I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 3: A Grasshopper's Life at Risk

It was just a chirping insect. But Zhao Cunren said it concerned the life and property of the Zhao family.

This is not alarmist.

Lin Shisan helped Zhao Cunren up: "Boss Zhao, please stand up. Speak in detail."

Zhao Cunren had a sad face and told the whole story.

Liuxinju has been delivering pickles to the Yan Mansion every seven days for six years. They are very familiar with the Yan Mansion.

Yan Shifan, the junior minister of the Yan family, also loved cockfighting, dog racing, insect raising and pigeon feeding. Zhao Cunren's rooster won nine consecutive games in the insect fighting competition in the capital. Yan Shifan knew about this.

Yan Shifan casually said to the housekeeper: "Tell the people in Liuxinju that next time you come to deliver pickles, bring the rooster with you so that I can enjoy it."

When a noble person asks, "borrow" actually means "ask".

Zhao Cunren thought, it's just a cicada. If the young minister likes it, just give it to him. Compared with the business of Liuxinju, what's a small cicada? Next time when he sends pickles, bring the rooster. Who knows, the young minister might be so happy that he will give him a big gold ingot.

Unexpectedly, three days ago, Gai the rooster escaped from the insect cage and disappeared.

The young cabinet minister asked a pickle seller like you to order something. Can you say the item is lost?
Or you don't want to give?!
Don’t you give me, Yan Shifan, face?
If we use four words to describe Yan Shifan, they would be "clever and cunning", "moody", "vindictive", and "brutal and merciless".

It is said that once Yan Shifan invited subordinate officials of the Ministry of Works to a banquet. A deputy minister was unable to attend the banquet due to illness. Yan Shifan thought that the deputy minister did not give him face.

He directly instructed the core members of the Yan Party to frame the official and sentenced him to death. All male members of the family were exiled to Ningxia. All female members of the family were sent to the Jiaofang Division.

Yuanwailang is a fifth-rank official appointed by the imperial court, and the consequences of not giving face to the young cabinet minister are so serious.

If a pickle seller doesn't give face to the young minister, won't his entire family die?

Therefore, what Zhao Cunren said just now about the crowing insect and the rooster represents the lives of the fifteen members of the Zhao family.

After Zhao Cunren finished telling everything, Lin Shisan patted Zhao Cunren's shoulder fiercely: "Hey! Why didn't you come to me earlier!"

Zhao Cunren was shocked: "Master Thirteen"

Lin Shisan said, "As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If I can save your family's lives, I will have accumulated great merit. It's just a cicada, right? Leave it to me."

Zhao Cunren grasped at a life-saving straw: "It is noon now. I have to go to Yan's house at twilight hour. Can you find Gai Xiongji in three hours?"

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "One hour is enough."

Sun Yue's head seemed to have grown three times bigger: "Master, if we search these ten acres of weeds carefully, it will probably take us ten days or half a month to find it. Besides, more than twenty guys haven't found it yet."

Lin Shisan said: "That's because the guys don't know how to do it. Using my method, one hour is enough."

Lin Shisan looked confident. Sun Yue felt relieved.

The fat fellow turned to look at Zhao Cunren and said, "Boss Zhao, our Gao Xiaoqi said you only offered a reward of fifty taels? The lives and property of fifteen people are worth more than that little silver, right?"

Zhao Cunren was puzzled: "Fifty taels? I told Gao Xiaoqi of your office that it was two hundred taels."

It was obvious that the cunning Gao Xiaoqi had underestimated the amount by 150 taels. He took the lion's share, and the rest was divided among Lin Shisan, the general flag and the centurions.

Lin Shisan cursed in his heart: Old rascal.

However, Lin Shisan did not hate Gao Xiaoqi. He felt that Gao Xiaoqi was old and it was understandable that he wanted to save more money for his retirement.

He was a kind person at heart, so he could not do the bloody work of the North and South Pacification Offices, and could only live a comfortable life in the elephant training center.

