Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 288, Section 287: Interviewing Millet
The line was very long.

The docks are where people gather, and the number of people attracted there is actually faster and greater than the soldiers who are being advertised everywhere.

Many soldiers carrying recruitment notices hadn't even reached their destination yet, while over here, the ranks had already stretched for dozens of meters.

Qin Shi watched silently from behind as Wu Zi and the others conducted their joint questioning, which was both highly efficient and meticulous, leaving nothing to criticize.

However, terms and concepts such as "name" and "place of origin," which are known to everyone in later generations, require several explanations at this time because the knowledge dissemination rate is too low.

This is not the way to go.

Therefore, she ordered, "Someone come here."

The attendant who had been the focus of attention immediately stepped forward and bowed slightly.

Qin Shi said, "Did you understand what was asked on the resume?"

The servant lowered his body even further: "I understand."

"Since you understand, then you should put in more effort and loudly proclaim all of this outside the ranks."

Otherwise, if everyone stammers and hesitates during the interview, and then talks nonsense and doesn't answer the questions, it would be too inefficient.

It's fortunate that Wu Zi and the others were patient; if they had been in that situation, their good character would have been destroyed.

The servant, upon receiving the task, not only did not find it tedious, but instead stood tall and proud, full of vigor.

Despite the long queue, he tirelessly explained loudly for the first third of the way.

He knew that many people didn't have the thinking ability and their memories weren't very good. If he started promoting it at the end of the line, they might forget everything by the time they reached the front.

It would be better to just keep explaining here that as long as you put your heart into it, you will never make the same mistake again.

If one doesn't even have this kind of memory and is unwilling to put in the effort, unless one truly possesses some indispensable skill, how can one remember the instructions given by one's superiors when doing other tasks?
……

Because of the severe shortage of manpower, Qin Shi had high expectations for this recruitment drive.

However, the venue for the presentation represents the audience that can be attracted.

Those who rushed here first were those who desperately needed that bowl of food subsidy.

Therefore, even though more than thirty people have been interviewed so far, only a handful have passed the initial screening by Wu Zi and others.

The poor cannot afford to squander their wealth.

Families with some means who want to learn a trade can simply learn it. But the truly poor, struggling daily for food, have no leisure time whatsoever.

Even if they heard of some methods to increase grain yield, given their family's resources, they would have no food to eat if they harvested less than one bushel, so how could they dare to take the risk and try it?

Therefore, most of these people from the lower classes who came here had very ordinary skills.

None of the children selected by Wu Zi had any innate physical gifts.

However, Qin Shi was not in a hurry.

Nowadays, recruiting talent is both a genuine attempt to attract talent and a way to acquire valuable skills.

After this success, we hope that the next event in Xianyang will also attract a large following.

The procession continued its slow, inching forward. Qin Shi, having dealt with various matters, noticed the sky was darkening and asked the person beside him:
"Where will those who couldn't leave in time be placed tonight?"

The head steward had just finished instructing the servants when he came to report in person:

"Your Majesty, because this group of people is of mixed backgrounds, for safety reasons, we dare not let them into the manor. I have already made arrangements; someone will set up a thatched hut outside the manor shortly, and lay out thick layers of dry grass."

That sounds outrageous.

But even now, many poor families don't have that much hay to be used as bedding.

Qin Shi nodded, but didn't ask for anything fancy, only instructing, "Keep an eye on them, and make sure they don't cause any trouble."

Among those queuing today, she saw some women and girls as well.

"Summon a maid to personally accompany them and examine the goods carefully, lest someone try to pass off the real thing as the real one."

The head steward was taken aback, not expecting the Queen to be so meticulous, but he quickly went to give the orders.

Qin Shi had been working continuously for a long time, and now he stretched lazily before slowly strolling out.

In the outer room, Wu Zi continued the interview diligently.

But the person being interviewed now is a robust-looking woman.

While described as robust, he is actually just a large frame with a little bit of flesh, making him only slightly overweight.

Compared to people whose faces are thin and slightly sunken, she can be considered robust.

Just as I was asking about her background, the woman replied briskly and generously:
“I was originally serving in the military. When there weren’t enough men in my family, I filled in. Luckily, there were enough men that time, so I helped cook.”

Although the soldiers didn't get to eat anything good, she was always good at taking advantage of others, and she would always manage to sneak two bamboo tubes of millet soup to drink from every meal.

Over time, I did develop a better physique.

My appetite has been stretched too much, and now that I'm back, I can't get enough to eat every day, which is really worrying.

Now that I heard that I could get a bowl of millet if I signed up, I didn't hesitate to call my companions to come along.

As for special skills...

The woman thought and thought, but couldn't think of any special skills she had.

But since she was already there, she racked her brains...

Special skills, special skills are...

"I have a good memory!"

