As soon as the two of them finished speaking, they rushed to the middle of the yard, opened the box for gifts, and took them out one by one.
Every time they took out one item, their hearts were greatly impacted.
Millennium Ginseng.
Rare elixirs from overseas.
Rare antique calligraphy and painting.
Good luck with gold.
The tonic elixirs among these gifts were all life-saving medicines that Zhou Ruhai spent all his family's money to buy for Yi Ming. Each one was worth more than a thousand taels.
And those precious calligraphy and painting antiques are all genuine and valuable.
As for that golden piece of art, it was even more valuable. When the family was in the most difficult situation, Zhou Ruhai was not willing to sell it.
Lin Youda and Ye Liping looked at the whole box of treasures, their mouths watered, and they regretted it. Why didn't they just take twenty pieces?
Zhou Yiming stood up at this time, walked to the door of the main room, looked at the funny looks of the two people, and hit the target again.
"Hey, brother and sister-in-law, Gillian and I have already discussed it before coming here, and we plan to let you pick a few items at will."
Lin Youda and Ye Liping nodded quickly, smiling from ear to ear: "Okay."
Although the Lin family is rich, who would think that there are too many treasures?
"Okay, that's good," Zhou Ming raised his eyebrows and gradually resorted to bad tricks, "But listening to what you two just said, it seems like you can't even notice such a small gift.
Rather than letting you take it back and feel miserable, why not forget it and give your share to your father-in-law. "
Lin Youda and Ye Liping's moods fluctuated greatly in a moment. Their smiles instantly froze on their faces, and they couldn't say a word for a long time.
After finally returning to normal, he wanted to get angry at Yi Ming, but felt that there was no reason. After all, what he said just now made sense. He was the one who looked down on others first, talked big words, and blocked the road. He couldn't blame others.
The two of them were angry and anxious. They looked at the box of gifts and reluctantly walked to the back hall, complaining to each other along the way.
"It's all because of your bad mouth. Did the good food in your mouth fly away?"
"If you're not mean-mouthed, why don't you ask him for it?"
This harmonious scene between the couple made Mr. Lin feel extremely embarrassed.
Zhou Yiming felt particularly comfortable.
In just a few words, his son and daughter-in-law were fooled around. It seemed that this boy was not without merit.
Mr. Lin thought secretly.
Looking at the rare treasures in the yard, Mr. Lin knew that Zhou Ruhai was mature and prudent, and he would not be able to make such a big deal.
Looking back at the young man in front of me, apart from the disappearance of his martial spirit and his weak body, he was also considered to be a talented and handsome man.
Now that his daughter has married him, he is a member of his own family, and he still has to help when it is time to help.
Mr. Lin thought for a moment, stroked his beard, and said slowly: "Wu'er, now you and Gillian are married, starting a family, and starting a business is half done.
What are your plans for the future? "
As soon as Mr. Lin asked this, Zhou Yiming knew there was something in his words.
"My father means that my son-in-law should continue studying hard and wait until he is well before making any plans.
As for myself, I feel that studying hard is useless. If I can find an errand to do first, I can not only get a salary to subsidize my family, but it is also a kind of exercise for myself. "
"Okay, that's a good idea." Mr. Lin was quite pleased. Yi Ming's words at least proved that he was not a playboy who didn't seek to make progress.
"Now that you are not fully recovered, I am looking for a hard job for you. I am afraid that you will not be able to do it, and it will also be exhausting.
Well, I've always had a good relationship with Director Cao, who patrols the Yamen in the south of the city. It shouldn't be difficult to ask him to find you a copying job in the Yamen.
I wonder if you are willing? "
copy?
It sounds like this is a clerical job. Is the main job just copying? That's no longer boring.
Zhou Yiming's first reaction was to refuse, but his old father-in-law obviously meant well, and he believed that this job must be a sinecure, the kind where he could get his salary while lying down, so he immediately said:
"Then it's my father-in-law's fault. My son-in-law will do a good job."
Mr. Lin nodded happily.
Ordinary dandies, flying eagle lackeys, used to eating, drinking and having fun, most of them have high ambitions and low abilities, and they don't take a small job like copying in their eyes at all.
Before he spoke just now, he expected that Yi Ming would politely decline. Unexpectedly, he agreed happily and expressed his determination to do a good job. This suddenly made Mr. Lin's favorability towards him increase a lot.
"Don't agree in a hurry. Go back and discuss it with your father. If he agrees, it won't be too late for you to agree."
"Yes, my son-in-law will obey your instructions."
In the blink of an eye, it was noon, and the Lin family held a banquet to entertain Zhou Yiming and Lin Gillian.
During the banquet, everyone was chatting and laughing. In the past, Lin Youda and his wife, who had the most harsh attitude toward Yi Ming, softened their attitude a lot after being punished, and their superficial etiquette was quite good.
Lin Ajiao didn't understand the change in attitude of the couple, but Zhou Yiming felt like a mirror in his heart, but there was one thing that made him quite confused.
That was before eating, he discovered a strange phenomenon. Everyone in the Lin family, from Mrs. Lin to the maids doing menial work, looked at him with greed.
Boys really need to protect themselves outside.
Thinking of this, he tightened his clothes.
