Chapter 1531: Less Energy...

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Tao Jinyan didn’t expect to be treated with such courtesy. He quickly cupped his hands and returned the greeting. Then, he sized them up. ” May I know your names?”

Jiang Yue and Xue Yan had yet to speak when Zhang Dazhu rattled off their names like a firecracker.

“So it’s Young Master Xue and Madam Jiang.” Tao Jinyan smiled.

“You can call us Xue Yan and Jiang Yue,” Jiang Yue and Xue Yan said.

Tao Jinyan didn’t say much. He only asked, “Forgive me for being presumptuous. May I ask where you two came from? Why did you come to our Stone Village to inquire about something?”

No matter what, he was still a village chief and had studied before. If he had not been called out for cheating in the imperial examination and had even passed the scholar examination, he would not have been more cautious than Zhang Dazhu and Zhang Shoushou.

Jiang Yue and Xue Yan were not surprised.

Their actions were already very strange and suspicious.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jiang Yue cupped her hands and said, “It’s not convenient to tell you where we came from. I hope you can forgive us. Think about it. What is there to scheme for in your village? We truly just want to inquire about some things. We don’t have any ill intentions.”

Tao Jinyan thought about how poor their village was. Even stray dogs and cats wouldn’t come. Even if they did, they would leave hungry. This was no place for them to profit. If someone came to harm their village or the people in the village, it would be nearly impossible to win something from it.

Moreover, the two young people in front of him were dressed in expensive clothes. The quality was so good that even if they sold the entire village, no one would be able to buy these two clothes…

There was no need to run so far to come here and spend so much effort…

Tao Jinyan was relieved when he thought of this. He cupped his hands and smiled. “Please come in and sit. My house is simple and crude. Please forgive me.”

“You’re too modest. Village Chief Tao, please. After you.” Xue Yan says smilingly.

Xue Yan and Jiang Yue only followed after Tao Jinyan walked into the main room.

Tao Jinyan didn’t stand on ceremony with Zhang Dazhu and Zhang Shoushou. As he entered the central room, he said, “The two of you, go get them some water. It’s in the kitchen.”

Xue Yan and Jiang Yue were not thirsty. They wanted to say that it was fine, but Zhang Dazhu and Zhang Shoushou had already gone to work. They were extremely familiar with Village Chief Tao’s house, and it was obvious that they often came here.

The central room was very simple. There was only a table and four benches, but it was very clean.

It was only when Zhang Dazhu and his son poured some water for them did Tao Jinyan asked, “What would you like to know, Young Master Xue and Madam Jiang?”

Village Chief Tao still addressed them as Young Master Xue and Madam Jiang, just like how Grandma Zhu and Aunt Tian insisted on addressing them as such just now…

Jiang Yue and Xue Yan looked at each other. Already accepting those titles as theirs.

Then, Jiang Yue said, “My husband and I know that this is Da Chen. This village is Stone Village. I heard that Emperor Shi Yuan was extremely tyrannical. He kills people in the palace every day and taxes heavily. The people are in dire straits. No one dares to say anything for fear of being killed. As for the rest, we don’t know. If you know something you can share with us, I hope you can tell us. We’ll be eternally grateful.”

“What you know is what these two buffoons told you just now, right?” Tao Jinyan smiled.

“Everyone in our village knows about this.” Tao Jinyan smiled before Jiang Yue and Xue Yan could speak. “It’s all hearsay. If it’s not from the town, it’s from the county. The streets and alleys of these two places are always talking about this. No wonder the people in the villages know about it.”