Promise!

Chapter 142, Class

Returning from the neighboring village, Zhuang Jin saw Chen Honggan and his wife visiting. Chen Yun, Yu Xiaoxiao, and Song Lan were serving them snacks, candied fruit, and dried fruit.

— Last month, Chen Honggan got married. His wife is the younger sister of one of his friends. Zhuang Jin even set aside a day to bring Chen Yun over to help.

Chen Honggan's wife was named Ruan Jinghua, also known as Chen Ruanshi. She was slightly plump and had a dignified and composed demeanor, a kind of person who embodied the spirit of peace and prosperity. During their several encounters, she was always courteous and respectful, and Zhuang Jin had a good impression of her.

Upon seeing Zhuang Jin return, everyone in the room stood up.

"We're all family, no need for formalities." Zhuang Jin asked them to sit down. Since his brother-in-law and his wife had come, he didn't rush to practice martial arts but sat down to keep them company and chat.

Chen Ruanshi began, “There is something I need to thank my brother-in-law for… My brother has a woman he is in love with and intends to marry, but she has also been targeted by the son of Zhou, the military advisor in the yamen, who wants to force her to become his concubine. He even brought people to confront my brother…”

"A few days ago, this man heard about my brother-in-law's connections and came to apologize with generous gifts... He brought a stick, took off his shirt, and asked my brother to beat him with it... He was like a dumb goose, speechless and only offered to drink cup after cup as an apology... When my brother refused the gifts, he said in a muffled voice that he would give my brother his wife and three concubines in return... If it weren't for this, I really wouldn't have known that the seemingly imposing, tall, and burly man had such a kind and honest side..."

She told the story in an amusing way, and when she finished, the room erupted in laughter.

"Being arrogant at first and then being respectful later makes you laugh when you think about it."

Chen Honggan sighed and asked a thought-provoking question: "If it were just an ordinary family, without the brother-in-law connection, would the other party still act this way? And what would the final outcome be?"

This question silenced the laughter in the room.

"Good deeds will be rewarded, and evil deeds will be punished. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet."

Yu Xiaoxiao brought over the tea, frowned, and said fiercely, "I believe that bad people will definitely be punished for their bad deeds."

If it were before the Min Shang incident, Chen Yun would probably have thought the same way, but now, she shook her head slightly and looked at Zhuang Jin, saying, "Husband, what do you think?"

"The idea that good and evil are rewarded is just a form of self-consolation for those at the bottom who face injustice and are powerless to change it. There's a saying, 'Good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years,' and another, 'Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, while those who build bridges and pave roads have no remains.' I won't comment on these sayings. I'll just say another one I've heard: Evil people are selfish and lawless. They eat happily and sleep soundly, and often live long lives..."

Seeing the expressions on their faces—a mixture of absurdity and apparent logic—Zhuang Jin gave an example: “I’ve heard that the youngest son of Huang, the prison warden in the prefectural government, frequents brothels. The women he patronizes either die or are maimed. He takes five or six concubines every year, but now only three remain… When the families of the victims reported him to the police, the person who reported him was arrested, while he continues to live a life of debauchery…”

"Take, for example, the grandson of Xu, the dock owner. He likes to set out wine and meat at the dock, watching the porters and boatmen work, calling them oxen and horses, to show off his superiority. Everyone curses him behind his back, and he's still doing well to this day... Oh, I heard that once a porter who couldn't stand it rushed up and only injured two servants. After that, the porter's entire family was wiped out... And that Xu, the dock owner's grandson, still sits at the dock every day..."

“I have heard of these cases as well, and I find them quite strange. Public resentment is boiling over, but the government just ignores it and turns a deaf ear.”

"It's strange, the government seems to be covering its ears, as if it can't hear anything."

"That's not entirely true, is it? Well, Master Chen and Secretary Song got their just deserts and met tragic ends..." Chen Yun thought for a moment and said.

"Perfect timing. I know about both of these things too. Yunniang only knows one side of the story, not the other. There are underlying reasons for both of these things: Master Chen retired from office but chose the wrong side. Unfortunately, his family was extremely wealthy, which is why he was slaughtered like a pig. He was once sitting at the dining table, but later ended up on a plate. As for Song Wenshu, the victim's family blocked the prefect's path and ran headfirst into his carriage, killing themselves. When the prefect asked about it, he said, 'It's really disgraceful. The reputation of officials in the Great Qian Dynasty is ruined by people like him.' His subordinates wanted to curry favor with him, so they eliminated him."

As Zhuang Jin spoke, she looked at the others and said, "If it weren't for this inside story, no matter how much resentment the common people felt, no matter how much they shouted, it wouldn't change reality in the slightest... After all, the power in this world is only responsible for its source!"

"The Great Qian Dynasty... Alas, the Great Qian Dynasty is like this!"

Chen Honggan, who had worked as a clerk in the government office, knew more about such matters. He sighed and looked at Zhuang Jin: "Brother-in-law, why are things like this? Doesn't the government consider the people's will?"

