afraid of you! Let me tell you, the imperial court has not allocated any money this year. If you don’t believe me, you can go to the city and ask for yourself to see if what I said is true!”

“You… are talking nonsense. I saw the imperial funding allocated this year on the account books. This is public money, and you dare to embezzle it?”

“Hehe! Di Yelei, Lord Di, you can’t just talk nonsense without evidence! If you accuse me of embezzling the imperial grants, you better show evidence. If you can’t show evidence, don’t blame me for suing you for defamation!”

The two were glaring at each other, face to face, as if they wanted to swallow each other.

Upon seeing the situation, County Magistrate Su quickly got up to mediate, “Both of you, listen to me!”

Di Yelei looked back at the County Magistrate Su and softened his attitude. What he wanted was money, not anything else. If someone could mediate and get the money, he wouldn’t mind the process.

“I say, Di, listen to me. I do know something about this. Back then…”

County Magistrate Su glanced at Xin Quan, and led Di Yelei to the other side.

Left behind, Zhang Shixin looked at Xin Quan’s angry face and laughed!

On Liu Sisi’s side.

Upon entering the courtyard, Ms. Zhao saw Elderly Mr. Di leaning against the room door, watching the children play, with a touch of warmth on his old face, and she couldn’t help but choke up.

“Old man…”

Elderly Mr. Di was slightly stunned, and it took him a while to turn back and look at Ms. Zhao who had entered.

Ms. Zhao’s face had tear marks. She quickly walked over to him and looked at the children still absorbed in their play.

Ying’er led the children in playing hopscotch. She had learned the game after coming to the small town and played with her friends. Now, she was playing happily with several children, her face radiant with smiles.

“Back then, Dou and you were both this age, the first time I saw you, you were dragging Dou’s hand and following her, not willing to leave her side.”

Elderly Mr. Di slowly spoke, taking a long time to say a sentence.

He turned back and looked at Ms. Zhao, who was also lost in thought, his face showing an odd glow.

“Isn’t that the case? My family was poor at that time, so my mother would always send me to my cousin’s house to play. Although it was said to be playing, it was actually to save a few meals for my family. I saw you by accident that day.”

Ms. Zhao wiped her tears gently.

Elderly Mr. Di also fell into thought and didn’t interrupt Ms. Zhao’s words.

Ms. Zhao narrated her childhood memories intermittently: “…My cousin was very kind to me. At that time, I just thought how great it would be to follow my cousin for a lifetime. Until one year, you suddenly appeared. I didn’t understand what marriage meant at that time, but when my mother told me that you were the one who would accompany my cousin for life, I was inexplicably moved.”

A strange smile appeared on her face.

“She was really good to you, even better to you than me. But in the end, she was ruined by you. Why did you hurt her? Why? Tell me!”

Elderly Mr. Di suddenly knocked on his crutch and questioned Ms. Zhao.

There were tears in his eyes as he stared at Ms. Zhao, his face full of deep wrinkles.