Chapter 86: Doctor Zhang 2/3

How could a dignified prefect help a common laborer with an injury?

Magistrate Zhang replied, “No need.”

Wang Bohan looked conflicted, but Magistrate Zhang had already begun examining Jin Liushu’s waist.

There was nothing wrong with Jin Liushu’s bones, but back pain didn’t necessarily indicate a bone issue…Magistrate Zhang asked some questions.

Jin Liushu said he accidentally twisted it.

Magistrate Zhang could only say, “Your bones are fine, rest for a while, and you should be fine!”

“Then I’ll rest for a while!” Jin Liushu was overjoyed.

Magistrate Zhang had seen many ups and downs and realized something as he observed Jinliushu’s attitude.

This person seemed quite well-built, and his family situation should be decent, so… was he trying to slack off?

However, Jin Liushu looked young, so Magistrate Zhang wasn’t angry. He asked, “Is the work very hard?”

Of course it was hard! But it wasn’t polite to say so in front of outsiders. Jin Liushu replied, “Not hard, not hard.”

“Do you think building a new dock is a good idea?” Magistrate Zhang asked again.

Jin Liushu didn’t hesitate, “Yes!” Before, when the family hadn’t split, Jinliushu just wanted to live a comfortable life at home.

But after the split, realizing he would only inherit three acres of land, Jin Liushu became uneasy.

Added to being forced to work here and realizing how hard it was… now Jin Liushu just wanted to find another way out.

His plan was to come to the dock and sell food.

His father worked as a cook in the army, and he was quite skilled. Jin Liushu could learn from him and sell food at the dock later.

Even if he didn’t make much money, it would be better than farming!

Magistrate Zhang was puzzled, but at that moment, someone else came to him for medical treatment.

With thousands of people working here, accidents happen every day. In the past, they would have just endured it, but now, with the free clinic, they all came for treatment, and some even sought Magistrate Zhang for other ailments.

Magistrate Zhang was kept busy for a while, but because he had treated many poor people before, he could solve most of their problems.

However, during the treatment, he couldn’t help but ask some questions.

“Building the dock this time is really great; we can eat meat every day.”

“Before, some people didn’t want to come and even paid money to avoid it. Now, they regret it so much!”

“This morning, someone sneaked in wanting to work. Hahaha!”

Magistrate Zhang’s forehead smoothed out, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

He was now certain that Magistrate Gou had done well.

This could be seen in the spirit of the laborers working here.

In the North, the government often drafted laborers to build roads, and he had been there. At that time, the people around him were all numb, and there were occasional deaths.

He had once complained bitterly, feeling that heaven was unfair to him, but looking at the people around him, he felt he was already living quite well.

The laborers in Chongcheng County were different from those he had seen before; they had smiles on their faces, and some even pretended to be sick to avoid work… With these thoughts, Magistrate Zhang glanced at Jin Liushu, who was still lingering.

Jin Liushu had a feeling that the doctor had seen through him, but he had thick skin and still didn’t leave. He continued to clutch his waist, groaning, “Ouch, ouch.”

Magistrate Zhang: “…”

It was at this moment that the drums for lunch sounded. The second meal of the day had begun!

It’s time to eat! Jinliushu jumped up and dashed out.

Magistrate Zhang couldn’t help but bang the table, “You rascal!”

“Liushu, why are you here? Are you sick?” Jin Dajiang came to deliver the meal and couldn’t help but ask when he saw Jin Liushu.

Jin Liushu said, “Uncle, I’m fine.”

Before Jin Dajiang could finish speaking, Jin Liushu had already disappeared.

Jin Dajiang glanced around and walked towards Magistrate Zhang. “Doctor, I’ve brought the meal.”

Previously, when Magistrate Gou came over, they all ate the same food as the laborers. Naturally, the doctors and officials who came to the free clinic couldn’t have special treatment.

They ate the same food as the laborers.

However, these meals were cooked in many pots, so the doctors and officials got a bit more meat.

For convenience, the meat in these meals was cut into small pieces. Today’s meal was stewed pork with soybeans. Ordinary people only had pork and soybeans in their pots, while doctors, officials, and the like could also have pork trotters and pig heads.

Among the meals brought to Magistrate Zhang, there were pork trotters.

Magistrate Zhang had just eaten noodles an hour ago, but now seeing the pork trotters, he felt like eating again. He immediately invited Wang Bohan and his attendants to eat together.

Wang Bohan looked bitter; he really didn’t want to eat this stuff!

Who knew who had prepared it? Just looking at the person delivering the meal, he seemed like a common laborer.

But since the prefect had eaten, he felt embarrassed not to.

While they were eating, Li Qingzhi arrived at Wang’s house.

He had first gone to Magistrate Gou’s place today, handed over Zhu Qian’s autobiography to him, and then went to Ding Xi’s place and gave Ding Xi his autobiography.

Ding Xi had given Li Qingzhi money a few times before, totaling sixty taels, but this time, he gave Li Qingzhi another hundred taels.

This amount was a bit much, and Li Qingzhi knew he was benefiting from Magistrate Gou’s influence.

Considering Magistrate Gou’s favor, Ding Xi would always give him a bit more money!

Not only did Ding Xi give him money, but he also treated him to a meal at a restaurant and even had the waiter pack some dishes for him when he left.

The restaurant’s dishes weren’t cheap, and they even provided bamboo baskets for takeout. Li Qingzhi, holding the basket, arrived at Sister Wang’s house.

Jin Xiaoye and the others were busiest in the morning, and the afternoon would be a bit easier. However, when Li Qingzhi arrived, Sister Wang’s house was still crowded with seven or eight people, and various fabrics were stacked in layers.

A melodious “meow” sounded, and a cat came to Li Qingzhi’s feet, rubbing against them.Sister Wang had brought back a cat to prevent mice from damaging the fabrics.

“Xiaoye, don’t feed it too much. It’s been eating well these days and doesn’t catch mice anymore!” Sister Wang said.

Li Qingzhi smiled and took out an oil-paper package. “I’ve got some good stuff here. Won’t give it to the cat… Why don’t you try it?”

Inside the oil-paper package were pine nut cakes filled with red bean paste. Sister Wang took a piece and praised its deliciousness, then couldn’t help sighing, “My darn husband used to buy me pine nut cakes all the time. It’s a pity he went out six months ago and hasn’t returned since…”

Traveling merchants often traveled around, buying and selling goods, and it was common for them to return home at the end of the year. But by this time in previous years, they should have been back…

In previous years, Sister Wang would be worried, sometimes even crying all day, thinking about what to do if something happened to her husband.

When Jin Xiaoye first met Sister Wang, there was sorrow between her brows.

But when people have things to do, they won’t worry about unnecessary things. Sister Wang was busy from morning to night and didn’t have time to think about her husband, at most, she worried a bit before going to bed.

Sister Wang’s husband, surnamed Qu, was named Qu Yunqing. Sister Wang liked to talk to familiar people, so Li Qingzhi knew some things about Qu Yunqing.

At this moment, Sister Wang complained again, saying how Qu Yunqing still hadn’t returned.

Qu Yunqing, whom Sister Wang was concerned about, was actually already in Chongcheng County.

This time, he stayed outside for a while to earn more money, which delayed his return home. He only arrived in Hexing Prefecture yesterday.

Qu Yunqing was a man who cared about his reputation. He worked hard outside to earn more money, so that when he returned home for the New Year, others would envy him. So early this morning, he spent a couple of silver to hire a large boat to take him home.