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墨書 Inktalez
A tall city gate appeared before them, with a steady stream of pedestrians far surpassing that of Biqi Town. Carriages lined up behind, moving forward step by step.
Upon entering Linyi County, the wide and straight road seemed to stretch endlessly. The brilliant sunlight illuminated the shops, tea houses, and restaurants on either side of the street, where a continuous flow of people walked by, each face radiating smiles, showcasing the prosperity of Linyi County.
The passersby were dressed in splendid attire, a stark contrast to the level of fashion in Biqi Town, and the vibrancy here far outshone that of Azure Stream.
Liu Qingxi widened his eyes, experiencing an ancient county town for the first time. While it could not compare to the bustling modern cities, it was still the most prosperous place he had seen since arriving here six months ago.
Even the street vendors and their wares were much more refined.
At this moment, the sun hung high overhead as the coachman drove the carriage straight toward their destination.
Curious about everything, Liu Qingxi had no idea where the county office was located. Yan had never seen much of the world either. As for Village Chief Zhang Wuliang? He wouldn't come here unless there was something important; his visits had been few and far between.
A moment later, the carriage stopped. As they lifted the curtain, they were greeted by a towering building. The Crimson Door was heavy and unadorned, with Yamen Guards standing straight at attention, instilling a sense of awe.
Beside it stood a large drum, symbolizing justice and righteousness.
This was indeed the ancient Yamen, which governed the livelihoods of the local people and maintained order.
Zhang Wuliang was the first to disembark, followed closely by Liu Qingxi and Yan.
The two Yamen Guards glanced over before casually turning back to their posts.
Zhang Wuliang approached and said, "Greetings, sir. We are here to handle household registration; may I ask for your guidance?"
The Yamen Guard, despite his young age, became serious and principled: "Do you have your household registration documents?"
"Here it is, here it is!" Zhang Wuliang hurriedly replied, urging Yan to take it out quickly.
The Yamen Guard glanced over, noticing the red official seal on it, confirming their legitimacy. "You can go in. Walk straight to the first intersection and turn right; the last room at the back is yours!"
Without looking back at them, he resumed his duty of guarding the entrance.
The group cautiously entered, trying to make as little noise as possible.
On both sides of the path were intricately carved railings, with signs of openness everywhere and Yamen Guards coming and going, all of which tested their psychological endurance.
Liu Qingxi had only visited famous historical sites before and seen similar government ruins, but most were newly built and showed signs of renovation. This time, he was witnessing a real Yamen.
Looking down the straight path leading to the main gate stood the most magnificent building, truly a work of art. Compared to the impoverished Azure Stream or Ten Li Pu, it was like heaven and earth.
The words "Zheng Da Guang Ming" were embossed in gold, shining brilliantly under the sunlight.
In just this moment, Liu Qingxi recognized the opulence of the government.
"Officials really are wealthy; just look at this Yamen they built. No wonder everyone is desperate to get in!"
Lost in thought, they arrived at a door that clearly belonged to an office area. Inside were two clerks, surrounded by stacks of books, occasionally jotting something down while keeping their heads down.
Upon hearing the knock, they didn't look up and casually said, "Come in!"
"Are you handling household registrations? Bring out the household registration!" The clerks spoke as if everyone who came here only had that purpose.
"Yes, good sir. We would like to open a separate household registration for our girl," Zhang Wuliang said respectfully with a slight bow.
The clerk, distracted, raised his head in confusion, glancing back and forth between Liu Qingxi and Yan. It turned out that a young woman wanted to open an account by herself.
"Why? Why is a young woman opening an account alone?" This was the first time he had encountered such a situation since taking office.
"Reporting to you, my lord, it's because there are many people in her family, and naturally, there are many matters to attend to," Zhang Wuliang was momentarily at a loss for words; this was something he hadn't anticipated.
The managing clerk seemed to understand that there were unspoken reasons behind this and chose not to ask further.
After all, they had encountered similar situations often; he had merely asked out of curiosity.
As for the matter itself? It didn't affect him much: "Two Taels of Silver!"
The clerk didn't say much, but Liu Qingxi knew that opening an account required Two Taels of Silver. She quickly took out the prepared silver from her pouch at her waist and respectfully handed it over.
She also pulled out several dozen Copper Coins with a smile and said, "Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. Please buy some hot tea!"
The two clerks exchanged silent glances and accepted the money without hesitation; after all, who would refuse free money?
Next came the process of opening the account separately and removing Liu Qingxi and Liu Qingyan's names from the Liu Family registry. It seemed simple, but it wasn't like modern computer systems where data could be easily modified.
This was all done manually. They had to slowly search through a thick stack of documents to find the household registration kept by the government. Both sides needed to be modified, and then saved for record-keeping.
By the time everything was completed, it had already been an hour and a half!
The sun gradually tilted westward; even though the winter sunlight was bright, the temperature remained low.
Liu Qingxi repeatedly thanked the two clerks, leaving them with a deep impression of the young woman.
After a few people left, the two Clerks nearly finished their work for the day, and the spirit of Gossip drove them to discuss it fervently.
"Why would they separate just these two children from such a big family?"
"Isn't it just more of the same arguments? They can't accommodate children; it's really sad for that girl!"
Meanwhile, Liu Qingxi held a thin stack of household registration papers in her hands, but the names Liu Qingxi and Liu Qingyan stood out prominently. Her mood was as bright as the sunshine outside.
The large red seal stamped on it, with the emblem of Linyi County Yamen, shone even brighter under the sunlight.
At this moment, Liu Qingxi stepped into a new chapter of her life; from now on, she would be in charge of her own destiny.
Unknowingly, time passed quickly. By noon, fearing that the government officials would finish their work and leave before they could complete their business, everyone had skipped lunch.
As the main beneficiary of this event, Liu Qingxi naturally wanted to treat everyone to a meal. However, knowing that Young Lady's family wasn't well-off, no one wanted to take advantage of her.
"Qingxi, let's just grab something simple; we shouldn't waste!" Zhang Wuliang thought that a quick meal with some dry rations would suffice; it would be a shame to waste money.
However, Liu Qingxi insisted on treating them, and in the end, they chose a more affordable noodle shop.
Each person received a large bowl of steaming hot noodles, with the aroma of scallions and two slices of tender meat on top, which whetted everyone's appetite.
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