Promise!

Chapter 46, Ni Ying (Two in One)

The next day, the first day of January, early in the morning, the entire Shen family began to turn slowly like a huge machine. At the gate of the outer courtyard, there was a long queue for recruiting martial artists, and it was crowded. The General Affairs Department of the Outer Courtyard and all the subordinate departments were also working at full capacity: issuing monthly allowances, approving rewards and punishments for last month's tasks, grade promotion assessments, task allocation, etc.

Originally, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. At this time of year in previous years, the various departments of the Shen family would not be like this year. At most, a few people would come to be on duty, and most other people would still have a ten-day holiday. Only on the tenth day would they gradually start to get back on track. But isn't the situation special this year? The sudden rise of the Medicine King Gang has brought considerable pressure to the Shen family. The wartime state is naturally different from usual.

However, everything has two sides, and the wartime state also has its advantages in this situation.

"Six taels of silver? Manager, could you have made a mistake?" Zhuang Jin glanced at the silver handed over and did not rush to take the signature. Instead, he looked up and asked.

"That's right. Today is the first day of the new year, and the Medicine King Gang is out again. The head of the family has approved that everyone in the Shen family will have their base monthly salary doubled this month... Hey, I see the registration date on your badge is yesterday, you were promoted to a second-mark servant? You're lucky, freshly promoted to servant rank, and now it happens at this time."

——In fact, the Shen family also had benefits during the New Year in previous years, but at most they only gave out one-third to one-half of the basic monthly allowance. This year, due to special circumstances, the allowance was doubled!

As soon as these words were spoken, the people queuing behind were all excited and whispered to each other, obviously happy to receive an extra month's salary; there were also many servants who looked at Zhuang Jin with envy.

However, some more discerning individuals secretly observed Zhuang Jin: "Usually, level assessments and promotions take place on the first day of the new year, which is today. So why is this person's badge registration date yesterday?" The only possible scenario is that this person is a newly-formed warrior, having learned martial arts last month and been promoted in the monthly assessment. Thinking of this, they couldn't help but be secretly astonished by Zhuang Jin's aptitude.

"That's right." Zhuang Jin ignored the others' gazes and nodded secretly. The basic monthly salary for a two-mark servant was three taels of silver. This doubled to six taels of silver!

It's no wonder that the other party said he was lucky. If he was still a servant, even if his salary doubled today, it would only be two taels of silver. It can only be said that he was lucky to encounter such a good thing right after being promoted.

"So that's how it is. Thank you for clearing up my confusion, manager." Zhuang Jin thanked him, signed his name, collected the silver and left. He was happy to see the money early in the morning. He got a monthly salary and three taels of silver for free, which filled his heart with a faint joy.

"I spent the last five or six days of last month practicing martial arts and buying two Black Evil Palm medicine bags. Of the original nine taels of silver, only eight taels and eight cents remain. However, with the two taels given by Master Ping yesterday, plus these six taels, and the monthly allowance for next month and the monthly errand money, I won't have to worry about not having enough money to buy training supplies for at least the next two or three months."

This made him more determined to choose the mission at the Shen family headquarters.

After receiving the monthly allowance, Zhuang Jin came to the task office of the General Affairs Department and found the window where Chang Hetong was.

In public, it was no different from being in private. Chang Hetong simply gave him a look and explained in a businesslike manner, "Zhuang Jin, a second-stamp servant, has an opportunity to take on a self-selected mission in April. Here's the mission list. It will be confirmed within a few minutes. Come to me to register..."

"Thank you, Manager Chang."

Zhuang Jin nodded in understanding and went to look at the list of tasks and errands. As Ping Yongfeng had said yesterday, there were no tasks in stable places like the east and south of the city.

He swept his eyes over the areas such as the north of the city, the medicinal fields outside the city, and the area south of the city bordering the Medicine King Gang. He passed by them directly and began to search the Shen family headquarters, selecting tasks that the two-marked servants could take on, and soon locked onto an errand.

The martial artist's martial arts instructor!
This is the job that Ping Yongfeng does, which is to teach martial artists recruited from outside. A two-mark servant is just suitable for it and is qualified to take it!

The reasons why Zhuang Jin was chosen were very simple: 1. It was safe, as it was at the Shen family headquarters; 2. Teaching only took at least one stick of incense in the morning and afternoon, which was leisurely and provided enough time for practicing martial arts.

After he made his choice, he went to register immediately. It went very smoothly and he received the certificate to be a martial artist teaching a martial arts master this month.

When I came out, I met Qian Wende - today, the other people in the dormitory naturally also came to receive their tasks, and they all came over.

"Brother Zhuang, Happy New Year!"

