Chapter 4: Prison
Chapter 4: Prison
Time passed by, and soon it was two months later.
Chen Mu continued his routine, patrolling as usual and then returning home to practice his sword skills.
His role as a patrol officer was still quite important to him. On one hand, it was his sole source of income, and on the other, this position kept the local thugs and gang members from causing trouble. Without it, quitting to focus on his sword training was out of the question.
One day, after finishing his patrol, Chen Mu returned home.
Unexpectedly, he found an additional person inside, an unfamiliar middle-aged woman, in addition to Chen Yue.
"Aunt Chen? What brings you here?" Chen Mu asked, a bit surprised, as he approached the worried-looking woman.
Chen Mu's father was the eldest of his siblings, with a younger brother and a younger sister. His second uncle, who ranked second, was an uneducated man and had even been scolded by Chen Mu's father in the past. They rarely kept in touch, and when his father passed away, his uncle didn't even show up. Chen Mu's third aunt, Chen Hong, was much closer to the family. She often visited and brought them rice, flour, and soybeans. Out of respect, Chen Mu always treated her kindly.
Whenever Chen Mu was not at home, it was only Aunt Chen Hong who would visit, and Chen Yue would open the door for her.
"Little Mu, I'm at my wit's end... I have no choice but to ask for your help..." Aunt Chen Hong said, her voice trembling as she pulled Chen Mu aside.
The middle-aged woman, her face gaunt and wrapped in a headscarf, began to cry as she spoke.
Chen Mu inquired further and learned that the person in question was her son, Zhang Hai, Chen Mu's cousin. Zhang Hai had a similar temperament to his father, Chen Mu's second uncle. He was also uneducated and often loitered in the streets, doing nothing productive. This time, he had encountered a beautiful woman in the alley and couldn't resist making inappropriate comments. As a result, the woman became furious and beat him up. The incident caught the attention of the City Guard, who promptly arrested Zhang Hai and threw him into prison without a second thought.
"Aunt Chen, I've always said that in these turbulent times, Zhang Hai should be more mindful of his behavior. How could he still be so reckless? I'm afraid I can't be of much help in this matter." Chen Mu frowned after listening to Aunt Chen Hong's rambling.
From what he heard, it seemed that the woman Zhang Hai had offended had connections. She was able to mobilize the City Guard and have him thrown directly into prison. This indicated that she had connections with at least a Patrol Officer or someone of higher rank. Chen Mu, as a mere patrol officer, usually kept a low profile and didn't try to curry favor with anyone. He didn't have the connections to get someone out of prison, especially since he had not yet reached the Rank 2 of Gale Swordsmanship.
Aunt Chen Hong sobbed as she spoke, "I know, I know... This time, Zhang Hai has offended the fourth son of the Nan family. I've already asked some people for help, but no one is willing to vouch for him... I came here to beg you, Little Mu, to speak to the Warden on his behalf. At least, let him survive this ordeal, and then we can find another way."
As she spoke, Aunt Chen Hong trembled and pulled out two silver ingots from her sleeve, totaling around twenty taels.
Chen Mu knew that his aunt's family was relatively well-off. His uncle was a butcher, but twenty taels of silver was still a significant amount, likely a substantial portion of their savings.
Seeing Aunt Chen Hong's tearful eyes, Chen Mu sighed inwardly. Remembering the rice and flour she had brought them in the past, he eventually accepted the silver. "I can only try to ask, but I can't guarantee success."
This silver was not for him, or at least, he didn't have the connections to influence the Warden directly. These twenty taels of silver could only be used to bribe the Warden, to see if he would show mercy.
The Warden and the prison guards were under the command of the City Guard. They were one of the three divisions within the organization.
However, Chen Mu rarely interacted with them.
In these turbulent times, those who ended up in prison were usually left to die. The guards didn't bother providing food or water, and within a few days, the prisoners would perish. Without any incentives, the guards had no reason to show mercy.
Aunt Chen Hong wanted Zhang Hai to survive in prison for a few months, hoping that by then, the incident would blow over. But even Chen Mu couldn't offer much consolation, as Zhang Hai was her only son.
"Thank you, thank you..." Aunt Chen Hong managed to utter, her voice trembling as she sat there, unable to speak further, tears streaming down her face.
Chen Mu sighed inwardly.
If he had already reached the rank of Patrol Officer, this matter would be much easier to handle. He could at least ask the Warden about the specific situation. But with his current Gale Swordsmanship skill at Rank 2, becoming a Patrol Officer was still a distant dream.
Perhaps this was a lesson for Zhang Hai. Fortunately, he only made lewd remarks and didn't resort to physical violence. Otherwise, he might have already lost his life.
"Yue'er, keep Aunt Chen company. I'll be back soon." Chen Mu said to Chen Yue before leaving the house, taking advantage of the early hour.
...
The Southern City Prison was located behind the Southern City Watch Headquarters.
Chen Mu rarely visited this place, even though he was a patrol officer under the Southern City Watch. He was assigned to the Ninth District City Watch, not the Watch Headquarters, and the two locations were quite far from each other.
Compared to the Ninth District City Watch, the Watch Headquarters was much stricter. In the Ninth District, patrol officers could sometimes be seen gambling during their shifts, but such behavior was never tolerated at Headquarters.
