I Want It All

"You and I are both men of letters, Brother Jiang. How can you speak so crudely?"

Liu Xudong drew back his gaze and lightly straightened his scholar's robe.

When he turned around, Jiang Yun was already gripping a wooden club, glaring at him with a hostile look.

This bastard had treated the original owner like a sucker, even though he knew the state the Jiang Family was in.

He'd still kept mooching meals and drinks off the original owner without paying a copper, and in the end, he'd even set his sights on Jiang Qiaoqiao.

Did Jiang Yun have any reason to give him a friendly greeting?

He raised a hand and pointed at the courtyard gate.

"Get out."

Liu Xudong wondered what had gotten into Jiang Yun. Just a few days ago, he'd been so obsequious, always at Liu's beck and call. How could one serious illness have changed his temperament so much?

His eyebrows twitched slightly, and he threatened, "Brother Jiang, I recently asked Xiucai Scholar Zheng to annotate Three Years of Books."

"Three Years of Books is a masterpiece by a Great Confucian Scholar. Haven't you always wanted a copy, Brother Jiang?"

"Why don't we find a place, have a few drinks, and admire the annotations together? Wouldn't that be delightful?"

Jiang Yun's face darkened. In his memories, Liu Xudong had been so stingy he'd make a miser look generous.

When he invited Liu out for drinks and fun, he'd even have to pay for two young women to sit beside them and pour the wine.

Every time, that bastard would stand far away, holding the book like bait on a fishing line, and let him catch only the briefest glimpse.

The man had never treated the original owner as a brother—just a long-term meal ticket.

Jiang Yun couldn't be bothered to waste words. He brought the club down on Liu's thigh. "So you've got annotations, huh?"

"Hey! A gentleman settles things with words, not fists!"

Another strike. "A gentleman, huh?"

"Brother Jiang, even a scholar has a temper!"

Another strike. "A temper, huh?"

Liu Xudong was beaten out of the courtyard and fled in a sorry state. Before leaving, he couldn't help glancing back at Jiang Yun, wanting to throw out a threat.

But Jiang Yun's furious glare made him swallow the words.

Jiang Qiaoqiao had been filling in the holes in the distance and hadn't heard their conversation. She'd only seen Jiang Yun suddenly grab a club and beat Liu Xudong out.

"Brother, what happened? Isn't Tong Sheng Liu your friend?" Jiang Qiaoqiao came hurrying over with a shovel. Bits of dirt clung to her face and clothes.

"That bastard's false on the outside and beastly within. He's no friend."

As he spoke, Jiang Yun took the shovel from her hand. "Take a break. I'll handle this."

Jiang Qiaoqiao blinked, then stepped forward and took Jiang Yun's hand, asking with concern, "Brother, you were seriously ill. Ever since you woke up, you've seemed so different."

"You used to read your books every day, but you haven't touched them in days."

Jiang Yun patted the back of her hand and said earnestly, "Qiaoqiao, I've thought it through. I was never cut out for studying. I'm done with books!"

"I'll work hard and earn money. We'll buy a big house, and I'll hire a teacher to teach you how to read and write."

Jiang Qiaoqiao didn't seem happy to hear that. Uneasy, she said, "Brother, if you don't study, you can't become an official."

"Before our parents died, their one wish was for someone in the Jiang Family to become a high-ranking official."

"Besides, I've heard the neighborhood uncles say that in our Great Zhou, having money is no use. Even wealthy masters have to be polite when they meet the yamen runners from the prefectural office."

"If you have money, you're just a fat sheep in a master's eyes."

"And if you have lots of money, you're an even fatter sheep."

This girl really did have the official-first mindset down pat.

But Jiang Yun had been in this world for a while now, and he knew what Jiang Qiaoqiao said was true.

Forget the high-ranking officials—even Qian Bochou had no official status yet, and hadn't been given a rank. If someone had no powerful backing, Qian could arrest anyone he wanted.

Did it matter whether they'd committed a crime? Once they were in his dungeon, he could make any charge stick.

