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

Three days later, the mule carts and donkey carts sent by Chen Youde lined up in a long row at the entrance of the county granary.

Kuzi Liu stood at the entrance of the grain depot, holding the entry and exit registration book in his hand, counting each truckload one by one.

The sacks on the truck were stacked neatly, with white cloth strips bearing the character "Chen" sewn onto the openings.

Each bag contains five bushels, ten bags make one cart, and a total of twelve and a half carts.

Liu Da had the servants carry the sacks into the granary, weigh them, record the transactions, and stack them.

He worked all morning, and only when the last bag of grain was put into storage did he finally put his pen to paper in the register.

Sixty-three shi of grain.

Not a drop less.

He stamped the warehouse seal, then went to the clerk to have it stamped, before handing the collection receipt to Zhang Sanlang:

Household registration in Juancheng County, Puzhou

Regarding the collection of taxes: It is reported that Chen Youde of Chenjiazhuang owes 63 shi of land tax, and it is appropriate to collect it.

Zhang Shouli, the former head of the warehouse, personally went to Chenjiazhuang to verify the amount in person and urged them to pay the full amount to the county granary. After the payment was completed, Chen Youde and the granary staff signed and sealed the documents as proof.

Yan, the clerk of the warehouse, on the 21st day of the tenth month of the fourth year of the Taiping Xingguo era.

The document is followed by the signatures of Chen Youde, the warehouse staff, and Liu Da, the warehouse manager.

Zhang Sanlang took the receipt, folded it, put it in his pocket, and walked towards the household office.

Inside the household, Liao Tiesi was checking the requisition progress reports from various townships, the beads on his abacus clicking away.

Wang Tiesi flipped through the account books in front of the wooden shelf, looking for a file on outstanding taxes from last year. Zheng Tiesi sat in the corner copying the commercial tax register, his handwriting neat and tidy.

Zhang Sanlang pushed open the door to the inner room.

Tao Cheng sat behind his desk, the year's general tax register spread out before him. He heard footsteps, looked up, and his gaze fell on the receipt in Zhang Sanlang's hand. "Did you expedite the settlement?"

"Sixty-three shi (a unit of dry measure) have been deposited into the county granary. The county granary receipt is here." Zhang Sanlang placed the receipt on the table.

Tao Cheng picked it up, glanced at it, put it down, and took a sip of tea.

"Chen Youde dragged it out for five years, but you brought it back in just a few days." He put down his teacup. "As for Registrar Gu, I'll report it today. Your official appointment will come down after the year-end evaluation, and then you'll be out of the acting position."

Zhang Sanlang cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "It's all thanks to the kindness of Clerk Tao in nurturing me."

Tao Cheng waved his hand, pulled out a note from the corner of the table, wrote a few lines, and pushed it over: "Go to the granary and get five dou of white flour. Consider it a reward for collecting the outstanding taxes. Take it back to make pancakes for the two children."

He paused, then smiled broadly, "Do a good job as the head of the household affairs department. I'll be counting on you for next year's spring and autumn tax collection."

Zhang Sanlang took the note, folded it, and put it in his pocket.

After leaving the household quarters, Zhang Sanlang did not go directly to the storeroom.

He turned a corner and headed towards the archers' barracks.

Wu Yan was leading several archers in practicing spear and staff techniques in the courtyard.

A white waxwood pole trembled straight in his hand, the tip of the spear thrust out and struck the straw target with a muffled thud.

Several archers practiced alongside them, their movements uneven.

Upon seeing Zhang Sanlang, Wu Yan holstered his gun, leaned his white waxwood cannon against the wall, and dusted off his hands. "Zhang Qianxing. Is the Chen family matter finished?"

"It's all done. Sixty-three shi of grain have all been deposited into the county granary today." Zhang Sanlang clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wu Yan. "These past few days, I've been very grateful for the help from Commander Wu and the other brothers. Tonight, I'll treat everyone to a meal at the Yuelai Tavern in the east of the city as a personal token of my gratitude."

Wu Yan waved his hand, "Collecting taxes is the job of the county magistrate; they're just carrying out orders. There's no need for thanks."

"Business is business, and personal feelings are personal feelings," Zhang Sanlang said with a smile. "If Brother Wu doesn't go, he's disrespecting Zhang Sanlang."

Wu Yan smiled and said, "Okay. See you after my shift."

