Chapter 7
It wasn't uncommon for Zhang Yunniang to see that person not turning the pages of a book for a long time every day, but she knew that one shouldn't push people too hard, and she understood the principle of gradual progress.
Besides, she had too much work to do. Just cleaning such a large courtyard took a lot of effort, and there were also miscellaneous tasks such as washing clothes and taking care of daily life.
Although she asked for a raise, she didn't get any benefits at all, and she was exhausted every day. Later, she simply stopped sweeping the floor every day. With two people living in this place, it couldn't be that dirty.
Salary? Oh, yes, I have to ask Jun Qingmo when she can get her monthly salary. She hasn't received her salary yet.
I was thinking of changing the pot of tea for someone, so I asked about the date.
She knocked gently on the study door, but the person inside didn't respond, as if he was lost in thought. After she knocked harder and harder impatiently, she finally heard someone say, "Come in."
The ink ground early in the morning had dried up, and the brushes were scattered on the shelf, leaving ink marks on the table.
"If you can't concentrate on reading, then forget about it. Go out for a walk or drink some tea to wake yourself up. It's more comfortable than just sitting here."
Jun Qingmo looked at the visitor's blunt words, his ears flushed, and he was very embarrassed to be seen pretending. He covered his mouth and coughed lightly.
"I'm not forcing you to study. You have to think about your future. The imperial examination isn't the only path. Besides the imperial examination, there's business. Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, in the eyes of nobles like you, a career in government is the first choice."
Zhang Yunniang was right. A career in politics was the first choice for most people. Even if a businessman had a lot of wealth, his social status was very low.
Jun Qingmo's mother was from a merchant family. If the Anle Palace had not fallen into decline, his mother would never have been able to enter the palace.
Zhang Yunniang poured herself a cup of tea. Seeing that the man remained silent, she thought that she might hurt the pride of this "young lady" again.
But the problem of survival is right in front of us, so we can't just waste our whole life like this.
"According to the average age nowadays, even if we calculate it as fifty years, there are still several decades left to go. Young Master, you have to find something to do, otherwise it will be so boring."
"Even putting aside my own personal interests, this world is a vast network of interests. You have no output in the palace, so you are useless to the palace. If this continues, how can you live a peaceful life? If you don't think about the future, you will inevitably have immediate worries."
"Thank you, I know." Jun Qingmo closed his eyes. He understood these principles very well.
However, in his current state, he didn't know what he could do. Even for simple daily life, he still needed to rely on others. What else could he do?
Even if he took the imperial examination, it wouldn't be that easy. It wasn't that he wasn't confident in his own talent, but given his current physical condition, how could he withstand the brutal days of the imperial examination?
He argued in his heart but didn't dare to say it out loud: Zhang Yunniang was a woman, and he was a man. But he was afraid of her.
The woman would not hit him, scold him, or treat him harshly, but she did not treat him as a human being either.
That person could watch him fall to the ground in the rain without helping him up, and solemnly shout "Come on" from the side with an umbrella, leaving him to struggle in the mud to pick up his wheelchair by himself.
The man could watch him overturn the special toilet because he didn't control the strength well, with dirty things all over the floor and his naked butt falling to the ground, without even reaching out to help him.
He climbed up and fell down again and again with his naked butt like a dog. His self-esteem, his face, his pride, his shame, everything he had, were crushed in the mud.
The man even had a small bamboo broom made for him and asked him to sweep the yard every morning. Because he wasn't very skilled at maneuvering the wheelchair, his balance was unstable, and he fell to the ground several times. The wheelchair fell on him, and instead of helping him, the man yelled, "Look, there's a turtle!"
......
What that person loved most was pretending not to see his embarrassment. Not only did he stuff a bunch of work for him to do, he also liked to watch him crawl around and trample on his dignity. The more embarrassed he was, the happier that person laughed.
In that short time of contact, he seemed to have experienced all the most humiliating things he could think of in his life. That person had seen him in the most embarrassing and cowardly state of his life.
But he didn't hate that person.
Even though that person was very tired every day, he always washed his clothes and bed sheets clean, and he never showed any disgust even if they were accidentally stained with dirt.
The man always noticed the wounds he had from falls, bumps and frictions, and secretly applied medicine to him after he fell asleep.
That person would also take the trouble to massage his meridians every day and practice Tai Chi with him to exercise his body.
That man always asked his master to do all kinds of trivial and rough work, which was extremely shameless and disrespectful.
But he knew that the man wanted him to learn to be independent and live without relying on others.
So, he was afraid of her and didn't dare to provoke her, but he didn't hate her.
This wasn't a compromise because no one was currently taking care of him, but rather a genuine expression of gratitude. If only his father and mother had thought of him a little, he wouldn't be living like this.
That person is not his relative, but he takes such good care of him. What right does he have to be picky?
