So, although Boss Sheep scolded Long Zanyuan, he wasn't feeling at ease because he had previously offended the foreign teacher for no reason. He was sweating bullets that the foreign teacher would come after him. On top of that, Tian Xiaobianzi and Wu Eralab got into a silly little fight over some petty squabble, which killed everyone's mood. Nobody had much appetite, so the meal ended quickly, and everyone scarpered. The next day, Boss Sheep specifically called Tian Xiaobianzi and bawled him out for ratting on him to the magistrate, which upset the magistrate. He also said it wasn't good that he had fallen out with Wu, "I'll get you two to make up in a few days. Otherwise, working in the same office and not speaking – what's that all about?" Tian Xiaobianzi had worked for Boss Sheep before and, although he was dissatisfied, he dared not say anything and could only agree. A couple of days went by, the foreign teacher stayed away, and Boss Sheep finally breathed easy.
Long Zhan Yuan came to ask Commander Yang to let him off and not remove him from his position. Yang criticized him harshly but spared his position for the time being, slapping him with three major demerits as a warning to others. Long Zhan Yuan came to thank Yang personally, who advised him to learn English properly at a school so he could become a translator or work in a foreign company in Shanghai, earning more money than being a sergeant. Long Zhan Yuan explained that he'd only dabbled in English for three months, dropping it when business got busy. He mentioned that he had been beaten to a pulp—sticks and fists—for trying to speak English to foreigners, and his head still ached. Yang nodded. "Forget about it," he said. "Stick to being a good Chinese citizen. It's better than being a traitor." Long Zhan Yuan agreed and left.
Yang Tongling was thinking about throwing a party. He hosted a feast at his friend's house in Diaoyu Alley while also patching things up between Wu and Tian. Two days in advance, he sent out invitations. The guests were the same people who had played cards and drunk last time, but this time two more were added. One was Zhao Yaozhuang, a powerful aide from Guangxi. He was the one the governor relied on to draft all his memorials to the emperor. All officials in the province flattered him. However, he was notoriously aloof and never liked to socialize, sitting there without talking to anyone. Nobody knew if he was just arrogant or unusually cautious, but he seemed quite temperamental. Although he was only a magistrate, only officials above the governor could invite him to dinner, and even then, it had to be a prominent figure. He barely acknowledged lower-ranking officials. When others spoke to him, he'd barely acknowledge them, often responding with a cold laugh or nothing at all. So everyone called him "Zhao the Aloof." When Yang Tongling invited him, he knew Yang was well-connected, rich, and loved to socialize, so he accepted the invitation. The other guest was Hu Xiaofeng, second in the family. He'd bought his way into office and even served as a governor. His father had been a Taiping rebel who later surrendered and became a magistrate. Hu Xiaofeng, a pampered son, wasn't actually bad-tempered. However, he fidgeted constantly, much to the annoyance of those around him. His conversation was rambling and often veered off topic. His friends called him "Little Fuzzy," and later, "Hu the Troublemaker."
Hu Er, that rascal, was up to his old tricks. It is said that Lord Yang invited him for a night out on the town in Fishing Lane, and he was thrilled. He told the butler to lay out his best threads the night before. It was already hot in April, and he took out a spring gauze robe and a single gauze jacket. However, it rained twice that night, and the next morning felt a bit chilly. He then had the butler bring him a lined robe and jacket. All dressed up, he waited for Lord Yang. Lord Yang had invited him to dinner, but in his excitement, Hu Er had missed that part of the invite and thought it was breakfast. After waiting for a while and not seeing anyone coming, he became anxious and asked the butler, "Is Lord Yang inviting guests today? Don't mess it up." The butler replied, "No, it's today." Despite a bit of rain overnight, the sun was shining brightly the next day. Hu Er paced the house, from front yard to back, front hall to back, more than ten times, a whirlwind of agitation and sweat. Feeling hot and sweaty from running, he changed into a silk robe, a single gauze jacket, and a padded vest. By noon, Lord Yang still hadn't arrived. He asked the butler again when it was, and a more attentive butler said, "It's for dinner." Hu Er cursed, "Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier!" So, he just had lunch at home, grumbling all the while.
