Deputy Thompson caught a glimpse of the envelope and couldn’t help but secretly praise William Thompson for his tact; he was quite pleased. Narrowing his eyes with a smile, he said, “You flatter me, dear nephew. I invited you to dinner today, first to strengthen our family ties, and second, to share with you some wisdom about being an official.”

William Thompson’s expression became solemn. He stood up and gave a deep bow, saying, “I am young and inexperienced, uncle. I hope you will guide me.”

Deputy Thompson’s face gradually grew serious as well. “You saw what happened today. That Clerk Young is sharp-tongued and bitter, and he deeply resents me. This is because his brother-in-law, who held your current position before you, was extorting and oppressing the people. I couldn’t stand it, so I reported it to the county magistrate and got his brother-in-law dismissed, making an enemy of him. That’s why, on the eve of your appointment, I called you here to warn you: you must serve with integrity and honesty, and never tarnish my reputation.”

Of course, William Thompson understood perfectly well that he was merely keeping the seat warm for him. If he ruined his reputation, his own nephew would have no chance. He thought this, but didn’t let it show on his face. He quickly bowed and said, “I will take you as my role model, uncle, and will never engage in corruption.”

Deputy Thompson chuckled. Glancing at the envelope on the table, he realized it wasn’t appropriate to leave it out in the open—what if someone saw it? He immediately smiled at William Thompson and said, “Come! Nephew, follow me to the study. I have a painting to give you.”

Generally, when a superior gives a subordinate a calligraphy or painting, it has two meanings. On the surface, it’s a refined gesture, but it’s also a subtle hint that the recipient is being treated as a trusted confidant. For Deputy Thompson, however, there was a third meaning: he needed an opportunity to accept the gift.

Deputy Thompson was a scholar, so his calligraphy and paintings were naturally excellent. He led William Thompson into a tastefully decorated study, pointed to the calligraphy and paintings on the wall, and laughed, “Someone once offered me two hundred strings of cash for one of my paintings, but I would never sell it.”

Suddenly, William Thompson understood the fourth meaning: ‘One of his paintings is worth two hundred strings of cash.’

He was momentarily stunned, then quickly smiled and said, “Uncle, your paintings are so valuable, how could I accept one for free? Perhaps I should come pay my respects again at New Year’s—what do you think?”

Deputy Thompson’s smile grew even broader. This distant nephew was indeed sensible, knowing how to play along. Maybe he really could become a trusted aide. Well, in half a year, he’d find him a good position! Since he was accepting a calligraphy fee, he couldn’t be stingy. Deputy Thompson quickly walked to the corner, opened a chest, and said with a smile, “These are my proudest works from the past two years, truly top quality. I rarely give them away. Nephew, feel free to choose one.”

With a look of admiration, William Thompson stepped forward, rummaged through the chest, and picked out an impressionistic painting of the bright moon rising in the east. The vast landscape was like a painting, a full moon just rising, a fisherman’s boat by the riverbank at dusk—truly evocative. In the upper left corner were eight characters: ‘A thousand miles of rivers and mountains, the bright moon rises.’ The calligraphy was rounded and elegant, with the style of a master. In the lower corner was a red seal: ‘李淼’.

“You have a good eye, nephew. Someone once offered three hundred strings of cash for this painting, but I absolutely refused to sell it.” Deputy Thompson sighed repeatedly, as if William Thompson had just taken away his masterpiece.

William Thompson put the painting away and said with a faint smile, “Don’t worry, uncle. I’ll have this painting properly mounted and treat it as a family heirloom.”

“Very well. It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you. Be careful on your way home, nephew.”

William Thompson’s stomach rumbled—he had actually wanted to leave for a while.

……

Volume One: Swept into a Major Case

Chapter Five: Helpless Orphan Girl

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, December arrived with the onset of winter. William Thompson had now served as a county official for nearly three months. Though three months wasn’t long, it gave William Thompson the chance to gain a much deeper understanding of the lower levels of Ming society. His daily duties were to patrol the county town, stop fights and brawls, prevent troublemakers, and maintain public order.

Linhuai County was a major county with a large population, and it was close to Zhongdu, so there were quite a few yamen runners. William Thompson had more than twenty men under him. Some inherited their positions from their fathers, coming from families of yamen runners, but most were ordinary people doing compulsory service.

Among the yamen runners, only a very few—those officially designated as firewood and soap servants—received a salary. The rest got nothing; the county only provided a lunch. For those doing compulsory service, this was considered normal, but for those who made a living from this job, it was different. They had wives, daughters, and parents to support—a family couldn’t survive on air alone. So, for some things, William Thompson turned a blind eye, as long as it wasn’t too excessive. He understood the difficulties of supporting a family.

Although William Thompson was a minor official, his own income wasn’t much better. He received only one dan of rice per month as a subsidy. Apart from a set of clothes and a lunch provided by the county, he had to cover all other living expenses himself. Of course, he had some power, so it was easy to take care of these things. His father understood this well and left him four hundred strings of cash, meaning he shouldn’t exploit the people.

William Thompson was determined to achieve great things and would never ruin his reputation during his probation period. So, for these three months, he truly served with integrity, politely refusing several red envelopes from big merchants. His daily expenses all came from the money his father left him.