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

Zhang Sanlang smiled and said, "You are all capable officials serving the people of Juancheng. Only when everyone is at peace can we work diligently. The county government's public funds are currently sufficient, and I have already submitted a document to Magistrate Li to apply for subsidies for official residences."

"It's uncertain how much will be approved, but a few dozen coins a month should be enough to help everyone. It would be even better if the county government could buy the house. If Magistrate Li doesn't approve it..."

He paused, glancing around, "I was able to be promoted to this position of Household Affairs Clerk thanks to two things: first, Brother Zhou's help, and second, the support of everyone here."

"I have a share of official land allocated by Magistrate Li, a new stipend that will bring in six strings of cash at the end of the year. I, Zhang Shouli, cannot simply offer empty words of gratitude. I will use this income from the land to add one hundred cash to each of your five households every month!"

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Zheng Qianxing held the wine bowl, his hand hovering in mid-air. Wang Tiesi opened his mouth, and Liao Tiesi suddenly stood up, spilling the wine from his bowl onto the table. Li Youtian and Qian Shouye's eyes lit up, their eyes fixed on Zhang Sanlang, their lips trembling.

Zheng Qianxing was the first to come to his senses.

He slammed the wine bowl on the table, stood up, and bowed to Zhang Sanlang, saying, "Zhang Yashi, how can this be?"

Zhang Sanlang patted his arm. "What's wrong with that? Sit down and talk."

Zheng Qianxing sat down, his smile different from before. He clinked his wine bowl against Zhang Sanlang's and downed most of it.

Liao Tiesi also came over with a bowl to offer a toast, and Wang Tiesi stood up afterward. Li Youtian and Qian Shouye waited until they finished offering their toasts and then went up to say a few kind words.

Zhang Sanlang accepted all drinks offered, though he only sipped from the rim of his bowl. Everyone knew he had a low alcohol tolerance, so no one dared to urge him to drink more.

He took in their expressions and a smile appeared on his face.

He was throwing away six strings of cash a year, not because he was stupid, but because he wanted to completely control the household registration.

Zhang Sanlang, being in the position of clerk, had benefits from the household registration department and other people. Not to mention, the subsidy for official residences approved by Li Hang, plus the promised income from the official land, would basically allow these five households to live in houses for free.

Once they get used to staying for free, anyone who dares to harm Zhang Sanlang will be attacked by these people without his orders!

They followed Tao Cheng for three years, but still couldn't resolve this rent expense.

In comparison, it's not difficult to choose who is more worthy of their service.

However, Zhang Sanlang was not prepared to pay out of his own pocket, but instead set his sights on the homeowner.

He picked up a piece of pickled fish, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and casually asked, "Who is this Master Wang, the owner of this house? How many years has he been in Juancheng?"

Zheng Tiesi thought for a moment: "We've been living here since we came to Juancheng three years ago. I've never met him, but I've heard that Master Wang is a long-time resident of this county."

Wang Tiesi nodded in agreement: "They're an old resident of Wangjiazhuang in Linhe Township. They moved here more than 20 years ago. There aren't many people in their family. They usually live in the village, but come to the city for a few days during holidays to visit relatives and friends."

Li Youtian had just returned from fetching wine from the backyard when he heard this and laughed, "Zhang Yashi, I know a bit about this. Old Li used to be a scribe in the village office and had dealt with the people from Linhe Township a few times. Master Wang and the Feng family are old relatives."

Everyone stopped eating.

Zhou Quan put down his bowl and looked at Li Youtian. "Oh? There's such a thing. Tell me about it in detail."

Li Youtian put down the wine jar and filled it for Zhang Sanlang and Zhou Quan. "More than twenty years ago, several families moved to Wangjiazhuang. Among them, this Master Wang seems to be related by marriage to Feng, the clerk of the clerk's office at the time."

"When the Wang family first moved here, they were very poor, so Old Feng adopted their son and daughter. Later, with the help of the Feng family, the Wang family gradually prospered, and then the Feng family suffered a series of misfortunes..."

Zhang Sanlang's hand, holding the wine bowl, trembled slightly. He quickly asked, "Brother Li, could it be that Clerk Feng's original surname was Wang, and he and Registrar Feng aren't brothers?"

Li Youtian's gaze fell on the plate of braised pig ears on the table, and he nodded casually: "That's right, Feng Yashi's original name was Wang Jian, but he changed his surname after joining the Feng family. His younger sister also changed her surname to Feng later."

"The Feng family originally had a son and a daughter. Feng Weng's son was named Feng Shang. He did not do well in his studies, so he registered as a clerk and became a clerk in the county government's clerk's office. Later, he even took over his father's job as a registrar, but he fell into the river and drowned not long after."

"Several old people in the village know about this, but no one talks about it. The Feng family has been in the county government for decades, who would dare to gossip? It's only because everyone in this courtyard is from our household that I dare to say a few words."

"Old Feng also had an eldest daughter, whom I only know that married a merchant more than 30 years ago. I heard from the village elders that her dowry consisted of 500 mu of land!"

Everyone was shocked. They had arrived in Juancheng County relatively late and had no idea about these things. Liao Tiesi, being straightforward, immediately pressed for details, "Five hundred mu of dowry land? How could there be so much?"

Li Youtian chuckled, his old face beaming. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. Rumor has it that Madam Feng isn't exactly a respectable woman; she was already pregnant when she married that merchant..."

Everyone exclaimed in amazement, listening with increasing fascination.

Zhang Sanlang was surprised, but he seemed to be deep in thought.

Those present were unaware of the criminal case, let alone much about the Zhang family.

But Zhang Sanlang knew!

If Li Youtian's rumor is true, wouldn't it mean that Zhang Dalang is not Zhang Shiqing's biological son?

I don't know if the old man is clear-headed or not.

However, this matter was not important to Zhang Sanlang, and he was too lazy to listen to it in detail.

A moment later, Zhou Quan put down his wine bowl and looked at Zhang Sanlang: "Brother Zhang, are you interested in this house?"

Zhang Sanlang nodded slowly, "I was thinking that if the county government could buy this house, it would be convenient for everyone, and they wouldn't have to pay rent every year anymore."

He glanced at Zhou Quan and said, "It would be best if the county government could approve everything. Otherwise, let's all chip in. I'll contribute twenty strings of cash to reserve a place for the household registration office. That way, even if there are any changes to the county government in the future, we'll all have a place to stay."

Liao Tiesi's eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Wang Tiesi kicked Zheng Tiesi under the table. Zheng Qianxing quickly picked up his wine bowl and toasted Zhang Sanlang, saying, "Zhang Yasi, you know that Lao Wang, Lao Liao, and I all have heavy burdens at home."

"But since all three of our families are registered in Juancheng, we should have a place to live permanently. Instead of paying rent every year, why don't we all chip in and buy it? The three of us can contribute three... uh, twenty strings of cash."

Zhou Quan stroked his chin, looking somewhat troubled. Zhou An suddenly stood up, holding his wine bowl, and bowed to Zhang Sanlang: "Uncle Zhang, my maternal grandfather gave me some spare money. I'll contribute twenty strings of cash!"

Zhou Quan glanced at his nephew, his lips twitched, but he ultimately did not stop him.

"Then it's settled." Zhou Quan put the wine bowl on the table. "Tomorrow I'll go talk to Master Wang about the price. Sixty strings of cash is the old price, I think he'll be too embarrassed to raise it again. Once everyone has contributed, this house is ours."