Then his expression turned stern.
“Gu Qingyun, step forward and receive orders.”
“Your subordinate is here.” Stepping forward, Gu Qingyun dropped to one knee and cupped her fists in salute.
“During her time on duty, Gu Qingyun has been bold and fearless, possessing superb martial prowess, and has not made a single mistake during night patrols. It is hereby decided that Gu Qingyun is promoted to Direct Night Patroller. Your original duties remain unchanged, but you may also patrol the entire county seat. If anyone feigns compliance while on duty, you may mete out punishment on my behalf.”
Gu Qingyun replied, “Thank you for your favor, My Lord. Your subordinate will not fail to live up to your trust.” Sigh, her original duties hadn't changed, and she had even been saddled with more work. Oh well, at least she got a raise, so she would leave it at that.
County Magistrate Yu smiled and nodded. “Good. Hearing those words from you puts this official’s mind at ease.”
“By the way, Head Constable Liu, put Constable Gu’s name down for the prefectural city tournament.”
Then he added, “Now, Registrar Shen will begin distributing the reward money.”
...
The reward money this time was exceptionally generous, with everyone receiving five taels of silver. Having been promoted, Gu Qingyun received three taels more than Bai Fan and the others, bringing her total to eight taels.
The others looked on with deep envy, yet they knew she fully deserved it. Although the County Magistrate had ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut, they had learned from Wang Hu and the others that this incident had been extraordinary.
Save for Gu Qingyun, whose youthful courage knew no fear, who else would have dared plunge in to save those men? If it had been any of them, they would never have dared. She had thoroughly earned every copper of that handsome bounty.
Once their superiors departed, Bai Fan’s face lit up with sheer delight. “Sister Yun, this reward is simply bountiful! It’s worth half a year of my wages. If my old mother knew I earned this much, who knows how thrilled she’d be? She’d definitely cook meat for me!”
Head Constable Liu walked straight over. “Constable Gu, congratulations! Becoming a Direct Night Patroller at such a young age—this is a position that never existed before. The County Magistrate truly holds you in high regard; who’s to say you won’t become the new Head Constable in the future?”
Gu Qingyun wore a look of utter bewilderment. “Uncle Liu, what are you saying? The County Magistrate only promoted me by one grade because I am diligent on night patrol and performed a meritorious service. I only know how to patrol the night; I wouldn’t know how to do anything else.
“As for Uncle Liu, you’re an able man who bears the brunt of the heavy work—investigating cases and hunting down criminals. I couldn’t manage that; my mind just isn’t built for it. The County Magistrate surely recognized that I only have a knack for night patrol, so he specially granted me this post.”
Head Constable Liu burst into hearty laughter and patted Gu Qingyun on the shoulder. “Well said, girl! You’re great at night patrol. From now on, you take charge of the nights and I’ll oversee the days. Together, we’ll help the County Magistrate maintain law and order throughout the county seat.”
Gu Qingyun nodded. “I’ll follow Uncle Liu’s lead.”
She sighed inwardly. It was just a Head Constable post; she truly had no intention of snatching it away. There was no need to test her. Patrolling the night suited her fine—only a lunatic would want to take on mental labor like that. She certainly couldn’t handle it.
Turning her head, she noticed Old Liao looking at her with a complicated expression. Seeing her looking back, he stiffly forced a smile.
Gu Qingyun couldn't bear to look, so she turned away. Whatever—soldiers to be blocked, water to be dammed; she would deal with whatever came. She needed to head home quickly and share this good news with her family.
...
After returning home, the news of Gu Qingyun’s promotion gave Old Lady Zhang and the others a massive shock.
“Qingyun, you’ve only been working for a few short months and you’re already promoted? Your grandfather and father worked all those years and never got a single promotion. Who would have thought our Qingyun would be so capable!”
The more Old Lady Zhang looked at her, the more she adored her. This granddaughter was truly promising; that their family could prosper like this was entirely thanks to having such a granddaughter.
With her around, everyone in the family felt at ease. Whatever they did, they centered around this granddaughter. Though it had never been stated outright, she was now the undisputed head of the household.