Finally made it to 3:30 in the afternoon, and the silk robe didn't feel quite right, so I quickly changed into a spring robe and a light jacket. Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something, ran back into the house, rooted around in my drawer for a while, and found a snuff bottle, saying, "The street's reeking of manure – this'll help." After getting on the sedan chair, I realized that the snuff bottle was empty, so I asked the steward to go back and get some snuff. The steward couldn't find it, so he got off to look himself. Halfway there, I remembered that I didn't bring a fan, and it was too late to go back home to get one; luckily, there was a fan shop, so I hopped off and grabbed one. After all that faffing about, it was already past five o'clock when I arrived at Fishing Lane; fortunately, I only had to wait for one host, none of the other guests had arrived. Hu Er was causing mayhem, couldn't hold a conversation to save his life. When he saw the Sheep leader, he made small talk, then ran out of steam, so the leader went to lie down and have a smoke. Hu Er then started bothering the girls, not caring if the leader would be jealous; he just kept causing trouble. After causing a ruckus for a while, the girls were so angry that they scolded him as "that jinx Hu Er," but Hu Er just grinned foolishly. He only calmed down after some snacks. After resting for a while, guests started trickling in. When the leader saw Tian Xiaobian and Wu Erala coming, he took them both by the hand and had a long chat, bowing to each of them twice, saying, "Look, you two, we're all mates here. Don't fall out. It looks bad." Tian Xiaobian was ready to make amends. But Wu Erala's face was still sore, and he wouldn't budge. The leader kept bowing and apologising, and the others chipped in, until Wu Erala finally calmed down. Everyone agreed Tian Xiaobian was at fault, and the leader had Tian Xiaobian send Mr. Wu a cup of tea; they bowed and apologised, and that was that.
It was already half past seven. The host counted and confirmed that all the guests had arrived, except for Zhao Dajiazi, also known as Zhao Yaohuang, from the Governor's office. They considered sending someone to invite him but were worried he was busy with the Governor and it would be inconvenient, so they had no choice but to wait. Unexpectedly, he didn't arrive until nine o'clock. He was a popular figure in the Governor's office, and everyone tried to butter him up. When ordinary people greeted him, he'd barely acknowledge them and would take Yujinchen to the tea house to chat, not even paying attention to the host. After the table was set, the host came to invite him to sit down, and only then did he acknowledge the host. The host held the wine jug, waiting for him to finish speaking before getting up to sit down. The host quickly toasted him the first cup, but he declined, saying, "Are there others who have not arrived yet?" Yujinchen replied, "No one here has a higher status than you, Mr. Zhao." Zhao Dajiazi did not speak but sat at the head of the banquet with his head held high. The others then took their seats in turn.
At the whole table, Yujinchen had the highest official position and the most money. The newly appointed Governor had also made him the head of the school, often praising his strong abilities. Yujinchen took the opportunity to ask for help from others, hoping the general would reward him with an official position so he could work in the ministry. Although the Governor agreed, the petition had not been submitted yet. Yujinchen also found out that Zhao Dajiazi was the one who reviewed the petitions for the Governor, so he tried to win him over. Although Zhao Dajiazi had a big ego, he would lower it if you paid him. The exact amount given was unclear, but Zhao Dajiazi and Yujinchen became good friends. During this gathering, Zhao Dajiazi only chatted with Yujinchen, occasionally speaking to the host. He completely ignored the others, and they did not dare to speak to him. In Diaoyu Lane, it was customary to split the bill evenly, but Zhao Dajiazi refused to break the rule, so the host had to comply. Each person only paid one share because Zhao Dajiazi was present, worried about offending him. Therefore, although there were many people, the atmosphere was very stiff.
