Chapter 1600 IF Scenario: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier (Part 14)
"What is that?"
Inside, several cleaning professionals glanced at the so-called exam papers and angrily turned away, refusing to offer any advice to the thieves who had forcibly abducted them. Things clattered and fell to the floor. Some were hot-tempered, while others were more sensible, responding either earnestly or perfunctorily.
"You scoundrels, don't even think about getting any help from us!"
In their eyes, this wasn't a test of their abilities at all, but rather a unique way for the outlaw Chen Tang to get something for nothing. As long as they didn't cooperate, the other party's scheme wouldn't succeed. Time passed slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, someone came in and took away all their test papers without saying a word, treating them as if they didn't exist.
When will the thieves let us go?
"Are you mute or something?"
Some people saw the situation clearly and knew that they had no choice but to bow their heads in the face of weakness. They tried to speak in a gentle and friendly tone to the person collecting the exam papers: "Since we were captured here, we have not eaten or drunk anything for a day. Surely Your Excellency does not intend for us to starve or die of thirst?"
The person who came finally responded.
"There's still a while before mealtime. Someone will bring you food and arrange your accommodations. Just wait patiently."
He left those words behind and then turned and left.
Upon hearing this, the others slumped back down.
"Who exactly are these people who brought us here?"
"Who knows, or where this thief came from."
What exactly is this recruitment poster she's talking about?
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look.
"You haven't seen it before?"
"How could I possibly have seen it before?"
Some people have seen the recruitment posters before, but they tear them up and throw them away after just one glance, feeling humiliated. Given their reputation, strength, and background, how many people would treat them with utmost respect, like honored guests? Shen Tang's so-called recruitment poster shows no respect for talent whatsoever, nor any sincerity in personally visiting. Does he think he can summon people and dismiss them at will after writing a few words?
Some people are quite wronged.
They had never even seen the so-called recruitment poster.
"...Alas, I've never seen anything like it. How many visitors come to pay their respects every day? The gatekeeper has received so many invitations that he can't even count them all."
A visiting card is a name card presented by a guest upon arrival. Similar to a business card, it informs the host of the guest's background and purpose of visit. It is considered extremely impolite for a stranger to arrive without a visiting card. The more powerful the host, the more visiting cards they receive daily. Visitors of low social standing often have their visiting cards discarded, rarely reaching the host's door.
The recruitment poster that Shen Tang sent over was very likely to be rejected by the gatekeeper: "What exactly does that poster say?"
Others who had seen the job posting: "..."
"We cordially invite you to join our ranks; we are sincerely seeking talented individuals."
"We now need more than twenty clerical staff. Those who can handle the affairs of the county government will be given priority. They should be in good health, have a dignified appearance, have no bad habits such as eating, drinking, gambling, or whoring, and be good at internal affairs, dispatching, marching, and troop deployment..."
"Excellent benefits, monthly salary to be discussed in person."
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
The one who had been glanced at by Shen Tang put his hand to his forehead.
Those who hadn't seen it before stammered, "Does he have to be good at so many things?"
"It's fine to be good at one or two things; you don't have to be good at everything."
Everyone: "..."
That's absolutely outrageous.
Why does a small, run-down county need so many talented people?
It turns out that people can indeed laugh when they are extremely angry.
"Wishful thinking! Overestimating your own abilities!"
I have truly suffered an undeserved calamity. I only hope that my family will discover their disappearance soon and come to negotiate to rescue them.
Before long, another woman dressed in strange green entered and glanced at the crowd: "Gentlemen, come with me."
Everyone was given a small tent.
The tent was simply furnished, but it had everything you needed.
Everyone assumed they were staying in the army's camp.
"When will Your Majesty arrange for us to dine?"
The woman in green told them how to get to the main cafeteria.
They can eat there during mealtimes. If they miss their turn, the kitchen won't provide extra food, so they must pay attention to the daily mealtime reminders. Other than that, there's nothing else to be aware of. They are free to move around, but don't even think about running away.
Some people didn't take this seriously.
With no one watching, escaping when no one is looking is easy, isn't it?
The woman in green kindly reminded them not to be reckless: "The High Priest and others have already set up an array here. If you leave a certain area, your Danfu Wenxin will be restricted. It's cold now, and the wild beasts in the mountains are hungry. It would be best if you didn't take any risks."
Everyone: "..."
Unable to bear the hunger, some went to the so-called canteen.
He left with a livid face after just one glance.
They had expected a refined and secluded place, but it turned out to be a chaotic mix of people. It was crowded, noisy, and filled with various unpleasant body odors. It was a testament to their self-control that they, accustomed to all kinds of spices, did not feel nauseous, let alone eat while smelling the odors.
