Neighbor

"You're alright, You'er, that's wonderful."

Old Man Zhou, who had been worried sick, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his son entering.

"Dad, Mom, it's fine now. My senior brothers at the Martial Arts School warned Tu Laosan, and the Wild Fox Gang won't dare cause trouble again."

His mother was still worried, "Tu Laosan is very vicious, will he listen?"

"You know nothing, woman. You'er's senior brother is Shopkeeper Xu's son from our Merchant Guild. He always talks about how capable and promising his son is."

Old Man Zhou said proudly, "I never expected You'er to be able to call him brother."

Shopkeeper Xu was a prominent figure in the Merchant Guild. He always wore silk clothes and had a jade-carved pipe, smoking only the finest tobacco leaves.

In the Merchant Guild, people would make way and bow when they saw Shopkeeper Xu.

Only the head clerks had the privilege of working directly for Shopkeeper Xu.

Old Man Zhou never imagined his son was so close with Shopkeeper Xu's beloved son.

"Mm, we haven't known each other long."

Zhou You thought to himself, If you knew I also knew the young master of the Merchant Guild, you'd be even more shocked.

"You two sit and chat, have some water to moisten your throats. I'll go clean up. The entrance was quite a mess."

His mother, being a restless sort, grabbed a dustpan and broom and was about to head out to clean.

Unexpectedly, she froze in place after stepping outside. She rubbed her eyes, sure she wasn't mistaken.

The entrance was spotlessly clean. The debris and stones had vanished without a trace, and even the stained ground had been cleaned.

The uneven road surface had also been carefully filled in.

To put it simply, the ground in front of the Zhou family's house was more level than a bride's face on her wedding day.

"You'er, what is this..."

"The Wild Fox Gang guys did it. They cleaned up their own mess."

Zhou You raised his hand. "Dad, Mom, see this Waist Token? From now on, I am an official apprentice at the Jianxiong Martial Arts School. Not only do I not have to pay tuition, but the school also provides room and board."

"That good?"

Zhou You's parents widened their eyes. "You'er, you've really made something of yourself."

"Furthermore, my master, the Martial Arts School Head, will assign us tasks, and we'll get paid if we do well."

This wasn't an exaggeration; it was the truth. Martial artists at the Internal Force level could already handle tasks independently.

The Jianxiong Martial Arts School had dozens of Internal Force apprentices, forming its core strength.

"You'er is right. Whenever merchant caravans need escort, the Merchant Guild hires people from the Martial Arts School with a hefty sum."

"As an official apprentice, if our Merchant Guild wants to hire You'er, it'll be at least 50 taels per trip."

Old Man Zhou said with a touch of pride, "You'er, we're not short of money right now, so don't think about working. Your father earns enough to support the family. Focus on your cultivation and strive to impress the Martial Arts School Head."

His mother looked at Zhou You with eyes full of anticipation, her future filled with hope.

The neighbor, Mao Laoyao's family, had also been worried sick all day.

Mao Xiaoli returned home from work and, after hearing about the day's events from his father, couldn't help but nag and complain.

"Dad, see? Zhou You angered a gang. Even with the backing of the Martial Arts School, there's still unavoidable trouble."

Mao Laoyao agreed wholeheartedly, "Who's not saying that? I was scared to death."

During the day, Tu Laosan, looking ferocious, had led dozens of gang members, shouting threats and even threatening to set their houses on fire.

Shan Wa's family had been burned to death; no one doubted the Wild Fox Gang wouldn't go through with it.

Mao Laoyao, fearing the fire would spread to his own house, cursed the Zhou family a thousand times in his heart.

"Hmph, those who practice martial arts are all brawlers. They're either fighting or killing, not living a proper life."

Mao Xiaoli took out a silver coin from his sleeve. It weighed about one tael and two mace, shimmering in the candlelight.

"Today I met a generous customer. He rewarded me with this much silver after I recited the menu so well."

"Dad, once this month's wages are paid, our household will have 5 taels of gleaming silver."

Mao Laoyao's eyes narrowed as he looked at the silver coin. "Good, good, good."

"You say Zhou You practices martial arts and doesn't work to earn money, just spending without earning day after day. How can the family afford it?"

Mao Xiaoli sneered, "Who is Tu Laosan? If he didn't succeed today, he'll definitely seek revenge later."

"We need to stay far away from their house to avoid being affected."

Mao Laoyao looked troubled. "It won't be easy to find another cheap rental."

"When I get promoted from a waiter to a head waiter, my wages will increase, and we can move to a more respectable street."

"At that time, we won't have to live with lower-class people like the Zhou family."

Mao Xiaoli dreamt of a better future. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Dad, how's the search for a concubine going?"

He had grand ambitions and was not content with being a restaurant waiter. In the future, he wanted to become a shopkeeper and a truly respectable person.

Therefore, marriage is an extremely serious matter, and one must marry a good woman from a well-off family.

This is a transitional period, so we can't just do nothing. Marrying a refugee woman as a concubine.

Firstly, to continue the family line, and secondly, not to let the concubine eat for free. She can work for the family and serve the elders.

Old Man Mao and Mao Xiaoli, this father and son pair, had their plans perfectly laid out.

"My son, to tell you the truth, more and more people are fleeing from Sucheng City, and the price of people is dropping day by day."

"I think we can wait a bit longer. Maybe we can find a young unmarried girl who is unwanted and only asks for a meal."

Mao Xiaoli listened and nodded seriously, "Dad, I think that's a good idea. Let's do it."

Widow Li had been worried and scared all day. When Constable Liu came to stay the night, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You weren't there, you didn't see..."

She worked nimbly, her hands never stopping as she quickly recounted the events of the day.

The more Constable Liu listened, the more silent he became. The usual cheerfulness of drinking and eating was gone, and he let his food and wine grow cold.

"Widow Li, your neighbor is an extraordinary person!"

From Widow Li's fragmented words, Constable Liu judged that Zhou You was no longer the same as before.

Martial artists at the Internal Force level were elite figures, at the top of any gang or Martial Arts School.

Constable Liu had been working for the government for twenty years. His qualifications were more than enough, but he still couldn't get promoted, all because of his insufficient strength.

If he had mastered Internal Force, he would have already been Constable Chief by now.

"I originally thought of bringing Zhou You under my wing and training him to be a capable subordinate. Now, I realize it was a foolish wish."

A martial artist at the Internal Force level in his teens had the potential to reach Qi and Blood in the future. Even if he remained stagnant for decades without a breakthrough, he could still be called a "Master."

Could such a person follow a mere constable like him?

"I listened to you before, bringing soup and water to Old Man Zhou's family, trying to curry favor in every way."

"That's right. From now on, you must be even more filial to his parents than you are to your own."

Constable Liu said earnestly to Widow Li, "As a constable, my abilities are limited. If I can't protect you in the future, perhaps we can rely on their family to save us in a crisis."

Widow Li's heart trembled, and she hugged Constable Liu tightly, "Don't talk nonsense."

"Take 10 taels and put it in a red envelope. Tomorrow, deliver it to Old Man Zhou's family as a congratulatory gift."

"What? That much money?"

Widow Li felt a pang of heartache.

Constable Liu glanced at her, "Leave early. If you go late, I'm afraid you won't be able to squeeze in."