Fatty Meat

After the Subordinate Clerks came forward one after another to congratulate Su Mo, they tactfully left the uncle and nephew, Chen Gan and Su Mo, room to talk.

Chen Gan led Su Mo into a public office.

Only then did he glare fiercely at Su Mo, though his expression was so complicated it defied description.

He had worked as a servant for more than a decade and still had not been promoted to Regular Servant. Yet his own nephew, after only three months as an Unranked Servant, had climbed right over his head!

The more Chen Gan thought about it, the angrier he became. "You little brat!"

"With connections like that, why didn't you tell your uncle sooner? You've really put your uncle through hell this time!"

If he had known earlier that Su Mo could make use of the Imperial Guard connection, he could have made a few plans and perhaps even dragged Big Wart Ma down. Why leave such a calamity alive?

Su Mo glared back at Chen Gan, exasperated. "Wasn't I just about to tell you? Who was it that suddenly knocked me unconscious?"

Chen Gan fell silent at once!

Su Mo blinked and continued, "Now that the matter's settled, that bastard Big Wart Ma won't dare touch either of us for some time. How could I have put my uncle through hell?"

Chen Gan snorted. "You still have the nerve to say that?"

"Do you know how much money those fellows bet?"

His teeth ached with regret. "Damn it!"

"More than eighteen taels!"

At odds of ten to one, he would have to pay out a hundred and eighty taels!

There had been people betting on Big Wart Ma too, but altogether they had only wagered five or six taels. Compared to a hundred and eighty taels, that was a drop in the bucket—and it would not even reach Chen Gan's pocket!

Didn't he have to pay the others for helping him run the betting pool?

And merely getting the Chief Clerk's secretary to say a word had cost him ten taels of silver!

Su Mo's eyes widened. "Third Uncle, you have that much money?"

"When you bought the Regular Servant position last time, you even made me sell three mu of mature farmland to gather the money!"

Chen Gan widened his eyes and lowered his voice. "Foolish!"

"Do you think I can just take this money out whenever I want?"

"I had planned to tell you the truth after you married Yi Yao! This time, I had no choice but to take it out to save our lives!"

Su Mo thought about it and realized that made sense!

Wealth should not be flaunted.

If a mere servant could casually produce several hundred taels of silver, wouldn't he become a fat sheep in other people's eyes?

"Third Uncle, tell me honestly. How much do you have left?"

Chen Gan's teeth hurt even more. "There really isn't any left!"

"An annual share of thirty or fifty taels, plus all the money needed to grease palms above and below—how much silver could I possibly save?"

He paused, then added, "But now that you've become a Regular Servant and have connections with the Imperial... that side, Chen Bao can take bigger strides. We can earn this money back within three to five years!"

"You have to remember: whenever you get the chance, pay more visits! Connections grow rusty if you don't tend to them!"

Su Mo could not help asking, "Didn't you say that there wasn't a decent person in the Imperial Guard, and that they were best avoided?"

Chen Gan was instantly startled. "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Hmph! Don't people also say that there isn't a decent person among the Subordinate Clerks?"

Without a connection to the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Guard naturally was no good.

With a connection, that was another matter entirely!

The old Subordinate Clerk was a master of double standards.

As he spoke, Chen Gan hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, "When we go back later, come to my place and take fifty taels of silver. Go over there and grease a few palms. You can't be stingy with this money!"

Su Mo was instantly speechless!

He had just said he truly had no money, and now he was telling Su Mo to take fifty taels of silver!

There wasn't a single truthful sentence in the old man's mouth.

But he really did treat Su Mo well!

Su Mo nodded. "Now that I'm a Regular Servant, what should I do next?"

Compared with Chen Gan, Su Mo was absolutely an idiot when it came to the government office. He needed his uncle's guidance at his side.

Chen Gan immediately said, "Go to Captain Zhong and collect your identity badge and uniform, then receive your assignment."

He thought for a moment, then added, "He's very smooth and worldly. He should give you a good assignment."

Changping County was huge, but there were very few Regular Servants in the three squads.

The Arrest Hands and Fast Hands in particular numbered only twenty or thirty altogether, and they had the right to hire their own servants.

Thus, the constables held an extremely high status. Whether in their work allowance or their authority, they ranked above both the Cang Servants and Strong Servants!

Every constable had his own jurisdiction, which was also his greatest source of illicit income.

One of Su Mo's strengths was that he listened to advice.

