From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

He wore a dark blue official uniform, and the iron plaque at his waist jingled softly.

As Zhu Hong walked along the bluestone pavement of Fu'an Street, the vendors who used to ignore him all started to greet him today.

"Sir, these scallion pancakes are fresh out of the oven, they smell delicious!"

Zhang the butcher, who sells pancakes, handed me a steaming hot pancake, his face beaming with a smile: "Would you like to try some?"

"Sir, would you like some pastries to take back with you? Freshly steamed osmanthus cake, sweet and soft but not cloying." The pastry shop owner leaned out, her voice crisp and clear.

Thank you all for your kindness.

Zhu Hong waved his hand, declining each offer, but he didn't seem cold. He simply said, "The government has rules, and we dare not make an exception."

He knew perfectly well that these people's enthusiasm wasn't due to any deep friendship, but rather to the clothes he wore and the brand he carried. Just last month, he was a mortician in Chicken and Goose Alley; who would give him a second glance on this street?

Suddenly, out of the blue, a sound came from beside me:

"Hey, are you the head constable?"

Zhu Hong was startled and turned around to look. It was a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a light peach-colored thin jacket. She stood in the spring sunshine, holding a string of crystal-clear red candied hawthorns in her hand. She was tilting her head, her almond-shaped eyes looking at him with curiosity as she examined his official uniform.

"Young lady, is something the matter?"

He composed himself, his gaze quickly sweeping behind the girl. Seeing that she was alone, he said gently, "Why are you here alone?"

Upon hearing this, the girl not only didn't answer, but giggled, brought the candied hawthorn to her mouth, and "crunch!" bit off a hawthorn. Chewing with bulging cheeks, she mumbled, "This tree is mine, this road is mine..." After finishing the last candied hawthorn on the skewer, she tossed it aside forcefully and shouted:

"Girl, I'm traveling alone, so what? Is it that I can't come, or that I can't ask you for help?"

Heh, whose silly girl is this?

Zhu Hong was taken aback by her sudden "bold statement," and secretly found it amusing: "She looks so cute, but she talks like a little firecracker."

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that he was only staring at her silently, the girl raised her willow-leaf eyebrows, pouted slightly, and revealed a hint of dissatisfaction: "Didn't you hear what I asked?" She extended her slender index finger and pointed:

"Are you a constable from Jinyang City?"

"Reply quickly!"

Seeing that although she spoke in a spoiled and direct manner, her eyes were clear and bright, and she meant no harm, Zhu Hong began to make a plan.

He stepped forward half a step, cupped his hands, and said with a smile:

"My name is Zhu Hong, and I am indeed a newly promoted constable in Jinyang City. May I ask where you come from, young lady, and how I should address you?"

The girl tilted her head and looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled: "You...you're quite polite, not bad." She took a small step forward with her hands behind her back, a pair of delicate silver bracelets on her wrists tinkling.

"My surname is Ying, and my given name is Ning. As for my origin, my mother said not to tell outsiders lightly."

These words sound so naive, Zhu Hong thought to himself:

"She must be a noble lady from some great family." He then nodded and smiled gently, asking in a warm voice, "Miss Yingning, what brings you here to stop me earlier?"

"Guidance? Not at all."

Yingning blinked, then suddenly smiled and leaned closer: "So, you really are a constable?"

Zhu Hong nodded and said calmly:

"When you pretend to be something you're not, you'll be beheaded."

"..." Yingning blinked her almond-shaped eyes several times, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. "I don't understand."

Zhu Hong laughed and said:

"It is the real deal."

After a moment, a soft "Oh~ I understand" escaped her lips. As soon as she finished speaking, she pouted, "So you're still a pedantic scholar!"

"Um???"

Zhu Hong frowned almost imperceptibly. This conclusion was far too hasty!

Before he could speak, Yingning waved her hand, as if to lightly dismiss the "conclusion" she had just made.

"Okay, okay, I'm not going to argue about this with you."

She slightly raised her delicate chin, a sly glint in her eyes, and asked, "Since you really are a constable, then let me ask you, if any of those blind, unreasonable, and rude people try to arrest me later, what will happen—" Her voice rose slightly, revealing a charmingly naive tone:

"Are you going to take care of it, or not?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong's eyes flashed with surprise: "Oh? Someone actually wants to arrest you?"

His gaze involuntarily lingered on Ying Ning. The girl stood gracefully, her skirt fluttering in the wind, but the upturned corners of her lips clearly betrayed her cunning. Her words didn't sound like she was truly in danger.

"Ugh! You're so slow."

Just as she was pondering this, Ying Ning suddenly froze, her gaze flashing towards the depths of a narrow alley behind her. She hurriedly said, "Hey, you in official robes, stop him! And... whatever you do, don't say you've seen me before."

Before he could finish speaking, he darted away and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

……

"Could she be a runaway young lady?"

Zhu Hong watched the girl disappear into the deep alley, a faint smile playing on his lips:

"The petite girl next door, her gentle voice and laughter like a spring breeze." After saying this, she took a step and softly muttered, "Let's go, time to get down to business."

Just as he was about to turn and head into the muddy alley, he suddenly heard someone behind him say:

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Zhu Hong looked up and saw a young man in his early twenties walking slowly towards him, dressed in a sky-blue robe with cloud patterns. He had a refined appearance and a scholarly air about him. A jade pendant hung at his waist.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

His gaze swept across Zhu Hong's face, his expression gentle, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Excuse me for asking, have you seen a young girl in a light peach-colored blouse coming this way?"

Zhu Hong's expression hardened, but he remained impassive. After a moment's hesitation, he returned the greeting:

"The street corner was bustling with people, not densely packed, but still noisy. I was so focused on walking that I didn't notice this little girl."

His voice was calm, and his gaze was clear as he met the other person's eyes:

"Whom are you seeking, fellow Daoist?"

Upon hearing this, the man in the blue robe showed a hint of helplessness in his eyes and sighed softly, "It's a young lady from my family. Today, she sneaked out to play again when no one was looking." Having said that, and seeing that he couldn't get any more information, he didn't want to linger any longer and said:

"In that case, I've troubled you enough. I have urgent business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

He bowed slightly and left.

*

*

"Oh, she really is a young lady."

Zhu Hong watched the person leave, a thought lingering in his mind. "I wonder if it was the Jiang family or the Chi family? Or perhaps," he stroked his smooth chin.

"From outside?"

"Otherwise, calling me 'fellow Daoist' would feel rather awkward."

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he gave a self-deprecating smirk, the fleeting contemplation in his eyes vanishing completely. What did all this scheming have to do with him, Zhu Hong, even if he could figure it out completely?

The most urgent task is to resolve the problems at hand.

He took one more step at a time, hoping to ride the wind and break through the clouds, soaring straight up. Zhu Hong composed himself, no longer hesitating, and strode away.

Then, suddenly inspired, he unconsciously murmured:

"With youthful chivalry, he befriended heroes from five capitals." Single-minded, he poured out his youthful spirit, and then said:

Since ancient times, fame and fortune have belonged to the young!