Chapter 35
Manager Wu came to visit, accompanied by Chen Jin.
Yao Chunnuan brought Xiao Jie and ordered Luo Suyi to greet them.
Chen Jin looked around and realized there was no place to entertain guests in their small courtyard. He quickly winked at Xiao Jieming. He was at his wit's end. Butler Wu and Yao were standing at the door greeting each other. He couldn't just leave it like that, could he?
Xiao Jieming went to find Boss Zeng, and soon he came to welcome them to the middle hall.
Luo Suyi quickly brought two glasses of water.
After everyone entered, Boss Zeng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. This hall was originally shared; it had been occupied by the three of them before Yao Chunnuan and the other two moved in. If someone less powerful had moved in, their occupation would have been fine, but with the Yao family's reputation becoming known, it was actually a bit inappropriate. However, since the other party hadn't mentioned it, they felt a bit evasive and pretended not to know.
Oh my God, if he had known earlier, he would have cleaned up half of the hall earlier, and saved himself from today's embarrassment. He didn't know if the three people inside would have a bad impression of him.
Fortunately, he had just asked the second brother to pull Li Taohua away, for fear that she would get angry and make a scene at this moment.
Yao Chunnuan walked into the hall, her expression normal. She noticed Zeng Laoda's anxiety, but she didn't take it to heart. She didn't care about the shared hall of this shabby house, so she had always maintained the status quo.
Manager Wu took everything in, but didn't say anything.
"Recorder Yao, we are all sensible people. I think we should just get straight to the point. There's no need to beat around the bush." Manager Wu said gently.
"Manager Wu, please speak." Yao Chunnuan stretched out his hand and made a gesture of invitation.
Manager Wu gave Yao Chunnuan the same feeling as a regional manager she had worked for in her later life. She had learned a lot from him.
"Well, after our investigation, we found that you are a very capable person. Our general would like to transfer you to work under him. What do you think?"
Yao Chunnuan complained in her heart that those in power were insidious and always only said half of what they said. They didn't mention the key points, such as her position and her salary. She just asked her what she thought.
The old man is very mean. He just said that he would speak frankly and not beat around the bush. Whoever believed him would suffer.
"Thank you for your kindness. I admit that I do have some ability under Commander Chen, but I believe that the general's subordinates are even more talented. I am afraid that my ability is not enough."
Manager Wu laughed. This little fox was asking about her treatment, and she was also telling herself implicitly that if the treatment was not good, she would continue to stay with Chen Jin.
"Recorder Yao, please don't underestimate yourself. Your abilities are obvious to all. When you get there, you'll temporarily take over as the Chief Clerk and be responsible for clerical duties."
Yao Chunnuan raised her eyebrows. This position is very high. Aren’t they afraid that she won’t be able to do it?
Manager Wu smiled but said nothing. He knew her well enough. With her abilities, she was perfectly qualified to serve as acting chief clerk. If she wasn't up to the task, it would mean he had misjudged her and the information he had obtained was false. The result would be nothing more than returning to where she came from. If she returned in a bad situation, he would no longer be concerned.
Besides, if he just needed a clerk with mediocre abilities, why would he bother looking for a serving prisoner like her? He spent so much money, so he must have seen her great value.
After thinking about it, Yao Chunnuan immediately understood the key.
Yao Chunnuan didn't ask when she would be officially promoted. She was a convict-turned-laborer, and if she wanted to become a formal chief clerk, she had to shed that status. Her status wasn't something General Guanjun could decide; it had to be reported to the court and approved.
After discussing the position, the next step is to discuss the salary.
Yao Chunnuan skipped the treatment and asked the question that concerned her most, "I want to bring two people with me, is that okay?"
She tentatively proposed her conditions. With a new leader, she needed to get a feel for his temperament and determine how much she would contribute.
"Are the two people outside the one you want to take with you?"
"Yes."
"OK."
After this question, Wu, the chief steward, broke away from his previous insistence on holding onto the initiative and said, "The transfer order will be issued soon. We will allocate you a house, so you can move in as soon as possible within the next two days. You don't have to worry about three meals a day. We all have similar meals, so you'll be full. In addition, there will be a small monthly allowance. In addition, you will be assigned a maid. Well, this is the current salary for the time being. Do you have anything to add?"
"What's the accommodation like?" This was what Yao Chunnuan was most concerned about. She thought for a moment and said, "I'm not being picky about accommodation. What I want to ask is, if we are still allocated a thatched mud house, can we repair it ourselves or tear it down and rebuild it when we have the ability?" At this time, there was no light snow in Yichun, and the thatched mud house had poor thermal insulation.
