Shi Xiaoren became a student of Xu Dajunji after becoming Wang Bogao's follower. Xu Dajunji had it in for Shu Junmen and wanted him dead. However, the Emperor was really sweet on Shu Junmen and wouldn't touch him. In addition, Hua and Black were secretly pulling strings for him, so Shu Junmen was locked up in the Ministry of Justice, but no conviction yet. Xu Dajunji was steaming mad because he couldn't get rid of Shu Junmen. He hated Shu Junmen and anyone he'd ever touched. If someone was connected to Shu Junmen or had even been in Guangxi, Xu Dajunji figured they were bad news. Shi Xiaoren got lucky this time, thanks to Wang Bogao.
Wang Bogao was Xu's top student and knew how to handle him. He'd already put in a good word for Shi Xiaoren, saying, "Even though Shu Junmen recommended him, Shi Xiaoren's actually a top guy, and he's never even been to Guangxi." The minute Xu heard Shu Junmen's name, he was ticked off, no matter what Wang Bogao said. Then Wang Bogao gave Xu the gift—a bigger one than other students had given—and Xu's whole attitude changed. He forgot all about it. Huang Panggu got Shi Xiaoren to butter up Hua and Black, and after that, he was set. He was a big shot in Beijing.
Shi Xiaoren asked Huang Panggu to help him purchase an official post. With lofty ambitions, he wanted to find someone who could recommend him to be an envoy minister, in order to get ahead in his career. After making up his mind, he first went to consult his teacher, Xu Dajunji. However, Xu Dajunji was too shrewd, cautious, and unwilling to take responsibility, as well as very conservative. After listening to Shi Xiaoren's words, he shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, that's far too risky! Being an envoy minister means going abroad; going abroad means taking a ship; ships run at sea for days on end without docking. If something happens, I'd be in deep trouble, and I won't be able to save you. It's not a big deal if I can't save you, but you have a wife and children at home. If they come looking for me, how would I ever make it up to them? I think you should go to the local area for a few years first, gain some experience, find a proper job, and be more secure. My friend, you mustn't have any underhanded schemes; it will be too late to regret later!" Shi Xiaoren said, "I was planning to go to Jiangsu anyway. This time when I go to the local area, I hope that the teacher will give me some guidance and provide me with two recommendation letters. Even if there is no real vacancy, having a job can help with my travel expenses." Xu Dajunji had no choice but to agree. Time passed quickly, and after spending more than a month in Beijing, Shi Xiaoren handled things properly and took the train out of Beijing.
When he arrived in Tianjin, he went to visit the provincial governor of Zhili. The governor was a Manchu and really into appearances. Because Shi Xiaoren was an official from another province and had some social connections, the governor was very polite to him. After meeting, the governor sent someone to deliver an invitation to Shi Xiaoren's hotel that same day, inviting him to dinner the next day. Shi Xiaoren had originally planned to take a China Merchants' ship to Shanghai the next day, but had to postpone his trip. The next day, there were also two officials at the banquet: one was a vacationing examiner, and the other was a newly appointed prefect passing through Tianjin on his way home. There were also two others: a recently released magistrate who had just come down from Beijing, and the acting governor from Jiangnan who was about to take office in Jiangsu. Including Shi Xiaoren and the governor, there were a total of six people. Before they even sat down, the governor announced the acting governor's name, and Shi Xiaoren only then realized that his name was She Xiaoguan. After a few rounds of drinks, the governor casually asked what was new in Beijing. He just wanted to know if there was anything fresh happening there. Before Shi Xiaoren could speak, She Xiaoguan misunderstood the governor's meaning, and after drinking two cups of wine, he began to talk about national affairs, saying, "Honestly, Governor, the current situation is deteriorating..." The governor was surprised to hear this and was stunned as he listened to him continue. She Xiaoguan went on to say, "Let's not talk about anything else, just look at those two, Huazhong Hall and Black General Manager; as long as you give them money, they will do anything. With these two around, who needs to worry about national affairs!" The governor was able to hold his position all these years without incident, thanks to the help of Hu and He. Now, hearing She Xiaoguan insult them, he was very unhappy. After a pause, he slowly asked, "Have you met these two in Beijing?" She Xiaoguan was speaking passionately, but upon hearing this, he sighed and said, “When you’re under someone else’s roof, you gotta keep your head down! Governor, don’t you even know this common saying? They are emboldened because they are condoned from above; what else is there to say!” The governor, being a Manchu loyal to the emperor, upon hearing such treasonous talk from She Xiaoguan, quickly interrupted him, afraid that he might say something he shouldn't, which could lead to trouble for himself as well.
