After successfully practicing Iron Cloth and gaining a bit more experience, Chen Ping'an originally wanted to continue cultivating in one go.
However, his body's sensations told him that he couldn't continue.
He had a day off and would be on duty tomorrow. The effort and energy required then would be considerable, so Chen Ping'an thought about it and decided to stop for today and continue tomorrow.
After tidying up the close-fitting clothes he usually wore for practice, Chen Ping'an quickly washed up and prepared to go to bed.
Chen Er'ya had already washed up early and was waiting for him in bed.
In ordinary households, living space was limited, and there weren't so many formalities between siblings. From childhood, Chen Ping'an and Chen Er'ya had slept on the same bed.
Of course, their bedding was laid out separately.
"Brother, you've finished your martial arts practice!" Chen Er'ya said excitedly.
"Yes," Chen Ping'an replied, then got into bed and slipped into his own bedding. The bedding had been prepared by Chen Er'ya in advance.
"Nannan, Brother will be on duty tomorrow. When you're home alone, don't just casually deal with lunch; remember to eat something good. There are still plenty of eggs we bought today, so feel free to eat them tomorrow. And don't save the leftover beef for Brother; eat it all."
Chen Ping'an, knowing Chen Er'ya's personality well, instructed her.
"We have to pay back the silver in ten days. Brother earns money to support the family all by himself, so the pressure is already great. If I really eat as Brother says, how will we get by?"
The need to repay Young Master Hu's fourteen taels of silver, principal and interest, in ten days had undoubtedly become Chen Er'ya's biggest worry at the moment.
"Nannan, eat without worry. The family isn't short on this. Brother already has a plan for the money," Chen Ping'an comforted her.
In the moonlight, Chen Er'ya looked at Chen Ping'an with a look of disbelief.
"Really, Brother isn't lying to you! How could Brother joke with you about something like this!" Chen Ping'an half-lay down and reached out to stroke Chen Er'ya's head.
In fact, he did have some ideas on how to gather the remaining silver. However, implementing these ideas would still involve some risk.
There were still ten days, so no rush. He'd wait until he had cultivated Iron Cloth to some extent before doing anything!
"Really?"
"Really!"
"I knew Brother would find a way."
Chen Er'ya beamed with joy.
"Mm, right, don't be stingy with money tomorrow. Go buy some more pork hock, and then..." Chen Ping'an rambled on.
The siblings chatted for a long time until Chen Er'ya finally grew sleepy and gradually fell asleep.
Under the moonlight, a peaceful and serene expression appeared on Chen Er'ya's face, her breathing steady and even. It was as if she were sleeping in her mother's embrace. This was the feeling of having support, the embrace of home. It was having someone who would always stand by her side, facing the world's troubles together.
The crossbar on the door latch had been kicked off during the day. When he went on duty tomorrow, he should also look around to see if he could find a suitable replacement. Using a firewood stick to prop it up was still too flimsy.
Hmm... Uncle Pan's family in the lane still owes our family half a tael of silver, and it's been a while. I should find a time to go and collect it too.
Now that he had started cultivating martial arts, the family's expenses for food, clothing, and other necessities would be much higher than before.
Also... Young Master Hu promised today to extend the repayment period to ten days. However, one must guard against him suddenly changing his mind. Although the probability of him reneging is low, it cannot be ruled out, so preparations and contingency plans should still be made.
Furthermore, during the day, I deliberately showed some hesitation for Young Master Hu to see. Unlike ordinary gang members, this Young Master Hu looks big and crude, but he is actually subtle beneath the rough exterior; otherwise, he wouldn't be valued by Master Hu and groomed as his successor.
I can appropriately show courage, but not too much. This hint of hesitation should be just right. Too little would make me seem too cunning, too much would make me seem too useless and easily bullied...
Under the moonlight, on the bed, Chen Ping'an meticulously calculated.
...
Early the next morning, Chen Ping'an drank a bowl of porridge and then went to the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office to report for duty. Although he was an unregistered Yamen Runner, he still had to abide by the relevant regulations like a regular Yamen Runner. In fact, the enforcement and management of some regulations would be even stricter for him than for official Yamen Runners.
When Chen Ping'an arrived at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, many Yamen Runners had already arrived. The way these Yamen Runners stood among themselves was very clear, in groups of twos and threes, or fives and sixes, indicating their respective factions at a glance.
However, this had little to do with Chen Ping'an. His relationships at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office were neither good nor bad; no one would deliberately try to befriend him, nor would anyone intentionally cause trouble.
After greeting a few familiar faces, Chen Ping'an found a corner and waited quietly.
"Ping'an, you're a bit later today than usual. You used to always arrive earlier than me."
A slender young man, looking shrewd and nimble like a monkey, walked towards Chen Ping'an.
"Monkey Head. I went to bed late yesterday, so I dozed off a bit longer this morning."
Seeing the person approaching, a smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.
The person's name was Hou Fugui, nicknamed Monkey Head, and he was one of the few people Chen Ping'an had a good relationship with at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office.
Hou Fugui, like him, was also an unregistered Yamen Runner at the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office. His family ran a blacksmith business, and his old man was big and incredibly strong. He didn't know how he ended up looking like this.
The two exchanged a few words, and then another person walked in from outside the Zhenfu Division. He looked around a few times and then saw the two standing in the corner.
"Dashan, over here!" Monkey Head called out to the newcomer.
"Ping'an, Monkey Head."
The man called Dashan walked towards them, greeting them with a smile.
Dashan had rough features, dark skin, and a strong physique, looking like he had a lot of strength.
"Morning, Dashan," Chen Ping'an greeted with a smile.
"Morning, Ping'an," Dashan replied with a simple smile.
Unlike Monkey Head, Dashan's family were just ordinary farmers outside the county town. Years ago, he unintentionally helped the Zhenfu Division solve a case, and coupled with his strength, he unexpectedly became an unregistered Yamen Runner of the Zhenfu Division.
Although unregistered, this was still a great honor for Dashan's family. They had spent their lives toiling in the soil, never expecting that in Dashan's generation, they would be able to break free.
Speaking of which, Dashan's strength was no ordinary strength.
Once, Chen Ping'an personally witnessed him easily lift a millstone-sized rock over his head.
As time passed, Yamen Runners continuously entered through the Zhenfu Division's main gate.
Most of these late-arriving Yamen Runners were official Yamen Runners.
As the next person walked in, the previously somewhat noisy sounds inside the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office immediately quieted down.
"Zheng Chatou is here," Monkey Head whispered, then stopped speaking, looking straight at the newcomer like everyone else.
...PS: Hello? Is anyone reading this?
If so, give a shout-out!
The feeling of being a solo act is truly bittersweet!