A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 19 Lying on the bed a little longer

Three hundred coins a month, though less than the monthly salary of the lowest-ranking servant in the Rongguo Mansion.

But for the poor, it was a considerable income, not to mention the additional 100 coins they would receive after winter.

In just three days, they recruited more than 3,000 people.

In just three days, more than 3,000 people arrived one after another, almost breaking down the threshold of the West City Military Command. Wang Qing was even more miserable and could only repeat the same words over and over again.

On the first day, he was able to hold on, but on the second day, he simply had his subordinates conduct the questioning, while he himself only made a brief appearance, saying "uh-huh" and nodding in acknowledgment.

Considering that the government lacked credibility in those days, he not only ordered Zhuang Ze to distribute the purchased cleaning tools, but also gave each person one hundred coins as an advance payment for their work.

After working at the yamen for four days and three nights, even Wang Qing was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

The recruitment process is now complete, and the newly recruited sanitation workers are gradually taking up their posts.

Wang Qing and Zhuang Ze finalized the details of supervision and management. On the fifth day, Wang Qing, along with Nie Chong and the others, went to the heads of the various neighborhoods in the western city to inquire about the progress of the investigation.

He wandered around to Ningrong Back Street, too lazy to go back to the yamen, so he went straight home.

Nowadays, all the servants in the courtyard are relying on him to get a monthly salary for nothing.

After five days without returning, the servants were understandably anxious. Fortunately, Wang Qing had given them advance notice, and they knew that the "Flying Thief" was causing trouble in the capital.

Even so, seeing him return was like seeing a long-lost relative.

The young maids were so excited that they danced with joy, their eyes glistening, and they hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

Sister Liu, carrying a cup of tea, walked towards her.

Looking at the steam rising from the teacup, Wang Qing waved his hand and said, "Put it aside! Drink it after it cools down."

He casually gave an order, but then pulled out a small silver ingot, less than an ounce, from his pocket and tossed it to the maids, saying, "Take this to buy candy!"

After making a grand display and patting each of the little girls on the head, he returned to the backyard amidst the envious gazes of the crowd.

Upon entering the main room, I saw Sister Liu bending down to put down the tea.

Wang Qing was indeed a little thirsty, so he sat down by the coffee table, picked up his teacup, and blew on it.

Sister Liu clasped her hands together, looking slightly nervous, and said, "As instructed by the master, there's always hot water in the kitchen. We just don't know when he'll be back. The tea is still a bit hot. Would you like to take a bath first?"

With Wang Qing gone for several days, the most anxious people were none other than the Liu family, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

After all, how can one falsely report expenses when no one is home?

Although he used Wang Qing's instructions as a pretext, he was still feeling guilty and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Wang Qing was blowing air into Liu's body when he happened to see her body language.

He calmly took a sip of tea and instructed, "Wash yourself tonight. Don't boil the water for too long. Let it cool down after boiling, and dilute it before drinking. Tell the head of the household that no one is allowed to drink tap water in the yard from now on."

"Yes!" Sister Liu immediately felt relieved and quickly agreed.

Wang Qing blew on the tea to cool it down and drank it all in one gulp. He put down the teacup, waved his hand, and said, "I've been busy with official business these past few days, and I'm a little tired. I'll rest for a while. You may leave now!"

Watching Sister Liu pack up the teacups and leave, Wang Qingfang hurried back into the house.

After opening the accompanying trunks and carefully searching through them, Wang Qing scratched his head in confusion and muttered to himself, "This shouldn't be happening."

Sister Liu couldn't be nervous for no reason; Wang Qing assumed she had taken advantage of tidying up the house to steal his belongings.

After searching for a long time, not only were there no valuables missing, but even the three thousand taels of silver in the chest and the few loose silver ingots and ten or so strings of cash that were deliberately placed in a conspicuous position were all gone without a trace.

There are quite a few pearls hidden in the Rongguo Mansion, besides Liu Wu'er, there is also Lin Hongyu.

However, it's not pleasant for Wang Qing, who is staying here as a guest, to ask for people, especially since they are maids serving in the house.

I thought that Sister Liu was nervous because she was greedy for money, and that I would take advantage of her oversight to coerce her into not sending Liu Wu'er over to apologize.

Although the plan fell through, Wang Qing was not disappointed.

This was just a casual move. Such a small trick could only deal with Sister Liu. It might not even work on the lower-level people in the mansion, or even on Lin Hongyu.

Not to mention the young ladies and grandmothers in the official register, such as Daiyu, Baochai, and the three spring sisters.

