Willow Leaf Street was bustling with peddlers and porters, a constant stream of people coming and going. However, Chen Pingâan and his group hadnât encountered any fights or brawls.
Weishui County City wasnât just any small town. It was a proper County City, and order was strictly maintained. While numerous gangs, both large and small, operated within it, they all adhered to a tacit understanding: no fighting unless absolutely necessary.
Well, at least, thatâs how it appeared on the surface.
No matter how fierce the private conflicts became, they had to stay private.
If a large-scale brawl broke out in broad daylight, it would be a huge loss of face for the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. If that happened, itâd be a miracle if they didnât crush whoever was responsible.
Nothing happened the entire morning.
The Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office served lunch. After patrolling all morning, the trio of Chen Pingâan, Monkey Head, and Da Shan returned to the Garrison Commandantâs Office to eat.
They usually ate at the Garrison Commandantâs Office. After all, eating out cost money. Better to save that money for just about anything else!
They wouldnât eat out unless someone was treating.
The food at the Garrison Commandantâs Office was neither good nor bad. There was a small, greasy meat dish, two reasonably fresh vegetable dishes, and an unlimited supply of rice.
The group got their food, found a spot, and sat right down to eat.
Having only had porridge for breakfast and patrolled all morning, Chen Pingâan was naturally famished. He wondered if it had something to do with starting his Cultivation of the Iron Cloth Shirt, but his appetite today was much larger than usual. He didnât stop until he had finished three large bowls of rice.
The sight left Monkey Head a little surprised.
"Pingâan, whatâs with you today? Youâre eating like some kind of starving ghost!"
"I didnât eat enough this morning. Iâm just really hungry today."
Chen Pingâan just laughed it off.
"Iâm so sick of this food. Itâs always the same few dishes, over and over!"
Monkey Head grumbled, eyeing the barely-greasy meat dish.
Of the three of them, his family was the wealthiest, so he was a bit pickier about his food.
Before Chen Pingâan could reply, Da Shan let out a huge burp from the side.
"BUUURP."
"You oaf!"
Monkey Head gave Da Shan a swat.
Da Shan chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.
For someone from his family, the life he lived now was practically divine. No back-breaking labor, no toiling in the fields with his face to the dirt and his back to the sky. He just had to wear a saber, walk around a bit, and he got fed!
It was simply unbelievable...
Plus, walking down the street like this felt incredibly impressive!
"Man, the Constables have it good! Their food is so much better than ours!"
Monkey Head put down his half-eaten meal, placed his hands behind his head, and let out a long sigh.
The lunch at the Garrison Commandantâs Office was the same for both official constables and the off-the-books temporary constables. But for those at the Constable level, the food was a whole lot better.
From what the group had observed, a Constable was entitled to at least two meat dishes, plus an unlimited supply of vegetables. And these werenât minor meat dishes like theirs, but proper, hearty meat dishes dripping with grease!
"Envious?"
Chen Pingâan glanced at Monkey Head.
"If youâre so envious, then go pursue the Martial Dao yourself! The Constables are all Martial Arts Masters. Without a steady supply of rich, oily food, how could they have enough energy and Qi Blood for their Cultivation!?"
At the mention of cultivating the Martial Dao, Monkey Head immediately deflated.
"Forget it, forget it, Iâm just not cut out for it! Da Shan could do it. Right, Da Shan?"
"Yeah, Iâve been practicing my strength!"
Da Shan rumbled.
"Hahaha, see, Da Shan has ambition! Keep at it, and once you succeed, Pingâan and I will be able to swagger around."
Monkey Head patted Da Shanâs shoulder vigorously, grinning.
"..."
Watching his two friends banter, Chen Pingâan felt a sense of comfort, but also a surge of motivation.
âThe Constable rank already enjoys a completely different standard of food. What about the Inspectorate then!?â
âThe Inspectorate and Vice Inspector of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office have a dedicated servant deliver their meals every day. They can have whatever they want to eat, with a completely unlimited supply!â
âHere in Nanquan Lane, those two men are gods to the rest of us!â
âThe food is just a microcosm of the difference between ranks. What it truly represents is... Power!â
...
After lunch, Chen Pingâan and his friends took a short nap at the Garrison Commandantâs Office before heading back to Willow Leaf Street for their patrol.
The sun was high overhead at noon. They were supposedly on patrol, but they werenât exactly diligent. Finding a well-hidden spot, the three of them lounged in the shade of a tree to rest.
Eating the Garrison Commandantâs Officeâs food really was great. If they were mere servants or Assistants elsewhere, theyâd never get a chance like this to slack off and nap!
First, an official break, then some secret slacking off, and they still collected a Monthly Allowance at the end of it.
All in all, they were making out like bandits!
Normally, Chen Pingâan would only rest for about half an hour to catch up on sleep. But today, perhaps tired from practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt the day before, he ended up sleeping for nearly a full hour.
By the time he woke up, Monkey Head and Da Shan were already chatting away. A now-awake Chen Pingâan joined their conversation. From interesting rumors on the street to neighborhood gossip, there was always something new to discuss. Despite spending so much time together, they never ran out of things to talk about.
After resting in the shade for over an hour, the trio unhurriedly got up to resume their patrol.
Willow Leaf Street was much livelier at this time of day. Even the ruffians and scoundrels, who were scarce in the morning, started appearing from time to time.
Petty thugs who hadnât made a name for themselves would scatter from a distance the moment they saw the constables approaching on patrol, sabers at their waists. But the seasoned gang members showed no fear at the sight of them.
Of course, while they werenât afraid, no one was stupid enough to deliberately provoke them.
When they saw the trio, these ruffians would either ignore them or give a slight nod as a greeting.
Actually approaching them with a greeting was extremely rare. Only a few exceptionally slick, opportunistic thugs would bother; the rest had no interest.
After all, despite their official-looking attire, they were just temporary constables, not even officially on the payroll.
Although they looked imposing walking down the street, they ultimately had very little real power. Once they were off duty, they had to return their Waist Tokens and sabers.
If you wanted thugs to actively greet you, let alone fawn over you, even someone like Mr. Qin probably didnât have enough clout!
At the very least, youâd have to be a senior constable on the verge of being promoted to Constable!
As the group chatted, time flew by. Nothing happened that day.
Seeing that it was about time, Chen Pingâan, Monkey Head, and Da Shan returned to the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office to report in.
Even by this time, the three of them still hadnât seen Mr. Qin.
When it came to slacking off, Mr. Qin was the true master. Their napping in the shade for an hour or two was nothing special.
After returning their Waist Tokens and sabers, the group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways home.