Chapter 64 - 30: Ways of the World, Part 2
Chapter 64: Chapter 30: Ways of the World, Part 2
There were even more depraved governmental officers who would turn a blind eye to theft. Some even went a step further, colluding with thieves for a cut of the profits and acting as their protectors...
Of course, such black sheep were relatively rare. Fang Rui had only heard Jiang Ping’an mention it once in passing, and at least Jiang Ping’an himself wasn’t one of them.
Otherwise, Fang Rui would have suspected the man of having no bottom line and would have distanced himself from him long ago.
"Sorry for the trouble, brother. Just a small token of my appreciation."
Fang Rui took a handful of large coins from his robes and handed them to the governmental officer beside him.
The man was stuck guarding this spot, so he’d missed out on the usual perks. He wouldn’t complain once, for Jiang Ping’an’s sake, but he couldn’t be expected to do it every time for nothing.
Without any compensation, he would surely grow resentful. This was especially true for patrol duty, where personal attitude was crucial. If the man felt wronged, he might deliberately slack off or turn a blind eye, potentially leading to preventable disasters.
Therefore, some form of compensation was necessary. That was simply how one navigated the world.
Of course, he couldn’t give too much and look like a sucker. It was a fine line he had to walk himself.
"This... Mr. Jiang?" The governmental officer looked at Jiang Ping’an.
"What are you looking at me for? My brother gave it to you, so just take it!"
Jiang Ping’an, who naturally understood the principle at play, didn’t stop his subordinate. Instead, he gave the man a light kick and grumbled, "These large coins are more than the perks you’d get on patrol. Over there you have to run all over the place. How can that compare to relaxing here with me? Now hurry up and thank my Brother Fang!"
He was a clever man, deliberately engineering the situation to make his subordinate indebted to Fang Rui.
"Ah, thank you, Lord Fang!"
The governmental officer didn’t get angry at being kicked. On the contrary, he beamed at Fang Rui and thanked him profusely.
Because, just as Jiang Ping’an had said, guarding this spot was easy, and the tip was even better than what the other officers were making. It far exceeded his expectations.
He had originally thought he was being asked to work for free.
"We’re all brothers here, no need for thanks. I might have to trouble you again in the future," Fang Rui said graciously.
"Rest assured, Lord Fang. Your business is my business." The governmental officer patted his chest, eagerly promising to give it his all.
"You’re too kind!"
Fang Rui turned back to Jiang Ping’an, reached into his robe, and made a show of pulling out more money. "And here’s Brother Jiang’s share..."
"Brother Fang, are you trying to embarrass me?"
Jiang Ping’an laughed and slapped Fang Rui’s hand away. "Even without this, I’d just be resting somewhere else. What’s the difference? Besides, I get a cut of whatever my men skim..."
"So don’t treat me like a stranger. If you really want to show your appreciation, just treat me to a few more drinks sometime," he said with a laugh.
"Then it’s a deal!"
Fang Rui exchanged a few more pleasantries with Jiang Ping’an before they parted ways.
After walking a short distance, he could still faintly hear voices behind him, thanks to his exceptional hearing.
"Boss, we’re leaving already? We’re not standing guard anymore?"
"Of course! My Brother Fang is an Entry Grade Martial Artist. Now that he’s back, they don’t need us to keep watch... Any thief who dares to come now would just be throwing themselves on a sword!"
"What about the other families in Willow Alley..."
"What the hell are the other families to me?! Just worry about yourself! In a world like this, can you really look out for everyone? You can’t, so don’t even try!"
...
He returned home to find everything in order.
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling came out of the cellar, went back into the house, and lit the lamp.
The dancing firelight filled the small room.
Fang Rui untied his satchel. Soybeans, pork lard, air-dried rabbit—he took these treasures out of the satchel one by one.
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling were both overjoyed.
In this world, in times like these, nothing provided a greater sense of security and peace of mind than such scarce provisions.
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family’s heart ached at the thought of the money spent, yet she happily gathered up the goods. Fang Ling’s eyes were glazed over as she imagined all the delicious meals they would become, swallowing hard.
Fang Rui watched from the side, a happy smile on his face.
In his past life, when he was a child, his father would always come home with meat buns or other snacks. He would watch him eat while smoking a cigarette, his expression relaxed and content.
He wondered if this was the same feeling his father had felt.
