Chapter 3487 Mr. Zhuang 2
Wiping her tears, Madam Ji went out to look for him, then came back and said, "He didn't run away, he locked himself in. How about I go and apologize to Madam Du tomorrow? If I beg a little more, this matter should be resolved."
Mr. Zhuang was silent for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. "No need. I'll go see the governor tomorrow."
Mr. Zhuang sat in front of the oil lamp on the table all night. Madam Ji also tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. When she woke up and saw Mr. Zhuang sitting at the table, her face changed, "Xun Mei..."
Mr. Zhuang had already made up his mind. He turned around and smiled at his wife, asking, "Are you awake? Get up and make breakfast. After breakfast, I'll go see the governor. Please put things away."
He said, "We haven't been back to our hometown for a long time. Why don't we go home to pay respect to our ancestors and visit our relatives and friends in Mianzhou?"
Madam Ji's tears began to fall.
Mr. Zhuang didn't know why she was crying so sadly until she brought the bronze mirror to his eyes. In just one night, white hair appeared on his temples. The gray hair was particularly conspicuous among the black hair. He looked ten years older than last night.
Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly, stuffed the comb into his wife's hand, and said with a smile: "Help me hide them. I hope my wife won't dislike me."
Madam Ji shook her head with tears in her eyes, "I don't mind, it looks pretty good this way."
Mr. Zhuang went to ask for his resignation from Governor Du.
Governor Du didn't know what had happened at the academy. He was stunned for a moment by Mr. Zhuang's sudden resignation, then frowned and asked, "Sir, is there something going on at home?"
Mr. Zhuang knew immediately that Governor Du knew nothing. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, Xun is not young anymore. The ancestral tombs have been untended for a long time. It breaks my heart every time I think about it."
He said, "I have decided to return to my hometown and no longer wander around."
Governor Du said with a smile, "If you want to go back and pay respects to the deceased, I'll give you some time off. Why bother resigning?"
Although Zhuang Xun was not his only aide, he was the most useful one. He was needed for many documents and even for advice on court affairs. Governor Du was unwilling to lose him.
But Zhuang Xun had already made up his mind to leave and naturally would not be easily persuaded, so he refused firmly.
Governor Du was a little unhappy, and it showed on his face. After a long silence, he said, "Since you insist on leaving, I will only make enemies if I try to keep you. So let it be."
Zhuang Xun bowed and took his leave.
Governor Du returned to the backyard in a state of displeasure. Seeing his displeasure, Mrs. Du couldn't help but ask a few more questions. When she heard that Zhuang Xun was leaving, she couldn't help but complain, "He just said a few words to his child, and he's leaving already. Isn't he too irritable?"
Governor Du frowned slightly and asked, "What are you talking about his child? What does this have to do with his son Zhuang Dalang?"
Mrs. Du then told about the conflict in the school yesterday. Of course, it was not Du Dalang who bullied Zhuang Dalang, but Zhuang Dalang who beat Du Dalang without respect for hierarchy.
Governor Du frowned slightly. Of course, his family background played a role in his ability to reach the position of Governor, but he was also smart. As soon as he heard it, he knew there was something fishy.
There was no need to ask anyone. Based on his understanding of his son, it was most likely that he bullied Zhuang Dalang, and Zhuang Dalang at most fought back.
His face darkened, and he said to Madam Du unhappily, "How did you teach Dalang? Zhuang Xun is my aide after all. Instead of teaching the child to help me win him over, you actually went out of your way to offend him."
"Who is he to be offended?" Madam Du said unhappily, "He's just an aide. We are his masters. Even if we need to be polite, it should be his family that is polite to ours."
Mrs. Du was furious when she thought about how Du Dalang had come home yesterday with a gloomy face and had been unhappy all evening. "I originally thought it was just their children who were ignorant and bullied our Dalang. Now it seems Zhuang Xun is just so-so. He's quitting his job just because of a few quarrels between the children. He's so narrow-minded and disregards his master. How sincere do you think he can be to you?"
Governor Du was in deep thought.
Madam Du nudged him and asked, "Zhuang Xun knows so much about our family. If he leaves, will it be bad for you?"
Governor Du's face darkened slightly, and he stood up and said, "I'll go find him."
Governor Du decided to try to persuade Zhuang Xun to stay one more time. If he knew what was best for him, it would be fine. But if he didn't...
Mr. Zhuang opened the door for his son and said to him, who was lying on the bed with his back to him, "Get up and pack up. We'll be returning home in two days. Once you've packed up, you can go say goodbye to your friends."
Zhuang Dalang turned around in surprise and asked, "Returning home?"
He sat up and asked, "You're not coming back?"
"No."
Zhuang Dalang clutched the quilt beneath him and asked nervously, "Is it because of me that the Du family fired you?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "No, I quit the Du Mansion."
Zhuang Dalang looked at him blankly.
Mr. Zhuang was about to tell him that life is full of hardships, and that one should just follow his heart and not suffer too much, but before he could open his mouth, someone from the governor's mansion came to invite him.
Mr. Zhuang nodded to Zhuang Dalang and said gently, "Get up and help your mother pack her things."
After Zhuang Dalang left, he jumped out of bed happily. He walked around the room three times nervously and excitedly, and finally put on his clothes and went to find his mother.
However, Mr. Zhuang's life in the governor's mansion was not going well.
Governor Du repeatedly tried to persuade Zhuang Xun to stay, but to his surprise, Zhuang Xun was still determined to leave. His face darkened, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Mr. Zhuang, you can leave, but you have to promise me one thing, otherwise I will never let you go."
Zhuang Xun looked at him in surprise, "I wonder what you are talking about?"
"You must promise me that you will never be someone else's staff member," he said. "Otherwise, sir, you've handled so many secrets for me, who knows who you might betray me to next?"
Zhuang Xun's expression changed. "Why do you say that, Lord?" he asked. "Aides have their own rules. I would never use your private information to attack you."
Governor Du was very persistent and said coldly, "There is no morality after the Spring and Autumn Period. I don't believe your empty promises, sir."
Zhuang Xun laughed in anger and said, "Since the envoy doesn't believe my empty words, why did you ask me to make such a promise?"
Governor Du took out a piece of paper and said, "So you must sign this."
Zhuang Xun looked down at the contract handed to him and was speechless for a long time.
It was already mid-afternoon when Mr. Zhuang came out of the governor's study.
His face looked a little grim, but when he returned to his door, he still forced a smile and pushed the door open and went in.
He originally thought that he could return to Mianzhou and apply for a position as a staff advisor to the governor or county magistrate in Mianzhou or Luojiang County, but now it seems that this is not possible.
Mr. Zhuang exhaled and walked in with a smile, "How's the packing going?"
Zhuang Dalang was very happy today, so Madam Ji's face was much more relaxed. She hurried over to him, poured water for him to wash his hands, and said with a smile, "We have a lot of stuff. Today we just need to roughly sort out what we need to take, and pack it tomorrow."
Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "Give away any things you can't take with you to your neighbors and friends. You don't have to take them with you."
He said, "Even though it's not far from Longzhou to Mianzhou, I have to carry too many things and the travel expenses are expensive. It's not worth it."
Madam Ji agreed.
See you tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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