As they were about to sit face to face, Song Qiming finally shifted his gaze to the woman seated beside him.
Zhao Jinmin was the only son in his family… Could it be that—
Noticing his look, Zhao Jinmin walked over to the woman.
With a face full of tenderness, he introduced her to Song Qiming: “This is my humble wife, Madam Wang. We just married after the imperial examinations.”
Song Qiming raised his brows in surprise. “So this is my sister-in-law. What a pity I missed your wedding feast.”
After a few pleasantries, Song Qiming arranged for everyone except Zhao Jinmin to rest at the official inn.
Alone in the room with just the two of them, Song Qiming asked bluntly, “Brother Zhao, why have you come to the southwest?”
The expression on Zhao Jinmin’s face instantly fell, and he lowered his head with a sigh.
“I was just unlucky. After the palace examination, Prime Minister Gu Qishan wanted me to marry his granddaughter, but I had a fiancée at the time, so I refused.”
“Who would have thought he’d later take revenge and send me to Qingxia County as magistrate.”
Song Qiming suddenly understood. “So that’s how it is.”
There was a look of regret in his eyes as he gazed at Zhao Jinmin.
What a pity he hadn’t been in the capital back then, or he could have helped.
Zhao Jinmin forced a smile and perked up. “But it’s fine now. Knowing you’re in Suining City puts my mind at ease.”
Having his direct superior be an old schoolmate would save him so much trouble in the future.
Thinking of the concrete road he had seen upon entering the city, Zhao Jinmin straightened his back and scooted his chair back slightly.
“I saw the concrete road just now. Can Qingxia County build one too?”
Song Qiming replied, “Once the inner city is finished, we’ll pave the outer city, then the official road from Suining Prefecture to Songzhou City, and after that, the roads connecting the four counties. What happens within the county will be up to you to figure out.”
Zhao Jinmin understood—this meant the county government would have to foot the bill.
“Can we buy cement? How much does it cost per li of road?”
Song Qiming shook his head. “Not yet. The cement factory was just built, so production is still limited. Ah Jie is planning to recruit more workers. In about two months, there should be extra to sell.”
Zhao Jinmin chuckled. “Magistrate Li brought it up twice earlier, and you shut him down both times. He’s probably not going to give up.”
Song Qiming leaned back in his chair, fearless.
“I didn’t invent cement, and the factory isn’t mine either. Everything depends on Ah Jie’s arrangements.”
Zhao Jinmin’s expression turned sorrowful again.
“I had wanted my father to meet the County Princess before, but I never expected he’d pass so soon.”
Song Qiming wasn’t sure how to comfort him.
“Come over for dinner tonight. You’ll get to see my sister then.”
No sooner had Zhao Jinmin set foot in the inn than Li Zhidao came over to pry for information.
“I never expected Magistrate Zhao and Prefect Song to be so close. From now on, this humble official will have to rely on your guidance.”
Zhao Jinmin quickly stepped back to avoid the flattery.
“Magistrate Li is a trusted man of the Provincial Administration Commissioner. Someone like me, a mere county magistrate, hardly needs your reliance. It’s just that we haven’t seen each other in many years, and it stirred up some emotions.”
Li Zhidao pressed on as they walked, “You spoke for quite a while. Did you mention cement at all?”
Wanting to discourage Li Zhidao from troubling Song Qiming further, Zhao Jinmin revealed the limited production truth.
“Lord Song said cement output is limited. County Princess Linghui plans to recruit more people. There won’t be extra to sell until next year.”
“Next year? That’s way too slow!” Li Zhidao exclaimed.
Everyone wanted good things. Songzhou City outranked Suining City, so its roads should be paved first.
Zhao Jinmin shrugged.
“There’s nothing to be done about the high demand. We’ll just have to wait.”
Li Zhidao asked, “Did he mention how much a bag of cement will sell for?”
Zhao Jinmin shook his head. “They haven’t set a price yet since they haven’t started selling. The cement factory is the County Princess Linghui’s personal property, so everything depends on her decision.”
Li Zhidao deflated. He still hadn’t asked about the coal mine, and now cement had cropped up. He needed to report back to the Provincial Administration Commissioner as soon as possible.
