Chapter 379: Stalemate 02

  Liu Shanhe heard this and coughed lightly, then walked into the main room. Father Taigong saw his son return, and his already angry face looked even worse, staring with his eyes wide open, shouting at Liu Shanhe: "You, you, you this scourge, you still know how to come back?! If you have the ability, don't ever enter this house again!"

  Liu Shanhe has become more gentle and obedient since his recent training outside, not making a sound even when scolded by his father. It wasn't until later when his father seemed tired that Liu Shanhe smiled and said: "Don't be angry anymore, Second Elder. Little Three will not idle around in the future, Little Three will do something, and Little Three will do great things!"

  "What? You? Can you do something serious for once? Haha, and what great things are you going to accomplish? Just help me get the land cultivated properly, that's better than anything! What other great things can you do?" Taigong naturally looked at Liu Shanhe with disdain, curling his lip in scorn.

  "You old fellow, the child has finally learned to do something right, and you still speak of him like that! Banger, tell your mother, what exactly do you want to do? Recently, I've heard that you helped the county magistrate with several cases, and our neighbors in the village are all praising you!" The mother asked anxiously.

  "Father, mother! In the past, I was idle and didn't work hard, causing you both to worry. But from now on, I've decided to change my ways and make something of myself, so that you can be happy too! Ah, recently I just got a job as the magistrate of Sui Water Pavilion, although it's not a big position, but I think, let me try first! Later, there will be better opportunities!" Liu Shanhe said seriously.

  "What? Liu Shui Ting Chang? Our country's son has become the head of Liu Shui Ting? Ah, ah, it's really unbelievable, I said so, our country's son had a noble appearance since childhood, old man, old man, look, look, isn't this all coming true?" The mother was overjoyed when she heard that Liu Shanhe had obtained the position of Liu Shui Ting Chang.

  However, Father Taigong still had a disdainful face and said coldly: "Dog fart pavilion master! This pavilion master is also considered an official? Hum, if you have the ability, come and show me when you become an emperor in the future, that's real ability!" After finishing speaking, Taigong surprisingly snorted and then left with a flick of his sleeve.

  At first, Liu Shanhe really wanted to make a name for himself in this position as the head of the pavilion. But later on, he gradually felt that being the head of the pavilion was truly a tiny official position, using his father's words, it was simply a small official position that wasn't worth mentioning. On ordinary days, he just handled some minor cases of chicken thieves and dog robbers. At first, Liu Shanhe thought these cases were quite interesting, directing his assistants, riding fast horses, holding weapons, and being very majestic. But as time passed, it was inevitable that he would get a bit bored.

  Actually, if it was just patrolling vagrants and catching thieves, Liu Shanhe could still accept it even if he was tired. However, sometimes officials would come down from above, and as the head of a small town, he couldn't avoid receiving them. But even in his past life in the 21st century, Liu Shanhe had always been annoyed by such socializing, thinking it was a waste of time, life, and emotions. It wasn't until he accidentally traveled back to the end of the Qin dynasty and became Liu Bang that he learned some survival skills and tricks for getting along with people, all in order to stay alive. Fortunately, this small town was really too small, and high-ranking officials rarely came here. The ones who did come were mostly low-ranking officials responsible for capturing thieves, and they had a more straightforward character that got along well with Liu Shanhe's temperament. So whenever these low-ranking officials came to inspect the work at Liu Shanhe's Si River Pavilion, he would drink with them until dawn, and over time, he naturally developed feelings for them, calling them brothers.

