The next day, He Zifeng and Qiu Yu went to the county, set up their stall, and then He Zifeng headed to the county office to report for duty.
A man named Brother Xiong greeted him, “You’re He Zifeng, huh? Sturdy-looking guy.” Warmly, he added, “The old town elder is my benefactor!” Years ago, the elder helped him secure a job driving carts at the yamen. After two years of diligent work, he spent some silver to secure a promotion to Constable.
The job paid three taels a year, with some rice and flour for the holidays. Although this was just enough to scrape by, no one relied solely on their salary. Everyone had their own side income. Though they couldn’t make big money, they rubbed shoulders with merchants and figures of influence. Even small bribes could add up.
Wealthy folks could easily tip three or five taels in a single transaction.
He Zifeng responded, “Brother Xiong, you’re experienced. Just let me know what to do!”
Brother Xiong said, “This job’s a breeze. Patrol the streets twice a day. If there’s a fight, throw a couple of punches. You don’t owe anyone any favors. Then find a spot to lounge around. Once the head Constable checks in, you can head home and cuddle your wife.” This was the daily routine of seasoned Constables.
Brother Xiong genuinely looked out for He Zifeng. He wasn’t sure about He’s background, but the old town elder had never recommended anyone in the past ten years. His sudden endorsement of He Zifeng, straight to a Constable position, meant the elder held him in high regard.
Apart from He Zifeng, Brother Xiong also supervised another man named Bingzi.
The county office employed about fifty Constables, each with their own duties and allegiances. Some were tied to the magistrate, others to the advisor, and still others to the head Constable. For small fries like them, those big figures were out of reach.
He Zifeng took his new role seriously and patrolled two streets. As the saying goes, “Respect the uniform.” People saw his Constable’s attire and treated him with a newfound reverence. Even the street kids scattered at the sight of him.
Following Brother Xiong’s advice, he wrapped up his patrols early and headed to their stall, where Qiu Yu was already packing up.
He Zifeng rushed over to help.
Seeing him, Qiu Yu’s eyes curved into a smile, though he said, “Don’t help while you’re in uniform.”
“What’s the harm?” Sure enough, the other vendors shot them respectful glances.
After helping him pack, He Zifeng told Qiu Yu to take the cart home with the meat and pig offal they’d bought. Qiu Yu was capable of driving the cart.
“I’ll wait for you,” Qiu Yu said.
“I still have things to do. Go home, take a nap, and work with the three sisters-in-law this afternoon. Don’t overwork yourself,” He Zifeng instructed.
Qiu Yu blushed. “It’s just a bit of work; it’s no big deal.” Then he hesitated. “If I take Qinghua, how will you get home?”
“I’ve already asked around,” He Zifeng said. “Brother Xiong and Brother Bingzi live not far from Chishui Village. Brother Xiong has a cart; I can ride back with him for ten coins.”
Qiu Yu nodded, reassured. He Zifeng carried their goods to the backyard before saying goodbye.
Just as Brother Xiong had said, the day was uneventful. During the evening roll call, it wasn’t even the head Constable who showed up, but his assistant. After a few official words of encouragement, they were dismissed.
Many Constables reeked of alcohol, clearly having spent the day drinking, while others smelled of perfume, likely from a visit to the pleasure district.
Brother Xiong said, “Wait for me,” before heading off with Bingzi. His cart was pulled by a striking red horse, of which he was particularly proud. “I bought this horse when it was still in its mother’s womb,” he boasted. “The horse dealer, an old friend, regretted selling it to me after it was born. A pure red horse like this is worth at least sixty taels, but I got it for less than half!”
He spoke with pride, the horse now four years old and still a topic of bragging rights.
Although Brother Xiong had been in the county for ten years, deep down he was still pretty much like a villager. He would give a few people a ride every day, and the round trips brought in a decent amount of money—more than enough to afford raising horses.
He and He Zifeng sat on the outside of the cart. Brother Xiong laughed heartily and said, “You really know how to pick a spot. Some people like to sit inside the carriage where they can lean back and nap a bit, but it’s still better to ride on the outside. When the cart’s moving, the sky feels vast and open. It really gives off that heroic, wandering-the-land kind of feeling you hear about in operas.”
He Zifeng said, “Those guys drink and fool around with women. Doesn’t the head Constable care?”
Brother Xiong said, “Those guys have strong backing. Some of them got in by greasing the wheels with silver. The constables just turn a blind eye. But just because they can get away with it doesn’t mean we can. We don’t have any powerful connections. If we happen to cross a boss who’s in a bad mood, we could easily end up as an example to scare others.”
For ordinary folks like them, just getting in was already a stroke of luck. After that, it’s best to keep your head down. Be a low-ranking officer, make a little money—that’s good enough.