"Your residences will all be mud brick and tile houses." There aren't many blue brick and tile houses in the military settlement. "Yes, if you have the ability to tear them down and rebuild, you can do whatever you want."
A mud brick and tile house, that's good. Yao Chunnuan pondered what he had just said, trying to see if there was anything else to add. "Wait, you also assigned me a maid?"
"Yes, the general's chief secretary, military officer, chief clerk, recorder, etc. will be equipped with one or two servants. Our general has no shortage of hungry soldiers, nor does he lack one or two people to serve you." said Chief Steward Wu.
There are many people who can do things like washing clothes and cooking, but there is only one Yao. If she is really that capable, it would be a waste of her talent to let her do washing clothes and cooking. Her time should not be wasted on this.
"Manager Wu, I wonder if I can assign the two people I brought with me to be servants and menial maids?" Since she had brought them here, she couldn't just let them continue doing menial labor, could she? There was no way out when there was no opportunity, but now that there was, she would certainly try to help them. Even menial maids did easier work than menial labor.
"Whether they're hired soldiers or maids, they all serve you. If you think they're capable, then so be it." Wu, the steward, remained smiling in response to Yao Chunnuan's request, showing no impatience at all. Having needs is a good thing, but wanting the horse to run without eating grass is impossible.
Yao Chunnuan thought for a moment and said, "Then I have no problem."
Manager Wu smiled and said, "Welcome to join us."
After learning about her past from Chen Jin, Wu Zongguan was quite satisfied with her. She was capable, sensible, and cherished her reputation. It was good to cherish one's reputation. People who cherish their reputation had a high threshold for betrayal. In this world, there is no loyalty without reason. Before the newcomers have established their loyalty, it is best to have the other party's betrayal be as high as possible.
"Please give me more guidance in the future, Manager Wu."
"Okay, let's work together to assist the Champion General in the future."
After the deal was done, Manager Wu was about to leave. He was under the command of General Guanjun and was second only to the general in command. He was responsible for many things. The only reason he came here was because he valued Yao Chunnuan.
Before leaving, he told her to move as soon as possible in the next two days, as she might be asked to take up a new position at any time tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. As for the transfer order, he would issue it after he returned. Finally, he left a soldier behind to help her.
Chen Jin then exempted her from working for the next two days.
As soon as they left, all the prisoners in the area knew that her promotion was confirmed and that they would be moving out soon.
Aunt Yun and Old Man Luo were both reluctant to let them go, but they also understood that this was a great thing for her.
Yao Chunnuan followed the soldier left by Manager Wu to see the house assigned to her. It was not yet time to go to work, so a group of laborers followed her out of curiosity.
The house allocated to Yao Chunnuan is located in the South District, which is also the location of the Juntun Office.
The house was similar in layout to her current one, but overall it looked much better. The foundation was well laid, with layers of stone stacked high enough to reach an adult's knees, completely impervious to rain or snow. The yard was well-maintained, the gate sturdy, and it resembled a small farmhouse. Butler Wu had also provided the house with basic furniture and daily necessities.
All this made the laborers who came to visit extremely envious.
Because Manager Wu had urged her to move as soon as possible, and Chen Jin had given the three of them a day off, Yao Chunnuan immediately decided to move today. Besides, there was nothing much to be nostalgic about in the old, shabby house.
They moved quickly, as they didn't have many belongings. They took whatever they could use and what was missing from the new house. Yao Chunnuan distributed any that didn't fit their needs to Aunt Yun and Old Man Luo. For example, their bedding, the wooden barrels, basins, and wooden tables they'd built initially, and so on. Neither family complained and took everything home. Yichun winters are so cold, and any extra bedding is always a good thing.
After everything was packed, the move began. As soon as they saw her move, everyone rushed to help, partly to show their affection for Yao Chunnuan, who had recently been promoted, and partly to see the excitement of the South District. The group, each carrying a basket and another carrying an urn, marched towards the South District in a mighty procession. Especially the large urns Yao Chunnuan had bought earlier, which required ropes and three or four people to carry.
After the belongings were moved in, Yao Chunnuan thanked them.
Yao Chunnuan moved into her new house, and soon after, a soldier brought her two bags of food. Yao Chunnuan looked at them and saw that they were all good food.
At night, Yao Chunnuan took a shower, washed her hair, and lay down on her bed. Resting her head on a soft pillow and covered by a warm, odorless quilt, she sighed deeply. After being exiled until now, she finally felt like a human being.
Although for Yao Chunnuan, she has only just returned to a normal standard of living, but for the prisoners and laborers in Yichun, her life now is already very good.
Lying on the bed, Yao Chunnuan missed her father and mother a little. These days, in order to survive, she had been on edge and did not dare to slack off at all.
Now that she can finally take a breath, she can't help but think of her family.