Zhao Dajia ate two dishes and then left his seat to lie on the kang and smoke. Yu Jincheng was close to him, so he followed suit. Later, the host asked him to come back to eat, but he never did. Shaking his head, he said to Yu Jincheng, "I don't click with these guys." Yu Jincheng understood the hint and secretly told the host to let them eat without waiting for him. Zhao Dajia couldn't roll cigarettes himself, and although Yu Jincheng didn't smoke, he was very skilled at rolling, so he rolled him about a dozen, filling the room with smoke. All the dishes were served, and the host came to invite him to have porridge. Zhao Dajia shook his head again, saying, "I feel too upset to eat." Yu Jincheng also refused to eat. The host was very uneasy and came to apologize after the guests had left, saying, "We saved some food for you two." Zhao Dajia said, "Thank you!" and got up to leave. Yu Jincheng knew he didn't want to stay long, so he invited him to visit his friend Wang Xiaowuzi. Zhao Dajia agreed, and the two left together. By then, the host had already put on his long coat and was waiting to see them off.
After saying goodbye to my master, I went to Wang Xiaowu's house. The scene at Wang Xiaowu's house was completely different from before. Yu Jincheng immediately doffed his long coat, collapsed onto the kang, and quickly lighted Zhao Dajiazi's pipe. Wang Xiaowu wanted to help, but Yu Jincheng refused. Zhao Dajiazi took seven or eight puffs before feeling a bit better, holding the pipe and sitting on the edge of the kang, wanting to smoke. Yu Jincheng quickly asked Wang Xiaowu to refill his pipe. With no one else in the room, Yu Jincheng approached Zhao Dajiazi, wanting to talk. But Zhao Dajiazi spoke first: "Weng, have you arranged those two people for me?" Yu Jincheng said, "I've already spoken to the provincial governor. As soon as there's a vacancy, they will be sent." Zhao Dajiazi asked, "How many more months do I have to wait?" Yu Jincheng said, "I'm attending to it. There are two places that will be available in a few days, so we can arrange it immediately without waiting for months. I wouldn't dare delay something you've asked me to do." In fact, Yu Jincheng wanted to discuss his own matters with Zhao Dajiazi, but he didn't expect Zhao Dajiazi to bring up the issue of arranging people first. He couldn't bring himself to mention his own business and had Wang Xiaowu get some porridge ready for Zhao Dajiazi. Zhao Dajiazi said he had official business to attend to and had to return to the yamen. Yu Jincheng couldn't very well keep him and still couldn't bring up his own matters. As Zhao Dajiazi was leaving, he invited him to dinner the next evening. Zhao Dajiazi said, "We'll see how things go. If I have no official business, I will definitely come." With Zhao Dajiazi gone, Yu Jincheng settled in at Wang Xiaowu's for the night.
Wang Xiaowu noticed how much Yu Jingchen was flattering Zhao Dajia and asked about Zhao's background. Yu Jingchen replied, "Zhao is the chief clerk to the governor-general's yamen, as powerful as the governor-general himself. There’s no one in the whole city of Nanjing with more authority than him." Wang Xiaowu then asked, "So, Mr. Yu, what do you do? How much do you make in a year?" Yu Jingchen said, "I’m in charge of the Provincial Yali Bureau (a type of tax bureau), overseeing all the bureaus in the prefectures and counties. I have complete control over them; I can hire and fire at will, and they dare not disobey me." Wang Xiaowu asked, "All those officials listen to you? How important is your position?" Yu Jingchen responded, "I’m a Daotai, which is why I can be the head of the bureau." Wang Xiaowu scoffed, "Big deal, a Daotai? Is that all you are?" He muttered to himself, "Oh, I see." Then he asked again, "Mr. Yu, I heard you can buy an official position these days. How much did you pay for yours?" Yu Jingchen, already annoyed by Wang's dismissal of the Daotai, replied sternly, "I passed the imperial exams fair and square; I didn’t buy my position. Those who bought their offices—we think they're beneath contempt."
