Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Visiting Group Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Visiting Group The Mengs had set their itinerary for the next day at dinner that evening, with the two fortunate elders also expressing a desire to visit the Ye family’s estate in person.
Upon seeing that her in-laws wished to personally visit the Ye family’s estate, Mrs. Meng
arranged for two carriages, bringing along maids and old women. They would depart the next day, accompanied by guards.
After dinner, County Magistrate Meng went out. He dispatched government officials into ten teams, who worked throughout the night to reach ten small towns in the new county. Some towns were connected, which conveniently reduced the number of required personnel.
When the government officials had their meal time, they felt that after a busy day, they should be able to rest. Suddenly, an emergency notice from County Magistrate Meng required them to notify the village chiefs overnight.
This was a taxing task; they might spend the entire night busy and unable to sleep, compelled to carry out the duties assigned by their superior.
The government officials, now in eleven teams, went to notify the village chiefs throughout the communities. On that early summer night, they kept busy until nearly dawn, nearly collapsing from exhaustion on their horses.
All through the night, the villages resonated with fierce barking dogs, leading some to suspect that mountain bandits might have infiltrated the villages.
The villagers, hearing the intense barking, hid themselves, while the braver ones, intent on protecting their families and neighbors, armed themselves with the most formidable weapons from their homes.
Such as hoes, sickles, kitchen knives, and hunting shotguns.
The government officials, somewhat familiar with the village chiefs’ residences, found it quite frustrating to be mistaken for thieves when knocking on doors.
If they hadn’t arrived on horseback, for courage, they would have needed to carry guns, fully equipped in the darkness of the night for fear of thievery or retaliation.
Being a government official could be prestigious within the government office, but out in the dark, there was fear of being struck from behind or facing a series of retaliations.
The village chiefs, roused in the middle of the night by a knock at the door, received such urgent notices that they could not afford to sleep. Lacking horses or carriages, they had no choice but to arrange for ox carts to set off in the middle of the night.
They wondered why the County Magistrate had summoned them so urgently.
Only in Gulong Town, and the neighboring two towns, did the village chiefs receive word that there was no need for an overnight departure, but to arrive at Bushen Village by 7 a.m. to await the officials’ arrival.
The exhausted government officials, having worked all night, could not afford to rest and, by morning, had found a small shop in the town to have a hearty breakfast and feed their horses before setting back out to return to the county.
With such a grand summons by the officials, there must be an urgent task at hand. As people close to the officials, how could they not stand guard?
Meng Zhaojun got up early in the morning, and under the care of her maid Liang Chen, she went to her mother’s courtyard for breakfast.
Mrs. Meng, planning to travel today, also dressed up elaborately. When arranging the trip the day before, she had thought of inviting the noble ladies from the county to join them, considering it a summer outing.
This also served as a way for the noble ladies, who usually stayed at home, to venture out and build relationships.
With their husbands working so hard, it was not acceptable for only the men to toil away; in fact, the women in the inner quarters had no shortage of private funds, and when setting to work, they could be even more determined than the men.
The Meng family set out in two carriages: one carried the Old Lady and the Old Master, along with the Old Master’s maid.
The other carried Mrs. Meng and her two children, restricting the entourage to only one more maid from Mrs. Meng’s side.
Plus two mounted guards. Not too many guards were needed, for with their husbands among the travelers, surely even the mountain bandits would not dare to make a move.
Meng Zhaojun thought she’d surprise Tang Shunyan with an outing, but never expected that when the carriage left through the East City Gate, she would see many carriages from wealthy families waiting there.
She also saw many women from the rich families of the county, with so many carriages outside the city gate, could it be that the few friends called by Tang Shunyan had brought along many family members?
The Tang Family’s people were among them. Just last night, Tang Shunyan had mentioned going to the Ye family, and their family agreed, arranging for guards and maids to accompany them.
After receiving the notification from Mrs. Meng after the meal, Madam Tang felt that they must make an appearance the next day, and Lady Tang, holding her son who was over a year old, also wanted to go to see what kind of estate it was, even Mrs. Meng was going to take a look.
Later, the County Magistrate summoned the two Family Heads and the Young Master of the Tang family, and as a result, their departure the next day included many more people.
The proposals of Tang Shunyan’s friends were not agreed upon by their families, which left them unhappy. But with Mrs. Meng’s summoning, those who had not agreed to let their sons go had no choice but to accompany them. With the summoning of the County Magistrate, the wealthy could only join with the guards and employees.
They divided into two visiting groups, with those summoned by Meng Xianling waiting in the county square, departing at 7 a.m.
The noble ladies and their children’s family members waiting outside the East City Gate saw the two Meng carriages appear and followed their carriages on the journey.
They departed for Gulong Town’s Bushen Village at a speed even faster than that of their Old Masters at home, becoming part of the visiting group.
Meng Zhaojun waved at the Tang family’s carriage from her carriage window, but got no response.
The carriages set off, and the large convoy moved impressively. As the road to the town wasn’t very wide, they couldn’t travel all together. The long line of carriages heading to the same place made passers-by curious about where they were going.
The well-informed people from each village and those curious about the Ye family put aside their work for the day to go and take a look.
Today, a peculiar sight occurred at the exit of Bushen Village. Many ox carts stopped at the entrance of the village, and the village chief was among them.
Bushen Village lay beside a major road, and with so many people waiting there, those who recognized the village chiefs inquired for news, learning that officials and parents would come here today as part of the visiting group.
Having heard that the visiting group, summoned by the officials and parents, would include county workers, village chiefs, and the wealthiest magnates, they were intrigued.
Poor farmer families had never seen officials and parents who were not just any ordinary farmers, who could be seen when seen. These officials and parents were their idols.
And with the richest magnates also among the group, those who were working left their jobs to catch a glimpse of these important people.
The wood factory in Bushen Village was also rumored to be a factory for today’s tour.
The sudden message had already sent the workers home last night, but they had developed a good habit of cleaning up wood shavings before leaving.
When the employees who came to work learned of the visitors, they focused on cleaning first instead of starting their jobs.
The woodworkers usually wore patchy and worn-out clothes.
The factory provided uniforms for the workers, which they only wore when visitors came, especially important ones. The uniforms were typically stored in their work cabinets.
After cleaning up, the men changed into their work uniforms, looking spirited and organized in their tasks, without letting their attention wander to observe the road outside.
The first to arrive at Bushen Village were not the important people, but their families.
The village chiefs waiting at the roadside at the village entrance saw the impressive procession of carriages and guards. Knowing it was the families on the move, the spectacle left them gaping in astonishment…!