After transmigrating, he supported his family by working at a garbage dump.

"While it's not exactly a good thing, it's not a terrible thing either!"

That's what he said, but Hu Da also agreed with Xu Wenjie's words.

The town's government office didn't need an accountant. The case the registrar came to investigate had nothing to do with the accounts, but somehow he discovered something and suddenly wanted to investigate the government office's accounts out of the blue.

There were very few scholars in the town who were officially registered in the government office, but the registrar asked Hu Da to recommend a scholar he knew.

He felt that the matter was of unknown importance, and considering Xu Wenjie's kindness to his sister and brother-in-law, Hu Da didn't want to get involved, especially since Xu Wenjie was somewhat connected to the case that the registrar was investigating.

That is, the scholar who passed away before the New Year...

Before returning to Qingshan Town, the county magistrate summoned the registrar. He didn't know what they talked about, but he knew that although the registrar didn't reveal any information when he came, he said with a serious face that he would investigate thoroughly.

Hu Da immediately sensed something was amiss.

However, at this moment, Constable Chen, who had not dared to cause any trouble for the past few days and had even asked for leave, suddenly appeared and loudly suggested, "Why don't you use that scholar from the north who fled here? He's quite capable!"

The registrar, who valued talent, became interested upon hearing this and pressed for details.

Constable Chen raised an eyebrow, glanced sideways at Hu Da, and smiled knowingly: "Why don't you ask Constable Hu, sir? Constable Hu and that Scholar Xu are close friends!"

Hu Da watched coldly, knowing that Constable Chen's actions were ill-intentioned.

He only answered respectfully, deflecting the question by saying that Xu Wenjie was just his brother-in-law's friend.

The registrar didn't take it seriously, thinking Hu Da was just being modest, and used the opportunity to inquire about Xu Wenjie.

"Hu Da is a good person, and I'm sure your brother-in-law's friend is trustworthy. Since he was able to pass the imperial examination and become a Xiucai, he must have some ability. Hu Da, don't refuse. Why let a pearl be tarnished? You should recommend him."

Since Hu could not slander Xu Wenjie, he truthfully told him some of the things he knew.

However, he felt it was inappropriate to mention the discovery of the body by Xu Wenjie's family, fearing it might cause resentment in the registrar, so he did not bring it up.

Unexpectedly, Constable Chen seemed to have guessed his intention. He put his arm around Hu Da's shoulder in a friendly manner and said loudly, "Constable Hu, wasn't it because Scholar Xu was so meticulous that he was the first to discover the body? Scholar Xu will definitely be able to help with the accounting."

The implication was that Xu Wenjie was inextricably linked to the corpse, revealing his sinister intentions.

Unfortunately, he had a sleazy appearance and a short, fat build. His hands couldn't even reach Hu Da's shoulders, making him look ridiculous. His foul mouth was right in front of Hu Da's nose.

Hu Da looked disgusted, but had no choice but to hold his breath because the registrar was present.

But he was deliberately trying to annoy people, sticking to Constable Hu like a leech, which was very annoying, and Hu frowned deeply.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The registrar stood with his hands behind his back, oblivious to the expressions of the two men. He had been hesitant, but upon hearing this, he immediately decided to have Xu Wenjie audit the accounts.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hu Da shoved Officer Chen aside. Seeing that his goal had been achieved, the latter didn't mind at all; instead, he smugly added fuel to the fire, saying lightly:

"If you don't believe me, sir, you can ask Constable Hu. He was the one who carried the person there."

Hu glared angrily at Constable Chen.

I wanted to decline, but the registrar suddenly turned around.

She smiled quietly, glanced at him, and said, "Hu Da has been traveling around these days, and hasn't even had time to properly reunite with his family. Why don't you go home and rest for a few days? You can also visit your sister and brother-in-law..."

The smile remained, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. Hu Da noticed this and had no choice but to keep quiet.

The malicious smile on Constable Chen's lips was deeply imprinted in Hu Da's eyes.

……

"The original business was finished long ago, but this matter delayed my return."

Hu sighed and explained.

After saying that, he poured himself another bowl of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and couldn't help feeling a little down.

