Chapter 44

---

Let's split the narrative and return to Wang Xian's side of the story.

Due to his successful reporting, the next day, the magistrate granted him leave to return home for rest, also with the intention of letting Wang Xian avoid the spotlight for a while.

Qin Shou helped him pack his things simply, and then, along with two strong men, they carried him out of the room on a door panel to a large cart. Even Qin Shou, a mere servant, knew that Wang Xian was about to rise in fortune, and he served him much more attentively than before. To prevent Wang Xian from feeling uncomfortable, he even laid a cotton quilt on the cart...

In fact, Wang Xian had only suffered minor flesh wounds. As the saying goes, every profession has its expertise. The skill of beating with a stick, which the bailiffs had mastered, was practiced from their teenage years, for over a decade. They practiced two techniques: one called 'light outside, heavy inside,' and the other called 'heavy outside, light inside.'

The first technique involved wrapping a thick stone slab in clothing, requiring that after the beating, the clothing remain undamaged while the stone slab inside would be shattered. With such a technique, within twenty strikes, a prisoner's pelvis or even internal organs could be shattered, with no visible external damage, leaving them either dead or severely disabled.

The second technique involved wrapping a stack of paper in clothing, requiring that after the beating, the clothing would be torn, but the paper inside would remain undamaged. With this technique, it would look like the skin was torn and bleeding, but in reality, only the skin was damaged, not the flesh or bones, posing no real danger.

Once the bailiffs mastered these two techniques, they could perform countless variations, making them suitable for the lucrative position of a bailiff. The term 'lucrative' is not an exaggeration. For example, during the Tang Dynasty, Prime Minister Bi Cheng came from a humble background, and his uncle was a bailiff in Taihu County. He became wealthy by earning money from beatings. After Bi Cheng rose to prominence, he wanted to secure an official position for his uncle, but his uncle refused, saying, "I earn sixty strings of cash annually just from the fees, and I live comfortably without any risk. What position do you want to give me?" In other words, there was no better job than being a bailiff.

Sixty strings of cash were equivalent to the combined annual salaries of a county magistrate and a county lieutenant, which is why his uncle was determined not to become an official...

The two bailiffs who beat Wang Xian were experienced veterans with perfect technique. They broke his skin and drew blood but did not damage his flesh...

However, you can't just pretend to be fine right after getting beaten by a superior. The performance had to be complete, so Wang Xian lay on the cart as he left the official residence. As they passed by the six departments, clerks, whether they knew him or not, poked their heads out to point and whisper:

"That's the kid who found the accounting discrepancies and brought down Li Sheng..."

"He's only been in the office for a few days, and he managed to bring down the head of the household department. This kid is extraordinary..."

"Ha, he doesn't have that kind of ability. Don't you remember who his father is? His father must have pulled some strings."

"You're right, otherwise, we'd all be dead by now."

Opinions varied, but fortunately, no one questioned his character, which was what Wang Xian cared about most. If his character was tarnished, he would have no future. But thinking about it, after being bullied so badly, it was only natural to fight back. Who could blame him?

The cart left the official residence and paraded through the market...

The speed of gossip in the county was astonishing. Yesterday, Li Sheng had just fallen from power, and today, the news had already spread throughout the streets, with the rumor that Wang Xian had been bullied so badly that he angrily reported Li Sheng!

The people in the market found it hard to believe. The head of the household department was like a mountain in the minds of ordinary people. Unless a powerful deity descended, he should have stood firm in Fuyang County forever. How could he be brought down by Wang Xian, who had only been in the office for a few days?

But when news came from the medical clinic in the morning that Li Sheng had nearly gone mad last night, they had no choice but to believe it...

"Oh, what happened to young Master Wang?" Seeing Wang Xian lying on the cart, the crowd surged forward, blocking the path.

"Ah, it's all because Li Sheng was too cruel!" Qin Shou said with righteous indignation, "He beat young Master Wang so badly! But Li Sheng got what he deserved. The magistrate ordered me, Qin Shou, to escort young Master Wang home to recover. Once he recovers, he will surely be given an important position!"

"Oh, Li Sheng really deserved it!" the neighbors said with righteous indignation.

"Is young Master Wang okay...?" the neighbors asked with concern, "He must be well taken care of. If he has any lasting injuries, Li Sheng would have to die a hundred times to make up for it!"

"Young Master Wang, this is a turtle I caught this morning. It's quite large and must have come to help you recover..." Fish vendor Seven presented a turtle with a shell as big as a plate. The turtle's green eyes were full of helplessness, as if saying, "Am I really that cheap?"

"Young Master Wang, don't listen to him. For bone and muscle injuries, you need to eat pork ribs!" Meat vendor Zhu Dachang chopped a set of the finest ribs into equal pieces, wrapped them in lotus leaves, and placed them on the cart. "Lotus root and pork rib soup strengthens the bones and muscles!"

"Young Master Wang, take a black chicken home to make soup. It's very nourishing..."

