Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Skilled in Worldly Ways_1
Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Skilled in Worldly Ways_1
“There’s no rush; another few days won’t matter.” Zhao Xinglin, aware that Zhao Erhu had gone hunting in the mountains and wouldn’t return for a couple of days, saw Lin Yue looking at him curiously. Thinking there was no harm in talking about it, he said, “The thing is, a Government Official at the Government Office can no longer fulfill his duties due to a family emergency, so his position has been vacated. The Mayor instructed the arrest officer to find a suitable replacement. Considering that Erhu has been hunting since he was young and is quite agile, I thought it would be a respectable job for him to be a constable, so I mentioned it to the arrest officer. I’ve come back to find out what Erhu thinks about it. If he’s interested, I’ll speak to the Mayor and have him work at the government office.”
Although Lin Yue didn’t find the position of a constable to be that impressive, she knew that for ordinary folks like them, it was a job many sought but could not obtain. Otherwise, the people at the old Zhao Family house wouldn’t be trying so hard to secure it. She knew they had been obsessing over this vacancy these past days; she had even heard that the old Zhao house had gathered the Silver needed. So why hadn’t the job been finalized yet? If it had been, then this wouldn’t have involved Zhao Erhu at all. Despite these thoughts, Lin Yue’s face showed increasing puzzlement and concern.
“Eh? Brother Xinglin, hasn’t the position been filled yet? Serving as a constable in the Government Office is a very respectable role. Surely many people are vying for it. Won’t it cause trouble for Brother Xinglin?”
Zhao Xinglin felt relieved hearing Lin Yue ask this question. Although he was helping Zhao Erhu out of the brotherly bond they had since childhood and expected nothing in return, he did appreciate acknowledgement of his efforts. With such recognition, the favor wasn’t in vain. Right now, Erhu was indeed lucky to have married a wife who seemed so capable and virtuous. He was sure their future together would only get better.
“Of course, once someone joins the government office as a Government Officer, his status is not to be underestimated. But there’s no need for you to worry about this. Now that I’ve said it, as long as Erhu agrees, there’s a very good chance it will happen. I’ll take care of it at the government office. After all, having worked there for so many years, I have my connections, and the Mayor is willing to show me some favor because he sees that I work diligently. Of course, Erhu also needs to have the skills; otherwise, I wouldn’t have recommended him.”
“Brother Xinglin is truly beyond reproach when it comes to considering my husband. Not even his own brothers are as thoughtful as you. Uncle has taken good care of us on many occasions, and I don’t even know what to say to express my gratitude.” Lin Yue sincerely meant this, as Uncle’s family had truly treated them well, even more warmly than those from the old Zhao house.
“What’s there to say? Erhu has had a hard life since childhood, having lost his mother early on and his father is… sigh, I just have to help him out. Oh, sister-in-law, it sounds like you already knew about this matter?” Zhao Xinglin had found Lin Yue’s earlier words to be strange, and now it occurred to him that she must have heard about the situation beforehand. But since the government office didn’t announce it, he wondered how even the people in their small village of Zhao Family knew about it, which couldn’t help but puzzle him.
“Father-in-law mentioned it. A few days ago he came asking my husband for Silver, to use it to pull strings for his younger brother. He said that his brother had a friend at the Government Office who could help secure the job. Now that I think about it, the Silver has already been delivered.”
Zhao Xinglin had just returned and was not aware of these developments. Hearing Lin Yue’s explanation, he felt furious. “Those shameless people! They kicked Erhu out when he didn’t have a penny to his name, and now they have the gall to ask him for Silver? Zhao Quan, that useless rotter, thinks he can become a constable with his pathetic abilities? He doesn’t realize his own worth. He’s dreaming! Not only will the Mayor not agree, but as long as I work at the government office, there’s no way he’ll get in.”