Fengyi Building.
Taking the meaning of “phoenix bringing good fortune,” it’s the largest restaurant in the small Willow Leaf County.
Those who can dine here are either rich or noble; it’s incredibly difficult for ordinary people to have a meal here.
However… this doesn’t include Xu Ping’an.
“Oh! Mr. Xu is here!?”
The moment the waiter standing at the door saw Xu Ping’an, his face immediately lit up with pleasant surprise, and he quickly stepped forward to greet him.
“Oh, Mr. Xu, you’ve finally arrived! Our owner has been talking about you a lot~ Quick, quick, please come in…”
“Who is this…?”
“Oh~ This is my wife, Madam Pei.”
“Wife, meet Bai Xiaofeng. He’s half the manager of this restaurant. In the future, if you encounter any trouble in the county, just look for him.”
Being able to work as a waiter in such a large restaurant and also be half a manager.
One can imagine how skilled Bai Xiaofeng is at dealing with people.
His extensive network is unimaginable to ordinary people.
“So it’s Madam Xu, my apologies for not recognizing you earlier. Please come in, both of you… A private room on the second floor for two!”
When he heard Xu Ping’an introduce Pei Qingxuan like that, Bai Xiaofeng’s face showed a very complicated expression.
Of course, Xu Ping’an also saw this scene.
But he deliberately pretended not to see it.
After all, this matter concerned him, so he couldn’t say much.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, before they even went upstairs, they saw several men walking down the stairs, dressed in red armor and blue clothes, wearing square hats, and carrying curved swords at their waists.
Upon meeting, before Xu Ping’an could speak, the leader’s face broke into a smile.
“Hahaha~ Isn’t this young Mr. Xu? What brings you to Fengyi Building for a drink today?”
“Oh, it’s Constable Wang, and all you brothers.”
Xu Ping’an quickly clasped his hands in greeting.
In a place like a county town, you might not fear the county magistrate, the secretary, the assistant magistrate, or the registrar, but you absolutely cannot offend the local constables.
Because the aforementioned officials are all the county magistrate’s people; wherever the county magistrate goes, these people follow.
To put it plainly, they are all “dragons crossing the river” (outsiders with temporary power).
But locally, if the county magistrate wants to get things done, he absolutely cannot do without one person.
That is the local constable.
These constables are all local veterans.
“Magistrates come and go, but the clerks remain.” (A common saying meaning local officials are temporary, but local staff are permanent.)
He is the local “snakehead” (local strongman).
It can be said that if he can’t settle something locally, even if you call the county magistrate, he won’t be able to settle it.
But he can.
“Mr. Xu.”
“Mr. Xu.”
The other constables also quickly saluted.
It was clear that Xu Ping’an had good connections in Willow Leaf County; even the constable and his men were so polite.
“There’s no need for such formality, we’re all brothers. Constable Wang, has anything happened in the county these past few days?”
“Haha~ What could happen in the county? It’s just petty theft and the like, isn’t it? Don’t worry, with your Brother Wang here, there won’t be any major trouble.”
Xu Ping’an smiled and nodded.
“That’s right, with Brother Wang here, what major events could there be in this small Willow Leaf County?”
He said this, but at this moment, Xu Ping’an felt a little relieved.
It seemed that the problem with Pei Qingxuan’s injury was probably not official, but from other aspects.
If that were the case, it would be somewhat easier to handle.
“Hahaha~ Young Mr. Xu, who is this?”
At this moment, Constable Wang seemed to notice the woman hiding behind Xu Ping’an.
His natural instincts as a constable made him unconsciously raise his guard.
However, upon seeing Xu Ping’an, his vigilance immediately dropped.
He, Wang Kuai, might not trust anyone else, but he absolutely had to trust the divine physician Xu.
Otherwise, his wife at home would surely drain him dry!
“This is my wife, Qingxuan. Come, meet Constable Wang Kuai, the chief constable of Willow Leaf County, Brother Wang.”
Pei Qingxuan, peeking out from behind Xu Ping’an, shyly greeted him.
“Brother Wang~”
“Hey! Good, good! I’ve accepted this sister! From now on, when you come to the county, just mention my name. Wang Kuai, I may not say much else, but I at least have a bit of reputation in Willow Leaf County!”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
After some pleasantries, and seeing off Constable Wang and his group, Xu Ping’an finally took Pei Qingxuan upstairs.
However, before he even reached the door of the ‘Heaven’ private room, a woman’s voice suddenly came from not far away.
“Isn’t this the divine physician Xu? It’s been a long time. What brings you here today?”
Hearing the sarcastic tone, the smile on Xu Ping’an’s face stiffened slightly, and he slowly turned to look in that direction.
It was a woman in a light purple long dress, with long hair draped behind her, a golden hairpin in her hair.
Her eyebrows showed a hint of heroism, and while her eyes were moist, they held a sharp glint.
Her nose was high and her lips were thin and red.
Most importantly, her nearly perfect figure truly made it hard to look away.
Looking at the woman who was slowly approaching him, Xu Ping’an couldn’t help but smile wryly.
He raised his hands and clasped them in greeting:
“Proprietor Liu, long time no see.”
“It’s rare that the divine physician Xu still remembers me~ I thought you had already found a new love and forgotten about an old acquaintance like me~”
Proprietor Liu also intentionally or unintentionally cast her gaze on Pei Qingxuan, who was behind Xu Ping’an.
“Heh~ Proprietor Liu, you’re joking. There’s no such thing as new or old lovers.”
This Proprietor Liu, whose original name was Liu Yingying, was the owner of this Fenglaiyi Restaurant and the legitimate daughter of the Liu family, one of the four prominent families in Willow Leaf County.
He had only met Liu Yingying by chance.
Afterward, for some unknown reason, Liu Yingying seemed to have taken a liking to him.
However, Xu Ping’an found Liu Yingying’s advances quite troublesome.
For no other reason than that the Liu family was not only one of the four prominent families in Willow Leaf County, but also a cultivation family.
Ever since he realized he wasn’t cut out for that path, Xu Ping’an was absolutely determined not to get involved with cultivators.
He hadn’t read all those novels in his previous life for nothing; he knew that once one embarked on that path, various schemes, murders, and massacres would inevitably follow.
With his current abilities, while self-preservation wasn’t an issue, he certainly didn’t dare to think of anything more.
Therefore, no matter how aggressive Liu Yingying was, Xu Ping’an always maintained a certain distance, avoiding getting too close and preventing other troubles.
Ordinarily, he rarely encountered Liu Yingying at Fenglaiyi, so he had no idea it would be such a coincidence today, bringing Pei Qingxuan for a meal and running into her.
“Oh? No new or old loves? Then who is this young lady?”
The smile on Liu Yingying’s face grew wider, but her eyes held a hint of coldness.
“Proprietor Liu, you jest. This… is my wife.”
Anyway, she would find out sooner or later, so it was better to just say it directly and get it over with.
“What!? You’re married? When did this happen?”