After a while, the banquet dispersed. Shi Xiaoren returned to the hotel and found out that She Xiaoguan was from the same hometown. Moreover, the Zhili governor had invited him to dinner, which must mean he had serious connections. Shi Xiaoren wanted to befriend him, travel together, and have someone to look out for him in Jiangsu. However, to his surprise, She Xiaoguan planned to stay in Tianjin for a few more days because he was in love with a girl named Hua Xiaohong and didn't want to leave. As for Shi Xiaoren, he had only retrieved half of the 100,000 taels of silver he entrusted to Huang Pang in Beijing. The rest of the 50,000 taels were given to him in the form of a draft to be collected in Nanjing. Therefore, he was eager to go to Jiangsu and couldn't wait for She Xiaoguan.
She Xiaoguan lingered in Tianjin for several days. Although he had said his goodbyes to the governor, he couldn't bear to leave because of his love for Hua Xiaohong. He entertained guests today, played cards tomorrow, and treated the brothel like his home. As time passed, his friends advised him, "Since you like Xiaohong, why not marry her as a concubine?" However, She Xiaoguan's legal wife was very strict and wouldn't allow him to take a concubine. He was left to regret it for the rest of his life. After another two days, he couldn't delay any longer and said a tearful goodbye to Hua Xiaohong. She saw him off at Tanggu Wharf, heartbroken to see him go, which made She Xiaoguan even more distressed.
As soon as the ship set sail, it encountered a strong wind, causing the ship to sway violently. Most folks were green around the gills. She Daotai was weak and couldn't bear the turbulence, so he lay down early and couldn't sleep or eat. Fortunately, the fruits sent by Hua Xiaohong helped him settle his stomach. After enduring three days and nights, the ship finally entered Wusong Port, where the wind and waves subsided, and he struggled to get up. After the ship docked, he got a room at the Changfa Inn. After resting for a night, he visited guests by car the next day and was exhausted after a long day. He got invited out for dinner, drinks, and a show, but he turned it down. Later, friends insisted on taking him out, but he hesitated, thinking about his girl back in Tianjin and feeling bad about leaving her in the lurch.
Two days later, he took a boat to Nanjing. Early on the third day, the boat arrived at the docks, where people were already there to pick him up. They knew he was an observer from Hunan, so as soon as he got off the boat, four soldiers from the local government office were there to help him with his bags. Since he didn't bring his family, he first stayed at a local inn and planned to find a suitable place to live later. He spent the next few days schmoozing with officials and attending welcome dinners. It took a whole month before he felt settled.
Alright, folks, although Jiangnan was quite chaotic due to Hong Xiuquan in the past, it has been restored for a long time now, still bustling as before. Jiangnan is a land of plenty, with many official positions, much stronger than other places. Those who captured Nanjing in the past bought houses and land here, intending to settle down for a long time. Although those old meritorious officials have passed away, few of their descendants have real skills; they live a pampered life with nothing to do. The court happened to be peddling positions of power; as long as you have money, you can buy an official job. You couldn't buy the top jobs, but pretty much anything else was up for grabs – even a prefect's position, if you had the cash. If you didn't have money to buy, you could ask relatives and friends for recommendations, and you could always get a small official position, at least as an observer. Some parents even bought their babies a job, figuring they'd take it up when they were old enough. It happened more often than you'd think. Some people were transferred here because their hometown relatives were governors, while others were attracted by the abundance of officials in Jiangnan and applied to come here. So, yeah, Jiangnan was flooded with prefects.