After leaving the barracks, Zhang Sanlang first went to the granary to collect five dou of flour. It wasn't appropriate to trouble the mule cart to deliver such a small amount, but it wouldn't look good for Zhang Sanlang to carry it back himself either.

Liu Da then had the servants divide the contents into five small bags and deliver them to the household office. This way, Zhang Sanlang could easily take one or two bags back each time he finished his shift.

Yuelai Tavern is located on Zheng Street in the east of the city, and its storefront is not large.

A paper lantern hung at the entrance, with the words "Yuelai" written on it.

Zhang Sanlang lifted the curtain and went inside. A young man of about seventeen or eighteen was clearing away the dishes. He looked up and saw Zhang Sanlang, paused for a moment, and said, "Zhang Qianxing? What brings you here?"

Zhang Sanlang recognized him as Afang, Sun's sister-in-law's nephew, and nodded. "Afang, I'm treating some people to drinks today, so please arrange some fancy dishes."

A-Fang tossed the rag over his shoulder and quickly wiped the table. "Don't worry, Zhang Qianxing, I've got it covered."

He pointed to the bamboo plaques hanging on the wall and recited a string of dish names as if singing.

"Today, our shop has oven-roasted chicken with crispy skin and tender meat; one bite and your mouth is filled with juicy goodness. The braised pork knuckle was freshly braised last night; it's fatty but not greasy, sliced ​​thinly and arranged on a plate—perfect with drinks."

"There's also crab-stuffed orange, which is the shop's signature dish. The orange is hollowed out and stuffed with crab meat and roe, then steamed until thoroughly cooked. It's fragrant with orange and fresh with crab. Only ten servings are made each day. Zhang Qianxing came early and there were still two servings left."

"Fried fish maw, using the tender meat from the belly of a crucian carp, without a single bone. Shrimp and mushroom soup, fresh shrimp with mushrooms, thickened with cornstarch, a bowl of this warms the stomach. Yuanbao pork, braised pork belly in chunks, with a bright red color, is most satisfying when eaten with a flatbread."

"There are also vegetarian dishes. Thinly sliced ​​bamboo shoots are pan-fried and paired with tender tofu to make a light and refreshing soup. Lotus root fish dumplings are made by stuffing fish meat into the holes of lotus roots and steaming them. The lotus root is crisp and the fish is fresh, and they look beautiful too."

He paused, took a half step closer, lowered his voice, and chuckled, "If Zhang Qianxing wants something more affordable, our shop has just added mutton offal soup. A big pot is only twenty coins, with plenty of ingredients, enough for four or five people."

"Paired with roasted chicken, braised pork knuckle, and fried bamboo shoots, it's a dish with both dry and soupy options, meat and vegetables, making it a presentable and affordable meal for guests."

Zhang Sanlang couldn't help but laugh. "We'll do it your way. Add another serving of fried fish maw, four sesame cakes, and a pot of hot wine."

A-Fang responded and turned to walk towards the kitchen, singing as he went, "Lamb offal soup... roasted chicken... braised pork hock... fried fish maw... fried bamboo shoots... four flatbreads... a pot of hot wine..."

The sound trailed off, turning a corner at the kitchen doorway, and was quite loud.

Zhang Sanlang found it amusing, shook his head, sat down, and placed the two small bags of flour at his feet.

Before long, Wu Yan lifted the curtain and came in. He had changed into a slightly worn blue cloth short-sleeved shirt, and there was no short stick tied around his waist. He walked with lighter steps than usual.

After exchanging a few polite words, the two sat down facing each other.

Zhang Sanlang poured a bowl for Wu Yan first, "Second Brother Wu, have a bowl to warm yourself up. You've worked hard these past few days urging the troops. Those brothers have also been tired; I'll treat them separately another day. This bowl of wine is for you."

Wu Yan picked up the bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go. As the bowl emptied, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his expression unchanged.

Zhang Sanlang grinned, but had no choice but to pick up the bowl and gulp it down.

He choked on the wine as it went down his throat, coughing twice while covering his mouth with his sleeve. Luckily, it was just ordinary rice wine, not too strong, otherwise he might have made a fool of himself after finishing the whole bowl.

"Sanlang's alcohol tolerance is only slightly better than before, you still need to practice!" Wu Yan put the bowl on the table with a smile on his lips. "But then again, it's already not easy for someone like you who works in an office."