Upon arriving in Yichun, she had hoped to ask Tian Qigang to bring her family a message about her safe arrival. She knew many people died during the exile, and she feared her family had been worried about her for the past few months. Just hearing that she was safe would have put their hearts at ease.
But considering that she had already troubled Tian Qigang when entering the city, asking him to help talk to the person in charge to try to group the three of them together, she had nothing and couldn't bear to trouble him again. After all, if she didn't know how to behave, it would inevitably cause displeasure.
As for what she had done during her exile, whether it was brewing cooling tea or cooking dinner for the escort officers, she herself had been given the privilege of not being shackled and was compensated with food and clothing, and the matter was settled. Yao Chunnuan was well aware of this, so she did not dare to assume that they had any friendship.
So she held back and didn't bother him anymore. Besides, she believed that even if she didn't bring the news back, her family, grandfather and uncle would ask Tian Qigang to get the news that she was safe.
I wonder how things are going at home? How are your parents? Has Yao Xing caused any more trouble for the family?
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The excitement of Yao Chunnuan's move, accompanied by the news of her promotion, was hard to ignore.
Unlike everyone who envied Yao Chunnuan's promotion, Wang Lang had been frowning since he heard the news.
She is always involved with people like this. Before, there was Xiao Jieming, Luo Suyi, and now it is Xing Changfeng. What about the future?
Unfortunately, none of these people had a good ending in their previous lives.
In his previous life, Xiao Jieming was a subordinate of one of his defeated generals. He came to assassinate him, but he ordered him to be torn into pieces by five horses.
Luo Suyi is a man-killing maniac. She was famous in her previous life because all the men who died at her hands were tortured to death with such cruel methods that it was chilling.
As for Xing Changfeng, even though he has become a third-rank champion general at a young age, his future will be miserable.
Actually, it was the third prince who committed the crime because he believed in slander and slaughtered the entire Xing family.
Compared to the falsely accused Wang and Han families, this great general was the one with the true intention of rebellion. But it was understandable. If a family of dozens of people were slaughtered, and he had a group of arrogant and powerful generals under his command, wouldn't he want revenge? What the Third Prince did was nothing more than forcing the people to rebel!
After he started his army, he swept through the country like a hot knife through butter, capturing several cities in a row. Unfortunately, he was eventually killed by his own sister, Xing Xingyue, the only survivor of the Xing family.
If not for this, this person might really have deployed troops in the capital in the end.
Xing Changfeng is as bright as a comet. His light is bright enough, but it is too short-lived.
The young general Ji Ze that he is following now is a man of great fortune.
In fact, Ji Ze's future is closely related to this great general. In his previous life, ever since the great general was transferred to Yichun military settlement, Ji Ze has been highly valued by this general.
Later, General Guanjun died, and it was Ji Ze who avenged him.
His method of revenge was simple: he killed the man who had bewitched Xing Xingyue, and then killed Xing Xingyue after she gave birth to a child. He then adopted the child into the care of Xing Changfeng and raised him well. With this, General Guanjun's former troops gained their allegiance, and he now commanded 20,000 elite soldiers, a force ten times stronger than his own.
At that time, Daliang was plagued by resentment due to the Third Prince, and the people were living in misery. When Ji Ze was hesitating whether to rebel or not, the prince woke up.
Afterwards, Ji Ze cooperated with the prince to purge the imperial court, made great contributions to the emperor, and was granted the title of nobility and appointed as a general.
Wang Lang also used this opportunity to rise to the top of the civil service. What he didn't reveal was that in his previous life, he had found an opportunity to leave Fengqing early and come to Yichun, where he became a subordinate of Ji Ze. He was the one who provided Ji Ze with the means to avenge Xing Changfeng, and thus quickly became Ji Ze's advisor. Later, after the crown prince awoke, he mediated between the two and established his own power.
After his rebirth, he chose to go into exile in Yichun, firstly to save his family's lives, and secondly, he did not want to repeat the same detour as in his previous life.
He hadn't anticipated that his path would intersect with Yao Chunnuan's, and that they might even end up working together. Given her current position, he'd likely be ranked below her. Furthermore, because of her, he was bound to be the focus of attention, which would be extremely detrimental to his actions. Yet, he couldn't stop Yao Chunnuan from taking the position. He had the privilege of reviewing some of the information she compiled, and it was truly well-organized, simplifying the complex and providing precise, clear summaries.
Wang Lang was amazed, but also puzzled. Because of the Yao family's favor, Yao Chunnuan could read, but that shouldn't be enough to support her talent, right?
But then I felt like I was overthinking it, because ever since the divorce, Yao had always acted quite smart. People with good brains learn things faster than others, so that's normal, right?
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