I'm Here

"Chrysanthemums withered, scattered across the ground in sorrow."

Chen Zhuo remained silent for a long moment before finally lifting his head to look the other man straight in the eye.

He then gave his shoulder a sharp jerk, effortlessly shaking off the other man's claw-like grip.

"Instructor, is your chrysanthemum still holding up?"

Huang Yuan'er's expression shifted slightly. "You dare to turn against me?"

Chen Zhuo shook his head, his tone earnest. "Though my position is humble, I work for the yamen. You work for the yamen, and Registrar Wang does the same."

"Since we all serve the yamen, what 'turning against' are you talking about?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Yuan'er fell silent.

He merely narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Chen Zhuo from head to toe as if trying to see right through him.

"Fine, I understand."

After a long pause, the tension on Huang Yuan'er's face suddenly gave way to a smile.

There was no flushed face, no angry roar.

He simply dropped a lukewarm remark and turned to leave.

His lanky silhouette gradually distorted, slowly vanishing into the heat waves of the Drill Ground.

Seeing the man walk away, Chen Zhuo's calves trembled three times, and he nearly stumbled to the ground.

"Useless legs, why must you be so pathetic?"

Chen Zhuo gasped for air, unable to tell if it was the heat or the nerves. Sweat dripped from his head like jade beads, landing heavily on his shoulders.

His heart felt as though it were being crushed by a stone, making it hard to breathe.

The situation was even worse than he had imagined.

As a mere White-Uniform Runner, confronting one of Skin-Peeler Wang's men head-on was hardly a wise move.

But since Huang Yuan'er had stepped forward, it was clearly a warning from Skin-Peeler Wang.

"Delay? Don't even think about it! Either lie down on the bed with your backside in the air, or go lie down in the Mass Grave outside the city!"

Either way meant lying down, but Chen Zhuo was determined to stand.

"It seems I must accelerate my progress and switch tracks."

The Three Squads of yamen runners each had their own duties.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Where there were Three Squads, there were factions.

The Black-Uniform Squad had always been Skin-Peeler Wang's private territory, but the situation in the other two squads was entirely different.

What Chen Zhuo needed to do was employ the strategy of driving a tiger to devour a wolf.

Even if he couldn't take down the wolf that was Skin-Peeler Wang, he could at least buy himself time.

To the Swift Squad!

Wiping his forehead with his palm, Chen Zhuo steadied himself, then set off with firm, determined steps, leaving the Drill Ground behind.

"Come, organize all these household registration documents! If there is a single error or omission, you will be held accountable!"

"Magistrate Liu is going on a trip; put down your current work and stand by!"

"A new batch of Water-Fire Staffs has arrived; go bring them in and clean them thoroughly!"

The workload this afternoon was exceptionally heavy.

Even with the Blood-Strengthening Soup and his martial arts training, Chen Zhuo was exhausted.

His energy and spirit were nearly drained.

By the time he arrived at the Kitchen to help out on schedule, both his legs were already shaking.

The appetizer the other side had prepared for him arrived sooner than expected.

"What are you standing there for? Get to prepping the ingredients! If you delay the masters' meal, you'll be in for a world of hurt."

The sun was just beginning to set, and while the day's labor should have been winding down, the yamen's back kitchen was a scene of frantic activity.

Clack, clack, clack.

Everyone in the kitchen was busy chopping vegetables or preparing seasonings; only Chen Zhuo remained crouched on the floor, endlessly washing various meats and greens.

As a mere kitchen hand, he had no right to touch the cutting boards or the stoves.

Yan Ming, the head chef of the kitchen, was currently in a rage.

It wasn't that he was targeting anyone specifically; this fire was aimed at everyone.

It was supposed to be the busiest time in the kitchen, yet two of the head vegetable-chopping chefs were suddenly missing.

A sudden shortage of staff was nothing short of a disaster for the kitchen.

"Any news on the Qiu Sisters?" Yan Ming asked loudly.

"None. They haven't been seen since this morning. Someone checked their home around noon, but the gate was bolted shut, and there was no response to the knocking."

Dunzi replied during a brief pause in his chopping.

