Dai Dali understood clearly that he lost his position because Zhou was obstructing him behind the scenes. He seethed with resentment towards Zhou but remained calm on the surface. After finishing his work with the police and seeing them off, he couldn't sleep all night, thinking about how to get back at Zhou and relieve the anger in his heart.
During the five-day holiday, his colleagues came to visit him and comfort him. Zhou was especially attentive, coming every morning and evening, saying, "Dai hasn't been to work these past two days, and everything's been tough without him. I hope he recovers soon." Both Dai Dali and Zhou gave perfunctory responses. When Zhou returned to his place, sometimes Deputy Minister Liu would ask about Dai Dali's illness. Zhou would say, "Dai isn't really sick. I heard he was supposed to take my place, but then someone else was given the job. He felt unhappy about it, so he took leave to rest at home. I think keeping him in the office for a few more months shows he's valued, especially since there's a lot of work to handle as the year-end approaches. He's experienced, which is why he was kept. I've served several superiors, and those who are considerate of their subordinates and understand their difficulties will always have opportunities for promotion as long as they're capable. Dai can't see his superiors' good intentions and instead misunderstands them. In the end, he will be the one who loses out."
Liu was very unhappy after hearing this, saying, "I gave him a position without telling him directly. If he works well, why wouldn't he have opportunities for promotion? Can't I ask him to help me for a few more months? Taking leave when he's sick, taking leave when he's not sick— is he trying to control me? Am I left with no one else to handle things except him?" Zhou remained silent, and Liu got madder and madder the more he thought about it.
After the five-day holiday, Dai Dali returned to the government office to resume his duties. Although Liu Zhongcheng didn’t see him, he didn’t fire him. Dai Dali went back to work as usual. After all, Dai Dali was a long-time employee, and Liu Zhongcheng couldn’t do without him, so even though he didn’t like him, he still had to discuss some official business with him. Dai Dali noticed he was getting the cold shoulder, figuring someone was badmouthing him. But he remained calm, worked diligently, spoke little, and walked even less. Towards his colleagues, especially the group led by Zhou Laoye, he was particularly warm, palling around with them and being all chummy. He often referred to Zhou Laoye as "Old Man Zhou," saying, "Old Man Zhou was the teacher hired by Zhongcheng before, and since Zhongcheng regarded him highly, we must not neglect him." Seeing Dai Dali being so accommodating, Zhou Laoye and his group were willing to get closer to him. Zhou Laoye had no family, living in the office, and Dai Dali often went to his room to chat, bringing a few dishes from home for Zhou Laoye to eat, saying his concubine had made them. After more than two months passed, everyone thought Dai Dali was very good, without a single flaw. Occasionally when Liu Zhongcheng mentioned Dai Dali, everyone spoke up for him, so Dai Dali's importance gradually returned. Moreover, he had worked in the office for a long time, and not only were the people outside familiar with him, but even from the office boys and gatekeepers to even the nannies recognized him. Dai Dali tried to lord it over Old Man Zhou, but got burned, so he became more careful in everything. It was a costly lesson, but it also showed his smarts.
Speaking of the area around Yanzhou in Zhejiang Province, there are often bandits causing chaos and robbing homes, making it very unsafe. There are several camps in the provincial city of Zhejiang, all led by an acting magistrate. The current leader is named Hu Huaruo, a native of Hunan, and he is from the same hometown and of the same age as Dai Dali, which has strengthened their relationship. These bandits gather in the Tonglu area. Although they are a disorganized group, when the soldiers see them, they not only avoid fighting, but even at the sight of the bandits, they’ve already run. There are two types of soldiers: one is the Green Camp, which is a locally organized army. Normally, nine out of ten positions are vacant, all being withheld by officers and commanders. When the governor comes for a parade, they temporarily recruit some people to deal with it, and once the governor leaves, everything returns to normal. Although the province has issued a secret order this time, instructing them to defend with all their might, the old soldiers are tired and weak, and most of the new recruits are hooligans who usually oppress the people and commit many evils. Now, with a sense of security from their new positions, they are even more lawless. Those officers mostly obtained their positions through connections. Apart from handling tasks, smoking, and taking care of children, what else can they do? They can’t even catch a small thief in peacetime, let alone fight. The other type is the Defense Camp, which fought against the "Yue bandits" and "Nian bandits" before and achieved a lot of merit. After the peace, many were disbanded, leaving only a few defense camps in each province. When disbanding, it was said that the elite were left behind and the weak eliminated, so many of them have fought and killed Taiping troops. The officers have all made contributions. Those with titles like "high-ranking officials" or "decorated officers" have reached the highest ranks. After the peace, where are there so many official positions for them? So leaving behind a defense camp can accommodate many people. Twenty years later, those who fought are old or dead, and the new recruits are just like those in the Green Camp. As long as the leader of the defense camp has a title, they can take charge. Those who have actually fought are left without adequate provisions, with only a few having connections, and they haven’t been transferred in over a decade. In this environment, you can’t survive unless you’re smooth. Moreover, they are sluggish and have developed bad habits; even if you ask them to go out and kill bandits, they can’t do it. Those who want to take on this job just want to withhold military pay, accumulating the same problems as the Green Camp. This was precisely the problem facing Commander Hu Huaruo.