As for She Daotai, his father was also a famous figure who served as a military governor. He himself passed the imperial examination and was originally in line to become prefect. After his father passed away, the court, in recognition of his father's contributions, awarded him the title of Daotai with a special decree. Being a scholar who passed the imperial examination, he was different from others. He usually read new books, had some knowledge, and enjoyed discussing current affairs. Those governors and provincial governors without much formal education respected him. When a governor recommended talented individuals, he included his name and sent it to the court for approval, even having it recorded by the Grand Council. Based on his qualifications, he should have had a real position long ago, but after his father's death, he left no money behind, so how could he advance in rank? Luckily, the Governor of Jiangsu at the time was his fellow villager and had a relationship with his father, so he had him come to Jiangnan as a Daotai awaiting appointment.
After arriving in Jiangnan, he quickly got to know many people, not only because of family connections but also because they were fellow villagers. Even those without connections quickly hit it off with him. Among the aspiring Daotais he knew were one named Yu Jingchen, from Yunnan, who worked as the head of the Tax Bureau; one named Sun Guoying, from Zhili, who worked as the head of a school; both of these individuals were from the top class. There was also one named Pan Jinshi, from Anhui, who worked as an assistant at the Office of Foreign Affairs; one named Tang Liuxuan, a Han army banner man, who worked as an assistant at the local security bureau; and there was also a banner man named Wu Eralabu, who held a high position and had a strong backing. These five individuals, along with She Xiaoguan, made a total of six Daotais awaiting appointment who often gathered together. They'd meet up every afternoon after work.
At that time, mahjong was popular in Jiangnan, and these officials would play mahjong for fun when they had nothing else to do. With six people, they could form two tables and start playing. Besides working, they almost played mahjong all day. Yu Jincheng's family was the largest, with family members taking care of everything, making it convenient for them to eat and drink, so they often played mahjong at his house. When they played mahjong, the minimum bet was at least five hundred kuai. Later, news of their mahjong games spread; even the bigwigs knew about it. Once, a bigwig wanted to find Tang Luxuan and said, "You don't need to go to his house to find Tang Luxuan; you can find him at Yu Jincheng's house." The bigwig was old and didn't like to worry about things, believing in taking it easy, and would meditate for three hours every day. During these three hours, he wouldn't see anyone. In his free time, he would go to a dark room behind the boss's office, where he worshipped Lu Dongbin and set up a divination altar, consulting it when facing difficulties. He would follow the results of the divination. When he had nothing to do, he would visit the altar several times a day, hanging out with the gods. This went on every day of the year, never tiring of it. So although the court let him manage three provinces, he lived freely and leisurely, like a retiree. Seeing him like this, the lower officials were also happy to relax; as long as they finished their official duties, they would either gamble or spend time with women in their spare time, everyone looking out for number one. How many of them really cared about the overall situation?
She Xiaoguan had three bad habits that he couldn't change. First, he loved playing mahjong. Ever since he arrived in Jiangnan and met Yu Jincheng, he played mahjong every day, and he was a big gambler. The more he lost, the more composed he seemed, and he especially liked the "pure hand," so everyone saw him as a walking ATM. Second, he loved discussing current affairs. Initially, he only talked about reform and improvement, but the powers that be felt that he always had a bit of reformist ideas in his words, so they started to dislike him. He didn't realize that he was unpopular, and without money to grease palms, he was even more unwelcome. Although he was appointed as a specially appointed official, he had been waiting for an actual position for over two years. Feeling frustrated, he became full of complaints, either cursing the military command or the governors in conversations, making everyone think he was a bit daft, so he was always stirring the pot.
