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

He glanced at his younger brother, put down his chopsticks, and his smile faded. "Zhang Qianxing is truly insightful. You saw right through me."

He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I came today for two reasons: first, to visit my aunt and cousin, and second, to ask you for some advice."

Ah Zheng lowered his head, his chopsticks resting on the rim of his bowl, his face slightly flushed.

Zhang Sanlang picked up a piece of poached chicken and chewed it slowly. "My two children are well taken care of by Aunt Sun and A-Yun. You are Aunt Sun's nephews and nieces, so please feel free to speak your mind."

Afang wiped his mouth. "It's about Azheng. He studied at the private school for five years. A few days ago, when I went to pay my tuition, the teacher told me that he had limited talent and his poetry and essays had not improved."

"There are only five or six quotas for this prefecture. Even with his talent, he might not be able to pass the imperial examination even after another ten years of study. The teacher advised him not to take the imperial examination for the highest degree, but to consider other subjects instead. However, the future prospects of other subjects are far inferior to those of the imperial examination for the highest degree."

Zhang Sanlang glanced at A Zheng.

He was only sixteen years old, which would be no more than a high school freshman in later generations. The young man lowered his head, making it impossible to see his expression. His shoulders were slightly slumped, as if something was pressing down on them.

"And you? I'm afraid you've run into trouble too." Zhang Sanlang didn't rush to reply, but instead asked about A Fang.

A Fang gave a wry smile. "As expected, I couldn't hide it from you! Don't laugh at me, but after hearing what you said, sir, I've been quite unsettled these past few days, and I even made a mistake while working as a waiter at the tavern."

"Yesterday, a regular customer got drunk and insisted that I hadn't given him twenty coins in change. I argued with him for a bit, and he immediately overturned the table and vowed never to come back."

"The shopkeeper made me apologize, which I did. But the customer wouldn't let it go, saying that after working in the tavern for so many years, I might not have been completely honest."

"To avoid trouble, the shopkeeper fired me on the spot. He said he would call me back after things calmed down, but who knows when that will be?"

He picked up his wine bowl and took a big gulp. "Zhang Qianxing, I can leave my own affairs alone. I supported Azheng's education for five years, hoping he would make something of himself. Now that both paths are blocked, I have no other choice but to shamelessly..."

Ah Zheng looked up, his eyes red, "Big brother, it's my fault."

"Don't say things like that." A-Fang glared at him. "You're better at studying than me. It's just that this path is too difficult."

The main room was quiet for a moment.

Old Sun held his wine bowl, looked at the two brothers, sighed, and said nothing.

Carpenter He lowered his head and drank his wine. He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks from the plate, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, as if afraid that if he ate it too fast, he would never be able to taste it again.

Zhang Sanlang pondered for a moment, then put down his chopsticks. "A-Zheng, what are the subjects tested in?"

Ah Zheng paused for a moment, then looked up. "The subjects include the Nine Classics, the Three Rites, the Three Commentaries, the Scholar, and the Legalist Explanation. Each subject tests your knowledge of the classics and their interpretations; the more you memorize and the better you remember, the better you'll pass. But..."

"What's the way out?"

Ah Zheng lowered his voice, "Even if you pass the imperial examination, you still have to wait for the position. It can take two or three years at the shortest, and five or six years at the longest. If you don't have connections in your family, you might not even be able to get a position as an academic official. It's not as good as the Jinshi examination, where passing the examination guarantees an official position."

Zhang Sanlang nodded. "Which subject are you more familiar with?"

"The Mingfa exam," A-Zheng's voice rose slightly. "I've memorized the classics, laws, and interpretations. My teacher said I'd have a 30-50% chance of passing. But I'm afraid I still won't be selected as an official..."

Zhang Sanlang understood the gist of it upon hearing this.

Ultimately, it all comes down to having no connections. Even if you pass all the subjects, it's still just a waste of time.

He picked up his wine bowl, took a slow sip, and guessed the two brothers' purpose. "Afang, you've come to see me because you want to go to the county government office?"

