BSI Chapter 12 The Generous Man
Chapter 12 The Generous Man
Li Zhong held the money bag, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He thought to himself, "This man is generous and has a bit of a heroic spirit. However, his methods are too ruthless, and he's involved in a murder case. He's not someone I can keep in touch with for long. If I can get through this ordeal, I might be able to befriend him next time we meet."
He said, "I will remember your kindness, sir. We will surely meet again someday!"
Zheng Tu bowed slightly from his horse and said, "Take care!"
Li Zhong said no more, stuffed the money bag into his pocket, turned his horse around, and headed down the side road to the left.
The horse's hooves clattered, and in no time the figure disappeared into the twilight.
Zheng Tu stood alone at the crossroads, as dusk settled over the surrounding fields and crows returned to their nests.
He gazed in the direction Li Zhongyuan had gone, and suddenly felt a lightness on his shoulders, yet also a sense of loneliness.
Suddenly remembering Lu Zhishen's fists, each the size of a vinegar jar, he couldn't help but shudder and hurriedly urged his horse to gallop westward along the official road.
It is:
Gold and silver are easy to obtain, but companions are hard to find; a lone horseman travels alone in the twilight, filled with sorrow.
Don't say the butcher's heart is as hard as iron; his future is uncertain, how many times can he look back?
……
Zheng Tu traveled a few more miles and found a post station to rest at.
Although he had finally gotten some rest after the arduous journey that night, he was filled with dread, his dreams filled with Lu Zhishen's fists, each the size of a bowl. Unable to fall back asleep by the fourth watch, he simply got up and began to pack.
As dawn broke, Zheng Tu opened the window and saw that the eastern clouds were ablaze with color, and a red sun burst forth, illuminating the surrounding fields.
He took a deep breath of the morning air, and the pent-up emotions in his chest seemed to dissipate considerably. He thought to himself, "Now that I'm free from the cage of Weizhou, it's like a tiger returning to the mountains or a dragon entering the sea! With my abilities, where can't I find peace and security?"
Thinking this, a hint of smugness unconsciously appeared on his face.
After a quick meal of porridge and rice, Zheng Tu tightened his satchel, mounted his horse, and headed northeast.
After traveling for about two days, at noon that day, a city came into view.
The city gate towers stood tall, flags fluttered in the wind, and the plaque above the city gate bore the three large characters "Yanmen County".
Zheng Tu thought to himself, "I've long heard that Yanmen in Daizhou is a prosperous place, and seeing it today, I can confirm it's true."
As I rode into the city, I saw a bustling marketplace, teeming with people. Shops lined both sides of the street, their wine flags and tea banners fluttering in the wind. People buying and selling, pushing carts, carrying loads, riding horses, and traveling in sedan chairs, moved about like a woven tapestry.
There were also silk shops, gold and silver shops, medicine shops, mounting shops, and 120 other trades, offering a wide variety of goods.
Although it has the appearance of a county town, it surpasses that of an ordinary prefecture.
Zheng Tu was walking slowly down the street when he suddenly noticed that the butcher-like clothes he was wearing were quite conspicuous.
Looking down, the cuffs and front of the shirt still carried the stench of the past.
He frowned and thought, "How can a man always be so slovenly? As the saying goes, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse; I need to change my attire."
As I was pondering this, I looked up and saw a clothing store on the street corner.
Zheng Tu tied his horse to the hitching post outside the door, then lifted the curtain and went inside.
The shop had rosewood shelves on three sides, with various clothes stacked on top of each other.
There were jackets made of Suzhou silk and satin, robes made of Hangzhou brocade, and Shu brocade and Hunan embroidery, all of which were bright and beautiful.
One of the men, who looked like a shopkeeper, was fiddling with an abacus, while a servant was tidying up clothes next to him.
The servant was about seventeen or eighteen years old, and he was clever. He looked up and saw Zheng Tu enter the door.
Although his clothes were disheveled, he was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a fleshy face, and his saddlebags were bulging and heavy, pressing down on the saddle.
The servant thought to himself, "This customer is definitely not a poor and penniless person."
He quickly put on a smiling face and greeted him: "Greetings, sir! Are you looking for clothes? Our shop has just received a new batch of fabric, the most fashionable ones."
Zheng Tu hummed in agreement, said nothing more, and walked towards the expensive clothing section.
His fingers brushed across a piece of dark blue satin with a subtle pattern, and he asked, "Can this fabric be made into ready-made garments?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The waiter hurriedly took one down from the shelf. "Sir, you have a good eye! This is a fashionable pattern with gold thread embedded in it. When the sunlight shines on it, you can faintly see the floral pattern. It's just right for someone as distinguished as you."
