Chapter 1545 - Policewoman

His gaze fell upon the clerk's face, and he smiled. "Shopkeeper, you speak well. This establishment truly deserves its reputation as Lingao's premier inn."

The clerk beamed. "You flatter us, honored guest. May I ask your surname?"

"My surname is Zhuo, given name Yifan."

"Long admired, long admired. Please follow me, honored guest. Just call me Li Xiaoliu."

"I wouldn't presume. Thank you for your trouble," Zhuo Yifan said with impeccable courtesy.

As they spoke, the passengers from the other carriages had finished disembarking. There were several female relatives dressed in luxurious attire, surrounded by maids and older female servants, circled in turn by house guards and male slaves—all the full pomp of a wealthy noble household.

The clerk knew such households loathed strangers eyeing their women. General Manager Li had even hired female clerks specifically to serve them, so he didn't even turn his head. He focused entirely on greeting Zhuo Yifan's party.

Just as they reached the entrance, a sharp shout erupted from inside. A figure came flying through the door with considerable force, landing heavily with a loud thud and rolling twice before coming to rest.

It was a burly man dressed in black, his face now covered in dust. He howled "Ouch, ouch!" while struggling to rise.

A black shadow flashed at the doorway, resolving into a voluptuous, gorgeously beautiful woman in her prime. Her features were exquisite—lips like cherries—but her jet-black hair had been cropped short. She wore a black police uniform cinched at the waist by a diagonal belt that emphasized a span so slender one could grip it with a single hand.

The policewoman strode forward, raised one willow-leaf eyebrow, and pointed at the man on the ground. "You think this is the Ming? Still throwing your weight around like some dog-legged lackey? Let me tell you—this lady is in a good mood today. Otherwise, for that grab just now, I'd count it as assaulting a police officer and blow your skull open with one shot!"

The burly man struggled to his feet, his expression defiant.

The policewoman scowled and sneered. "This lady coming here to register your master's household in person was already giving General Manager Li face. Since you dared to run your mouth and try to take liberties with a Yuan Elder Court public servant, don't blame us for following standard procedure. Tell your master that his entire family must report to the police station tomorrow to register. Elder wife, younger wives, unmarried daughters, newlywed daughters-in-law—everyone will stand honestly in line on the street and wait for their number to be called! If you miss the deadline and fail to register, don't blame me—you earned this for your master."

The big man's eyes rolled. He dared not utter another word.

The policewoman dusted off her hands. Several servants and the innkeeper rushed out. A steward-like man emerged carrying a red envelope, which he pressed into the policewoman's hand while smiling apologetically. "Officer, please quell your anger. This one has eyes but couldn't see Mount Tai—he's offended your distinguished self..."

But the policewoman wanted none of it. She tossed the red envelope aside and departed with a cold sneer. Even the innkeeper, who had wanted to follow and mediate, didn't dare approach.

The steward's face contorted with anger. He picked up the discarded red envelope, stomped his foot, and cursed the unlucky devil. The burly man, ashen-faced, followed the steward inside without a word, scurrying away like a rat.

People in the street pointed and discussed animatedly. Zhuo Yifan was equally astonished—he had never seen the girl's simple, rapid striking technique before. Nothing flashy, but extremely practical.

Zhuo Yifan whispered to the clerk, "Who was that?"

"A police officer from East Gate Market Police Station, in charge of maintaining order in this area."

"Police? A public servant?"

"That's right. We locals call them 'Police.' Checking guests into inns, registering residences, issuing identification cards—it's all under their jurisdiction."

"If that's the case, why was that man so bold? As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake—let alone when dealing with a public servant."

"You're quite right, honored guest. But where outside of Lingao do women serve as public servants? That fellow is new and didn't understand the situation. He's a guard for Master Guo, who arrived just yesterday. Apparently he knows some three-legged cat kungfu. I've heard Master Guo's third concubine often has him serve as her escort when going out. Old Master Guo used to be an official in the capital—a card from their family opened doors with any magistrate. They're accustomed to acting high-handed wherever they go. Plus, he'd had a few cups just now. The alcohol went to his head, and he made trouble for his master."

Though the clerk kept his voice low, there was unmistakable satisfaction in his tone. This family's reputation here evidently wasn't good.

"That female officer's skill was truly impressive..."

"The honored guest carries a sword. Presumably you practice martial arts yourself?"

"Zither, sword, and book box are a scholar's essentials. I wave it around a bit for fitness—one could hardly call it martial arts."

The clerk chuckled and led him inside.

Qiongan Inn was meticulous in its treatment of these "Gods of Wealth" from across the sea. At ports with scheduled Dabo shipping lines—Haikou and Bopu—they maintained offices with special lounges and dedicated carriage teams. Wealthy families could rest after disembarking, then transfer to carriages for the journey to East Gate Market.