Third, he had a fondness for prostitutes. He had deep feelings and was very devoted to the girls he liked. When he was in Beijing, he got involved with a girl named Jingui, spending over two thousand silver dollars. He had no money left and owed over a thousand. They were inseparable, like two peas in a pod. However, Jingui later met a rich, powerful, and handsome man (Kuo Lao), and She Daotai was no match for him. Out of anger, he said he would stop visiting prostitutes. After waiting for several months in Beijing, he was finally released, with an old friend lending him a thousand dollars. When he arrived in Tianjin, he had money again and his mind became active. He was invited to go to a brothel and got involved with a girl named Xiaohong, almost spending all his money. His friends urged him to break up with Xiaohong. Passing through Shanghai, he thought of Xiaohong's kindness and did not visit a prostitute. After staying in Nanjing for two months, he even sent some lovely material to Xiaohong to make clothes. Later, his colleagues also invited him to drink flower wine on the Qinhuai River, but he refused to bring a girl. Over time, he became familiar with the women on the Qinhuai River and gradually forgot about Xiaohong.
One day, Yu Jincheng invited him to drink at Liu Bazis' house. During the banquet, Tang Luxuan brought a girl, which surprised She Xiaoguan. Tang Luxuan, known as "Sugarcane," was particularly friendly and spoke sweetly. People in the Nanjing officialdom called him that. He got involved with a girl from Sanhetang named Wang Xiaosizi, a thin, tall, fashionable woman from Yangzhou with thin eyebrows and small feet, dressed in a light blue long-sleeved shirt.
Wang Xiaosi walked to the table and sat behind the Tang Hulu, who didn’t notice her. Sitting across from her was Sun Guoying (or "Big-Mustachioed Sun"), who pointed at the Tang Hulu and gestured a couple of times. Wang Xiaosi misunderstood; since the Tang Hulu hadn’t come to see her in days, she started messing with him, grabbing his pigtail, hugging him tight, and slapping his face. The Tang Hulu, with food in his mouth, saw that it was Wang Xiaosi and got all giggly, burying his head in her arms. Wang Xiaosi said, "Where have you been these past few days? You haven't come to see me! What about that thing I asked you to do? Did you get it done?" The Tang Hulu jokingly replied, "I didn’t come to see you; I was hanging out with my other girlfriends!" He was just joking, but Wang Xiaosi took it seriously, raised her eyebrows, and said, "I figured you'd ditch me for someone better! That girl must be prettier than me! If you want to be with someone else, why bother provoking me?" She was about to cry, so she quickly wiped her eyes. The Tang Hulu smiled up at her, making Wang Xiaosi even angrier. She punched him twice, causing him to cry out in pain. Sun Dahuzi laughed heartily, "Stop hitting him! If you hit him again, the Tang Hulu will turn into 'Bian Shancha' (a flattened candied hawthorn)!" Wang Xiaosi chuckled and quickly put on a serious face. Xiaoguan thought Wang Xiaosi was just like Xiao Hong from Tianjin because he was brought by Tang Liuxuan, but he was too scared to ask for her name and address, so he pulled Sun Dahuzi to ask him instead, but Sun Dahuzi was busy talking to the Tang Hulu and didn’t hear him. So Xiaoguan gave up.
Wang Xiaosi and Tanghulu are scrapping. Sun Dahuzi is afraid of trouble and quickly persuades them: "Stop fighting! I'll handle this! Tell me how you want to punish him, and I'll make the decision for you. If you swell his face up, how will he go to work at the yamen tomorrow? That's not fair to him!" Wang Xiaosi said: "Forget about everything else right now. He promised to give me a gold bracelet, and it's been two months and it's still not ready! He probably gave it to some other dame!" Tanghulu cried injustice: "That's not right! The craftsmanship in Nanjing is not good; I specifically wrote to Shanghai to ask a friend to make a pair. Last month, I received a letter saying that the bracelet weighs eight taels, three mace, and seven fen – that's a hefty bracelet! Later, it never arrived, so I wrote again to ask, but still no reply. Yesterday, a friend from Shanghai came and said that the friend had kept the bracelet for himself and gave it to someone else. Now he's remaking it for me, promising to send it within a week. If it doesn't arrive, I will double the penalty!" Wang Xiaosi said: "Mr. Sun, you can testify to this! If it doesn't come within a week, double the penalty! It was originally eight taels, three mace, seven fen, so double the weight!" Sun Dahuzi was about to speak when his long and thick beard was braided by his beloved Shuangxi. Sun Dahuzi was used to Shuangxi playing with his beard and didn't mind. Later, when he wanted to stand up to pull Tanghulu, he was held back by Shuangxi. He looked down and saw his beard braided! He was so angry that he couldn't speak for a long time, and then said, "You little punks! Playing with my beard for no reason!" Shuangxi said: "Your beard's like a damn porcupine, it's awful! Braiding it makes it look fresh and clean, isn't it better?" Sun Dahuzi said: "You say I'm ugly! You don't know my beard's world-famous, it's been in Japanese newspapers! No one says I'm ugly! You say I'm ugly, that's crazy!"