Officials in Yanzhou sent a desperate plea for help, knowing they were short on troops, so they sent Hu Huaruo to deal with the bandits. Hu Huaruo was a bit of a nobody who'd gotten his position through connections, not skill. He was fine coasting along, but a real crisis sent him into a panic. After getting the order, he was completely lost. Dai Dali, a close friend, was the first to offer his congratulations, gushing, "You'll have those bandits running scared in no time! You'll be swimming in promotions and riches before you know it! Congrats!"
Hu Huaruo said with a frown, "Old Dai, don't make fun of me! We’re old acquaintances—what can’t we talk about? I greased so many palms to get this job, you know. I'm still paying off my debts from getting this position, and now *this* has happened. Do you think I can feel comfortable? And as for going to war, it ain't no walk in the park. If we lose the battle and all our men, it would be a real loss. As for promotion? Let someone else do it; I dare not think about it." Dai Dali said, "You’ve been assigned by the higher-ups; you have to go." Hu Huaruo replied, "I won't go! I can't bear that hardship. What if I lose my life for nothing? I don't give a damn about any compensation! When the order comes, I’ll resign and let someone else be sent up there." Dai Dali said, "It's not good to refuse. But those bandits are just a bunch of lowlifes; there’s nothing to be afraid of. You're just trying to dodge the bullet. In fact, I have an idea: you take someone with you, and all matters will be handed over to that person, regardless of success or failure." Hu Huaruo asked hurriedly, "Who?" Dai Dali said, "Zhou, who works with me." Hu Huaruo said, "I know this person; I heard he was a teacher of the Minister of Works." Dai Dali replied, "Yes, so in front of the Minister of Works, his word is worth a hundred; no one can match him. Now you’ve been assigned by the higher-ups to eradicate bandits in Yanzhou. If you refuse, in my opinion, it's absolutely not possible. The higher-ups will think we’re deliberately avoiding it; it will be hard to shirk responsibility later, and it will make them unhappy." Hu Huaruo asked, "So what do you suggest?" Dai Dali said, "First, go through the formalities, then see the Minister of Works and request to bring a few capable people with you. First, report Zhou's name; the higher-ups will definitely agree. Zhou wants to show his face in front of the Minister of Works—how can he not go? When he comes, you hand over all matters to him. If it succeeds, everyone will have face; if it fails, the responsibility will be pushed onto Zhou. If the Minister of Works knows it was Zhou who did it, even if he wants to blame someone, he won’t blame you. When the time comes, you can request to resign; even if the higher-ups blame you for not doing a good job, the responsibility can be greatly reduced. Think about it—what do you think?" Hu Huaruo's eyes lit up at once, nodding repeatedly, "Awesome! Man, I’m in!" Dai Dali said, "When you return victorious, put in a good word for me with the Minister of Works." Hu Huaruo replied, "Of course, but if it fails, don’t blame me." Before Dai Dali could reply, a messenger came to say that the Minister of Works had an urgent matter to discuss with him. Dai Dali took his leave.
