Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 52 Express Delivery

When they returned to the county government office, they were all exhausted, so they took Sun Wang into custody first.

On his way here, Sun Wang saw the constable leading his fourth uncle and second uncle, their hands bound, in a panic. He was overjoyed, feeling that the heavens had finally opened their eyes, and it hadn't occurred to him what this had to do with him. Even after he followed the constable to the prison cell, he still didn't know what was going on. He tried to ask the constable, but he handed him over to the jailer and walked away.

At this moment, Sun Wang finally panicked.

At the front yamen, Jia Chuan stood in the courtyard and said to everyone, "Put down what you are holding and go to my place. I will ask the kitchen to make some noodles and stir-fry two dishes. When you are full, come back and sleep."

Gao Yuntian said, "I have to report to the county magistrate. I don't know when this will be completed."

Old Zheng said, "I'm tired and don't want to move. When you're done, have Shunzi bring it to me."

Several other detectives, seeing that Gao Yuntian hadn't gone, felt embarrassed to follow him, so they politely declined.

Jia Chuan returned to the house alone. He thought Dong Shuben and Shunzi had already gone to bed, so he knocked on the gate. The door opened, and a round, smiling face appeared in front of Jia Chuan.

"Brother!" Dong Yuanyuan shouted in a heavy voice.

Jia Chuan shuddered inwardly and said quickly, "Call me uncle!"

"Brother Shunzi wouldn't allow it, saying it would be too different in generation."

"You really listen to him. Why aren't you asleep yet so late?" Jia Chuan asked as he entered the yard.

"Dad told me to wait, saying that my eldest brother would be hungry when he came back..."

"Are you planning on eating another meal?"

"Yes!" Dong Yuanyuan nodded heavily.

The father and daughter were not on the same wavelength, which made Jia Chuan feel relieved.

Jia Chuan opened the door, stood at the entrance and said, "You shouldn't be in my room at this time. Go and ask the kitchen to make three bowls of noodles. Bring two to my room, and take one back to your room to eat."

"Can you make four bowls?" Dong Yuanyuan asked Jia Chuan expectantly.

"You, can you eat more? Didn't the boss let you eat enough for dinner?"

"No, no." Dong Yuanyuan waved her hands and said, "I wanted to give a bowl to Brother Shunzi. Look how thin he is..."

Jia Chuan smiled and said, "As long as you are not afraid of your father scolding you, then go and tell the kitchen."

"When my father asked me, I told him it was my eldest brother who ordered it." Dong Yuanyuan said in a low voice.

"Can your father be trusted? I'm thinking about Shunzi, not him?"

"My mother said that as you get older you should eat less. That's what she told my grandparents."

Jia Chuan raised his eyebrows and waved his hand, and Dong Yuanyuan skipped away.

Dong Yuanyuan has been here for more than ten days, but Dong Shuben is still obsessed with her. He feels that he will not let his daughter go back unless Jia Chuan agrees.

Fortunately, Dong Yuanyuan's mother did not come to make trouble. Jia Chuan did not have a good impression of this mother. If she really came, it would have damaged his relationship with Dong Shuben.

But living like this is not a good thing. He once gave money and silver to the county magistrate, but the county magistrate refused to accept it and even let him live there with peace of mind in a friendly manner. How should he repay this favor?
While thinking about this, Jia Chuan changed out of his work clothes and washed himself. Just as he was about to sit down and drink some cold tea in his underwear, someone knocked on his door.

He thought it was a servant coming upstairs, but when he opened the door, he saw it was the county magistrate. Jia Chuan was stunned for a moment because he didn't hear anyone knocking on the door.

The county magistrate was all smiles, saying that he was afraid of waking up the neighbors, so he knocked lightly on the gate and someone opened it. Jia Jingcheng had taught his servants well, and he also said that he knew Jia Chuan had worked hard today, so he specially ordered people to prepare some food.