Just then, someone came to invite Wang Xiaosi and Shuangxi to a banquet at Liuhe Hall. The two quickly excused themselves and left. Yu Jincheng asked, "Who’s hosting the banquet at Liuhe Hall?" Someone replied, "General Yang is hosting a dinner for Lord Zhang, who just arrived from Hubei. Zhang hasn't made any connections yet, so General Yang invited him to dine at Liuhe Hall and brought in all the girls from Fishing Lane for entertainment." Inspector Pan was also present and interjected, "Yeah, Zhang just got in from Wuchang. I heard the old marshal is arranging a position for him in Liangjiang. Yang Zichen's worried Zhang might steal his thunder, so he's buttering him up, even becoming sworn brothers. I hear he's even trying to marry his second daughter off to Zhang's eldest son. Tomorrow, they're taking Zhang to Jinlinchun for a Western meal. I left the house late today and just got the invitation. Everyone's here except She Xiaoweng. Xiaoweng's probably just arrived and hasn't met everyone yet." She Xiaoguan responded with a "yes." But all She Xiaoguan could think about was Wang Xiaosi. "He's the spitting image of Hua Xiaohong!" he thought. "Too bad he's with Tang Luxuan; otherwise, I'd totally hit him up. Nah, forget it. After this, I'll grab Luxuan for tea and we can chat."
During the banquet, the dishes were served, and someone was singing. After finishing the meal, She Xiaoguan filled Tang Liuxuan in on what he was thinking. These days, Sugarcane had been busy with work and personal stuff and hadn't visited Wang Xiaosizi's house to hang out. Wang Xiaosizi gave him a hard time, leaving Sugarcane feeling guilty. Feeling festive, he immediately agreed when he heard She Xiaoguan's words. After the meal, except for the host, Yu Jincheng, who lingered a bit, everyone else bid farewell. Upon leaving, they saw a dozen sedan chairs lined up, some green and some blue. The guards were in uniform, holding lanterns and torches, which were quite a sight! Sun Dahuzi, because his wife was a stickler for curfew, was the first to board a sedan and leave. A few others went home early, while some went to see their girlfriends. Only She Xiaoguan was alone, without a partner, so he followed Sugarcane to Wang Xiaosizi's house for tea. Upon entering Sanhe Hall, several guys recognized Mr. Tang and stood up to greet them, leading them to Wang Xiaosizi's room.
Wang Xiaosizi had not returned yet. After waiting for a while, his girlfriend came back, and the moment she saw Sugarcane, she jumped on his lap and gave him a piece of her mind until he begged for forgiveness. Because Sugarcane hadn't visited for several days, Wang Xiaosizi had hidden his best clothes, not allowing him to leave. He also mentioned that tomorrow was the Qiqiao Festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and made him promise to drink. Sugarcane agreed and also set up drinks with She Xiaoguan for the next evening at eight o'clock.
She Xiaoguan sat in silence after he went inside. Wang Xiaosizi asked for his name, pushed a bowl of sunflower seeds across to him, and then started playing with his candied haws, completely ignoring She Xiaoguan. Later, when he heard the clock strike twice, Tang Hulu quickly glanced at his watch and said, "It's getting late, we still have things to do tomorrow, let's go." Wang Xiaosizi raised his eyebrows and said, "No way you're leaving!" Tang Hulu had no choice but to sit back down with a forced smile. At this time, She Xiaoguan had already put on his long gown. Bored, She Xiaoguan wanted to leave. But then Wang Xiaosizi stopped him, thinking it was genuine, he took off his gown and sat down again.
