He Zhiran smiled and said, "To be honest, I'm just passing through this place to visit relatives, and I'll be leaving tomorrow."
With a mysterious look, she glanced around and whispered, "Old man, I've been hearing everyone talk about the son of the county magistrate being beaten. Is it true?"
The old man was cautious. After hearing He Zhiran's words, he looked around and leaned closer, saying mysteriously, "Since young sir is from out of town, this old man might as well tell you about the situation in Pingyang County."
He Zhiran pretended to be very interested and listened attentively.
The old man whispered, "Sun Jiabao is the only son of the county magistrate's family. He has been spoiled since childhood and relies on his father's position to bully and oppress the people in Pingyang County. The common folks dare not speak up in anger..."
"If I may say so, I truly admire the young woman who stood up for justice and fought him today. She spoke up for the people of Pingyang."
Seeing that He Zhiran was interested, the old man paused and continued speaking.
"You must have noticed when you entered the county that there is a fee of 5 wen per person. It may not be much for the wealthy, but for ordinary people, it's difficult to afford even a single entry or exit. They work for a day and can only earn up to 15 wen, which is barely enough to support their families. Taking out another 5 wen as an entry fee is like taking their lives away."
"Especially for those from the surrounding rural areas who come to the city for work, they can't afford to go back home at night just to save the 5 wen fee. Instead, they find a corner to spend the night."
The old man shook his head helplessly and said, "This world truly doesn't allow the common people to live well..."
After the old man took a few sips of tea, He Zhiran asked the most crucial question.
"Old man, is it the county magistrate's decision to charge 5 wen per person to enter the city?"
The old man sighed helplessly, looked around again, and whispered, "Who else would dare to make such a decision besides the county magistrate?"
"And where does the money collected go?" He Zhiran continued asking.
The old man smiled bitterly, "Where do you think? It all goes into their private coffers."
Although He Zhiran had already guessed this outcome, hearing it firsthand made her even more infuriated.
She clenched her fist under the table, hating the various injustices of this era even more.
Having learned everything she wanted to know, He Zhiran had no intention of staying any longer. She bid farewell to the old man, stood up, and left the teahouse at a leisurely pace.
With her spatial ability, she didn't need to worry about finding an inn. At the moment, what He Zhiran wanted to do most was to punish the corrupt county magistrate and his son, who were full of wickedness.
After all, the night was long, and she had nothing better to do.
He Zhiran strolled around for a while and found the residence of the county magistrate.
Seeing that it was still early, she entered her space.
Finally seeing He Zhiran return, Mo Jiuye breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he had witnessed He Zhiran's abilities, he still worried that she might encounter danger on her own outside.
"What did you find out?" Mo Jiuye asked with concern.
He Zhiran told Mo Jiuye everything the old man had said, along with her own plans.
"After midnight, I plan to visit the county magistrate's residence."
Mo Jiuye could anticipate what He Zhiran was up to even if he were to count his toes.
He deliberately straightened his body, showing that he was in a state of no hindrance.
"I'll accompany you," he said.
"No, you have injuries on your body. I can handle it alone," He Zhiran refused decisively, leaving no room for Mo Jiuye to argue.
If she couldn't handle the residence of a mere county magistrate, she wouldn't need to mix in the future.
Taking advantage of this free time, He Zhiran personally went to the kitchen and prepared a delicious meal for the two of them.
Among them was a dish she had been longing for, Braised Bear's Paw.
The pressure cooker softened and seasoned the bear's paw until it was tender and flavorful. As soon as it came out of the pot, the fragrance filled the air.
In addition, she cooked a few other side dishes.
Mo Jiuye couldn't stop praising He Zhiran's cooking skills. Unlike before, he no longer expressed his enjoyment of the food.
"If you open a restaurant with your culinary skills, it will definitely be a hit."
He Zhiran wasn't very confident in her cooking skills, but she had full confidence in the spices in the space.
Even if she was a novice in cooking, with so many spices, she could still make delicious dishes.
Especially in this ancient era of scarce resources, the food people usually ate was very plain. As long as the dishes had some new variations and improved flavors, they would naturally become exquisite delicacies.
However, with He Zhiran's temperament, she had no interest in opening a restaurant. Even if she did, she only wanted to be a silent backer.
After eating and drinking their fill, the couple chatted for a while. He Zhiran used Mo Jiuye's need to recuperate as an excuse to ask him to rest in the bedroom first.
She quickly changed into a set of night clothes and swiftly left the space.
The place she appeared happened to be the side gate of the county magistrate's residence. He Zhiran had already observed it in advance and found that there were not many people moving around there, making it relatively safe to enter and exit.
After careful observation and seeing no danger around, He Zhiran took out a miniature drone from the space, and at the same time, she held a small monitor in her hand.
She pressed the switch on the remote control, and the drone slowly ascended into the air.
He Zhiran used the remote control to manipulate the drone while observing the layout inside the county magistrate's residence with the small monitor.
After getting a general idea, she took a quick run-up and flipped over the courtyard wall.
It seemed that all the personnel had been dispatched to search for the person who harmed Sun Jiabao. There were only two guards in the county magistrate's residence today.
Those two guards didn't seem to be industrious people either. At the moment, they were hiding in a corner, dozing off.
According to the information observed by the drone, He Zhiran first arrived at a larger courtyard.
Even though it was late at night, the place was still brightly lit.
He Zhiran agilely climbed over the wall and then jumped onto the roof of the main house. She gently lifted a roof tile and looked inside the house.
Only an old man in his fifties, with a fat head and big ears, was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.
Inside the room, a chubby woman of the same age as her was standing by the bed, wiping away tears.
The person lying on the bed was undoubtedly Sun Jiabao.
Sun Jiabao's face was wrapped up like a dumpling, and he was rolling back and forth on the bed.
"Dad, I don't care. You must capture that woman for me. I want to make her suffer."
The woman patted Sun Jiabao's body and said with pity, "My son, rest assured, your dad has already sent all the officials to search and will not let the person who harmed you escape."
Sun Lin also stopped in his tracks and said ominously, "Anyone who dares to harm my son in Pingyang County will suffer a fate worse than death."
As soon as he finished speaking, two women dressed as old maids entered, each holding a soup bowl.
The woman personally took the soup bowl and coaxed Sun Jiabao to take the medicine.
He Zhiran, feeling bored at this point, took out a homemade incense from his space, lit it, and stuffed it into the gap in the roof.
Before long, everyone in the room, including the two old maids, fell into a deep sleep.
