amaotonovel Chapter 419 Good Official
Chapter 419 Good Official
Chapter 419
"You are too polite, Lord Qin. If I really need you, I will come to you. I hope you will not find me bothering you."
Qin Chuan's brows relaxed, and he smiled brightly: "If the young lady can use me, it will be a blessing for me. How can it be considered a bother?"
The two exchanged a few polite words. Qin Chuan noticed the fatigue in Luo Shuiyao's face and said, "Since that's the case, why don't I take the young lady back to rest quickly?"
As he spoke, he turned and looked to the side. Chong Xing was standing not far away, leading a horse, and next to her was another horse leisurely eating grass. It was the horse Qin Chuan rode when he came.
He looked at the two horses, then at Luo Shuiyao: "Miss, if you don't mind, you can ride my horse."
How could Luo Shuiyao have the nerve to let him walk? Besides, the people ahead had already gone far away. She really couldn't bear to let a county magistrate walk. So she quickly declined: "No need to bother. I'm not a good rider. I can just share a horse with you."
Who was Qin Chuan? He had achieved the top spot in the imperial examination at a young age, and in just three years, he had transformed a once unremarkable county into a renowned destination. He was no ordinary scholar. He naturally understood Luo Shuiyao's concerns, and then smiled lightly, not forcing her. "Then let's go together. I'm really worried about leaving you two weak women here."
His attitude was gentle and his words were heartwarming. Luo Shuiyao understood his good intentions and no longer refused. She nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble County Magistrate Qin."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan stopped being polite and nodded and smiled as a response to the other party's thanks, then walked towards the horse.
Chun Xing had already heard the conversation between the two. When she saw Luo Shuiyao coming over, she immediately led her horse forward and said, "Miss, please get on the horse quickly. I will help you."
Since leaving the Marquis' Mansion, Luo Shuiyao hadn't neglected horseback riding. She'd practiced a few times, so mounting a horse should have been a breeze. However, the horse before her was much taller and larger than the pony she'd ridden before, and getting on was quite a struggle. Fortunately, Chun Xing lent a hand, and she was able to successfully get on the horse.
Then Luo Shuiyao stretched out her hand: "Come up too." Chun Xing did not refuse. She put her hand into Luo Shuiyao's palm, and with the help of her force, she pulled. Then the master and servant rode together.
Qin Chuan had been watching them from behind. Seeing that the master and servant were both firmly seated on their horses, he took two steps back and walked to the horse that was grazing. He reached out and pulled the reins, gently stroked the horse's mane, and said, "Okay, big horse, we should go back."
The big horse hummed twice from its nose, as if responding to him, and seemed to really understand what he said. It raised its head and stopped eating the grass, but kept chewing in its mouth.
After Luo Shuiyao sat down, she heard a sound and turned around curiously. She saw Qin Chuan exerting light force and straddling the horse neatly, seemingly effortlessly.
Qin Chuan mistakenly thought she was interested in his horse, and explained with a smile, "I'm really not good at naming. This horse was still young when it followed me. I was hoping it would grow up quickly, so I named it 'Da Ma'. Please don't laugh at me, young lady."
"Of course not. 'Da Ma' is also a good name." Luo Shuiyao was indeed a little surprised by the name he chose for the horse. In her opinion, Qin Chuan looked very refined and elegant, but she didn't expect him to choose a name so casually. However, she didn't think it was vulgar.
Chun Xing, on the other hand, stared at the horse curiously for a while, then looked at the handsome Qin Chuan with an obvious smile in the corner of her eyes.
Qin Chuan did not think Chun Xing was rude. Instead, he nodded and smiled at her, then said, "Miss, go ahead. I'll follow."
"Okay, thank you very much." Luo Shuiyao responded, then told Chunxin to sit well, raised the whip, and the horse galloped forward.
Because the road was slippery, the horses were not running fast. Qin Chuan was always five meters behind them. No matter how fast or slow the horses in front ran, he always kept a suitable distance from them.
Chun Xing glanced back at Qin Chuan, then leaned close to Luo Shuiyao's ear and whispered with a smile, "Miss, this county magistrate is quite a gentleman. Look, he's so cautious. He must be afraid that we might fall off our horses, so he's protecting us."