After sitting for another hour, Tang Hulu and Wang Xiaosizi were stuck there, unable to sleep. They chatted for a bit, but soon got sick of him. Bored, She Xiaoguan wanted to leave again. Then this clueless old woman stopped him when she saw him leaving, saying, "It's almost dawn, the sedan chair guy probably went home. Why don't you wait till daylight?" She Xiaoguan looked out the window and said, "Yeah, it's pretty late." Tang Hulu and Wang Xiaosizi ignored him. The old lady kept persuading, making Tang Hulu and Wang Xiaosizi mutter under their breath, "That old hag's a pain!" But they couldn't say anything in front of She Xiaoguan.
After resting for a while, Tanghulu lay on the couch pretending to be asleep. Wang Xiaosizi deliberately said, "It's cold in the tea house, don't catch a cold!" He hauled him up and helped him onto the big bed. Tanghulu pretended not to know and let him be. When he was helped onto the bed, Wang Xiaosizi didn't get down either. She Xiaoguan felt bored and sleepy, so he lay down next to Tanghulu. In the quiet night, everyone fell asleep, snoring loudly. The old woman who'd urged him to stay said, "It's autumn now, don't catch a cold; it's easy to get malaria in autumn." While saying this, she thought about finding a blanket to cover him. As a result, Wang Xiaosizi on the big bed hadn't fallen asleep yet and scolded the old woman, "It's none of your business! He ain't your kin, why you botherin'?" The old woman was scolded and quietly left to go to sleep by herself. The three people in the room slept until seven o'clock the next morning. She Xiaoguan was the first to wake up, and when he opened his eyes, the sun was shining on him, so he couldn't sleep anymore. He quickly got up, put on his jacket, and left on his own. By this time, some people in the men's and women's quarters had also gotten up, offering him to wash his face and eat some snacks, but he refused. He hurriedly left, took a rickshaw, and went straight back to the mansion. Tanghulu also got up shortly after. The magistrate, a recent devotee of Taoism, had intensified his practice and had to worship at the Lü Dongbin shrine every morning before he could meet visitors. Therefore, it was not considered late for the officials to arrive at the yamen at nine o'clock. When Tanghulu's sedan chair arrived, instead of going back to the mansion, he changed clothes at Sanhetang and went straight to the yamen in the sedan chair. At the government office, he met the various officials. Everyone from last night's dinner was there, including She Xiaoguan, who'd arrived early.
He was still wearing a light, collarless robe at the time. Several colleagues found his attire amusing and strange, and only after asking did they learn he had somehow mixed it up with someone else's pink undershirt. They all had a good laugh. Tanghulu didn't care; he was actually quite pleased with himself.
