Chapter 3488 Mr. Zhuang 3
Mr. Zhuang sat in his study for a long time, and finally he sighed, put the dried and tangled brush on the shelf, tore up the half-written letter and threw it into the brazier at his feet.
He stood up and put all the books into the wicker box, then went out to say goodbye to a few friends.
As the governor's staff, Mr. Zhuang naturally knew a lot of people. Those with lower official positions than the governor, especially the officials of the governor's office and the county magistrates under him, all treated Mr. Zhuang with courtesy.
After all, he is highly regarded by Governor Du, and sometimes a single word from him can influence the allocation of funds to the counties under him.
So he had many friends, but there were not many he could say goodbye to.
Mr. Zhuang only found a few friends to say goodbye.
They were all surprised and asked, "You are being highly valued, why are you leaving?"
Mr. Zhuang gave a bitter smile. Since they were good friends, he didn't hide anything from them. He said, "I can't stay here any longer. Dalang is not in the right state of mind right now. If I stay any longer, he'll be finished."
His friends were very sorry. "The governor thinks highly of you. There's news from above that he might be promoted in the next two years. If you follow him, you can use his influence to get a job as a county magistrate. At the very least, you'll be a popular figure around him. There are plenty of opportunities..."
Mr. Zhuang shook his head and said, "I can't ruin the child for my own future."
One person suggested: "Why not let your sister-in-law take Dalang back home, and you stay here."
Mr. Zhuang smiled bitterly. "That child is now stuck in a dead end. If she can't correct herself, she'll probably go astray in the future. Raising a child is a matter for both of us. How can I push the child onto her?"
"She's always been gentle, but I'm afraid she can't control the child. Besides," Mr. Zhuang paused and said, "the Du family's child insulted me, and Dalang was doing it for me as a father. How could I ignore his efforts and send him away to stay in the Du family?"
For the first time, Mr. Zhuang expressed the Du family's dissatisfaction, "Prefect Du is not worthy."
The friends sighed and said, "That's right. You treated him like a great man, so you should repay him like a great man. Since he has no respect for you, there's no point in him staying here. It's better to find another good master."
"Yes, with your ability, Xunmei, it's only a matter of time before you come to the fore. Just find another master."
"I heard that a new envoy has arrived in Yizhou. He is well-known in the court. Why don't you give him a try? Yizhou is not far from your hometown, Mianzhou."
Zhuang Xun's expression darkened, and he shook his head, saying, "I have already promised Governor Du that I will no longer serve as his staff member."
His friends were surprised and asked in dismay, "Why would you make such a promise?"
People like Zhuang Xun, who have obvious stains on them, can no longer enter the officialdom through the normal imperial examinations and can only take alternative paths. When they have no money or power, working as a staff member is the most effective way.
They knew Zhuang Xun. He had always wanted to stand out, firstly for his own ambitions, and secondly to clear his own grievances.
Entering the officialdom has always been his goal.
Mr. Zhuang smiled at them and said, "So I can't go to Yizhou. You can give it a try."
He said, "Prefect Du is narrow-minded, and he has no virtuous people to support him in his harem. I'm afraid his good days won't last long. You should leave Longzhou as soon as possible."
Several friends looked at each other and were secretly shocked. They all knew that many decisions of the Governor's Office were based on Mr. Zhuang's reference. Governor Du rarely made mistakes because he had Mr. Zhuang's advice. That was why his performance evaluations in recent years were so good.
Now that Mr. Zhuang is gone, considering the character that Governor Du had displayed in the past few years...
Several friends sighed and agreed.
As soon as Mr. Zhuang left, several people sighed, "Everyone knows that the one in the governor's backyard is greedy and cruel. He'll cling to any advantage he can get, even if it means plucking out two quills from a hedgehog that passes by. Xunmei has repeatedly admonished Governor Du about this before. I think this incident is most likely the result of slander from that one in the backyard."
"What's the point of talking about this now? If Governor Du had a righteous heart, how could he be swayed by pillow talk?" One person said, "I think they are birds of a feather. Neither husband nor wife should blame each other."
"Without Xunmei, I wonder how he will perform in this year's performance evaluation."
"We can still get through this year, but next year is not certain. With the personalities of these two, without anyone to restrain them, I'm afraid there will be trouble. If they are not discovered, it will be fine. But if they are discovered..."
"Forget it, forget it. Let's not talk about this spoiler. Xunmei is leaving, so let's find some good things for him to practice."
"What good things should I give? Either books or money. The former is what he loves, but the latter, since he can't be an aide, I'm afraid he will have to worry about his livelihood in the future. Money is the most appropriate gift."
Mr. Zhuang's family was not wealthy. When he was driven out of the capital, he had little money left. They went all the way south back to their hometown. When they were about to reach Mianzhou, he felt ashamed to see his ancestors and relatives, so he turned back and finally stopped in Longzhou.
He fell seriously ill here. At that time, there was no food at home. It was his wife who went out to wash clothes for others, so that Mr. Zhuang did not run out of medicine. However, they did live a poor life for a while.
Later, Mr. Zhuang found work as a copyist and accountant, and his life gradually improved. It was not until he became an aide to the governor that his family began to save money, but it was not much.
If you want to move at this time, going back to your hometown is an expense, and settling down at home is another big expense.
Mr. Zhuang and Madam Ji settled their accounts. Seeing that Madam Ji looked worried, he took her hand and said to her, "Don't be afraid. I'll find a job when we get back home."
He smiled and said, "I can read and count, so it's easy for me to find a job."
Zhuang Dalang, who was standing by, suddenly said, "You can be an accountant."
Mr. Zhuang turned his head to look, and Zhuang Dalang lowered his head and whispered, "Father is doing a good job as an accountant."
As far as he could remember, the time when his father worked as an accountant was the happiest and most joyful time of his life. His father would come home on time every day, his mother would prepare meals, and every now and then there would be a meat dish that they liked.
He went out to school every day. Both his classmates in the school and his friends in the alley liked him and admired him. Even his father's employer was very kind to him and would give him snacks and candies.
He likes his father's job as a bookkeeper.
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "Look for it when you go back."
They quickly packed up their things, and by the time the governor's office and his officials knew about this, Mr. Zhuang was already about to leave.
When Wei Canjun heard about this, his eyes lit up and he reached out to grab someone, "Mr. Zhuang is no longer working in the Governor's Mansion?"
The other party knew his intention as soon as he saw his eyes, "You want to invite him?"
General Wei chuckled and said, "I've long admired Mr. Zhuang's talents. I think he's overqualified to be a staff officer. It just so happens that the army is short of a chief clerk. If he doesn't mind, he can come and try his luck."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