  At night, when people are quiet, Liu Shanhe often reflects on his work over the past period of time. To say that after taking office as the head of Suishui Pavilion, he has done a pretty good job. On the one hand, in the past, he was very enthusiastic about the underworld and had a deep understanding and recognition of its rules and hidden rules. Moreover, in his daily life, Liu Shanhe is a chivalrous and generous person who keeps his promises and dares to help his friends, so there are always a group of sworn brothers around him who can go through thick and thin with him. On the other hand, because of his good relationship with Xiao He and Cao Can in the county government, their methods of handling things naturally influence Liu Shanhe during their interactions, and many things are done to prevent problems from arising. As a result, for a long time, Suishui Pavilion under Liu Shanhe's leadership has been peaceful and uneventful. Although there may be occasional small incidents, they are just minor skirmishes that don't amount to much. The most important thing is that those underworld figures who wanted to cause trouble because of their relationship with Liu Shanhe would rather give him face and not commit crimes in his territory. If some people who didn't know better caused trouble, Liu Shanhe would secretly mobilize his underworld connections to remind them, and they would naturally understand that Liu Shanhe was giving them face, so they wouldn't dare to lose face themselves and would restrain themselves.

  "It's just that the position of a Ting Zhang is a bit too small, if I were to become a county magistrate or something, hehe, what would that feel like?" Liu Shanhe couldn't help but lean back and think about it. However, thinking that he was still able to govern over 200-300 households, and also had his own office, with dozens of Ting fathers and thieves under him, his heart naturally felt a bit more self-satisfied.

  It was based on the idea that "you can't take yourself lightly" that Liu Shanhe began to pay attention to his appearance in the following days. He thought that no matter what, he should first dress neatly and decently, which would give people a sense of pressure from the atmosphere. And if you want to create an atmosphere through dressing, then the first thing to consider is the hat.

  Liu Shanhe knew that the ancients had many strict rules regarding hats (also known as crowns). Generally speaking, ordinary civilians were not allowed to wear hats, only headscarves, which were made by tying a piece of cloth around their hair. This was the usual attire for ordinary people. To wear a hat, or a crown, one had to have the status of a "scholar" (shi). Liu Shanhe thought that although he was not yet considered a "scholar", he was at least a village head. Although this position was not very grand, it still held some influence in the local area. As the saying goes, "a local official is more powerful than a county magistrate", and this was indeed true.

  Thinking this way, since he can wear a "crown", why not make a hat that looks good and boosts his own momentum? He set to work at once. Although Liu Shanhe is usually very casual, once he has made up his mind about something, he will definitely see it through to the end, and if he doesn't achieve something remarkable, he won't rest until he does. First, he ordered a capable underling to go to the market and buy some high-quality bamboo strips as raw materials for making his own hat; afterwards, he took these high-quality bamboo strips to the most famous hat-making workshop in the county town and asked the boss of the workshop to teach him the skills of hat-making.

  The owner of the workshop naturally knew Liu Shanhe's identity and was very happy that Liu Shanhe could come to his workshop in person to learn craftsmanship. Moreover, the owner of the workshop was also a Jianghu person, so he was almost like an old friend with Liu Shanhe, and the two people got along very well. So, during those few days when Liu Shanhe learned the craft of making hats from the workshop owner, he was learning the craft of making hats on one hand, and having a hearty conversation with the owner on the other. Since they were bosom friends, the workshop owner naturally devoted himself to teaching Liu Shanhe the craft of making hats wholeheartedly. Finally, Liu Shanhe had mastered the craft of making hats. So, in his own Xishui Pavilion, if he was idle and had nothing to do, he would often make some high-quality bamboo strips according to his requirements and make hats one by one. After a long time, he actually practiced a good craftsmanship for making hats. However, as for what kind of hat to make, what shape, what characteristics, he didn't have a plan yet. He just felt that the hat he wore should be very different from the ordinary people's hats and should have its own characteristics...

  On the other hand, since becoming the manager of Xishui Pavilion, Liu Shanhe felt that his social circle had clearly expanded compared to before, and the number of people he came into contact with had also increased significantly. Moreover, his horizons had naturally broadened a lot more than they were originally. "Wow, wearing this uniform really has an effect! It's true that when people are happy, their spirits are lifted, and clothes make the man!" Liu Shanhe often sighed in admiration.