Gu Qingyun took out five taels of silver and handed it to Old Lady Zhang. “Grandma, this is the reward money I received today. Don’t ask about the details—the County Magistrate gave orders that no one is to speak of it, not even to family.”
Gu Qingyun directly used the silver to silence her grandmother, leaving Old Lady Zhang speechless. Since her granddaughter had said as much, it was improper for her to pry further.
“So you returned so late just because you went to collect the reward?”
“Yes,” Gu Qingyun replied.
Lady Su walked over, her heart aching for her daughter. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
Gu Qingyun patted her stomach. “I did, but I can eat a bit more. I only grabbed a bite outside to line my stomach.”
“Then we’ll go bring it out from the kitchen. We kept it warm on the stove especially for you,” Gu Qingling said with a giggle.
Gu Qingyun couldn't help taking a closer look, raising an eyebrow. “Sister Qingling, is there some good news? All of you are smiling so brightly.”
“Our family’s stall is up and running! Doing business in the county seat is so easy—the moment we set up the stall, everything sold out. Today, after deducting costs, we made over ninety copper coins!
“Tomorrow, we’ll make more, and we can earn even more. I calculated that if we keep earning like this, we can make more than thirty taels of silver a year, which is more than enough for our family’s expenses with plenty left over!”
Old Lady Zhang chuckled from the side. “Qingling is right. We’ll save the money Qingyun earns for weddings and betrothals—those are the major expenses, after all.”
Gu Qingyun listened as she ate. “Grandma, whatever you decide is fine. As long as there’s food waiting for me when I come home, that’s all that matters.”
Old Lady Zhang shot her a glare. “Eat less in the future. You’re eating more and more; can your stomach even handle it?”
Gu Qingyun felt helpless as well. She didn't actually eat that much—compared to those martial artists in storybooks who ate by the basin, she was still eating from a bowl, even if it was a large one.
Still, she did need to exercise some restraint. It wouldn't do to earn herself a reputation as a glutton.
“Grandma, let’s not talk about me. How are things with my brothers and sisters?”
Lady Su and her two sisters-in-law exchanged a knowing smile. Lady Zhao lightly tapped Gu Qingyun on the forehead. “Your brother will be married in a few months. Most likely, we’ll be welcoming your sister-in-law through the doors right after the New Year.”
“Which brother?”
Old Lady Zhang rolled her eyes at her. “Which one could it be? Your Brother Yifeng! Once he gets married, it’ll be your Brother Yiyun’s turn. They aren't young anymore; we need to bring granddaughters-in-law into the family soon.
“Your older sisters aren't young either, so it’s about time to look for prospective matches for them. Now that we live in the county seat, we should be able to find decent households, so they won't have to suffer and toil in the countryside.”
Gu Qingyun had felt fine listening to the first part, but as she listened to the rest, the food in her mouth suddenly became hard to swallow. The smiles on her older sisters’ faces faded as well.
In the past, they had looked forward to getting married. With them gone, there would be fewer mouths to feed, allowing the rest of the family to eat their fill.
Yet how wonderful was their life now? They could eat their fill at every meal, wear new clothes, and even wear the jewelry gifted by their younger sister.
What was more, they could now work and earn money of their own. Grandma was far kinder than before, their mothers were in good spirits every day, and the family lived in harmony—it was practically a heavenly existence.
Once married off, they would have to shoulder the livelihood of another household, unable to return to their maiden home often. If they ended up with a harsh mother-in-law, life would be more bitter than coptis root. How could it compare to the life they had now?
The moment they thought of this, all their rosy yearnings for marriage vanished.
Gu Qingyun was also deeply troubled. She tested the waters, asking, “Grandma, can my sisters just not get married? I can provide for them.”
Old Lady Zhang frowned. “You’re being stubborn again. How can an unmarried young woman never marry? Living at home right now is fine, but once their sisters-in-law marry in, if they’re still living here, others will gossip, and your sisters-in-law’s maiden families will talk too.”
Gu Qingyun looked steadily at Old Lady Zhang. “Grandma, I’m an unmarried girl too. Could it be that the money I make now still isn’t enough to provide for my older sisters?”
Rate on N.U.
