Fatty Meat

After the subordinate clerks congratulated Su Mo one after another, they wisely left space for Chen Gan and Su Mo, uncle and nephew, to talk.

Chen Gan brought Su Mo to an office.

Then he glared fiercely at Su Mo, his expression a complex mixture of emotions.

He had been a laborer for over ten years and hadn't even been promoted to a regular worker, yet his nephew here, after only three months as a laborer, had managed to get ahead of him!

Chen Gan grew angrier the more he thought about it: "You brat!"

"If you had this connection, why didn't you tell your uncle sooner! You've put your uncle in a terrible position this time!"

If he had known Su Mo could leverage his connection with the Imperial Guard, he could have planned something, perhaps even brought down Big Wart Ma, and wouldn't have this scourge lingering!

Su Mo glared back at Chen Gan, annoyed: "I was just about to tell you, who suddenly knocked me out!"

Chen Gan was instantly silenced!

Su Mo blinked and added: "Now that things are resolved, that scoundrel Big Wart Ma won't dare to touch us for a while. What do you mean I've put you in a terrible position?"

Chen Gan snorted: "Still talking!"

"Do you know how much money those guys bet!"

He regretted it so much his teeth ached: "Damn it!"

"A full eighteen taels and more!"

With a ten-to-one payout, he would have to pay out one hundred and eighty taels!

There were people who bet on Big Wart Ma, but their combined bets were only five or six taels. Compared to one hundred and eighty taels, it was like a drop in the ocean, and that money wouldn't even reach Chen Gan's pocket!

If he asked others to help take bets, he wouldn't have to pay them?

Moreover, just to get the Chief Clerk's advisor to say a word, he spent ten taels of silver!

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

"Last time when I bought the regular service, you still made me sell three mu of fertile land to scrape together the money!"

Chen Gan glared, lowering his voice: "Foolish!"

"Do you think this money can be taken out casually?"

"I was planning to tell you after you married Yi Yao! I had no choice but to take it out to save my life this time!"

Su Mo thought about it and agreed!

Don't flaunt your wealth.

If a laborer could casually produce hundreds of taels of silver, wouldn't he become a fat sheep in others' eyes?

"Third Uncle, tell me honestly, how much is left?"

Chen Gan's teeth hurt even more: "There's really nothing left!"

"With an annual profit of thirty to fifty taels, and having to grease palms everywhere, how much silver can be saved!"

He paused, then added: "However, now that you're a regular official, and with the Imperial Guard... that connection, Chen Bao can expand his business. This money can be recouped within three to five years!"

"You must remember, seize every opportunity to maintain connections! If you don't keep in touch, relationships slowly fade!"

Su Mo couldn't help but ask: "Didn't you say the Imperial Guard are all bad people and shouldn't be associated with?"

Chen Gan was startled: "Don't speak nonsense!"

"Hmph! Don't people say that subordinate clerks are all bad people too!"

Without a connection to the Imperial Guard, they were naturally bad people.

With a connection, it was another matter entirely!

The old subordinate clerk was a master of double standards.

Chen Gan said, hesitating for a moment, then gritting his teeth: "When we go back later, come to my place and get fifty taels of silver. Use it for bribes over there. Don't be stingy with this money!"

Su Mo was speechless!

He had just said he had no money, and now he was telling him to get fifty taels!

This old guy didn't speak the truth.

But he was truly good to him!

He nodded: "I'm a regular now, what should I do next?"

Compared to Chen Gan, Su Mo was an absolute idiot when it came to the yamen, and he needed his uncle's guidance.

Chen Gan immediately said: "Go to Captain Zhong to get your identity token, official uniform, and then receive your assignment."

He thought for a moment, then added: "He's a very shrewd person, he should give you a good assignment."

Changping County was large, and there were very few regular soldiers in the three divisions.

Especially the arrest hands and fast hands, there were only twenty to thirty of them combined, and they had the qualification to hire their own laborers.

Therefore, constables held a very high status, both in terms of their pay and their power, above the yamen runners and strongmen!

Each constable had their own jurisdiction, which was also the source of the greatest outside income.

Su Mo had one good quality: he was willing to listen.

