Mo Sang – CH 211

Chapter 211. Large Circles and Great Uses

The next day, before dawn, everyone from the Jingzhou Merchant Guild was already up, packing and preparing to depart.

A slightly plump middle-aged man in his forties emerged from the house. Old Xu, the head guard, was looking around and occasionally offering pointers. He quickly went to greet him.

“Manager Wang, you are up.”

“Yesterday, I switched rooms with Old Zuo. Old Zuo’s room is next to that couple’s.” Old Xu greeted him, lowering his voice with a smile.

“Hmm?” Manager Wang stopped, listening intently.

“I could not hear what the man surnamed Lu was saying, but I heard that woman slamming her hand on the table, yelling: ‘Do you think I am a fool!’ She also said: ‘I heard everything you said!’ That was all, and she did not yell for long before the noise died down.

That woman’s brother, that kid surnamed Lin, drank too much. Xiao Huang and Old Mo helped him home.

Old Mo said he put him on the bed, and he immediately started snoring. Old Mo lives next door and said he was woken up in the middle of the night by noise from next door, clanging and banging. They must have woken up thirsty. Old Mo said the noise sounded like someone had fallen and broken a cup.” Old Xu’s voice was very low.

“Yesterday, seeing that woman making such a fuss, I thought nothing of it. If she were not a good person, who would dare take her out like that?” Manager Wang laughed.

“Exactly! She was jumping around, shouting that someone had kicked her stool. Who else could have kicked that stool but her brother?

She even said that if her husband had not raised his hand, the soup would not have spilled on Old Liu. But if he had not raised his hand, the soup would have been scalding his face!” Old Xu could not help but laugh. “If it were really a setup, that shout would have been disastrous!”

“Such a simpleton, but her husband is quite shrewd.” Manager Wang and Old Xu sat side by side, watching the shop assistants work, and spoke in hushed tones.

“Yesterday, I kept hearing Old Lu talk about all the little things in his family. After hearing it, I knew it could not be fake. You cannot make something out to be that convincing. A lot of things are just like Old Zuo’s family.” Old Xu glanced at Old Zuo, the accountant standing under the lamplight with his hands in his sleeves.

Manager Wang chuckled, then quickly coughed to cover it up. “Old Zuo’s wife is much more formidable than yesterday’s. She’s both shrewd and cunning; no wonder Old Zuo is so afraid.”

“Yesterday, Old Zuo and that Old Lu were practically inseparable, calling each other ‘brother.’ They were truly kindred spirits.”

“Indeed! Old Mo told me that the woman’s brother is a bit of a simpleton, saying that if his sister had not had a generous dowry, she definitely would not have gotten married. He said his sister is incredibly skilled, and that woman yesterday was far more ruthless than Old Zuo’s wife.” Old Xu’s lips twitched downwards, and as he did, he laughed out loud.

“That woman is lucky.” Manager Wang peeked into the brightly lit lobby, watching the waiters carry in large baskets of boiled chicken, fried dough sticks, salted eggs, mung bean porridge, and other dishes.

“That’s right. Judging from Old Lu’s words, he’s quite familiar with everyone in the Jianle City government. He’s capable and has a really good temper, just like Old Zuo.” Old Xu glanced sideways at the accountant, Old Zuo.

“The couple is doing very well,” Manager Wang chuckled. “You saw yesterday, Old Lu said he’d settle accounts, and then he said he’d deliver wine, all in one go, without even glancing at his wife.

Later, he said it himself that he married this wife when he was penniless, and now, all the money in the house comes from her dowry.

Later, his wife argued with him, but she did not mention money once.

Old Lu is the boss. He lets his wife have her way with small things, but when it comes to big matters, she will definitely listen to him.”

“That’s right. But, well, it still has to be Old Lu who’s in charge. That woman is both fierce and stubborn. Her brother, while cunning enough, is also a fool. He says everything that should not be said!”

