The Jailer's Reward

# Chapter 20: The Jailer's Reward

The reputation of "Yi Gun Xu" had thoroughly spread among the low-ranking jailers in Zone D, accompanying the basic resolution of the rat problem. Though it sounded a bit ridiculous, the results were solid. At least in the area under Zhou Kang's jurisdiction, both prisoners and jailers who could sleep soundly through the night had increased considerably.

That day, after roll call, Zhou Kang didn't rush to assign tasks. Instead, he called Xu Qian alone into his Guard Room.

The Guard Room still carried that familiar mixed smell of cheap tea leaves and tobacco. Zhou Kang sat on his broken wooden chair, not wearing his usual stern face. Instead, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his fingers tapped the tabletop idly.

"Xu Qian, you handled this rat problem well," Zhou Kang said directly, his tone carrying rare warmth. "You thought of the folk remedy to drive them out, and you put in the effort to clean up. Saved me a lot of trouble."

Xu Qian quickly bowed, putting on just the right amount of flattered surprise. "Captain Zhou, you flatter me. It was all within my duties. I just got lucky, a blind cat catching a dead mouse."

"Enough, spare me that fake modesty." Zhou Kang laughed and cursed, then pulled a small cloth pouch from his bosom, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it to Xu Qian. "Here. This is a little reward money allocated from above. You earned it."

Xu Qian caught the pouch. It was heavy in his hand, probably two or three taels of silver. For a low-ranking jailer at the bottom of the Heavenly Prison whose monthly salary was only a few hundred coppers, this was a considerable windfall!

"This... Captain Zhou, this is too much..." Xu Qian refused verbally, but inwardly he was overjoyed. Finally seeing some return! It wasn't for nothing that I smoked out rats and practiced 'Rat Extermination Swordplay'!

"I said take it, so take it!" Zhou Kang's eyes widened. "Do you think I'd shortchange someone who gets things done? Besides this, I'm giving you one day off. You don't need to report for roll call tomorrow. Go out, get some fresh air, buy yourself some food and things you need."

Time off too? Xu Qian was genuinely surprised this time. It had been so long since he entered the Heavenly Prison that he'd almost forgotten what the outside world looked like. Even just one day was enough for him to go out, learn about the situation in the Divine Capital, and stock up on some supplies.

"Thank you, Captain Zhou! Thank you, Captain Zhou!" This time, Xu Qian's gratitude was much more sincere.

"Mm." Zhou Kang nodded with satisfaction, then added, "You, kid, you've got a sharp mind and you're willing to work. You're good material. Stick with me, and there'll be plenty more benefits for you down the line."

"Yes! I'll definitely work hard for you, Captain Zhou!" Xu Qian immediately pledged his loyalty.

Walking out of the Guard Room, with the heavy silver pouch and a day off tucked in his pocket, Xu Qian felt his steps lighten. The silver was secondary; the key was Zhou Kang's attitude. This old jailer clearly now saw him as someone worth cultivating—"one of his own." That kind of relationship was sometimes more valuable than silver.

But Xu Qian wasn't getting carried away by this small favor. He knew well that in a place like the Heavenly Prison, hogging all the benefits was a major taboo. Especially for a newcomer like him with no foundation, suddenly receiving rewards and time off would easily attract envy.

I need to spread this windfall around a bit. At least, I need to let the right people know that I, Xu Qian, understand how things work.

He immediately found Zhang Meng, who was huffing and puffing while sweeping the corridor.

"Brother Meng, stop working. Captain Zhou rewarded me with some silver and gave me a day off. Tonight, let's get some good food to celebrate!" Xu Qian shook the cloth pouch with a smile.

Zhang Meng's eyes lit up at once. He dropped his broom and hurried over. "Really? Captain Zhou's that generous? Heh! You've got skills, kid! Alright! Tonight, I'll treat you! I know a cooked food shop outside that has amazing braised meat!"

"No way I'm letting you treat," Xu Qian said, tucking the pouch into his bosom. "I got the reward this time, so I'm hosting. Not just us two—I was thinking... shouldn't we invite Captain Zhou for a few drinks too? To show our gratitude?"

Zhang Meng paused, scratching his head. "Invite him? Would His Honor even come?"

"Whether he comes is his business. Whether we invite him is our intention." Xu Qian lowered his voice. "Besides, without Captain Zhou's guidance, where would we be today?"

Zhang Meng didn't fully understand, but he felt Xu Qian made sense, so he nodded firmly. "Alright! Whatever you say!"

So, after their shift ended, Xu Qian first dragged Zhang Meng to the cooked food shop outside. They bought premium braised meat, some marinated delicacies, a few seasonal dried fruits, and two catties of decent-quality spirits. Then, he had Zhang Meng wait at the dormitory while he himself carried a portion that was clearly larger and more carefully packaged—along with a bottle of spirits—and knocked on Zhou Kang's Guard Room door again.

"Captain Zhou, thanks to your care today, I received this reward. Zhang Meng and I bought some wine and meat, and we'd like to invite you for a few drinks, just to show our appreciation. What do you think..." Xu Qian's attitude was respectful, his tone sincere.

Zhou Kang looked at the things Xu Qian was carrying, then at his expression that showed no sign of pretense. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, then transformed into a trace of barely perceptible approval.

This kid—not only did he know how to get things done, he understood human relationships. Getting a reward and knowing to share it, especially knowing to honor his superior—that was rare. Many greenhorns, once they achieved something, would stick their noses in the air or value money more than their lives. People like that never went far.