Amidst the chaos, Yu Jingchen went out to the toilet, came back, unbuttoned his clothes, lifted them up, and re-tied his belt with both hands. Sun Dahuzi had sharp eyes and asked, "Yu Jingweng, what belt are you wearing around your waist? Why is it so colorful?" Everyone gathered around to take a look, only to find out that it was a woman's handkerchief, probably worn by mistake. Yu Jingchen himself found it funny. By the time he finished tying his pants, the patrol had already come out to greet them. Several officials with tasks followed the provincial governor's office, salt administration, and grain administration to meet the governor together and said a few words as a matter of routine. The governor said, "Brothers, I was appreciated by the Old Master last night. He said I am honest as an official, devout in my practice, and has already accepted me as his disciple. The Old Master also asked me to find two divine attendants to serve in front of the altar. One of them runs a grocery store in Xiaguan, is very filial to his parents, and the Old Master knows his name and wrote it down on the altar, asking me to call him immediately. I sent someone to find him according to the Old Master's instructions at five in the morning today, and we really found him. He is now in front of the altar, and the Old Master has named him 'Pure Water Immortal Child.' What does Pure Water Immortal Child mean? Because the Old Master has always had two attendants by his side, one holding a flower vase and the other holding a whisk. The one holding the flower vase is filled with clean water. If it doesn't rain during a drought, as long as the Old Master drips a drop of water from the vase, it will rain throughout Jiangnan. As the Buddhist scripture says, 'A drop of water from a willow branch will sprinkle all over the universe,' that's the reason." When the governor said this, a substitute Taoist interrupted and said, "I know this allusion; it's Guanyin Bodhisattva." The governor replied, "Whether it's Guanyin or the Old Master, becoming an immortal or a Buddha is the same. The Buddhas and immortals are all in heaven now, and their cultivation is similar. But now we have the one holding the flower vase; we just need one holding the whisk. This divine attendant is not easy to find!" At this point, he looked around at the various officials. When he saw Sun Dahuzi, he said, "Brother Sun, I see that you have a fine beard, floating with the demeanor of an immortal, in line with the ancient saying of 'youthful face and snowy hair.' I think you have a good affinity with immortality. I will recommend you to the Old Master and have him name you 'Whisk Immortal Child.' No need for substitutes; we will follow the Old Master every day to learn the Tao together and ascend to heaven together. How about it?" Sun Dahuzi, who played mahjong and visited brothels every day, found his wife to be a real dragon lady, so he couldn't stay out all day. How could he take on this difficult task! After listening to the governor's words, he thought for a moment and hesitantly said, "To be honest, although I am old, my foundation is shallow, my worldly desires are not extinguished; I am afraid I am not suitable for this task. Please choose someone else, Your Excellency." The governor was a little unhappy when he heard this, hesitated for a moment, and said, "With your beard like that, and you still say your worldly desires are not extinguished, then who should I choose?" After saying that, he hesitated. After carefully looking at the other substitute Taoists, who were either smoking or indulging excessively, there was really no one to choose, so he had to send them away. As they walked out of the hall, Sun Dahuzi wiped the sweat off and said, "That was close! If I had agreed today, could I still go to Jinlinchun to see Yang Zichen?" After that, they each got into their sedan chairs. Without returning to the mansion to change clothes, they went directly to Jinlinchun. At this time, the host Yang Zichen and the specially invited guest Zhang Baochen, as well as several other guests, were already there.
Yang Zichen originally planned to have a Western dinner tonight. Because today is the "Qiqiao Festival," according to the customs of Nanjing Diaoyu Lane, every girl's family must have wine on this day to maintain appearances. Zhang Baochen picked a girl last night at Liuhe Hall; she is from the Han family, named Xiao Jinhong, and that night he went to her house to formally establish a relationship. Zhang is generous and spent 120 silver dollars. The next day, he ordered a lavish banquet and also hired Dai Laos's fancy boat to entertain his date, thank the matchmaker, and treat his friends. Dai Laos's boat was already booked, but Zhang insisted, so Yang had to have the previous reservation canceled. Dai Laos was unwilling, but Yang threatened to have his boat seized and sent to the county for punishment, so Dai Laos had no choice but to agree. Today, all the gentlemen related to Diaoyu Lane must attend; even Yang himself had to entertain his date, so he deliberately brought forward the banquet at Jin Linchun to make time for other things. Now that the guys have arrived, there are about a dozen people. The host asked the waiter to take orders, and Sun Dahuzi (a man known for his large appetite) ordered a dozen dishes in one go. Everyone also invited their sweethearts. This wasn't your average dinner party; usually, everyone would leave after dinner, but Yang winked at Zhang's new acquaintance Xiao Jinhong to stay a little longer. Xiao Jinhong was the last to leave, and Zhang was over the moon, receiving congratulations from everyone.