Wang Xiaowu said, "Yu, you can buy your way into office. Did you also buy your position?" Yu Jincheng replied, "Don't be ridiculous! How can positions be bought? Sure, some people buy their positions privately, but I got this job fair and square, without spending a penny. Even if someone works under me, I don't take a single penny. I'm very fair." Wang Xiaowu said, "So you, Yu, don't take a single penny?" Yu Jincheng said, "Of course not." Wang Xiaowu said, "I just remembered something. Last month, Chun invited you for drinks. I saw him give you a silver ticket worth six thousand taels and repeatedly ask you to help him get a position. Didn't you accept his silver ticket and agree right away? Within ten days, Chun was head of the bureau." Yu Jincheng was caught off guard by Wang Xiaowu and could only respond, "The job was already his. That was just him paying back a debt, not buying an official position. Don't talk about such things in the future." Wang Xiaowu said, "So, can people without money also become officials?" Yu Jincheng said, "Why not? Look, as long as there's someone higher up looking out for them or someone recommending them, based on friendship, they can be appointed to a position." Wang Xiaowu said, "So it's all about connections when appointing positions. Yu, how's our relationship? I want to recommend someone to you; you must arrange a position for him." Yu Jincheng thought he was joking and agreed, "Sure, I'll get your guy the best job." Wang Xiaowu fell silent for a moment, then got up to prepare for bed. The night passed, and morning came. The next day, Yu Jincheng, thinking about his own matters, went to the court and wrote a letter to Zhao Dajiazi, inviting him to Wang Xiaowu's house for drinks that evening. Zhao Dajiazi replied that he was busy with official matters and couldn't make it, but after finishing his work at the yamen, he would meet at his friend Gui Bao's place at 8 o'clock for dinner to talk. Yu Jincheng had to comply. At seven o'clock, he arrived at Gui Bao's place on an empty stomach to wait. Time dragged on, and he grew impatient as he waited until nine o'clock when Zhao Dajiazi finally emerged from the yamen. Yu Jincheng welcomed him warmly. As soon as they entered, they started smoking. The people in the room already knew Zhao Dajiazi's habits and had prepared a whole tray of lit cigarettes. As soon as Zhao Dajiazi arrived, three or four people handed him cigarettes and lit them. Zhao Dajiazi didn't have time to talk to Yu Jincheng; he lay on the kang and smoked heavily. Sometimes Gui Bao couldn't keep up, and Yu Jincheng helped light the cigarettes, smoking for a full hour. By ten o'clock, Zhao Dajiazi wanted to eat, and the food was already prepared. Only he and Yu Jincheng ate facing each other while Gui Bao served the dishes and added rice. Zhao Dajiazi asked Gui Bao to eat with them, but Gui Bao refused. Zhao Dajiazi got angry, "What's wrong with having a meal with me? Why are you being so formal? You girls are always so formal!" After saying this, he looked angry. Yu Jincheng quickly intervened.
After finishing the meal, Zhao Dajia swished his mouth out, and Yu Jincheng lit a cigarette for him. They shot the breeze about work for a bit, then Yu Jincheng beat around the bush and asked, "Has the General said anything to you these days?"
Zhao Dajia said, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have already planned it. But recently, I've been too busy with official matters, and I haven't had time to write."
Yu Jincheng quickly asked, "What matter must you personally handle?"
Zhao Dajia said, "It's the matter you recommended."
Upon hearing the word "recommendation," Yu Jincheng was delighted and immediately adopted a cautious demeanor, saying humbly, "This is all thanks to the General's grace and your support!"
Zhao Dajia said, "Aw, shucks! But since the General has this intention, as a friend, of course, I should help. That's a funny thing, isn't it? A few days ago I was urging the General, and now he's urging me."
Yu Jincheng asked, "Urging about what?"
Zhao Dajia explained, "Although the General wants to recommend you, he hasn't made a decision yet. I've been asking him every day, telling him, 'A guy like Yu's one of the best in Jiangnan. If the General wants to promote him, the memorial should be submitted early so that in the future, if there are any government favors, he can receive them sooner.' The General agreed after hearing my words and even asked me to help him write the memorial. I've been too busy these days, both because of the workload and because I need to carefully consider how to write the recommendation and what comments to use."
Yu Jincheng said, "I came to you just for this matter. Thank you for your strong recommendation and for helping me seize the opportunity. I am truly grateful! But please help me until the end, write the comments decently, and I will be even more grateful!" With that, he bowed deeply and added, "I'm counting on you!"