“He must be adopted. That woman is lucky. Her parents must be shrewd women who picked a good man for her. Look at Old Lu’s face; he looks like a good man. And look how close he is to her adopted brother. That closeness is the most precious thing. Being too shrewd is not a good thing.” Manager Wang clicked his tongue.

The two were idly gossiping about Old Lu’s family when Hei Ma came out yawning.

“Are you all ready? No wonder I heard people shouting and horses neighing outside; you woke me up.”

“Why are you up so early? By the way, where are you headed? Xiangyang?” Hei Ma stretched lazily as he spoke.

“Did you not ask yesterday?” Old Xu looked at Hei Ma and almost laughed.

“I asked? If I had, you definitely would not have told me; otherwise, I would have known!” Hei Ma’s tone was firm.

“Even if we told you, you would not remember. You drank too much yesterday!” Manager Wang laughed.

“It seems so. How did I get home yesterday? I woke up in the middle of the night, and I could not remember where I was. Sigh!” Hei Ma scratched his head. “I am good at everything, except I cannot hold my liquor.”

“Have you seen my sister and brother-in-law? Are they up yet? It is so noisy; they must be up,” Hei Ma said, looking around.

“Not yet, but your little girl just went in.” Manager Wang pointed towards the main hall.

“You mean Xiao Cui? Oh, my sister and brother-in-law are here!”

Lin Sa and Lu Hepeng came out one after the other. Hei Ma hurried forward, a beaming smile on his face. “Sister, you are up! Breakfast looks good today and smells delicious.”

Lin Sa glanced at Hei Ma, then went straight over, hugged her tall horse, patted its face, and gave it a little pat.

“Sister, Xiao Cui went to prepare your breakfast. I think I saw her.”

Hei Ma craned his neck and called out, then pulled back, whispering to Manager Wang, “My sister never loses her temper with the servants. If anything happens, Xiao Cui is more reliable than my brother-in-law.”

“Your sister is a kind person, good-hearted,” Manager Wang chuckled.

“Hey! What are you saying? Who dares say she’s not kind-hearted!” Hei Ma glared sharply at Lin Sa.

Old Xu chuckled, and Manager Wang could not help but laugh too.

“We are heading to Xinyang. We have to part ways. Sigh, I really hate to leave you all,” Hei Ma sighed, folding his hands in his sleeves.

Old Xu chuckled, glanced at Manager Wang, and patted Hei Ma on the shoulder. “You asked me again and again yesterday, and it seems you’ve completely forgotten. We are also heading to Xinyang; if you do not mind, we can travel together.”

Li Sangrou and her group of four left the inn. Hei Ma drove the cart, Lu Hepeng sat beside him, and Li Sangrou huddled at the back, seemingly half-asleep. Lin Sa rode her horse, the cart and horse following in the middle of the Jingzhou merchant group.

Lin Sa frowned, her expression serious.

Before leaving Jianle City, Li Sangrou had instructed her that once outside the city gates, firstly, she was forbidden to mention the word “silk,” and secondly, she was forbidden to mention the word “Southern Liang.” Nothing else was told.

Then yesterday, she was suddenly told to pretend to be husband and wife with Master Lu, and that Hei Ma was her cousin, the boss was the servant. That was all; nothing else was told!

What on earth was going on?

At noon, the caravan stopped for a short rest.

As soon as the caravan stopped, Hei Ma quickly unloaded firewood from the carts to start a fire and cook rice. Li Sangrou lit the fire, first boiling water in a small copper kettle, then climbing onto the cart to get a cutting board, cured meat, green garlic, and cabbage. Returning to get the water boiling, she carried it to Lu Hepeng.

Lu Hepeng had already leisurely prepared the tea leaves, teapot, and teacups, then took down a small stool and called out to Old Zuo to come over for tea.

Old Zuo, holding two large steamed buns, sat down opposite Old Lu. Smelling the aroma of cured meat and rice, he found it hard to swallow the buns.