At this moment, Sister-in-law Hu, who was resting her hands on her lap, silently took Hu Da's large, calloused hand in a gesture of comfort.

Hu Da noticed the delicate fingers under the table. His eyes flickered, and when he looked at his wife, he saw her looking at him tenderly with a smile in her eyes.

"That's perfect! My vegetable garden outside town got pecked by someone's chickens. Could you help me build a fence in the meantime?"

Sister-in-law Hu said happily, seemingly not caring at all what Hu Da had experienced at the yamen or what he had done.

Seeing this, Hu Da's gloom vanished, and he held his wife's hand even tighter.

Li Quanfu and his wife sat close to Hu Da and his wife, but they were so engrossed in Hu Da's conversation that they didn't notice their actions. Xu Wenjie, sitting opposite them, witnessed everything.

He didn't say much, just smiled slightly, and thought to himself how good the relationship between Hu Da and his wife was.

After hearing her elder brother's explanation, Hu Sanniang realized that he had not been summoned to discuss matters in Huaiqing Prefecture, but had instead been sent home by the registrar, and she was immediately relieved.

When everyone heard that the registrar was dissatisfied with Hu Da, they were all worried for Hu Da. However, Hu San Niang felt relaxed and had a great appetite when she saw the big table of dishes her sister-in-law had prepared.

Li Quanfu, oblivious to others' feelings, noticed Hu Da's emotions but was more pleasantly surprised: "So, Brother Xu is going to work in the yamen?"

He clapped his hands together and laughed, "This is fantastic news!"

Li Quanfu, unaware of the intricacies involved, simply felt that this was a rare opportunity for Xu Wenjie and was genuinely happy for him.

After all, he hadn't been able to get Hu Da to recommend Xu Wenjie to be a teacher at the academy. Looking back, he still felt regretful and a little ashamed.

Xu Wenjie wore a humble smile, but in his heart he disagreed: "It may not be a good thing."

Li Quanfu was puzzled: "Brother Xu, what do you mean? Being able to work in the government office is an opportunity that many people would kill for! Why do you think it's not a good thing?"

Xu Wenjie shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with deep thought: "Brother Quanfu, the jobs in the yamen seem glamorous, but that's not really the case. Look at Constable Hu, so successful and proud now, but do you know the hardships he endured behind the scenes?"

"...Take this incident where Constable Hu accompanied the Registrar to Huaiqing Prefecture, for example. Even those of us at home were on tenterhooks, let alone the danger that Constable Hu himself faced. The sudden demand to audit the accounts is probably not a spur-of-the-moment decision. If the accounts are clean and honest, that's fine, but if there's something shady going on, the auditors will inevitably get caught up in the mess. I'm just an outsider scholar, without any connections or background, and it feels like I'm being used as a pawn. I'm afraid I won't be able to extricate myself from this situation in the future."

Hu Da nodded in agreement: "Brother Xu is right. The officialdom is a murky place, and it's best for us ordinary people to stay out of it. Although the registrar values ​​me now, it's only because I saved his life. Who knows, if I do something wrong someday, things might not be so easy then..."

Upon hearing this, Li Quanfu felt that what the two said made sense.

But he scratched his head, still somewhat annoyed: "But this is a rare opportunity! Brother Xu has studied so much, he can't just keep doing small business, can he? Besides, if he can gain a foothold in the government, he might be able to get an official position in the future and bring honor to his ancestors!"

Xu Wenjie smiled, his tone gentle yet firm: "Brother Quanfu, I appreciate your kindness. But everyone has their own ambitions. Although I studied, I only wanted to take the imperial examination route. Now that the imperial examination has been discontinued, I've just arrived here, unfamiliar with the place and the people. My wife is weak, my children are young, and I've only done some small business. My life isn't very stable. If I rashly get involved in government affairs, I'm afraid it will cause unnecessary trouble. I'm really afraid..."

Hu Da and Xu Wenjie didn't spend much time together, only talking once or twice occasionally, and didn't become close friends. However, he often heard his sister and brother-in-law mention him, which piqued his interest.

Now, after hearing Xu Wenjie's words, he finally understood why his sister and brother-in-law held this Mr. Xu in such high regard.

How many people can truly regard fame and fortune as fleeting clouds?