Chapter 8

Before dawn, while the rooster had yet to crow, Qin Xiao had already practiced a set of boxing in his room. Watermark GG test Watermark GG test

The Bajiquan was taught to Qin Xiao by the old man when he was six years old. The boxing technique itself was not complicated, even somewhat simple, but the old man had said that Bajiquan could strengthen the body and mind, and long-term practice could improve one’s constitution and make the mind more agile.

Usually, what the old man said was never wrong, so for many years, as long as there were no special circumstances, Qin Xiao would get up early and practice a set of boxing, rain or shine.

This had become a regular part of his life, like eating and sleeping.

Before the first light of dawn fell upon the earth, Qin Xiao had already taken a cold shower, then made himself a bowl of noodles for breakfast. After eating, he tidied up, hung his wine gourd, and went out, closing the courtyard gate behind him.

Wooden Alley had fewer than thirty households on both sides, but less than half of them had lived there for more than five years.

Gui City was a key city in Xiling, an important hub for travelers and merchants, with a large floating population. Additionally, those who committed crimes within the pass were often exiled to Xiling.

Merchants, thieves, criminals, and wandering knights mixed together, and people of all walks of life lived in the city, making Gui City a place of mixed company.

People came and went in Wooden Alley, arriving suddenly and leaving silently.

However, with so few people in Wooden Alley, even newcomers would become familiar with their neighbors after a while, and the residents of Wooden Alley would not easily cause trouble for others, each minding their own business.

The old woman who ran the oil shop across the street was the first to open her door every day. The pancake shop owner, Big Face, only knew how to smile foolishly, and the father and son who ran the coffin shop always had long faces, looking like ghosts of the underworld.

These people's lives in the city were monotonous and dull, but they repeated day after day.

"Good morning, Old Woman!"

As Qin Xiao passed the oil shop, he saw the old woman just coming out of the inner room and immediately smiled at her.

The old woman's oil shop had been in business on this street for many years, not very prosperous but always persistent.

The old woman always wore a thick black robe and a black headscarf, hunched over, perhaps due to her age, with poor hearing and vision. She rarely interacted with others, and Qin Xiao would always greet her when he passed by every day.

The old woman seemed not to hear and did not respond. Qin Xiao was used to it and watched as she hobbled back into the inner room, sighing inwardly, knowing that if the old woman passed away one day, the oil shop would close for good.

Arriving at Jiazi Prison, Qin Xiao held a burlap bag, and the middle-aged prison guard immediately approached, whispering, "I heard that Headman Meng returned last night. Everyone says you and the Captain went to Lord Zhen's mansion?"

"The Captain was worried something might happen and took me along to pass on any news," Qin Xiao replied.

"Was it because of that dog?" The middle-aged prison guard said with lingering fear, "To offend the Zhen family and still come out unscathed is rare."

Qin Xiao laughed, "It was just a misunderstanding. With the Captain handling it, what problem can't be solved?"

"True, but last night was dangerous," the middle-aged prison guard sighed. "You're good in every way, but you're young and impulsive, Qin Xiao. I shouldn't say this, but sometimes it's better to stay out of trouble. Don't stick your neck out, or you'll only invite trouble."

Qin Xiao knew the middle-aged prison guard meant no harm, but with Headman Meng in trouble, he couldn't just stand by. He smiled and didn't say more, about to enter the prison when he heard a voice behind him, "Qin Xiao, wait a moment."

Qin Xiao turned around and saw two bailiffs escorting a man in prison clothes.

Seeing a prisoner being escorted in, Qin Xiao put down the burlap bag, his face immediately showing a broad smile, and he quickly walked over.

"Dou Ba, thirty-six years old, a bodyguard for the Four Seas Escort Agency, mistakenly killed someone and was sentenced to six years in prison, the verdict is final," the bailiff told Qin Xiao. "You can take him in now."

Qin Xiao looked the prisoner up and down, slowly circling him as if inspecting a piece of goods, even sniffing the air.

Dou Ba couldn't help but ask, "What are you—"

(To be continued, please turn the page.)

—doing?"

Qin Xiao clasped his hands and smiled, "So you're Dou Ba, I've heard a lot about you. Let me introduce myself. My surname is Qin, and my given name is Xiao, as in 'freedom.' I'm responsible for delivering your meals and helping with any miscellaneous tasks. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll do my best to make you feel at home, like a guest in a comfortable place." He gestured, "Please, come in, come in!"

Dou Ba was a bit dazed.

Feel at home?

Can this hellhole really make me feel at home?

Qin Xiao had already run over to unlock the iron gate of Jiazi Prison, then pushed it open, picked up the burlap bag, and stepped aside, still smiling warmly, "Please, come in, Dou Ba. Room 8 has been empty for a while, and I've been keeping it clean, waiting for your arrival. Everyone here is talented and pleasant to talk to; some don't even want to leave once they come in."

The two guards then escorted Dou Ba inside. As he entered, Dou Ba couldn't help but look back at Qin Xiao, who was still smiling warmly. He wondered if the service in the prison had become so considerate and attentive.

Inside the iron gate, there were stone steps leading down, followed by a relatively wide corridor. After walking about twenty steps, there was a room directly ahead, the door closed. To the left and right were two corridors, both also closed with iron gates, and through the iron bars, it was quite dark inside.

"This is the duty room, where I work, so I can be available if you need anything," Qin Xiao said, carrying the burlap bag and smiling. "Jiazi Prison has only sixteen rooms, eight on each side. You're in Room 8, which is the farthest one on the left. Please, come in!" He turned to the two guards, "Thank you, gentlemen. I'll take Dou Ba in, and you can go back now."