Zhao Dajia held the tobacco pouch in his hands, quickly returned the courtesy, and said, "We're on the same team, why talk about these things? Since you've mentioned it, we are all on the same side. Just tell me what you want, and I'll take care of it. I'll write it well for the General to see, and he won't find fault with it."
Yu Jingchen said, "This is all down to your kindness, sir. I wouldn't dream of offering an opinion. Besides, it's my own business – I can't very well praise myself, can I? I'll need your guidance."
Zhao Dajiazi beamed at the flattery. He originally wanted to help him write immediately to show off his power, but his cigarette craving hit him again, and he felt awful. So he said, "We're mates, right? You write, I'll dictate. Then we'll go over it together."
Yu Jingchen still refused to write. Later, Zhao Dajiazi urged him repeatedly, saying, "We're in this together, mate. What's to worry about? It's not that I'm boasting, but in Nanjing City right now, besides the two of us, nobody else matters. If I dictate, isn't it the same as if I wrote it myself?" Yu Jingchen was secretly hoping for a glowing recommendation. Seeing Zhao Dajiazi repeatedly asking him to write it himself, he couldn't refuse anymore, so he got Guibao to fetch the writing things and left Zhao Dajiazi to puff away on the kang while he sat down to write. The oil lamp was too dim, so he had a candle lit. Guibao knew he wanted to write, so he came to grind the ink. Yu Jingchen declined and asked him to go fetch cigarettes for Zhao Dajiazi instead. Guibao left, and Yu Jingchen held the pen in his hand, staring at Zhao Dajiazi, waiting to see what he would say so he could write accordingly.
After seven or eight packets of fags, Zhao Dajiazi's craving eased. He hauled himself up from the kang, took a couple of gulps of tea, and then said, "Mate, we don't need to go overboard in the memorial. Just a few words will do."
Yu Jingchen said, "I reckon it should be a bit more formal to impress the higher-ups."
Zhao Dajiazi said, "Doesn't matter. As long as it's recommended, they'll approve it. It'll get the 'okay' stamp. Same difference."
Seeing that Yu Jingchen still hadn't started, despite having the pen in his hand, Zhao Dajiazi said, "Get on with it."
Yu Jingchen said, "Read it first, then write." Zhao Dajiazi smiled and replied, "You're a smart guy, what's to get? Don't be shy, just knock it out. I'm gonna smoke, so just get on with it." After that, he lay down and started smoking again.
Yu Jingchen had no choice but to grit his teeth and write, but he was tickled pink and kept saying, "I'll draft it first, then show you." At this time, Zhao Dajiazi was busy smoking, not saying a word.
Fortunately, Yu Jingchen had a formal education and had worked in Jiangnan for several years, so his official writing was still decent. He picked up his pen, thought for a moment, and wrote several lines in one go. When he came to his own evaluation, he thought to himself, "There are still sixteen empty spots; I'll wait for Zhao to fill them in." But then he thought, "What if Zhao's words aren't suitable? It's better for me to write it myself and then discuss it with him. Our relationship is good; he shouldn't change my words." With this decision made, he pondered for a while and wrote his own sixteen-word evaluation. He then wrote about his achievements in handling funds and establishing schools, praising them extravagantly, and wrote several more lines. After finishing, he got up, took the draft, and walked to the kang, asking Zhao Dajiazi to review it.