Li Sangrou squatted back down and began chopping the cured meat, green garlic, and cabbage, then stir-frying the cured meat, green garlic, and pickled cabbage.

Lin Sa finally found an opportunity, squatted down next to Li Sangrou, and asked in a low voice, “What exactly are you trying to do? You should at least tell me something, right? Is this really business? What kind of business is this?”

“I am looking for business, but I have not found any yet. Doing business is like hunting in the mountains; you cannot rush it, you have to look slowly.

This cabbage, should it be mixed with chili or stir-fried with sour sauce?” Li Sangrou asked, pointing to the cabbage.

“Stir-fried with sour sauce, I guess.” Lin Sa breathed a long sigh of relief.

So it was not found yet. That’s good. She knew she could not be completely blind; she could not really see nothing!

So it was not found yet!

The cured pork, green garlic, and cabbage were all washed and ready to be stir-fried—just a matter of steaming rice. The dishes were all prepared.

Li Sangrou first ladled out a bowl of rice, topped it with the cured pork, green garlic, and pickled cabbage, and served it to Lu Hepeng.

Lu Hepeng took it and gestured to Old Zuo. “I think you should not be eating these cold buns. Just eat some with us.”

“How can I?” Old Zuo stammered, making a mumbled refusal.

“Give Old Zuo a bowl. He does not eat much; this is about the same size as mine,” Lu Hepeng instructed Li Sangrou while taking the two cold buns from Old Zuo’s hand.

After Lin Sa understood the situation, her mood improved. That afternoon, she started chatting with several guards who, like her, rode horses. She even demonstrated her marksmanship, earning cheers from the crowd.”

Old Xu, the head of the guards, saw that Lin Sa’s skills were indeed genuine. Heroes admire heroes, and besides, Lin Sa’s temperament was straightforward and decisive, radiating heroic spirit. Old Xu’s initial affection for her changed from calling her “wife” to “Lady Lin,” and then to “Sister Lin.”

After traveling together for only a few days, Old Zuo and Lu Hepeng had become inseparable, sharing almost everything.

Old Xu and several other skilled guards had sparred with Lin Sa a few times and were completely convinced of her abilities. Lin Sa was remarkably open with her knowledge; whether it was Old Xu or the younger guards, they all readily shared their insights, earning praise from everyone in the merchant guild.

“Sister Lin” truly deserved the title of a heroine!

A few days before arriving in Xinyang, Old Zuo already knew Lu Hepeng’s thoughts and the true purpose of their trip:

Lu Hepeng’s hometown was south of Xinyang. When he was six or seven, he followed his father, a shop assistant at the Qing’an Old Shop, to Jianle City to learn the business. Unexpectedly, his father died suddenly after only a few years in Jianle City.

Later, through the matchmaking of Manager Yu the Third of the Qing’an Old Shop, he married Lin Sa.

Originally, it was supposed to be a matrilocal marriage, but his mother-in-law said that her daughter had too much of a temper, and if she married into the family, she feared her daughter’s temper would be too much to handle, and she would suffer.

Besides, the Lin family was neither a noble family nor did they have vast wealth or thousands of mu of fertile land; it was not necessary for someone to take on that responsibility.

And so, he married Lin Sa. Later, his father-in-law arranged for him to study diligently for a few years, eventually passing the imperial examinations and becoming a minor clerk in the Ministry of Justice. He worked there for over a decade, but without much success. Then, first his mother-in-law passed away, and a couple of years later, his father-in-law also died. He simply resigned from his clerkship and returned home to run a business.

Hei Ma was from the same clan as Lin Sa. He lost his parents when he was twelve or thirteen. His kind-hearted in-laws took him in; it was just a matter of fetching a bowl of water.

A couple of years later, both his parents passed away. Hei Ma stayed with him and Lin Sa ever since. They treated Hei Ma half as a younger brother and half as a son.

This trip south was because, during the New Year, someone from their hometown came, bringing autumn tea and a message that his mother was ill.

Lu Hepeng spoke of his mother’s illness, tears streaming down his face.