"Forget about them for now, just make do."

Head Chef Yan Ming dropped the half-cut vegetables on the board and hurried to the stove, vigorously stir-frying the contents of the wok.

Dunzi immediately stepped in to take Yan Ming's place, but as he prepared to start chopping, he suddenly looked troubled, unable to bring his knife down.

"What's wrong? Get to it!"

Yan Ming barked sharply.

"I... I don't know how to cut this."

Dunzi was so anxious he was on the verge of tears.

"You motherf..."

Yan Ming was so furious he wanted to curse, but the words died on his lips, leaving him helpless.

There were four woks in total in the yamen kitchen.

He was currently manning the smallest one and absolutely could not leave his post.

If anything went wrong with this dish, Magistrate Liu would never forgive him.

As for the slightly larger wok, he didn't dare slack off there either.

Why did the Chief Clerk and the Dianshi have to order the exact same dish?

And of all things, this dish required exceptional knife skills.

It was one thing to compete in daily life, but they even had to measure their status through their meals.

Sigh, they were both people he couldn't afford to offend.

How bitter.

The more Yan Ming thought about it, the angrier he became. While stir-frying, he cursed under his breath, "A bunch of useless trash."

Seeing Dunzi on the verge of tears, Chen Zhuo felt a stir in his heart.

He finished cutting his own vegetables, set down his knife, and walked over decisively.

Glancing at the cutting board, Chen Zhuo pulled Dunzi aside and took his place.

"I'll do it."

Before anyone could react, he picked up the kitchen knife and began.

Clack-clack-clack.

The knife struck the board, producing a dense and rhythmic sound.

"Aren't you that kitchen hand?"

Dunzi's face flushed red, and just as he was about to flare up, Yan Ming shouted him down.

"Let him cut!"

Dunzi stood stunned.

When he finally came to his senses, his eyes were locked firmly onto the cutting board.

In an instant, his gaze cleared significantly.

"This knife work..."

Chen Zhuo's unusual behavior drew the attention of everyone in the kitchen.

They all looked over at once, their expressions turning to one of disbelief.

The ham, chicken breast, and winter bamboo shoots on the board had all been sliced into uniform, fine shreds.

Each piece was nearly identical in length and thickness.

A mere kitchen hand had turned out to be a master of knife work?

"Do your own work, don't just stare at others."

As the head chef, Yan Ming had the sharpest eye; he could tell at a glance that Chen Zhuo's knife skills were exquisite, even surpassing those of the Qiu Sisters.

He finally let out a sigh of relief.

Before long, the kitchen began sending out dishes one after another.

Aside from the other orders, two portions of Three-Shreds Dish were sent to the rooms of the Chief Clerk and the Dianshi respectively.

"You, clean up, and make sure you do a thorough job."

Night fell, and the kitchen fires were extinguished.

Under the orders of Head Chef Yan Ming, Dunzi, who hadn't even eaten yet, picked up a broom with tears in his eyes to sweep the entire kitchen.

"Come here, go to my room and eat."

Chen Zhuo had just picked up a bowl of pickled vegetable soup and hadn't even swallowed the bun in his mouth when he suddenly heard Yan Ming's voice.

"Me?"

Chen Zhuo pointed at himself.

"Follow me."

Yan Ming didn't say anything more; he picked up a three-tiered food box brought by someone else and turned to leave.

Chen Zhuo hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward to follow.

After leaving the kitchen, the two didn't go far; they turned two corners and arrived at Yan Ming's room.

They didn't go inside, but at Yan Ming's gesture, they sat on the stone stools outside the room.

Outside the door was a private courtyard, but it was poorly maintained and looked a complete mess.

Even so, it was still much better than the room where Chen Zhuo lived.

Eight men lived in one room, all doing heavy labor; once they took off their shoes, the smell was enough to make even a dog shake its head.

When will I be able to have a room and a small courtyard of my own?

Chen Zhuo looked around, secretly yearning in his heart.

But soon, he was pulled back to reality by a single sentence from Yan Ming.

"Tell me, what's the story behind that masterful knife work of yours?"