Chapter 282: 8. Good Strategy

8. Good Strategy

"It's just a pity that this plan is huge in cost and takes a lot of time to implement.

"Moreover, whether it can really root out the flood is hard to say, of course..."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, returned to the desk, took out a map of Xunyang City, and sighed with lowered eyes:

"The most critical thing is that Xunyang City's floods are not serious. In most years, the floods caused by the Xunyang River blocked by Shuangfengjian, at their most violent, only submerged the edge of Xingzi Ward.

"Because Xingzi Ward is the lowest place in Xunyang City and is located on the west side, closest to the Shuangfengjian outside the city.

"After all, it didn't endanger important wards like Chaisan, Xiushui, and Lianxi, so the Jiangzhou Main Hall naturally didn't pay much attention to it.

"This good strategy for water control has become a chicken rib that is thankless, no wonder it has been shelved in the warehouse for so many years."

Ouyang Rong put down the old bamboo slip in his hand, supported the table and sighed:

"But this ward is home to most of the common people in Xunyang City, most of the hard laborers and peddlers of Xunyang Ferry, and a large number of people from other places making a living... all live in this ward.

"Xingzi Ward has become what it is now, becoming a slum depression in the city, indeed there are innate reasons such as floods, but what about the inaction of the Jiangzhou Main Hall that should have assumed responsibility for many years?"

It was quiet in front of the table for a while.

"Dong dong—"

Two slightly curved fingers suddenly tapped the position of Shuangfengjian on the map with some force.

"Building the Donglin Great Buddha... is a good opportunity."

The slender human figure reflected on the wall by the candle flame on the table suddenly shook violently.

A weak-crowned Chief Clerk spread paper and ground ink, his side face focused, writing vigorously, burying his head in the desk.

No one knew that a double-new policy that would affect Xunyang City for decades was gradually outlined on a gentle night under a plain pen.

"Send these letters out today."

In the morning, in a certain government office of the Jiangzhou Main Hall, Yan Liulang, who had just sat down to rest, looked up in a daze, looking at the figure of the weak-crowned Chief Clerk who suddenly appeared in front of the door and blocked the sun.

Yan Liulang looked down at the stack of letters handed over by the Magistrate on the table and reached out to take them.

"Okay, Magistrate." He nodded after realizing it: "Uh, who is this to be sent to..."

"Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma and the others.

"Send it to Longcheng County first. If my estimation is not wrong, they should be at Zhe Yiqu now, checking the construction of the new ferry they invested in.

"Send it there. If they are not there, County Magistrate Diao will also convey it."

"Oh oh, okay Magistrate."

Yan Liulang jumped up immediately and strode out the door.

Ouyang Rong strode away from the government office.

Before leaving, Yan Liulang faintly heard the mutter left by the Magistrate's back on the corridor:

"A good business, they will all come, right."

After sending letters to the partners who had cooperated happily before,

Ouyang Rong temporarily returned to his normal life of going to work.

In the afternoon, he would occasionally go to Shuangfengjian outside the city to stroll around, take out his small notebook, and perfect some plans.

When he came back, he no longer avoided it, and would also pass through the mixed Xingzi Ward, integrate into the market, and look around.

However, every morning, Ouyang Rong would punctually attend the roll call at the Jiangzhou government office.

Perhaps because if he was fined again, he would really have to eat snow on New Year's Eve, Watching Yuan Huaimin had been coming to work on time every day recently and was no longer absent. This made Ouyang Rong feel that he was a bit strange.

Seeing him rush in with purple-black eye bags every morning, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask:

"What is Sima Yuan doing every night?"

"I'm really sorry, Chief Clerk, as New Year's Day is approaching, there are many poetry meetings and night banquets in the city. My talent is famous, and there are many invitations. I am overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and have no choice but to do so."

Watching Yuan Huaimin said solemnly: "But this subordinate dares not drink too much, fearing it will ruin matters. I just slept a little less; it won't delay the roll call, Commandant, please rest assured."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Sima Yuan has quite a few places to go at night. Pay attention to your body."

Unable to complain anymore, he reminded him and let him pass.

However, the Jiangzhou Sima position itself is a position with position but no power. There is a minimum requirement for how long you must stay after signing in in the morning before you can ask for leave and leave early.

As a result, Watching Yuan Huaimin had to sit in the seat opposite Ouyang Rong every morning after arriving at the main hall, staring at him with big eyes.

Ouyang Rong had affairs to deal with in the morning and had no time to ignore him. The poor Watching Yuan Huaimin was idle and had nothing to do, looking around, wandering in his mind, like sitting in prison, and holding on hard, not daring to fall asleep, falling into the crime of negligence.

With an idle person around, Ouyang Rong found that he was also disturbed a little.

"Chief Clerk, last night the rain was urgent and the wind was sudden, the wind and clouds were different, and the weather changed suddenly. Because the subordinate was still in a dream, I was caught off guard and unfortunately caught a cold!

"At the time of the rooster's crow, I discovered it. I didn't want it to be too late! I beg for half a day of leave, and return early to rest..."