Hu Huaruo quickly took a sedan chair to the yamen. He'd barely submitted his report when he was summoned. Liu, the deputy commissioner, talked to him about the situation in Yanzhou, asking him to deal with the bandits overnight, and said, "It's urgent – take six battalions, and if you need more, wire me and I'll send reinforcements. Look, time's short, I'll give you the heads-up now; the paperwork will follow." Hu Huaruo repeatedly agreed. After Liu finished speaking, Hu Huaruo said, "I'm not exactly experienced, so I'm worried I might mess this up and let you down. I'm short-staffed, so I'd appreciate it if you could send a few people with me." Liu replied, "Take whoever you need." Hu Huaruo said, "I know Wen Anzhou; he's very experienced, a veteran, and having him along would put my mind at rest." Liu asked, "Is he up to it?" Hu Huaruo said, "I trust him." Liu said, "Then let him follow you. Anyone else?" Hu Huaruo recommended another candidate, Huang Zhongjie, and a candidate county magistrate, Wen Xishan. Liu okayed all three and sent for them right away.
Mr. Zhou worked in the yamen, and news spread quickly. Liu told him about putting down the bandits and wanted him to join. Mr. Zhou declined a few times, but when he saw Hu Huaruo praising him on the side, saying, "I've heard great things about your abilities; we're counting on you this time," he was tickled pink. He thought that if the bandit suppression was successful, he might be promoted, so he jumped at the chance. Hu Huaruo was very happy. Soon, two more guys showed up, and Liu directly ordered everyone to go. Hu Huaruo said his goodbyes, asking the three to prepare quickly and set off tonight, with the paperwork to be sorted out later. The three agreed. Liu walked Hu Huaruo to the door, asking him how to arrange tasks for the three. Hu Huaruo said, "Huang is in charge of food and supplies; Wen is meticulous in his work and can follow the army around; Zhou has the most experience, so let him handle military affairs." Liu didn't say anything and, as he reached the gate of the yamen, turned back. Zhou, Huang, and Wen didn't wait for Liu to finish seeing off the guests; they slipped out and waited outside, just pretending to be on duty for a bit. Hu Huaruo ordered them to pack up quickly, giving them three months' salary, two hundred taels a month each, totaling six hundred taels. After thanking Hu Huaruo, the three men saw him off.
Zhou returned to the office, and his colleagues all knew the news. They came to congratulate him, saying this was a rare opportunity and that his ship had come in. Zhou humbly replied that it was all thanks to the support of Deputy Liu and Hu, as well as the kindness of his colleagues. He only hoped to live up to everyone's expectations. They chatted for a bit. At that moment, Dai came over and pulled Zhou aside to give him some advice. Dai said that he and Hu were from the same hometown and had worked together before, so he understood Hu's temperament well—he was a bit of a wimp and indecisive. Therefore, he suggested that Zhou should be decisive in his work and not always seek Hu's approval for everything. That would be terribly inefficient. Military situations change too fast, and if he waited for Hu's decision, it would be too late. Dai said that although Hu was in charge, he had entrusted the power to Zhou, so he should be bold in his actions. If there were bandits to be dealt with, do it. If there were people to be pacified, do it. There was no need to seek approval for everything. "A commander in the field doesn't always have to follow orders from HQ." If Zhou could handle things on his own, Hu would respect him; otherwise, he'd think less of him. Zhou was very grateful for Dai's advice. They talked for a while longer, and then Zhou went home to pack his belongings. Before nightfall, Hu sent word with six hundred taels—three months' pay, boosted for the war effort. Zhou arranged everything and carried his luggage to the riverside outside the Hou Chao Gate to board the boat. Huang and Wen also arrived. After waiting for a bit, Hu arrived with his men, and they all boarded the boat together. Hu ordered the boat to set sail immediately, but the boatman said it wasn't safe to travel at night. It would be better to wait until the second half of the night when the moon came out and the tide rose before setting off, as it would be faster and more energy-efficient. The messenger passed the message on, and Hu agreed.