No, no, absolutely not.
People with this mindset would rather go hungry than eat.
Among them, those from relatively lower social classes were more accepting, enduring much before finally stepping inside. Seeing everyone holding wooden trays, waiting to be served food, their faces dark with displeasure, they felt a sense of humiliation akin to beggars holding tattered bowls awaiting charity.
Thump—
Someone sat down opposite Wei Lou.
He looked up and saw his friend's ashen face.
My friend gritted his teeth: "This is the person you praised so highly?"
Wei Lou said, "When have I ever praised you so highly?"
This is utterly alarmist!
My friend sneered, "Your sharp tongue never utters anything nice. The fact that you even have to say a few words is practically a compliment."
Wei Lou took a sip of seaweed and egg soup. He knew what his friend was angry about: "...Why are you taking it out on me? Whoever kidnapped you, just go find them. She has always been capricious and willful, doing whatever she wants without any scruples."
This wasn't Wei Lou's idea.
If a friend gets angry, he should direct it at Chen Tang, not at him.
Wei Lou looked at his contorted face and said, "Don't mention her, or your stomach will hurt. Eat first, you'll have the energy to keep going."
My friend's facial features became even more distorted.
He actually had little appetite, having been filled with anger, but once the food entered his mouth, he found his hunger returning. The dark purple pickled mustard greens, coated in a rich sauce, were fragrant and tender on the inside. Another dish, also featuring pickled mustard greens, was sweet, sour, and crispy.
"Why are there rapeseed flowers at this time of year?" His friend calmed down a bit. He recalled the long row of food serving areas in the cafeteria he had just seen, where many of the ingredients were not available this season.
He had never heard of any of the dish combinations.
Many large restaurants don't even have such a lavish spread in their kitchens.
These two dishes of pickled mustard greens are made with plenty of oil, no wonder they look so tempting.
Wei Lou: "You'll find out in the future."
The more he learned about him, the more complicated his feelings became towards his lord, Ji Sunyin.
The price they paid for working with them was far too high—even if Ji Sunyin wasn't chosen as the next High Priest, as the High Priest's son, he would still have a transcendent status in the clan and be entitled to enjoy most of the precious resources.
He never left the world; the Gongxi clan was his paradise.
Now he's left with nothing, having gained absolutely nothing.
Friend: "..."
Since things have come to this, let's just eat.
His family was somewhat well-off, not rich but not poor either, living better than the average person, but the food in the communal dining hall... even the most privileged victims would find it hard to afford, let alone eat it three times a day. This made him curious about the background of the thugs who had captured him, that even Wei Lou couldn't do anything about them.
Shen Tang stayed up all night carefully reviewing everyone's exam papers.
She could tell at a glance who had real talent and who was just going through the motions.
She also gave everyone a score.
There are four grades: A, B, C, and D.
They directly had someone post a notice on the bulletin board near their tent.
Everyone: "..."
Even Wei Lou would say that Shen Tang was shameless.
Which intellectual is shameless?
The more capable a person is, the more they care about their image.
Their competitive spirit is no less than that of a martial artist.
Who can tolerate Shen Tang staging this "public execution"?
However, Shen Tang still felt that he was being reasonable: "Forced melons are not sweet. I have seen your talents and abilities. Those who failed the exam are indeed not qualified for the position. As long as you sign this informed consent form and pay the escort fee home, you can leave."
"Informed consent form?"
My blood pressure spiked the moment I saw the contents.
"The cost of escorting them home?"
Hearing about the so-called escort fee home only fueled their anger. It was clearly Shen Tang who had abducted them by force, and yet she had the nerve to ask them for money? Shouldn't she be the one sending people to safely return them? Why should they have to pay for it?
Being able to go home is certainly a happy thing, but who can tolerate signing an "informed consent form" that admits their lack of talent?
Who can swallow this humiliation?
Shen Tang's smile deepened: "Do you all have any objections?"
To everyone else, it sounded like a threat.
"A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated!"
Shen Tang shook his head and said, "That won't do. I love peace and don't easily shed blood, let alone see the blood of innocent people."
Then he had the prepared contracts distributed to a few of them.
This is a labor contract.
Shen Tang told them to think it over carefully before signing, and it was fine if they didn't sign, but they shouldn't tear things up in a fit of anger, or they would have to pay compensation.
With that, she turned and left.
A flock of Angry Birds were left standing there, fuming.
"I won't sign, let's see what she can do to me!"
Some people stubbornly resisted to the end. They only needed to hold on a little longer to wait for their clansmen to come to their rescue. They didn't need to pretend with Shen Tang. Some people closed the contract and threw it aside without even looking at it. But others glanced at it a few times out of boredom, and their expressions were quite interesting.
