The Patrol Office was much quieter than usual today because many clerks and constables had been dispatched to supervise the examinations at the neighboring compound.
Grandpa Qin, the gatekeeper, recognized Xu Qing. Knowing that he was Old Wang from the mortuary's junior fellow apprentice and student, he did not question him much, simply letting him come and go as he pleased.
The Patrol Office was neither especially large nor especially small. After wandering around a few times, Xu Qing had become fairly familiar with most of it. He nodded whenever he encountered someone he knew, and whenever he ran into those who held great authority over entry and exit—such as Grandpa Qin, for instance—he made a point of bringing him a jug of wine and a strip of cured meat the last time he came by, just to maintain the relationship.
These were indispensable connections in the world of business. If Grandpa Qin ever threw down his burden and kicked the bucket, Xu Qing might still have to rely on him to preside over his funeral rites.
There was also the Fast Squad at the yamen. Those men often dealt with high-risk incidents, and their chances of dying were considerably higher than ordinary people's. They were all potential clients. As long as Xu Qing frequented the yamen and made himself familiar, he would surely have another new business deal waiting for him when the time came.
With Steward Tang and Senior Brother Wang acting as intermediaries, this would not be difficult.
After all, in terms of service, there was no second funeral shop in Linhe that was more professional than his. Even in terms of price, his was the most affordable.
If funeral businesses were not inherently unsuitable for publicity, he would have liked to learn from the Tianxin Cult's