บท 22: Chapter 21 Stagnation
"Brother Chen, I will be counting on your care in the future."
The two head constables who had come with Min Baoyi only began to speak to Chen Mu with smiles once Min Baoyi had turned to leave, their tones not daring to be presumptuous in the slightest.
Although both men were older than Chen Mu, they both addressed him as 'Brother Chen' and didn't dare to do so in Min Baoyi's presence. After all, Min Baoyi was the one Chen Mu had to call 'big brother', and they certainly didn't have the status to be on brotherly terms with the prefecture chief.
"You are too kind."
Chen Mu returned the gesture with a clasped-hands salute to the two head constables.
He naturally recognized these two--one surnamed Wang, and the other surnamed Zhong. As they were not the head constables in charge of him, they hadn't had much interaction in the past, and he even had to bow his head in greeting to them occasionally. But now, not only were they actively showing goodwill, they even lowered their attitudes.
"Brother Chen, if you have matters to attend to, you may go ahead. I will handle things here."
Head Constable Wang said to Chen Mu, his face all smiles.
Chen Mu didn't bother with further niceties, returned the salute, and walked straight into his own home.
And once he left,
Head Constable Wang turned his head to look at Wang Zhao and the others. The smile on his face immediately turned icy as he raised his hand and slapped Wang Zhao across the face, saying, "Blind fool, you think you're kin to me? Is Brother Chen someone you can afford to offend? Get up, all of you!"
Wang Zhao and the others were all pale-faced and trembling, but they didn't dare to resist. They staggered along following Head Constable Wang.
At that moment,
the entire street, which seemed to have frozen over, slowly thawed out. As the tightly shut doors behind them opened, pairs of eyes peeking through the cracks shifted, looking at each other, still filled with shock.
As neighbors from the same street, they naturally recognized Chen Mu. The past image of him was nothing but that of a poor and hapless constable. Who would have expected that today a bolt from the blue struck, leaving them to wonder what act this could be?
Although they were unclear about how Chen Mu had become acquainted with someone as high and mighty as Min Baoyi, they all knew that from now on, Chen Mu would likely be a completely different person.
In the distance,
several members of the Red Gold Gang who had come upon hearing the news witnessed the whole fiasco and then looked at each other before simultaneously turning away and quickly leaving.
They needed to report this matter to the incense master and the gang leader. A person who had suddenly emerged and managed to be on brotherly terms with Min Baoyi was definitely extraordinary, an event of no small significance.
"Old Chen's son is set to soar high,"
muttered a skinny old man sitting at the mouth of the alley with a dry pipe in his mouth. Watching the doorway to Chen Mu's home return to its calm state, he exhaled a puff of smoke and sighed, then stood up and walked away, tapping the board with his pipe stem as he hummed:
"Year by year, the flowers look similar... year by year, the people change..."
His figure gradually disappeared into the alley.
...
At the mouth of another alley,
Zhang Hai's somewhat bloated body was concealed behind a mud wall. He seemed to be plastered to it, frozen and unmoving, his small eyes lost in a vacant stare.
His mind was a complete blank and chaotic mess.
He had arrived early, seen everything from start to finish, and had intended to witness Chen Mu's embarrassment. However, the turn of events had taken a sharp dive with the arrival of Min Baoyi.
He was already amazed that Min Baoyi, the distinguished prefecture chief, would appear in such a place. Then he was even more astonished to the point that his eyes nearly popped out and his jaw almost shattered on the ground.
What had he just seen?
Min Baoyi... and Chen Mu were addressing each other as brothers!
Min Baoyi was an eminent figure, the prefecture chief of South City District, exalted above all, almost a world apart from the ordinary destitute. Even the respectable old gentry living in Ninth District had to be polite and respectful when meeting Min Baoyi.
Impossible to comprehend.
Not even in his dreams could such a thing occur.
