Chapter 5

The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight was soft, shining in through the window, making Lin Shuge squint his eyes in comfort.

Today is a rare sunny day. Lin Shuge was just about to enjoy the winter afternoon when a sharp voice broke the tranquility.

"Lin Lingshi, you are so leisurely. I wonder if you have completed the work assigned to you?" Cui Yan asked proudly, with Cui Zhubu following behind him.

When everyone saw Cui Zhubu, they all stood up and saluted.

Cui Zhubu smiled and said, "Okay, no need to salute. I came here today to ask about everyone's work, especially Lin Lingshi, who is on duty for the first time today. Is there anything you are not used to? Is he competent for the job?"

Cui Lingshi on the side echoed: "Lin Lingshi is appreciated by the county magistrate. The work of a small Lingshi is a piece of cake."

The two of them worked in unison and successfully set up Lin Shuge. If he fails to complete it, he will certainly be ridiculed and mocked. Maybe the word will spread everywhere that Lin Shuge is a man of little more than a reputation. If this gets to Magistrate Li's ears, he will probably have to reconsider.

After thinking it through, Lin Shuge said, "I am not as talented and knowledgeable as my colleagues and seniors, but I have completed the task assigned by Cui Lingshi today."

Cui Yan looked incredulous. "Be careful not to get hurt by your boasting. If you admit that you can't do it, we are all colleagues and we may help you. If you continue to be stubborn, you may lose your job."

"Ah Yan, don't be rude." Cui Zhubu sat on the main seat, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "Since Lin Lingshi said so, then present it first."

"Master Cui, please look, it's on this table." Lin Shuge replied.

Everyone saw a stack of bamboo slips neatly packed in cloth bags on the table. Each one was carefully labeled with Tongze Li, Xidao Li, Guangdu Li, Guandu Li, Anping Li, etc.

Lin Shuge pulled out a document and opened it. "Reporting to Chief Clerk Cui, this is the household registration population and tax documents for the ten villages. I have listed them one by one in a table on the wooden tablet. The horizontal rows are the family population, the tax collection population, and the amount of tax collected, and the vertical rows are the arrangement order of each village."

Everyone saw that the items were clearly corresponding. No wonder he dared to go against Cui Yan directly. He really has the ability.

Cui Zhubu almost couldn't hold back his smile, "Lin Lingshi is indeed extraordinary, worthy of being the talent favored by the county magistrate. However, he still needs to change his temper and be less arrogant and impatient."

Zhou Du curled his lips at Lin Shuge when he heard this. This guy is really shameless. He still has to suppress him with words even though he does a good job. Lin Shuge saw Zhou Du's little action and smiled at him soothingly.

"Of course I have to thank Cui Zhubu and Cui Lingshi for their cultivation, otherwise I would not have come up with such a method to shorten the workload."

Cui Yan was so angry at his sarcasm that he almost exploded. He said without thinking: "You, you are so arrogant. Don't think that you can just…"

"What's all the fuss about?" His voice was stern.

"Your Excellency the County Magistrate." Everyone saluted.

Cui Zhubu quickly took the opportunity to say, "Your Excellency, I was just discussing the household registration of Nanxiang with Lin Lingshi. Cui Lingshi's voice was a little loud, and he had a quarrel with Lin Lingshi."

The implication of the words was that Lin Shuge, a newcomer, actually dared to challenge his senior.

"Really? Lin Lingshi, tell me."

"Your Excellency, I was inspired when I was completing the task assigned by Cui Lingshi. I think the document registration work can be made simpler and faster."

Lin Shuge was too lazy to argue with them.

"Oh, is there any solution?" County Magistrate Li asked with a hint of interest in his tone.

"Please have a look, sir." Lin Shuge handed the bamboo slips and wooden tablets he had sorted out to Magistrate Li, and explained their effects one by one.

"Good, good, not bad." Magistrate Li looked at Lin Shuge with admiration in his eyes. "It's hard for you to come up with such an idea. I will implement it throughout the county immediately."

"However, it is indeed difficult for you to register the household registration and taxation of an entire township." County Magistrate Li frowned, glanced at Cui Zhubu, then at Cui Yan, staring at them until they were sweating profusely.

"Master Cui, the way to be an official is not to suppress the younger generation and let yourself rise to the top." County Magistrate Li looked at Master Cui with a stern face, with anger and regret in his eyes.

Cui Zhubu was terrified and said in panic: "Sir, I know I was wrong. I was just confused for a moment..."

"Alright, Cui Zhubu will be fined for half a year. Go home and reflect on your actions. Come back when you have thought things through. As for Cui Lingshi, you should also go home and cultivate yourself and change your arrogant temper."

It was okay for Chief Clerk Cui. He could come back to continue working as his chief clerk after being fined for half a year. However, County Magistrate Cui Yanli did not say when he would come back, which was equivalent to suspension.

The two wanted to plead for mercy, but when they saw Magistrate Li's face, they had to give up. As everyone was present, Cui Yan could only glare at Lin Shuge with his triangular eyes.

After dealing with the two, Magistrate Li looked at everyone and said, "You are all colleagues. It is not easy to work together. You should not be jealous. You should work together and support each other."

Everyone bowed and agreed.

"Lin Lingshi, come with me." County Magistrate Li said before leaving.

This will require detention, but it is a good opportunity to mention the issue of improving the paper.

Lin Shuge followed the county magistrate to the hall. "No need to be so polite. What happened today was just Cui Zhubu and the other two deliberately trying to embarrass you. We all know this."