Regardless of what others thought, Shen Tang was not in a hurry at all.
She's currently focused on figuring out how to get through the winter.
Because Martial Warriors are incredibly useful. Whether it's demolishing dilapidated or old houses or building new ones on the same site, their efficiency is astonishing. Even if someone isn't skilled at it at first, they can become quite proficient within a few days. Among them, Martial Warriors with higher levels of strength are even more useful, because they can also transform martial energy into soldiers.
One person can truly be worth hundreds.
"A true king of value for money, brilliant!"
Shen Tang led his men to survey the entire city. The focus of their work was not to strengthen military defenses or to raise and thicken the city walls, but to re-plan the city's internal areas to make the layout more rational and scientific.
The more Wei Cheng looked at it, the more he felt something was wrong.
He advised Shen Tang, "Shen Jun, while such modifications may make living more comfortable, they are not conducive to defense. You see, once the barbican and other places fall, the enemy will have an almost unobstructed path to attack, and there will be no chance to use street fighting to delay the counterattack..."
This main road is so wide, it leads straight to the county government.
When the heavily armored cavalry comes in, all they need to do is charge without thinking.
Shen Tang asked, "Where is this place?"
Weicheng: "The heartland of the city."
Shen Tang's eyes and brows radiated confidence and arrogance: "Heh, how could I let the enemy into my heartland? What would they bring in?"
If you can't get in, there's naturally no need to worry about that kind of demand.
Wei Cheng: "..."
Shen Tang said, "I know what I'm doing."
Upon hearing this, Wei Cheng didn't offer any further advice. He was merely someone the lord had borrowed to do chores, not Shen Tang's confidant, and it wasn't appropriate for him to interfere in her internal affairs. Not a single member of the Gongxi clan offered any further words of advice.
Ji Sunyin's subordinates were all honest men, and with Shen Tang's encouragement, they all worked diligently without cutting corners, so the city naturally changed every day. Before the first snow of the year even fell, the common people who used to live in dilapidated houses with drafts on all four sides had moved into new homes.
This isn't just a few dozen or a few hundred people, it's several thousand!
Nearby villages also migrated at the same time.
Residential areas were divided based on the amount of land allocated to each village.
Each household received a complete set of new farm tools, which they could use the following spring. Each village also received several oxen for plowing. It should be noted that in the past, only large and wealthy villages could afford to rent several oxen together. Most poor people, in order to save on this rental fee, would have their able-bodied members carry the heavy plows.
The government also sent people to each household to instruct them on how to use farm tools. Many farmers even slept with their tools by their side, fearing they would be stolen.
In addition to these, Shen Tang also sent out chicks, ducklings, and goslings.
These animals, once raised, can also generate income for a family.
Looking at the expense report, Wei Lou's friend exclaimed, "Wow, they're rich! Just who is this celestial being who descended to earth to do good deeds?"
Wei Lou asked calmly, "You think this is a good thing?"
Watching Shen Tang rush out with several Gongxi people in a great hurry, his friend asked in confusion, "Isn't this a good thing?"
Wei Lou sighed and closed his eyes.
Friend: "See, you're being stubborn again. The chicks, ducklings, and goslings grow up not because of the mistress, but because of the farmers who raise them. You think my mistress is too good for her to be real, but in the end, we have to live our own lives. Even if she passes away one day, do you think the rest of us won't know how to live? The sun rises and sets, and everything remains the same."
The world will not collapse because of her departure.
But things will definitely get better because of her arrival.
That's enough.
Wei Lou: "What do you mean by 'your master'?"
My friend said, "I did sign the contract."
What's wrong with how he addresses me?
Doesn't that sound very intimate?
Wei Lou said, "A temporary worker."
Friend: "..."
Luo San, who was passing by, cast a cold and intimidating glance at him.
He absolutely cannot stand the word "short-term worker"!
The dead of winter is when non-combat casualties are most likely to occur, and the commotion on Shen Tang's side is attracting more and more refugees seeking refuge, with refugees gathering outside the city every day. Shen Tang did not drive them away, but instead ordered his men to settle them properly. With so many people, the problem of drinking water becomes difficult.
"There's water down here."
Ji Mo Cong tapped the spot beneath his feet with his wooden cane.
Wei Cheng took something out and marked it.
Just assign someone to dig deeper.
In this way, more than a dozen wells can be drilled a day.
Wei Cheng advised, "Why don't you rest for a while, Cong Jun?"
(σ)σ:*☆
Anniversary pendants are so hard to get!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
