Chapter 501: Petty
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Having voiced his frustrations, Poxed Face w.a.n.g angrily set down his pen.
He felt he was being unfairly treated. He hadn’t even received the two-tael silver reward yet, and his colleagues were already scheming to divvy it up until he had nothing left.
What aggravated him the most was that obtaining the two taels of silver reward wasn’t a simple task.
The group exchanged glances, and the prospect of losing out on the half-month’s salary promised by Governor Su left them somewhat disgruntled. It felt as though someone had pilfered money from their pockets.
Nonetheless, none of them were willing to pick up their pens and continue transcribing. No one wanted to be the first to compromise.
Liu Dazhuang, a constable who had practiced martial arts since a young age, was proficient in reading but lacked the ability to transcribe the announcement. He took the initiative to grind ink, a task sufficient for copying
the 48 announcements. Being preoccupied with his work, he hadn’t been
involved in the commotion earlier.
Despite his detachment, he understood the current predicament. n.o.body was willing to proceed with the transcription, yet no one was willing to depart either. They all harbored a desire to complete the task, but they lacked a mediator.
Liu Dazhuang turned to Mr. Chen, who was observing the situation, and said,
“Mr. Chen, could you do me a favor?”
Mr. Chen smiled and replied, “I believe your words may carry more weight than mine. Why don’t you give it a try first?”
Among this group of individuals, Liu Dazhuang held more authority. It was a straightforward matter: he had eleven subordinates who were obliged to follow his lead.
Constable Liu expressed his viewpoint confidently, saying, “Listen up, everyone. We should prioritize completing the mission first to earn the reward. Once we have the reward in hand, we can discuss how to divide and utilize it.”
“Time is limited, and I don’t want to engage in individual negotiations because it would be time-consuming. If we don’t begin now, we risk losing 99% of the reward.”
“Doesn’t that make sense?”
Old Li, who had been in the archive room, nodded in agreement. “Constable Liu has a point. We should focus on completing the task and securing the reward before discussing the details of our meal.”
With that, Old Li resumed copying the announcement.
However, the rest of the group remained reluctant, their frustration still lingering.
Liu Dazhuang took Poxed Face w.a.n.g aside.
“Poxed Face w.a.n.g, why are you being so stubborn? Do you want outsiders to ridicule us?”
“In the past, aside from the governor, you and I held the second-highest positions in this government office. At times, even the governor would heed our advice.”
“One of us is a scholar, and the other is a martial artist. With the two of us here, we’ve usually kept things under control.”
“Use your head and think it through. Why did Governor Su offer these two taels of silver as a reward?”
Poxed Face w.a.n.g remained silent for a moment. “Are you suggesting that the governor deliberately used these two taels of silver to test us?”
Liu Dazhuang nodded. “Precisely.”
“I’ve heard that Governor Su has brought over 20 guards with him. You and I may be skilled in literature and martial arts, but he has more people and higher-quality personnel than our government office.”
“If we squabble over two taels of silver and undermine our unity, have you considered what lies ahead for us?”
Poxed Face w.a.n.g was taken aback. “Are you implying that Governor Su might replace us?”
Liu Dazhuang nodded again. “It’s not just a possibility, it’s a certainty!”
“But he won’t replace all of us at once. He’ll dismantle us one by one and introduce changes one by one.”
“Why? Because we couldn’t even complete the governor’s task on the very first day..”