The area where Linzhuang is located is, to this day, the most densely populated place, with Linzhuang at its center. The farther away from Linzhuang, the sparser the population becomes. Along the road from Baishui Town to Linzhuang, a few scattered houses and residents have been added over the past two years. However, beyond the road on either side, vast stretches of wasteland remain largely unclaimed, perfectly fitting the conditions of sparse population and abundant unclaimed land, making it suitable for relocating disaster victims and establishing new villages and towns.
As local landowners and the masters of Linzhuang, the Lin family naturally and inevitably assisted the government in resettling the disaster victims, donating money, goods, and providing medical aid. However, when an official appointment letter arrived at the Lin residence, the entire family was caught off guard and found it hard to believe. What made it even more astonishing was that the person delivering the appointment letter was none other than the county magistrate himself, who also happened to share the surname Lin.
With the presence of Lin Zhongsi, a highly respected figure, the magistrate dared not act arrogantly. He treated Lin Zhongsi with great reverence and was exceedingly polite to the entire Lin family. Although Lin Zhongsi had retired, his extensive network of connections remained intact. If he were to express dissatisfaction, a single word from him could cost the magistrate his modest position. The magistrate’s decision to personally visit this remote village was the result of careful investigation.
After reading the appointment letter, Dalang (the eldest son) expressed his confusion: “Your Honor, I dare not conceal the truth. I was disowned by my father before his death and thus have no qualifications to serve as town chief. When my family moved here, this was recorded at the Baishui Town office. I beg Your Honor to verify this.”
“Hmph!”
The mere memory of his elder brother’s malicious actions before his death filled Lin Zhongsi with anger. However, as the deceased’s younger brother, he could not openly criticize his elder brother in front of officials. He could only vent his frustration with a cold snort.
The magistrate, well aware of the Lin family’s circumstances, replied, “As county magistrate, I would not appoint you as town chief without reviewing your family records. As for your claim of being disowned by your father before his death, I have already verified that it was due to your father’s lack of kindness, leading to this absurd act. Your family’s forced relocation northward was unjust. I have reported this to the provincial government, and the disownment document has been nullified. Moreover, you hold a scholarly rank, which qualifies you for official positions. You may assume your duties without worry.”
The disownment document could be revoked? The Lin family was stunned on the spot. Lin Zhongsi, however, saw through the magistrate’s motives. He knew the magistrate had ulterior motives and that his words were not entirely truthful. Liangping Town was still submerged in floodwaters, and all previous records had been destroyed. Even if there were survivors who knew the truth, it was uncertain whether they had fled to this county. The likelihood of the magistrate verifying the situation was extremely low.
Lin Zhongsi was blunt: “Show me the provincial government’s approval document.”
Being appointed as the town chief of a resettlement zone was a thankless task. If the resettlement went well, the credit would go to the magistrate. If anything went wrong, the town chief would bear the punishment. Lin Zhongsi feared the magistrate was merely deceiving Dalang. If his nephew were to suffer, it would be bad enough if he were simply cast aside after the resettlement was completed. But if the magistrate were to use the disownment document as an excuse to accuse Dalang of concealing the truth, the injustice would be unbearable.
The magistrate had not expected Lin Zhongsi to be so insistent even after he had issued the appointment letter. Though inwardly furious, he dared not show it. His personal visit was indeed because he needed the Lin family’s cooperation. Suppressing his anger, he said, “Well… I have already reported this to the prefecture, and the deputy prefect has assured me that the approval document will arrive shortly. The disownment will certainly be annulled. Dalang may assume his duties with peace of mind.”
Lin Zhongsi remained cold: “Then let’s wait for the provincial approval document to arrive. Magistrate Lin, if you have other matters to attend to, please do so.”
This was effectively a dismissal. The magistrate did have urgent matters, but they were related to the Lin family. Without their cooperation, he could not proceed.
Years earlier, the imperial court had issued a decree encouraging each region to develop its unique specialties to increase treasury revenue. Other regions had already identified their specialties. For example, neighboring Guiyang County, due to its soil and climate, produced a unique chili pepper—bright red, sweet yet spicy—that was unmatched elsewhere, whether used as a main dish or seasoning.
Another neighboring county produced cotton with fibers significantly longer than elsewhere, resulting in superior cloth that was both durable and soft, fetching much higher prices. Every autumn and winter, the county’s treasury contributions were enviable. Its magistrate had been promoted twice consecutively, and the current magistrate had developed new weaving patterns, further increasing the cloth’s value, ensuring his imminent promotion.
In contrast, Duoling County, true to its name, was mostly hilly, though the hills were not particularly high and only grew miscellaneous trees of no distinctive value. Even for decent furniture, timber had to be imported. The barren land offered little arable soil, and crop yields were meager. Over the years, many residents had migrated away, leaving the already scarce farmland to turn into wasteland.
Before Dalang’s arrival, Magistrate Lin had already served as county magistrate. Dalang had been here for five years, and Magistrate Lin had completed two terms. Without identifying a local specialty and with dwindling treasury contributions, not only was promotion unlikely, but his position itself was at risk.