This morning, Ouyang Rong received another leave request from Watching Yuan Huaimin as usual. He scanned it, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Ouyang Rong found that the leave requests for leaving early written by this Sima Yuan every day were not repeated. Yesterday it was heartache, today it was a cold, tomorrow it was a fall, and there were reasons to go.

"Sima Yuan's literary talent is good."

Ouyang Rong approved it with a vermilion brush. Anyway, staying on the side is also an obstacle. He generally approved the leave for leaving early if he could, and didn't make things difficult.

"Thank you, Chief Clerk."

Watching Yuan Huaimin, who was sad and listless a second ago, straightened his waist and was high-spirited after taking the leave slip. Walking outside, he didn't know that he was thought to be promoted back to the Chang'an Jingzhao Prefecture.

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

I thought it was over, and I could work quietly,

But on this day, after Watching Yuan Huaimin asked for leave and left as usual, Ouyang Rong was the only one left in the main hall to work.

As for Wang Lengran, he was mainly showing concern for the people's feelings, keen on meeting famous monks and scholars from Mount Kuanglu, and talking in the backyard. He didn't come here many times.

Suddenly, a familiar long-term attendant ran into the main hall with a petty official, stopping and talking: "Master, it's not good, Sima Yuan he..."

"What happened to him?"

Ouyang Rong put down his brush, followed the long-term attendant to the stable, and just arrived at the place, he saw a scene that made his eyelids jump fiercely:

The stable gate belonging to "Winter Plum" was wide open, empty, and not far away, a dark red shadow was struggling to chase a green-robed official.

The sound of horse hooves, angry neighing, and the sound of the man's soul flying away echoed in the open space of the courtyard.

The long-term attendant approached and whispered: "Master, as soon as the little one came, I saw Winter Plum chasing Sima Yuan. Winter Plum seems to have been released by him, and I don't know how he provoked the horse's anger..."

"This..." Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked at the paper and pens scattered on the ground in front of the empty stable. His eyelids twitched.

Not far away.

Watching Yuan Huaimin was crying for his father and mother in front, begging for mercy and running wildly.

Winter Plum's eyes were red, chasing relentlessly behind.

People certainly couldn't run faster than horses, although a certain Jiangzhou Sima used the strength of breastfeeding, relying on the small open space, the horse couldn't display it, and the person had small mass and was easy to turn around, turning left and right.

But in the end, the distance was gradually closed by Winter Plum.

"Chief Clerk, save me... ah ah ah!"

Before Watching Yuan Huaimin finished speaking, he was topped and flew out by Winter Plum.

Ouyang Rong and the long-term attendant beside him subconsciously lowered their heads and closed their eyes. At that moment, they couldn't bear to look.

The shoes flew off.

But fortunately, there was a large group of horse feed where Watching Yuan Huaimin flew out and landed, which had a slight buffer.

"Go save people quickly."

Ouyang Rong hurriedly ordered the long-term attendant, and he rushed forward for the first time to stop the angry Winter Plum who was preparing to do it again...

The second day.

At the entrance to the main hall of the Jiangzhou government office, a bruised and battered Watching Yuan Huaimin limped over to attend roll call.

Ouyang Rong put down the bamboo slip and frowned: "Sima Yuan is injured like this, rest for two days, why come here?"

"This subordinate must attend roll call." Watching Yuan Huaimin nodded: "Commandant, please rest assured, these minor injuries won't delay the roll call."

Ouyang Rong was helpless: "You are injured like this, even if you don't come, you won't be deducted."

Watching Yuan Huaimin thought for a while and asked carefully: "Then since I came today, can I make up for the previous day of absenteeism?"

Ouyang Rong straightened his face immediately and shook his head, not bargaining with him.

Watching Yuan Huaimin scratched his head, walked away, inhaled and felt pain, carefully sat down, and took out a bruise ointment to apply to his lumbar spine.

Not long after, after finishing these, he took out a worn-out poetry collection and flipped through it to pass the time, as if he saw an unparalleled sentence, clapping his hands and laughing from time to time, and then pulling the wound, covering his waist and inhaling.

Ouyang Rong, who was burying his head in processing official documents, saw all this in his eyes with his peripheral vision.

It's a happy-go-lucky person... he thought.

This Watching Yuan Huaimin, it seems that no matter how sad the thing is, it will pass after a while, no matter how bad the place is, he will adapt after a while, and he will not hide his true mood at all.

Having such a colleague is not too bad.

Ouyang Rong raised his head and asked:

"A few days ago, after you asked for leave and left early from me, could it be that you were running to the stable to find 'Winter Plum'?"

"This..." Watching Yuan Huaimin's face was shy, avoiding his eyes, a little embarrassed:

"Sorry, Chief Clerk Ouyang, the subordinate just wanted to observe it at close range, take some materials... In this Jiang Nan land, there are too few treasure horses. After the subordinate left Chang'an, I haven't seen a few, so I was happy to see the hunt."