Zhao Dajiazi took the draft, looked at it under the lamp for a long time, and didn't say anything, mulling it over. Yu Jingchen couldn't wait, so he quickly asked, "Zhao, man, is this draft okay? I'm not exactly a whiz at this stuff; I need you to give me some guidance." Zhao Dajiazi said, "The format's fine, but the evaluation still needs..." Before he could finish, Yu Jingchen asked, "How about the evaluation?" Zhao Dajiazi said, "Based on your talent, this evaluation is indeed sufficient. However, when writing it on the report, the tone should be more tactful to make the higher-ups feel comfortable reading it. If it's too good, it won't sound like a superior evaluating a subordinate, and it won't match the language used in the report. I'm just brainstorming; do you have any suggestions?" After speaking, he handed the draft back to Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen blushed when he heard this, sitting there for a bit, unable to speak. He eventually returned to the table, picked up a pen to make changes, but he was either afraid of Zhao Dajiazi's criticism or felt it wasn't good enough. Still stuck, he sheepishly said to Zhao Dajiazi, "Can you help me write this assessment? 'Not a boatman, don't come to play with bamboo poles,' I really can't figure it out." Zhao Dajiazi replied, "We're friends. Even though this assessment is just a few words, it can't be too light or too heavy. Even if I write it well, it still needs to be reviewed by my superior. My superior has never changed my work before. If he changes a few words now, I'll look bad. So I have to carefully consider it for you, that's the reason. You're one of the boys, so I can speak frankly." Yu Jingchen felt even more grateful after hearing this. He quickly dipped his pen in ink and handed it to Zhao Dajiazi by the heated bed. Zhao Dajiazi said, "I need to think about this too." He didn't take the pen, lay back down, and smoked a few drags. After smoking, he slipped on his shoes, got off the heated bed, made a few changes, and replaced the whole assessment. Yu Jingchen felt it wasn't quite satisfactory, but he was afraid of angering Zhao Dajiazi, so he could only say repeatedly, "This is great! This is great!" After Zhao Dajiazi finished making changes, he stuffed the draft into his pocket. Because the room was too smoky, he wanted to go back to the mansion to smoke. Yu Jingchen put on his long coat and accompanied him out. When they got into the carriage, Yu Jingchen bowed again, expressed many thanks, and said, "I'll come back tomorrow to thank you properly." After that, the two parted ways.
Yu Jingchen went to Wang Xiaowu's house again, and it was already twelve midnight. Before he even entered the door, he saw a shadowy figure coming out of Wang Xiaowu's house. The light wasn't good enough to see clearly, but he felt like it was someone he knew. They almost collided as they brushed past each other; the guy didn't see Yu Jingchen, but Yu Jingchen recognized him—he was way below him in rank. He didn't want to make a scene, so he quickly avoided him. Once the guy was gone, he slowly walked through the gate and arrived at Wang Xiaowu's room. They were old pals, and since Yu Jingchen's matters had been resolved, they were both very happy. After they met, they exchanged a bunch of sweet nothings and got cozy for a while.
Wang Xiaowu suddenly remembered what happened last night and hurriedly said, "Yu, I have a favor to ask, you have to agree!" Yu Jingchen replied, "Sure, piece of cake." Wang Xiaowu said, "Don't blow me off; whether it's easy or not, you have to agree. You agree first, then I'll tell you." Yu Jingchen asked, "What's up?" Wang Xiaowu said, "Didn't you say yesterday that your subordinates can handle things without spending any money, as long as there are people above or friends recommending them? Is that true?" Yu Jingchen said, "Of course it's free. But it depends on who you know and what kind of friends they are; it’s not that simple." Wang Xiaowu replied, "I don't care about that. It just depends on our relationship, right?" Yu Jingchen said, "There's no need to mention our relationship. Do you have someone you want me to recommend? Even if we're close, I won't take recommendations." When Wang Xiaowu saw he wouldn't accept, his face darkened. He leaned his head on Yu Jingchen's chest, using his delicate little hand to hold onto Yu Jingchen's chubby face, and coquettishly said, "If you don't agree, this won't work!" At that moment, Yu Jingchen was wearing a newly bought foreign satin jacket, and when Wang Xiaowu leaned on him, the jacket wrinkled considerably. Yu Jingchen, who was always stingy and cared about his clothes, couldn't say anything because of the situation, so he had to endure it. After a bit of a struggle, Yu Jingchen, worried about his jacket, kept saying, "Come on, let’s talk properly; you’ll embarrass us both." Wang Xiaowu, with a stern face, said, "Everyone knows we're an item. In the future, I’ll marry you! If I marry you, I'll be the boss's wife; who dares not to kiss my ass? Who would laugh at me?" Yu Jingchen had to go along with him and said, "Yeah, if you marry me, you’ll be my wife. With you as my good wife, I won’t be hanging out in the alleys anymore." Wang Xiaowu looked at him sideways and said, "Who would believe that from you? Cut the crap and tell me about the favor I asked you to take care of!"