  It's also possible that the environment shapes people. Since becoming the head of Liu Shui Pavilion, Liu Shanhe felt that he had more confidence and courage when interacting with others, and his voice was clearer than before. Moreover, many times Liu Shanhe couldn't help but admire himself: "Damn, I'm actually quite capable!" Recalling interactions with colleagues at the same or slightly higher or lower level, if they were gathered together, the one who spoke the most, had the highest level of conversation, and could best energize the atmosphere, aside from Liu Shanhe, was truly hard to find in all of Pei County.

  Moreover, Liu Shanhe always liked to play jokes on others. Sometimes, he himself was puzzled: I rely on it, how is this going? In the 21st century world at that time, he was often joked about by others, but now he has undergone a great revolution and regards playing jokes on others as his own specialty. It seems that although his soul crossed into Liu Bang's body, Liu Bang's physical body also had an impact on Liu Shanhe's soul, personality, temperament, and even ability to some extent. Another explanation is that the environment shapes people. Under the environment that Liu Bang has already created, in many cases, you can't help but go in that direction, even if you don't want to!

  For example, that time Liu Shanhe was drinking with several superiors who were also working in the county government. When they had drunk to a certain point, Liu Shanhe suddenly said to a colleague who was normally very afraid of his wife: "I say, brother, how come you're so heroic today? Has your wife gone back to her parents' home?"

  That colleague was originally dissatisfied with Liu Shanhe's condescending attitude, and upon hearing his words, he felt uneasy in his heart. This unease quickly showed on his face: "I'm telling you, Liu Tingchang, no matter what, I still have a wife to manage me! You want your wife to manage you? Who will manage you then? If you're capable, go get yourself a wife to manage you, and only then will I acknowledge you. Empty words, not even having tasted the plum's flavor, yet already saying it's sour! Truly lacking self-awareness, truly the most lacking in self-awareness!"

  It's worth noting that this colleague's words were actually quite powerful. Everyone who heard them looked at Liu Shanhe with unease. Normally, if someone else had said those things, they would have gotten angry or glared at the other person, or stormed off, or exchanged insults - in short, their reaction should have been sharp. But what everyone didn't expect was that Liu Shanhe just smiled slightly, took a bite of food, and savored it slowly before saying calmly: "I say, buddy, why take it so seriously? Heh heh! However, I must say, the things I said earlier were all true. If you want to know why I haven't gotten married yet, I can tell you. If I wanted to settle down, I wouldn't be Liu San - let's just say that ten or eight beautiful women would still come chasing after me! And to be honest, those ordinary women aren't even worthy of my attention! Not to mention your wife! Honestly, the number of women I've been with far exceeds what you've seen! Hey, don't glare at me, if you're willing, I can quickly arrange for one to come over! How about it, brother, are you up for it?

  Liu Shanhe kept provoking that colleague.

  Although Liu Shanhe's words were not very pleasant to hear, they did not directly attack the person, but rather said that he was very dissatisfied. Therefore, although the person was very unhappy in his heart, he could not say anything else.

  Liu Shanhe is still very aware of his own characteristics. On the one hand, he knows that because of his eloquence, he can liven up the atmosphere in many situations, which makes most people welcome him. On the other hand, there is also the so-called "disaster from the mouth". There will always be a part of people who are either jealous of his clever words or resentful of his joking remarks, and therefore very dissatisfied with Liu Shanhe. When these dissatisfaction accumulate to a certain extent, they will erupt. This eruption is through various channels, to the county magistrate's face impeach himself.

  What about the county magistrate? Although Liu Bang was promoted by himself, and he indeed felt that Liu Bang was a rare talent. However, at many times, the county magistrate also acknowledged that Liu Bang was sometimes too arrogant, looked down on others, and liked to show off and brag. Heaven knows how many tricks he had up his sleeve! Therefore, even the county magistrate, after learning about some of Liu Bang's "unacceptable" behavior through various channels, had thoughts of dismissing him as the head of Shibuyi Pavilion. But now, his most trusted assistants Xiao He, Cao Shen, and Xia Houying, who had just been appointed as a probationary county official, all came forward to plead on Liu Bang's behalf. The county magistrate was puzzled: how could such a small pavilion head have so many county officials pleading for him? This was truly unthinkable! Was it worth it? That young man, apart from being able to befriend some underworld figures and bragging, really couldn't show any other redeeming qualities. Yet, precisely this kind of person had his chief clerks and a probationary official pleading on his behalf, it was as if he had seen a ghost!