Jia Chuan quickly let the county magistrate in and said politely, "How could I trouble you to come here?"

"As I should, as I should." County Magistrate Yu put the lunch box on the table, but did not rush to open it.

"Please sit down!" Jia Chuan said enthusiastically.

After County Magistrate Yu sat down, he took a deep breath, put away his smile and replaced it with an embarrassed expression.

"Is County Magistrate Yu...something wrong? This house..."

"No, no, no, it has nothing to do with the house. Jia Jingcheng can stay here as long as he wants. I... do have something to discuss with you."

Jia Chuan immediately thought of Gao Yuntian who had gone to report to the county magistrate. It seemed that the county magistrate had not left work yet, and they were all waiting for today's results.

"County Magistrate Yu is here for the Dongxi Village matter, right?"

"Alas, you've worked hard all day, not only finding the cause of death but also bringing back the murderer and everyone involved. You can see how hard it's been, but..."

Jia Chuan did not respond, waiting for County Magistrate Yu to change his tune.

"Every case has a plaintiff and a defendant. This case..."

"This is easy to handle. The Ma family's family can be the plaintiff."

"Oh, listen to me. I've heard the general situation of this case. If you think about it carefully, it's also the Sun family's own business. The girl from the Ma family had already been married when she died, and the Ma family also accepted the betrothal gifts. The wedding night was also agreed by Sun Wang. What happened in the bed... it's not appropriate for us outsiders to get involved."

Jia Chuan frowned. He had previously proudly thought that he had only given County Magistrate Cui two choices and forced County Magistrate Cui to let him investigate the case of Dongxi Village. Unexpectedly, Cui Youzhi had already thought of how to deal with it. If they had no gains today, Cui Youzhi would naturally be happy. If they really found out something, he would let the county magistrate come forward to intercede. He owed the county magistrate a favor and would have to repay it sooner or later. Why wait any longer?
"Tell me directly, County Magistrate Yu, how will this be disadvantageous to the county magistrate and the county magistrate if this case is reported?" Jia Chuan said seriously.

Yu County Magistrate sighed and said earnestly, "You've been here for over a month now. Magistrate Cui and I have been working diligently, and the people of Dongzhao County are able to live and work in peace. To be honest with Jia Jingcheng, before you came, there hadn't been a single murder case in several years..."

"It's not that there are no people, but no one dares to report it to the authorities."

"Whatever the reason, County Magistrate Cui's five-year term is up next year. Unexpectedly, there were over forty appointments to the Huangluling Inspection Office, and then two murders occurred in quick succession. As a result, it will be difficult for County Magistrate Cui to get a mid-to-high grade in the Ministry of Personnel's year-end assessment. So..."

"What County Magistrate Yu meant was that it didn't matter who died, and even less so how. Not only would no one report it to the authorities, but even if the truth was uncovered, it would be covered up as much as possible. The County Magistrate's promotion should be the top priority."

County Magistrate Yu was stunned for a moment. He felt that he had explained it very clearly and even the dumbest person should have understood it. So why was this person still asking questions?

Yu County Magistrate thought for a moment and said:
"Jia Jingcheng, what does it mean to live and work in peace and contentment? What people experience is something we can see, but what we can't see is fate! Everyone has their own destiny... I've met Sun Wang. Do you think someone like him could seize the opportunity even if it came from heaven? And the Ma family chose him as their son-in-law. This is not something the county government can interfere with. If the court issued an order stating that men with poor character and health are not allowed to marry, this marriage would naturally not be possible..."

"Of course, the murder was not caused by anyone in the yamen, but since they knew that the murder had happened, they allowed the murderer to go unpunished. Once other people know about it, they will follow suit. Regardless of the responsibilities of the county yamen, what the social atmosphere will be like, or where the county magistrate will be promoted, it is said that those who do evil will eventually perish. Once a prefect or county magistrate who cares about the people and has extraordinary courage is encountered, and these people are arrested, it will be found out that it was because of County Magistrate Cui's temporary cover-up that these people's evil intentions were encouraged. County Magistrate Yu thinks that by then, no matter where County Magistrate Cui is, he can escape the charge of being ambitious and lax in governance?" County Magistrate Yu was confused. He was talking about what was happening right in front of him, and Jia Chuan was talking about what would happen ten or twenty years later. This didn't make sense.

