278 Chapter 265: You Don’t Understand

Translator: 549690339

Ding Gaochang was familiar with the taste of tofu sold in Zhuang Qingning’s tofu shop, and he was infatuated with it. Now that he’d heard about a tofu feast, a voracious appetite got the better of him and he hastily nodded, saying, “As you wish.”

After saying this, he chuckled and followed Zhuang Qingning into the courtyard.

The villagers who had come out with Zhuang Qingning to meet the so-called ‘distinguished visitor’ mentioned by Zhuang Jingye watched Ding and Zhuang enter the courtyard enthusiastically, regaining their senses after an initial shock.

“Did Miss Ning just refer to him as Master Ding? Which Master Ding?”

“You don’t know? That’s our county’s assistant magistrate, Ding Gaochang, Master Ding himself!”

“Did Master Ding say he came specifically because he heard Ning had warmed up her house?”

“Yes, he even said he brought a calligraphy piece from Magistrate Xu. It’s personally written by the magistrate, you know. Look at this treatment. I wish I could get a calligraphy piece from the magistrate someday. It doesn’t have to be a whole scroll, even a single character would be enough – I’d definitely treasure it!”

“Since when have Miss Ning and Master Ding become so close? Judging by the way he talks, it seems like they’re not just simply acquaintances.”

“Will her intimacy with Master Ding even be discussed with you? Miss Ning is so good at making money and has great abilities. I find nothing strange about it. All I know is one thing, everything else doesn’t matter.”

“What’s that?”

“If you stick with Miss Ning, you’ll never be short of good things in the future!”

“You’re right about that, absolutely spot on. From now on, we have to work hard and follow Miss Ning’s lead in order to succeed.”

“Yes, indeed.”

It was clear in the villagers’ minds that they were determined to work hard alongside Zhuang Qingning in the future. That way, they could live better, more prosperous lives.

They were eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the assistant magistrate they’ve never met before. So all the villagers crowded into the courtyard to get a good look at Ding Gaochang, hoping to get the chance to exchange a few words with the Assistant Magistrate.

The villagers were overjoyed. But Zhuang Jingye on the other hand, had a glum face.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you? Weren’t you delighted a minute ago?” Zhuang Le’an asked, looking puzzled at Zhuang Jingye.

He found it incredibly strange. Wasn’t his father’s only wish for the calligraphy pieces? Now that Master Ding had not only arrived but also brought the calligraphy pieces, why did his father seem disgruntled?

Zhuang Jingye looked at Zhuang Lean, his lips twitched for a while, but in the end, he did not utter a single word. He just patted Zhuang Le’an on the shoulder.

Forget about it, you won’t understand my troubles.

Thinking like this, Zhuang Jingye sighed again and shook his head.

He had originally thought that Ding Gaochang came because he, as the village chief, asked Magistrate Xu for a calligraphy piece to warm Zhuang Qingning’s house and therefore, Ding Gaochang was personally congratulating him.

But now, it was clear that Zhuang Qinghe and Ding Gaochang had known each other for a long time and their relationship seemed to be quite deep.

Obviously, Ding Gaochang came for Zhuang Qingning’s sake, not his.

So all in all, it turned out that he was overthinking.

All of his grand boasts and showoffs would eventually turn into a slap in the face…

The only consolation now was that he protected his dignity by not revealing the reason for inviting Ding Gaochang. This avoided a great deal of embarrassment. Otherwise…

Zhuang Jingye let out another sigh.

Zhuang Le’an still really did not understand what was bothering his father. Scratching his head, he finally chuckled after a while, “Dad, Master Ding was full of praise for you on the way here.”

“Oh?” Zhuang Jingye’s gloomy eyes suddenly sparkled. He grabbed Zhuang Le’an’s arm and said, “Quick tell me, what did Master Ding say in praise of me?”

“Master Ding said that you’re a great village chief. You care about the villagers and the affairs of the village. That’s why you thought of requesting the calligraphy piece from Magistrate Xu, in order to honor outstanding villagers and encourage community development.”

“That’s right, Master Ding also said if it weren’t for you bringing it up, he wouldn’t have known about Miss Ning moving to a new house. He even had gifts for her,” Zhuang Le’an chuckled.

“By saying this…” Zhuang Jingye started to chuckle.

It seemed that he played a critical role after all. If it weren’t for him, Master Ding would have missed out on this event. And if he had only learned of it later, he would have been filled with regret.

Yet, he helped Ding Gaochang to avoid that regret!

So it turned out that he did play a key role.

As he thought, how could he, the village chief, have miscalculated?

Zhuang Jingye, all of a sudden, brimmed with smug satisfaction. He raised his chin, put his hands behind his back, and swaggered off into the courtyard.

Zhuang Le’an watched, puzzled, as his father’s mood made a complete 180 — from downcast to beaming with joy. He scratched the back of his head continuing his confusion.

His father was truly a mystery.

But Le’an didn’t have time to think on it. He hurried into the courtyard to help accommodate Ding Gaochang, congratulate Zhuang Qingning, and greet the villagers whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Despite the fact that Ding Gaochang repeatedly emphasized that he was there only to congratulate Zhuang Qingning on her new house as an elder and not in his official capacity, to the villagers, Ding Gaochang was still a county magistrate, an official — how could there be any precedent of an official sitting with villagers and sharing the same table for a meal?

Even though both Ding Gaochang and Zhuang Qingning strongly insisted, the others avoided them and kept their distance.

Ultimately, Zhuang Qingning, Zhuang Yonghe, Zhuang Jingye, Zhuang Mingliang, and a few villagers with considerable influence within the village joined Ding Gaochang at a separate table that was specially arranged in the main room of the house.

“Miss Zhuang’s house is indeed well-built,” remarked Ding Gaochang, after finishing the tour of the new place with Zhuang Qingning, he exclaimed in admiration.

At first glance, from the entrance, it looked no different from typical houses, but once he entered, he saw a unique welcoming wall decorated with a lattice- patterned wall from which splendid roses flourished. It was the peak of the rose blooming season in the midst of summer, the crimson roses blooming in the lush green leaves is truly a sight to behold.

The neatly maintained small vegetable patch and flower garden were full of lush greens and blooming flowers. The swing creaked next to it, the grapevine had climbed up the trellis, full and verdant. On the wall, bamboo plants were placed in a high-low pattern, making the sight refreshing…

A courtyard like this would be comfortable no matter which season, be it watching the sway of the seedlings in spring, enjoying the cool wind under the bright moonlight in summer, observing flocks of geese flying south in autumn, or savoring tea near the warm stove while admiring the snowy landscape in winter.