The two bailiffs exchanged glances, one of them smiling at Qin Xiao without a word. Qin Xiao looked as if he understood, and Dou Ba, seeing this, felt a bit uneasy, wondering if there was some secret between them. Was something going to happen to him?

After the two guards left, Qin Xiao unlocked the iron gate on the left and gestured for Dou Ba to enter. Dou Ba hesitated for a moment before stepping in.

Qin Xiao followed Dou Ba inside. Once inside, Dou Ba saw a row of cells on the right. In the first cell, through the wooden bars, he saw an elderly man in his fifties. To Dou Ba's surprise, the cell looked completely different from what he had imagined.

He had thought that the cells in the prison would be filthy and emit a sour smell.

But the first cell was clean, with a bed in one corner and even a desk, on which several books were placed. The elderly prisoner sat in a large chair, holding a book and reading by the oil lamp, looking relaxed and at ease, as if he were in his own study rather than in prison.

The elderly prisoner, though in prison clothes, was clean and well-groomed, even with neatly styled hair.

Hearing the commotion, the elderly prisoner turned his head, not looking at Dou Ba but at Qin Xiao, "Xiaozi, have you found the books I asked for?"

Qin Xiao stopped and respectfully replied, "Mr. Xu, we have a new guest. Your books have been found and will be delivered shortly. Please wait a moment."

Mr. Xu nodded lightly and continued reading, looking relaxed and content.

Dou Ba's eyes widened, feeling bewildered. He wondered if he had really entered a prison.

As they continued down the corridor, all eight cells on the left were occupied, except for Room 8 where Dou Ba was to stay. As Qin Xiao passed each cell, he would call out, "Wait a moment, I'll be right there!" before the prisoner inside could speak.

They finally reached Room 8, marked with a circle and the character "捌" (eight). Qin Xiao unlocked the cell door, went in first to light the lamp, and the room brightened. Dou Ba saw that the cell was indeed clean, but compared to the other cells, this one was sparsely furnished, with only a wooden bed in the corner and a chamber pot nearby, nothing else.

Dou Ba frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Qin... Qin Xiao, why is this cell so sparsely furnished? Where are the table and chair?"

Qin Xiao put down the burlap bag and gestured, "Please, sit down, Dou Ba. You just arrived, and there are many things you don't understand yet. Let me explain." He pointed to the handcuffs on Dou Ba's wrists, "For the first three days, you'll have to endure wearing these. After three days, they can be removed. This cell has a bed and a chamber pot, both provided free of charge. If you need anything from now on, whether food, drink, or entertainment, as long as it's within reason, just let me know, and I'll get it for you."

Dou Ba said, "Oh, really? I can have anything I want?"

"Of course, of course, Dou Ba... I feel the term 'Ba' is too formal. Would you mind if I call you Uncle Dou?" Qin Xiao smiled sincerely, "It would make us closer."

Dou Ba sat down on the wooden bed and said, "Call me whatever you like."

"Great," Qin Xiao said even more enthusiastically, "Uncle, I said, whatever you need, I'll do my best to get it for you. Consider me your junior. Don't be shy. For example, these prison clothes, you can't wear the same set every day. If you need a clean set, I can get it for you right away. If your clothes get dirty, just let me know, and I'll have them washed. If you have any special requests, like embroidery on your clothes, I can arrange that too."

Dou Ba nodded, "That's good. I need another set of clothes. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Uncle. I'll bring you a new set of prison clothes later," Qin Xiao said, taking out a small notebook and a charcoal pencil from his pocket, writing down the request, and then asked with a smile, "What else do you need?" Before Dou Ba could speak, he pointed to the chamber pot, "Would you like someone to clean your chamber pot every day?"

Dou Ba immediately said, "Of course."

Looking at the empty wooden bed, he frowned, "There's no bedding. How can I sleep? Can you get me a set of bedding?"

Qin Xiao nodded while writing, "Of course, of course. It's a bit cool at night, and even though you're strong, it's better to sleep with bedding. I'll get you a warm and soft set. What else do you need? I'll write it down and bring everything at once." He looked at Dou Ba seriously, "What are your hobbies? Do you like calligraphy? Would you like a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone? Or do you like music? I can get you a bamboo flute or something like that."

If Dou Ba hadn't seen the comfortable lives of the prisoners in the other cells, he would have thought the young man was joking. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I like cricket fighting, but it's not convenient here. Let's skip that. I like drinking. If it's convenient, get me two jars of Ancient City Burn from Wanfu Tower, and some snacks, like beef and roast duck. If you can get some red oil pig ears from Yipinzhai, that would be even better."

"Convenient, convenient, all of these can be arranged. It's no problem," Qin Xiao wrote down the requests and asked, "What else do you need?"

Dou Ba thought for a moment and shook his head, "That's all for now. I'll let you know if I need anything else."

Qin Xiao nodded, "Alright, alright. Uncle, you need a set of bedding, a set of prison clothes, two jars of Ancient City Burn from Wanfu Tower, a portion of red oil pig ears from Yipinzhai, a pound of beef, and a roast duck. The chamber pot will be cleaned daily. Is that everything, Uncle?"

Dou Ba said, "Yes, that's all for now. Thank you for your trouble."

"Uncle, you're too polite. It's no trouble at all. It's my duty," Qin Xiao smiled. "The chamber pot cleaning is monthly, one tael of silver per month. The other items total eight taels of silver. You probably don't have silver on you. Where do you live? You can give me the address, and I'll come to collect it!"