Royal Gold Magistrate

The long journey had left Fang Zheng exhausted.

He lay down on the familiar lounge chair in the back courtyard and quickly fell asleep.

He didn’t know how long he had slept before someone shook him awake.

Opening his eyes, he saw Xiao Tao looking at him with joy, saying happily, “Young Master, why didn’t you send someone to tell me you were back?”

Fang Zheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around.

He frowned and said, “Huh, I wouldn’t dare disturb your milk bath.”

Hearing Fang Zheng tease her, Xiao Tao grinned.

“I’m suffering hardships outside, while you’re living more comfortably than me here in the county!”

As he spoke, he noticed Bai Yi standing to the side like a quail.

She was originally fair-skinned, but whether it was because of the milk bath or not, she seemed to be glowing white.

However, she was shrinking back, hiding to the side and not daring to speak.

Seeing her like this, Fang Zheng sneered, “Why are you hiding? The bath money will be deducted from your wages!”

“Milk bath indeed! I wouldn’t be this white even if I were dead for three days!”

Bai Yi’s face immediately fell.

She had been feeling uneasy ever since Fang Zheng returned.

Having been a maid for a long time, she always had an indescribable feeling towards Fang Zheng.

A bit scared… and also inferior. She had tried to adjust her mindset several times but couldn’t.

Afraid of being scolded, and then having her wages deducted, sure enough… she was scolded again this time.

Xiao Tao glanced at her and quickly mediated, “No need, no need, I treated her.”

“Xiao Bai, you go out first. I need to talk to the Young Master.”

Bai Yi left as if granted amnesty, quickly fleeing the courtyard.

Seeing her leave, Fang Zheng stretched and said, “Give me a shoulder massage.”

“Has anything happened at home while I was away?”

“Has Xiao Bai shown any strange behavior?”

Xiao Tao crouched down to massage Fang Zheng’s shoulders and said puzzledly, “No, Xiao Bai is usually with me, shopping and buying things.”

“But she has no money, I buy everything for her.”

Fang Zheng sat up and looked at Xiao Tao sideways, “Wait, aren’t you both maids?”

“I always feel there’s something strange about Xiao Bai!”

Xiao Tao pushed Fang Zheng back down and continued, “She is a bit strange.”

“In the capital, she always liked to go to a cloth shop called Qian Sheng. I’ve checked that place, there’s nothing unusual about it.”

“I had someone follow her. Every time Xiao Bai comes out of there, she looks lost.”

“I guess… she probably wants to buy new clothes but has no money.”

“Young Master, you give her too little money.”

Too little? He gives her three taels of silver per month, and she’s not even from Taoyuan.

Fang Zheng felt he was being quite generous. Those ox and horse reporters under him only get one tael of silver per month.

A maid of unknown origin gets three taels a month.

Usually, she just cooks. She doesn’t even have to clean, as other maids are responsible for that.

Even if Xiao Bai is pleasant to look at, that’s not as good as silver!

“Where can you find a maid who spends twenty taels on a bath? You can’t find such treatment even in the entire capital.”

Xiao Tao rolled her eyes, “Well, I took a bath too. How about I give you the money back?”

“Huh! You’ve been by my side since you were little. I’ve raised you to this age. How can Xiao Bai be the same?”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng gestured to indicate height.

When he first picked up Xiao Tao, she wasn’t even as tall as his waist.

Malnourished, a skinny little snot-nosed kid, always clinging to him. There’s no difference from a real sister now.

In the blink of an eye, she’s grown into a young lady.

“I don’t care anymore. Everyone has some secrets. She’s your maid, you handle it.”

“This time, your Young Master has brought back a new batch of silver from outside. Go to the treasury and recount the silver, keep the accounts straight.”

“Also, you’ve become more and more wasteful while I was gone! From now on, you’re not allowed to spend more than 500 taels a month.”

Hearing this, Xiao Tao grumbled, “I got a discount card for the milk bath, 30 times for just 500 taels…”

“What! You think 500 taels is too little?”

Xiao Tao added a bit more strength to her hands and continued grumbling, “The monkey wine in the county was my idea. I earned 40,000 taels for the county! What’s wrong with spending a few hundred taels on a bath?”

So it was this girl who was behind it.

Fang Zheng coughed awkwardly a couple of times, then put on a stern face, “Cheating and swindling is shameful! Our county only does legitimate business. Don’t let it happen again!”

“From now on, just 500 taels of pocket money per month, not a bit more. If you want to spend more, earn it yourself!”

“Stingy!”

Fang Zheng laughed, “I’m stingy? Go ask around, who doesn’t praise me for my generosity and feel grateful to me?”

“I even brought you something nice this time.”

“What is it?”

Xiao Tao’s eyes lit up, and her hands stopped moving.

Fang Zheng casually pointed to a bundle thrown on the long chair in the back corridor.

Xiao Tao quickly went over, picked up the bundle and opened it, exclaiming with delight, “Wow! So many pieces of jewelry?”

“Pick a few you like and take them!”

Xiao Tao rummaged through it for a while, then said disappointedly, “Ugh~ It’s not as good as selling it for money.”

“Although many of these pieces are quite valuable, they’re not as pretty as the glass jewelry in our county!”

“Forget it, I’ll just pick a couple for Xiao Bai.”

Fang Zheng squinted at Xiao Tao, “I’m telling you… don’t let Xiao Bai fool you.”

“That’s impossible. Xiao Bai seems dull and silly, always spacing out alone. I guess she’s missing her parents.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her. It hasn’t been two years yet. If there’s any problem, I’ll tell you.”

“Hmm, alright then.”

Fang Zheng crossed his arms and stared blankly at the sky.

He thought back to the time before he transmigrated.

So many years have passed, he wondered if artificial intelligence had taken over the Earth, if humans had landed on Mars, if controlled nuclear fusion research had succeeded?

He wondered if his parents had received compensation after he worked himself to death at his job…

………..

Time flew by, and it was evening.

In the back courtyard of the county office, Li Yuanzhao, Zhang Biao, and others were gathered in the yard.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, reflecting in patches on the lotus pond in the back yard. Through the lotus leaves, one could vaguely see koi fish swimming in the water.

Insect sounds occasionally came from the flowers and grass, and a few small bonfires were lit on the ground for illumination.

The crackling sound of burning firewood was constant, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Several people sat around a large table, with many candles lit on it, filled with various delicacies and fine wines.

In the center was a small pig roasted to a fragrant, crispy brown, neatly divided, with rich meat juices visible between the cuts.

Everyone was eyeing the roast pig hungrily, except for Xiao Tao and Bai Yi.

A pig raised on bathwater? No thanks, they really had no appetite!

Fang Zheng, however, was quite eager.

In his previous life, he had heard of cows that drank beer and listened to music, but he had never eaten one.

Today, he could taste a pig that drank milk and listened to music?

Seeing everyone’s expectant expressions, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t be polite, everyone! Tonight, we drink until we’re drunk. Let’s eat!”