In the Limelight

"Ping'an, this..." The strained smile that Old Pan had forced onto his face froze entirely. "When the silver was borrowed back then, no one said anything about paying interest!?" "That's right! We've already returned your silver, so why bring up interest now? Fifty small cash—you're extorting us!" Aunt Pan jabbed an accusatory finger. "If word of this gets out, people will curse you behind your back!" Watching the couple before him, Chen Ping'an felt the last traces of his patience slipping away. "Extortion? If I were extorting you, we'd be discussing the terms of nine out, thirteen back, not a mere fifty small cash! Borrowing money and paying interest is the way of heaven and earth! No matter where this is told, reason is on my side. So where does all this talk of being cursed behind my back come from!?" Chen Ping'an's eyes shone bright and sharp as he stared straight at them, exuding an undeniable aura. Aunt Pan, who was normally so accustomed to throwing tantrums, stood dumbstruck, unable to utter a single word. Beside her, Old Pan's nerve completely collapsed. "Ping'an, it's just a woman running her mouth. Don't take offense," Old Pan said with a fawning laugh. "Wait just a moment. I'll go get the money." With that, Old Pan retreated into the inner room. A moment later, he emerged with a handful of small cash and handed them to Chen Ping'an. Taking the coins, Chen Ping'an confirmed the count. His face remained calm; he showed neither the arrogant triumph of someone who had wrung out his interest nor any desire to mend relations after tearing off the veneer of civility. "In that case, we are settled." "Ping'an, your Uncle Pan and Aunt Pan were in the wrong this time. Please don't take it to heart," Old Pan said with a dry chuckle, trying to say a few words to ease the tension. Chen Ping'an, however, did not stay to hear him out, departing with the money in hand. Forced to swallow the rest of his intended remarks, Old Pan let out a long sigh. "The youth are truly formidable! I misjudged him completely. Who knew this kid from the Chen family was such a tough character!" He had always assumed Chen Ping'an was easy to push around. Even though the boy served in the Suppression Office, he still seemed like someone who valued neighborly ties—someone who, with a bit of moral badgering and sweet-talking, would swallow any grievance in silence. Who would have thought the young fellow could be so razor-sharp? Not even Old Pan's most cherished tactics could hold up against him. This time, not only had their relationship soured, but they had also lost both principal and interest. It was truly a case of losing the lady and the troops together! "Old Pan, that Chen brat was completely unneighborly. I ought to go out and spread the word, let every neighbor on the street see his true colors!" Aunt Pan pressed forward. "You useless woman! Long on hair, short on sense!" It would have been better if Aunt Pan had kept quiet; her coming over now gave Old Pan the perfect outlet for the fury welling in his chest. "Why did you have to go and provoke him for no reason?! If we had just spoken to him nicely, we might not have had to pay these fifty small cash in interest. Look what you've done!" "Me provoke him?! Wasn't it you, you old bastard, who insisted that the Chen boy was just a half-grown kid and there was no rush to return the silver?! Now that things went wrong, you push all the blame on me!" Aunt Pan was not one to be bullied, either, planting her hands on her hips in a fiery rage. "You woman! What applied before doesn't apply now! Tell me, if it weren't for you, would it have come to this?" "Get the hell away from me!" Old Pan and Aunt Pan descended into a bitter, unresolvable shouting match. To the side, their son and daughter-in-law watched them with burning cheeks, thoroughly mortified. "Father, Mother, both of you say less," Xiao Pan tried to mediate. "Piss off! Shut your mouth! Isn't this all for the sake of getting you a wife?!" "..." *** By the time Chen Ping'an returned home, Chen Er Ya had already laid out the dishes, merely waiting for him. "Brother, you're back!" Seeing Chen Ping'an walk through the door, Chen Er Ya hurried forward to take the bowl from his hands. "Mm, I'm back," Chen Ping'an nodded. "What took you so long? The food's almost cold." After setting down the bowl, Chen Er Ya returned to take off the plates covering the dishes to keep them