bookpub Chapter 31 Zhang Wanli
Chapter 31 Zhang Wanli
Zhang Ping paused for a moment, then quickly asked, "Miss Liu, what are you doing?"
Liu Lincui knelt on the ground and looked up at Zhang Ping.
Her eyes reddened, but she didn't cry. She bit her lip, as if she was holding back something.
That stubbornness was completely at odds with her delicate appearance.
"Officer Zhang."
Her voice trembled slightly, but she enunciated each word clearly, "I don't want to go back."
Zhang Ping looked at her without speaking immediately. He knew she must have something in mind for speaking like that.
"I don't have any relatives left in my hometown."
"I didn't have much contact with my distant uncles before. Now that I'm going back, I'm just living under their roof and having to be subservient to them."
Her voice grew increasingly steady. "Although I don't have any special skills, I can do all sorts of chores, from washing clothes and cooking to sewing and washing. Whether you take me in as a maid or a lowly servant, I only ask for a place to stay."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head, looking pitiful.
After hearing this, Zhang Ping could understand. In this world, if a woman loses her support, her uncles and elders in the clan may say they will take care of her, but behind her back, they can devour her family's meager assets until nothing is left.
Rather than going back to be manipulated and controlled by others, it's better to forge your own path outside. This girl may look delicate, but she understands things better than anyone else.
"Boss, look..."
Zhou Zheng, standing nearby, spoke up, scratching his head as if he wanted to help but didn't know how to ask. "Miss Liu is all alone in the city; it's certainly not easy for her. If there's any job available at the yamen, could you perhaps..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Zhang Ping's face, and his voice trailed off.
Zhang Ping glanced at Zhou Zheng. This kid is usually so carefree, but today he actually knew how to speak up for someone.
He sighed.
In this day and age, I'll do my best to help as many people as I can.
He doesn't mind lending a hand to anyone he can.
"Miss Liu, please get up."
"Kneeling on the ground to speak, what kind of behavior is that?"
"If outsiders see this, they'll think Zhang is bullying you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lincui slowly stood up, her eyes slightly misty, as if they would condense into beads at any moment.
Zhang Ping felt sorry for him, then thought for a moment and said, "Would you be willing to do the work in the government office?"
Liu Lincui's eyes brightened slightly, and the mist in them thinned a bit.
"In the yamen?" she repeated softly, as if afraid she had misheard.
"The government office is short of a clerk to copy documents."
Zhang Ping said, "It's not a good job. It's just copying and writing, organizing files. The work isn't heavy, but it's tedious. The monthly salary isn't much, just enough for you to live and eat in the city by yourself."
He paused, then added, "If you'd like, I can ask around for you."
"willing."
"I am willing, thank you, Officer Zhang." A glint of light flashed in Liu Lincui's eyes.
Zhang Ping nodded, then turned to Zhou Zheng and asked, "Is the vacancy for the clerk in the yamen still open?"
He didn't take these trivial matters to heart, so it was most appropriate to ask Zhou Zheng.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zheng readily agreed, "Yes, yes! Master Sun's assistant left last month, and no one has taken over his work. There's a pile of files that no one has organized."
As he spoke, he glanced briefly at Liu Lincui and said softly, "But, Miss Liu, can you read?"
After all, this is a clerical job.
Zhang Ping grinned slightly upon hearing this; he hadn't expected this at all.
"I recognize it."
Fortunately, Liu Lincui nodded and said, "My father taught me this when I was a child."
"That's good."
Zhang Ping nodded, and the matter was settled.
You should know that his words carry some weight.
But before he could even settle his thoughts, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
A figure ran from the alley entrance, stopped panting at the gate, and leaned against the door frame to catch his breath.
It was Li, a constable from the yamen, dressed in a black robe, his hat askew, and sweat beading on his face.
"Officer Zhang..."
Xiao Li, panting, called out, "The county magistrate is back and wants you to go see him right away."
Zhang Ping frowned slightly.
Has Zhang Wanli returned?
When the city was plagued by demons, the fat man said he was going to a neighboring city to borrow manpower to deal with the demons in the city.
However, borrowing people can be done by writing a letter; why bother to make the trip in person?
It's likely they were afraid of dying and went to avoid disaster.
In case of any serious situation, and the higher-ups investigate, he can still say, "I have personally gone to Lincheng to seek help," thus saving face and avoiding any fear.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping nodded and said, "I'll go right away."
After receiving a reply, Xiao Li ran off again, panting.
Then he turned around, looked at Zhou Zheng and Liu Lincui, and said, "Zhou Zheng, take Miss Liu to the yamen to settle in first, and then talk to Clerk Sun about the documents. I'll go see the magistrate first."
This is such a small matter, he doesn't need to get involved.
Zhou Zheng nodded upon hearing this.
After giving his instructions, he went out first. When Zhang Ping arrived, there were already people waiting at the entrance of the county government office.
A young clerk saw him and hurriedly came forward with a smile, "Officer Zhang has arrived. The magistrate is waiting for you in the back hall. This way, please."
Zhang Ping followed the clerk through the front hall to the back hall.
The door to the back hall was open, and inside was a large rosewood table with stacks of documents, teacups, pen holders, and paperweights.
Behind the desk sat a fat man in his forties, wearing a dark green official robe. He had taken off his black gauze hat and placed it aside, revealing a bald head.
His face was as round as a freshly steamed bun, with the flesh on his cheeks drooping.
This man was Zhang Wanli, the county magistrate of Fenggu City.
As soon as Zhang Ping entered the door, a smile immediately bloomed on Zhang Wanli's round face, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his chin became fleshy.
He quickly put down his teacup, stood up, walked around the desk, and came to greet him.
"Officer Zhang..."
Zhang Wanli's voice was warm and welcoming, as if he were seeing a long-lost friend. "You've finally arrived. Please sit down, please sit down. Someone, bring some tea."
Zhang Ping bowed respectfully, but inwardly he was sneering.
That fatso, he's all talk and no action.
Last time they said they would record merits, and the time before that they also said they would record merits. But no matter how many times they recorded merits, Zhang Ping's salary never increased by a single tael of silver. He relied entirely on shady dealings.
"Thank you, sir." Zhang Ping sat down on the chair next to him, his back straight, looking ready to be ordered around.
Zhang Wanli sat back down behind his desk, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a deep voice, "Officer Zhang, my subordinates have told me about what's been happening in the city lately."
"Thanks to you for slaying the demon and eliminating evil, my Fenggu City is safe and sound. I never expected that the Changyun Escort Agency would collude with demons. People's hearts are truly unpredictable."