So, Yu Jingchen yawned a few times, looked at his pocket watch, and saw it was almost two o'clock. "Gosh, it's late! We've gotta be up early for the yamen tomorrow!" With that, he took off his clothes and got ready for bed. Wang Xiaowuzi said, "You promised, so no sleep until you help me!" He didn't take off his clothes either and climbed onto the bed to hug him. Annoyed, Yu Jingchen replied, "Tell me who it is first, so I can think of how to help you." Seeing that he had softened, Wang Xiaowuzi stopped making noise, lay on the bed, and whispered, "He's from our yamen; you'll know him." Yu Jingchen asked, "Who is it?" Wang Xiaowuzi said, "It's Deputy Magistrate Huang, he asked me." Yu Jingchen responded, "Loads of people are called Huang! Tell me which one!" Wang Xiaowuzi said, "Oh, my memory is bad, he's got a card here." With that, he pulled out a business card and asked the old lady in the room to light a candle. Yu Jingchen squinted at the candlelight, reading the card which said, "From the Prefect's Office. Deputy Magistrate Huang Xin. Wants a favour and a job." Yu Jingchen's eyes widened. He didn't say anything for ages. Wang Xiaowuzi anxiously asked, "See it? Recognize him?" Yu Jingchen still didn't respond, and after a moment asked, "When did this start? When did he give you the card?" Wang Xiaowuzi blushed and couldn't say a word for a long time.
Hey everyone, guess who this person is? So it was that the person Yu Jinchen just met at the door of Wang Xiaowuzi is Huang Zainxin. Huang Zainxin is an official from Jiangnan. Compared to Yu Jinchen, one is a Daotai (a high-ranking official) and the other is a Tongzhi (a lower-ranking official), with different ranks and not in the same yamen. So how did Yu Jinchen know him? Because Huang Zainxin was a master at schmoozing the powerful. He had a couple of gigs on hand, but the salary wasn’t much and not enough. He saw that Yu Jinchen is the head of the Lijin Bureau, so he wanted to get a job there. He’d pulled a lot of strings, but Yu Jinchen hasn’t replied to him yet, which made him anxious. Funny thing was, he often went to Fishing Lane and he and Yu Jinchen were somewhat acquainted. Wang Xiaowuzi thought he looked good, so he had a good relationship with him, but Yu Jinchen kept him at arm's length. Huang Zainxin often went to Wang Xiaowuzi's house, but Yu Jinchen didn’t know at all. Yu Jinchen hung out with Wang Xiaowuzi, but Huang Zainxin knew everything. You could tell Wang Xiaowuzi played favorites.
At this moment, Yu Jinchen looked at the calling card, remembered that he had just seen Huang Zai Xin heading out of here, and felt a little unhappy. After hearing Wang Xiaowuzi's stammering reply, he became even more suspicious. The more he doubted, the more jealous he became. Yu Jinchen looked at Wang Xiaowuzi's expression and already figured it out. He scoffed and said, "No one handed him the application, yet he thought of you and asked you to help him find a job. He really knows how to work his connections! When did you two meet? How come you're so close?" Seeing that Yu Jinchen was becoming suspicious, Wang Xiaowuzi felt nervous and didn't dare to act cute anymore. He quickly put his arm around Yu Jinchen's head, pressed his face against his, and said with a smile, "There's something you don't know. Let me tell you. I'm from Jiangxi. I was sold to a theater troupe to learn acting at the age of seven and only came to Nanjing at the age of fifteen. This Mr. Huang is also from Jiangxi; we're fellow villagers. He's my fellow villager, why wouldn't I know him? I'm helping him find a job, just helping a fellow villager; what's there to doubt?" Yu Jinchen shook his head and said, "Forget it! I've seen enough of you Jiangxi people; that's just how those Jiangxi connections work. I didn't expect you, a courtesan, to be more loyal than those officials. Don't lie to me. Besides, you were sold to a theater troupe at the age of seven, drifting from place to place. Even if he really is your fellow villager, you might not necessarily know him. You're just digging yourself a deeper hole. How long have you known each other? Tell me the truth! If he really has nothing to do with you, why are you helping him find a job? I know; we're just suckers, lining their pockets. Now you're openly helping a benefactor find a job. I'm not a three-year-old, being made fools of."
