SWNOVELS Chapter 109.2: Peerlessly Gentle Zhao Zhenzhen
Chapter 109.2: Peerlessly Gentle Zhao Zhenzhen
Shortly after Wagner left, inside the branch canteen, Lyka, the orc girl, who was washing potatoes in the backyard, came and asked Brook, "Are the portions for the town hall packed? It's almost time."
Brook, packing small portions of dishes, dumplings, and tangyuan while serving customers one after the other, hurriedly replied, "All ready to be delivered."
The strength of orcs far surpassed that of humans and the undead. With great speed and endurance, an orc could run and deliver meals through the entire town in less than half an hour. Lyka skillfully packed several dozen meal boxes into a specially made large basket, slung it over her back, and called out, "I'll go deliver the meals, Brook, Sis Zhao!"
Brook waved his hand, and Sis Zhao, busy in the kitchen, also responded, "Be careful!"
It had been two days since the canteen's opening. The townsfolk weren't yet accustomed to buying seasonings and spices other than salt. Still, they were enthusiastic about saving a few coins and quickly purchased salt. If they had more money, they would buy some dishes or dumplings with meat or a couple of sweet tangyuan to supplement their family's meals.
The small portion of a dish for three copper was even more popular than the meat-filled dumplings. The townspeople didn't eat them directly but spread these like condiments on bread, replacing butter
When Lyka returned from delivering the meals, more customers had come, and Brook couldn't handle it alone. She tied on an apron, rolled up her sleeves, and went behind the counter to help.
Many townspeople had been recruited as temporary laborers at various construction sites on the town's main street. These folk, receiving daily wages, had some extra money on hand. Combined with the fact that these temporary laborers, unlike the sanitation bureau's contract workers, weren't provided with working meals (ordinary contract workers only had instant noodles, with a large amount of locally grown vegetables added), they were willing to spend a few copper coins for a change of taste to lift their spirits for work in the latter half of the day.
It wasn't until almost noon that the number of customers gradually decreased. Brook, dripping with sweat, could finally sit down and take a break. Zhao Zhenzhen, whose skeleton frame was covered with water from steaming, could also leave the kitchen.
"Come to think of it, a very strong mister came by this morning to buy breakfast for Mr. Yang. Is he Mr. Yang's guest?" Brook asked Zhao Zhenzhen while accepting a cup of cooled water from Lyka.
Zhao Zhenzhen hadn't had contact with Wagner at that time, but she had used Identify and learned the origins of this person. "He's not really a guest. Yesterday, he was the leader of those bunch of people that were tied up and brought in by playmy undead brethren. His name is Wagner Pitt, a member of Indahl's city defense force."
"Oh, so he's from the city defense force." Brook nodded and took a sip of water.
Two seconds later, the water Brook had yet to swallow sprayed out of his mouth.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing!" Lyka had quick reflexes and promptly stood in front of the counter, shielding the food from being contaminated. However, she was covered in the saliva of this fellow, which annoyed her.
"Ack, sorry, cough cough! Indahl city defense force??" Brook was astounded.
"Do you know about it?" Zhao Zhenzhen, wiping her skeleton frame dry with a tower, looked over sharply.contemporary romance
"How could I not know? We scrambled to escape whenever we knew the city defense force was coming." Brook sighed. "The small team I was a part of before wasn't strong We were really weak and couldn't register as a formal mercenary group, so we could only take some scattered tasks that the mercenary groups didn't care about to eke out a living. When the city defense force patrolled in the city, their primary targets were people like us."
"Because you guys did bad things?" Lyka asked curiously.
"Of course not! It's because we don't pay taxes on our income." Brook muttered weakly, "The jobs we took on don't pay much. How could we survive if we paid taxes?"
"Oh What would happen if you were caught?" Lyka became even more curious. She grew up on a farm and was sold straight to Weisshem after leaving it, so she had never seen a big city before.
"We would be classified as practicing illegally and subjected to at least three months of compulsory restraint," Brook sighed. "It isn't being locked up for three months without doing anything. We would be sent to a workshop to labor away while our wages would be forcibly taken and only returned after three months. Those workshops aren't nice places. People there are tormented and it's entirely different from the factories I heard that most people who enter those workshops rarely survive beyond five years."
After a pause, Brook shrugged and recounted almost sadly, "I was once caught and almost sent to a workshop. Fortunately, my comrades scraped together 10 silver coins to buy me out. To repay this money, we had to work for the gang in the East Warehouse District for more than half a month."Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.
"Ahh No wonder you always wanted to find your comrades. They really are good people." Lyka nodded.
After the undead took over Weisshem, Brook's comrades, who had been thinking of ways to save him, lost contact with Brook.
This actually wasn't that hard to understand. Without prolonged contact with the undead, nobody would think that these dark beings, beneath their terrifying appearance, would have such surprising inner qualitiesnot only could they get along harmoniously with the living, but they could also uphold public order. Two nights ago, an undead even caught a thief and received a commendation, which was posted at the entrance of the town hall!
Though, to the townsfolk, the undead in the photo of the commendation seemed no different from a photo of the undead mayor
"I just hope that after hearing about the peaceful coexistence between the living and the undead of Weisshem, they will turn around and come find me," lamented Brook.
