Chapter 104: – Guard Carefully (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

104. Chapter 104 – Guard Carefully (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Zhao Jin's arrangements were thorough, and everyone agreed. Only then did Liu Yong steady himself, point to the short, skinny man nearby, and say, "Big Brother, this is Rolling Thunder, Lei Zi. The one who fought you back then. Let him handle the message deliveries from now on. Lei Zi, hurry up and greet Big Brother."

That short man who had spoken provocatively had been very stocky — Zhao Jin still had an impression of him — but now he had completely changed. He looked dull-eyed, his complexion sallow, thin and shriveled like a dried stick, barely better off than a famine refugee. The liveliness in his expression was gone, replaced by timidity and cowering.

Just as Zhao Jin was thinking this, Lei Zi had already dropped to his knees and kowtowed, saying, "This humble one, Lei Cai, pays respects to Big Brother."

Among their own brothers, the most formal gesture was no more than a cupped-fist salute. This Lei Cai had met them all once before — no one expected his backbone to be this soft. Zhao Jin kept his expression neutral, but the others couldn't help showing looks of contempt.

"Lei Zi's had it hard. Three years ago he went back to his hometown with his parents. On the road, the whole family caught a plague. He was the only one left alive. When he got back to the city, he had nothing to fall back on, and he was too young — he couldn't even find any work. I was the only one helping him out, but things aren't easy for me either. He's had a miserable time. At least heaven took pity and let him hold on until now. From now on, life will be better." Liu Yong spoke with emotion from the side.

Though it was only a few sentences, Zhao Jin could hear that this Lei Cai had likely spent the past few years desperately struggling just to survive. He and his companions had never lacked food or clothing and had never felt the poverty and ruin of Xuzhou City — but today they were seeing a vivid example.

Zhao Jin stepped forward, reached out and pulled Lei Cai to his feet, thumped him once on the chest, and said with a smile, "You weren't this spineless when you provoked me back then. Straighten your back. No need to act like this in front of your own people."

Lei Cai hadn't expected this attitude from Zhao Jin and for a moment was at a loss. Zhao Jin smiled and patted him, then took out some silver and handed it to Liu Yong, saying, "Get Lei Zi a change of clothes and some good food. Since he's working for us now, don't shortchange him on food, clothing, or expenses. If the money's not enough, come to me for more."

Liu Yong nodded firmly and replied, "I've got enough here, I've got enough."

Lei Cai, who had been standing blankly to the side, suddenly dropped to his knees and burst into loud sobs. Liu Yong moved closer to comfort him but didn't know what to say, so he just patted him on the shoulder.

After Liu Yong left with Lei Cai, everyone's mood was somewhat heavy. They locked the courtyard gate and came out. Zhao Jin smiled and gave a reminder: "Doing what we're doing now, there's bound to be fighting and killing, and people will see it as crooked and unorthodox. The elders in each of our families are all well-informed. When you go home, there's no need to hide anything — just tell it like it is. If you're afraid of being scolded, just push it all onto me."

Everyone burst into laughter and agreed one after another. Of all the things they'd done, the most troublesome had actually been the killing. But the head of each family thought a little differently from ordinary folk, so they could still gather together. Still, Zhao Jin did worry about one thing: if any family, fearing their child would get into trouble, forbade them from going out, that would be a huge loss for Zhao Jin. These friends each now had their own strengths and could all be a great help.

Zhao Jin and his friends finished tidying up, agreed to meet here again the next day, and then dispersed. His father, Zhao Zhentang, however, was not yet due home — he was sitting idly in the constables' office.

Xuzhou City had no shortage of cases, but the officially registered constables weren't particularly busy. Minor matters were all handled by the unofficial runners and aides under them; they only needed to oversee the big picture.

Zhao Zhentang, who also served as the executioner, held no low position in the constable squad. Aside from Chief Constable Chen Wu, no one else had the authority to give him orders. So if he wanted to be busy, he was busy; if he didn't, he could take it easy.

In the constables' office, people were chatting in groups of two or three, but Zhao Zhentang sat alone in a corner drinking tea. A kettle was boiling on the stove beside him, ready for a fresh brew at any moment. Just as he was relaxing, he saw the constables ahead all rise to greet someone — it was Chief Constable Chen Wu arriving.

Chen Wu and Chen Sheng looked as if they'd come from the same mold: both were large, heavyset men with fair, clean complexions. He walked up to Zhao Zhentang. Zhao Zhentang made to rise as well, but Chen Wu waved a hand, signaling there was no need.

A constable behind them obligingly brought over a stool. After Chen Wu sat down, he gestured for the others to keep their distance. The constables all smiled and dispersed, then turned to murmur among themselves: "Zhao Broadblade and Chief Chen are getting closer and closer. The sons have a good relationship, so the fathers are getting closer too…"

"You're still in the mood to drink tea?" Chen Wu said bluntly as soon as he sat down.

Zhao Zhentang set a teacup in front of Chen Wu, filled it to the brim, and said with a smile, "Why wouldn't I be? The world's at peace, and there aren't any cases in the city."

Chen Wu picked up the teacup, blew on it, and said irritably, "Don't play dumb with me. That boy of yours is about to turn the world upside down. I don't know where he gets such nerve — he actually swallowed up Copper Head's turf. It got Old Li from the Punishment Office complaining to me for a good long while."

"What's he got to complain about? My son already gave him an extra ten percent. Just this morning he was pounding his chest to me, saying to come straight to him if there's any trouble," Zhao Zhentang said with a smile.