Now, as if bewitched, refugees were flocking not to prosperous regions but to this godforsaken Duoling County. The imperial court had ordered local resettlement, and Duoling County, with its sparse population and abundant wasteland, was the perfect fit. However, the funds and provisions allocated by the court were a drop in the bucket, far from sufficient to resettle so many refugees. The county treasury was empty, leaving the magistrate to fend for himself.
To establish new villages and towns, suitable locations had to be selected. During his survey, the magistrate discovered that the best plot of land in the county—a fertile area with little hills and much wasteland—had been purchased by the Lin family, outsiders. Over the years, far from declining, the Lin family had thrived, with Linzhuang at the center of growing prosperity.
It was no wonder Magistrate Lin had stagnated in his career—his mind simply wasn’t sharp enough. The “fertile land” was actually cultivated by Lin Fang and Chen Dong and had already gained some renown, attracting visitors from other provinces. Yet the magistrate, oblivious until now, mistakenly believed the Lin family had purchased an already prosperous land rather than creating it themselves.
Investigating the Lin family, the magistrate found that their businesses were all previously nonexistent in the county.
The county had clothing stores but no garment workshops. The clothes sold were imported from elsewhere, and their variety paled in comparison to the Lin family’s workshop.
The county had grain stores, but their selection was far less diverse than the Lin family’s, which offered many grains previously unseen in the county.
The county had restaurants, but most served merely passable food, lacking the flavor and variety of the Lin family’s establishments.
Very few households raised sheep, and those that did only did so for meat. The idea of spinning wool into yarn for clothing had never occurred to anyone.
The county had no clay workshops and had never produced clay figurines. The Lin family not only made them but crafted them with exceptional detail.
Though the county was hilly, it produced no mushrooms. The Lin family’s hills yielded mushrooms frequently, according to hearsay.
With so many unique offerings, any one of them could serve as the county’s specialty, boosting treasury revenue and the magistrate’s career. Initially, he considered using his authority to force the Lin family to contribute an industry. But the county deputy reminded him to investigate the Lin family’s background first, given their prosperity.
The magistrate had dismissed the deputy’s advice, but upon investigation, he realized the Lin family was not to be trifled with. Not only was General Li in the capital the brother-in-law of Madam Lin, but the stern-faced elder before him was also someone he couldn’t afford to offend. There were even rumors of a mysterious, ruthless young man with close ties to the family, who answered to no one.
After much deliberation, the magistrate hatched a plan: resettle the refugees around Linzhuang and appoint Dalang as town chief.
As town chief, Dalang would need to stabilize the refugees by providing them with viable industries. With so many refugees and deep autumn already upon them, clearing land for farming was impossible. Even in early spring, the refugees would need immediate sustenance, making farming impractical. To address the crisis, Dalang would have to share his family’s industries, teaching the refugees to produce goods for quick income.
Once that was done, developing the Lin family’s industries into the county’s specialties would be a natural next step.
Thus, the magistrate hastily drafted a report to the provincial government, requesting the annulment of Lin Bosi’s disownment document. He received verbal confirmation from the deputy prefect that the approval would arrive soon. Eager to claim credit, the magistrate issued Dalang’s appointment letter before the approval arrived and personally delivered it to show his sincerity. He hadn’t expected Old Master Lin to be so cautious, insisting on seeing the official approval.
Dalang shared his uncle’s skepticism, but with his elder present, he deferred to him. Yet even after his uncle’s clear dismissal, the magistrate lingered, seemingly deep in thought. With his uncle ignoring the magistrate, Dalang had no choice but to ask, “Your Honor, is there some difficulty you face?”
Difficulty? Of course there was. If only Dalang would offer his family’s industries as the county’s specialties, the magistrate’s problems would vanish. But he couldn’t say that aloud. Instead, he replied, “Ah, my mother has been bedridden for years. I’ve heard the abbot of Zixing Temple possesses extraordinary healing powers and medical skills, but I don’t know if he would descend the mountain.”
Dalang nearly laughed. The abbot would surely come down for the right delicacies, but he couldn’t say that. Instead, he offered another truth: “The abbot currently sees no more than five patients a day, and only those with difficult cases. It’s already past noon, so I don’t know if the slots are filled. If you wish to invite the abbot to treat your mother, you should hurry. But even if the slots are full, other monks at the temple are also highly skilled.”
The magistrate, who had hoped to stall and find an opportunity to pressure Dalang into offering an industry, now dared not delay. He hastily excused himself and rushed up the mountain, hoping to secure a slot for his mother before the abbot’s quota was filled.
To his dismay, upon arriving, he found not only that day’s slots full but also the next two days’ appointments booked. The people in line were all wealthy or influential, making the magistrate realize how out of touch he was. The mountain was Lin family property, and the temple belonged to them. A chill ran down his spine as he deeply regretted his scheme against the Lin family.
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