Sigh, the world is in turmoil, and every family has been torn apart. The living are searching for news, while the dead have become dust. My family has also fallen apart; when I returned as a warrior, the door was wide open and empty, the sky was darkening, and my heart ached with desolation. All I could see were foxes and wild cats, their fur standing on end, their eyes wide. I brandished a sword and shouted at them.
Once, Chen Jingji set out on an errand, with a follower from Zhang Tuanlian in tow. They left early in the morning for Dongjing, but let’s put him aside for now. Meanwhile, Wu Yueniang sent Pan Jinlian on an errand, and the next day asked Chunhong to fetch Xue Saoniang, intending to sell Qiuju. When Chunhong reached the street, he ran into Count Ying, who stopped him and asked, “Chunhong, where are you going?” Chunhong replied, “My aunt asked me to invite the matchmaker Xue Saoniang.” The count asked again, “What do you need the matchmaker for?” Chunhong said, “To sell the Qiuju from my fifth aunt’s house.” The count further inquired, “Why is your fifth aunt being sent away to get married?” Chunhong explained everything: “Because my fifth aunt had a bit of a messy relationship with my brother-in-law. My aunt found out and first chased away Chunmei, then beat my brother-in-law and drove him out. Only yesterday did she send my fifth aunt away.” The count nodded, saying, “So your fifth aunt had that kind of affair with your brother-in-law, huh? I didn’t see that coming.” He then told Chunhong, “Child, your father has passed away. What are you still doing living there? There’s no future for you. Do you still want to head back south? Or should you settle down here and find a home?” Chunhong replied, “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. With my father gone, my aunt is very strict, the family business is shut down, the house has been sold, and the qintong and huatong have all left. I can’t handle all these people. I want to go back to the south, but no one can take me. I want to find a home in the city, but I have no connections.” The count said, “Silly child, you need to think ahead to make a living. Why go so far to the south? You can sing a few lines of opera; are you afraid you won’t find someone to take you in the city? I’ll help you find a way. At the Zhang Erlaoye’s house in the neighborhood, they are wealthy, and his father is a chief in the criminal court. Your stepmother is now a concubine in his house. If I send you there, he’ll see you can sing southern songs and will definitely keep you as a close attendant, which is much better than being in your own house. He’s got a good temperament, young and charming, and likes these things; you’ll be in luck!” Chunhong knelt and bowed his head, saying, “Thank you, Second Father. If I meet Lord Zhang and find a stable place, I’ll definitely get you a gift to show my thanks.” The count helped Chunhong up and said, “Silly child, get up. I’m helping you, and you don’t need to thank me. Where would you get the money?” Chunhong asked, “If I go, do you think my aunt will give me trouble?” The count replied, “It’s fine. I’ll go have a word with Lord Zhang and give him some silver. He won’t dare take the silver and will surely just send you over.” After that, Chunhong headed over to Xue Saoniang’s place to bring her back. Upon meeting Yueniang, they sold Qiuju for five taels of silver, which he handed over to Yueniang, and that settled the matter.
Lord Ying took Chunhong to Zhang Er's residence. Officer Zhang Er saw that Chunhong was quite handsome and could sing southern tunes, so he decided to keep him around. Then he wrote a letter of introduction, sealed it with a couple of silver taels, and sent it to Ximen Qing's house to ask for his trunk. That day, Wu Yueniang was having drinks with Yun Lishou's wife, Fan. Yun Lishou had just been appointed as deputy to the Qinghe Left Guard. Seeing that Ximen Qing had died and Wu Yueniang was a widow with money, he had some ideas. That day, he bought eight plates of fruit and pastries to visit Yueniang. He saw that Yueniang had given birth to a son, and Fan had given birth to a daughter who was only two months old, and he wanted to form a marriage alliance with Yueniang. That day, during the drinking, the two families became related by marriage, exchanging a pair of gold rings as a betrothal gift. At that moment, Dai'an brought over Officer Zhang Er's letter of introduction and a tael of silver, saying that Chunhong was working at his place and had sent someone to ask for his trunk and clothes. Yueniang saw that he was a criminal judge, so it wouldn't be polite to refuse him; she also did not accept the silver and gave him the trunk.
