Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

This book is entirely fictional, using famous customs and artifacts from the Northern Song Dynasty to create a fictional story. The county government system and geographical evolution depicted are primarily for the sake of the novel and have not been rigorously researched. It does not concern itself with the rise and fall of dynasties or grand themes. It does not reflect any particular era or reality. If anyone finds something different in it, that is due to their own experience and not the author's intention.

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Lin Du was awakened by hunger.

He opened his eyes and saw a yellowish hemp tent roof, with sunlight filtering in through the gaps, making him squint.

Two conflicting memories are raging in my head.

A force belonging to the modern era.

The other stream was much more murky, like pickled cabbage water that had been soaking for too long, like a slap on the head from the county government office, case files, land deeds, a superior's scolding, and the dark alleyway on the way home from work.

His name is Lin Du, no, his name is Zhang Sanlang.

Zhang, the third son of the Zhang family in Juancheng County, Puzhou, was a clerk in the county government. He was widowed and had one daughter and one son.

After being ambushed, the original owner was unconscious for three days.

Lin Du thoroughly investigated the original owner's memories.

After finishing reading it, I had only one thought.

This guy has been doing this for 25 years, and he's made a name for himself, enduring hunger, insults, and beatings.

The copper coins I've saved up aren't even as much as my elder brother's daily income from his shop.

The way we live is so bad, it's almost embarrassing to call it living.

Just then, I felt a warm touch on my arm.

He turned his head away.

A small, thin girl was curled up on the edge of the bed, asleep with her head resting on her arm.

The short brown shirt was washed so much that its original color was no longer visible, and the cuffs were frayed. Her hair was tied back with an old strip of cloth, and a few stray strands clung to her cheeks. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and she couldn't even sleep peacefully.

happy Mei'er. The original owner's daughter, nine years old.

Lin Du looked at her, and a thought struck him.

I wanted a daughter in my past life, but alas...

He slowly reached out his hand.

He raised his hand halfway, then lowered it again.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and the boy's voice boomed in, without the slightest hint of politeness.

"Third Uncle! Third Uncle!"

happy Mei jumped up suddenly, blinked, and saw that Lin Du had his eyes open.

She froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened. "Father! You're awake?"

"Third Uncle!" The voice outside the door grew closer. "Grandpa wants you to have dinner in the main room."

The door was pushed open.

A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old peeked in, half-hidden in. He wore a slightly worn white shirt, and his hair was neatly tied up with a wooden hairpin. His face showed the unbridled nature typical of his age.

Bao Ge'er. The eldest brother's son, the eldest grandson of the Zhang family.

He glanced at the bed, then at Ximei, and clicked his tongue. "Third Uncle, you're awake now. Fourth Uncle is back from the state school. Grandpa was so happy that he specially gave a tael of silver to buy wine and meat."

When he mentioned "one tael of silver," he spoke with an air of maturity, as if he were imitating an adult.

One tael of silver was indeed a considerable expense for the Zhang family.

"My grandfather sent me to urge him," he added, "saying that if Third Uncle can't get up, then so be it. The message must be delivered."

If you can't get up, then so be it.

Lin Du chewed over those words.

It wasn't "Is Uncle feeling much better?" or "Should we send him some food?"

If you can't get up, that's fine.

The original owner's importance in this family was probably less than that of the yellow dog in the yard.

At least someone remembers to feed the dog.

"Father..." Xi Mei called softly, her eyes timid. Her hand had somehow grabbed his sleeve.

Lin Du looked at her.

She pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

Her stomach spoke for her.

With a gurgling sound, it was crystal clear.

Two days and one night.

The original owner was injured and fainted, and the eldest son's family only sent him two meals of thin porridge a day.

In the morning, Ximei took Qingge to pick up the leftover crumbs of Baoge in the yard.

Bao-ge'er thought the pancakes were too hard, so he took two bites and threw them on the stone table to dry.

After Ximei and the others had all left, she quietly went over, broke off the half that hadn't gotten dusty, and gave it to her younger brother, while she ate the rest herself.

Cake crumbs.

Lin Du closed his eyes.

He himself had been starving for two whole days and nights, and his stomach felt like it was on fire.

I suffered in my past life, but that kind of suffering is completely different from this kind of suffering.

Back then, no matter how poor you were, you could always have a bowl of instant noodles. But here, hunger could literally kill you.

He opened his eyes and looked at Bao Ge'er.

"Bao-ge, you go first. Your third uncle will be here soon after he's packed up. Tell your dad to save the chicken leg for me."

Bao Ge'er looked at him suspiciously.

My sickly third uncle is talking like a completely different person.

He said "Oh," turned and ran off, his footsteps clattering away into the distance.

happy Mei grabbed his sleeve tightly. "Father, don't get up. I'll go tell Grandpa..."

"happy Mei'er".

She shut her mouth.

