Chapter 161: Arriving in Lingnan

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Arriving in Lingnan

July passed in the blink of an eye, and August soon arrived. During this time, Hua Buwan had passed the second stage of her driving test on her first try and was busy preparing for the third.

The donations she had been following up on with Teacher Lin were also fully implemented. Hua Buwan even took some time to visit the sponsored children. Seeing how much their lives had improved after receiving the financial aid, she felt an immense sense of fulfillment. Her heart was full.

Meanwhile, Ling Qianjun and the others entered the territory of Lingnan. The government officers went ahead to hand them over to the local authorities. The exiles were assigned to a remote little settlement named Haiao Village, under the jurisdiction of Shijing County.

It would take another two or three days on foot to reach Haiao Village from here, but Luo and his men’s mission was complete once they arrived in Lingnan. From now on, the local personnel would escort them to the village.

After finishing the handover, Luo gathered the exiles. With a faint smile, he said, "Once you pass through here, you are officially in Lingnan. Unless you are pardoned from your criminal status and return to being commoners, none of you can ever leave this place.

"Having spent so much time with all of you, I’ll give you a piece of sincere advice: Living a peaceful, honest life is what truly matters. Stop dreaming about unrealistic things and don’t do anything meaningless. Here in Lingnan, people rely on the sea for their livelihood. As long as you use your heads, you’ll be able to survive. Alright, I’ve said all I need to say. We part ways here."

At this moment, many of the more worldly exiles stepped forward, pressing the emergency money they had hidden in their shoes into Luo’s hands to inquire about the situation inside Lingnan. At the very least, they needed to know about the village. What would they face once they arrived? What was the village like? What did they need to watch out for in the future?

As the saying goes, money makes the mare go. After being slipped the bribes, Luo naturally began to speak. Ling Qianjun stood among the crowd, quietly listening to the crucial information Luo was about to share.

"Shijing County, as you can guess from the name, has a famous mountain made almost entirely of stone. It’s become quite the scenic spot. The county has also developed a stone mining industry. Most of the houses by the sea are built from stone, their exteriors inlaid with oyster shells.

"The County Magistrate of Shijing County isn’t too bad; he’s a pragmatic official. It’s just that... he’s over sixty years old now and often lacks the energy to manage everything. He usually turns a blind eye to minor offenses. As long as you don’t commit any major crimes, you’ll be fine. He can’t be bothered with petty squabbles. Of course, given your special status as exiles, you’d better avoid even those petty squabbles. If he finds you too troublesome, he might just cut the problem off at the source."

As he spoke, Luo made a slicing motion across his neck.

Seeing this, the crowd couldn’t help but gasp.

"The County Magistrate’s son is incompetent, but he has an excellent eldest grandson," Luo continued. "Though the boy is only fourteen, he is already a Scholar with a limitless future. He’s the apple of the County Magistrate’s eye. However, the eldest granddaughter is a bit spoiled and willful. She loves sneaking out to sea all day, stowing away on other people’s fishing boats... You all must be careful around that girl in the future, lest you get implicated."

Hearing this, everyone grew tense, silently making a mental note of this important figure.

"As for Haiao Village, it’s one of the most remote villages in Lingnan. The population there is sparse because it’s situated right in the path of the wind, making it prone to typhoons and tornadoes. Any of the original villagers who had the means to leave have already moved away. Those who remain are either too old and unwilling to leave, or simply lack the ability to do so.

"The village chief is a fisherman whose family has lived there for generations. He’s neither particularly good nor bad. As long as you don’t steal their catch, they won’t provoke you. Having fewer villagers has its advantages, too. You’ll have more land to choose from and fewer people to interact with. Plus, since all the formidable people have moved away, the ones left are easy to get along with. I’m sure you can handle them."

"..."