Zheng Tu took it and examined it closely; indeed, the workmanship was exquisite.
I also chose a Hetian jade belt buckle and two Hangzhou silk undergarments, and bought them all.
After changing rooms inside, the innkeeper and his servant were both taken aback when they came out again.
The man before them wore a black gauze turban with a swastika pattern, a dark blue robe with floral patterns, a jade belt, and black boots. Although his appearance was still rugged, his attire gave him an air of power and influence.
"Excellent, excellent! Sir, you truly exude the air of a wealthy man!" the shopkeeper praised repeatedly.
Zheng Tu looked at himself in the mirror and felt satisfied.
He paid five taels of silver, wrapped the old clothes in a bundle and discarded them, then walked out of the shop with his head held high.
Passersby on the street, seeing his attire, would mostly assume he was a wealthy merchant from out of town, little did they know he was a butcher who had escaped from Weizhou City.
It was nearly noon, and Zheng Tu was starving.
Ahead stood a three-story restaurant, painted in vermilion, with the three gilded characters "Tongqinglou" gleaming on its signboard.
The bartender at the entrance called out to welcome guests, and a row of carriages and sedan chairs were parked there.
Zheng Tu thought to himself, "It's time to enjoy this properly." He handed the horse to the waiter at the door and strode inside.
The hall was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of drinking games, laughter, and chatter.
Zheng Tu chose a quiet seat by the window and placed his satchel at his feet. The waiter came forward to wipe the table and asked with a smile, "What would you like, sir?"
"Bring me two jiao of wine first, and then bring out four or five of your best dishes," Zheng Tu said, taking out a piece of silver and placing it on the table. "Be quick."
Upon seeing the money, the bartender beamed, "Please wait a moment, sir, it will be here shortly!"
Before long, a pot of piping hot Shaoxing wine, a plate of braised beef, a pot of steamed goose, a bowl of mutton offal, and a plate of seasonal vegetables were served.
Zheng Tu poured himself a drink, gazing at the bustling street scene, and thought to himself with satisfaction: "Money makes the world go round, that's for sure. Now that I've escaped that scoundrel Lu Da's clutches, with my skills, where can't I live a carefree life?"
.........
Not to mention Zheng Tu enjoying his drink here.
Inside a secluded pavilion on the third floor of the Danbiao Tongqing Building, an old man and a young man were sitting.
The old man was about fifty or sixty years old, wearing a tattered headscarf and holding a string of clappers in his hand.
A woman sat beside him, who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. She had a thick, black bun with a jade hairpin in her hair, and her waist was as slender as a willow branch.
Her eyebrows were furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears, brimming like spring water; her face was lowered, her fragrant skin was thinning, and her skin was as white and lustrous as jade.
She was indeed a timid and delicate beauty.
These two were none other than Old Man Jin and his daughter Jin Cuilian, who had escaped from Weizhou.
Jin Cuilian clutched the hem of her dress and whispered, "Father, why don't we go back to our hometown in Tokyo? We have many relatives and friends there; it's better than wandering around here."
Old Jin shook his head repeatedly: "My son is foolish! That Zhen Guanxi has connections everywhere in Weizhou. If he finds out that you and I are returning to the capital, he will chase after us. Without Commander Lu's protection, wouldn't we be at his mercy?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Cuilian lowered her eyes, looking as if she was about to cry again.
Old Jin felt a pang of heartache seeing this, but there was nothing he could do. He could only say, "Don't cry, don't cry. There's always a way out. The other day, I ran into an old neighbor from the capital who came here to do business."
He recognized a wealthy man in the area, surnamed Zhao, whom everyone called Master Zhao. The man said, "Master Zhao has seen you once and intends to take you as his concubine. If you agree to this, you will have plenty of food and clothing from now on, and you will no longer have to sing on the streets and suffer people's scorn..."
Jin Cuilian raised her tearful eyes, bit her lip, and said, "Father, that outer residence... is it a proper place? It's nothing but a plaything, favored today and disliked tomorrow. I'd rather live a life of poverty."
"You, you!"
Old Jin stamped his foot, "If only I had been tougher and more assertive in Zheng Tu's household, how could I have been kicked out by that tigress? I'd be in this state today! In this world, it's survival of the fittest; there's no room for pickiness!"
Before he could finish speaking, the bartender outside called out loudly, "Hey, come quick! There's a customer upstairs who's getting impatient waiting for a song!"