At first, Lord Ying told Officer Zhang Er: "Ximen Qing's fifth wife, Pan Jinlian, who is known for her beauty, is beautiful and can play the pipa beautifully. She is proficient in various songs, Chinese chess, and calligraphy. Because she is young and was hard to control, and does not get along with her mother-in-law, she was kicked out and is now at Wang Po's house matchmaking for marriage." Officer Zhang Er sent someone several times with silver to Wang Po's house to see Pan Jinlian, but Wang Po said her mother-in-law insisted on one hundred taels of silver. After several negotiations, it was lowered to eighty taels, but Wang Po still did not relent. Later, when Chunhong went to Officer Zhang Er's house, he heard Chunhong say that Pan Jinlian had been driven out because she was raising her son-in-law at home. Officer Zhang Er then lost interest and said to the lord: "I have a fifteen-year-old son who is studying; what do I need such a woman for?" He also heard from Li Jiaor that Jinlian had previously poisoned her husband, was taken in by Ximen Qing, and had affairs that led to the deaths of Ximen Qing's sixth wife and her son. Therefore, Officer Zhang Er decided against taking Pan Jinlian.
It is said that Chunmei was sold to the garrison officer, who found her beautiful and smart and took a particular liking to her. He arranged for her to have three rooms to live in and provided her with a young maid to serve her, who stayed in her room for three nights. After three days, he had two new outfits made for her, gave Sister Xue a thank-you gift of five taels of silver, and bought her a maid to help her manage everything, officially establishing her as the second concubine. The garrison officer's main wife was blind and devoted to a life of vegetarianism and Buddhism, never managing these affairs. The main wife and Sister Sun lived in the east wing, while Chunmei lived in the west wing, and all the keys in the household were entrusted to her, which showed just how much the garrison officer favored her.
One day, Chunmei heard Sister Xue say that Pan Jinlian was being introduced by Wang Po and was going to get married. That night, Chunmei cried to the garrison officer, saying, “My mother and I have relied on each other for years; she has treated me as well as her own daughter. Now she has also been forced to leave home, and I never expected Jinlian would also be in this situation. If you’re willing to marry her, we can be together and continue our lives happily.” Chunmei also praised Jinlian for her beauty, talent, and ability to play the pipa, saying she was clever and only thirty-two this year. “If she can come, I would be willing to be the third concubine.” The garrison officer was touched by Chunmei's words and sent his subordinates Zhang Sheng and Li An, giving them two handkerchiefs and two taels of silver to go to Wang Po’s house to see Jinlian. Sure enough, Jinlian was very beautiful. Wang Po immediately asked for one hundred taels of silver. Zhang Sheng and Li An negotiated with Wang Po for quite a while, and ultimately, they managed to negotiate down to eighty taels, but Wang Po refused to budge, insisting on one hundred taels, saying, “I won’t take a fee as a matchmaker, but I can’t return empty-handed!” Zhang Sheng and Li An had no choice but to return with the silver and report to the garrison officer.
Two days later, Chunmei wept and pleaded with the commander, "No matter what, please add a few more taels of silver and marry her to accompany me. Even if I die, I will be willing!" Seeing Chunmei crying non-stop, the commander had no choice but to send the steward Zhou Zhong, along with Zhang Sheng and Li An, to Wang Po's house with the silver, bringing the total to ninety taels. However, Wang Po demanded even more and said, "Ninety taels? Not enough! Magistrate Zhang offered even more to the second master's house!" Zhou Zhong, angered, instructed Li An to put the silver away, saying, "It's not hard to find a three-legged toad, but isn't it easy to find a woman? This old witch doesn’t even know anyone! You talk about how the second magistrate's house is, but our master in the mansion can't control you? Isn't it because the newly married concubine keeps pleading in front of the master, wasting all this money—what good is she?" Li An also said, "This old witch is truly crafty. We have made so many trips back and forth!" Pulling Zhou Zhong, he said, "Steward, let's head back and tell the master to just grab her and give her a good beating!" Wang Po was eager for Chen Jingji's favors and let them scold her without saying a word. The two returned to the mansion and reported to the commander, "We have already added up to ninety taels, but she still refuses." The commander said, "Give her one hundred taels tomorrow and carry her over in a sedan chair!" Zhou Zhong said, "Even if we give her one hundred taels, Wang Po still wants five taels as a matchmaker fee. Let's wait and see. If she still demands too much, just grab her and give her a good beating in the mansion to teach her a lesson!" Dear readers, Jinlian's fate ultimately cannot escape Zhou Zhong's two sentences. Although life has no foreknowledge, who can truly understand the reasons behind fortune and misfortune? Good and evil will eventually be repaid; it’s just a matter of when.
