After breakfast, Lu Ming went to visit the Dong family as usual.
Mainly, he wanted to pay his respects to his maternal grandmother, Lady Dong, the pillar of the Dong family.
She held great prestige within the Dong family and was rumored to have connections with the Empress Dowager Dong, though he didn't know if that was true.
Ever since tasting his mother Dong Yue's body, Lu Ming felt he had wasted his life.
Before, he had only lived a precarious existence, constantly on edge.
Despite owning thousands of acres of fertile land, the actual harvest was meager.
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, ancient technology was relatively underdeveloped, and crop yields were extremely low.
Fertilizer was also inadequate; many fields needed to be plowed and allowed to recover their fertility after continuous cultivation, otherwise, no food could be grown, and even if some was, the harvest would be poor.
Upon arriving at his grandmother's living room, he saw that Lady Dong was over fifty years old. Women in ancient times married relatively young. His mother, for example, was only in her early thirties, while he was already quite old.
Her affluent life had kept Grandma Dong well-preserved; she was slightly plump, fair-skinned, and had a kind smile.
Seeing that it was Lu Ming, she smiled and said, "Anmin, you've arrived. Please sit down. What have you been busy with lately? Visiting this old woman every day must be hard on you."
Lu Ming smiled and poured Grandma Dong a cup of tea, offering his greetings. "Not at all, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Grandma isn't old at all; outsiders often say that Grandma and Mother look like sisters!"
"Hehe, you really know how to talk," Grandma Dong chuckled, clearly fond of her grandson.
The men were rarely home, only Lu Ming came often, even now that he was a county magistrate, he still came rain or shine.
She had thought he wouldn't come as often after his promotion, but he was still as consistent as ever.
This made her very gratified, and she didn't regret speaking up for Lu Ming before.
"I'm telling the truth. Grandma, I've learned a new massage technique that's said to relieve fatigue and shoulder pain. Would you like to try it?" Lu Ming's smile was sunny and genuine, without any deliberate flattery, seemingly just the respect of a junior.
"Sure, let's try it then." Grandma Dong nodded. Between grandmother and grandson, there was no concept of propriety between men and women.
Lu Ming rubbed his hands together and began massaging his grandmother's shoulders.
He was indeed deliberately trying to ingratiate himself. To climb the social ladder, he needed to leverage the power of the Dong family.
The Dong family wielded considerable influence in Longxi County, especially Dong Zhuo, who was already a General of the Household, maintained excellent relations with the Qiang tribes, and was quite renowned among the chivalrous figures in the area.
Besides, they were relatives; it would be a waste not to make good use of them.
As for the consequences? Lu Ming wasn't worried at all. Right now, even survival was a problem; why would he care about future developments?
After massaging for more than ten minutes, Lu Ming wiped away his sweat. "Grandma, are you feeling better?"
Grandma Dong moved her shoulders, causing her breasts, hidden beneath her brocade robe, to sway. Even though they were covered, the impressive size of her breasts, which had nurtured several children, was still evident.
"Hmm, not bad. Anmin is very thoughtful. If you're free for lunch today, please have your meal here!"
Lu Ming smiled and shook his head. "No, Grandma, I have some things to take care of. The security situation has been chaotic lately, so I need to keep an eye on things. There's also the matter of the hired laborers; with the rebels causing trouble this year, we need to keep a close eye on the grain."
Grandma Dong nodded and sighed, "This family owes so much to you. Since you have things to do, then go ahead. From now on, prioritize tasks. You're a county magistrate now; you should work diligently, reporting to the Emperor and bringing peace to the people."
"Yes, Grandma, then I'll be going now." Lu Ming bowed and took his leave, concealing the lewdness in his eyes.
Tao County was considered a relatively large county town in Longxi Commandery. Its city walls were five meters high, and a two-meter-high moat surrounded the walls.
Originally intended as a moat, it lacked a water source and was used only as a ditch.
Located between the commandery seat and Jincheng Commandery, it was also a trade route, making it a prosperous place.
Where there are people, there is a world of intrigue; where there is intrigue, there is conflict.
Petty thieves were not uncommon in the county town. Every town has its share of idle thieves who do nothing but steal chickens and other petty crimes. In ancient times, these were called wandering knights.
"Ding, quest triggered: Resolve the Mohist branch's predicament."
"Mohist Branch Predicament: Ma Jun was recently kicked out of the Mohist household. This Mohist disciple, obsessed with woodworking, squandered his savings and was then evicted by his sister-in-law. Task: Recruit Ma Jun. Reward: Unlock a follower, gain industrial skills."
On the way to the county government office, Lu Ming saw a young man being driven out of a mansion, with a bundle thrown out.
Looking up at the courtyard, he recognized it as the Ma family's residence. The Ma family were butchers and pork sellers, quite wealthy.
"Since the family has split up, let's split it thoroughly. It's just that my brother-in-law has been idle at home these past few years, wasting money on useless things. I have no choice but to forgive him." A somewhat attractive woman, accompanied by several servants, stood at the gate, hands on hips, mocking him. Clearly, she was the mastermind.
"Ah! Thank you, sister-in-law, I'll be going now." Ma Jun sighed, picked up the bundle, and prepared to leave.
He didn't know where to go or what he could do.
Besides carpentry, he was useless, but he couldn't do traditional carpentry. He always liked tinkering with strange and unusual things.
Lu Ming followed Ma Jun to a tavern. The somewhat thin young man looked at the steaming buns in the tavern, patted his stomach, then looked at the bundle in his hand. Having no money, he could only reluctantly turn and leave.
"Brother, why don't you come in and have a meal? We hit it off immediately. This meal is on me." Lu Ming knew he should make his move, so he stepped forward, patted the man on the shoulder, and pulled him inside without further ado.
The waiter, with sharp eyes, spotted Lu Ming and immediately ran over. "Sir, may I ask what you would like to eat?"
"Ten meat buns, and two bowls of meat soup, please." Lu Ming waved his hand. As a county magistrate and a well-known figure, how could any merchant not know him?
Only Ma Jun, a typical homebody who rarely leaves the house, didn't recognize him and was still in a daze.
"Brother, eat, it's on me," Lu Ming said, picking up a meat bun and eating it himself.
Driven by hunger, Ma Jun couldn't resist reaching for a bun and munching on it, slurping it down with the meat broth.
After eating five meat buns, he finally felt a little full. He wiped his mouth, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Ming, and said, "Thank you, brother. May I ask your name?"