Back in the day, on the Qiantang River, there was a large boat specifically for officials, called the "Jiangshan Boat." The women on the boat were dolled up and would sit at the bow to lure officials when they had nothing to do. But when official business required their attention, they would hide in the cabin to serve. They were known as "the main attraction." This type of boat only carried people, not goods. There was also another type of boat called the "Jiaobai Boat," which could carry goods, but the rules on the deck were the same as those of the "Jiangshan Boat." Additionally, there were "Yiwu Boats," which had two open ends and could carry both people and goods, but without women serving. General Hu's soldiers were ferried in small boats called "Pao Huazi" (small, fast boats propelled by oars), while he himself sailed in the "Jiangshan Boat" because it was comfortable. The county also arranged two "Jiaobai Boats" for his attendants and aides. They say the "Jiangshan Boat" was also called the "Nine Surname Fishing Boat" because it was run by descendants of Chen Youliang.
So, Hu Huaruo gets on the boat, and after his guys cleared out, the boss on the ship brought him a bowl of bird's nest soup. Hu Tongs was always gallivanting around the riverbank on the Emperor's dime – spent like a drunken sailor, but he had his rules, so let's not dwell on it. Then there were three aides and two advisors, each sitting on two small boats. Among the five people, Huang had a family in Hangzhou. Old Wang was an opium fiend – too busy chasing clouds to chase skirts. So let's set these two aside for now.
As for the remaining three, the first is Wen Xishan, known as Uncle Wen Seven. He’s young and handsome, dressed neatly, and men loved him; women adored him. Then there's a guy named Zhao, originally called Buling, but later changed to "Bu Liao" (meaning "no solution" or something similar). He’s in his twenties, came here thousands of miles from home, truly fulfilling the saying: "Three years without a woman, and he'd probably think a cow was a knockout." This Bu Liao is exactly in that situation.
Finally, there's Mr. Zhou, who we've introduced before. He’s a bit of an opportunist – serious with serious folks, but drinks and has fun with friends, versatile, and well-liked. But he has a flaw he can’t shake: he’s way too stingy. Aside from spending on women, he won’t part with a penny. When Hu Huaruo left, he gave Zhou three hundred taels of silver, but Zhou didn’t take a single coin; he left it all with friends for safekeeping, planning to use it for interest later. He figured that this time, following along to fight bandits, Hu Tongs would definitely assign troops to him. With troops comes military pay, which can be embezzled. If he ends up short a few hundred taels, he can always borrow from Hu Tongs. Dai Dali said he was a tough nut to crack, and knowing both of them, that was for sure.
Now let's talk about Wen Qi and Zhao. They are on a boat. Wen Qi had instructed the boatman to sail the boat further away, not too close to Leader Hu's boat. The boatman knew he was dealing with a big shot. As soon as Wen Qi boarded the boat, coincidentally, the owner of the boat was Yuxian, whom Wen Qi knew. Seeing a familiar face, he was even friendlier. When Wen Qi returned from Leader Hu's boat, Yuxian quickly took his hat, coat, and shoes, without needing the steward. Then he personally served bird's nest soup to Wen Qi. The two sat hand in hand on the side of the boat. Zhao watched with envy, thinking, "These guys are such brown-nosers." Just as he was thinking this, someone suddenly placed a covered bowl in front of him, startling him. He took a closer look and saw it was Yuxian's sister Lanxian, who also brought a bowl of bird's nest soup for him. Why? Originally, the boatman saw him dressed plainly, not as decent as Wen Qi, assuming he was a servant. Later, when Wen Qi's steward explained, the boatman realized he was the boss's right-hand man, and quickly prepared a bowl of bird's nest soup. But all the bird's nest soup had been given to Wen Qi, leaving just scraps left. The boatman was worried, but another crew member said, "Just add some hot water and sugar, will ya?" The boatman did as instructed and had Lanxian bring it over. Zhao was ecstatic; he had never eaten bird's nest soup before, and it tasted sweet. Lanxian even winked at him, and he didn't care if it was bird's nest or just sugary water.
