After leaving the sparring state, Meng Qingshan opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air.
By then, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
He relaxed his stance, walked over to the well, drew another bucket of water, and washed himself thoroughly.
Droplets trickled from the ends of his hair, glimmering in the sunlight.
Then Meng Qingshan changed into clean clothes and headed straight to Tongchun Tower.
Yesterday, he had made do with a bite or two at home, and the meal had been thoroughly unsatisfying. Now that he had plenty of silver on hand, he figured he might as well splurge a little—otherwise, he might never spend it all in his lifetime. So he decided to eat better.
Since it was still early in the morning, there weren't many customers inside Tongchun Tower. Meng Qingshan made his way to a table by the window and sat down.
"Constable Meng, what brings you here?"
A sharp-eyed waiter hurried over at once, greeting him with a broad smile. "What would you like to eat?"
Meng Qingshan said, "Bring me a pot of your finest Huadiao Wine and nine meat dishes. I want to indulge a little."
The waiter hurried off. Before long, he returned with a pot of fine Huadiao Wine and several plates of delicate appetizers.
Meng Qingshan stared at them in surprise. "I ordered meat dishes. Why have you brought me vegetables?"
Just then, a stout manager from Tongchun Tower came over. "Please don't take offense, Constable Meng. These vegetable dishes are complimentary. The kitchen is preparing the main courses now, so please wait a moment."
As he spoke, the manager carefully set the plates of appetizers on the table and poured Meng Qingshan a cup of Huadiao Wine.
Seeing this, Meng Qingshan