Qian Wende half-bowed, smiling broadly as he greeted him, saying, "Brother Zhuang, did you know? I heard our monthly allowance has doubled this month... What? Brother Zhuang, you've already received it. Is this news true? Brother Zhuang is truly a lucky star. Yesterday, he was promoted to a second-grade servant, and today he encounters such a great event. I'd say, Brother Zhuang is incredibly blessed!"

After a round of compliments, he continued, "Kaizi, Haozi, and I came in together to take on the mission. They just went to collect their monthly allowance, and I spotted Brother Zhuang waiting here..."

From Qian Wende, Zhuang Jin learned about the task choices of other people in the dormitory.

Xiong Lei was also chosen to work in the Internal Affairs Office of the Law Enforcement Department at the Shen Family Headquarters. To put it more bluntly, he was the gatekeeper, and the salary for this job was five cents of silver per month.

Lin Hong was also chosen to work at the Shen Clan's headquarters, in the Internal Affairs Office of the Law Enforcement Department. He was one of the martial artists responsible for the night shift. He was the same martial artist surnamed Sun who had come the night Bi Kai was ambushed. He also received five cents of silver.
Bi Kai chose a medicinal field outside the city, with a salary of seven coins per month.
Xiang Qichen, Jiao Kun, Qian Wende and Wu Hao all chose to go to the north of the city. The basic salary for the job was one or two taels of silver per month, and killing was charged separately.

Well, no one is stupid enough to choose to go to the south of the city adjacent to the Medicine King Gang. The danger of that place can be known with a little inquiry.

"My job as a martial arts instructor pays one tael of silver per month. If I don't train a single official martial artist in a month, five cents of silver will be deducted. However, after completing a minimum, there will be a reward of five cents of silver for each additional martial artist."

Zhuang Jin listened to the treatment of other people in the dormitory and nodded slightly. He didn't think there was anything unreasonable. A two-mark servant like him, if willing to go to the medicinal fields outside the city, could get a basic salary of one tael and five cents of silver per month. If he went to the north of the city, not counting the reward for killing heads, he could get a basic salary of three taels of silver. If he went to the south of the city adjacent to the Medicine King Gang, the basic salary would be five taels... However, the risks and benefits were equal, so he was afraid that he would have the life to earn it but not the life to spend it!
"A genius like Brother Zhuang should just practice here with peace of mind. Leave the other small matters to me. I'm going to the north of the city to inquire about news and intelligence, and will come back to tell Brother Zhuang. Just wait and see what I have to offer!" Qian Wende lagged behind by half a step, half-bent his waist, and said with an apologetic smile.

Ever since that day's incident with Xiang Qichen, this guy had been acting like a lackey in front of Zhuang Jin. Not only had he resolutely cut ties with Xiang Qichen, who used to call him "boss," and started working with Zhuang Jin every day, emulating Bi Kai and Wu Hao, he also inquired about Zhuang Jin's secret cooking class news, spreading it as gossip during meals, and offering Zhuang Jin all kinds of jokes, compliments, and amusements, even often resorting to self-deprecation. He even paid close attention to every detail of Zhuang Jin's life, such as always preparing meals for him and even preparing footbath water when he returned to the dormitory...

From the perspective of an outsider, Qian Wende used to have this kind of image: shameless, petty-minded, greedy, selfish, and ungrateful; but when you show your value, he becomes a bootlicker and tries his best to please you, and you give him another impression: he stands firmly on your side, racking his brains to please you, and he won't get angry no matter what you say. His emotional value is maximized, and he puts himself in your shoes in small matters, considering everything and making sure to make you feel comfortable and at ease.

Many people don't understand why those in positions of power would be so close to those who flatter and fawn over them. They clearly see those people as worthless and believe they are deluded or simply perverse and foolish. But little do they know that those people are completely different in front of their superiors. To put it bluntly, they don't pretend in front of you simply because you're unworthy and unworthy.

"In fact, many times, those in power are not unaware of the true nature of those villains. However, they have their own set of criteria for judgment: not judging good and evil, but only considering the pros and cons. To those in power, these so-called villains know who their masters are and can please them when they are in power. When they encounter someone they dislike but cannot personally deal with, they will rush forward like a dog with just a glance... That's enough, they are useful people."

"Since he's a useful person, giving him a chance or two wouldn't be a bad idea. On the contrary, it's much better than those idiots who are coy, wanting benefits but can't bend over backwards to curry favor, who want the inside scoundrels but can't give up their reputation, or who can't tell their own side."

"As for whether these villains will be ungrateful, opportunistic, or even bite back when the superiors are in shallow waters, that is another matter."

These thoughts flashed through Zhuang Jin's mind. He did not refuse and said, "Thank you very much, Wende."

"Hey, Brother Zhuang, why are you being so polite to me? Just give me some respect and call me Dezi." Qian Wende knew that Zhuang Jin was gradually accepting him, and he immediately said with a smile.