  However, whether you understand or not, the face of these three people, especially the main officials and the main prison officials, must be given. These two people are their left and right arms, and many things still rely on them to help themselves. Moreover, these two people are also great talents, and they also appreciate them very much.

  It was under the strong support of Xiao He, the chief secretary, and Cao Shen, the chief jailer, that Liu Bang narrowly escaped being dismissed by the county magistrate. His extensive network of personal relationships finally paid off at this time.

  But that time, Liu Shanhe almost couldn't keep his position as the abbot of Sui Water Pavilion, which was not easy to come by.

  That day, Liu Shanhe had nothing to do, so he rode his beloved white horse to the county town. He had just heard the news of Xia Houying's promotion. Liu Shanhe knew that Xia Houying and Liu Bang were as close as brothers, with similar temperaments and personalities, both loved to joke around, but through his later interactions with Xia Houying, he found that Xia Houying seemed more open-minded than himself, did things more efficiently, and was more cautious in his dealings. Although at the time he was still working as a groom in the county government, Liu Shanhe firmly believed that it wouldn't be long before Xia Houying would naturally shed his humble job of tending horses and find his own way to success.

  When Liu Shanhe said this to Xia Houyi, of course, it was not just based on the records in the historical data. Because Liu Shanhe himself had a set of ways to observe people. He once said to Xia Houyi: "Brother Xiahou, I think your days of raising horses are coming to an end soon. At that time, don't forget me, the one who made this prophecy!"

  At that time, Xia Houyi had a strange smile on his face and said: "What what ah, I don't know you yet? Cut, when speaking, always pick the big ones to say, but when doing things, choose the small ones to do! Alright, if there really is such a day, I, Xia Houyi, will definitely remember this matter and thank you properly, great benefactor who recognizes heroes!"

  It's been half a year since then. Now, his words have indeed come true, and Liu Shanhe feels an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.

  The Sui Shui Pavilion was originally located more than ten miles northeast of the county seat. Liu Shanhe rode his horse quickly and arrived soon. Moreover, since he often came to this county seat, he was naturally familiar with the road. When he arrived at the gate of the county government office, the guards were very familiar with Liu Shanhe. Firstly, Liu Shanhe had indeed come here many times before, and even the county magistrate would give him some respect. Secondly, they knew that Liu Shanhe was now the head of Sui Shui Pavilion, although it was a small official position, but after all, he was an official of the Great Qin Kingdom. Thirdly, Liu Shanhe often gave them some pocket money to buy wine when he spoke, so these guards were still very polite to him. Liu Shanhe rode his horse directly to Xia Houyu's residence without even getting off his horse.

  "Xia Houyu, I'm here to see you! I've come to see you! Dammit, why don't you hurry up and come out to greet me? You're going to exhaust me to death! Dammit!"Liu Shanhe was extremely familiar with Xia Houyu, so his speech was naturally very casual. However, since becoming the despicable Magistrate of Sui Water Pavilion, he had been constrained by the formalities of being a government official. In particular, when speaking in formal settings, although he wouldn't say anything overly refined, at least he had read some books and could manage to articulate himself somewhat coherently.Nevertheless, his usual coarse language had to be suppressed. But today, since he was visiting Xia Houyu's residence without anyone else around, Liu Shanhe felt that he could finally let loose again. He thought to himself, "I can say whatever I want, however I want."

  "You, Liu San, why are you just arriving now? Others have already come to congratulate me! How about it, didn't you bring a gift?" Xia Houyan burst out laughing as soon as he heard Liu Shanhe's voice and came out of the house, slapping palms with him. The scene was almost like they were going to give each other a bear hug.