Ultimately, one must be strong oneself to succeed; status and power are the foundation of his livelihood.

He closed the trunk and put it back in its original state. Too lazy to move, he simply took off his outer clothes and lay down on the bed.

Even if we suffer some hardships now, it's for a better life in the future.

But his tendency to give up meant he couldn't enjoy the blessings of 007.

After resting for an hour or so, Wang Qing finally recovered. After having dinner, he went straight to his study to refine his plans.

Around midnight, Wang Qingcai ordered hot water to be prepared for his bath. Then, he went back to the backyard and practiced two sets of boxing. Once everything was ready in the bathhouse, he finally enjoyed a long-awaited hot bath again.

After spending several days in the government office, I was so busy that I barely had time to breathe. Soaking in hot water made me feel completely refreshed.

After an unknown amount of time, feeling the water gradually cooling down, Wang Qing, who was still not satisfied, sighed helplessly.

They were lamenting that there wasn't even a maid to fetch bathwater.

Two thuds were heard, followed by Sister Liu's trembling voice: "Sir! I've brought some hot water, would you like some more?"

Bath water is still water. When serving tea or water, how can we be biased or picky?

However, Wang Qing looked disgruntled and said listlessly, "I'm almost done washing, no need to bother anymore. Just have someone come in and clean up in a quarter of an hour!"

Although Sister Liu was quite attractive, her status as a widow, coupled with the small apron she wore, added to her charm.

But once they actually got their hands on her, it became difficult to even ask for Liu Wu'er's help.

Moreover, his self-pity wasn't focused on the bathwater, but on the maid; the sense of disparity still overwhelmed him.

After a brief silence, Sister Liu finally responded, "Yes!"

He left with his head down and a look of utter dejection, carrying the bucket.

Before she could even step out of the backyard, Granny Liu darted out from the shadows, grabbed her, glanced at the wooden bucket in her hand, and said, "What? Didn't the master let you in?"

Sister Liu was immediately furious and complained, "I told you it wouldn't work..."

Before she could finish speaking, Granny Liu quickly covered her mouth, angrily saying, "What are you yelling about? Are you afraid no one can hear you?"

Sister-in-law Liu shook her head, shook off Granny Liu's hand, and whispered, "How can I hide this anymore? I wonder how they'll laugh at me!"

"We have to keep it a secret even if we can't hide it! Everyone in the courtyard has received their monthly allowance now, and even the job of dispatching the vehicles has been assigned to someone else. I'm afraid our old tricks won't fool them at all, and they'll only be envious of us!"

"Pour out this water. If you take an empty bucket back later, who knows if you even went in!"

As Granny Liu spoke, she snatched the wooden bucket from her hand.

Sister Liu said helplessly, "The old man said he'll send someone in to clean up later. When they touch the water temperature, won't they give themselves away? Besides, you can't hide it forever."

"this……"

Upon hearing this, Granny Liu froze, pondered for a moment, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Since that's the case, we have no choice but to give them a strong dose of medicine so they'll never dare to have any more crooked thoughts!"

Sister-in-law Liu asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Didn't the old man take a nap after he came back? Go to his room and make his bed. Remember to take off his outer clothes before getting into bed..."

"Huh?" Aunt Liu exclaimed in shock. "Why...why are you taking off your outer clothes and pants? The...the old man didn't even let me in to add water, so...even if I did go in, what if I got kicked out? Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?"

"What's there to be afraid of!"

As she spoke, Granny Liu reached into the bucket, scooped up a handful of hot water, and poured it directly onto Sister-in-law Liu, saying, "Just say that you were fetching water and got your outer garment wet, and you're afraid of getting the master's bed wet."

"Give me the bucket. I'll go in and add water after the old man finishes washing, then I'll call someone to come and clean up. When it's almost time, come out with your coat and trousers. Once they see that, who will dare to make a sound?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Liu blushed with embarrassment.

Granny Liu was getting into bed and taking off her clothes. She thought she was being asked to crawl into Wang Qing's bed, but to her surprise, she was just making the bed.

It must be said that compared to crawling into bed, this method not only carries little risk, but also provides a permanent solution.

Even so, the thought of climbing into Wang Qing's bed in the middle of the night, disheveled, made Sister Liu's heart pound.

Granny Liu was already getting impatient and urged, "Hurry up, or it will be too late when the master comes out."

As she spoke, she nudged her daughter-in-law and whispered, "Remember, make sure you tidy up carefully. Even if you're done, stay in bed a little longer and don't rush out."

……