That evening, Magistrate Qiu, his advisor, and Wang Wen went to the shop to eat skewers.
Since they came together, they couldn't be separated. It wouldn't be appropriate to treat Magistrate Qiu to a free meal and then charge the clerk, even though Wang Wen had initially stated there was a limit.
If you're with the county magistrate, you have to give him face.
With Magistrate Qiu's consent, the group was arranged to stay in his private room.
In addition to various meat skewers, grilled eggplant, grilled chives, grilled fresh mushrooms, grilled bread slices, and other dishes were also served.
Chunru, that clever little thing, brought out all the cold noodles and liangpi (cold skin noodles) that Zhao had just invented.
The table was laden with food, a pleasing sight to behold. Coupled with the fact that the Zhao family's food was indeed delicious, Magistrate Qiu and his entourage ate with great relish.
After the person left, Liu Qing calculated that he had spent a little over one tael of silver.
Thankfully, I was secretly glad that I was quick-witted.
Ever since Wang Wen first ate at Zhao's Snack Shop with Magistrate Qiu, he's been coming there quite frequently.
Every time they come, it's not just for a meal. Often, after finishing their meal, they run to the backyard to help chop wood, fetch water, or even wash dishes.
Liu Qing initially felt very embarrassed and tried to stop him several times.
"Officer Wang, this is absolutely not allowed. You already work very hard on your duties, how can you be asked to come and help in the kitchen?"
Besides, a wise man keeps away from the kitchen; how could someone like Constable Wang possibly be fit for that?
Officer Wang scratched his head.
"It's nothing. I'm already getting a good deal by coming to your house to eat for free. I'd feel uneasy if you didn't let me do some work."
Besides, I was an orphan, so the idea of staying away from the kitchen doesn't apply to me. Aren't these Brother Liu doing it too?
Liu Qing laughed heartily.
“I can’t compare to Constable Wang. As you know, my whole family are slaves.”
Luckily, it was bought by the Zhao family.
The host family is kind-hearted; they spent a lot of money to prevent our family from being separated.
It also gave my family such a good and stable place, and gave me the dignity of being a manager.
No matter how much I do, it's all what I should do. Otherwise, I'd be letting down the family's kindness.
But Constable Wang has a bright future ahead of him.
Besides, you earn your meal here through hard work, so there's no need to feel bad about it.
Wang Wen rolled his eyes at Liu Qing, then turned to look towards the kitchen.
Liu Qingshun looked towards Wang Wen and saw Chunru and Lamei busy at work.
Liu Qing, who always took it upon himself to protect the girls in the shop, immediately went on high alert.
He thought to himself, "This kid's got ulterior motives; who has he really set his sights on?"
So he subtly blocked Wang Wen's view with his body.
Wang Wen realized he had lost his composure and lowered his head to continue chopping firewood.
After that, Wang Wen came a few more times, and Liu Qing tried every means to prevent him from coming to the kitchen.
After all, men and women are different, and it would be bad if something were to get out and ruin the reputation of the girls in the backyard.
Even though Wang Wen was slow to react, he eventually figured it out after a while.
Moreover, Wang Wen, as a constable, was not slow to react; in fact, his reactions were much smarter than those of the average person.
So one time, after eating meat skewers, I called Liu Qing to discuss this issue.
"Brother Liu, I just wanted to do some work at your place, otherwise I would feel embarrassed to take advantage of you. Why do you insist on stopping me?"
Wang Wen got straight to the point.
Liu Qing rubbed his head.
"Officer Wang, let's be frank."
You know, in the backyard of the shop, besides me, there are only young women and old women.
The backyard is now inhabited by servants bound by death contracts, so there's naturally no gossip.
But Constable Wang has a bright future ahead of him, and going to the kitchen frequently might tarnish his reputation.
If any of our sisters are foolish enough to try and marry into a higher social class and offend Officer Wang, we can't afford to suffer the consequences.
"If the master blames me, I can't bear the responsibility."
Wang Wen was very agitated, clenching his fists repeatedly.
"Well, now that I've come this far, I know I was wrong before, but lately I really haven't been able to control myself."
I always felt more at ease only after catching a glimpse of her; I've taken a liking to Chunru.
After Wang Wen finished speaking, his face turned bright red.
Liu Qing was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. He quickly grabbed a cup and poured himself some water.
I only managed to calm down after drinking two glasses of cold water.
"Officer Wang, are you telling the truth? You should know that Chunru and I are both slaves bound by a death contract."
Our marriages are entirely at the behest of the host family; we have no say in the matter.
Besides, isn't Constable Wang afraid of being laughed at by his colleagues for marrying a woman of servant birth?
Wang Wen sighed.
"Brother Liu, when I was little, I actually envied those who were servants in wealthy families. At least they didn't have to worry about food and drink."
I am an orphan. Before my grandmother adopted me, I would fight with stray dogs for food.
It was only later, when I went with my grandmother, that I finally had a place to stay.
Luckily, because he often competed with other beggars for food when he was young, he became much more agile than others.
He caught the eye of the head constable and became a yamen runner.
Do you know that in our Divine Dragon Kingdom, a minor official like me is not allowed to take the imperial examinations for three generations? That is to say, from me to my grandson, they cannot participate in the imperial examinations.
"How is there any difference between us and you slaves?"
There is a difference, though. We earn a monthly salary, eat and live on our own, and if we get laid off one day, we can find another way to make a living.
On the contrary, you have no worries about food and drink, you get new clothes regularly, and you get a monthly salary for your work.
Especially since your current employer is a kind-hearted family, how come your life seems much more comfortable than mine, a lowly clerk working in the government office?
I have truly fallen for Miss Chunru. I wonder if Brother Liu could help me ask her what she thinks?
If Miss Chunru is also interested in me, please help me send a message to your master.
I will redeem Chunru from her servitude. As for after the marriage, if Chunru wishes to work for the Zhao family, she can continue to do so.
If you don't want to work, then just stay home and take care of my three meals a day.
I will marry her with the same elaborate ceremony and betrothal gifts as I would a daughter from a respectable family; for me, Chunru is all I need in this life.
Since they had already said so much, Liu Qing couldn't stop them any longer. After thinking for a moment, he decided to send a letter to Madam Huang first.
After receiving the reply, Liu Qingcai revealed to Chunru that Wang Wen intended to arrange a marriage.
When Chunru first heard that Wang Wen had taken a liking to her, she didn't feel shy like most girls would, but rather quite puzzled.
"Young shopkeeper, is Constable Wang not stupid? What does he see in me? Does he see my fierceness? Or my bad temper?"
Besides, I am a slave.
He didn't bring any dowry when he married me. He could have married a girl from a respectable family, who would not only have a dowry but also have her family's support.
No matter how you look at it, marrying me isn't a worthwhile deal. I just can't understand it.
He frowned after saying that.
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