Promoted Again, Part Two

2024-07-31

Promoted Again, Part Two

As he entered the small courtyard, the members of the Patrol Guard Team under him all rose and saluted.

"Mm, no need for formalities. Do as you did before; nothing changes now. If the higher-ups assign a task, I'll let you know." Song Changming said with a faint smile, no different from when he had been a deputy.

Seeing this, the Patrol Guard Team members beneath him relaxed slightly.

Their nervousness was not without reason. In the past, they had heard of or witnessed plenty of newly appointed officials taking office.

Most newly appointed Patrol Captains would want to establish their authority by making an example of someone, picking out a few matters at random and punishing their subordinates to inspire fear and respect.

Some went even further, disregarding old ties and severely punishing their subordinates, or directly dismissing one or two people, leaving everyone frightened.

By comparison, Song Changming was much gentler after taking office. He had not tormented this group of subordinates under baseless charges.

Naturally, that was a good thing for them.

After the patrol guards went off to attend to their duties, Song Changming remained in the small courtyard of the Patrol Guard Headquarters.

As a Patrol Captain, he did not need to handle daily street patrols or other trivial matters himself.

As long as the higher-ups did not assign him a task, he could freely arrange his working hours. Even if he took another nap in the courtyard, no one could say anything about it.

This was one of the privileges of being a Patrol Captain.

Most days, he drank tea and practiced his saber at the Patrol Guard Headquarters, far more at ease than when he had been an ordinary patrol guard.

Besides that, after this period of fruitless searching, the matter concerning Liu Xiangnan had gradually died down in the city.

Both Liu Xiangnan and Zhao Dongming, the Carefree Sword who had shown his face, had been placed on the government's wanted list.

A reward of ten thousand taels of silver for each of them!

That figure alone showed just how seriously the authorities regarded the two men.

Nothing happened that day. Before dusk, Song Changming dismissed the patrol guards under him and got off work on time.

As he walked out of the small courtyard, he seemed to sense something and turned his head.

Just in time, he saw someone turn and silently leave from the corridor on the other side of the Patrol Guard Headquarters.

It was Wang Xianwen, formerly Sun Wenyen's deputy.

After Lu Gang took office, he had become Lu Gang's deputy.

Speaking of which, Song Changming had once had a conflict with him. However, after Sun Wenyen's death, Wang Xianwen had become much more low-key and had not dared trouble Song Changming again.

And now, Song Changming had become the new Patrol Captain, his rank one level above Wang Xianwen's.

Whenever they spoke now, Wang Xianwen had to salute him respectfully, so he naturally dared not provoke him.

Song Changming did not pay him much mind. After leaving the Patrol Guard Headquarters, he headed home.

Liang Chuanshan had only recently become Director and had a heap of official business to deal with, so he had not invited Song Changming out for drinks in some time.

"Hmm?"

As he passed beneath that withered tree, he saw that the two little puppies were still there.

The sun had already set, and the temperature was no longer as warm as during the day. The two puppies shivered from the cold, curling even tighter against each other.

Hearing Song Changming's approaching footsteps, the puppies, still unable to open their eyes, perhaps thought their mother had returned and began barking loudly.

Song Changming looked at the sky, bent down, scooped up the two puppies, and took them home.

"Huh?" Father Song, who was scattering feed beside the water vat, could not help asking curiously when he saw the two puppies Song Changming had brought back. "I remember you were afraid of dogs when you were little."

"You said it yourself, that was when I was little. How could I still be afraid now?" Song Changming said with a smile, setting the puppies on the ground in the courtyard before heading to the kitchen to fetch some leftover goat's milk from yesterday.

"That's true. You're a Patrol Captain now. Impressive." Father Song beamed. Ever since hearing that Song Changming had become a Patrol Captain, he had laughed himself awake in his sleep, as though it were all a dream.

Song Changming, his youngest child, had brought him enormous surprises time and again.

He felt that the Song Family's fortunes had finally turned around completely.

"These two little pups are lucky too. Now that they've entered our home, they won't have to worry about food or drink anymore." Father Song bent down to tease the puppies. These days, everything he saw put him in a good mood.

Song Changming set down the goat's milk. The two starving puppies immediately buried their heads and lapped it up greedily, their short little tails raised high as their bodies trembled and they could barely stand steady.

"All right, when you're not around, I'll look after them too," Father Song said with a chuckle.

"Dinner's ready." Mother Song carried the dishes over to the stone table beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard.

The house was stuffy in the height of summer, so the family usually ate their evening meal in the courtyard.

Now that Song Changming was rising step by step, the family's meals had improved as well. Not only was there meat at every meal, but there was also a full variety of freshwater fare.

The table was laden with dishes, enough to satisfy the nutrition Song Changming needed for his daily Martial Arts practice.

Now that Song Changming was a Patrol Captain, his salary at this rank was no longer paid in copper coins, but in silver.

He received thirty taels of silver each month and three thousand catties of grain each year, far more than an ordinary patrol guard.

And that was only his base salary, not counting the gift money he could collect each year or the monetary portion of bounties.

Song Changming had originally thought he would need to wait until the Azure Water Silkworms were being raised on a large scale before he had enough money to support full-speed Martial Arts practice.

But after becoming a Patrol Captain, he did some calculations and discovered that his monthly salary from the Imperial Court alone could basically meet his needs for Martial Arts practice.

One wild ginseng root each month, a medicinal bath once every half month, a packet of Bone Tempering Powder every five days, as well as daily meat, vegetables, and fruit—he could afford all of it.

He even had enough left over to select older wild ginseng and higher-quality medicinal herbs.

That would further increase the efficiency of his body tempering.

Additionally, in a few more days, he would turn twenty, and it would be time for another Annual Evaluation.

He had been waiting for this Annual Evaluation lately. It might be an important opportunity to directly increase his strength.

After dinner, while taking a break from practicing Martial Arts, Song Changming used some wood to build a small doghouse for the two puppies. He placed it beneath the locust tree in the courtyard and lined it with some dry grass. As long as it was warm enough, that was all that mattered.

The two puppies slept after eating. At least for tonight, they had survived.

A few days later.

Father Song had originally wanted to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for Song Changming, since his status was different now.

But Song Changming felt there was no need. They simply kept the doors closed and handled it as modestly as they had for his two older brothers' coming-of-age ceremonies.

That night, Song Changming practiced his saber until late into the night. After checking the sky and seeing that the time was about right, he sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard and opened the panel.

[Annual Evaluation: This has been a year of considerable gains. In terms of martial arts, the Soul Severing Saber has reached mastery, and you have learned two high-level martial arts.

In terms of power and connections, you helped Liang Chuanshan become Director and gain him as your backer. You met the Great Hero Liu Xiangnan in prison and were promoted to Patrol Captain at the Houli Street Patrol Guard Headquarters.

In terms of family, your parents are proud of you. You have brought honor to your ancestors.]

[Please select your Annual Reward.]

[1. Lifespan +2000. 2. Lifespan -1000, experience in any martial art +300. 3. Lifespan -200, Attribute Points +2]

(End of Chapter)