"They definitely will." Zhao Zhenzhen patted the slender shoulders of the young man. "By then, you and Lyka will be taking on more important tasks. You two and Brook's companions will learn how to do business and sell the Undead Merchant Association's products outside, letting people know that we Taranthan undead are willing to help them have cheap and affordable good spices. When people see the sign of our Undead Merchant Association, they will know that we come with the goodwill of fair and friendly trade."
"If we undead try to go out ourselves in hopes of eliminating misunderstanding and hostility, people outside wouldn't accept it. Prejudice is something that is hard to change once it forms," Zhao Zhenzhen said gently. "So, my undead brethren and I, as well as your respected Lord Rex and Lord Yang, can only hope for reliable young people like you to help us overcome this difficult first step. Only you guys can do what we can't."
After Zhao Zhenzhen's impassioned speech, the orc girl Lyka and youngster Brook were so moved that they could swear their lives to Taranthan on the spot. They definitely wouldn't let down the trust and expectations of Zhao Zhenzhen, Lord Rex, and Lord Yang
In the mornings, Zhao Zhenzhen would preside over the merchant association canteen branch, preparing the dishes to be sold for the day. In the afternoon, she would go to the town hall to help.
Ji Tang took Rex to do a study in the countryside. During his absence, Zhao Zhenzhen had to keep an eye on things: whether there were any emergencies at construction sites or if any clerks encountered problems.
The 26 clerical staff employed by the town hall were responsible for various tasks within Weisshem. They gradually adapted to the changes in their status, but not all residents of the town could do the same, especially when they found themselves being bossed around by people they used to look down upon.
Female clerks, in particular, were often subjected to intentional criticism by townsfolk working as temporary laborers, accusing them of being lazy or making mistakes.
Making life difficult for young women with less-than-illustrious pasts was all too easy. Without the need to get physical, a few insinuating words or disdainful looks and expressions were enough to wound these girls' already scarred hearts.
Zhao Zhenzhen had just finished looking through Ji Tang's handwritten work diary in his office when Shirley came to her, looking rather troubled.
Shirley shut the door and hesitated for a moment.
"Ma'am I-I don't know how to say this"
Seeing this, Zhao Zhenzhen knew at once that something was wrong. She immediately asked Shirley to sit, poured her a glass of water, and chatted with her about recent trivial matters. Only when Shirley relaxed did she inquire about the issue.
"I-I dare not tell Lord Rex; I'm afraid he will be disappointed" Shirley took a deep breath and said with great difficulty, "Hilary She's very upset. She wants to give up her clerk job."
Zhao Zhenzhen softly comforted her, "Relax a little, Shirley. This is neither your fault nor Hilary's. We've only just encountered some trouble, and what we need to do is solve the problem, not blame anyone. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Can you tell me what's causing Hilary such grief?"
"Th-the construction site she's in charge of has a man who once bought her." Shirley hung her head in embarrassment. "Back then, that man was extorted by Hilary's boss and had to sell his carriage to get away. He and his family deeply resent Hilary."
"I understand," Zhao Zhenzhen said solemnly. "Thank you, Shirley. I appreciate your concern for Hilary and your efforts to help her."
Shirley was taken aback.
She never imagined that Zhao Zhenzhen would be able to stand with Hilary and express gratitude to her. This proved that Zhao Zhenzhen didn't look down on Hilary. This undead lady respected Hilary and her fellow clerks.
The discomfort and grievances that Shirley had suppressed deep inside instantly erupted, and she burst into tears.
Zhao Zhenzhen handed her a handkerchief, patiently waiting for her to release her emotions. Then, she softly said, "Let's go check on Hilary; she needs us."
Spotting the young lady crying quietly on the balcony, Zhao Zhenzhen opened her arms and said, "Seeing you this upset makes me want to hug you like a friend. However, I'm worried you might not want to be embraced by an undead like me."
Hilary immediately threw herself into Zhao Zhenzhen's arms.
Zhao Zhenzhen gently stroked Hilary's back and said, "You've worked hard, Hilary. Thanks to you and others going door-to-door, we now know how many households are in town and roughly how many people there are. Your efforts have made it possible for us to estimate the number of town residents we can employ for the road reconstruction project. The smooth progress of our work in the town is all thanks to your hard work.
"I've seen the construction site you're in charge of, Hilary, and you're doing a great job. Under your supervision, many town residents work systematically, earning stable daily wages and having their financial pressures alleviated. It's all thanks to you
"Even though we're working so hard to improve the living conditions of the townspeople, they don't understand our intentions. They misunderstand our motives and don't comprehend our methods. But we know why we're sweating so much, right? We're doing it to make this town better, to let the people living here see hope.
"The site you're responsible for will be transformed into a sugar factory workshop. Once the sugar factory is built, we'll bring in machines and purchase corn from farmers, solving the difficulty they face in selling their corn at a good price after a bountiful harvest. We'll hire workers, addressing the issue of young people in the town struggling to find employment."
Zhao Zhenzhen didn't mention a word about forgetting the past or letting go of pain. She spoke like a gentle elder sister, listing the significance of Hilary's work and contributions to Weisshem. After Hilary finished crying, she didn't bring up the matter of giving up her clerk job. With swollen eyes, she went back to work together with Shirley.
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