He immediately followed Chen Gan's instructions and went to the arrest office to find Zhong Sanyuan.

Zhong Sanyuan was also waiting for Su Mo.

There were many things that were unsuitable to say in public before the court.

When he saw Su Mo knock and enter, Zhong Sanyuan immediately put on a smile, took the initiative to nod at him, and pointed to a chair nearby. "Sit!"

Su Mo hurriedly smiled. "Captain Zhong, please don't stand on ceremony with me!"

"I've come to collect my identity badge and uniform."

Zhong Sanyuan handed Su Mo the identity badge and uniform, then hesitated. "Ahem!"

"Regarding the Regular Servant position you wanted earlier, I, as captain, had originally promised it to you!"

"But Magistrate Ma stuck his oar in. There was nothing I could do, so I had to give it to that fellow Zhou Meng!"

He paused, then continued, "You should know that the government office's relationships are extremely complicated. The Regular Servant position isn't mine to give to whomever I please. So I can only refund you a little over seventeen taels. Do you understand?"

As a constable, it was already quite rare for him to explain matters so plainly to Su Mo.

In truth, he had not lied to Su Mo.

Captain Zhong had a surprisingly strong code of ethics when it came to bribes.

He had not skimmed even a single coin from this money!

Su Mo was no greenhorn either, and he hurriedly smiled. "Captain Zhong, there's no need to explain!"

"Of course I understand that principle!"

Zhong Sanyuan smiled. "Good that you understand!"

He thought for a moment, then added, "From now on, you'll be in charge of public order around the Eastern Market!"

Su Mo froze when he heard this!

The Eastern and West Markets were the two universally acknowledged fat pieces of meat in Changping County!

The West Market was handled by Lu Shan, the deputy captain of the Arrest Squad.

The Eastern Market was handled by Luo Lie, the deputy captain of the Fast Squad.

Captain Zhong wanted him to take charge of public order in the Eastern Market?

Then what would Luo Lie do?

As the Fast Squad's deputy captain, Luo Lie was, in a sense, even harder to deal with than the Magistrate.

After all, he was Su Mo's direct superior, and Su Mo could not borrow the power of the Subordinate Clerks to oppose him!

To cut off a man's path to wealth was tantamount to killing his parents!

That old fox clearly wanted to use Su Mo as a chess piece and have him fight Luo Lie to the death!

Of course, Su Mo understood.

He still did not qualify to be a player moving the pieces.

The internal struggles among the Subordinate Clerks were no different from those in officialdom—equally savage and brutal.

It was impossible to naively believe that being kind to everyone every day would earn him a promotion!

If he wanted to rise further, he first had to prove his value!

Take Luo Lie, for example. If he wanted to advance further and become Chief Constable, he would have to pull Zhong Sanyuan down.

Su Mo hesitated. "Captain Zhong, is it really appropriate for me to take charge of the Eastern Market?"

"Deputy Captain Luo..."

Zhong Sanyuan waved his hand, cutting Su Mo off. "As for Deputy Captain Luo, I'll arrange another assignment for him."

He paused, then continued, "Young people must be modest, but they also need drive!"

"Don't be afraid of making mistakes. I'll bear responsibility for everything!"

With the conversation already at this point, Su Mo had nothing left to hesitate over. "This subordinate definitely won't disappoint Captain Zhong's high expectations!"

Between offending the deputy captain and offending the chief captain,

anyone with a normal intelligence would know which choice to make!

After leaving the chief captain's office, the other constables naturally came forward one after another to congratulate Su Mo as well. Some urged Su Mo to treat them, while others fished around for what assignment he had received.

Su Mo brushed them off with a few casual replies.

After leaving the arrest office, he went straight to find Chen Gan.

To be a good chess piece, he would certainly need that old fox Chen Gan to scheme and advise him from the side!

Chen Gan was also greatly shocked when he heard that Zhong Sanyuan had handed Su Mo the Eastern Market's public order.

"Third Uncle, can we handle it?" Su Mo asked.

Chen Gan drew a deep breath and said with absolute certainty, "Of course we can!"

Without the connection on the Imperial Guard's side, Chen Gan naturally would not have had much confidence in confronting a direct superior.

But now, everything was different!

His nephew had already secured an undefeated position. Even the county magistrate had to fear him three parts. How could they possibly be afraid of a deputy captain?

The fat piece of meat that was the Eastern Market was theirs for the taking!