It was just a minor leader from the Flying Sand Gang, hardly something that required Chen Pingâan to go in person. Dispatching two constables with his Constable Token was more than enough.
As he watched the two men hurry away, a sense of pride swelled in Chen Pingâanâs heart.
âHe wasnât sure when it started, but now, a single word from him was enough to make others bend over backward to carry out his orders!â
âIs this the authority of a Constable?â
However, he quickly stamped out that flicker of pride.
âA Constable!? This little bit of influence is far from enough...â
When Chen Pingâan returned home, Aunt Zhang was there, sipping a cup of hot water while Chen Erya stood beside her.
"Lord Chen."
Seeing Chen Pingâan return, Aunt Zhang set down her cup and hurried over to greet him.
"Did... did it not go well?"
Seeing Chen Pingâan back so soon, Aunt Zhangâs heart sank, her high hopes deflating.
"Itâs being handled. Just wait for news, Aunt Zhang, and try not to worry," Chen Pingâan said, offering a reassuring smile.
But despite Chen Pingâanâs reassurance, Aunt Zhang couldnât rest easy. She couldnât stop thinking about Uncle Zhang. He wasnât a young man anymore. Heâd been beaten and was now being held captive. âHow could he possibly endure it?â
âMy husband has been a decent, law-abiding man his whole life. How on earth did he offend those devils from the Flying Sand Gang!â
âThose gangsters arenât ordinary people. Theyâre all vicious and cruel. Theyâre not people common folk like us can afford to cross.â
âOh, my poor husband...â
The more she thought about it, the more agitated Aunt Zhang became.
She couldnât stop herself from pacing back and forth in the Chen Family Courtyard.
Just when Aunt Zhang couldnât bear the wait any longer and was about to go out to check on the situation, a large, intimidating crowd of people appeared outside.
There were at least a dozen of them, and they swarmed to the gate of the Chen Family Courtyard.
They all looked fierce and menacing, burly and imposing. Their sudden arrival gave Aunt Zhang a terrible fright.
"Chen Constable, mission accomplished. The men from the Flying Sand Gang are here, and weâve brought Uncle Zhang back."
The two men at the front were indeed the constables from the Garrison Commandantâs Office.
"Mm," Chen Pingâan grunted, not even bothering to look up from his seat on the courtyardâs stone bench.
"My dear!"
Just then, Aunt Zhang spotted Uncle Zhang in the crowd. His face was black and blue with bruises, and he looked quite disheveled. His clothes, however, were brand new.
"Wife!" Uncle Zhang cried out upon seeing Aunt Zhang.
The man at the very front barked, "Let him go, now!"
At his words, the two men holding Uncle Zhang hastily let him go.
"My dear, are you alright?" Aunt Zhang rushed forward.
"Iâm fine, Iâm fine..."
Seeing Uncle Zhang standing right there in front of her, safe and sound, felt completely surreal to Aunt Zhang.
âHeâs back? Just like that?â
"Lord Chen, I am Peng Liutong, Vice Gang Leader of the Flying Sand Gang. We truly meant no offense; this was all a misunderstanding."
Peng Liutong was the man leading the group. He explained himself while watching Chen Pingâan, who remained seated in the courtyard.
To be honest, his back was soaked in a cold sweat the entire way here.
He had been enjoying a drink at the Flying Sand Gangâs headquarters, shooting the breeze with his subordinates, when one of them reported that constables from the Garrison Commandantâs Office had come calling.
At first, seeing they were only a couple of temporary constables, heâd planned to throw his weight around and act tough. But then they whipped out a Constable Token.
Honestly, when he saw the Constable Token, he nearly pissed his pants. Normally, his reaction wouldnât have been so extreme, but...
...what happened to the Tiger Head Gang was still a fresh memory!
Who would dare mess with a Constable from the Garrison Commandantâs Office!?
He had scrambled to welcome the two men, and after a round of questioning, he finally understood what was going on.
âAnd it was all because of trouble caused by one of his own minor leaders!â
âThat blind fool!â
Just thinking about it made Peng Liutongâs blood boil.
"Lord Chen, Iâve brought the man. This is the blind fool who detained one of your neighbors."
A man, trussed up securely, was shoved forward from behind Peng Liutong.
"Kill him or torture him, itâs all up to you!"
Aunt Zhang was completely dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before her.
She suddenly realized that the whole crowd was packed outside the gate, not a single person daring to step into the courtyard. Their leader, the Vice Gang Leader of the Flying Sand Gang, was watching Chen Pingâan with the utmost caution, waiting for him to give the word.
âThe Vice Gang Leader of the Flying Sand Gang is here apologizing in person, and the man who detained my husband has been tied up and offered to Lord Chen to kill or torture as he pleases!?â
Looking at Chen Pingâan, who remained as serene and unshakable as a mountain, Aunt Zhang felt a little dizzy. It was as if she were seeing him for the very first time.
...
Uncle Zhangâs matter was resolved smoothly. Given Peng Liutongâs sincere attitude, the trussed-up leader merely received a few lashes before the matter was considered closed. Of course, Peng Liutongâs "sincerity" was quite substantial. Chen Pingâan hadnât expected that helping Uncle Zhang on a whim would also bring such an unexpected windfall.
A full fifty taels of silver!
Based on his Monthly Allowance, it would take him over a year to earn fifty taels of silver. Now, it had fallen right into his hands with no effort at all.
âAs expected. After becoming a Constable, the opportunities to rake in money were appearing more and more frequently.â
Sometimes, he didnât even have to look for it; the money would come knocking on his door by itself.
Counting the three hundred taels of silver from Constable Zheng, his cut from the destruction of the Tiger Head Gang, and a few other miscellaneous gains, he now had nearly five hundred taels of silver on hand.
Speaking of which, he had also gone to retrieve the silver buried in the stone pile from when heâd killed Popei LiuâEr a few days prior.
Five hundred taels. In Nanquan Lane, that was more than enough to live a very comfortable life.
But for Chen Pingâan, this silver had far greater uses. Beyond daily expenses, he needed silver to purchase things like Martial Arts Skills and better weapons.
And...
Chen Pingâan glanced at his courtyard and the small, one-and-a-half-room house that stood within it.
âThis residence is a little too humble for me now,â he thought.
âBut... I can wait a while longer!â
According to Mu Wanjun, she would find an opportunity to have him transferred to the South Town Garrison Command. Given his rate of progress in the Martial Dao, he was confident that day would come soon.
Rather than get a new residence in Nanquan Lane, he might as well go all the way and move directly into South City Lane, the heart of the South District.
In terms of both security and quality of life, South City Lane was undoubtedly on a higher tier than any of the surrounding lanes.
Over the next few days, Uncle Zhang brought his entire family to Chen Pingâanâs home to thank him profusely. He said frankly that if not for Chen Pingâan, he would have lost his life.
Uncle Zhangâs son and daughter-in-law were immensely grateful, even kowtowing to Chen Pingâan.
Even their little grandson, the toddler he had seen before, said in a sweet, childish voice, "Thank you, Lord Chen, for saving my grandpaâs life."