Furthermore, since Wu Song was exiled to Mengzhou Prison City, he was fortunate to be taken care of by the Xiao Guan Camp. Later on, when Shi En and Jiang Menshen were vying for control of the Happy Forest Inn, Shi En was injured by Jiang Menshen and sought help from Wu Song. Wu Song gave Jiang Menshen a severe beating. Unexpectedly, Jiang Menshen's sister Yulan married Zhang Dujian as a concubine, set a trap, framed Wu Song, had him arrested and exiled to Anping Fort as a soldier. Wu Song went to Feiyunpu, killed two officials, then returned to kill Zhang Dujian and the entire Jiang family, before taking refuge at Shi En's house. Shi En wrote a letter, placed a hundred taels of silver in a chest, and asked Wu Song to deliver it to Liu Gao, the head officer at Anping Fort, for his assistance. Unexpectedly, on the way, Wu Song heard that the prince had ascended to the throne and granted a general amnesty, so Wu Song was pardoned and could return home. Back in Qinghe County, he submitted his documents, continued his duties, and remained a constable. Upon returning home, Wu Song found his neighbor Yao Yilang and brought Ying'er back. Ying'er was already nineteen years old, and Wu Song brought her home to live together. At this time, someone told Wu Song, "Ximen Qing has died, your sister-in-law Jinlian has come out, and she is currently at Wang Po's house, ready to remarry at any moment." Upon hearing this, old grudges stirred in Wu Song's heart. It's like finding something you want when you least expect it, without even trying.
The next day, Wu Song dressed in his best and went directly to Wang Po's house. Jinlian was standing behind the curtain. When she saw Wu Song coming, she quickly hid inside the house. Wu Song lifted the curtain and asked, "Is Aunt Wang at home?" Wang Po was busy grinding flour and quickly came out to respond, "Who is calling me?" Seeing that it was Wu Song, she quickly returned the bow. Wu Song also bowed deeply to her. Wang Po said, "Brother Wu, long time no see! When did you come back?" Wu Song said, "I came back after the amnesty and just arrived yesterday. Thank you for looking after my home, Aunt Wang. I will definitely thank you properly another day." Wang Po smiled and said, "Brother Wu looks even more spirited than before, with a beard now and a good physique. You've even learned a lot of etiquette outside." As she invited Wu Song to sit down, she brewed him some tea. Wu Song said, "I need to discuss something with you, Aunt." Wang Po said, "What is it? Brother Wu, just say it." Wu Song said, "I heard that Ximen Qing has died, and my sister-in-law has come out and is living here with you. Please tell my sister-in-law, if she doesn't want to remarry, that's perfectly fine. If she wants to remarry, Ying'er is grown up now, and I'd like to bring my sister-in-law back home to marry her and take care of Ying'er. Later, I will find a son-in-law for her, so we can all live together as a family and avoid any gossip." At first, Wang Po was a bit hesitant and said, "I don't even know if she's here or if she wants to remarry." Later, upon hearing that Wu Song wanted to thank her, she said, "I'll have a chat with her about it soon."
The woman in the back room heard Wu Song say he wanted to marry her to look after Wu Dalang's son. She also saw that Wu Song had become more robust and articulate than before, and she thought to herself: It seems my fate is still tied to Wu Song. Before Wang Po could call her, she came out to greet Wu Song and said, "Since Uncle wants me to take care of Ying'er and also marry off my daughter, that sounds wonderful." Wang Po said, "But there's one catch, his wife is asking for a hundred taels of silver to agree to the marriage." Wu Song said, "That much?" Wang Po said, "Ximen Qing shelled out a lot of cash for this before, so that’s about the going rate." Wu Song said, "No worries, if I’m marrying my sister-in-law, then a hundred taels it is, and I'll give you an extra five taels of silver." Wang Po was grinning from ear to ear and praised Wu Song for being polite. The woman then brought a cup of melon seed tea for Wu Song to drink. Wang Po urged, "His family is eager to marry off his daughter; a bunch of families are after her, but she’s turned them all down over price. You know what they say, the early bird gets the worm. Don't let others get ahead of you." The woman said, "Since you want to marry me, Uncle, you need to hurry up." Wu Song said, "I’ll get the silver ready tomorrow and bring my sister-in-law home tomorrow night." Wang Po still wasn’t sure Wu Song actually had that much cash, but she went along with it.