Hey everyone, Mr. Wen Qi's paying for sex is extravagant, with money; Tao Ziyao's kind is making money before going to pay for sex, which can also be considered extravagant. Zhao Bulei is different; following the landlord out, he only earns about ten taels of silver—where's the money for paying for sex? This can only be called poor paying for sex. Let me clarify, so everyone knows this isn't duplicate content. It’s said that Zhao Bulei drank up the sugar water, didn’t sleep, and were fooling around with Lan Xian in the cabin. Mr. Wen and Yu Xian were quietly in the small room. In the middle of the night, the tide came. The boatmen stood at the bow, waiting. In the distance came a sound like drums, getting closer and louder, like thousands of troops rushing over, causing the boat to sway twice. The boatmen used poles to turn the bow, riding the tide, quickly leaving the riverbank more than ten miles behind. Everyone woke up, the sky brightened, and the boatmen continued to sail as usual. Mr. Wen got up; it was still early, so he went back to the small room to sleep, with Yu Xian attending to him. At first, you could still hear them talking, but later you couldn’t. Zhao Bulei and Lan Xian spent the night together. After dawn, Lan Xian was called to the back by the boatmen, leaving Zhao Bulei alone in the middle cabin, a bundle of nerves, torn between memories of Yu Xian's attitude towards Mr. Wen and Lan Xian's image, feeling utterly miserable.
The next day after the boat stopped, Old Man Wen set up a sumptuous feast for Miss Yu Xian, inviting several colleagues on board to join him, but he did not invite the leader. Wang and Huang didn't call for hostesses, and Mr. Zhou was reluctant to do so either. Old Man Wen said, "It's too lonely without a hostess." Mr. Zhou had no choice but to bring a bar girl on board named Zhao Di. As for Zhao Liao, Lan Xian sat down right behind him as soon as he took his seat. Old Man Wen still felt it was too quiet, so he discreetly had the two hostesses on board brought over to sit next to him. When the dishes were served, everyone at the table, from the host to the hostesses, played a game of finger-guessing. After the game, Miss Yu Xian sang a song about the late emperor while playing the pipa, and Old Man Wen clapped along. After she finished singing, Lan Xian sang a little tune, making eyes at Zhao Liao. Zhao Liao glanced back at her from time to time, and when their flirtation was noticed, everyone applauded. Old Man Wen insisted that Zhao Liao treat, but Zhao Liao checked his wallet and found he had enough for drinks but not for food, so he firmly refused to pay for the meal. Lan Xian had no option but to cover the drinks for him. Old Man Wen knew Zhao Liao would order more drinks, so he urged the dishes to be served. After the meal, the table was cleared. Wang and Huang wanted to go to another boat to play, but Zhao Liao wouldn't let them, saying, "I rarely treat, so show some respect!" Wang and Huang had no choice but to stay and play on this boat.
The rules of "Jiangshan Ship" are that the cost for hosting a meal is eight Mexican dollars, a simple meal is six dollars, and wine is only four dollars. Zhao Bu Liao had only three dollars left on him, eight copper coins, and a dozen or so more copper coins. He took the opportunity to borrow three copper coins from his colleague Wang Zhongxun, making a total of eleven copper coins, and also managed to get a big dollar from Mr. Wen Qi's steward. With the money collected, the banquet was also set up. Zhao Bu Liao sat in the main seat, very happy. Wang Huang did not call for companions, while Mr. Zhou still called for Zhao Di. Eleven-year-old Zhao Di was quite young; when she first boarded the ship, the ship owner's wife had told Mr. Zhou, "Just be nice and tip well, and we won't say anything." So Mr. Zhou came up with this idea and kept calling her. As for Mr. Wen Qi, he didn't need to say anything. He brought his favorite girl with him, along with two of the ship's most attractive women, making a total of three. When Mr. Wen Qi was hosting, he heard that the captain was sleeping on the ship, so he dared to call the "signboard ladies" on board. Originally, it was arranged in advance, and when the captain woke up, they would be notified to keep him company. Who knew that Captain Hu slept for three hours before waking up? By the time the captain woke up, Mr. Wen Qi was already quite drunk after a couple of rounds. When word reached Mr. Wen Qi that the captain was awake, he stopped the girls from going to him.