At the dinner table, only Lin Li showed the most sincerity.
Ever since Zhou Yiming made him cry in front of him last time, he has regarded Yi Ming as his lifelong enemy.
During the whole meal, he kept glaring at Zhou Ming angrily, and even the soup came out of his mouth several times without him knowing.
It's a pity that you can't buy exercises now, otherwise your uncle would definitely give you hundreds of sets.
Zhou Ming shook his head with regret.
After the banquet was over, Zhou Yiming and his wife chatted politely with the Lin family before getting into the carriage and heading back home.
As soon as he got home, Yiming told Zhou Ruhai that Mr. Lin wanted to find a job for him, and expressed his willingness to do the job.
Zhou Ruhai did not stop him excessively. He knew in his heart that a hundred years from now, Yi Ming would have to bear the burden of the family on his own. If he was left to study at home and not go out to experience, a good person would become a useless person.
Mrs. Lin, on the other hand, firmly opposed it. She was over forty and had only one son, Yi Ming, who was in very poor health. If he was allowed to go out on errands and an accident happened, what hope would the Zhou family have? Who will he rely on for the rest of his life?
Fortunately, Zhou Yiming persuaded Mrs. Lin with his good mouth.
Lin Ajiao is gentle and sensible. Knowing that Yi Ming was going to go on an errand, instead of stopping him, she fully supported him.
Zhou Yiming immediately told his father-in-law the good news.
Mr. Lin has worked hard in the officialdom for many years, and his position is much higher than that of Zhou Ruhai. Needless to say, he has connections. He can easily handle a small copying job.
Two days later, Mr. Lin sent someone to deliver a message to Yi Ming. The errand was completed and asked him to prepare for work the next day.
There are four inspection yamen in Huijing that Zhou Yiming is going to work for, one each in the east, west and south cities. They are responsible for local public security, hunting down thieves and thieves, and patrolling the city to bring peace to the people.
On the first night before going on a business trip, Mrs. Zhou and Lin Ajiao worked most of the night, tailoring clothes for Zhou Ming as a businessman, and preparing all the things he would need for his business trip, including tea.
Looking at this situation, Zhou Ming also smiled bitterly and was speechless.
"Mom, Gillian, you don't need to do this. I'm on an errand, not a nobleman. If I take these things you prepared and take them to the yamen, my colleagues will see them and I won't be laughed at. die."
Mrs. Zhou was completely unmoved: "Wu'er, whoever of them likes to laugh, we don't care about him.
You have been frail and sickly since you were a child, how can you compare with those reckless men like them? Your father, me, and Gillian don't expect you to be very successful when you go out on errands. We just expect you to be safe and learn the ways of the world in the yamen. That's all. "
Lin Ajiao also nodded desperately: "Mom is right, the things in the yamen are not clean. It's not worth it if you use them and get sick again."
Seeing that no amount of persuasion was in use, Zhou Yiming gave up.
The next morning, Zhou Yiming got up early, washed himself, had a simple breakfast, then got into a carriage with a rifle, and went on his errands leisurely.
The Inspection Yamen occupies a small area and has a very solemn architectural style. Even a treacherous villain might tremble when he passes by the door.
When he arrived at the Yamen, Zhou Yiming went to see Director Cao first.
Chief Secretary Cao is Mr. Lin's protégé. His ability to reach the position of chief bookkeeper depends on Mr. Lin's promotion. He knows how to repay this kindness.
On his first day on the job, under the guidance and care of Director Cao, Zhou Yiming did not feel any strangeness or restraint. Instead, he felt like a fish in water. At the same time, he also had a general understanding of the inspection yamen in the south of the city.
Among the four major inspection yamen, the southern inspection yamen is the worst in terms of geographical location and manpower allocation.
First of all, the south of the city is the farthest away from the imperial city. The land is worthless and commerce is underdeveloped. The people living here are either down-and-out nobles or poor people with little money and money.
What’s more, the public security environment here is extremely poor, with people being stolen and lost, and murders happening from time to time. Under pressure, our police officers are often transferred through connections or voluntarily resign, and those who remain are all sneaky people. .
After understanding this and getting to know his colleagues one by one, Zhou Ming began his day's work.
His only job was to drink tea and read the newspaper, which was very uncomfortable.
It’s great to have connections. Living in a government office is more comfortable than at home.
He drank tea, looked at his colleagues who were busy copying next to him, and sighed helplessly.
He was cheerful and talkative, and it only took him one morning to get to know everyone in the yamen. He even became brothers with the three yamen servants, even burning yellow paper and sworn brotherhood.
Originally, Laifu was going to take him home for lunch at noon, but he sent him home, and he went to the most expensive restaurant in the area for dinner with the third team of government officials.
Of course, he must have paid for the meal. Although he had the support of Master Cao behind him, he was still new here, and it was very important to have good interpersonal relationships.
This money cannot be saved.
During the banquet, as the glasses were being exchanged, a few yamen servants who had drunk too much even began to talk about the secrets in the yamen.
"Hey, do you know? Our Inspector Deng is going to be in trouble?"
Inspector Deng's name was Deng Tong, and he was the top leader of the entire inspection yamen in the south of the city.