Yu Jingchen became angrier as he spoke, too mad to sleep. He suddenly sat up from the bed and yelled for his sedan chair. He swore, "I will never come here again! If I do, you can chop off my legs!" With that, he rolled up his sleeves, eyes bulging out like saucers, and even tied up his braid. He looked ready to deck someone, but then just stood there with his hands on his hips and clenched fists, sitting on the edge of the bed in anger. Wang Xiaowuzi, initially scolded by Yu Jingchen, felt her face burn and her heart pound. Later, when she saw him get up, she hurried over to hold him down, but her strength was too weak to restrain Yu Jingchen, so she just let him be. Seeing that he had tied up his braid without hitting anyone, she relaxed and explained with a smile, "Who cares if he's pretending to be someone else? Fellow villagers are fellow villagers; I can't treat him as a stranger. As for how I got to know him, Hong from Suzhou and Lu from Qingjiang were always there whenever we drank together, so I gradually got to know him. I wouldn't know him otherwise!" Yu Jingchen ignored her, sitting on the bed in anger. Things got so loud that even the old lady came to break it up, but Yu Jingchen remained silent. The ruckus went on until dawn. Yu Jingchen didn't wait for his chair; he just got dressed and left. Wang Xiaowuzi tried her best to stop him, but he was gone.
When Yu Jingchen returned home, he was in a rotten mood, feeling completely wiped out, and got hopelessly lost. After finally flagging down a rickshaw, he made it home. The minute he walked in, he started yelling at everyone – the chair bearers, his entourage, his mother, even the maid – all the way to his bedroom. He woke up the whole household, and knowing he had been out all night, they scrambled to get him ready – towels, mouthwash, soap, even snacks from the cook – all in a happy flurry.
This day happened to be court day, and Yu Jincheng was supposed to go to the yamen as usual. Before he finished his breakfast, the sedan chair was already prepared. By the time he arrived at the yamen, it was almost nine o'clock, and he was still out of breath. The first person he saw was Sun Dahuzi. He related the whole story about Huang Zaixin asking Wang Xiaowu (a prostitute) for a job and complained, "Huang Zaixin's a real piece of work; why would he ask a prostitute for help? Can you believe it?" Sun Dahuzi smiled and said, "I can understand this; after all, your connection with Wang Xiaowu is unlike any other. A friend's word is more effective than your connections with those higher-ups, that's why Huang sought her out. It's all about the money, isn't it? As long as there is money to be made, who cares about all the other stuff?" When Yu Jincheng heard Sun Dahuzi mocking him, his face turned red, and he argued, "It's just a bit of fun, nothing serious!" Sun Dahuzi immediately responded, "Oh really? So what's a real relationship then?" Yu Jincheng became agitated, "I'm being serious, and you're making fun of me! That's not cool! Let me tell you the truth; Wang Xiaowu and Huang Zaixin are both from Jiangxi. He asked Wang Xiaowu for help to take care of his fellow villager." Sun Dahuzi said, "Even a prostitute shows more loyalty to her fellow villagers than those high and mighty scholars! Yu, you should immediately arrange a good job for him, not only to give your mate some face but also to educate those scholars who don't care about their hometown ties. Everyone, am I right?" At this point, many people had arrived at the yamen. When several people who usually had good relationships heard this, they nodded in agreement, saying, "It should be done this way." However, Yu Jincheng disagreed and insisted on reporting to the authorities, removing Huang Xin's job, accusing him of being a slimy, self-serving weasel. As a result, Sun Dahuzi tore into him, leaving Yu Jincheng speechless. What exactly did Sun Dahuzi say? Find out what happened next time!
