The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus

10

Ling Miaomiao met no obstructions on the way to her destination as she hurried her way into the hall.

The official the palace sent to conclude matters here had just left. The fragrant tea used to welcome guests and calm one's mind still lingered in the air. Smoke spiraled up from the censors, slowly ascending up. Behind it, the mayor sat paralyzed on the chair. He had poorly dealt with what happened earlier and now casually wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

"Father."

"Oh! My child?" An animated expression surfaced on the pudgy face of the mayor as if he had suddenly been injected with energy. He happily shot up from his chair to pull another one to the table opposite him. "Come on over to father, are you tired?"

His pale forehead and philtrum were densely covered in sweat that he continuously kept wiping away with his hands, truly a person who loved to sweat.

Ling Miaomiao closed the door with a turned hand and proceeded to rapidly close all the windows as well. Only after doing all of that did she sit down opposite of the mayor with a face that was completely serious. "Father, was that person just now someone the palace sent out for the disaster relief?"

The mayor was stunned, "Aii." He laughed, "Good daughter, do you recognize him?"

"I don't." Ling Miaomiao stared straight into his eyes. "The money this time, father you haven't touched it yet right?"

The mayor's smiling expression froze as awkwardness spread onto his face.

After a few seconds, he broke the silence with a fawning yet alarmed expression on his face,

"My child, when did you start caring about such things?"

He saw that there wasn't even the slightest hint of joy on Miaomiao's face so he calmly tried to console her, "You don't have to worry about these things. Father will take care of them. My beloved child, you don't need to worry about anything.."
"Can I not care?" Ling Miaomiao interjected,

"Father, are you really muddle headed or are you pretending to be? Is the disaster relief silver someone you can touch?"

"....." The mayor's expression sunk. Then he put on a strange faint smile.

This faint smile of his was like a male lion's pampering and indulgence in his aggressive young cub. "Yes yes. My child is right. Father should be hit. Father should be hit."

He smiled for a while before following with:
"How much the disaster needs, father knows well- Oh right, I heard the servants say that the cotton this year has lumps in them? Father will go collect another heap..."

Ling Miaomiao stared at his face in a daze, feeling quite at a loss for words.

Any revenue must be taken advantage of. He had gotten used to being an official long ago. Taicang County had fertile lands and as such gained special attention from the palace. Even if the mayor took more into his hands, he still wouldn't feel like it was anything much.

Ling Yu's mother died early but the mayor could be said to be an upstanding parent raising her by himself. He would give her whatever she wanted. However, towards her interrogative expression, he felt a bit of amusement— why amusement? He thought she was just a naive and ignorant young miss. How could she possibly know of the workings of officialdom? Yet she still tried to criticize him, how amusing.

"No need." She sighed as her face fell even more, "No matter what I say you won't listen, I won't say anything more."

"Don't get angry?" He wound his way to her then made a funny face to tease her, "Beloved child, smile for me?"