An attendant immediately barked, "The Lord County Magistrate himself has come to your door! Why have you not come out to pay your respects?"
Qingmu grew even more uneasy and stepped forward to explain, "We're simple country folk, crude and ignorant of etiquette. We were afraid of offending His Lordship. Besides, our womenfolk have never seen the world. They're easily startled, so we didn't dare call them out and risk alarming our honored guest."
County Magistrate Li laughed. "You're far too modest. I heard you married the greatest beauty in the surrounding villages. How can you call her crude? The other is your own mother; you shouldn't speak of her that way either."
The attendant glared. "Are you still not going to call them out to greet the Lord Magistrate?"
The respectful facade Qingmu had struggled to maintain finally crumbled. He balled his fists in anger, his head bowed and shoulders trembling as he fought to suppress his rage.
