Chapter 00162: Promotion, Salary Increase, and a House All in One Go
# Promotion, Salary Increase, and a House All in One Go
Chapter 162
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 162: Promotion, Salary Increase, and a House All in One Go
He Lingchuan chuckled, "Are you still keeping me in suspense?"
"It's not that I'm keeping you in suspense; it's just hard to describe, sigh."
Hu Min lamented, "I haven't read much, and my vocabulary is limited."
Since it was like this, He Lingchuan didn't press further.
Just as Hu Min said, if he were to enter the Panlong Dream again in the future, he would eventually meet General Hong; there was no need to rush.
His drinking companion laughed again, "This question is one that more than half of the new recruits in the army would ask. Some people even join the army just because of General Hong's reputation."
"Where exactly did General Hong come from?" He Lingchuan took the last piece of pork crackling, "Are you going to say you don't know again?"
"This riddle, I'm afraid only Lord Zhong knows."
The two chatted happily, laughing heartily, as the entire tavern was filled with noise.
In this dream, He Lingchuan realized he had shed his protective facade, as if he had returned to his student days, boasting while drinking ice cola and skewering meat, discussing everything without a care in the world, truly feeling unburdened and relaxed.
It had been a long, long time since he felt this comfortable—
Since he became He Lingchuan.
After a hearty meal, Hu Min burped and got up to pay, then dragged He Lingchuan outside.
He had difficulty walking, so he found a donkey cart to take the two of them to the Merit Department.
On the way, Hu Min explained to He Lingchuan, "The Merit Department is responsible for recording and distributing merits; it is one of the most important institutions in Panlong City, divided into two sections: military merit and civilian merit. We are going to the Military Merit Section to collect military merits."
He Lingchuan felt like a country bumpkin entering the city: "Military merit is easy to understand in battle, but how does one earn civilian merit? Is it through logistics on the battlefield?"
"Not at all. Anything related to combat is counted under the Military Merit Section. Even if a commoner discovers a spy, they can still receive military merit; as for 'civilian merit,' it refers to the contributions of commoners through labor, paying more taxes, or expanding trade, which can accumulate merits to exchange for things that money can't buy or are extremely expensive, such as houses, cultivation methods, alchemical materials, or servant quotas."
He Lingchuan was taken aback: "Even servant quotas require merits?"
"Of course. In Panlong City, finding someone to serve you isn't just a matter of their agreement and your payment," Hu Min laughed, "The merit required to exchange for a fourth-class residence can also be used to buy a servant quota."
"Is it really that difficult?" He Lingchuan thought of Liu Baobao from Heishui City, the son of a mere merchant, who had three concubines and twelve servants at home.
The luxuries easily available to the wealthy outside were as difficult as climbing to the heavens here.
"What does expanding trade mean?"
"Leaving Panlong City to send messages or do business elsewhere."
Hu Min asked him, "Did you see any merchant caravans before you entered the city?"
"I saw quite a few."
He Lingchuan looked again at the shops lining both sides of the road, bustling with business far surpassing that of Heishui City.
Foreign trade flowed like water, nourishing the city.
Without incoming goods from outside, Panlong City would likely not thrive as it did.
He even saw theaters, brothels, and gambling houses…
Everything was orderly and vibrant.
It was hard to imagine this was within a city shrouded in the clouds of war for years.
Wherever war passed, shouldn't it be a place of desolation and displaced people?
"Panlong Wilderness has been in constant turmoil, so expanding trade is not easy and deserves recognition," Hu Min said seriously.
"The Balin Kingdom has blocked our trade routes several times, trying to trap Panlong City; those battles were extremely fierce."
He continued to explain, "In the past, these matters were not handled well, and the mother country didn't even know that the Panlong Wilderness had become an enclave, isolated in the west. Lord Zhong, reflecting on the pain, resolved to ensure we are no longer isolated."
At this point, Hu Min suddenly made a face: "Ever since servant quotas have to be exchanged for merits, the number of newborns in Panlong City has suddenly increased. Everyone has been having children at home, which has made the higher-ups very pleased! I wonder if this counts as an unexpected joy."
In warfare, the most crucial element is certainly people.
For a city like Panlong City, which has been in constant battle, finding ways to increase the population is of utmost importance.
He Lingchuan was taken aback: "Ah? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Of course it does."
Hu Min chuckled, "Think about it, since you can't hire people, and there are many chores at home that you can't finish by yourself, what's the most economical solution?"
He Lingchuan hesitated: "Having children?"
"Exactly! If you have a few and raise them to seven or eight years old, wouldn't you have help? And it's free; you don't have to pay wages, just feed them, and they are even more useful and obedient than livestock. When they grow a bit older, they can go out and work for you, and the money goes to you. Isn't that great?"
"……" He Lingchuan rolled his eyes, "If it makes so much sense, how many have you had?"
"I… haven't had any yet."
Hu Min's face turned slightly red, "What's the rush?"
"Someone with their head stuck in their belt isn't in a hurry?" He Lingchuan glanced at him sideways, "You don't even have a partner, do you?"
"Not yet, not yet."
Hu Min hurriedly pointed ahead, "Look, we've arrived, get off the cart!"
The Merit Department was the largest building complex on this street, located by the lakeside, with green walls and gray tiles, and a three-bay entrance, bustling with people coming and going.