Because female relatives of wealthy families typically disliked showing their faces in public, expecting them to adapt immediately to Lingao's "queuing and number-calling" system was difficult. Li Xiaopeng had specifically asked his grandfather to lobby Chief Xiong, finally securing the "privilege" of having police come to register residency on-site.

Even the main gate's design was unique. Passing through the entrance, one encountered a spirit screen. Around the screen lay the front courtyard. Beyond the reception counter, three passageways branched off. The left and right led to long alleys, with courtyards of varying sizes opening along both sides. The center passage ran straight to the rear courtyard, which housed the kitchen, carriage sheds, and warehouse for large luggage. To provide wives and unmarried daughters a place to relax, a dedicated garden had been built adjacent to the main inn.

The clerks led the group down the left alley. High grey brick walls lined both sides, keeping the interior pleasantly cool. Narrow trellises along the wall bases were dotted with green potted plants, adding touches of life.

Black lacquered courtyard gates lined the alley, each bearing a plaque. The clerk led Zhuo Yifan to one such gate, produced a key, and opened the door—there was no padlock, but rather a keyhole mechanism installed within the door itself. Quite novel.

The inn had prepared two courtyards for their party, one large and one small. The smaller was designated for the masters; the larger for servants. Though laid out as traditional quadrangles, the internal structure was entirely different. First, there was heavy use of two-story buildings, which significantly increased the effective floor area. Second, the design fully accommodated traditional wealthy families' requirements for segregation—men from women, close family from distant relations, masters from servants in room allocation. No other inn in Lingao could match this. Naturally, few could afford it either—but fortunately, guests here typically stayed for a minimum of ten days to a fortnight, and some remained for more than six months. Business was never a concern.

Zhuo Yifan and the steward conducted a quick inspection and expressed satisfaction. The rooms were clean, the furnishings exquisite. And the legendary "Australian comforts" went without saying.

They settled in. As the "Eldest Young Master," Zhuo Yifan naturally had to supervise everything. When wealthy families traveled long distances, they brought not only bedding but spittoons, teacups, candle stands—partly from concern that outside articles might be unclean or unsatisfactory, partly from fear the inn might not be fully equipped. Besides personal luggage, they therefore carried numerous odds and ends.

Zhuo Yifan finished assigning tasks and returned to the main room. A fruit feast already awaited on the table. Six large white porcelain plates brimmed with sliced fruits of various colors. Though it was only late spring, there was excellent watermelon. And many unfamiliar fruits as well—red, green, yellow—colorful and mouth-watering by mere look and smell.

There were also two large glass jars. One held plum syrup, giving off the fragrance of osmanthus. The other was filled with red liquid that smelled pleasantly tart and refreshing.

Maids hurried to retrieve the masters' personal tea cups, rinsing them with hot water, then using a new bamboo ladle to pour drinks for each master to cool off. They also wrung out brand-new towels Li Xiaoliu had provided—soaked in cold water—for wiping away sweat.

Li Xiaoliu bustled about like an industrious beaver, attending to every detail, showing the servants how to use the courtyard's various facilities. Finally he came to the main room, standing politely at the threshold without entering. "Honored guest, shall your heavy luggage be sent to the rear warehouse or brought into the courtyard?"

"Bring it all into the courtyard."

"Very good!" Li Xiaoliu added, "Would Master Zhuo be so kind as to come to the counter to sign the guest register?"

Zhuo Yifan accompanied Li Xiaoliu to the front desk. As a young master, he didn't need to handle paperwork himself—an accountant served that purpose. But their party of over twenty took considerable time to report names, positions, and places of origin. When registration was finally complete, Li Xiaoliu smiled apologetically. "Tomorrow, police will come for residency registration; we'll have to trouble the honored guests once more. This is official business—please bear with us. This isn't the Ming; the Australians..."

"I understand. It's no trouble."

"Indeed, the master is most considerate." Li Xiaoliu then inquired whether they had brought large quantities of valuables. If so, these could be stored at the counter, or he could immediately summon Delong Bank staff for deposit and currency exchange services.

"Our silver was remitted via Delong. We carry no particularly precious valuables. However, we brought only silver—we have few circulation vouchers on hand..."

"The inn can handle that." Li Xiaoliu gestured to a board mounted on the wall behind the counter. It listed that day's exchange rates for silver and gold of various purities, even including copper coins.

Zhuo Yifan nodded noncommittally. Given his supposed status, he naturally wouldn't exchange money himself. After completing the formalities, Li Xiaoliu presented him with a Guest Room Facility Usage Manual—since opening, equipment malfunctions due to guest misuse had occurred with embarrassing frequency.

Zhuo Yifan tipped the clerk with an envelope and headed toward his courtyard. Passing one particular gate, he heard someone shrieking for mercy:

"Third Madam, spare my life! This slave dares not do it again! Ouch..."

Listening closely, it was clearly the sounds of a wealthy household administering domestic discipline. Amid the rhythmic slap of planks came a woman's shrill scolding: "Beat him hard! Break his dog legs!"

Zhuo Yifan smiled faintly and walked on.