Chapter 232 First Day at Work
This is Zhou Houfang's first day in office.
She specifically asked Amber to change her previous complicated bun and imitate the female soldiers in Jinzhou Prefecture, using only a gold hairpin to comb her hair into a simple bun.
Amber combed her hair and sighed, "Miss, you really won't let me go with you? I'm afraid of you going out alone. Please let me go with you, okay? In case you are thirsty or tired, I will serve you tea and food, massage your shoulders and legs——"
Zhou Houfang said sternly, "Amber, the girls at Xu Zhenying's place are all capable of handling matters on their own. What's the point of me bringing along a maid?"
Amber pouted, unwilling to do so, feeling as if she had been abandoned by the young lady.
"But…"
"No buts. Besides, I see Secretary Qian and the others are so busy with their official duties every day, and they also have to participate in morning and evening exercises. Since I'm new here, I have to follow their rules. Not only can I not bring a maid with me, but I also have to follow them in morning and evening exercises."
Amber's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "My lady's body is precious. How can you go to the barracks and get into trouble? If you get bumped or bruised, the Madam will be heartbroken!"
Zhou Houfang quickly wiped her tears, "You little girl! If others can succeed, why can't your daughter? Do you look down on me like outsiders do?"
"Of course not! My young lady is both talented in literature and martial arts. She's not spoiled at all. Even men can't compare to her!"
Zhou Houfang was amused by her. "That's not true. Hurry and swallow your tears. Your young lady is going out to work, not to do hard labor. Besides, the city lord and his men don't like weak women. They regard strong women as beautiful. I've seen not only Qian Zhenniang, but also Xu Anping, Fang Ningmo and others who are all strong. Your young lady is very ambitious and refuses to be outdone. I'm sure she can become as strong as those female soldiers in ten days or half a month. Then she won't be afraid even if she encounters hooligans. So don't worry! I can do this alone!"
Amber thought about it and agreed, so she nodded in agreement.
Zhou Houfang continued, "How about this, take the two books I gave you yesterday, the four arithmetic operations and pinyin. If you learn them, I'll take you out to work."
Amber cheered, "Miss, please keep your word!"
"Of course!"
Finally, she said goodbye to her crying mother and Amber, and the Zhou family sent her out the door as if they were sending her to the battlefield.
Mrs. Zhou wanted to say something several times but stopped herself.
It's only because the security in Jinzhou Prefecture is good now, otherwise she would really be worried.
Zhou Houfang ignored his mother's meaningful look and walked out of the Zhou Mansion with happy steps.
This was the first time that he wasn't surrounded by a bunch of maids and servants.
This was also the first time she felt so free!
The summer wind was hot, the sun was a little scorching, and the smell of pancakes mixed with the aroma of oil on the street wafted in her face. Someone was hawking in the distance, and several children ran past her quickly.
It was as if her whole world came alive!
She was like a newborn baby, stumbling and caressing this new world.
She longed for this moment and lingered on this moment.
I even want to stay in this moment forever.
However, soon, Qian Zhenniang's words "You are late" shattered her beautiful expectations for her first day at work.
Zhou Houfang stared blankly at the sky outside. Qian Zhenniang smiled and pointed to a large, square wooden house inside. "It's already eight minutes past nine. We start work at nine. As the city lord's personal secretary, you must arrive half an hour early, which means at eight o'clock."
Qian Zhenniang's teasing wasn't meant to be mocking at all. She gently tapped Zhou Houfang's shoulder and said, "Secretary Zhou, you need to learn to read a clock right away. We people from Lan County all use this to tell time. It's more accurate than reading the sun."
Zhou Houfang immediately put aside all his thoughts and listened carefully to Qian Zhenniang's handover.
"The secretary is always the first one to arrive. When you arrive, you must first check if the city lord's study is clean. Also, take a look at what she's been reading and focusing on. You have to have a clear idea of what's important, otherwise, when the mountain of documents arrives, you won't be able to prioritize."
Qian Zhenniang walked slowly ahead, pointing to a table near Xu Zhenying's study. "This is your workstation. You have a lot to do. Not only do you have to take care of the city lord's daily life and diet, but you also have to coordinate with the higher-ups and lower-ups. You have to help the city lord solve his problems, and you have to greet and see off the people below you. You have to review everything they hand in. You have to be familiar with the implementation of all the policies, big and small, in Jinzhou Prefecture. You have to get to know every official who comes to report and know the progress of their work... In short..."
