Little Tiger

Bang! Bang! Bang! The violent knocking, together with the shuddering of the courtyard gate, left the already rather worn wooden door barely able to hold. “Brother!” Chen Er Ya's expression, which had gone slack over the food, tightened at once. Chen Ping'an gave her a look and stood up to go open the courtyard gate. Their little courtyard was small; a few steps brought one to the wooden gate. But Chen Ping'an had only risen and taken a single step when the gate was kicked open with a bang. The crossbar that held the door bolt in place had snapped clean in two! As the crossbar fell to the ground, a flash of severity passed through Chen Ping'an's eyes, but it quickly vanished. To break in without the owner's permission — under Great Qian law, striking such an intruder dead outright would be no excess at all; it would be entirely just and lawful. Several figures appeared before the gate. At their head stood an imposing, burly man with dark skin but a face flushed ruddy red. The big man was extremely tall, a full head taller than Chen Ping'an. “Chen boy, I knocked for so long and you still didn't come open the door, so I got a little rough — you won't hold it against me, will you?” The big man looked at Chen Ping'an with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, watching his reaction closely. Chen Ping'an's face showed not the slightest oddity, all smiles. “What are you saying, Tiger — it's my fault for being slow to open the door.” “Call me Little Tiger! Tiger is my adoptive father — that's not a name to be tossed around lightly.” As he spoke, the big man walked into the courtyard, and his gaze fell on the dishes on the wooden table. “Chen boy, your meals are pretty good! Us brothers haven't even eaten this well today! You really know how to enjoy life.” Little Tiger spread himself onto the wooden stool with an air of great swagger, frightening Chen Er Ya, who stood up and pressed close to her brother's side. “Pork belly, big bone broth... Chen boy, you're living pretty comfortably!” “As expected of old Chen's family — your standard of living really is on another level.” The several gang lackeys following behind Little Tiger said in a sneering, insinuating tone. Chen Ping'an's expression didn't change. He stepped to the side and took Chen Er Ya's hand, pressing it firmly. “Just yesterday I happened to go out on an assignment with the office and took down the Quicksand Gang. I was lucky enough to earn a little credit, and I hadn't had any meat in a good while. I was thinking of treating myself today. I didn't expect such an honored guest as Little Tiger to turn up.” Off to the side, Chen Er Ya was a little nervous, her whole body tense. Chen Ping'an gripped her hand and pressed it firmly several times, trying hard to calm her. Chen Er Ya couldn't help being nervous — the big man before them was no ordinary person. Even in the streets and alleys around Pear Blossom Alley, he was a man of some renown. The Tiger Head Gang's Little Tiger! The Tiger Head Gang's Tiger had lost his legitimate son early and had adopted several foster sons. And the Little Tiger before them was the foster son Tiger valued most, being groomed as the gang's successor. A figure like this, by rights, wouldn't just show up at someone's door for no reason. But Little Tiger held another identity besides being the foster son Tiger valued most in the Tiger Head Gang. That was — he was Chen Ping'an's creditor! Earlier, when Father Chen borrowed the silver to secure a runner's post for him, it was from Little Tiger that he had borrowed it. Little Tiger said nothing. Sitting by the wooden table, he watched Chen Ping'an with a look of amusement. Little Tiger didn't speak, and neither did Chen Ping'an, who simply watched quietly with a smile on his face. Sometimes, not panicking is a kind of strength, and silence is a kind of strength too! Chen Ping'an knew that Little Tiger understood the meaning behind his words. An unregistered runner is still a runner! “As expected of the Chen family's boy! You've got guts — you take after old Chen a fair bit. This time, I, Little Tiger, didn't come for anything special. I just wanted to ask whether that silver you borrowed earlier is about due for repayment!” “Just as I thought!” Chen Ping'an said inwardly. The worst-case scenario had finally come to pass. “Little Tiger, when Father was still alive, he made an agreement with you. He said he'd borrow ten taels of silver and repay thirteen taels after a year. As things stand now, there's still nearly half a year to go. Isn't repaying now... a little early?” Chen Ping'an wore a flattering smile, and only at the very end did he let a somewhat embarrassed expression show. Little Tiger narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Chen Ping'an, and only after a good while did he speak. “Chen boy, you know it too. Back then I was doing your old man Chen a favor, and we agreed: borrow for a year, repay thirteen taels. Go ask around — you won't find lower interest anywhere! In times like these, people borrowing money are everywhere. If my Tiger Head Gang just lends out casually, forget a year at thirteen taels — even half a