inspire-indiana Chapter 650 The gift of wax
Chapter 650 The gift of wax
It is the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve.
Shen Zheng has always felt that the days before the first day of the first lunar month are the time of the year when the festive atmosphere is the strongest because of anticipation.
Today is the last day for the county yamen to go to the yamen. Tomorrow everyone will officially take a day off and start enjoying the New Year holiday. In the public language, the New Year holiday is also called the "sealed day".
From New Year’s Eve onwards, all government seals will be sealed and all official documents will no longer be signed. No matter whether you are an official or a commoner, if you want to get serious business done, you have to wait until the “seals are opened”.
In the government office, officials need to be left behind to guard, that is, to be on duty. It goes without saying who should be left behind in the Tongan County Government.
As for the detectives...
The law does not have clear regulations, so some places will keep people there, while in other places everyone will pack up and go home to celebrate the New Year.
Fortunately, all the constables in the county are "locals", so Shen Zheng discussed with Xu Zhubu and decided to let all the constables and runners take a day off. If there is an emergency, they will see who is free and willing to come, and they will be paid three times the wages on that day.
At noon, Shen Zheng called everyone together.
On the table behind her and Xu Zhubu was a wooden tray with countless red envelopes on it. Each of the red envelopes was bulging, and the objects inside seemed to be about to burst the red paper.
Looking at the table again, it was filled with rice, flour and meat tied with red cloth, taking up a large area.
Everyone guessed what would happen next and they were drooling with excitement. Their eyes were glued to Shen Zheng, waiting for her to speak.
Shen Zheng looked at them with a smile: "I think everyone knows what we are going to do now."
Pairs of eyes lit up even brighter, and some even nodded.
"Then..." Shen Zheng picked up the list and the red envelope: "Send it out directly?"
The red envelope felt heavy in her hand; Shen Zheng couldn't help but weigh it.
"what--"
Everyone felt a little disappointed when they heard this. A new yamen runner asked, "Sir, won't you give us a word? You haven't lectured us all during the time we've been here."
I heard that Lord Ba of Quanyang County would lecture the constables and yamen runners every now and then! Why didn't they like it?
"That's right! Sir, please tell us a few words! This is the first year we spend with you!"
"Say a few words, say a few words!" the crowd began to make a noise.
Even Xu Zhubu smiled and said, "Sir, please say a few words. It will be a perfect ending to the year that is about to pass."
Even if you are an official, you still cannot escape the year-end review.
Shen Zheng had no choice but to put the red envelope back on the tray and looked at everyone: "Actually... I don't have much to say. In the past year, although our county cannot be said to have completely changed... but it has made considerable progress. You all say that the credit belongs to me, but in fact, the changes in the county are by no means the work of me alone."
She looked at Xu Zhubu and said, "These changes are inseparable from Xu Zhubu who has made great efforts behind the scenes."
Xu Zhubu was slightly stunned and chuckled at her.
She looked at the constables and yamen runners again: "I can't do without you who run around to protect the safety of the county and keep the county government running."
The constable and the yamen runners felt a little embarrassed, but they couldn't help but straighten their backs and puff out their chests.
"And all the people in Tongan County." Shen Zheng's eyes were extremely serious: "There's not much to say. I'm very happy to have walked through this crucial period of life with you, and I look forward to continuing to walk side by side with you in the future."
Everyone stared at her in amazement.
They also thought that the adults would at least give them a lecture, saying things like "Don't slack off next year" and "Don't be proud and complacent after entering the county government."
But she didn't say a word, only saying that she looked forward to walking side by side with them...
This seemingly ordinary sentence pushed the waves in their hearts straight to the highest point.
Even Xiao Yuan, who is usually the most talkative and humorous, pursed his lips, and no one knew what he was thinking.
"Don't just stand there!" Shen Zheng picked up the list, "The items distributed to everyone by the Yamen today are divided into three parts."
Everyone was still in a daze. Shen Zheng didn't even know if they were listening or not. It was not until Master Xu tapped the table lightly that everyone's eyes focused.
She picked up the red envelope on the first tray and introduced it, "This looks like a red envelope, but in fact... it's your monthly allowance. It's placed in a red envelope to bring some New Year's cheer."
As she spoke, she picked up the second red envelope and said, "This also contains your monthly allowance."
"Hmm?" This made everyone who had come to their senses a little confused. Zhao Xiu took the initiative to ask: "Sir, are you going to give the next month's salary to your subordinates in advance?"
"It's not one month old." Shen Zheng answered deliberately without any explanation. Then she weighed the red seal and showed it to them, "It's two months old."
"Oh——" everyone understood.
It’s really nice to pay two months’ monthly salary in advance and go home for the New Year with a full pocket!
"Thank you for the monthly allowance!"
"......" Shen Zheng held the heavy red envelope and looked at Xu Zhubu.
Be it the previous county government or the surrounding government offices, almost none of them had ever issued a "year-end bonus" to the constables and yamen runners. At most, they would give them some rice and flour, so the constables and yamen runners would never think about it at all.
Xu Zhubu chuckled and looked at everyone: "Did your Excellency say that this red envelope is for the monthly salary?"
Zhao Xiu was stunned: "Didn't the master say that it was two months......"
Before he finished speaking, he reacted and said in disbelief: "The master only said that the red envelope contained two months' salary, but he didn't say whether it was for payment or..."
Or give them more at the end of the year!
Two months' salary!
Multiple?!
Everyone stared at each other with wide eyes, their hearts pounding.
It can't be what they think...
"I can't do it anymore..." Xiao Yuan was so shocked that he leaned against Zhao Xiu, like a big bird leaning on a man. "Brother Zhao, I don't have any strength. I need to slow down. Don't push me away..."
Zhao Xiu didn't care about him anymore. His eyes were glued to the red envelope and he asked Shen Zheng: "Sir, what do you mean..."
Shen Zheng smiled and threw the red seal in her hand directly to him.
As soon as the red, bulging envelope was thrown out, it fell straight down and landed right into Zhao Xiu's hand, and the silver and money inside made a crisp sound when they collided with each other.
"The year-end bonus, in our Great Zhou official language, is also called 'Laci'. It's two months' pay, everyone gets it, come and claim it one by one." Shen Zheng felt that she must have been a little pretentious when she said this.
But it’s cool!
Everyone was so happy that their heads were dazed and their eyes were wide open. They didn't even know when to go up and get their red seals.
By the time they reacted, the heavy red seal was already in their pockets.
It is said that......
Only the high officials who performed well in the capital could receive the "Laci" at the end of the year. And they, the constables and yamen runners who did not even have an official rank, received the "Laci" from the Tongan County Yamen on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The “Laci” which is two months’ monthly salary.