His mother was reluctant to leave her homeland and refused to go to Jianle City with him. His mother was already over seventy, and this illness…sigh!

He was so sad that he did not even have a proper New Year.

As for where exactly this “south of Xinyang” was, Lu Hepeng remained silent.

Old Zuo was a shrewd man. Hearing Lu Hepeng wipe away his tears and say he had not been home for two or three years, he knew that “south of Xinyang” meant all the way south to the Yangtze River. He could only sigh and weep along with him.

There were many merchants from Jiangnan and Shu in Chang’an. In the past two years, during festivals, many religious ceremonies have been held in temples both inside and outside Chang’an. These were all entrusted by these people from the south who could not return home; they could only gaze at their homeland from afar and perform a few ceremonies.

The day before arriving in Xinyang, Lu Hepeng invited Old Zuo out for a few drinks in the main hall to say goodbye.

After passing Xinyang, they planned to head straight to Wuwei, where everyone would go their separate ways.

Old Zuo and Lu Hepeng drank two or three jin of wine and returned to their room. Old Zou sat blankly for a while, then stood up, hands behind his back, and went to find Old Xu in the next room.

Old Zuo first told him about Lu Hepeng’s worries and that after passing Xinyang, they would be heading to Wuwei. Then he said, “Old Xu, do you think we can lend a hand?”

“I do know the Qing’an Old Shop. There’s a manager named Yu the Third from Xiuning County. Did Old Lu really work in the Ministry of Justice?” Old Xu frowned in surprise.

“It’s undeniable. Do you remember the lawsuit involving the eldest son of our Chamber of Commerce’s Guild Head Cao? That was a big deal, but the Cao family pulled strings and managed to suppress it. Not many people knew about it, but he did!

Not only did he know, but he knew quite a lot of details. He said that because of that lawsuit, two or three of his colleagues were implicated, almost getting dragged into it themselves. He said he saw Guild Head Cao go to the Ministry of Justice once, in the dead of winter, on a rainy day. Guild Head Cao stood by the admonition stone at the Ministry of Justice, his fur coat soaked through, not daring to move, saying he was pitifully cold.

Guild Head Cao mentioned this several times, right? He said his clothes were soaked through, he was completely frozen, and he almost fell seriously ill from the cold.” Old Zuo clicked his tongue.

“Yes, you really cannot make this up if you did not see it with your own eyes.”

“I noticed his demeanor was different; he really did have some experience in officialdom. You could say he was practically a half-official.”

“He went to Wuwei. Does he have connections in Wuwei?” Old Xu asked.

“He did not say, but from what I can tell, he does not seem to have any connections. If he did, he would not have gone back for the past two or three years without a single trip. His mother is already seventy-three. Sigh, seventy-three, eighty-four¹!

“He’s going to Wuwei, sigh, along the river; not everyone’s risking their lives to cross. Judging from his expression, he’s gambling with his life,” Old Zuo sighed.

“That’s a near-death experience,” Old Xu sighed as well.

“That’s exactly what I mean. That’s why I was thinking, could we help him out? Last year, Yuan Zhaofu took his eldest son and went back like that, did he not?” Old Zuo said in a low voice.

“This matter…” Old Xu frowned, quite hesitant.

Yuan Zhaofu had been a guard at their merchant guild since he was a teenager, a veteran of over a decade, and a member of their chamber of commerce.

Returning to his hometown as a fellow merchant was a completely different matter from Old Lu’s situation.

“Old Lu is definitely trustworthy. His wife is such a straightforward and generous person, and his brother-in-law is also wonderful—outspoken and incredibly kind. A whole family of good people,” Old Zuo advised.

“This is not a small matter. How about we discuss it with Manager Wang together tomorrow?” Old Xu hesitated.

“Thank you in advance. Manager Wang is a good man too,” Old Zuo said, relieved to hear Old Xu’s suggestion.

With Old Xu’s help, the matter was about six to seven parts certain.