’The heart of a father? No, more like the sense of accomplishment that comes with being the head of the household.’
But whether it was or not, Fang Rui had to admit: the feeling was quite intoxicating.
They each washed up, went to their rooms, told stories, and settled in for the night.
A day passed in the tranquil darkness of the night.
...
Time flew. The sky brightened and darkened twice, and just like that, two days had passed. Peaceful, uneventful days always went by quickly.
With the new medicine came a surge in profits, and the Fang Family’s quality of life skyrocketed. With more nutritious food to eat, a healthy, rosy color gradually returned to the faces of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling.
Most of the other families in Willow Alley, however, continued to struggle in hardship as they always had.
Fang Rui visited Jiang Ping’an’s house every other day to drink, eat, and strengthen their bond.
The two got along exceedingly well, their friendship growing even warmer than before.
...
That evening, the moon hung high in the sky.
It was time for dinner.
Tonight’s dinner for the Fang Family consisted of cornmeal porridge, cornmeal buns, a bowl of stir-fried wild greens, a small dish of fried soybeans, and a small bowl of braised rabbit legs with two fried eggs.
The steaming, fragrant aroma of meat and vegetables filled the small room.
"Wow, another great meal! It smells so good!" Fang Ling exclaimed, leaning over the table. Her big eyes sparkled, her little nose twitched, and she gulped down a mouthful of saliva.
She had already figured out the pattern: every two days, on the nights her brother had to go out, their dinner would be a little better, a little richer.
And lately? It seemed to be getting even better.
"What’s all this about ’good meals’ and ’bad meals’?"
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family gently tapped the little girl on the head with a chopstick. "The fried soybeans, the fried eggs, and the rabbit legs are all for your brother. He has to go out to work tonight and needs to eat his fill to have strength."
"Oh, I know. I won’t eat any," Fang Ling said sensibly, averting her gaze.
Fang Rui smiled. "Mother, you and Ling’Er have some too! How can I possibly eat while you two just watch me?"
At his insistence, he gave half a fried egg to both Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling. Fang Ling also received two pieces of rabbit meat and a large handful of fried soybeans. When he tried to give them more, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family adamantly refused.
Even with just this much, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family still muttered that he was spoiling Fang Ling.
Fang Rui laughed. "No matter how tight things are, we’re not so poor that we have to skimp on this."
He wanted Fang Ling to build up her health so that she could practice martial arts in the future.
Sectarian and family traditions were taken very seriously in this era. Even someone as open-minded as Fang Baicao was no exception, abiding by the ancestral rule that the Nourishing Body Skill was only to be passed down to sons, not daughters. Fang Rui, however, was different. He held no such prejudice.
’When the time comes, if Father doesn’t agree, I’ll just find another Cultivation Technique for her... Still, the girl is only five. She’s too young right now.’
As Fang Rui thought this, he looked over at Fang Ling.
He saw the little girl with her head buried in her bowl, eating with absolute delight. She took only the tiniest of bites, and after each swallow, an expression of pure bliss would spread across her little face.
Watching her made Fang Rui’s own appetite surge.
He was starting to understand why food streams had been so popular in his previous life.
The family gathered around the small table, eating and chatting idly.
"...Yesterday, I saw a couple of families in the alley gathering willow leaves. Eating that stuff... sigh, times are so hard..."
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family sighed. "Zao Hua’s family was one of them. They spoke up for us in the past. Brother Rui, should we lend them some more of our wheat bran?"
"Alright."
Fang Rui thought for a moment and agreed. "We have plenty of wheat bran stored up. It’s not like we’re eating it; it’s just an emergency supply. Lending out some is no problem."
Even though he had brought Zao Hua’s family five or six pounds of wheat bran last time, for a family of three, even eating just half a pound a day mixed with willow leaves, it would have been long gone by now.
The lamplight flickered.
Dinner ended in this warm and peaceful atmosphere.
After dinner.
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family went to wash the dishes and tidy the kitchen, while Fang Ling patted her full little belly, burping contentedly as she wiped the table with a rag.
"Ling’Er, bolt the door from the inside. Don’t open it for anyone but me. If there’s any trouble, just scream!"
After giving his instructions, Fang Rui left, carrying a small burlap sack filled with ten pounds of wheat bran.
Uncle Zao Hua’s house wasn’t far, just a short walk away. Even if something were to happen, he could rush back in an instant, so there was no need to be overly concerned.
...