Chen Wu shook his head, his expression turning more serious. "Who else taught him but you? Old Zhao, Copper Head is nothing much, but the south side of the city is a pool of muddy water — all kinds of tangled interests everywhere. Now that he's swallowed Copper Head, trouble will come from every direction. Are you really that at ease?"

Zhao Zhentang straightened up as well and said in a deep voice, "Chief Chen, if I told you I never taught him any of this, and I never told him to do anything — would you believe me?"

Seeing how serious Zhao Zhentang looked, Chen Wu was taken aback. Zhao Zhentang continued, "The south side has close ties with the Six Offices and the Guard, and they've never paid much attention to us constables. A little cleaning up there is only right. But that's not the crucial part. The world's getting more and more unsettled. At our age, we've still got many years ahead in the constables' office, and they won't be able to take over this post anytime soon. I think, rather than keep them cooped up at home, it's better to let them go out into the world, roll around and take a look — consider it a kind of tempering."

Chen Wu had already lifted his teacup, but upon hearing Zhao Zhentang's words, his hand stopped in midair. He narrowed his eyes and looked at him for a moment, then smiled and said, "Are these words yours, or your dead brother's?"

Without waiting for Zhao Zhentang to answer, Chen Wu took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and said, "Tempering is tempering, but they still need a proper status. Aside from the Wang family's young master and the Dong family's boy, everyone else needs to be registered as an unofficial runner — a public-service aide!"

Zhao Zhentang smiled and refilled Chen Wu's tea to the brim. Neither of them spoke further.

When he got home that evening, Zhao Jin saw that his mother's face was full of worry — he knew it was because he hadn't come back for lunch. Mu Shulan, however, was cheerfully helping with the cooking, her morning temper completely gone.

Zhao Zhentang came home on time for dinner. Zhao Jin had been wondering what his father would say, but to his surprise, Zhao Zhentang acted as if nothing had happened at all, everything as usual. Only after dinner did he say one line: "You must be careful. This matter isn't over."

Before bed, Zhao Jin noticed Zhao Zhentang placing empty bowls behind the courtyard gate and the house door — any push would make a noise. The demon-headed blade that used to be kept outside was also brought into the house. Zhao Jin realized this was a precaution against a night attack. Could those underworld types really dare to strike at an official's family?

In those storytellers' tales, heroes of the rivers and lakes came and went on high, killing officials as easily as slaughtering dogs. But in reality, those of the rivers and lakes didn't dare provoke anyone connected to the yamen. It was precisely because of this confidence that Zhao Jin had felt perfectly safe living at home, certain he wouldn't bring trouble to his family. Now it seemed he had oversimplified things.

Zhao Jin placed his short blade under his pillow. That whole night he slept poorly, but nothing happened until the next morning.

As usual, he went for his morning run and exercises. Wang Zhaojing had already grown accustomed to running with Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin reminded him to be cautious and vigilant, but to his surprise, the ever-thoughtful Wang Zhaojing didn't take it seriously at all.

"Never mind that my home is fully staffed with household guards and able-bodied men — even if those city rats and foxes really dared to provoke my family, one letter from my father would not only have the magistrate's yamen investigating with full force, but even Nanjing would send people over. Who would have that kind of nerve?"

Hearing this, and then thinking of his own family's situation, Zhao Jin realized he didn't need to worry too much either.

Before, meals had been for a family of three. Now there was one more, Mu Shulan, yet everyone felt perfectly natural about it, as if Mu Shulan had been part of the family all along.

Halfway through the meal, the outside door was suddenly pounded with a thunderous noise. Having been on edge all night, Zhao Jin immediately shot to his feet at the sound. Compared to his jumpiness, Zhao Zhentang was far calmer. "Zhao San will get the door. What are you making a fuss about?"

There was reproach in his tone. Zhao Jin sat back down, disgruntled. Not long after, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The door was pushed open, and in came one of the unofficial runners who followed Zhao Zhentang. Sweat on his face, panting for breath, he said, "Master Tang, there's a major case at Zhouge Village outside the city. People from the village came into the city this morning to report it. They say at least fifty lives were lost. Chief Chen has already gone to the yamen and sent us to call all you sirs over."

At least fifty dead? Zhao Jin was shocked. Zhao Zhentang's face turned even grimmer. He stood up and cursed, "Only a few days of peace we've had."

He muttered that one line, went back to his room to get his blade, and said as he came out, "No need to wait for me for meals the next couple of days."

He Cuihua nodded and urged, "You be careful."

Zhao Zhentang, however, repeated those exact words verbatim to Zhao Jin: "You be careful!" Then he strode off, following the unofficial runner out of the house.

What on earth could cause so many deaths? Even clan feuds didn't produce this many bodies. Having heard his father talk about cases over the past few years, Zhao Jin had come to understand a thing or two. But if the death toll was this high, the wounded had to be even more numerous — casualties would certainly exceed a hundred. Who exactly had clashed with whom to produce casualties on this scale?

He pondered as he pondered, but after finishing his meal, Zhao Jin still left the house on his own. Mu Shulan was tactful, merely saying goodbye without bringing up again the matter of going with him.

This time, Zhao Jin went first to his second uncle's courtyard house. He pulled out a thick stack of records and looked through them. There was a great deal of content he had rewritten — back then, his understanding had been lacking, and his handwriting had been too ugly; now it was hard to make out.

He flipped through and added to this record book, keeping his memory fresh. Zhao Jin regarded this as a matter as important as martial training, never daring to relax or slack off. After a quick browse, he took out a few dozen taels of silver and headed out, going straight to the freight yard on the west side of the city.