The Hairpin of the Red Chamber

Chapter 158

When Baoyu got Baochai's words, it was as if he had received an imperial decree. He quickly invited a few friends over and questioned them one by one—he was free and easy by nature. Therefore, because those friends were just casual acquaintances, and they didn't know their merits, when Baochai mentioned it, Fang was startled to realize that the herdsmen's matter was not a trivial one, it wasn't that he took the case and called a group of people to discuss it. But when it's over, whoever manages the money, who manages the treasury, and who writes the documents all have their own opinions, and you have to be careful everywhere, so when someone arrives, be careful to tell the case that the old woman sued, and want to investigate everyone Director, those cleaners knew what he meant, and tried their best to come up with an idea.

The discussion lasted until midnight, and Baoyu already had a rough idea of ​​everyone's temperament, but he added another thing to his mind - the two friends hired by his father were both mediocre in intelligence and rather old-fashioned in temperament. Being pedantic, Baoyu really had nothing to do with them. The two recommended by Lin Hai, one was highly talented and insightful in everything, but was arrogant and didn't get along well with his colleagues, the other was like a smiling tiger with a mouth full of words. Without telling the truth, when Baoyu asked him questions, he always had to ask him again and again to get a half-truth and half-false statement from him.

Baoyu was full of worries and stayed up all night. When she got up early the next morning, she saw that she was haggard, so she had to go all the way to Daiyu's place by herself, and asked someone to inform her at the door. At that time, Zijuan suddenly called out, saying that Baoyu had come. Baochai got up in a hurry and then pushed Daiyu. Daiyu was sleepy, and she closed her eyes and said, "Go and send him away, and I'll finish it anyway." Inside, he doesn’t come in, so he can’t be seen.” Baochai took pity on her for her hard work last night, so she ordered the bed curtains to be put down, took off her shoes, and went out to ask Baoyu what she wanted to do, but Baoyu saw her haggard face and came. Asking for some makeup to cover up, Baochai was annoyed and said with a smile: "The official uniform is so cumbersome, you wear such big clothes, and you sit high in the courtroom, how many people can see your face? Besides, are you Which of the county magistrates here dares to stare at you in the courtroom?"

Baoyu said dully: "Yesterday you told me to go to bed earlier, so as not to look bad."

Baochai said: "That was yesterday. Since you are already like this, don't worry too much." Seeing that he was still in a daze and refused to leave, he stretched out his hand and pushed him: "Go quickly, come back and tell us about this." case."

Baoyu was pushed by her, and hurriedly said again: "Sister Bao, you...you go behind the screen and listen. I'm afraid that I will be promoted to the hall in the first day, and there are so many ways here. If someone deceives you, But what should I do?"

Baochai was startled, and said, "How can I go to a place like the court for no reason?"

Baoyu bowed again and again and said, "I have never been an official, and I have never been in charge of affairs. I always feel uneasy in my heart. If you think it's just a joke, it's fine. It's just my own people who are lost. If those big and small affairs can't be handled Okay, but it is related to the people of a county, Sister Qiubao will take a look at the back for me, I don’t like you to give advice, as long as you sit there, I will feel at ease."

Seeing that he really wanted to be a good official at ease, Baochai took a look at him and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to have such a heart."

Baoyu sighed: "On the way I took office, I saw the peasants, feet, and peasants along the road, and then I realized that the people's livelihood outside was difficult, and it was far worse than those I saw in the capital. However, according to those masters, Even those folk husbands, feet, and peasant households can already be regarded as middle-class families. I don’t know what it is like to be a low-class family. The biggest problem every day is that my father wants to randomly check my homework. I am still not satisfied. I don't ask for any credit, but I ask for less mistakes, so that the people will suffer less from the chaos of the government. Amitabha. Sister Bao is also a person with great compassion and compassion. Do you suffer because you understand government affairs?"

Baochai sighed: "You can think of this, and your heart is better than more than half of the officials in the world. I'm afraid that after you have been an official for a long time, you will gradually forget these original intentions—don't rush to swear, Lu Yao You will know your horsepower, and what you will do in the future depends on what you do."

Baoyu saluted her solemnly and said, "May Sister Bao see my heart for a long time."