year at sixteen taels is nothing unusual. These past days the gang has been auditing closely, and sure enough, they turned up this old account. They've been pressing me to collect it back early.” What was actually lent back then was nine out, thirteen back! They said it was ten taels, but only nine actually changed hands! Old man Chen, gravely injured as he was, did have some face to his name, but at most that earned him a little preferential treatment — nothing nearly so exaggerated as Little Tiger made it out to be. As for the gang auditing closely, that was obviously a pack of lies the moment he opened his mouth! With Little Tiger's standing in the gang, who would dare make trouble for him over such a trifling account and press him to collect it? Chen Ping'an grumbled inwardly. But... The fact that Little Tiger had cooked up a lie to fool him meant he was still unwilling to tear off the mask completely. The temporary official skin Chen Ping'an wore had played its part after all. “Little Tiger, you know how it is. My monthly stipend is only eight qian, and counting it all up I've only been on the job for a bit over half a year. With my everyday expenses, I haven't saved much. Before Father died, he spent nearly all his savings on this official skin of mine. That's why I ended up borrowing these ten taels of silver from you! Could you grant me a few more days?” Chen Ping'an was humble in manner, speaking gently. Little Tiger said nothing, but the lackey beside him barked harshly. “Chen boy, you're eating pork belly and drinking big bone broth, and you say you have no money?! Who'd believe that! Hurry up! Pay it back today, or don't blame us brothers for being ruthless and forgetting any courtesy!” As the little lackey shouted, he put on a fierce, ferocious air. Chen Ping'an didn't respond. He only bent slightly at the waist, looking at Little Tiger with an earnest expression. Some people bark fiercely but pose no real threat at all! The fate of such people is often in the hands of those who don't bark. Bang! Seeing that Chen Ping'an hadn't answered, the little lackey grew even more indignant. He slammed a palm onto the wooden table, splashing big bone broth up onto its surface and jolting the pork belly right out of the bowl. “I'm talking to you, Chen boy!” Chen Ping'an remained silent, his expression earnest, but his gaze firm. “Liu'er, that's enough.” Little Tiger pressed an open palm downward in a calming gesture, and the lackey who had been shouting so fiercely shut his mouth at once. “Here's how it is, Chen boy. I won't make things hard for you. Consider today just a reminder — I'll give you five more days! Five days from now, pay it back with both principal and interest.” “Thank you for your kindness, Little Tiger.” Chen Ping'an let go of Chen Er Ya's hand, first saluting with clasped hands, then explaining earnestly. “Little Tiger, in another ten days it will be time for my monthly stipend to be paid. If you, in your great magnanimity, would grant me five more days — after those ten days, once the stipend comes down, even if I fall a little short, it'll be easy enough for me to borrow from my colleagues. By then, I'll certainly repay you with both principal and interest, Little Tiger!” Chen Ping'an spoke with firm resolve, without the slightest sign of a guilty conscience. “Ten days!” Little Tiger gave a cold snort and abruptly rose from the wooden stool. Chen Ping'an showed no weakness either, holding his saluting posture without moving. “Well, well, what a Chen family boy you are! Fine — I'll give you ten days! But ten days from now, what you repay won't be thirteen taels — it'll be fourteen!” At Little Tiger's words, a flicker of panic crossed Chen Ping'an's eyes at just the right moment. People like Little Tiger had dealt with all sorts, from every walk of life. They were the most skilled at reading faces and expressions, and this flicker of panic was caught right in his sight. Chen Ping'an glanced at his little sister, then at Little Tiger, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and agreed. “Fine, I'll do as you say, Little Tiger — ten days from now, I'll repay you fourteen taels of silver, principal and interest together!” “Good, good, good — not bad! You've got real backbone! As expected of old Chen's bloodline.” Little Tiger clapped with a smile. “Liu'er, Amao, Feizi, let's go!” Little Tiger called to the others and headed out of the courtyard. As he passed close by Chen Ping'an, he even gave his shoulder a smiling pat. “Thank you for the grace period, Little Tiger. Take care now, Little Tiger.” With a smile, Chen Ping'an saw the group off. Little Tiger didn't look back. It was instead the lackey called Liu'er who shot Chen Ping'an a vicious glare. He watched Little Tiger and the others leave until their backs disappeared into the distance. Only then did the smile on Chen Ping'an's face vanish. That flicker of panic had been deliberate. A youth's temperament could stand to be a little tough, but being too much of a prodigy wasn't necessarily a good thing! Whether or not the other party paid it any mind, with no one to rely on, he naturally had to be all the more cautious.