"I know the emperor better than you do." Jia Chuan added meaningfully.

County Magistrate Yu actually understood this confusing remark and he took a deep breath.

Jia Chuan struck while the iron was hot and said:
"Logically speaking, what does this case have to do with me? What does it matter whether I do it or not? My promotion doesn't depend on it, but you are different. Perhaps I didn't explain it clearly enough to the county magistrate. It wasn't for me that County Magistrate Yu vacated the house. I have lived there shamelessly for so long. I must find a way to repay this favor. How should I repay it? County Magistrate Yu doesn't want my money, so I can only pave the way for his promotion."

County Magistrate Yu was completely stunned, and at the same time, very moved. He didn't remember anything else Jia Chuan said at this moment, only the last sentence was deeply imprinted in his mind.

"Let me put it this way. I'm not afraid of you having too many things to do during your term, I'm only afraid of you not doing anything during your term! The Emperor has just ascended the throne and needs good and capable ministers. County Magistrate Yu is thinking, if you were the Emperor..."

Yu County Magistrate immediately played a trick, sat down on the ground, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying: "Don't dare say that!"

Jia Chuan sighed, stood up, and helped County Magistrate Yu to his feet. He explained, "Today, it's just you and me. I was just using an analogy. Let me put it another way. What the Ministry of Personnel cares about is not important. What's important is what the Emperor cares about! I'm in Dongzhao County, so the Emperor will naturally pay attention to you. County Magistrate Yu, in this situation, do you think it's better to do more things that can demonstrate your abilities, or just muddle through in obscurity?"

"Of course it's the former."

"County Magistrate Yu is a sensible person. Let me put it this way: even if there comes a day when I need to say something, I will definitely have to say it."

County Magistrate Yu suddenly realized it and left happily.

Jia Chuan concluded that when talking to officials, one should try to be vague and have hidden meanings. No meaning should be expressed directly. The more detours one can use, the better. One should let them think about it, and think hard about it.

Jia Chuan felt that he needed to practice this skill more.

Jia Chuan was pleased with his impromptu response for a moment. This conversation not only solved the Dongxi Village case, but also helped him repay the favor of County Magistrate Yu. Now...

Just as Jia Chuan was feeling proud, the door was pushed open forcefully. Dong Shuben walked in angrily and asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Jia Chuan then remembered and asked, "Where's my noodles?"

"You knew I wanted to help... but you insisted on pushing Yuanyuan to Shunzi. You, you..."

"Where are my noodles?" Jia Chuan was also a little anxious. He was hungry.

"I don't know! I only saw two bowls, both at Shunzi's!"

Jia Chuan took a deep breath and threatened: "You'd better bring those two bowls of noodles here, otherwise..."

"Do you think I can get the food from Yuanyuan's hands?"

"Then ask the kitchen to make two more bowls!"

Seeing Jia Chuan getting really anxious, Dong Shuben turned around and shouted into the yard, "Dong Yuanyuan! You only care about your own appearance and forget about your brother. Your brother is angry. Go home tomorrow!" Then he turned back into the house and asked, "What's wrong with Yuanyuan? Tell me, and I'll ask her to change."

Jia Chuan waved his hand and said seriously:
"I'm different from you. I'm destined for great things. In the future, I'll inevitably have to attend court. Who knows, some princess might take a fancy to her and ask the emperor for a marriage. What will you do with Yuanyuan then? Forget about not wanting a status. Just think about those daughters of wealthy families. Which one of them doesn't have a heart of gold? Yuanyuan was sold, and she's still counting money for them. And you're her biological father!"

