Chapter 30 There Are No Good People in This World

The Bai family's meals were on a completely different level compared to the Chen family's.

There was stewed cabbage with pork belly, crispy fried river shrimp, braised carp, deep-fried meatballs, and a plate of seasonal vegetables.

Then came the dishes to accompany the drink: roast chicken, pork knuckles, and a plate of deep-fried peanuts.

The drink was the town's most famous white wine, said to cost twenty cents a bowl, which was quite expensive.

Compared to this, the Chen family's simple rice mixed with lard scraps just couldn't hold a candle.

Even that modest dish wasn't something the Chen family could afford to eat regularly.

Mrs. Bai handed Chen Jie a large steamed bun. The Bai family's buns were made with a two-to-one ratio of wheat to millet flour, but judging by the bun's paleness, a lot of wheat flour must have been used.

It is known that the price of wheat flour was three times that of millet flour.

Therefore, families that could afford wheat flour were wealthy, for wheat flour and rice were fine grains not everyone could afford.

Chen Jie accepted the bun, and Wu Zhong served him a meatball, saying, "Try this, it's your aunt's cooking."

Chen Jie expressed his thanks, while Wu Hong tore off a chicken leg for Chen Jie and said, "Jiu Si, eat, don't be shy. You need to build up your strength with that small frame of yours."

Chen Jie nodded his agreement.

As they ate, Mrs. Bai felt a lull in the conversation and spoke up, "My husband, have you heard about the incident in Upper Peach Village?"

Wu Zhong, who was eating, paused mid-bite, with a troubled look on his face, "I'm aware. Old Yu's family brought disaster upon themselves by committing suicide in a well."

Wu Hong frowned upon hearing this and asked, "What happened?"

Mrs. Bai said, "You don't want to get involved."

Wu Hong replied, "That won't do, Mother. I'm a constable. If there's a death, I can't just overlook it."

Seeing his state, Wu Zhong advised, "Son, you better stay out of this. It's complicated, listen to your mother."

"Father, you know me, if you don't spell it out, I'll just investigate it myself."

Wu Zhong shot Mrs. Bai a glare, look at the trouble you've caused, but Mrs. Bai defensively said, "I was just trying to liven up the atmosphere."

Doctor Bai then interjected, "Let's talk about it. He's no longer a child; there are things he should know."

Seeing that the elder had spoken, Wu Zhong glanced at Chen Jie and Wu Hong and slowly recounted the details of the incident.

The incident was that the Wang family's young man from Upper Peach Village had developed a gambling addiction. He had lost everything at Yu's Treasure House and even borrowed a high-interest loan from Yu Sanliu, rolling over like a tumbleweed, and then couldn't pay back the money.

Yu Sanliu suggested attending 'morning class,' and in the end, the poor young wife couldn't stand the humiliation and jumped into a well to end her life.

Slam!

Having listened, Wu Hong slammed his fist on the table and stood up, fuming with anger and eyes ablaze.

"Lawless lunatics!"

Wu Hong roared in rage. Wu Zhong said nothing, only glancing at Chen Jie beside him; he knew his son's temperament very well.

But Chen Jie's reaction slightly surprised him. He saw rage flash across Chen Jie's face, which then quickly settled back to calm. Yet beneath that calm, a towering rage was concealed; Chen Jie thought of the intel suggesting that Yu Sanliu had his sights on Su Yunjin.

That woman Cui'er had been driven to commit suicide by jumping into a well, but what about Su Yunjin?

If it hadn't been for his timely arrival to this era, would Su Yunjin's fate have been the same as that of Cui'er?

After being humiliated, to end her own life by jumping into a well!

And what was even more terrifying was that Yu Sanliu had not given up on Su Yunjin. With his methods, he would surely force Chen Jie to comply, and by then…

No, a tragic ending like Cui'er's cannot be allowed for Yunjin, absolutely not.

Chen Jie hid his hands under the table, gripping tightly.

"Sit down."

Wu Hong, with a stern look, heard Wu Zhong say a sentence, then said, "Dad, have they become so lawless?"

Wu Zhong replied, "Lawless, which law can control them?"

Wu Hong was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Firstly, gambling houses are approved by the court, they're not breaking the law. Secondly, usury is part of private lending, and the government doesn't intervene. Thirdly, taking wives to pay off debts, if the victim agrees, it doesn't break any regulations. Lastly, that woman jumped into the well herself; it was suicide, so what does it have to do with the Yu Family father and son?" Wu Zhong explained.

"But a life was lost!" Wu Hong argued.

"So what? Don't forget, they are backed by Guild Cao. Even the County Magistrate at the government office door doesn't want to deal with it. What are you meddling for? Stay settled for a few days and then head back to the county. The town's affairs, you needn't get involved."

"Damn it, the guild, they should all be eradicated!" Wu Hong said angrily.

Wu Zhong furrowed his brows: "Don't talk nonsense. Your old man is part of the Fishing Guild, are you suggesting we eradicate your old man too?"

On hearing this, Wu Hong glanced at Wu Zhong and said, "Dad, you're different, you don't do evil!"

"Heh, your dad here controls the Mianshui River and doesn't allow people to fish. Can I be considered a good person?"

"Oh, son, who's a good person nowadays? We in the guild aren't good people, but do you think you folks in the government are good people?"

"This..." Wu Hong wanted to say something.

But Doctor Bai gave him a stern look and said, "Let your dad finish speaking."

Wu Hong bowed his head.

Wu Zhong continued, "Since your grandfather has spoken, I'll be more frank. Your master has taught you skills; your dad here will teach you reasoning. There are no good people these days; it's all about interest. Haven't you seen what goes on inside the government after being there for a couple of years? The superiors consume tax revenue, advisors consume bribes, and government officials prey on the victims. After extorting the defendants, they prey on the plaintiffs."

"So many big deals in the county involve stakes held by your County Magistrate. Every day the constables extort money from merchants. All sorts of tax officers invent reasons to overcharge taxes, lining their own pockets—are they good people?"

"Son, let me tell you, what you in the government do is actually no different from our guild's business: both serve to squeeze the common people on behalf of those above. Mianshui County is said to have two major guilds, but I say it's three, and the largest is your government office. In this world, there are no good people," Wu Zhong said profoundly. Wu Hong was clearly shaken. In fact, he knew some of these things, but he had never thought deeply about them. He had never considered that the smiling constables who greeted him could become merchants and the common people's vision of a demon that devoured without spitting out the bones after hitting the streets.

Good people, where are the good people?

Wu Zhong drank by himself, and Chen Jie said nothing, but he understood that Wu Zhong was right. Where are the good people in this chaotic age, a society that devours people?

Being weak is a sin, with no clear line between good and bad people.

Law, when upheld by the powerful, can protect the weak, but when the powerful use it as a tool, it becomes the weak's nightmare.

Doctor Bai saw his grandson struggling to accept this and tried to smooth things over, "Alright, Hong'er. What your dad said may not be entirely right, but it's helpful to you. When we live our lives, we must first protect our family. Secondly, if we can have a clear conscience, that's enough. As for the rest, don't be too demanding, don't be too demanding..." Doctor Bai concluded, then took a large gulp of white wine. At his age, he could see through many things very clearly.

The meal ended in such an atmosphere.

Chen Jie hurriedly took his leave. Before he left, the Bai family gave Chen Jie four buns, a package of peanuts, and half a package of elbow meat.