Chapter 338: Bad Words
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The chief captain continued, “Jiang Chuan has already had experience with accounting matters, and he’s certainly more familiar than Wang Xing. The accounting records have piled up for a month, and starting from scratch now would definitely be too late. 1 suggest Jiang Chuan handles it.”
By saying this, the chief captain left no room for Tian Zao to refute. Reluctantly, Tian Zao had to agree. However, she had developed a negative impression of Jiang Chuan, believing it was because of him that the chief captain disagreed with her proposal.
Since things didn’t go her way, Tian Zao had no choice but to send the gifts back to Pushan Village to return them to Wang Xing.
The next day, when Jiang Chuan reported for his accounting position at the commune, Wang Xing had yet to receive the returned gifts. He still held hope for the job, badmouthing Jiang Chuan and mockingly claiming Jiang would soon be replaced, and he’d be the next accountant.
However, those who heard this knew what kind of person Wang Xing was – lazy and lacking capability. No one believed he could handle the accountant’s responsibilities, so they simply brushed off his words. Only a few gossip-loving women would chat about it during their leisure time.
Indeed, the accounting job was simple. In just one morning, Jiang Chuan had sorted everything out and began working on the latest accounts. The first task was, of course, to properly arrange the one thousand kilos of seeds, ensuring they were distributed once delivered.
By the third day’s noon, as promised, Su Zhen delivered the seeds to Pushan Village. The one thousand kilos required ten horse carts, a grand procession that attracted the whole village’s attention.
Seeing such an organized delivery, Jiang Chuan decided not to let the horse carts into the commune. Instead, he distributed the seeds to villagers at the village entrance. With about a hundred households in the village, each received an average of 10 kilogram of seeds.
Having achieved such a significant task immediately upon taking office, the villagers began praising Jiang Chuan’s competence. His deserved appointment as the accountant was recognized, which angered Wang Xing. Infuriated, he went directly to the county town to confront Tian Zao.
Tian Zao was surprised to see Wang Xing, “Weren’t the gifts already returned to you? Why are you here again?”
Wang Xing was perplexed, “What gifts? I haven’t received anything.”
It turned out that the person Tian Zao had entrusted with returning the gifts had become greedy. Along the way, he consumed a box of milk and a box of eggs, thinking neither side would investigate since they were merely gifts for favors.
When the task wasn’t accomplished, those who delegated responsibilities didn’t expect to be confronted directly. Holding on to this optimistic belief, the person took the items and went home.
Wang Xing’s face contorted like a bitter melon. “Director Tian,” he said, “Even if the items were returned, you had already promised me the accountant position. Why have you reneged on your promise?”
Tian Zao was taken aback to find herself being questioned in this manner and was not pleased. “The position should be given to the right person. If someone else is more capable, then they should be the one to take on the role. What do you have to complain about?”
Hearing this, Wang Xing was obviously upset. However, he felt helpless, unable to counter Tian Zao’s argument. He left, disgruntled and downtrodden, and redirected all his anger towards Jiang Chuan.
Later, Wang Xing somehow discovered that the one thousand kilos of seeds were not from the state but were bought by Jiang Chuan. Once the seeds were harvested, they would have to return eleven thousand kilos of grain to the suppliers.
Seizing this information, he began spreading rumors throughout the village. He told anyone who would listen that Jiang Chuan was using his position to trade seeds for his personal gain.
Some villagers defended Jiang Chuan, asserting that he was an honest man who wouldn’t engage in such activities. To this, Wang Xing retorted, “If Jiang Chuan is so honest, then how come his family was so poor initially? When the family assets were divided, he got nothing. Yet after the division, his circumstances dramatically improved, and he quickly became one of the wealthier families in the village.”
Hearing this, even those initially without doubts began to ponder Wang Xing’s words. Gradually, rumors that Jiang Chuan was abusing his power for personal gain spread like wildfire, tarnishing his reputation in the village..