Her eyes were bright and sparkling, like dewdrops on the tips of leaves in the morning light.

"Where is Qing-ge'er?"

"He's in the yard. Ah Niu from next door is playing with him." Xi Mei'er's voice trailed off. "He only ate half a bowl of porridge this morning. I coaxed him, saying that Dad will have more food once he gets better. He's been waiting."

Lin Du remained silent for a moment.

Then he propped himself up on the bed frame and sat up.

His body was so weak that just sitting up straight made his temples throb.

His vision went black for a moment, but he gritted his teeth and waited for the darkness to pass before slowly moving his legs off the bed.

"Father!" Ximei reached out to help him.

"fine."

He looked down to find his shoes.

Under the bed was a pair of old cloth shoes, the uppers worn smooth and shiny. The sole of the right shoe was cracked and sewn together with hemp thread. He looked at them for two seconds, then put his foot in.

I stood up, and my knees buckled.

happy Mei grabbed his arm, her whole body like a little cane.

The nine-year-old child was as thin as a bean sprout, yet he seemed to have no idea where he got his strength.

"Father, can you walk?"

"able."

Even if you can't, you have to be able to.

He walked out, supporting himself on the door frame.

The sunlight was dazzling in the courtyard, and two small figures were squatting in the corner.

Qingge'er, wearing an oversized short brown shirt, squatted on the ground, scratching at something with a twig.

Ah Niu from next door was talking to him casually.

"Is your father's head injury healed?"

"Not yet." Qing-ge'er said without looking up.

"Who wrapped such a big cloth around his head?"

"My sister tore an old garment into strips and wrapped it up all night."

Ah Niu leaned closer: "Have you called a doctor?"

Qingge'er paused for a moment while holding the branch in his hand.

"I don't have any money. My grandfather said it's alright."

Are you hungry?

I'm not hungry.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his stomach growled.

The five-year-old couldn't hide his body's instincts. He lowered his head awkwardly, and the branch scratched even harder, as if he had a grudge against that muddy ground.

Lin Du stood under the eaves, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Qing-ge'er".

The five-year-old son suddenly looked up.

Qingge'er saw him, paused for a moment, then threw down the branch and ran away.

She ran up to him, then stopped. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Dad, are you all better?"

"Alright. Let's go to the main room for dinner."

Qing Ge'er's lips twitched down, but he forced them to stay pursed and puffed out his chest.

Lin Du bent down to wipe the mud off his face and took his hand.

happy Mei took her brother's other hand.

The main house is located in the northeast corner of the courtyard, three stone steps higher than the side houses.

A faded peach wood charm was pasted on the lintel.

Before you even get close, the rich aroma of stewed chicken, the savory scent of roasted pork, and the sweet, spicy fragrance of cinnamon fill the air. All mixed together, in the early autumn evening, it's almost unreal.

happy Mei'er's Adam's apple bobbed.

Qingge'er gripped Lin Du's hand tightly.

The door to the main room was half-open, and laughter could be heard coming from inside.

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Since many people are unfamiliar with the titles and ranks of county government officials, please refer back to the footnotes in Chapter 1 for easier reading.

Note ①: The four officials of the county government: the county magistrate is a dispatched official, corresponding to the head of the county department; the county assistant, the registrar, and the county lieutenant are official positions, corresponding to the deputy heads of the county department.

Note ②: Below the officials are the clerks. The clerk in charge of all documents and records is the head of the clerks, corresponding to the director of the county government office.

Note ③: There were three to six Yashi (押司), who were in charge of criminal cases, finances, household registration, and other related files. They were equivalent to bureau chiefs or township/section-level officials. The Yashi in front were their deputies, also township/section-level officials. Tieshi (贴司) were the lowest-ranking clerks, corresponding to office clerks.

Note 4: Clerk: Hands were responsible for collecting taxes, summoning suspects, weighing goods, managing the receipt and dispatch of official goods, collecting commercial taxes at major transportation routes, and acting as a coroner for forensic doctors.

Note ⑤: Miscellaneous duties: Archers belong to the county constable and are responsible for catching thieves and patrolling; jailers guard the prison; gatekeepers watch the gate; and there are also miscellaneous servants such as coachmen, sedan chair carriers, watchmen, grooms, granary workers, lamplighters, and cooks. You can tell the general duties by looking at the titles.

Note ⑥: Unofficial personnel: Private officials, white-collar workers, street vendors, and direct assistants are trusted assistants privately hired by various clerks; midwives, geomancers, and official matchmakers are registered with the government, but they do not reside permanently in the yamen and are summoned temporarily when needed.

In summary, county government officials were divided into four categories: clerks, administrative staff, miscellaneous staff, and non-established staff.

Zhang Sanlang starts as a low-level official in the yalu system. In the latest chapter, he moves to the hufangqianxing, which is a deputy section chief with real power. The next step is the yasi you are familiar with.

Zhang Sanlang: I really want to improve!