Gao Xiaoqi also understood Lin Shisan's temperament. He knew that even if Lin Shisan knew the real amount of the reward from Zhao Cunren, he would not reveal it. Sun Yue exclaimed: "What? Two hundred taels?"

Lin Shisan gently kicked Sun Yue's fat butt: "Don't yell here."

Zhao Cunren said tentatively: "I also know that this matter is not easy to handle. The reward can be increased."

Lin Shisan waved his hand and said, "No. I never force anyone to do anything. We agreed on a reward, so how can I raise the price? My family is also in business. In business, honesty is the most important thing."

Zhao Cunren bowed and said, "Thank you, Thirteenth Master. Then, Thirteenth Master, shall we start looking?"

Lin Shisan waved his hand and said, "No hurry! I'll give you half an hour. Find a few things for me."

Zhao Cunren said quickly, "What is it, Master Thirteen, please tell me."

Lin Shisan said, "One dried Yuquan bamboo, as thick as a child's arm; one saw; one drill; five-inch cowhide rope; eight goldfish-eye-sized sheep bone beads, with holes drilled in them; one ten-foot-long thin cottonwood stalk; one bowl of white flour; one bucket of water; one bowl of five-year-old autumn dew white flour; one green bean worm; one katydid cage with thirty-six vertical sorghum stalks; four ounces of expensive eight-treasure vegetable; four, no, eight white flour buns."

The things Lin Shisan mentioned were not difficult to find. Zhao Cunren said, "Okay, I will find them all within half an hour."

Lin Shisan added, "There's no rush for the rest. Let the waiter bring the eight-treasure vegetable and eight white flour buns first."

Zhao Cunren took the order and left.

Sun Yue asked: "Master, what do you want these things for? They sound like they have nothing to do with katydids. Oh, except for bean worms and katydid cages. I know katydids love to eat bean worms. Katydid cages are used to keep roosters captive."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "Except for the eight-treasure dish and the white flour buns, the rest of the ingredients are all related to katydids."

Sun Yue was puzzled: "Eight Treasure Vegetables have nothing to do with white flour buns and katydids? Then what is the purpose of this?"

Lin Shisan pointed at Sun Yue's bulging belly and said, "Eight Treasure Vegetables and White Flour Buns are our lunch. Just at noon, I heard your belly rumbling like thunder!"

The waiter at Liuxinju first brought eight-treasure pickles and white flour buns to Master and Disciple Lin Shisan.

The eight-treasure pickles are indeed as good as their reputation, crisp and refreshing, moderately salty and sweet, and full of sauce aroma. It is perfect for eating with food.

Sun Yue ate six white flour buns with pickles, wiped his mouth and burped.

Lin Shisan exclaimed: "My disciple, you are really a natural glutton! I haven't even finished my one steamed bun, but you've already eaten six? Are you full?"

Sun Yue stared greedily at the last white flour bun in the basket: "Ah, I'm about 80% full. It's all because the pickles from Liuxinju go so well with rice."

Lin Shisan scolded, "Come on. I'll give you the last one. I'll eat less at noon, and your wife will make a small bowl of fried food for dinner."

Sun Yue smiled and said, "Hehe, then I won't be polite, my disciple!" After saying that, he picked up the white flour bun with his fat hands.

After they finished lunch, Zhao Cunren gathered all the things Lin Shisan wanted and brought them over.

Zhao Cunren said, "Master Thirteen, everything is ready."

Lin Shisan nodded in satisfaction: "Okay. Go ahead. Come back in half an hour."

Zhao Cunren was puzzled: "Half an hour later? I was thinking of giving you a hand here."

Lin Shisan said, "My ability to find crickets is a secret method. I will not tell anyone about it and will not pass it on to outsiders."

Zhao Cunren suddenly realized: "Right, right, right. Just like our Liuxinju's sauce recipe, it is not passed on to outsiders. I will leave now and come back in half an hour."

After Zhao Cunren left, Lin Shisan pointed at the debris on the ground and said, "Okay, apprentice, get to work!"

(End of this chapter)