Speak of the devil. Qian Bochou's hearty laughter suddenly rang out from outside. "Want to become an official? That's easy!"

"I'll get Brother Jiang a job as a constable at our prefectural office."

"The monthly salary is one tael of silver. On holidays, the prefectural office's master gives out extra silver, too."

"What do you think, Brother Jiang? Give it some thought."

Qian Bochou strode in wearing his imposing constable's uniform.

Jiang Qiaoqiao held out her fingers and began counting. Then her eyes lit up. "One tael of silver a month? That's a thousand copper coins!"

"Oh my goodness!"

"It's not an official position, but at least it's work at the yamen."

Jiang Yun looked at his little sister, half amused and half helpless. He could guess what she was thinking: being a temporary worker for the authorities was still better than making money as a merchant.

But then Jiang Qiaoqiao grew a little nervous and asked Qian Bochou softly, "Constable Qian, how much silver will you charge?"

"Huh? What silver?" Qian Bochou was taken aback.

Jiang Qiaoqiao said, "I heard you have to send ten whole taels of silver, from start to finish, to become a constable. Otherwise, you can't get the job."

"Which bastard's been spouting such nonsense?"

Qian Bochou was indignant. His old face flushed red as he loudly declared, "Our Nanzhou Prefecture Office is clean and upright! Those people have smeared its good name!"

"If Brother Jiang comes to work at the prefectural office, I won't take a single coin."

Then Qian Bochou looked toward Jiang Yun, his eyes full of expectation.

"There's no rush to decide." Jiang Yun shook his head, not agreeing outright.

In truth, he'd been thinking about what to do next these past few days.

Studying was out of the question.

Neither he nor the original owner had been cut out for books, and Jiang Yun didn't have much experience in business, either.

If Daoist Temples were still allowed to open, he could set one up and collect incense money.

But the Great Zhou dynasty didn't allow that, so he'd have to forget it.

Becoming a constable did seem like a good choice, but he wasn't in a hurry to agree.

Qian Bochou had clearly come to see him for a reason. At the very least, Jiang Yun had to find out what he wanted first. "Constable Qian, did you come here for something?"

Qian Bochou shook his head. "Hahaha, nothing, nothing. I was just bored, so I thought I'd drop by."

"Then you're right on time." Jiang Yun didn't stand on ceremony. He tossed him the shovel. "I'll have to trouble you to help me fix up the courtyard."

Qian Bochou took one look at the courtyard, full of holes and bumps, and quickly stopped Jiang Yun. "Brother, this is a small matter. I'll have a few constables come fill it in later."

"Actually, I did have a small favor to ask you this time."

Seeing that he wanted to discuss something, Jiang Yun's thoughts stirred. He sent Jiang Qiaoqiao inside to rest.

Only after Jiang Qiaoqiao had left did Qian Bochou explain the task Lord Vice-Prefect had given him.

Jiang Yun frowned. "You want me to go with you to Beihu County and investigate a disappearance?"

Jiang Yun knew his own limits very well. Against ordinary Evil Haunts, he could at least protect himself.

But if he really ran into a powerful Evil Spirit, it would be hard to survive.

Yesterday, he'd only been able to banish the evil because he'd happened to encounter thunderclouds and borrow the power of lightning. That hadn't been his own strength.

Looking at Qian Bochou's expectant expression, Jiang Yun also remembered that there wasn't much money left at home.

Jiang Qiaoqiao earned next to nothing mending clothes. There were probably only twenty copper coins in the house now.

Jiang Yun couldn't bear to make Jiang Qiaoqiao keep working so hard. What's more, he'd already thought of someone who could help. He had a trump card of his own, and he was sure he could make that person lend a hand.

After thinking it through, Jiang Yun finally said in a low voice, "I can help you, but I want silver."

Qian Bochou let out a breath of relief and chuckled. So he wanted money? That was easy.

What did it matter if he spent a little to hire an expert who could deal with Evil Spirits?

He nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Brother. Lord Vice-Prefect gave me a hundred taels. Let's not stand on ceremony—we'll split it evenly."

Jiang Yun slowly raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

"I want it all."