Entering through the six black lacquered doors, there was a corridor inside, with paths branching left and right, leading to the Military Merit Section and the Civilian Merit Section.
Of course, Hu Min led him to the Military Merit Section.
The further they went inside, the more detailed the buildings became.
He Lingchuan learned that beneath the Military Merit Section, there were various offices, such as the Military Supervision Office, responsible for overseeing troops in the rear during battles, executing deserters, and recording military merits during and after battles, which would serve as the basis for rewards and punishments upon return.
The Pengcheng Office, where He Lingchuan was headed, was the place for distributing military merit rewards.
It was a room about twenty square feet, with three desks behind which sat three people, and cabinets reaching the ceiling along the walls, filled with various documents and records.
Hu Min walked to the desk by the window and smiled, "Liu Gongcao, I brought my brother to claim his merit."
Liu Gongcao put down his pen: "Name?"
Hu Min reported in a rush, "He Lingchuan. On the third of last month, during the rear guard at Xieqing Valley, I assisted the civilians of Weiwang City in retreating to Panlong City, commanded by Lieutenant Xiao Maoliang."
It was only today that He Lingchuan learned that Commander Xiao's title was Lieutenant.
Liu Gongcao was skilled in his work; he rummaged through the rear cabinet and quickly took out a booklet, opened it, and looked: "Hmm, He Lingchuan, not a local?"
"From Tusu, came along while fleeing."
He Lingchuan's face remained calm.
"The evaluation states you fought bravely and were clever. Your team had fewer fighters but eliminated many enemies, with a heavy task and few civilian casualties, and it was personally signed by General Hong, so your merit is significant. According to the collective merit calculation, you will receive a wooden house, thirty taels of silver, a set of light armor, five pounds of cheese, five taels of chewing tobacco, and two acres of medium paddy field in Qingniu District."
Liu Gongcao recited these items from memory: "If you don't need the house or armor, you can exchange them for other materials."
He Lingchuan beamed with joy: "I want them all, no need to exchange, thank you!"
Hu Min accompanied him out of the Merit Department, and they got back onto the same donkey cart, heading towards the house He Lingchuan had just received.
The rewards He Lingchuan received were quite light; the house and land were just two land deeds, and he directly donned the newly acquired light armor.
The thirty taels of silver were truly a timely blessing; otherwise, he would have been penniless in Panlong City, unable to move an inch, and he didn't have the face to keep relying on Hu Min for free food and drink.
The so-called "wooden house" did not merely refer to the building material being wood, but rather that the residences in Panlong City were divided into nine grades, from high to low: "Silver - Copper - Iron - Tin - Lead - Water - Fire - Wood - Earth."
Who came up with such a painful grading system? He wanted to complain.
However, He Lingchuan had already surpassed the lowest grade "Earth House" with just one military merit, obtaining a "Wooden House," which was quite good.
For an outsider, that is.
However, he had risked his life last time and only achieved this little merit, which shows that obtaining military merit in Panlong City is not easy, reflecting that battles in the Panlong Wilderness are tense and frequent; one or two military merits cannot ensure a comfortable life.
To provide a better life for himself and his family, soldiers must fight bravely.
Qingniu District was relatively remote, and the donkey cart moved slowly.
Hu Min yawned repeatedly, dozing off twice.
He Lingchuan, however, did not dare to close his eyes, fearing that he might slip out of the dream in a daze, and he didn't know how long he would have to wait to enter again.
After more than an hour, they finally arrived.
As they got off the donkey cart and stood at the door of the wooden house, He Lingchuan momentarily thought he had returned to his home in another world.
The crowded and bustling civilian area, the uneven road surface, the uniformly low houses, with your wall right next to my yard, and two households across even shared a wall.
At night, couples would clap their hands, and the neighbors would scold their children; it was all live-streamed, every detail heard clearly.
The house assigned to He Lingchuan had a sturdy wooden door, but the lock had some issues; sometimes it would open, and sometimes it wouldn't.
The two entered and found the interior structure very simple, just two rooms: one large room for sleeping and a small room for cooking, along with a tiny courtyard—
Rather than calling it a courtyard, it was more like a well, as it was a quadrilateral occupied by neighbors on either side, with an area of no more than five square meters, barely enough to fit a water bucket, surrounded on all sides by other people's homes.
"This is the wooden house?" He Lingchuan couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
Before he became He Lingchuan, he also lived in a small rental apartment in a big city, not much larger than this.
"What would the Earth House be like?"
Hu Min pointed to the water tank in the courtyard: "The Earth House is just one room, with no courtyard at all."
Well, He Lingchuan corrected himself; the Earth House was more like the house he lived in during his previous life.
Hu Min continued to instruct him: "Cheese and chewing tobacco are popular goods at the market; if you don't need them, you can sell them for money. As for the paddy field, if you don't want to farm it yourself, you can rent it out to others, with a profit-sharing of 60-40, where you take 40%, but Panlong City will take a 10% tax from you; if your land reaches over thirty acres, the tax will increase to 20%. If you want to lower it back to 10%, you can use military merit to offset it."
Use military merit… to offset? He Lingchuan smiled wryly: "Who came up with so many tricks?"
"Lord Zhong."
Hu Min cleared his throat, "Merit is a good thing; the more you use it, the more you realize how scarce it is. You'll understand soon enough."
(End of Chapter)