At this time, Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei, Lin Hong, Jiao Kun, Bi Kai, and Wu Hao came over to collect their monthly wages. No matter what conflicts they had in the past, the eight of them were now on the surface getting along well. Even Xiang Qichen came over to say hello, and then they all said goodbye and left because they had to go on business.

"Brother Zhuang, the medicine field is far away, I will go there to report first, and come to see you at the end of the month!" Bi Kai said goodbye and left.

Wu Hao also wished a happy new year and followed Xiang Qichen and Jiao Kun to the north of the city.

Lin Hong nodded. They were all at the Shen family headquarters, so there was no rush to say anything. He said something and left.

Xiong Lei fell behind, looked at Zhuang Jin, then at Qian Wende, with a complicated expression. Yesterday when he returned home, Xiong Dadan told him some things in detail. He was reluctant to believe it at first, but today he believed it a little.

——When I came here today, Qian Wende didn't even call me 'Brother Xiong' anymore, but just 'Lei Zi'. I guess it's because we won't be in the same dormitory anymore, so I can't take advantage of him and there will be no benefits. This is really... reality!

"Okay, Brother Zhuang, I'll go collect this monthly allowance first." Qian Wende said, and left with his waist bent, without even looking at Xiong Lei.

He knew that on the night of the incident between Zhuang Jin and Xiang Qichen, when Xiong Lei stopped Zhuang Jin from taking action, the friendship between the two was completely exhausted. No matter how successful or prominent Zhuang Jin became in the future, it would have nothing to do with Xiong Lei, and Xiong Lei would not be able to benefit from it anymore... In other words, Xiong Lei was out!
"Jin... Zhuang, Brother Zhuang, I... I was sorry to you that day..." Xiong Lei still believed in the principle that strength and achievement are paramount for warriors, and he called out "Brother Zhuang" with difficulty.

"Okay, the past is the past, let's look forward!" Zhuang Jin said this and turned away.

Xiong Lei looked at Zhuang Jin's back and felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart. He opened his mouth but failed to keep him.

Both of them knew that this apology seemed to be a reconciliation and the end of the past, but they could never go back to the way they were.

What about the happy ending where all grudges are forgotten with a smile? That only exists in fiction; in reality, it would be impossible to undo what has been done.

This is not about being petty or anything, but rather that people are constantly screening each other. No one will stand still and wait for anyone else. Most of the time, those who are not suitable will be eliminated and they will drift apart from then on.

……

On this side, Zhuang Jin was also preparing to take up his post and arrived at the Huangzi No. 9 martial arts training ground early.

Well, the main purpose is to watch over the Kailuo Soup. The leftovers from each Wusheng’s bowl are all his benefits, to avoid possible incidents like what happened to Qian Wende.

After a while, they actually waited for an acquaintance, it was Miss Yun, followed by another young girl of 28. Both of them came over with bowls of invigorating soup.

As the two girls came over, their beautiful colors seemed to make the light in the entire martial arts training ground brighter.

Especially that strange girl, who was tall and graceful, with cherry lips and rosy cheeks. She wore no makeup on her chubby and delicate face, but two blushes like the sunset in the sky were her best decoration. When she looked around, her eyes were really bright and charming... Yes, the most noteworthy thing was her pair of eyes, which were smart, moist, clear and sparkling. Seeing them reminded people of the saying 'a pool of autumn water makes people feel cold'!
Zhuang Jin's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the two willow leaf patterns on the girl's willow-green skirt. The second-class maid in the outer courtyard said, "Hello Miss Yun, this sister. Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, my dear! What a coincidence!"

Chen Yun greeted Zhuang Jin and learned that he was in charge of the martial arts training ground. After a sigh, she introduced the girl beside her, saying, "This is my cousin Ni Ying. Since we've recently expanded the number of martial arts students, we've also recruited some maids for the outer courtyard. Yingying has been rated as a second-class maid for the outer courtyard. She'll be distributing the meridian-opening soup here for the next month. Please take care of her, my dear."

She made this request because she was worried that Ni Ying would be bumped into by some rough-handed martial artists. Although theoretically no martial artist would be so bold, after all, if she really did not know the limits, there would be rules and lessons to be learned. However, maids are not like servants and have never practiced martial arts. If such a thing really happened, it would make people feel uncomfortable, right?

"Of course I should. How about this? I'll come over early every day and just keep an eye on it."

Zhuang Jin was not the kind of person who meddles in other people's affairs, but he agreed without hesitation. It was not because he was like Xiong Lei, who was feeling amorous feelings for her, but because he was thinking about the friendship that Hou Yong had shown to Miss Yun that day when she came to help him.

——Although Chen Yun had said long ago that what happened that day was to repay his kindness for helping Song Lan, but one thing is one thing, Song Lan is Song Lan, and this Miss Yun is this Miss Yun. Moreover, he has his own scale in his heart. Even if it is deducted in that way, it is still a little short of repayment.

……

(End of this chapter)