Qian Zhenniang seemed afraid that she might scare off her new colleague by saying too much, so she simply smiled and said, "Anyway, there's a lot to do, and it's very challenging."
Zhou Houfang has already noticed it.
According to Qian Zhenniang, she had the dual identities of a eunuch and the prime minister in the imperial palace.
He not only has to take care of Xu Zhenying's daily life, but also has to cooperate with Xu Zhenying in all government affairs.
At the same time, Zhou Houfang also keenly observed that Qian Zhenniang drank two bowls of water as soon as she entered the house, and was sweating, probably because she had just returned from training.
It seems that everyone under Xu Zhenying loves to practice.
She had heard from the servants that the bandits had a special habit. Either in the early morning or at night, they could be seen running around the government office in groups.
Zhou Houfang had just arrived, so naturally he had to abide by their rules.
In other words, she now has to practice in the morning, handle government affairs during the day, and cram for their Lan County textbooks at night to catch up with their progress as soon as possible.
Thinking of this, Zhou Houfang suddenly realized that twelve hours in a day were not enough!
It’s not enough at all!
Totally not enough!
This is something even the strongest person can’t endure!
But the people under Xu Zhenying are all energetic and quick-witted, which is completely different from those fat, bloated officials of the Zhou Dynasty!
She finally understood why Qian Zhenniang always looked so excited when she looked at her.
Moreover, Qian Zhenniang quickly dropped another piece of bad news, "Secretary Zhou, work hard. I can only guide you for a dozen days at most, and then I have to go to another position."
Zhou Houfang was a little flustered, "Where... are you going?"
"I don't know. It depends on what the city lord wants. I'll take on whatever is difficult to handle." Qian Zhenniang smiled indifferently. "By the way, today is the first day for the new clerks to report. They've finished the formalities this morning and will have lunch in the cafeteria. You can go meet them and get to know them. Their support will be indispensable in your future work."
Zhou Houfang couldn't keep up at all.
Qian Zhenniang was already talking to herself, "By the way, you don't know the cafeteria yet, right? I'll take you to make a wooden sign for your meal card. This is very important. Come on, let me take you to visit our cafeteria—"
Zhou Houfang had only one thought in his mind.
She suddenly didn't want to be a rebel anymore.
At noon, Qian Zhenniang took her to the cafeteria.
Zhou Houfang had just realized how huge the government office's cafeteria was! It was two stories high and was bustling with people. Even the busiest restaurant in Jinzhou Prefecture couldn't compare.
Qian Zhenniang showed her wooden badge on the stage. They called it a work badge, which was a bit like a waist badge and was used for identification.
Qian Zhenniang pulled her to the second floor. "Today is the day when new clerks report, so there are more people here. Usually there aren't so many people. Let's go to the second floor, where there are fewer people."
Zhou Houfang took a closer look and found that there were indeed some familiar faces, and they were all very young.
Most of the people are in their early twenties. Although they are dressed differently and have different identities, when they gather here together, there is an absurd sense of equality for all.
Wherever Qian Zhenniang went, everyone made way for her. On the way, people kept greeting her and enthusiastically calling her, "Secretary Qian."
Qian Zhenniang was very comfortable in the situation and would occasionally push her out, saying with a smile, "This is Secretary Zhou. It's our first meeting. Please take good care of her in the future!"
"Hey, hello, Secretary Zhou!"
Zhou Houfang looked at those pairs of eager smiling faces and thought that these people would be his colleagues in the future.
Although her mother often taught her about greeting and socializing when she was at home, she had never experienced the feeling of being in a crowd and being greeted by everyone with smiles like this!
Zhou Houfang was a little excited, a little shy, but also a little excited. She didn't know how to respond for a moment. She just nodded, smiled habitually, and then quickly walked to get the food plate.
Zhou Houfang even heard people from the past seeming to be talking about her.
"That's the new Secretary Zhou. He seems a bit shy. Will it be difficult to approach him in the future?"
"No way, I think she's quite polite. But it seems that she ranked last in the exam, yet she was chosen to be so close to the city lord. People like you and me who ranked higher, at best, could only get a county magistrate."
Zhou Houfang felt a tightness in his heart.
As expected, what you fear will come true.
Although his overall academic performance ranked last, he was able to work beside Xu Zhenying and might even directly replace Qian Zhenniang's position in the future. In other words, he was a close minister to the emperor, so it was no wonder that he attracted rumors.
