Chapter 25: Repaying the Debt

“Brother~”

In the small courtyard, Chen Erya was wiping Chen Ping'an's body with a look of heartache.

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

“Nannuan, I'm fine. It just looks a bit scary,” Chen Ping'an comforted her with a smile.

“Mhm. I know, but seeing you like this still makes my heart ache.”

The little girl used the cloth to wipe him with extreme care.

“Nannuan, don't be sad. This is just how martial arts training is. Compared to many others, what I'm going through is nothing at all. I'm working hard at martial arts because I want us both to live a good life. To have a good life, we both have to work hard! In the future, I'll be responsible for working hard at martial arts, and Nannuan will be responsible for watching from the sidelines and cheering me on. How does that sound?”

Chen Ping'an coaxed Chen Erya like he was soothing a child. Then again, at only nine years old, she truly was still a child.

“Mhm,” the little girl nodded.

“Brother, I know. Father said before: only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one become a person of standing. Brother is enduring hardships now so that he can become a person of standing in the future.”

“My Nannuan is so smart!”

“...”

The night passed quickly amidst the conversation between the siblings. Early the next morning, Chen Ping'an began practicing the Iron Cloth technique using his new method.

He could gain 1 point of experience every half hour; after two practice sessions, it took only slightly longer than his previous method.

He arrived at the yamen on time for the morning briefing. Two constables arrived today, Constable Huang and Constable Li.

The day passed quickly amidst banter and conversation with Hou Tou Dashan. The street patrol was peaceful and uneventful.

When he returned home in the evening, Chen Erya had almost finished cooking. The little girl had been quite generous today, buying not only beef but also mutton.

As the mutton came out of the pot, the aroma was mouth-watering.

Chen Ping'an had Chen Erya pack a full bowl and then headed out to deliver it to Uncle Zhang's house.

Since they had delivered sand and gravel without asking for money, Chen Ping'an naturally wanted to return the favor. This was a very simple principle of neighborly interaction.

When Chen Ping'an delivered the large bowl of mutton, everyone from Uncle Zhang's family was there except for his son, Zhang Tieniu; they looked as though they had just finished eating.

There were three dishes, a soup, and plenty of meat.

Compared to the surrounding neighbors, Uncle Zhang's family had a very high standard of living.

Uncle Zhang's son and daughter-in-law worked in the kitchen of a restaurant, so they often brought home plenty of kitchen scraps and extras.

When Chen Ping'an explained his purpose, Uncle Zhang waved his hands repeatedly.

“Little Brother Chen, how can you do this!”

“Uncle Zhang, please take it. We just cooked some mutton at home and thought you might like to taste some,” Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

“This is too much! Just take half!”

The little child from Uncle Zhang's family stood to the side, staring longingly at the mutton. The meat smelled so delicious that even after eating, they still felt hungry.

“Uncle Zhang, take it all. It's just a small token of my appreciation.”

“Alright then.” After glancing at his grandson, Uncle Zhang finally agreed.

“Little Brother Chen, stay for a bit,” Uncle Zhang's daughter-in-law invited with a smile. The daughter-in-law, Cuilan, was plump and looked quite prosperous.

“I can't stay,” Chen Ping'an declined with a smile.

After a few words of pleasantries and exchanging a bowl to hold the mutton, Chen Ping'an left Uncle Zhang's house.

“Little Brother Chen is truly polite...”

Looking at the full bowl of mutton, Uncle Zhang let out a long sigh.

“Indeed,” Auntie Zhang agreed.

If the portion in this bowl were lighter, it wouldn't even be a problem to split it into three bowls.

“Little Brother Chen eats the government's rice; he certainly knows how to carry himself!” Cuilan added.

“Mother, Father, I must head out. Brother Niu is waiting for me!”

Cuilan and Tieniu worked in the restaurant kitchen, and this was their busiest time. If not for some business at home, she wouldn't have returned at this hour.

As Chen Ping'an walked home from Uncle Zhang's, he happened to see a house with its door left ajar.

It was Old Man Pan's house!

Old Uncle Pan's family in the alley still owed his family half a tael of silver.

When Old Man Chen was still alive, Old Man Pan's son was getting married and needed money, so even though Old Man Chen was severely injured, he had still lent out the half tael.

Later, even when Old Man Chen went to borrow high-interest loans just to secure a temporary position for Chen Ping'an, he never once asked Old Uncle Pan to repay the silver.

Now, Old Man Chen had been dead for over half a year, and Old Man Pan's family had owed that half tael for nearly a year. Logically, it should have been repaid by now. Yet, there was no sign of Old Man Pan's family bringing it up.

Usually, it wouldn't have mattered. But now, Chen Ping'an had just paid off fourteen taels of debt, exhausting the family's savings. Coupled with his martial arts training, which required him to eat meat every night, his expenses were tight.

Being able to get that half tael back would help alleviate his living costs.

Half a tael was five mace, or exactly five hundred copper coins. That was more than half of his monthly salary.

“What perfect timing. There's no better day than today; I'll collect the money today.”

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

Old Man Pan's family wasn't doing poorly in the neighborhood; in fact, they were doing quite well, aside from the debt from the son's wedding.

“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 several seconds of silence inside. Just as Chen Ping'an was about to push the door open himself, the sound of the door opening echoed.

“Ping'an, come in, come in quickly.”

The door opened, and the speaker was Old Man Pan.

Several people were sitting inside; they looked as though they had just finished a meal and were resting.

Old Man Pan, his wife, and his son and daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law's belly was prominently rounded; she was clearly pregnant.

Auntie Pan's expression was somewhat unpleasant, and Old Man Pan's son, Xiao Pan, looked somewhat awkward.

“Ping'an is here. Have you eaten?” Old Man Pan greeted him with a smile.

“Not yet,” Chen Ping'an replied with a smile.

“Did you come over for something, Ping'an?” Old Man Pan asked.

“I do have something. Uncle Pan, it's like this. A while ago, your family borrowed half a tael of silver from my family. I've come to ask you to return the money.”

Chen Ping'an got straight to the point.

He observed that as soon as he finished speaking, Auntie Pan's expression grew even more sour.

“So it's about that,” Old Man Pan hadn't expected Chen Ping'an to be so direct. “Mhm, Ping'an, this is a bit sudden. Let your Uncle Pan think about it.”

Maintaining a smile, Chen Ping'an said slowly, “Then please think it over carefully, Uncle. There's no rush; I'll just wait right here.”

Old Man Pan truly hadn't expected this reaction from Chen Ping'an. He thought that once he said those words, the boy would leave. Seeing that Chen Ping'an was staying put, he put on an air of authority.

“How about this, Ping'an? You go home for today, and we'll talk once your Uncle has thought it through.”

Old Man Pan's words were perfunctory, making no mention of the debt at all; his meaning was unmistakable.