It was still early when Chief Constable Zhong returned home. His wife and son were shelling broad beans together in the courtyard. His sharp-eared son looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw his father at the courtyard gate.
"Mother, Father's back! Father's back! Father, why are you home so early today?"
His son put down the broad beans in his hands and rushed toward Chief Constable Zhong, throwing his arms around his father and reaching for his saber at the same time.
"Hey, you can't play with this!"
Chief Constable Zhong deftly blocked the saber, then tickled his son's armpit. Giggling, the boy was defeated by his father's "formidable martial arts."
His wife smiled as she watched father and son roughhousing, but when Chief Constable Zhong came over, she asked in puzzlement.
"Husband, why are you home so early today? The sun's still high in the sky."
Chief Constable Zhong had already unfastened the saber at his waist. He walked into the sitting room and placed it on its rack, easily dodged his son's "sneak attack" from behind, then scooped him up above his head while answering his wife.
"Oh, there's something going on at the County Office. I have to be on duty at midnight, so I came home early to rest."
His wife immediately frowned and asked with concern.
"Midnight again? What's happened?"
"Oh, why does a woman like you need to ask so many questions? Plenty of my brothers at the office eat and sleep there. I have it much easier than they do."
His wife shelled the broad beans distractedly while Chief Constable Zhong played with their son in the sitting room. Though still young, the boy kept clamoring to learn martial arts, but his body was still too tender, so they mostly just