"Young Master Wang, it's getting cold. Ejiao is great for replenishing energy..."

(Please give me some recommendations, dear readers!)

---

By the time they reached his alley, the cart was almost full, making Wang Xian quite embarrassed.

Qin Shou, however, was good with words, "Young Master Wang really has good relationships..."

"Ha ha..." Wang Xian laughed dryly and asked him to call for the door to be opened.

The door opened, and Yinyin poked her head out. Seeing Wang Xian lying on the cart, she screamed, "Second Brother, how did you get hurt again, and so badly?!"

Before she finished speaking, there was a sound of broken porcelain in the courtyard, and Lin Qing'er rushed to the door, her face pale. Her eyes were red before she even spoke, "Are you okay...?" The deep concern in her eyes made Wang Xian feel very comforted.

He glared at the overreacting Yinyin and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

So, Qin Shou carried Wang Xian off the cart and into the courtyard, asking, "Which room is young Master's?"

"West wing," Wang Xian replied without hesitation.

Qin Shou turned left, lifted the coarse curtain, and entered the room. Inside, it was clean and simple, with only a table and chair. On the wall hung a few paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, and on the desk was a blue porcelain vase with a few chrysanthemums and a few books, along with a teacup. There were no other items.

The bed was draped with a blue gauze canopy, and the bedding was very simple. Even a blind person could tell that this was a room for a well-educated woman, not a man.

Wang Xian then remembered that after he moved to the official residence, this room had become Lin Qing'er's. He glanced back at her, seeing her blushing and pretending to tidy up the broken teacup.

Qin Shou, not daring to ask more, laid Wang Xian on the bed without taking off his shoes and quickly left, bidding farewell.

Wang Xian lay on the bed, breathing in the lingering scent of a young girl, and closed his eyes in contentment.

After a while, he felt someone taking off his shoes. Wang Xian had been served by Yinyin before and knew that his sister did not have such gentle movements. It was clearly Lin Qing'er.

After removing his shoes, Lin Qing'er untied his socks, took them off, hesitated for a moment, then spread her own quilt and gently covered him, before quietly leaving.

Wang Xian was initially pretending to sleep, but the gentle care made him feel so comfortable that he actually fell asleep...

When he was woken up, it was already noon. Wang Xian felt a cool sensation on his lips and quickly wiped his mouth. Looking down, he saw a large wet spot on the sheet and said awkwardly, "Sorry, lying on my stomach to sleep is inevitable..."

Lin Qing'er smiled gently and brought a tray to the bedside, saying softly, "It's time to eat."

Wang Xian looked at the tray, which had a plate and a bowl. The plate contained a dark dish, and the bowl had rice. He frowned and said, "Did Yinyin cook with her feet today?!"

Lin Qing'er's face turned red, and she almost bit her lip, whispering, "I made it..."

"Ah..." Wang Xian quickly tried to make amends, "But the rice is cooked very well."

"The rice was cooked by my sister," Lin Qing'er was about to cry, saying, "I'll cook it again for you..."

As she reached out, Wang Xian saw a few small blisters on her white hand and asked with concern, "Did the oil burn you?"

"I'm so clumsy..." Lin Qing'er said, on the verge of tears, "I've been learning for days, but I still can't get it right."

"It's actually quite good," Wang Xian stopped her hand, took a bite, and said, "The sauce is a bit too much, so it doesn't look good, but the flavor is strong and goes well with the rice!"

"Really?" Lin Qing'er asked in surprise.

"What do you think?" Wang Xian quickly ate the dish with the rice.

"Next time, I'll improve and make it look, smell, and taste good!" Lin Qing'er smiled, feeling very happy.

"Uh..." Wang Xian drank a large bowl of water and said, "Don't, your hands are for embroidery and playing the zither, not for cooking. Let Yinyin do the rough work..."

"Let Yinyin do it instead of me?" Lin Qing'er said, smiling as she cleared the dishes, "Are you a real brother?"

When she left with the tray, Yinyin stormed to the bedside, pinched Wang Xian's soft flesh, and said angrily, "Are you a real brother?"

"Of course, are you a real sister?" Wang Xian countered.

"Of course."

"Then don't let Lin Qing'er cook again," Wang Xian said with a pale face, "Or I might die early..."

"Ha ha..." Yinyin couldn't help but laugh and whispered, "Mother doesn't let sister do housework either. She breaks dishes when washing them and uses a whole bar of soap when doing laundry. Mother says watching sister work is like watching her shorten her life..."

"Ah, she's a lady who has always been waited on hand and foot. Now that she's learning to do housework, it's already a big effort," Wang Xian said seriously, "We shouldn't mock her."

"Okay, okay, I understand!" Yinyin made a face and said, "Second Brother, you only care about Lin Qing'er and never about your sister. I'm not talking to you!" She then skipped out, soon shouting happily, "Wow, what's this? My favorite dates! Did Second Brother buy them? Second Brother is the best!"

---

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends