After everyone had answered, the advisor stopped writing, handed the record book to Dong Miao after whispering a few words, and then took his leave.
After about half a cup of tea's time, the accountant came in carrying silver and the account book.
He began distributing this month's salary to the village heads, recording the amounts and having them confirm by pressing their fingerprints.
When that was done, Dong Miao saw that it was already past noon.
She personally led the village heads to the backyard where seats had already been prepared.
Dong Miao didn't change into casual clothes. Still wearing her dark blue official robes, she no longer carried the stern expression from the earlier meeting. Instead, she now smiled warmly, chatting with the nearest village heads, asking about their harvests, and giving appropriate suggestions.
For a while, the atmosphere was very friendly.
Julie followed behind at a slow pace.
Before coming, many of the village heads were anxious.
They were worried the new magistrate might be even harder to deal with than the last.
After all, if someone is bad-tempered and greedy, it's the people under them who suffer.
It's not a high-ranking position, but even a slightly higher rank can be oppressive.
Now that Dong Miao had taken office, she didn't act arrogant or overbearing.
Her attitude was polite and respectful. Whether it was sincere or not, at least the side she showed made people feel at ease and increased their goodwill.
People are always afraid of comparisons.
Sometimes it's not even you comparing yourself to others — the observers will do it for you.
With Wei Zhen's past of being greedy, lustful, and neglecting duties, naturally, Dong Miao seemed better by comparison.
She now appeared as a righteous official who served the people.
The village heads felt relieved and began to speak more freely.
Some were honest and answered questions directly.
Some tried to flatter and curry favor, afraid others would get ahead of them.
Others made plans to visit privately another day.
Some just stayed in the background, acting like tools.
When Dong Miao was just an advisor, they treated her with respect, but not necessarily with deference.
Now that Wei Zhen was out and Dong Miao was in power, she represented both the present and the future.
Naturally, some tried to build a good relationship with her, hoping for smoother paths ahead.
Julie didn't join their lively exchanges.
They had their own circles and ways of living. She had her own goals, and she was content with things as they were.
The group quickly sat down at the dining table. Dong Miao didn't ask anyone to accompany her personally.
She had learned from past experiences to be extra cautious in this area.
It wasn't that she had no interest in men.
But she wouldn't let men affect her career or future.
In her backyard, she had a main husband and one companion. When she felt troubled or stressed, she would go see them.
It helped her calm down and ease her worries.
Men didn't take up a big part of her life.
She was still young and wanted to work hard and build her position while she still had the energy.
Later, when she was older and couldn't work as much, she could retire gracefully.
Julie sat down last.
She was far from Dong Miao's seat, next to Gong Yun.
Gong Yun didn't avoid trying to get closer to Dong Miao.
She just couldn't get in.
All she wanted was to keep her position, avoid trouble, and live peacefully.
Seeing that she couldn't squeeze in, she let it go, accepting things as they were.
She silently hoped the magistrate would be honest and clean.
The previous "gifts" had already been hard enough to gather — and she had given the least among them.
The village head salary was two silver taels per month.
It was easy work — just managing small village matters, settling disputes, talking a bit, and attending one meeting and meal each month.
Honestly, she depended on that silver to support her family.
Not all village heads were like Pan Li, who wanted to take bribes or grab land.
Some were hardworking and just wanted to live off their monthly pay.
Dong Miao raised her cup and said sincerely, "Everyone, please feel free to enjoy yourselves. I'm sorry if the reception is lacking. I hope we can work well together. If any issues come up, feel free to come to me—I'll do my best to help." Her tone was genuine and polite, which made people feel comfortable and left a good impression.
Everyone raised their glasses in return.
Dong Miao took the first drink as a sign of respect.
Everyone followed and drank their wine.
Julie also joined in and had a glass.
She had never tried wine from this era before.
Jian Nanchun, a type of yellow wine with about ten percent alcohol, tasted rich, smooth, sweet, and refreshing.
But Julie didn't really like drinking and didn't have much tolerance for alcohol.
After one glass, she didn't drink anymore and focused on eating.
In front of her were Sanwei Chicken and West Lake Vinegar Fish.
She picked up a bite of the chicken first.
The first taste was sweet and sour, with tender meat. Then came a salty and savory flavor. Inside, the fried chicken was still soft, and finally, there was a light spicy taste—not strong, but it enhanced the flavor. No wonder it was called Sanwei Chicken—three layers of flavor, very unique.
She thought it was delicious and took two more bites.
Then she noticed a plate of West Lake Vinegar Fish next to it. She hadn't had fish since arriving here, so she picked up a piece of meat near the fish belly to try.
The fish was fresh and tender. The sour taste was strong, and the overall flavor was tangy and salty, with a hint of spiciness if you had too much. But it went well with rice.
Julie finished a whole bowl of rice with those two dishes, occasionally chatting with Gong Yun, who sat next to her.
After finishing her rice, she didn't put down her chopsticks right away.
She slowly picked at the food in front of her.
Otherwise, sitting there doing nothing while others ate would be boring.
As she ate, she remembered the woman she fought in the alley last time—she hadn't shown up today.
Where was she?
Not that Julie missed her. She just suddenly realized she hadn't seen her today…
That fight last time was pretty satisfying.
A bit of a pity.
At home, Mr. Leng avoided her, and the villagers had been behaving lately.
Meanwhile, Wu Chun, who was still recovering at home, was thinking, "...Please, act like a decent person."
Wu Chun had been recovering for over a month now and was mostly healed.
The day she went home, she was unconscious.
One husband was crying; the other forced himself to stay calm and went to get a doctor.
The doctor checked her pulse, did acupuncture, and gave her a prescription.
The diagnosis was that her injuries were external—thankfully, no internal damage. The key now was to rest. She should avoid getting out of bed and only start walking again after two weeks to heal better.
Wu Chun woke up the next morning, saw all her injuries, and was confused.
She couldn't remember who had beaten her up.
What had she done?
Why was she hurt so badly?
When asked, she couldn't answer anything.
Her husbands thought she had lost her soul and cried even harder. One even suggested getting a Taoist priest to perform a ritual.
With her mind blank and her body aching, their noise made her even more frustrated.
She finally shouted, "Shut up, all of you!"
The two husbands shut their mouths, looking wronged. Seeing them quiet down, Wu Chun calmed down a bit.
She reached into her clothes, only to find nothing—her money was gone!
She still hoped she hadn't collected her pay yet.
She planned to go to the yamen once she felt better to check.
Two weeks later, when she felt strong enough, she went to the office.
When she saw her fingerprint on the payment register, she almost fainted.
What the hell? She had collected her pay. So where was the money?
So the person who beat her up had knocked her out and stolen the money?
Damn it—she couldn't remember anything from those hours!
No matter how hard she tried, Wu Chun never suspected Julie.
In her mind, that woman was a total pushover.
As for why she didn't come today, it was because she had heard about Wei Zhen's death and knew a new magistrate was taking office.
A new official always makes bold moves.
She had spent years sucking up to Wei Zhen. If the new magistrate found out, she might get targeted.
Besides, something about last time still felt strange to her, so she got nervous.
But she didn't want to give up such a good job.
So she took a leave of absence, planning to visit the new magistrate another day to feel things out and decide her next steps.
That's why Wu Chun didn't show up today.
At events like this, no one can leave until the magistrate finishes or gives permission.
After a while…
Julie had nearly cleared her plate when Dong Miao finally set down her chopsticks.
After some polite words, she told everyone they could go after finishing their meal.
The village heads from several villages praised Dong Miao a bit, then left respectfully.
Julie followed behind, also ready to leave.
But before she could exit the courtyard, a servant stopped her.
The servant smiled politely, "Miss Julie, our magistrate would like to see you. Please come with me to the study. She'll be there shortly."
Julie raised an eyebrow, surprised but didn't refuse. "Lead the way." Since she couldn't leave yet, she might as well see what this was about.
The servant led her to the same study where she had "borrowed" four boxes before.
Julie walked in and sat on the chair to the left.
The servant brought her a cup of West Lake Longjing tea and some snacks, then quietly left.
She was full and didn't like sweets, so she didn't touch the snacks.
She wasn't worried about being poisoned—she wouldn't die from it anyway.
And Dong Miao wasn't stupid enough to kill someone just after taking office. That would ruin her reputation.
Most importantly… they had no conflict of interest.
Julie was a bit thirsty, so she picked up the tea and took a sip.
The tea smelled fresh and strong. It tasted smooth and delicate, leaving a sweet aftertaste.
Soon after, Dong Miao came in, now dressed in casual clothes, smiling warmly.
Julie stood up and bowed slightly. Dong Miao quickly walked over and said, "No need to be so formal, Miss Julie. Please, make yourself at home."
Julie sat down again without fuss.
If someone tells her not to be too polite, she's happy to go along.
Dong Miao sat at the main seat and started chatting casually.
Julie replied politely at first, but soon got bored.
What's going on?
Did she really call her over just to make small talk?