Ruyi caught a strange scent as soon as she stepped inside this morning.

With a weird look in her eyes, she stared at him for a long time.

Chen Changsheng asked, “Why are you staring at me, Ruyi?”

“Uncle Chen, you smell funny.”

“That might be musk,” Chen Changsheng said.

“What kind of scent is musk? It smells awful to Ruyi.”

“Some opera houses use it.”

Though opera houses were different from brothels, some still ran shady business under the table. Usually, an opera house involved in such business had this musk scent. People who entered just knew upon smelling it.

The musk’s real purpose was to prevent women from having children. Long exposure could cause this effect.

“Did Uncle Chen go to an opera house yesterday?”

Ruyi paused, puzzled. “What’s ‘listening to songs’?”

“It’s kind of like watching an opera performance,” Chen Changsheng explained.

“Oh.”

Ruyi didn’t inquire further, simply assuming Uncle Chen had gone to see an opera.

Lowering her head to focus on her embroidery, Ruyi glanced up again and spotted that Phoenix Flower.

“So ugly…”

Chen Changsheng had to smile at her obvious bitterness. This girl held a grudge. He would have to move that Phoenix Flower elsewhere later.

Just then, a knock echoed through the air.

“Is Wang Sanniang home?”

The knock came from next door, Wang Sanniang’s house.

Ruyi widened her eyes. “Someone knocked, but Mother is out in the fields.”

“You both stay here. I’ll go see who it is.”

Chen Changsheng stood up and walked out. He saw a man dressed in black standing at Wang Sanniang’s gate. He looked familiar. Hadn’t they met before?

Chen Qian turned around and saw Chen Changsheng standing by his own door. He was momentarily stunned, then walked over.

Chen Qian spoke. “When did Brother Chen get back?”

As soon as he spoke, Chen Changsheng remembered.

This was the man who collected the “protection money.”

They shared the same surname, Chen. He remembered meeting him once when Old Huang was still alive.

“Just returned. Didn’t expect you to remember me.”

“Same clan name, didn’t forget, didn’t forget.”

Chen Qian grinned. There weren’t many Chen families in Qingshan City, so he remembered them clearly.

Chen Changsheng asked, “Collecting the protection money?”

Chen Qian nodded. “Today’s the day for collection.”

Chen Changsheng said, “Wang Sanniang is in the fields. She probably won’t be back until afternoon.”

“Is that so…”

Chen Qian opened his mouth, sighed, “Then I’ll come back and ask this afternoon.”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment. “How much? I’ll cover it for her.”

“Two hundred copper coins.”

“Two qian?”

That meant around two hundred copper coins.

“That much?” Chen Changsheng frowned.

Chen Qian said, “It’s actually less than it used to be.”

After some thought, Chen Changsheng still pulled out two qian.

“Thank you, Brother Chen.”

Chen Qian added, “Oh, Brother Chen, since you just got back, this month’s share is on us. But starting next month, you’ll need to pay on time too.”

“It’s you again!”

“You’re here for money again!”

Ping An was suddenly standing behind Chen Changsheng, glaring angrily at Chen Qian.

Chen Qian smiled. “Young sir, you’ve grown taller.”

Ping An frowned, about to speak.

Chen Changsheng stopped him.

Ping An hesitated, swallowing his words.

Chen Qian gave an awkward chuckle. “Brother Chen, I must be going then…”

He glanced at the house across the street.

But he did not approach.

The higher-ups had ordered: leave that house alone. He continued down the alley instead.

Only after Chen Qian left did Ping An speak. “Uncle Chen, why didn’t you let Ping An speak?”

Chen Changsheng said, “If Ping An offended him, it could mean big trouble. Your mother wouldn’t be able to protect you then.”

“Why?”

Ping An asked. “Why are you and Mother both like this? Why are you afraid of him?”

“It’s not fear.”

Chen Changsheng crouched down. “Ping An must understand, having no support makes you an easy target for bullies. Giving them money is a way to protect ourselves when needed.”

“It has pros and cons.”

“For example, if someone from the neighborhood beats Ping An up and steals your money, Ping An could go find that man we saw just now. You might not only get your money back, but see them beaten in return.”

Ping An asked, “But what about the Yamen? Aren’t they supposed to handle this?”

Chen Changsheng said, “Sometimes they are more helpful than the Yamen.”

Chen Changsheng thought to himself: It truly was a sign of the times’ sorrow.

The government’s ineffectiveness fostered the growth of gangs. It wasn’t just Qingshan City; this phenomenon occurred everywhere. People trusted these gangs more easily than the government.

Especially with the government offices in the Southern Region staffed entirely by Xiang people.

Though tensions between the Xiang and Jing peoples had eased recently, Jing people were fundamentally wary of entrusting themselves to Xiang officials.

That resentment was likely the core reason why gangs like Chen Qian’s endured so long in Qingshan City.

Ping An frowned. “Ping An doesn’t really understand.”

Chen Changsheng said, “That’s why Ping An must push harder. When Ping An becomes strong enough not to need anyone’s protection, then Ping An can choose not to pay.”

Ping An looked down at the wooden sword in his hand.

He thought for a moment, then said, “I will become very powerful someday.”

“Yes.”

“At least more powerful than Uncle Chen.”

“That might be quite tricky.”

“Is it tricky?”

“Very, very tricky.”

Ping An blinked. “But Ping An doesn’t even know how powerful Uncle Chen is.”

Chen Changsheng hadn’t intended to explain it.

But on second thought, perhaps Ping An needed something aim for, so he didn’t dismiss this ‘power’ as unimportant.

“Ping An, lend me your sword?”

“Here you are.”

Chen Changsheng took the wooden sword.

He gave a light swing towards the wall before them.

“Swish…”

Ping An thought he heard the sound of a sword.

When he looked again, there was a sword mark on the wall, about a zhang long.

He was completely stunned.

Ping An never imagined the sword skills he was learning could achieve something so incredible.

Chen Changsheng handed the sword back and whispered, “Ping An mustn’t tell anyone.”

Ping An stammered, “What about Mother? What about Elder Sister?”

“Not them either.” Chen Changsheng smiled.

“Oh…”

Ping An didn’t understand why he couldn’t tell, but he kept quiet, just as Uncle Chen instructed.

He walked over to touch the sword mark on the wall.

It was real, not a trick.

He couldn’t grasp how Uncle Chen had damaged the wall so easily from such a distance. The wooden sword hadn’t even touched the surface.

This baffled Ping An. It seemed beyond his understanding.

But he’d promised Uncle Chen. He couldn’t tell anyone, so asking seemed out of the question too.

Chen Changsheng encouraged him, “If Ping An keeps practicing diligently, he’ll surely accomplish this himself one day.”

Ping An paused.

He believed it.

So much so that the hand grasping his wooden sword tightened its grip.

That strength seemed to flow from deep inside his heart.