All the food was on the table. They asked Sun Dahuzi how much he'd eaten, and he said he'd barely touched half, with six or seven dishes still to come. So they flagged down the waiter to hurry things along, and he said he would. During the meal, Ula Labu Wudao Tai, the Governor, knew that this restaurant was owned by the Sheep Leader, and Sun Dahuzi also had a share in it. He joked, "Boss, eat less! If you eat too much, the Sheep Leader'll be ticked off." The Sheep Leader said, "Let him eat, he's barely making a dent. Besides, he gets a cut." Zhang Baochen said, "So this place is yours? You guys must be raking it in!" Yang Zichen said, "It's just a bit of fun, we're not getting rich off this."
While they were talking, a girl in a small boat by the river outside the window heard the noise inside, so she pulled her boat up to the railing and looked inside while holding onto it. When she saw the Sheep Leader sitting at the main table as the host, she shouted loudly, "Uncle Gan!" Yang Zichen also responded loudly, "Yes!" Everyone laughed. Zhang Baochen said, "I didn't know the Sheep Leader had such a beautiful daughter. If I had known, I would have been willing to be your son-in-law!" Tanghulu, a friend of theirs, added, "Not only Zhang, but who wouldn't want to be the Sheep Leader's son-in-law?" Yang Zichen said, "If I had such good sons-in-law like you, I would be so happy!" By the time he'd finished, she was sitting right beside him.
Everyone played for a while, and the dishes ordered by Sun Dahuzi were also finished. Because there were many parties today, everyone didn’t dare to delay. The policeman came in and asked, "Are we taking a sedan chair or a boat?" Dai Laosu's boat had already reached the window of Jin Linchun. Zhang Baochen asked everyone to board the boat. Just then, Zhang Baochen's new acquaintance Xiao Jinhong also returned. That day, Zhang Baochen had his eye on a girl named Daqiao at the banquet. Daqiao saw that Zhang Baochen was generous with his money and knew that he must be a wealthy man, so she was all over him. Zhang Baochen was very happy. Xiao Jinhong watched from the side, fuming. The whole shebang cost him over a hundred yuan. After Zhang Baochen's banquet dispersed, it was followed by drinking sessions for Sun Dahuzi, Yu Jincheng, Tanghulu, Yang Zichen, and Wu E La Bu, each with their own rounds. Although they were all in a hurry, they started eating at two o'clock in the afternoon and had six or seven rounds. By the time they finished eating, it was already three o'clock in the morning. Sun Dahuzi, afraid of his wife, was the first to go home. Zhang Baochen had his sights on Daqiao, and by three o'clock, he feigned drunkenness and said, "Gotta go," then went straight to Daqiao's house. Daqiao was very busy that night and didn't return until the next day. Zhang Baochen waited for her and they were all over each other, asking each other all sorts of questions. Daqiao told him all about her background. He was a big shot, so money was no object, so the next day he asked Yang Zichen to tell the madam that "Zhang wants to redeem Daqiao." When the madam heard this, she knew that Zhang wasn’t someone you'd cross, especially since it was ordered by Leader Yang, so she dared not refuse! They settled it right then and there for a total of one thousand yuan. Zhang Baochen paid the money out of his own pocket. Daqiao was naturally very grateful to Zhang.
Two more days passed, and Zhang Baochen received official duties from above, sending him on a business trip elsewhere and unable to return for a while. The day before he left, he instructed the flunkies to go house by house to settle accounts with money in hand. He had called for so many accounts that he couldn't even remember them all. The flunkies went house by house to inquire. To their surprise, when they asked the households, they were told, "Yang already took care of Zhang's bill." They asked the next household, and they were told, "Yang already paid Zhang's tab." After asking several more households, they all said the same. Even the money for the little courtesan's fee was provided by Yang. The flunkies had no choice but to return home and report the situation to Zhang Baochen. Zhang Baochen said, "He can pay for other stuff, and I wouldn't mind, but how can I let him pay for *that*? Wouldn't that be taking advantage of the guy?" After saying that, he howled with laughter. Later, Zhang Baochen tried to return the money to Yang Zichen, but Yang Zichen firmly refused to accept it. He said, "What's a little money like this? If you won't even take this, you're insulting me, mate." Zhang Baochen, hearing him say this, had to give in. Because of this incident, it became widely known throughout the city of Nanjing. To be continued!