"I heard that the Chief Patrol Officer of the Southern City is a woman, a beauty that could make fish sink and birds fall from the sky. But I've never seen her myself."
Chen Mu glanced at the spacious Watch Headquarters. In the two years he had been in this world, he had only seen the Ninth District City Watch officers a few times. Meeting the higher-ranking officers at Headquarters was even rarer.
Patrol officers walked back and forth in the spacious Watch Headquarters, their heads held high, maintaining a solemn and dignified demeanor. They didn't engage in idle chatter or look around aimlessly.
Chen Mu kept his head low as he quietly made his way past the front half of the Watch Headquarters, heading towards the prison located at the rear.
The atmosphere in the prison was a stark contrast to the solemn and dignified City Watch Headquarters. Here, in a room adjacent to the prison, several jailers were gathered, engrossed in a game of dice.
Compared to the strictness of the City Watch Headquarters, the prison seemed more relaxed. Usually, there were no visitors, and the jailers had an air of leisure about them.
"Hey, brother, what's up?" one of the jailers asked, noticing Chen Mu's constable uniform.
Chen Mu ignored their gambling and replied, "I'm looking for the Warden."
"Oh, Warden Wei is inside." The jailer pointed towards a direction inside.
Chen Mu thanked him, and the jailer casually waved him off, returning to his game with his colleagues.
Chen Mu proceeded down the corridor, passing several steps, and entered a relatively clean and tidy room. However, the room contained several racks filled with various torture devices, creating an intimidating atmosphere.
Warden Wei Nan, sitting in a chair with his eyes closed to rest, opened them slightly upon hearing someone's arrival.
"Warden Wei," Chen Mu bowed to the warden.
The warden held a position equivalent to that of a Senior Patrol Officer, making him Chen Mu's superior.
"Hmm," Wei Nan acknowledged Chen Mu's uniform with a casual response.
Chen Mu approached and explained Zhang Hai's situation, then handed over the twenty taels of silver given by Chen Hong.
"Oh," Wei Nan took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and after some thought, tucked it into his sleeve. "Someone has put in a word for this Zhang Hai. They want him to suffer a bit, but since his family is so understanding, they're ensuring he gets his daily meals and water. However, I can't guarantee what will happen to him after a month or two."
In these chaotic times, any highway bandits or similar criminals caught were usually executed on the spot. Very few ended up in prison, and those who did were typically from well-off families who constantly bribed the authorities.
As a warden, Wei Nan's opportunities for earning silver were limited compared to the patrol officers outside.
"Your word is enough, Warden," Chen Mu said with a smile.
If he hadn't come today, Zhang Hai's situation might have been far worse than a mere beating. A session with the torture devices and a few days of starvation could easily cost him half his life, and death was a real possibility.
Although the twenty taels of silver couldn't secure Zhang Hai's release, it would ensure he didn't go hungry for the next month or two. However, even after the initial storm passed, getting him out wouldn't be easy, as Chen Hong's family was well aware.
"The prisoner is in there. Liu Si will take you to see him," Wei Nan said, waving his hand after pocketing the silver. He seemed disinterested in further conversation with Chen Mu.
Chen Mu bid farewell and, upon exiting, quickly found Liu Si. Without saying much, Liu Si led him deeper into the prison. They descended several flights of stairs, and the environment immediately became damp and dark, filled with a putrid, moldy stench that made Chen Mu feel uncomfortable.
"There," Liu Si pointed to the fourth cell.
In the first three cells, three emaciated men, neither fully alive nor dead, sat motionless. They didn't speak or react when Liu Si and Chen Mu entered, and their eyes, though moving, were lifeless, almost like corpses.
In the fourth cell, a plump man lay on a pile of tattered straw, his body covered in bloodstains.
"Cousin?" Chen Mu whispered as he approached.
Zhang Hai, who had been lying motionless, slowly lifted his head, appearing dazed. After a moment, he recognized Chen Mu and mumbled, "Chen Mu... please, help me get out of here..."
"Your aunt asked me to deliver a message," Chen Mu said, relaying Chen Hong's words before explaining the current situation: "For now, you'll have to endure being here for a while."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai's eyes filled with despair. "You can't just leave me here... My family has sent you lots of rice and flour. I never stopped you. My mother was even thinking of arranging a marriage for you. You can't do this..."
Chen Mu fell silent.
He wasn't particularly fond of Zhang Hai, and even as the former 'Chen Mu,' his memories of their relationship weren't positive. It seemed Zhang Hai also looked down on his cousin, 'Chen Mu,' and even after he became a patrol officer, Zhang Hai likely still considered him a poor constable like his father.
However, thinking of his aunt, Chen Hong, Chen Mu paused before speaking, "The person you offended has connections. I can't do much, and neither can your aunt and uncle. You must endure this for now; perhaps things will turn around."
With that, Chen Mu turned and walked out, leaving Zhang Hai staring blankly. Zhang Hai muttered to himself, 'What's the use of sending them all that rice and flour? Being a poor constable is useless these days...'
Chen Mu's father had been a constable his entire life, and he died a poor man. It was Chen Mu's mother, Chen Hong, who arranged his funeral. Her relatives were all poor and had long advised her to cut ties with them.
If only he had saved some money to bribe the officials, perhaps he could have rescued Zhang Hai.
(End of Chapter)
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