"Thank you, sir, for your keen insight." Lin Shuge replied.

Magistrate Li stared at Lin Shuge for a moment, and when he saw that there was no arrogance or resentment on his face, he nodded with satisfaction.

Lin Shuge considered his words for a moment before saying, "Sir, I have something to report to you."

"Are you dissatisfied with my handling of Cui Zhubu and Cui Lingshi?" When Magistrate Li heard this, he thought that Lin Shuge was dissatisfied.

Lin Shuge was stunned for a moment, knowing that he had misunderstood. "Your Excellency has misunderstood. I have no dissatisfaction. I just saw that the county's official documents are still written on bamboo slips, which are very inconvenient to organize and use. I wondered if we could improve the papermaking method so that my colleagues and the people can use paper for work. Wouldn't that save time and improve efficiency?"

"You said improving the papermaking technique? Do you really have a way to improve the papermaking technique?" County Magistrate Li's voice suddenly rose in a tone of disbelief.

"I do have a way, but you have to send someone to do it." Lin Shuge took out a wooden tablet from his sleeve, on which was written in detail the method of making white cotton paper and hemp paper.

Although papermaking technology existed in this era, the raw materials and production techniques were still relatively crude, and the paper produced was naturally not as good as that of later generations.

Actually, Lin Shuge originally wanted to experiment on his own. If he could make it, the profit would be huge. But he changed his mind and thought that if he used it for commercial purposes, ordinary people would not be able to use it, and he might even be sued for competing with the people for profits. It would be better to do a favor for his superior and let him promote it well.

"But sir, I have a condition."

"What are the conditions? Tell me."

"If you succeed, can you promote it throughout the county? We have seen that paper is cheap to make. If you take it over as a government-run business, can you lower the price so that the people of the county can also use it?"

"I will send someone to do it right away. Lin Lingshi, you have great talent. How can a small Ganzhou County hold you back?"

How can a golden fish stay in a pond? It will turn into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds.

"You go back first, and I will think about it carefully." County Magistrate Li blushed at the thought of the great achievement of making new paper, but when he thought of the majesty of the county governor, his excited heart slowly calmed down.

It was almost the evening hour, the golden sun was setting in the west, and Lin Shuge went to the official residence to pack up his things, preparing to go home after get off work.

Zhou Du caught up and asked the county magistrate if he had any difficulties. Lin Shuge said with a smile: "You are fair and strict, why would you embarrass me?"

"That's good, that's good. I thought you were kept in class by the county magistrate." Zhou Du used to be playful while studying, and it was common for him to be kept in class by the teacher.

"By the way, Erlang, you've been living in the county for a long time. Is there any way to supplement the family income, besides doing business?" Lingshi's monthly salary is only 900 coins. Although he has received 2,000 coins as a reward from Magistrate Li, most of it has been spent on household expenses and Zhongxuan's medical treatment. Chunri is also thinking about renting a house in the county, so money may be a big problem.

"You want to do business? Indeed, Lingshi's salary is not enough for me to go to Zuixianlou a few times, and you still have to support your younger brother and sister-in-law. However, the imperial court stipulates that officials are not allowed to do business, so you'd better not have this idea." Zhou Du said.

"I know, that's why I asked you if you have any other options besides doing business?" Lin Shuge said helplessly.

"Then I don't know, unless you get promoted."

Lin Shuge sighed, said goodbye to Zhou Du and went home.

The setting sun was like fire, with a brocade-like sunset glow, illuminating the entire sky.

When Lin Shuge returned home, Lin Xuan and Lin Qingyuan had already prepared dinner. It was braised pork and stewed pork ribs with radish that Lin Shuge taught them to make. He had told them the recipe before, and they didn't expect it to be cooked very well.

Lin Shuge patted everyone's head one by one and went back to the room to see the patients. Xie Chen had heard that Lin Shuge had returned, but he couldn't get out of bed to greet him. "You're back."

Xie Chen wanted to say something else, but he didn't know what to say. After a long while, he finally managed to say one sentence. Although I spoke less in the past, I was not so tongue-tied.

Lin Shuge asked with concern: "Are you feeling uncomfortable today? Is your wound itchy?"

Xie Chen quickly said: "It's not uncomfortable, the wound is indeed itchy." After saying that, his starry eyes looked straight at Lin Shuge.

"That means the wound is healing."

Xie Chen wanted to say something else, but Lin Qingyuan walked in and said, "Brother, I changed the medicine for Erlang today. The wound is healing well, and he will be able to get out of bed in a few days."

He already calls him Erlang, it seems like they get along well. But Ayuan, this naive guy, probably gets along well with everyone. "Ayuan is really amazing." Lin Shuge was not stingy with his praise for his younger brother.

"Brother, come out and eat. I'll bring Erlang's food to him."

"Okay." Lin Shuge responded.

Outside the house, Lin Xuan was helping Lin Shuge to serve the dishes. "Ah Xuan, don't be busy. I'll do it myself. Ah Xuan, you two have worked hard to cook."

Lin Shuge took the bowl, picked up a few pieces of food with his chopsticks, and started eating.

"Brother is the one who has been working hard. How was your shift today?"

The Lin family has no rule of not talking while eating or sleeping, so the brother and sister started chatting at the dinner table.

"That's good. The minor problem has been solved."

Lin Shuge lowered his head to eat and didn't notice Lin Xuan was hesitant to speak.