warm. With a smile, Chen Ping'an briefly recounted what had just happened. "How could they be like that?!" Hearing the story, the little girl puffed out her chest, looking thoroughly indignant. "The world is vast, and there are all kinds of wonders in it! People like that are everywhere," Chen Ping'an said nonchalantly. If everyone followed the rules so uprightly, what would be the use of the Suppression Office?! "Hmph! We clearly lent them silver, yet in the end, they made it seem like our fault." "Haha, it's fine. Isn't it settled now? Oh, right, take this silver and cash. Tomorrow, remember to buy some more meat." Chen Ping'an smiled as he handed the pouch of coins to Chen Er Ya. With this money, they could help offset the household expenses. He was eating meat every night now, which was no small expense. Salt, refined rice, meat... what didn't cost money? Having paid off their debts, their savings were at their thinnest. Going forward, however, things were bound to improve. After dinner, Chen Ping'an helped Chen Er Ya wash the dishes and utensils before stretching and warming up in the small courtyard. Once he was thoroughly limbered up, Chen Ping'an stepped into the sand and gravel and began practicing Iron Shirt. Training, after all, was about tireless day-in, day-out diligence! As he tumbled repeatedly, the qi and blood throughout Chen Ping'an's body, along with his skin, were continuously stimulated. Two hours later. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: Qi and blood first layer, perfected Martial Art: Iron Shirt lesser mastery (13/40) *** "Invigorating! Simply invigorating!" Emerging from the sand and gravel, Chen Ping'an's skin was bright red and covered in broken blood vessels, but his spirits were exceptionally refreshed. Two points of experience in the morning and three at night meant five points a day. At this pace, achieving greater mastery in Iron Shirt would only take a few days. By the morning of the sixth day, he would have gathered the forty points he needed. "Brother, let me help you." Carrying a basin of clear water, Chen Er Ya trotted over to help wipe him down. "Mm, Nannan is such a good girl." Chen Ping'an smiled warmly. The night passed as warm and peaceful as ever. Early the next morning, after completing two rounds of Iron Shirt practice, Chen Ping'an headed to the Suppression Office to go on duty. While waiting for the pre-shift meeting to begin, he noticed that the number of runners gathered around Zheng Shiyong had noticeably grown. *What's going on?* Chen Ping'an wondered. Logically speaking, even though Zheng Shiyong was Head Runner Zheng's nephew, he had only arrived at the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office recently and was still just a temporary runner; he shouldn't have been able to attract such a crowd. After all, a fair number of runners kept him at a respectful distance. However, Chen Ping'an's question was soon answered during the pre-shift meeting. Presiding over the gathering today was Head Runner Yan. Standing high on the platform, he looked down at the crowd below. "Our Nanquan Lane Suppression Office is truly a blessed place, constantly producing remarkable talent. You all know Zheng Shiyong. He hasn't been with us long, but just the day before yesterday, he entered the martial path, officially stepping into the qi and blood first layer! I hope everyone will learn from Zheng Shiyong, train hard, enter the martial path, and contribute your strength to our Nanquan Lane Suppression Office." As soon as Head Runner Yan finished speaking, cheers erupted from all around, full of praise for Zheng Shiyong and the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office. "It is all thanks to the excellent guidance of the various officers that I was able to make my breakthrough the day before yesterday," Zheng Shiyong stepped forward at just the right moment to speak. "In the days ahead, I will certainly carry out my duties with utmost diligence, dedicating my heart and soul to the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office." Zheng Shiyong's words drew another round of applause and cheers from the runners, as well as an approving nod from Head Runner Yan. How many of those cheers were genuine, however, was another matter entirely. To the side, Monkey curled his lip and remained silent. Watching Zheng Shiyong bask in the limelight, Chen Ping'an felt neither envy nor grief.