Now, he can crawl on the ground confidently. After falling down from his wheelchair, his first reaction is not embarrassment, but to quickly fix the wheelchair and sit back down.
Countless experiences have told him that if he is even a second slower, he will hear the sound of laughter.
Instead of lying on the ground helplessly accepting the ridicule of others, he can choose to get up. As long as he is not embarrassed, it may be others who are embarrassed.
He didn't say anything, but the man over there kept talking to himself.
"I'm not a heartless person. You saved me from danger back then. Even if I didn't get paid and left you alone, I wouldn't have done it. But as long as we live, we have responsibilities to shoulder. Let's not talk about lofty ambitions, but at the very least, we must have the capital to survive without relying on others. Otherwise, we will be controlled by others for the rest of our lives."
"Hey, did you hear me?"
"I'm listening."
"Forget it, putting aside the other things, when can I get my monthly salary? You still owe me two and a half months' wages."
"Who just said that even if I don't get paid, you won't leave me alone?" Jun Qingmo stared at the man. This was a trick that the man often used to punish him, which often made him blush and unable to bear the stare.
Zhang Yunniang rolled her eyes. As a worker, how could anyone take her promises seriously?
"Oh, there is no filial son by the bedside of a long-term patient. Are you my father or my mother? How can you take my words seriously when they are just nice words?"
"you,"
"What do you mean by 'I'? If I don't have money, I will definitely run away. How can I not run away? If I can't even clean my own house, how can I clean up the world? I can't even eat enough or wear warm clothes myself, how can I have the mood to care about others?
So, besides yourself, you can't rely on anyone else. Don't think I'm a good person. I was born a beggar, how can I be a good person? What good intentions can I have? I just want to make a living."
"you."
"Stop the arguing and tell me when you're going to receive your monthly salary."
"...The fifth day of every month." Jun Qingmo blinked and thought for a moment. "I really don't know what to say to you. You asked about the right time, and it happens to be today."
Zhang Yunniang really didn't expect it to be today. As expected, women's sixth sense is very strong. She didn't think of asking earlier or later, but today she happened to have a strong desire to ask, and she really caught up.
"Remember to get it back."
"What?" Jun Qingmo didn't hear clearly.
"Go get the silver."
"Me?" Jun Qingmo pointed at himself, somewhat incredulous.
"Should I go?" Zhang Yunniang frowned. It's not impossible for her to go, but she didn't know the way. "It's not impossible for me to go, but where should I go to get it? To the accountant? But I don't know the way, and you have to go with me."
"You don't know the way? You've been in the palace for nearly four years, and you don't even know where the accounting office is?"
"Normally, Manager Yao gives me the money directly, and I never go to the accounting office to collect it. There are too many masters in the mansion. If I offend someone carelessly, I will be in big trouble. So, I never go anywhere else."
"...After passing the Peony Pavilion, go straight ahead. Turn left at the third alley and go straight to the end."
"I can't remember. Since you have nothing to do, let's go for a walk together and relax."
“…”
Seeing that the person was about to say something else, Zhang Yunniang immediately interrupted him, "Don't lecture me on big principles. I won't listen. And don't criticize my business ability. These are the conditions now. It's up to you whether you want to use it or not. You get what you pay for. Even a three-year-old knows that cheap goods are not good. If I had better business skills, I wouldn't pay this price."
Zhang Yunniang pushed people out, and it seemed that there was no chance for refusal.
Jun Qingmo hadn't left his yard for a long time. He was very uneasy. He hadn't seen anyone for a long time, which made him feel very repulsed.
But it was impossible for him not to go with her. As Zhang Yunniang said, there were many masters in this courtyard. If Zhang Yunniang bumped into anyone by mistake, she would not be able to escape unscathed.
After all, he is a man and cannot stay out of it and hide behind a woman.
He knew the palace very well, and he pointed the way to the quieter paths. He met few people along the way, and even those who were far away he pretended not to see them.
Zhang Yunniang was not familiar with the mansion and just thought that the road was just so winding. She thought to herself that it was a good thing that she did not agree to go out without permission, otherwise she would have to take a lot of detours.
After many twists and turns, the two finally arrived at the accounting office.
The accountant was a genial middle-aged man who had watched these young men and women in the mansion grow up. He withdrew the money without any difficulty.
"Second Young Master, please keep the money." The accountant felt sad in his heart. He was sick and needed treatment, but the money was still deducted.
Nowadays, other young masters and young ladies all receive ten taels of silver every month, but the second young master who needs silver only receives a mere two taels of silver every month.
Jun Qingmo nodded without saying anything, and squeezed the two taels of silver in his hand.
This little bit of money was now all he depended on. He was about to hand the silver to Zhang Yunniang when he heard footsteps outside and some nonchalant jokes.
When he saw the blue figure coming in, his heart tightened, and when he saw the dandy figure next to him, he frowned unconsciously.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