This scene had shaken Zhang Hai to the core, his heart in turmoil, to the extent that he could neither hear nor see what happened afterwards. His ears seemed stuffed with cotton, his eyes smeared with pitch.
He stood there so blankly, not knowing how much time had passed, legs numb from standing, when finally, a stagger jolted him back to his senses. But even after vigorously shaking his head, his mind still felt like a mushy paste, confused and at a loss.
...
Stepping into the house,
Chen Mu first caught sight of Wang Ni, clearly frightened and on the verge of tears, and Chen Yue, who seemed to be listening intently to the noises outside and was blinking at him.
"Brother?"
Chen Yue called out.
Although she and Wang Ni were hiding in a corner of the room, unable to see the scene outside, they could hear the sounds outside. The sounds were baffling, especially since even Chen Yue was a bit perplexed about how Chen Mu had become acquainted with someone like Min Baoyi.
Head Constable of the Ninth District's City Defense Division... She knew that this title bore the responsibility of patrolling and maintaining public order for tens of thousands of households in the Ninth District. Chen Mu had even told her that in these chaotic times, the Head Constable was almost like a local emperor over his domain.
Although Chen Mu had mentioned 'moving' and 'better days are coming' over the past few days, he had always made such comments, so she hadn't felt anything too intensely.
But…
Today's events had finally made her perceive the difference in her daze.
The Head Constable of the City Defense Division had personally arrived, addressing Chen Mu as a brother.
What once seemed like merely a dream, a hope, a thread supporting their journey forward, had suddenly come within arm's reach, and it felt as if by simply stretching out her hand, she could touch it. This suddenness made her little head spin.
Chen Mu walked over to Chen Yue, smiled and tapped on her delicate nose, then looked around with some sentiment. His eyes lingered on the bare mud walls and the faded, decayed tables and chairs, as well as the patched-up cotton quilts.
In this place, he had memories of more than ten years.
And life for three years.
Eating coarse rice, gnawing on tough buns, huddling together... In winter, without enough thick quilts, he had to share a bed with Chen Yue, hugging her to keep warm as they slept.
Unable to afford new clothes or add thick layers because the times were unstable, they could only keep Chen Yue indoors and not let her step outside.
They had to be exceedingly cautious in every aspect, never daring to offend anyone, to get involved in any trouble. They kept their heads down and were careful in their actions, diligent and earnest, day after day, year after year. Finally, from some days before, they had silver, strength, and confidence.
And now, today, it was time for a complete transformation.
Chen Mu stepped forward, held Chen Yue in his arms and hugged her tightly. Then, he exhaled and patted her head, saying, "I'm going to the City Defense Division for a bit, and then tomorrow... we'll move."
"...Okay,"
Chen Yue nodded vigorously twice, looking up while in Chen Mu's arms.
In her lovely big eyes glittered the light of 'hope and joy'.
The past two days had been a roller coaster of emotions, from the fright of the night to the chaos of the day. Yet she had always believed in Chen Mu, trusted every word he said. No matter how scared or panicked she was, she endured, holding back her fears.
Finally.
The dawn of such days had come.
After comforting Chen Yue and Wang Ni, Chen Mu didn't delay for too long. He hid the silver tael securely, placed the Golden Jade Skin Toughening Technique close to him, and then set out for the City Defense Division.
The door latch was broken.
But Chen Mu didn't care, for now just leaving the door ajar was more 'secure' than the previous latch.
Wang Zhao and the others were no longer seen outside. The two Head Constables were also gone, just a few people scattered around the distant alley, gathered in small groups, seemingly discussing something.
When they saw the door open and Chen Mu stepping out, everyone immediately fell silent.
As Chen Mu walked by, people along the way made way for him, whether it was nearby neighbors or a few idle ruffians, all cautiously stepped aside. Even upon catching Chen Mu's gaze, they immediately offered up a smile.
Chen Mu paid them no mind and simply walked straight through the alley, quickly disappearing into the distance, leaving behind a mix of respectful and envious looks.
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