A-Fang nodded hurriedly, "Zhang Qianxing is incredibly insightful! I've been laid off, and it'll be difficult to find work in taverns and restaurants. I heard from my aunt that you've been promoted to Qianxing now, and you're asking if it would be difficult for us brothers to find odd jobs?"

He glanced at A-Zheng and said, "Although A-Zheng has no hope of passing the imperial examinations, he has at least read a few books. He can do a job like a scribe or servant."

Zhang Sanlang leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

He started to make plans in his mind.

With Kong You'an transferred away, Yu Shoufen took part of the blame for him and was sentenced to county service by the county government. Several other clerks and servants who only received money and did not do any work were also dismissed one after another.

Kong You'an was domineering and had many secrets, and he never offered any assistance to anyone in the front lines. As a result, after his downfall, the Ministry of Justice had no one available, and Fang Zhong'an was temporarily transferred to act as the front line, but he was just a figurehead.

Now is the perfect time to plant some people in the torture chambers. However, he's unsure whether the three clerks will also have their own people planted there; he needs to confirm that tomorrow.

Having thought things through, Zhang Sanlang glanced at A Fang and casually asked, "Where do you brothers live now?"

A-Fang's face darkened. "I used to sleep in the back room of the tavern, while A-Zheng was working at the teacher's private school. After I was dismissed, I have nowhere to go for the time being. I'm thinking of borrowing my aunt's woodshed for a few days."

Zhang Sanlang nodded and smiled, "It's true what they say, timing is everything. I just moved into the main house, and the east wing is empty; I was planning to store some odds and ends there. If you don't mind, you can move in. A hundred or so coins a month in rent will suffice."

A-Fang suddenly stood up, his lips trembling slightly. "Zhang Qianxing, how could I possibly do this?"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Zhang Sanlang waved his hand, glanced at Sun Sao in the east room, his eyes full of meaning, "It's just sitting empty anyway. If you move in, the courtyard will be more lively. As for the servants, I'll ask about it when I get back to the county office tomorrow."

A-Zheng also stood up, and the two brothers bowed deeply to Zhang Sanlang.

"Zhang Qianxing," A Fang's voice was a little hoarse, "regardless of whether the task is completed or not, my brother and I will remember this favor. We will never thank you enough!"

Zhang Sanlang waved his hand, "Alright, no need for formalities, sit down and drink. The food's getting cold."

A Fang sat down again, picked up his wine bowl, raised it to Zhang Sanlang, and tilted his head back to drink it down.

Carpenter He remarked from the side, "Ah Fang, you two are lucky. Your Uncle Zhang has even arranged accommodations for you."

Old Sun picked up a piece of poached chicken and chewed it with smacking sounds. "Sanlang is so kind and righteous. Even my useless old man's livelihood is entirely thanks to him."

Hearing their words, A-Fang's face lit up with even more joy. He seized the opportunity and said, "Uncle Zhang, I respect you. Whether it works out or not, I'll have A-Zheng review the laws again tonight."

Zhang Sanlang looked at him and smiled slightly, "Okay."

The kang table in the east room was also full of dishes.

A small portion of each dish was taken from the main room. Half of the braised pork belly and half of the braised pork liver were also shared.

happy Mei sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) holding a bowl, sipping her soup slowly.

Lin Qiao'er sat next to her, head down, eating her porridge.

Lin Xiuer picked up a piece of chicken liver, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it twice, reluctant to swallow, her eyes narrowed, "Sister, this is delicious."

Lin Qiao'er winked at her, "Eat slowly, happy Mei'er isn't full yet!"

A-Yun sat at the other end of the kang table and picked up a piece of poached chicken leg for Xi-Mei.

happy Mei looked up at her and smiled.

Aunt Sun listened intently to the conversation in the main room, a smile spreading across her lips. The chicken giblet soup tasted increasingly delicious with each sip. "Xi Mei'er," she said, "your father's soup is so flavorful, you girls should all drink more."