He immediately took the advice and went to the constable's office to find Zhong Sanyuan.

Zhong Sanyuan was also waiting for Su Mo to arrive.

There were many things that were not suitable to be said in public in the courtroom.

Seeing Su Mo knock and enter, Zhong Sanyuan immediately put on a smile, nodded at Su Mo, and gestured to the chair beside him: "Sit!"

Su Mo quickly smiled and said, "Captain Zhong, please don't be so formal with this kid!"

"This kid is here to get his identification token and official uniform from the captain."

Zhong Sanyuan took out the identification token and official uniform for Su Mo, hesitated for a moment, and then coughed, "Ahem!"

"Earlier, you wanted the position of regular officer, and I, this captain, had promised to grant it to you!"

"But Magistrate Ma interfered, and I, this captain, was helpless, so I had to promise it to that scoundrel Zhou Meng!"

He paused and then added, "You should know that the yamen is very complicated. The position of regular officer isn't something I, this captain, can just give to whomever I please. So, that money can only be refunded as seventeen taels and some change. Do you understand?"

As a captain, it was already quite rare for him to speak so clearly to Su Mo.

In fact, he wasn't lying to Su Mo.

Captain Zhong had a strong sense of integrity when it came to bribery.

He hadn't pocketed a single cent of Su Mo's money!

Su Mo wasn't a fool either, and quickly smiled, "Why does Captain Zhong need to explain!"

"This kid naturally understands this principle!"

Zhong Sanyuan smiled, "It's good that you understand!"

He thought for a moment and then said, "From now on, you'll be in charge of the security in the East Market!"

Su Mo was stunned upon hearing this!

The East and West Markets were two widely recognized fat plums in Changping County!

The West Market was managed by Lu Shan, the deputy captain of the constables.

The East Market was managed by Luo Lie, the deputy captain of the Fast Squad.

Zhong Sanyuan wanted him to be in charge of the East Market's security?

What about Luo Lie?

As the deputy captain of the Fast Squad, Luo Lie was, in a sense, even more difficult to deal with than a magistrate's clerk.

After all, he was a direct superior, and one couldn't borrow the power of subordinate clerks to counter him!

Cutting off someone's financial path was like killing their parents!

This old fox clearly wanted to use him as a pawn to fight Luo Lie to the death!

Of course, Su Mo understood.

He didn't have the qualifications to be a player yet.

The internal strife among subordinate clerks was no different from that in the officialdom; it was also incredibly brutal.

He couldn't possibly naively believe that being kind to everyone every day would lead to a promotion!

To continue to improve, he had to first prove his worth!

Take Luo Lie, for example. To advance further and become the chief captain, he would have to bring down Zhong Sanyuan.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, "Captain Zhong, isn't it a bit unsuitable for me to be in charge of the East Market?"

"Deputy Captain Luo..."

Zhong Sanyuan waved his hand, interrupting Su Mo's words, "I, this captain, will arrange other duties for Deputy Captain Luo."

He paused and then added, "Humility is necessary for young people, but you also need drive!"

"Don't be afraid of making mistakes; I, this captain, will bear all the consequences!"

With the conversation reaching this point, Su Mo had nothing to hesitate about: "Your subordinate will definitely not fail to live up to the captain's expectations!"

Between offending a deputy captain and offending the chief captain.

Anyone with normal intelligence wouldn't choose wrong!

After leaving the chief captain's public office, the other constables naturally congratulated Su Mo one after another. Some egged him on to treat them, while others probed about the duties he had taken on.

Su Mo vaguely responded to a few of them.

After leaving the constable's office, he went straight to find Chen Gan.

To be a good pawn, he would definitely need the old fox Chen Gan to offer advice!

Chen Gan was also greatly surprised when he heard that Zhong Sanyuan had handed over the East Market's security to Su Mo!

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

Chen Gan took a deep breath and said decisively, "Of course, we can handle it!"

If it weren't for his connections with the Imperial Guard, going against his direct superior would have given Chen Gan little confidence.

Now, it was completely different!

His nephew had already secured an invincible position, and even the county magistrate had to be wary of him. Was he still afraid of a mere deputy captain?

This time, the two uncles and nephews were determined to feast on the East Market's fat plum!