The little babies in the village nursery were all under three years old. Some chattered, some cried and fussed. Just looking at such a group of little guys, Han Haitao felt a headache.

Having run a teahouse for so many years, Han Haitao felt the hardest to deal with were the true scoundrels. But little guys under three were even scarier than scoundrels. Scoundrels were just unreasonable, while little babies were simply unintelligible.

After inspecting, Captain Li frowned. "Tax Collector Han, why do you think the children are fussing so much?"

Han Haitao recalled his own experience raising children and tentatively answered after comparison, "Are they hungry?"

Captain Li's brow immediately smoothed out completely, and he went out the door. Han Haitao hurriedly followed. After walking a short distance, he saw Captain Li enter a simple thatched hut. Before long, he came out carrying a bag of grain on his left shoulder and a pot in his right hand.

Returning outside the nursery, Captain Li got some firewood and started a fire.

When the clear water in the pot was heated, Captain Li sprinkled sorghum flour into the pot with his left hand and pulled out a rolling pin tucked behind his waist with his right hand, stirring the flour quickly in a clockwise direction until the flour soup began to thicken. When the water boiled, a pot of sorghum flour soup was considered cooked.

The smell of sorghum was very pleasant; even Han Haitao felt very comfortable smelling it. The little babies in the nursery cried even more intensely upon smelling this scent. Even the old people and women looking after the babies moved to the door.

Captain Li shouted to the nursing staff, "Hurry and get bowls; everyone drink porridge together."

Han Haitao managed to finish feeding porridge to more than a dozen children with great difficulty. Fortunately, the children's attention was on eating. After being full, they were happy for a while, and soon became sleepy. The old people and women, who had downed two bowls of porridge themselves first, put the children onto the *kang* [heated brick bed]. Seeing them asleep, they also sat lazily in the sun outside the house.

Having solved the children's crying, Captain Li went to patrol the village. Han Haitao followed for a while. Seeing that simple thatched hut ahead, he said, "Captain Li, I can't walk anymore. Why don't we go sit in your house?"

Sure enough, that simple thatched hut was Captain Li's home. There was little furniture in the house, but it was kept very clean. The two sat down and chatted. Captain Li had come here from inside the pass to defect to relatives. The relatives didn't have excess land either, so they arranged for Captain Li to marry a widow with a child, which counted as settling down here.

Listening to Captain Li talk about these things, there was absolutely no dissatisfaction. Han Haitao handed Captain Li a cigarette. After both lit up, Han Haitao asked, "Captain Li, if I haven't guessed wrong, that grain was from your own home, right?"

"...Yes," Captain Li answered. After speaking, he urged, "It's enough that Tax Collector Han knows; don't tell anyone."

Han Haitao revealed a professional smile and changed the subject. "How did Captain Li think of following the government to be a Militia Captain?"

"The village recommended people. Several friends recommended me. I didn't expect that those ranked ahead of me weren't selected. Since the government asked me to do things, I can't be unappreciative."

After chatting for a while, Han Haitao felt he liked Captain Li very much. Although this person was rough and unlettered, his mind was very meticulous. Especially that air of righteousness on Captain Li was exceptionally rare. After chatting for a good while, Captain Li didn't mention taking out his own grain at all. Han Haitao clearly felt Captain Li had truly let the matter go, and admiration rose in his heart.

At night, Han Haitao thought left and right. He took out the report paper and lit a candle. Originally, he just wanted to write a perfunctory report to hand in when dealing with the errand. Recalling Captain Li's idle chat during the day and his actions, he couldn't help but pick up the pen and write: *'The nursery is a very good department, but no meals are prepared for the babies inside. If there is still grain, please provide appropriate subsidies. Children fall asleep easily after being full and won't cry or fuss, making them easier to look after...'*

This official document was sent to the town early the next morning. That evening, the sound of horse hooves rang out outside the town. Captain Li went out alertly to meet them and saw two soldiers in uniform riding horses and leading a mule to the village entrance.

The cavalrymen jumped off their horses and asked, "May I ask if you are Captain Li?"

"I am."

The cavalry immediately stepped forward and saluted. "Captain Li, this is grain sent from the town. It's divided into two portions. One portion is for the village nursery. The Village Head must sign for it."

"I'll go call the Village Head right away," Captain Li said happily.

"Please wait." The cavalry stopped Captain Li, who was rushing to leave. "There is another bag for Captain Li. Please accept it."

Captain Li was stunned. He turned to look at Han Haitao, his eyes filled with both surprise and gratitude. Han Haitao smiled but said nothing, though he was truly shaken in his heart.

*Good people don't get good rewards*—this could be considered a major characteristic of this world. It was even more so for the government doing things. The government wanted to extract benefits from the people; if they gave benefits to the people, the officials would have to pay for it themselves.

Shopkeeper Han had seen plenty of such things. It wasn't until he attended classes under the new government and heard about "public service" that he truly realized what this was about.

So Han Haitao just wanted to test and see if He Rui's subordinates really did as taught in class. In fact, Han Haitao didn't have much confidence; he just thought that if He Rui's subordinates also said one thing and did another, he would just resign and quit after returning. But he didn't expect things to progress to this stage.

While Captain Li went to invite the Village Head to receive the grain, the cavalry asked again, "Is it Comrade Han?"

"Yes."

"This is a letter from the Town Mayor to you." Saying this, the cavalry took out a letter.

After reading it, Han Haitao said sincerely, "Please reply to the Town Mayor that I have caused him trouble."

The cavalry shook his head. "The Town Mayor asked us to bring a message to Comrade Han: you discovered a problem in the work. You did very well."

In the evening, borrowing the light of the setting sun and the rosy clouds, Han Haitao read the letter again: *'Comrade Han Haitao, please open. Regarding the nursery food issue, the town knows about it. We have sent people to deliver grain. Moreover, the town has already sent Comrade Han Haitao's proposal to the city, handing it over to the leading department. Comrade Han Haitao discovered a deficiency in the work and provided timely feedback. And you paid attention to observing comrades with outstanding work in the village. Please make persistent efforts and work hard. Sincerely, Salute.'*

Han Haitao sighed, but found he couldn't calm the excitement in his heart.

Is this what being an official is? Han Haitao wasn't quite sure. But if Governor He Rui's government really did things this way, Han Haitao would be willing to keep working.

Marching and fighting, or plowing fields and planting land—Han Haitao knew he couldn't do those. But checking for gaps and filling omissions, managing tax collection—Han Haitao felt he could do it.

But Han Haitao still didn't dare to fully believe He Rui. Some things are easy at the start, but as they go on, everyone might not have bad intentions, yet they truly become involuntary victims of circumstance.

*Let's continue to watch and see*, Han Haitao decided.