Seeing Chen Honggan's earnest and inquisitive expression, Zhuang Jin didn't say anything empty and replied, "This isn't something that can be explained in a few words, but I can put it simply. If you really want to understand these things, you must first understand and recognize one concept: class!"

"Class?!" Chen Honggan, as well as Chen Yun, Chen Ruanshi, Yu Xiaoxiao, and Song Lan all looked on in surprise.

"Yes, class."

Zhuang Jin explained in simple terms: "People need material support for their clothing, food, and daily necessities. Where do these resources come from? Farming, fishing, silkworm rearing, weaving... We call these people laborers. Those who don't eat from agriculture and sericulture, who reap without sowing, are called 'renters,' or what is commonly known as 'superiors.' One renter needs ten or even a hundred laborers to support him; that's the essence of the superior." "The laborers who support them, though called people, are, in the eyes of the 'renters,' not inappropriately considered cattle or horses; they are completely from a different class... Once you understand this, and think through the lens of class narrative, many seemingly absurd and incomprehensible problems become understandable."

"To the officials, the youngest son of Prisoner Huang and the grandson of Master Xu are the people of the same social class as them. As for prostitutes, commoner girls, porters, boatmen, and so on, in their eyes... ha, they really aren't even considered human! Does the government care about their opinions?"

"The principle applies between people of the same class. For example, those people mentioned earlier are people that ordinary people cannot afford to offend, but as for me, not to mention me, even the street and town wardens under my command, they have to be reasonable."

Upon hearing this, Chen Honggan and the others felt as if they had been struck by lightning, and their worldviews had been overturned.

"Brother-in-law, do people at the bottom of society really have no way to survive?"

"Yes, it's hard for people to change their environment, but they can change themselves. If you're not happy with the environment, you can climb up the social ladder. Once you're in the same social class, those people will naturally start to reason with you."

This is exactly the path Zhuang Jin has taken.

"Can't climb up?"

"Then accept your fate, behave yourself, and stay away from those people... In my opinion, it's foolish to be unable to climb up but unwilling to humble yourself and just keep nagging and complaining about the environment. Will complaining change the status quo in the slightest?"

Zhuang Jin shook his head with a sneer: "Obviously not. You'd be better off using that energy to think about how to improve yourself."

"My husband, you've only ever talked to me about the surface things before, but you've never mentioned these things before!"

In public, Chen Yun always presents herself as virtuous, kind, generous, and proper. This slight jealousy is a sign of their growing closeness and genuine relationship, much like a cat only showing its soft belly to the person it trusts most.

Zhuang Jin could naturally hear the emotion in her voice. She looked at her with a mixture of helplessness and affection, and shook her head, saying, "These things are too realistic and blatant... I've said it before, Yunniang, you can have your own thoughts and understanding... Honestly, I don't want you to understand these things. You can keep your innocence and kindness... I'll take care of sheltering you from the wind and rain."

"Husband!"

……

Beside them, Chen Honggan and Chen Ruanshi exchanged a glance, feeling like they'd been fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), while Song Lan and Yu Xiaoxiao watched with great interest, both wearing the same 'auntie smile' on their faces.

Perhaps sensing that these topics were somewhat heavy, they quickly changed the subject and started talking about something lighter.

"I've heard that there's a 'flying rat thief' in the east of the city. He comes and goes without a trace, and he specializes in stealing from wealthy families... I've also heard that the 'flying rat thief' will distribute the stolen money to the people..."

"I know about this too. He's just a martial artist, not as amazing as some people say, nor as virtuous as others claim. It's true that he specializes in stealing from wealthy families, but he does share some of the money with ordinary people, though only a very small portion... Furthermore, he also rapes women..."

Ou Wenzhong had told Zhuang Jin about this "Flying Rat Thief" as an amusing anecdote. This thief was no ordinary martial artist; it was said that even the town guard of Liujing Street was easily injured when he fought him, suggesting that he was at the Seventh Scripture Realm.

Zhuang Jin found this quite strange and even inquired about it, because generally, such people are mostly martial artists with one to three levels of cultivation; those with four to six levels are extremely rare; let alone those with seven levels.

Ou Wenzhong guessed that these were probably the fish that had escaped the net when the Medicine King Gang in the west of the city swallowed up other small gangs. At that time, those small gangs with seven or more levels of cultivation would definitely have been targeted and wiped out. They must have broken through later.

Furthermore, considering that this "Flying Rat Thief" appeared very early, before the rise of the Medicine King Gang, and that the difference in his strength before and after was quite large, it is possible that he was one of those who escaped the net and encountered the real person, so he impersonated him.

As the group chatted, streaks of light and shadow shone through the lush green trees outside the window, casting silhouettes on the 'living flower screen.' Their laughter, like sunlight, seemed to bring warmth and brightness to the screen.

For once, Zhuang Jin didn't rush to practice martial arts. Instead, she gave herself some time to sit quietly and listen to these trivial gossips. She felt as if a gentle stream was flowing and nourishing her heart. The intrigues and power struggles that she couldn't avoid even after coming to the east of the city seemed to have vanished like clouds in the clear blue sky outside.

……

(End of this chapter)