"Hey, the City Lord has always been very open about hiring people. Secretary Zhou must have some outstanding qualities to be hired by the City Lord as an exception. You and I should go out and gain some experience. After all, the City Lord said that as long as you work hard, there will be no shortage of opportunities for promotion in Jinzhou Prefecture."
"Yes, yes, Brother Lu is right. We can't just judge this person by appearances. We'll know when we work together in the future."
Zhou Houfang was stunned for a moment.
She originally thought that she would be subjected to the cold stares and exclusion of her colleagues on her first day of work. She had anticipated this situation before leaving and repeatedly reminded herself that she needed to be patient.
But...is that the end?
Aren't you coming to cause trouble?
While Zhou Houfang was lost in thought, Qian Zhenniang had already pulled her to get her plate. "The dishes are over there. Take as much as you can eat. We don't limit the amount of food you eat, but we don't allow waste or takeaways. If you waste food, the lady who collects the plates will remember you and write your name at the entrance of the cafeteria for everyone to see."
"Oh my God." Zhou Houfang almost cried out in shock.
No waste allowed?
If this happened in the Zhou family, a meal would have at least a dozen dishes. The leftovers would be given to the servants or thrown away. Rich families were used to it. If there was no waste, people would think the family was in poverty.
However, Zhou Houfang is obviously very adaptable.
She estimated her appetite and carefully took a small amount at first, thinking that she would rather run twice more than leave a bad impression on others because of waste.
But Qian Zhenniang piled the food high. When she saw Zhou Houfang looking over, she didn't show any shyness at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "Ms. Zhou, you're too thin. You need to eat more. We secretaries are often so busy that we don't even have time to eat. When we do have a meal, we have to eat more. Besides, we have to run around all day. We need to eat more, otherwise our bodies won't be able to bear it."
"So that's how it is." Zhou Houfang was kind enough to accept the advice, but still didn't dare to eat more, so she only took one more sweet potato.
I heard that this thing came from Lan County. It is very filling and easy to grow. This year, Jinzhou Prefecture is going to promote its cultivation on a large scale.
This is what she saw in the key work manual given to her by Qian Zhenniang when she was reviewing it last night.
Since such an important crop is to be promoted, she has to try it first.
The food in the government office is not bad, with three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, and various pickles. It is considered a good meal in Jinzhou Prefecture.
Zhou Houfang finished preparing the meal and just as she turned around, she saw someone eagerly greeting her, "Secretary Zhou! Secretary Zhou! Over here!"
Upon closer look, it turned out to be Song Luo.
Seeing this, Qian Zhenniang also smiled and said, "Let's go and eat together."
The canteens in government offices almost all have square tables and long benches so that they can accommodate more people.
Zhou Houfang clearly felt that when she and Qian Zhenniang walked over, the group of people sitting next to Song Luo became a little nervous. Some of them even stood up to greet Qian Zhenniang, and the others had to stand up as well.
Zhou Houfang really didn't understand the etiquette of meeting officials in Jinzhou Prefecture. They didn't seem to allow kneeling or addressing people as "sir". They only allowed addressing people by their positions. There was no distinction between superiors and subordinates. Everyone was of equal status except for work. This really stumped Zhou Houfang.
Zhou Houfang observed carefully.
So standing up, nodding, and smiling is considered a greeting?
This is too perfunctory.
"Secretary Qian!" Song Luo quickly moved the plates to make room for them to sit. Zhou Houfang then noticed Pang Xiaohua next to Song Luo. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Sister Pang, you're here too?"
She felt that Pang Xiaohua's performance that day was not satisfactory, but she actually passed?
In that case, her written test score must be very high.
Zhou Houfang suddenly felt a little discouraged. Why did everyone perform better than her?
Even this country woman who is not good-looking and can't even speak two sentences clearly is better than her?
Pang Xiaohua seemed extremely embarrassed and shy. She looked away from Qian Zhenniang and said, "I'm sorry to make you laugh. I just happened to be the last one this time. I just came in so confusedly."
Song Luo said, "Sister Pang, why are you embarrassed? Even if you came in last, you still killed a thousand people. You're already very impressive! Besides, you passed the exam with honor. When you become an official in the future, you must hold your head high!"
It can be seen that Qian Zhenniang likes Song Luo very much.
Although Song Luo is young, she is brave and bold and dares to do anything.
Zhou Houfang discovered that both Xu Zhenying and Qian Zhenniang liked women who were more aggressive.
Indeed, since women were encouraged to work outside, they had to be more aggressive. Furthermore, since they were all female officials, they had to be quite courageous to control the men under their command!
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