My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 191 Sharing Weal and Woe

Lin Ziping added, "No one can falsely accuse us of something we didn't do. Brothers, we believe the state government will soon find out the truth, clear our names, and release us."

"Lin Ziping is right. Everyone, please calm down. Consider these past few days a break after all your hard work," Shi Yong said.

“Yes, Brother Shi is right, consider it a paid vacation,” Lin Ziping chimed in. “It’s just a bit cold in here, I wonder if we could add two more stoves.”

"Haha, Lin Ziping, would you like me to warm up another pot of wine for you?"

"Call two more beauties from Chunhua Tower..."

"Don't talk nonsense, our young constable Lin is very upright and virtuous... haha..."

……

The discussion gradually veered off-topic.

"Brothers, please don't tease me. My family has already arranged a marriage for me, and it wouldn't be good if my fiancée heard about it," Lin Ziping said.

"Haha, Lin Xiaochai is still afraid of his wife..."

……

Lin Ziping feigned shyness and left their chat group.

Looking around the cell, it was truly rudimentary.

Lin Ziping pulled over a chair and sat down with his legs crossed.

He pulled the blanket from the bed and casually draped it over himself.

It was almost dark, time to go to sleep.

Lin Ziping was in a daze and didn't know how much time had passed. He almost fell off his chair, his drowsiness vanishing in fright.

Lin Ziping quickly sat up straight, rubbing his sore neck. The cell was pitch black.

The light from outside shone through the small window and fell directly onto the small bed.

Lin Ziping got up and slowly groped his way to the bedside to sit down.

It's called a bed, but it's actually just three stools and a wooden board combined together, and it creaks when you sit on it.

The temperature inside the room was getting lower and lower. He had only eaten one meal all day, and his stomach was growling loudly. He was truly suffering from hunger and cold.

Lin Ziping didn't have time to complain and lay down on the bed wrapped in the quilt.

Looking through the window, I could see the moon hanging high in the sky, and the moonlight shining on me gave me the feeling of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon for spiritual cultivation.

Lin Ziping drifted off to sleep again.

When I woke up this time, the room was still dark, but I could vaguely see things.

Lin Ziping suppressed his embarrassment, finished dealing with this important matter, and found a broken candle and a tinderbox on the table.

It's estimated that they're currently under surveillance; if something goes missing from the warehouse, everyone in the county government is a suspect.

County Magistrate Wei was "released" on bail and allowed to stay at home, while insignificant officials like himself were imprisoned.

I don't know if they'll send someone else later. If they do, I might lose my identity.

Lin Ziping's worry lasted only a moment before he put it out of his mind.

Since we're already here, let's make the best of it; worrying won't solve anything.

The temperature in the cell was still a bit low, so Lin Ziping pulled the blanket around himself tighter and lay back down on the bed.

How could the county government have lost its silver?

The sheer scale of this operation suggests that the number involved must be substantial.

Lin Ziping carefully recalled the events of his visit to the county government office the night before last.

I went through it several times from beginning to end, but unfortunately I came up with nothing.

"Forget it," Lin Ziping shook off the thoughts in his head and lay down on the table, giving up.

This table has been sitting here for who knows how long; it's covered in a thick layer of dust, and mud has gradually settled on the surface.

Even with a little force, it makes a creaking sound.

The room grew brighter and brighter, and Lin Ziping's stomach began to rumble loudly, as if he were singing the Empty City Stratagem quite intensely.

"Is anyone there? Someone come quick!" Lin Ziping shook the cell door and shouted outside.

"What's wrong with Xiaolin?" Old Huang from next door asked.

Lin Ziping said, "Uncle Huang, I'm hungry. This cell is dark and cold."

Her voice trembled with a hint of tears as she spoke.

"Haha, Xiao Lin is seventeen this year, right? Why does he still act like a child?"

"Yesterday she was saying she had a boyfriend, but today she's already crying."

……

The surrounding prison cells had been contracted out to the yamen runners of Fuchun County. Although they didn't talk much normally, they seemed unusually familiar with the place at this moment.

I guess that's the magic of sharing hardships.

Lin Ziping said, "Aren't you guys hungry? I haven't eaten anything since I came in yesterday. I was just about to do my job when I was dragged in."

Lin Ziping's words seemed to set the stage for a discussion, and everyone started to complain.

"Who can argue with that? I was arrested a couple of nights ago."

"Yeah, most of the people from Class 3 are here, right?"

Lin Ziping added, "I don't know if Brother Hu and the others are here. The day before yesterday, I went to the city gate and found them knocked unconscious and left in an alley. I took them to the house of someone living nearby. I don't know how they are now."

"Xiao Lin, did you save Hu Laosi?" Shi Yong's voice came.

Lin Ziping nodded, then suddenly realized that they couldn't see each other through the cell door and said, "Yes."

"When was the day before yesterday?"

"In the morning, I think, but I forgot what time," Lin Ziping answered honestly.

Why did you end up at the city gate?

"Everyone must be hungry, let's call someone to bring some food over." Lin Ziping was about to answer when Old Huang interrupted him.

“These soldiers have taken over the Fuchun County government office but they’re not doing anything right. They haven’t even brought us food yet.”

"Yes, someone come quick!"

We want to eat!

A chorus of agreement rose and fell.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, they were finally able to eat a hot meal, and each room was even provided with a stove and a kettle.

Salary and benefits increased dramatically.

Lin Ziping glanced at the window diagonally above. Although it was small, ventilation should be fine, so there was no need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.

For the next few days, Lin Ziping lived a true life of leisure, eating and sleeping, and when he had nothing to do, he would brag to the people next door.

Aside from not being able to take a bath and being out of touch with the world, it was quite comfortable.

On the fifth day, Xiaochunzi came to visit him in prison.

Xiaochunzi said with tears streaming down her face that Lin Ziping had suffered.

Lin Ziping took the opportunity to show off the results of his training over the past few days and happily accepted the clothes, blankets and other things that Xiao Chunzi brought.

The families of other detained constables also came to visit one after another, bringing necessities such as clothes and blankets.

Lin Ziping accepted the things Xiao Chunzi brought, and upon careful inspection, he found books such as the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Remembering his promise to Li Qiongying to participate in the selection process in Beijing, Lin Ziping began his study mode.

The knowledge systems of the two eras are different. Having lived through that era for nearly thirty years, the knowledge and concepts there are more solid.

I learned the knowledge of this era in a very casual and careless way, and I've basically forgotten most of it in the past six months.

Looking at the book in his hand, Lin Ziping silently cheered himself up.

Looking back on my high school days, I'm just retracing my steps. Besides, being locked up in this prison with nothing to do is a perfect opportunity to study.

From then on, Lin Ziping became obsessed with studying and couldn't extricate himself.

Time flies, and another week has passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Ziping looked at the seven strokes on the paper. These were the strokes drawn every day since Xiao Chunzi arrived, used to keep track of time.

Lin Ziping has read several books multiple times and has also done past exam questions several times.

Unfortunately, all the past exam questions were subjective, and there were no reference answers yet, so we don't know if they were correct.