Dong Shuben was stunned. This time Jia Chuan had a different reason. He couldn't understand it for a while, but it sounded like it made some sense.

But when Jia Chuan said that his future was uncertain, he thought it made sense at first, but after thinking about it for a long time, he felt that it was all nonsense.

The most dangerous time has passed. Jia Chuan's previous inferences were almost correct. Even if the emperor did not value Jia Chuan's talent and forgot about him in Dongzhao County, Jia Chuan was still an official, much better than the common people and craftsmen who came to his family to seek marriage. But he had never thought about what would happen if Jia Chuan became successful, or soared very high and far...

Dong Shuben fell into the chair. Wouldn’t his silly daughter be bullied to death?
"Shunzi is great. I've already told you that as long as I have meat to eat, he'll definitely have soup to drink. Isn't it good to live a peaceful life with food and drink, and no worries? Why does he have to follow me on this roller coaster?"

"What?"

"It's not important! County Magistrate Yu just arrived. You'd better settle your daughter's affairs as soon as possible. I can't hold on for much longer."

"Is County Magistrate Yu urging you?" Dong Shuben asked nervously.

Jia Chuan said impatiently, "Even if County Magistrate Yu doesn't push me, who knows when the news will come from the capital and the delivery room will announce the good news - I've been promoted! Leaving here is inevitable."

……

Jia Chuan's words seemed to have been blessed, and the next day he met the messenger sent by the express delivery company.

This was also the first time that Jia Chuan felt the express delivery of this life.

He had heard Kuang Zhong say before that these messengers only relied on their own feet to travel quickly, and every time they arrived at a courier shop, they would change people to continue the journey. The roads that were difficult for horses to travel on were easy for people, so sometimes these messengers were as fast as horses.

The courier guy works hard, but I don’t know if he has five social insurances and one housing fund.

The messenger was a shop soldier wearing a dark coat and a wide hat. He held a whistle stick in his hand and had a pair of bells tied to his belt. Gao Yuntian explained that the bells jingled when he ran, and passers-by would know that it was an express delivery company and would give way.

The soldier was sweating profusely from running, with a yellow lacquered fish tube slung across his chest. The letter to Jia Chuan came from here.

The letter was written by Zhu Zhanji. In the letter, he first complained about being extremely busy recently, then praised Jia Chuan for his diligence in doing his job, and then changed the tone, saying that the case had not been resolved, and ordered Jia Chuan to go to Beijing after the beginning of autumn for another assignment.

Jia Chuan didn't know whether the letter in his hand was a transfer order? An imperial decree? Could he show this... to others?
The letter only mentioned going to the capital after the Beginning of Autumn. Which date exactly? Who would he seek out in Beijing? Would he go directly to the palace? Would he need to castrate himself beforehand? What would his new assignment be? Why was the case still unsolved? The King of Zhao's crimes were witnessed, and the King of Han's crimes were documented. But were these not enough?
Does the emperor need to use such complete procedures to deal with someone?

Jia Chuan stood in Old Zheng's yard, dazed and confused, with a lot of questions in his mind.

　It still didn’t make it to next week’s recommendation, so it will be on the shelves tomorrow!

　　I have mixed feelings. This book is the best performing one in this period of February, but it's a pity that it's still a little short of perfection. A little short of perfection would make it much better. I never dared to set too big a goal. I just thought that if the goal is smaller, the chance of completion will be greater, and I will have the confidence to continue writing. I hope to get an average of 500 subscriptions in the next three months!
　　I don't have any confidence at all hahahahahahaha.

　　Thank you! I don't know what else to say.

　　Even after putting it on the shelves so many times, I still feel uneasy. Well, you can watch the chapter cards for advertisements. I will update more tomorrow.

　　I only hope that the spring sun will shine and good fortune will come to you.

　　Come on, February!
　　

(End of this chapter)