Chapter 25

"Brother~"

In the small courtyard, Chen Erya carefully wiped Chen Ping'an's body, her heart aching for him.

Chen Ping'an wanted to clean himself as usual, but the little girl insisted on helping.

"Erya, I'm fine. It just looks scary, that's all."

Chen Ping'an smiled reassuringly.

"I know, but seeing you like this still hurts my heart."

The little girl gently wiped him with a cloth.

"Erya, don't feel bad. This is just how martial arts training is. Compared to many others, what I'm going through is nothing. I'm working hard so that we can both have a better life. For a better future, we all have to put in the effort! From now on, I'll focus on training hard, and you can cheer me on from the sidelines. How does that sound?"

Chen Ping'an spoke to Chen Erya as if she were a child, though at nine years old, she still was one.

"Mm." The little girl nodded.

"Brother, I know. Dad used to say that enduring hardship is the path to greatness. You're enduring hardship now so that you can rise above others in the future."

"My Erya is so smart!"

"..."

The night passed quickly as the siblings shared their thoughts. Early the next morning, Chen Ping'an began practicing Iron Shirt using the new method.

It took just under half an hour to gain 1 experience point, and two sessions only took a bit longer than one session of the old method.

After attending the morning roll call and the pre-shift meeting, Chen Ping'an started his patrol. Today, two shift leaders, Huang and Li, were present.

The day passed quickly, filled with banter and jokes with his colleague Monkey Head Dashan. The patrol was uneventful.

By the time Chen Ping'an returned home in the evening, Chen Erya was almost done preparing dinner. Today, the little girl had been generous, buying not only beef but also lamb.

The aroma of the lamb filled the air, making mouths water.

Chen Ping'an had Chen Erya fill a large bowl with lamb, then took it to Uncle Zhang's house.

Since Uncle Zhang had provided the sand and gravel without charging, it was only right to return the favor. This was a simple principle of neighborly relations.

When Chen Ping'an arrived with the bowl of lamb, everyone in Uncle Zhang's household was home except for his son, Zhang Tieniu. They had just finished dinner.

Their meal had consisted of three dishes and a soup, with plenty of meat.

Compared to the neighbors, Uncle Zhang's family ate quite well.

His son and daughter-in-law worked in the kitchen of a restaurant, often bringing home leftovers.

Chen Ping'an explained his purpose, but Uncle Zhang waved his hands in refusal.

"Young Chen, this is too much!"

"Uncle Zhang, please take it. We cooked some lamb at home and thought you might like to try it."

Chen Ping'an smiled.

"This is too much! Half would be enough."

Uncle Zhang's grandson stood nearby, staring eagerly at the lamb. Even though they had just eaten, the aroma was irresistible.

"Uncle Zhang, please take it all. It's just a small token of appreciation."

"Alright then." Glancing at his grandson, Uncle Zhang finally relented.

"Young Chen, come in and sit for a while," Uncle Zhang's daughter-in-law, Cuilan, invited warmly. She was a stout woman with a prosperous air.

"No, thank you." Chen Ping'an declined with a smile.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and transferring the lamb to another bowl, Chen Ping'an left Uncle Zhang's house.

"Young Chen is so polite..."

Uncle Zhang sighed as he looked at the full bowl of lamb.

"Yes," Auntie Zhang agreed.

The bowl was so full that it could easily have been divided into three smaller portions.

"Young Chen, being an official, really knows how to handle things!" Cuilan added.

"Mother, Father, I should head out now. Tieniu is waiting for me at the restaurant."

Cuilan and Tieniu worked in the kitchen of a restaurant, and this was their busiest time. She had only come home because of an urgent matter.

As Chen Ping'an walked home from Uncle Zhang's house, he passed by a house with its door slightly ajar.

It was Old Pan's house!

Old Pan's family still owed them half a tael of silver.

When Old Chen was still alive, Old Pan's son had gotten married and needed money. Despite Old Chen's severe injuries, he had lent them half a tael.

Later, even when Old Chen was arranging for Chen Ping'an to become a temporary constable, he chose to borrow from loan sharks rather than ask Old Pan to repay the debt.

Now, more than half a year after Old Chen's death, Old Pan's family had owed the half tael for nearly a year. By all accounts, it was time to repay. Yet, Old Pan's family had never brought it up.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Ping'an might have let it slide. But now, after repaying the fourteen taels of debt, the family's savings were depleted. With Chen Ping'an's martial arts training requiring meat every night, their finances were stretched thin.

Getting that half tael back would help ease their expenses.

Half a tael was five qian, or five hundred small coins—almost half a month's salary for Chen Ping'an.

"Since I'm here, I might as well ask for it back today."

With that thought, Chen Ping'an knocked on Old Pan's door.

Old Pan's family was relatively well-off compared to their neighbors, having only borrowed money when their son got married.

"Who is it?"

A woman's voice came from inside.

"Auntie Pan, it's me, Chen Ping'an."

After Chen Ping'an's voice rang out, there was a long silence inside. Just as Chen Ping'an was about to push the door open, it finally creaked open.

"Ping'an, come in."

Old Pan greeted him.

Inside, several people were sitting around, having just finished dinner and resting.

Old Pan, his wife, their son, and their daughter-in-law, who was visibly pregnant.

Auntie Pan's expression was sour, and Young Pan looked uncomfortable.

"Ping'an, have you eaten yet?" Old Pan asked with a smile.

"Not yet," Chen Ping'an replied.

"Ping'an, what brings you here?"

Old Pan inquired.

"There's something I need to discuss. Uncle Pan, some time ago, your family borrowed half a tael of silver from us. I'm here to ask for it back."

Chen Ping'an got straight to the point.

As soon as he finished speaking, Auntie Pan's face darkened.

"Oh, that." Old Pan hadn't expected Chen Ping'an to be so direct. "Well, Ping'an, this is a bit sudden. Let me think about it."

Chen Ping'an smiled leisurely. "Take your time, Uncle Pan. I'll wait here."

Old Pan hadn't anticipated this response. He had assumed Chen Ping'an would leave after hearing his words. Seeing Chen Ping'an standing there, unmoving, he tried to brush him off.

"Ping'an, why don't you go home for now? I'll let you know once I've thought it over."

Old Pan's tone was dismissive, and he made no mention of repaying the debt, making his intentions clear.