He Zifeng understood that Brother Xiong was giving him a subtle warning. He smiled and said, “Thanks.”
Brother Xiong gave him another look but didn’t say anything else. Having worked as a constable for ten years, he had met all kinds of people, and he felt that He Zifeng was indeed different from the rest. He understood things with just a hint—unlike Bingzi, who had to have everything spelled out, broken down, and practically chewed for him to grasp even a little.
Brother Xiong treated He Zifeng with genuine sincerity—first, to repay the former town head’s kindness in recognizing his talent, and second, because although there weren’t many constables in the county office, they were spread across different spheres of influence. He never knew when he might be the next one thrown to the wolves. Having one more brother to count on was always a good thing.
That same day, He Zifeng returned, wearing the constable’s uniform. As he entered the village, some villagers were already waiting for him to come back so they could set off firecrackers in celebration.
“You’re back, huh?”
“How was your first day as a constable?”
“What kind of work did you do?”
Village Chief Liuzi waved his hand and said, “Alright, the guy must be tired—ask him later.” With a smile on his face, he added, “Your aunt made braised chicken. Come to my place for a drink. The food’s all ready.” Without giving him a choice, he started pulling him toward his house.
He Zifeng said, “But Qiuyu is waiting for me to come home for dinner.”
Village Chief Liuzi laughed heartily and said, “I knew you’d be thinking of her! I already invited her to my place. Your aunt and Qiuyu are getting along great—your aunt even said her cooking doesn’t hold a candle to Qiuyu’s!”
Hearing that, He Zifeng finally agreed to go to the village chief’s house.
Chief Liuzi couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky He Zifeng was. It hadn’t been long since the household split, and now he was already a constable. The chief could tell that He Zifeng had an independent streak. He wasn’t one to build cliques or form factions—just liked living in a quiet corner of the village.
Luckily, they had some history together, or he might not have been able to get He Zifeng over for a meal. And just as Chief Liuzi had said, Qiuyu was indeed there. That evening, the two of them became honored guests at the village chief’s home.
The village chief’s family had prepared eight dishes—not just chicken but also fish. At the dinner table, none of the village chief’s children sat down to eat; the meal was prepared especially for the two of them.
He Zifeng said, “Let the kids join us. There’s too much food for just the two of us.”
Village Chief Liuzi replied, “Ah, let’s have a drink. The kids had a late lunch, they’re not hungry yet.”
With that, he started pouring wine, and they ended up drinking quite a bit. In the end, the village chief drank himself under the table, and only then did he let the couple go home.
Back home, the braised dishes had already been simmering in the pot. Qiuyu helped He Zifeng back to their house.
He Zifeng was clearly conscious, but his steps weren’t exactly straight. Qiuyu helped him to bed and was about to remove his official’s clothing to change him into sleepwear when her movement was misunderstood by He Zifeng. He grabbed her and said, “I was afraid you were tired these past few days—it’s my fault as your husband.” Then he kissed her on the neck.
Qiuyu realized something was off, but it was already too late. He was caught—like a fish on the chopping board, completely at his mercy.
…
The next morning, when He Zifeng woke up, Qiuyu was still asleep, but he stirred the moment he moved. He said, “No more drinking next time.” He was already stronger than most people—after drinking, he became completely uninhibited.
He Zifeng apologized over and over. Thankfully, Qiuyu wasn’t truly upset. He only said, “I wanted to talk to you a little last night, but you didn’t give me a chance.” After a pause, he added, “I’ve already paid the five carpenters their one or two taels of silver in wages. Also ordered 500 catties of horse feed—it’ll last us a while.”
As Qiuyu spoke, he noticed the corners of He Zifeng’s mouth curl into a smile. He normally had a serious look, but when he smiled like that, there was a kind of striking handsomeness that stirred the heart—Qiuyu couldn’t resist it.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked.
“It’s so good to have you at home.”
Qiuyu raised her eyebrows slightly, a trace of smug pride showing on her face. Their child, Little He, had this same trait—he couldn’t help but feel proud.
Seeing her expression, He Zifeng leaned in for a kiss, but Qiuyu gently pushed him away. “We’ve got to set up the stall soon.” They were both still young—if things got heated, it might not end well.
So He Zifeng relented. He got up, did a bit of work, and left with Qiuyu. When they arrived in the county and set up their stall, He Zifeng went to report for duty.
As he left, he noticed two familiar faces among the other stall vendors—Xu Li and Wan Hai. It looked like they had been influenced by him; the two had rented a stall of their own to sell the Huangjiang (fermented soybean paste) from the He family’s sauce shop. Wan Hai seemed comfortable enough, but Xu Li looked rather embarrassed and shy, unable to meet the customers’ eyes.
Constable = Yamen runner
Thank you so much for support ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡ :Ko-fi – Patreon
