jdhmnovel Chapter 1275 Pay First, Then Do the Work
Chapter 1275 Pay First, Then Do the Work
After Fang Xianyue appeared, the noisy crowd instantly quieted down.
Although many people knew they probably had no chance, they couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.
What if?
What if the others are not as good as me?
What if I happen to catch Lord Shen's eye and be granted special permission to join the newspaper?
With this almost impossible, secret expectation, all eyes turned to Fang Xianyue.
Fang Xianyue glanced at the crowd, raised the list in his hand and said, "Without further ado, those whose names I call should report to the Household Department of the Prefectural Government at 9:00 AM today."
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise, "Just say the name?"
Didn't we agree to post a notice?
Fang Xianyue unfolded the list and added, "Later, the list of those who passed the exam will also be posted on the bulletin board, along with a newsletter written by these ten people, so that you can check and compare it yourselves."
Before anyone could react, he had already called out the name of the first person to pass the test: "Su Mei".
Su Mei?!
Everyone was stunned when they heard this.
Whether it's "Mei" or "Mei," both names sound like they belong to a girl.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
As everyone was thinking, a tall girl in her early twenties squeezed to the front of the crowd.
She looked at Fang Xianyue, stammering, "My lord, my daughter is Su Mei, from the Great Zhou Dynasty, no, no, from Liuyang Prefecture, my home is in the prefectural city..."
Fang Xianyue smiled and nodded: "Congratulations. If you have no objections, remember to report to the household office at 9:00 AM."
"No objection! No objection, I have no objection!" Su Mei waved her hand and shook her head, then asked incredulously, "Sir, after reporting for duty... will I be a formal editor at the newspaper?"
This is like a dream!
Although she had been studying and learning to read and write under the supervision of her family since childhood, she never thought that she could earn such a respectable job with her knowledge. This was something she never dared to dream of before.
The sky over the women of the Great Zhou Dynasty... seems to be getting light soon.
"Of course." Fang Xianyue gestured to the yamen runner to hand her a thin slip of paper and smiled, "After reporting for duty, you can use this slip to collect your salary for this month at the government office."
"Salary...salary?" Su Mei took the note with trembling hands.
She hasn't even done a single day of work for the government office, yet she's already receiving her salary?
Not only Su Mei, but everyone around her also instantly erupted in a frenzy.
"They're paying salaries first? Two taels of silver, ten catties of rice, and three taels of oil—the government just gives them away like that?"
"My goodness, our government office is truly generous..."
In other states, you couldn't find such a good deal even with a lantern!
Listening to the crowd's discussion, Fang Xianyue also felt a surge of pride: "Gentlemen, this is Lord Shen's intention."
He turned to look at the government office, a smile playing on his lips: "Lord Shen said that most of those who came to apply for the position of community clerk were young people from the government, either feeling lost and confused as they entered the world, or having elderly parents and young children to support, and it was a time when they needed money. Therefore, Lord Shen specifically instructed that all those who passed the examination and were selected would receive their monthly salary in advance. Firstly, this was to ensure that everyone had no worries and could focus on their work, and secondly, to let everyone know that the government office always treated its employees with sincerity and would never mistreat them."
After these words were spoken, the crowd fell completely silent.
Su Mei's sobs were particularly noticeable at this moment.
Honestly, Su Mei really wanted to give her life to the government office, no... to Lord Shen.
"Thank you so much, Lord Shen! Thank you so much, Lord Shen!" She bowed repeatedly to the empty space behind Fang Xianyue, her voice booming as she promised, "I will certainly work hard and live up to your expectations..."
After she finished speaking, sobbing, Fang Xianyue waved her hand and said, "Go ahead. There's still an hour before 9 AM. If your home isn't far, you can go back and tell your family."
Upon hearing this, Su Mei's tears welled up in her eyes.
Correct!
I want to tell my parents this good news as soon as possible!
She took off running, and everyone watched her retreating figure with envy, until Fang Xianyue called out the second name: "Ma Peiyuan!"
"arrive!!"
Ma Peiyuan raised his hands and hurriedly called out to the people in front of him, "Excuse me, excuse me..."
After a lot of squeezing, he arrived in front of Fang Xianyue.
After Fang Xianyue said "Congratulations," the yamen runner handed over the salary receipt.
"I won't say anything more. Remember, report for duty at 9:00 AM," Fang Xianyue said.
"Yes!!"
Ma Peiyuan took the voucher and bowed to the government office in the manner of Su Mei, saying, "This student will certainly live up to Lord Shen's expectations!"
"Alright, alright." Fang Xianyue waved his hand and called out three names in succession: "Wu Lingyue, Zhou Ran, Zhao Huyou!"
"exist!"
"To!"
"coming!"
Three responses rang out in succession. Under the envious gazes of the crowd, the three men accepted their salary vouchers, bowed solemnly to the gate of the government office, and said, "We will certainly live up to Lord Shen's expectations."
At this point, half of the ten selected candidates had already been announced.
Xue Li found Yan Qiao in the crowd.
"Manager Yan, I'm so nervous..."
Even though she knew her chances of passing the exam were slim, Xue Li couldn't help but feel her teeth chattering and her heart pounding with anxiety.
Yan Qiao was actually a little nervous, but she didn't show it at all. Instead, she comforted Xue Li, saying, "Don't be nervous. Miss Xue, the fact that you didn't believe those false rumors already puts you ahead of 80% of people."
"Eighty percent?" Xue Li's eyes widened. "Impossible... The problems with those messages are obvious. If you think about them more, you'll definitely find they're fake."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone looked over and asked, "Didn't you write down that you're cracking down on smuggled salt?"
Xue Li shook her head: "Neither the government office nor the salt and iron bureau issued any notices, so they definitely can't write them."
The man then asked, "What about Headmaster Hou's lectures?"
Xue Li shook her head again: "How could Lord Shen allow him to accept our money?"
The man choked for a moment, then asked, "But locusts are afraid of vinegar, aren't they?"
Xue Li frowned: "Lord Shen didn't say that."
"..." The man was still persistent: "The linen was monopolized, and the 'spiritual powder' was contagious—you didn't believe a single one of them?"
"Why should I believe these unfounded rumors?" Xue Li asked, looking completely bewildered.
The man choked, and couldn't help but look her up and down.
This girl looks a bit naive, but I never expected her to be so shrewd...
“Then you have indeed surpassed 80% of people.” The man pointed to his nose, then to the people around him: “We all believe it.”
"Huh?" Xue Li was about to say something when Fang Xianyue's voice came over: "Yan Qiao!"
Yan Qiao!
Xue Li was stunned for a moment, then immediately raised Yan Qiao's hand: "Here! Here! It's right here!"
After saying that, she helped Yan Qiao push her way through the crowd and hurriedly called out, "Manager Yan, come quickly!"
Everyone knows Yan Qiao.
I thought she was just there for the fun of it, but I didn't expect her to actually pass the test.
Someone asked curiously, "Manager Yan, did you really give up your comfortable job as the manager of Tong'an Cloth Shop to become a community clerk in the government office?"
What else could this be but incomprehensible?