Luo Shuiyao looked back at Qin Chuan, and her eyes met his star-like eyes.
For some reason, she felt a surge of unease, as if she were peeping at someone else. While she was indeed watching him, being caught red-handed still felt awkward. She pursed her lips and smiled, feigning composure as she turned her head away. She whispered a rebuke to Chun Xing, "Don't talk too much. Return as soon as possible. Baihua County has suffered such a devastating disaster, and there are so many things to do nearby. Don't delay Magistrate Qin from handling his official duties."
Luo Shuiyao's prediction proved correct. The few of them galloped their horses, quickly catching up with the group ahead. After entering Baihua County, Qin Chuan reined in the reins, bowed and said goodbye to them, then whipped his horses with the yamen runners and galloped towards the county magistrate's mansion.
As the county's chief minister, facing such a natural disaster, the burden on his shoulders was as heavy as a mountain. He had to do more than just rescue the people from the dire situation. He had to comfort the anxious villagers, properly address the numerous hidden dangers left by the disaster, and urgently repair the roads that had collapsed and collapsed due to the floods... A myriad of tasks lay before him, each one requiring his careful planning and management. With such a heavy burden on his shoulders, he had no time to linger, and he had to race against time to meet the expectations of the people.
Unlike the travelers who were merely stopping briefly in Baihua County, the villagers here showed their love for Qin Chuan beyond words. They all stopped and waved to him, their eyes filled with trust. Only when his figure faded into a blurry black dot in the distance did the villagers slowly withdraw their gaze, their steps heavy as they walked, whispering to each other. "Hey, tell me, God, why can't you see us living a good life?"
An old man looked at the dark clouds hanging low in the sky and sighed heavily. "Our Baihua County has finally prospered under the leadership of County Magistrate Qin, but how could we be hit by such a devastating natural disaster?"
"Yes!" The woman who had been crying earlier had calmed down a lot, but her face was still full of worry. "Those flower fields were destroyed by the flood. I don't know how we're going to get by this year..."
When everyone heard this, they all sighed, and the heavy atmosphere was like a leaden cloud, making it hard to breathe.
Luo Shuiyao listened to their discussion and keenly grasped the story behind it—it turned out that Baihua County hadn't always been so prosperous. To break the oppressive atmosphere, she took the initiative to ask, "We're just passing through here. We've always heard people say that Baihua County is in full bloom, famous throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, but we don't know when this magnificent scene first began. Auntie, why don't you tell us more?"
The woman remembered Luo Shuiyao's earlier offer of help, and seeing her sincere inquiry, she put away her worry and slowly said, "County Magistrate Qin arrived in Baihua County three years ago. I heard he was the top scholar in the imperial examination! I don't know why he didn't stay in the capital to become a high official, but his presence here is a blessing for our Baihua County."
"In the past, this place wasn't called Baihua County, but Baihua County. Although it wasn't far from the imperial city and life was bearable, it wasn't as prosperous as it is today. Ever since County Magistrate Qin arrived, he's been building houses, paving bridges and roads, and persuading everyone to convert their farmland to flower planting. He's been sending people to the capital frequently to find sales for us. Baihua County's current prosperity is entirely thanks to Lord Qin! He's our great benefactor!"
"Yes!" someone in the crowd took over with tears in their eyes. "How lucky must we be in Baihua County to have such a good official like Lord Qin! He considers us people in everything we do. No matter how big the problem is, as long as he's around, he can always find a way to solve it. It's hard to find such a dedicated official who serves the people!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, sighs and exclamations mixed together, their words full of gratitude and respect for Qin Chuan.
Hearing these words, Luo Shuiyao's respect for Qin Chuan deepened. She had initially assumed he was just a talented young official, but she hadn't expected him to be such a character—a cheerful and easygoing man, thorough and thoughtful, capable of shouldering important responsibilities while also deeply caring for his people like his own children. People are diverse, and it's difficult to please everyone. To be praised by all the people is a testament to his exceptional ability and virtue, a man far superior to the average person.
She was also a commoner. Since ancient times, most common people respected good officials, and she was no exception. Luo Shuiyao looked at the direction where Qin Chuan was going away, and her eyes unconsciously showed a little more admiration.