Chapter 395: A Rotten Man

Chen Chen Guanlou tapped the tabletop lightly and said offhandedly, "The food at noon was a bit too salty."

Qian Xu Fugui frowned in thought at first, then suddenly saw the light. "I understand now. There must be an internal squabble on the logistics side."

"Internal squabble? Uneven split of the loot?" Chen Chen Guanlou was quite curious.

Qian Xu Fugui hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It's not about an uneven split. It seems the backers behind them have made some changes, and the internal interests need to be redistributed. This matter involves the entire logistics side."

"Who did you hear this from?"

"No one told me. I figured it out myself. A few days ago I was busy in the accounts office, and an unfamiliar accountant from logistics came by to check the books. We chatted for a bit."

"You're quite clever — a few tiny clues and you've pieced together the truth behind it. You're not only suited for the accounts office, but also for being a Constable." Chen Chen Guanlou was sincerely praising him. Qian Xu Fugui serving as a jailer was an absolute waste. Fortunately, Chen Chen Guanlou had a good eye for talent and had promoted him to the accounts office.

Qian Xu Fugui chuckled, a little embarrassed. "My lord is too kind. I'm only fit to be an accountant, and being an accountant suits me just fine."

"Do your job well, and when you have the time, keep an eye on what's happening over at logistics. I don't want to eat unbearably salty food every day."

"Understood, my lord. I'll do my best to find out."

"No need to investigate on purpose. Just let it happen naturally."

"I'll follow your lead, my lord."

As for the logistics matter, Chen Chen Guanlou couldn't get involved — it wouldn't even be appropriate for him to ask a single question.

Although they were all part of the Heaven Prison, they belonged to different interest groups, with an invisible boundary between them. Everyone tacitly respected that boundary and didn't interfere with one another.

It was just that the food — sometimes bland, sometimes salty — was miserable to eat.

Chen Chen Guanlou was a man of refined tastes, particular about food and drink, unwilling to make do. He simply spent money eating out. He had the money and wouldn't shortchange himself.

Lu Lu Datou shamelessly mooched a meal.

Seeing this, Chen Chen Guanlou understood at once. "Lost all your money gambling?"

Lu Lu Datou chuckled sheepishly.

"Payday is still over half a month away. What do you plan to do? Your wife didn't give you a hard time?"

Lu Lu Datou was always transparent in front of Chen Chen Guanlou, hiding nothing. He directly pulled open his collar to reveal his scratched-up neck. "The tigress went wild. I'm planning to stay at the Heaven Prison for the next few days and not go back. I'll wait until she cools off before heading home."

"Going on like this forever isn't a solution. When you can't work anymore someday, what then?"

"My son will take over the job. The son earns money for his old man to spend — it's only right and proper."

Sure enough, a thoroughly rotten good-for-nothing.

Chen Chen Guanlou ate his food and drink as he spoke. "I'm too lazy to lecture you — you're sick of hearing it anyway. How about this: every month when you get paid, set aside a portion to save up."

Lu Lu Datou grunted, clearly unwilling.

Chen Chen Guanlou shot him a cold glance.

Lu Lu Datou got a jolt and immediately said, "How about you hold onto it for me, Brother Chen? Just save five qian a month…"

"Save two taels of silver a year, and in a year you'll have twenty-four taels. Use half for the New Year — more than enough for your family to have a prosperous holiday. Keep saving the rest, to set aside betrothal gifts, dowries, and a house for the kids. When the children grow up and you're still an old gambling addict, your future daughter-in-law will definitely look down on you."

"If she dares look down on me, she won't be allowed through the Lu family door!" Lu Lu Datou was full of bluster.

Chen Chen Guanlou gave a cold laugh. "You're a rotten gambler — why on earth couldn't she look down on you? If your son and daughter-in-law live with you, the house will be in an uproar every day. Would that be any good? Split up. Live separately — out of sight, out of mind. Your wife will also have somewhere to go when she's angry."

"Brother Chen, why do you always think of the little ones and never think of me?"

Chen Chen Guanlou spoke his cutting words at an unhurried pace. "You're a rotten man — why would I think of you? We're brothers, sure, but that doesn't mean I'll support you without limits. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Your life is already a wash anyway, so try not to drag your wife and kids down with you."

Lu Lu Datou was still a bit unconvinced. He had an inflated sense of himself, swaggering about, thinking he was quite capable.

Chen Chen Guanlou had to admit that, setting aside Lu Lu Datou's flaws, he was a capable man. Unfortunately, the flaws were too many to overlook — especially the gambling, which was truly beyond saving. When he had money, he gambled; when he didn't, he watched others gamble. His whole life revolved around that one word: gambling. At work he slacked off, but his mind was still on gambling, replaying the previous night's game — what he did wrong, where his luck fell short.

Chen Chen Guanlou popped a fried peanut into his mouth. "Over the years, you've earned plenty. Just from the Second-in-Charge's case alone, you made several hundred taels of silver. You didn't give your wife a single copper — all of it lost at the gambling table. I really can't with you."

Lu Lu Datou had no way to argue against that.

Because every word was true.

Embarrassed for all of two seconds, Lu Lu Datou perked up again. "Brother Chen, any big jobs lately? Need an extra pair of hands? I'll earn a bit of honest money."

"Year-end is peaceful — no jobs." Chen Chen Guanlou gave him not a shred of hope.

Lu Lu Datou wouldn't give up. "That can't be right. Year-end is always peak season — every day there's some official being thrown into prison. Brother Chen, sure I love gambling, but I do my work solidly too. Whatever you tell me to do, I've always handled it properly."

Chen Chen Guanlou glanced at him. "The court has been pretty turbulent lately. Wars on both the north and south fronts, and the court is short on money. I heard there's been a natural disaster somewhere that needs relief funds."

"The old Emperor must be pulling his hair out." Lu Lu Datou chuckled, looking like he was watching a good show, gloating. Whenever officials in the court had bad luck, or the old Emperor had bad luck, the Heaven Prison folks were happy. They loved watching those lofty figures tumble into the mud overnight.

Chen Chen Guanlou said casually, "The Jia-block prison here is about to get busy too. There are some small jobs — willing to make a run?"

"Willing, willing. Just say the word, Brother Chen."

Chen Chen Guanlou told him, "There's an imprisoned official with quite a few ailments — he has to take medicine every day. The water for brewing the medicine has to be mountain spring water. Someone needs to be sent out of the city every morning at the crack of dawn to fetch it. Are you willing to do this job? I'll pay you five qian of silver a day — you bring back one jug of mountain spring water daily. If you're willing, I'll give you the job. If not, I'll hand it to the odd-job men below or any jailer willing to do it."

"Going out of the city at dawn to fetch mountain spring water — for only five qian of silver?" Lu Lu Datou thought the pay was too low.

Chen Chen Guanlou immediately snorted, thoroughly disgusted. "Do you have any idea — if I put this job out at this price, the line of applicants would stretch from Chengnan to the north end of the city. Plenty of people would fight for it. And you dare complain it's too little. The porters outside work themselves to the bone all day and only earn twenty or thirty big coins. Five qian of silver is twenty times what they make. You're something else — flat broke, and you're turning down easy work that pays five qian a day. If you really won't do it, I'll give the job to your wife. She'd definitely be happy to take it."

"No need, no need. I'll do it, I'll do it!" Lu Lu Datou quickly changed his tune. If this job fell into his wife's hands, he wouldn't see a single copper of it. Doing it himself meant at least five qian of silver coming in every day — and the key part was, it was paid daily.