Willow Leaf Street was bustling with peddlers and porters, a constant stream of people coming and going. However, Chen Ping'an and his group hadn't encountered any fights or brawls.
Weishui County City wasn't just any small town. It was a proper County City, and order was strictly maintained. While numerous gangs, both large and small, operated within it, they all adhered to a tacit understanding: no fighting unless absolutely necessary.
Well, at least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
No matter how fierce the private conflicts became, they had to stay private.
If a large-scale brawl broke out in broad daylight, it would be a huge loss of face for the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. If that happened, it'd be a miracle if they didn't crush whoever was responsible.
Nothing happened the entire morning.
The Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office served lunch. After patrolling all morning, the trio of Chen Ping'an, Monkey Head, and Da Shan returned to the Garrison Commandant's Office to eat.
They usually ate at the Garrison Commandant's Office. After all, eating out cost money. Better to save that money for just about anything else!
They wouldn't eat out unless someone was treating.
The food at the Garrison Commandant's Office was neither good nor bad. There was a small, greasy meat dish, two reasonably fresh vegetable dishes, and an unlimited supply of rice.
The group got their food, found a spot, and sat right down to eat.
Having only had porridge for breakfast and patrolled all morning, Chen Ping'an was naturally famished. He wondered if it had something to do with starting his Cultivation of the Iron Cloth Shirt, but his appetite today was much larger than usual. He didn't stop until he had finished three large bowls of rice.
The sight left Monkey Head a little surprised.
"Ping'an, what's with you today? You're eating like some kind of starving ghost!"
"I didn't eat enough this morning. I'm just really hungry today."
Chen Ping'an just laughed it off.
"I'm so sick of this food. It's always the same few dishes, over and over!"
Monkey Head grumbled, eyeing the barely-greasy meat dish.
Of the three of them, his family was the wealthiest, so he was a bit pickier about his food.
Before Chen Ping'an could reply, Da Shan let out a huge burp from the side.
"BUUURP."
"You oaf!"
Monkey Head gave Da Shan a swat.
Da Shan chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.
For someone from his family, the life he lived now was practically divine. No back-breaking labor, no toiling in the fields with his face to the dirt and his back to the sky. He just had to wear a saber, walk around a bit, and he got fed!
It was simply unbelievable...
Plus, walking down the street like this felt incredibly impressive!
"Man, the Constables have it good! Their food is so much better than ours!"
Monkey Head put down his half-eaten meal, placed his hands behind his head, and let out a long sigh.
The lunch at the Garrison Commandant's Office was the same for both official constables and the off-the-books temporary constables. But for those at the Constable level, the food was a whole lot better.
From what the group had observed, a Constable was entitled to at least two meat dishes, plus an unlimited supply of vegetables. And these weren't minor meat dishes like theirs, but proper, hearty meat dishes dripping with grease!
"Envious?"
Chen Ping'an glanced at Monkey Head.
"If you're so envious, then go pursue the Martial Dao yourself! The Constables are all Martial Arts Masters. Without a steady supply of rich, oily food, how could they have enough energy and Qi Blood for their Cultivation!?"
At the mention of cultivating the Martial Dao, Monkey Head immediately deflated.
"Forget it, forget it, I'm just not cut out for it! Da Shan could do it. Right, Da Shan?"
"Yeah, I've been practicing my strength!"
Da Shan rumbled.
"Hahaha, see, Da Shan has ambition! Keep at it, and once you succeed, Ping'an and I will be able to swagger around."
Monkey Head patted Da Shan's shoulder vigorously, grinning.
"..."
Watching his two friends banter, Chen Ping'an felt a sense of comfort, but also a surge of motivation.
'The Constable rank already enjoys a completely different standard of food. What about the Inspectorate then!?'
'The Inspectorate and Vice Inspector of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office have a dedicated servant deliver their meals every day. They can have whatever they want to eat, with a completely unlimited supply!'
'Here in Nanquan Lane, those two men are gods to the rest of us!'
'The food is just a microcosm of the difference between ranks. What it truly represents is... Power!'
...
After lunch, Chen Ping'an and his friends took a short nap at the Garrison Commandant's Office before heading back to Willow Leaf Street for their patrol.
The sun was high overhead at noon. They were supposedly on patrol, but they weren't exactly diligent. Finding a well-hidden spot, the three of them lounged in the shade of a tree to rest.
Eating the Garrison Commandant's Office's food really was great. If they were mere servants or Assistants elsewhere, they'd never get a chance like this to slack off and nap!
First, an official break, then some secret slacking off, and they still collected a Monthly Allowance at the end of it.
All in all, they were making out like bandits!
Normally, Chen Ping'an would only rest for about half an hour to catch up on sleep. But today, perhaps tired from practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt the day before, he ended up sleeping for nearly a full hour.
By the time he woke up, Monkey Head and Da Shan were already chatting away. A now-awake Chen Ping'an joined their conversation. From interesting rumors on the street to neighborhood gossip, there was always something new to discuss. Despite spending so much time together, they never ran out of things to talk about.
After resting in the shade for over an hour, the trio unhurriedly got up to resume their patrol.
Willow Leaf Street was much livelier at this time of day. Even the ruffians and scoundrels, who were scarce in the morning, started appearing from time to time.
Petty thugs who hadn't made a name for themselves would scatter from a distance the moment they saw the constables approaching on patrol, sabers at their waists. But the seasoned gang members showed no fear at the sight of them.
Of course, while they weren't afraid, no one was stupid enough to deliberately provoke them.
When they saw the trio, these ruffians would either ignore them or give a slight nod as a greeting.
Actually approaching them with a greeting was extremely rare. Only a few exceptionally slick, opportunistic thugs would bother; the rest had no interest.
After all, despite their official-looking attire, they were just temporary constables, not even officially on the payroll.
Although they looked imposing walking down the street, they ultimately had very little real power. Once they were off duty, they had to return their Waist Tokens and sabers.
If you wanted thugs to actively greet you, let alone fawn over you, even someone like Mr. Qin probably didn't have enough clout!
At the very least, you'd have to be a senior constable on the verge of being promoted to Constable!
As the group chatted, time flew by. Nothing happened that day.
Seeing that it was about time, Chen Ping'an, Monkey Head, and Da Shan returned to the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office to report in.
Even by this time, the three of them still hadn't seen Mr. Qin.
When it came to slacking off, Mr. Qin was the true master. Their napping in the shade for an hour or two was nothing special.
After returning their Waist Tokens and sabers, the group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways home.