She managed to capture that flash of inspiration.

“When marching and cooking, ingredients are sometimes scarce, so we inevitably have to search for them nearby. I've never been to those places before and don't recognize the local dishes. But once someone has mentioned them, I'll never mistake them again…” This skill seems quite common among many women who manage the kitchen, but she was afraid of sounding perfunctory if she said it, so she emphasized again:

"I wouldn't mistake them even if they looked alike!"

Wu Zi paused for a moment, then looked at her closely.

This robust woman was also somewhat dark-skinned and rough-looking.

Its appearance is quite different from its delicate skills.

But she knew that the Queen had been trying to come up with all sorts of illustrated books, including those about plants from the Western Regions.

Such talent exists today...

"Are you telling the truth? You should know that deceiving the Queen is a serious crime."

The burly woman hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "It's true!"

Wu Zi then drew a checkmark on the paper without hesitation, and after exchanging opinions with everyone, nodded and said:
"That's enough. It's getting late, so don't go back. Just stay here and wait for the exam tomorrow."

After she finished speaking, she waved her hand and said, "You may leave."

The woman wanted to ask about her millet, but she was already being led outside in a daze.

There, a preacher was tirelessly explaining again: "You can collect the millet here. After you've collected it, come back and leave your handprint... If you're not going home tonight, you don't need to collect it yet. If you fail the second test tomorrow, you'll be rewarded with another bowl."

"If it's too much, then reward them according to their abilities."

Staying overnight here, even with food supplies, isn't safe enough—after all, everyone sleeps in a shared dormitory.

But it's always best to have your money first.

Therefore, even though the speakers went to great lengths, many people still gathered around and received the gifts.

The burly woman had come on a whim, only asking a neighbor to pass on a message home.

Now that she has learned that she cannot go back tonight, she is conflicted again: I wonder how worried her family will be.

……

Just as she had thought, the burly woman's family was indeed quite worried.

The gaunt husband stood outside the yard, looking around several times but not seeing his wife. The child, confused and worried, asked:
When will Mother be back?

"This……"

The father couldn't answer, and then he thought that they hadn't gotten home yet, and soon the night would be too late to travel.

If you can only sleep on the road in winter, what if you get sick later?
The family has no more money for treatment.

Then I wondered, even though he didn't come back, is he alright?
Did you offend someone important and get punished? Were you beaten?

Thinking back to that bowl of millet, he should have grabbed the child and followed quickly!
What if they don't come back by tomorrow?

At that moment, a figure could be vaguely seen at the entrance of the village.

Overjoyed, the man rushed over, but in the dim twilight, he realized that the person was not his wife, but a man from the same village.

Ah Hu.

But then his eyes lit up: "Ah Hu, I heard you also went to that talent recruitment event? Have you met my Yingniang?"

Ah Hu slowly shook his head: "I was one of the first to arrive. I came back as soon as I received the grain, afraid that I would miss it."

Therefore, I didn't look into the queue.

queue?

The man was taken aback: "Are there still many people?"

"So many!"

Ah Hu exclaimed excitedly, "I was just about to ask my daughter, father, brother, sister, and younger sister to go tomorrow!"

"look!"

He had been holding his arms close to his chest, but now he carefully removed them, revealing a handful of plump, high-quality millet tucked under the hem of his clothes.

Is this really true?!
The man was also surprised: "Then I'll go tomorrow too, but my Yingniang hasn't returned yet..."

"Don't worry."

Although Ah Hu didn't linger long, he did know some of the details: "When we went to queue, the Queen was kind and even ordered someone to give us a bowl of salt water. I couldn't bear to drink it, so I put it in this bamboo tube..."

Then, patting the large bamboo tube beside him, he heard a dull thud.

“But I have no skills, so I was told I could come back. Before leaving, I came back to collect this bowl of millet.”

But when many people don't have time to get back, they are settled in the vicinity of the farm for the night, and they are even given a meal of soup and rice!
Pity.

He had already walked quite a distance when he heard the people behind him announce that there would be soup and rice for dinner that night. He wished he could turn back and continue to mooch a meal.

But he lives in a remote area, and he has already received the food and put his fingerprint on it.

Fearing being driven away by the soldiers if he went back, he reluctantly returned.

But thinking about how someone else might end up eating that bowl of noodle soup tonight, I feel so sorry for them!
Ah Hu's regret was genuine, and even the man sighed, "With such a generous queen, we might have a full meal of soup tonight..."

Then she breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you're alright."

He didn't think his wife had any special talents, but since there was salt water and millet to collect, he should go tomorrow!

Alas, it's a pity the children are all too young. If they were a little older, they might be able to make up enough people to stand in line!
　I was so tired, I fell asleep several times during the last two hundred words.

　　(End of this chapter)