"Sima Yuan likes treasure horses so much?"

"A hobby when I was young."

Watching Yuan Huaimin looked at the sky outside the door, his eyes a bit reminiscent:

"At that time, the subordinate should be the same age as Chief Clerk Ouyang, and the hair volume was as dense as yours now, fresh clothes and angry horses, high-spirited..."

Ouyang Rong interrupted: "Correct one thing, I will also have this hair volume in the future."

Watching Yuan Huaimin sighed: "Even the hard mouth is exactly the same as the subordinate back then."

Ouyang Rong put down his brush and nodded: "Talk about the hard mouth back then."

Watching Yuan Huaimin smiled and didn't speak, touching the head of the head.

Ouyang Rong looked at him and said:

"I won't go out of the city for the next two days, Sima Yuan, since you like horses and are good at painting, Winter Plum is lent to you."

"Really!" Watching Yuan Huaimin was overjoyed.

"Mm." Ouyang Rong didn't raise his head: "But I have to promise me one condition."

"Chief Clerk Ouyang, please speak!"

"Although the Jiangzhou Sima position really has nothing to do, there are quite a few documents piled up in the Jiangzhou Main Hall at the end of the year, so Sima Yuan should also share some, add some burden."

Ouyang Rong buried his head in writing, and laughed lightly.

Watching Yuan Huaimin hesitated for a while, turned his head and looked at the stable direction.

"Good!"

Ouyang Rong didn't expect that Watching Yuan Huaimin, who liked to touch fish, would agree so refreshingly.

In the following days, after attending the daily roll call, Watching Yuan Huaimin would honestly sit in the seat opposite Ouyang Rong, processing the extra stack of official documents on the desk.

There were not many documents. Ouyang Rong just wanted to find something for him to do so that this colleague would not be idle.

Every time before leaving, Ouyang Rong checked Watching Yuan Huaimin's work and found that he handled it quite properly.

A bit unexpected.

Mainly because I didn't have much expectation before, after all, looking at Watching Yuan Huaimin's unreliable appearance before, it was hard to have expectations.

So right now, finding that he completed it in a regular and organized manner, Ouyang Rong was a bit surprised.

It seems I underestimated him a little before.

However, gradually, Ouyang Rong found a pattern.

Every morning, the stack of documents assigned to Watching Yuan Huaimin, whether it was thicker or thinner, the writing Watching Yuan Huaimin always put down his brush within ten breaths before the bell at noon rang, with a tired face, and got up to hand over the job.

Every day, without difference.

To verify this, one day, Ouyang Rong specifically doubled the workload.

As a result, Watching Yuan Huaimin still completed the daily task before noon dinner without affecting the quality.

Stuck the point to death.

Ouyang Rong was amazed.

Is this how to touch fish? Sure enough, it is still the Watching Yuan Huaimin of the beginning, without a trace of change.

Ouyang Rong nodded.

"Obviously the head is smart and not lacking energy, but why don't you do more?

"Subjective initiative is not right at all."

Ouyang Rong muttered in his mouth in the seat of the main hall, looking at a happy back who went out to find "Winter Plum" immediately after work, and shook his head:

"Only do meaningful things."

This morning.

Ouyang Rong returned from the inspection of the Relief Granary in Dehua Ward.

Walking into the Jiangzhou Main Hall, passing through the corridor, approaching the main hall, he saw Watching Yuan Huaimin's back in a daze from afar.

Ouyang Rong suddenly lightened his footsteps, walked into the main hall, and approached slowly.

The weak-crowned Chief Clerk's figure of hiding wind and gathering energy was like a swimming carp sliding away.

Walked behind Watching Yuan Huaimin.

Ouyang Rong stared and looked, Watching Yuan Huaimin was writing something in a small booklet with his head down, he stopped his brush from time to time to ponder, circling and drawing.

Ouyang Rong didn't look closely, stopped and made a sound:

"Official business finished?"

He didn't have the habit of peeking at people's privacy,

"Ah!"

Watching Yuan Huaimin dropped his brush in fright, hid the small booklet quickly, and was shocked:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang, why do you walk without sound?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin bent down to check the brush and asked with a grievance.

"It's Sima Yuan who wrote too intently."

Watching Yuan Huaimin looked at Ouyang Rong's face and asked carefully:

"Did the Magistrate see what the subordinate wrote?"

Ouyang Rong nodded, Watching Yuan Huaimin suddenly had a bitter face, Ouyang Rong said softly:

"It's a poem that is famous in the world. I didn't expect Sima Yuan to make a big one without sound, I hope there is no secret scolding of me, this annoying superior."

Watching Yuan Huaimin stared at Ouyang Rong.

"Just kidding."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand and returned to his seat.

Watching Yuan Huaimin saw his curling lips expression, breathed a long sigh of relief, and raised his hand to touch the small booklet in his arms.

Ouyang Rong suddenly turned back: "Wouldn't it be said?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin shook his head like a rattle.

(End of this chapter) ===== CHAPTER 283 =====