Baochai smiled and said, "You go to the front first, and I'll come later." After sending him away, she turned around and went back. She thought that Daiyu had fallen asleep again, but she didn't know that although her eyes were closed, But tossing and turning in bed, just not sleeping.

Seeing that Daiyu's brows, eyes and nose were all wrinkled together, Baochai couldn't help stretching out her hand to pinch her, and sat on the head of the bed. Daiyu spontaneously found the soft spot on her leg to lean against, and complained: " Send him away? Get up and sleep."

Baochai said: "He asked me to make a scene for him. I'll get up first, so you can go to sleep." Then he patted her on the head and said, "Why didn't you sleep just now?" Daiyu used to go to bed late, so in the morning it was At the most sleepy time, when Baochai was lying with her, occasionally seeing her wake up, she usually fell asleep again within a few breaths, and for some reason she didn't sleep today.

Daiyu patted her comfortably, closed her eyes and stretched out her hand to let her scratch herself, and said: "I had a dream at night, I dreamed that you were gone, and in the morning I suddenly saw you getting up for so long Come back, can't sleep."

Baochai smiled and said, "Fool, I will never leave again." Daiyu pouted and said, "Then you stay with me."

Baochai said: "Baoyu was promoted to the hall on the first day. I'd better go and see for him. I'll come back after I'm promoted to the hall. Shall we eat soup dumplings together?"

Daiyu reluctantly said: "Then you come back earlier."

Baochai hummed, patted her lightly to coax her to sleep, then got up, washed and changed, and went ahead to see Baoyu.Baoyu had already put on official uniform and was pacing up and down there. When she saw Baochai, she asked, "Sister Bao, do I wear the right clothes?"

Baochai looked around and said, "Very good." Baoyu's face was a little happy, and he was about to go out in a hurry, Baochai grabbed him and said, "Have you thought about what those masters are doing? "

Baoyu frowned and said, "I see Uncle Lin, heck, the two recommended by my father-in-law are still talented, so let them do things, and the other two counselors will do."

Baochai shook her head and said, "You value two people and despise the other two. Isn't that clear that you want to make trouble? They are not your subordinates, nor are they slaves of your family. Seeing you treat them like this, don't say you don't treat them well." I have seen those two, I am afraid that the two who are reused will also have thoughts in their hearts."

Baoyu said: "Then what should we do? I think the two people invited by my father are very dull, pedantic, and they don't change at all."

Baochai laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be pedantic to write paperwork and answer correspondence for you? The etiquette is the most important thing in officialdom. If you use a wrong word, you will offend others. Find a strict person to check for you. Don't worry about it."

Baoyu said embarrassingly, "If that's the case, let the two of them write documents?"

Baochai shook his head and sighed: "You don't like pedantic people, so you think they are useless, right? You think your father has been an official for many years, no matter how pedantic, he still knows the basic principles of being an official. Why did you choose him specially?" Did you ask you to bring these two people all the way from the capital to pay respects? Since Uncle Lin knows that you are short of manpower, if you really see that your father's choice is not good, why don't you recommend four, but only recommend four? two?"

Baoyu scratched his head and said, "Then... what else is there, do you need such a person?"

Baochai said with a smile: "It is best to have a square person watching over the treasury of money and grain. You can see which of the two is more rigid. It would be great to ask them to manage the accounts."

Baoyu hummed, and said: "The smiling face is like a tiger, let him be in charge of the sentence? His appearance, anyone's words can be matched. The most arrogant one is still my friend. I have an idea."

Seeing his inference, Baochai nodded and smiled and said, "Yes. Second brother Lian has been in charge of the big and small affairs of the mansion in the past. You can entrust all the internal affairs of the county government to him. For business matters, ask him to appoint a shopkeeper. Just do it, you don’t have to show up in person.”

Baoyu said: "He wants to do the silk cloth business, so he stays here to look at the goods, and asks the Xia family to take them to Beijing to sell, and his sister-in-law takes care of the purchases at the other end. From this point of view, he can entrust all the affairs in the house give him."

Baochai nodded and said: "Don't underestimate the original small officials and servants here. Use whatever is available among them. When they see that you are willing to use one or two people again, they will not join hands to deceive you. Instead, they will fight among themselves. gone."

Baoyu said, "I can save it." He straightened his clothes and went out with peace of mind.