It turns out that the "star attraction" in charge of the ship is actually a pair of sisters. The older sister is named Longzhu, 18 years old; the younger sister is named Fengzhu, 16 years old. One a knockout, the other a vision, they are truly among the most beautiful women. Whenever there are official dealings, they are always requested to be on board. In fact, the relationship between Hu and Longzhu is also extraordinary. The county magistrate is very good at handling things, so he looked the other way at their ship at the dock. After Hu boarded the ship, Longzhu served him tea and water alone. When Longzhu was busy, Fengzhu would take her place. Because Fengzhu is also sixteen years old, Hu had long had his eye on both of them and wanted to slowly get both of them. So both of these sisters are the apples of his eye. Besides sleeping, one of them always had to be by his side. This time, when he woke up, he didn't see the two sisters. After calling out twice with no response, he got up and paced the cabin, his impatience growing. After walking back and forth twice, he listened carefully and heard the sound of singing in the distance. Listening again, he heard a loud voice singing Peking opera, singing, "I built the Black Dragon Courtyard for you, I turned a lot of silver for you." He couldn't quite make out whose voice it was. He listened again and suddenly heard laughter, which was Longzhu's voice. Hu was puzzled, wondering who was singing there. He heard the lyrics being sung on the boat: "Raise your hand, clench your fist, and hit you." After singing this line, everyone cheered, with Zhao Buliao's voice clearly mixed in. Hu finally understood that the one who had just sung was none other than Old Man Wen. He blew his top, picked up a teacup from the table, and smashed it to pieces on the ground. After waiting for a while and no one came over, he realized that everyone on this big ship—the boss, the staff, the adults' followers, and the constables—had all gone to see the excitement on the other boat, leaving no one behind. Hu was now furious, unable to bear it any longer. He picked up a chair and threw it out of the window. Fortunately, the people on the neighboring ship heard the noise and came out to see what was happening, realizing that the director was angry. Since the ship's crew members were supposed to look out for each other, they quickly ran to Old Man Wen's ship and explained the situation. Everyone was terrified. Zhao Buliao was terrified of the boss, like a mouse before a cat. Upon hearing this news, he quickly ordered the banquet to be canceled. However, Old Man Wen had drunk too much and shouted, "I don't care about him! The director can have fun; can't we, as his subordinates, have fun too?" As he spoke, he grabbed the clothes of the Longzhu sisters. Later, after Longzhu talked him down, she managed to save Fengzhu.
Wen Qiyi is still angry, saying that Longzhu is the most important person to the adults: "You worthless bunch, only know how to kiss up to the higher-ups, completely ignoring us!"
Longzhu was so scared that she didn't dare to make a sound and quickly ran back to her own boat. Upon seeing the situation, holy smokes, the leader's face turned green! Several boat owners and crew members were kneeling on the ground, bowing. Leader Hu scolded the boat owners harshly and then asked, "Which county are you from?" He then ordered the officials, "Bring the documents and take these scoundrels to the county!" At this time, Longzhu came over, wanting to curry favor, but afraid of angering the leader; wanting to explain, but afraid of not being able to explain clearly. After all, what she did on Mr. Wen's boat, and Mr. Wen's drunken talk, the leader heard it all clearly. Therefore, the leader was both angry and jealous, furious and could not calm down.
Later, a clever official saw that the situation could not be resolved and came up with a plan, running over to help the leader kick the boat owners a few times, saying, "If you have something to say, go to the county; the boss ain't got time for your chit-chat!" Then, he took those people to the bow of the ship, leaving Longzhu alone in the cabin to serve the leader, slowly coaxing him to calm down. At first, Leader Hu ignored Longzhu with a stern face, but he could not resist her sweet words and softened. The leader lay on a cot smoking, while Longzhu lit his cigarette. The leader asked Longzhu, "Why were you so chummy with Mr. Wen on his boat and never came to see me? Do you think I, old Hu, don't look as handsome as Mr. Wen? If that's the case, I don't want you to serve me anymore." Longzhu hurriedly explained, "The first mate on their boat asked me to come over to play, so I delayed the leader's business; I didn't actually see Mr. Wen." Leader Hu said, "Cut the crap! I heard it all; do you still want to deny it?" While talking to Longzhu, he remembered the jealousy he felt earlier and hated Mr. Wen, saying, "What time, what business, they are drinking and having fun all day long; that's a disgrace!"
Because of this incident, all this trouble with the Dragon Ball started with Hu and Old Man Wen, even dragging in Lord Zhou and Zhao Buliao. Want to know the rest? Tune in next time!