The next day, Wu Song opened the box and took out the one hundred taels of silver that Shi En and Liu Gao had given him, and also separately wrapped five taels of loose silver. He went to Wang Po's house and weighed the silver. Wang Po saw a pile of shiny silver on the table and thought to herself: Although Chen Jingji also promised to give one hundred taels, he had to go to Tokyo to get it; who knows when he will receive it? This Wu Song is good; the silver is ready-made—it's like striking gold! She also saw Wu Song giving her five taels of silver as a thank-you gift, and she quickly accepted it and thanked him profusely, saying that Wu Song was really a reasonable and good man. Wu Song said, "Mother, take the silver, and I will bring my sister-in-law over today." Wang Po said, "Wu Erge, you are really in a hurry! It's like putting flowers behind the door—don't get ahead of yourself! I have to go to his aunt's house to hand over the silver before I can send the person over." She also said, "Your hat looks sharp today; you're going to be a groom tonight!" Wu Song felt a bit uneasy, but Wang Po was still joking with him. After sending Wu Song away, Wang Po thought to herself, "His aunt only asked me to marry off her daughter and didn't mention a price; I'll just take twenty or thirty taels of silver. Anyway, I will benefit a lot." So she kept twenty taels of silver and went to settle the matter at Yue Niang's house. Yue Niang asked, "Which family did she marry into?" Wang Po said, "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. She married her younger brother-in-law and continued to eat from the old pot." When Yue Niang heard this, she stomped her foot in anger and thought to herself, "When enemies meet, it’s always intense." She said to Meng Yulou, "She will die at the hands of her younger brother-in-law in the future! That man kills without a second thought; he won't let this slide!"
Without mentioning the moon lady sighing at home, after Wang Po finished delivering the silver and returned home, she had Wang Chao deliver the woman's belongings in the afternoon. Wu Song had prepared food and drinks at home early on. In the evening, Wang Po brought the woman to the door; the woman changed into mourning clothes, styled her hair in an elegant bun, wore a red dress, and donned a veil. Upon entering, she saw the bright room with Wu Dalang's spirit tablet placed in the center, feeling a sense of unease. Once inside, Wu Song instructed Ying Er to lock both the front and back doors. Wang Po said, "Auntie, I'm going home; there's no one at my place." Wu Song replied, "Mama, come in and have a drink." He asked Ying Er to set the dishes on the table, and soon the wine was warmed up, inviting the woman and Wang Po to drink. Wu Song himself was no slouch, drinking cup after cup, downing four or five bowls. Seeing him drink so heartily, Wang Po said, "Wu Er Ge, I'm getting drunk; I'm leaving now, you two enjoy yourselves." Wu Song said, "Auntie, stop joking around! I, Wu Er, have something to ask you!" Suddenly, with a swish, he pulled out a two-foot-long, thin-backed, thick-bladed knife from his sleeve, holding the hilt in one hand while pressing the blade against his chest with the other, glaring with wide eyes and raising his whiskers, he said, "Old witch, don't be afraid! Since ancient times, grievances have their heads and debts have their owners; don’t think you can evade responsibility! My brother's death is all related to you!" Wang Po retorted, "Wu Er Ge, it's the middle of the night, and you're drunk, waving knives and guns; what kind of behavior is this!" Wu Song said, "Old witch, don't talk nonsense! I, Wu Er, am not afraid of death! First, I will question this lewd woman, and then slowly deal with you, old witch! If you dare to move, I’ll stab you a few times first!" He turned around and shouted at the woman, "You lewd woman, listen! How did my brother die? Honestly confess, and I might spare you!" The woman replied, "Uncle, what do you mean? My brother died of a broken heart; what does that have to do with me?" Before she could finish, Wu Song slammed the knife onto the table with a clatter, grabbed the woman by her hair with his left hand, lifted her by her chest with his right, and kicked the table over, shattering the bowls and plates. The woman couldn’t withstand his rough treatment; with a gentle tug, he dragged her to Wu Dalang's spirit tablet. Seeing the situation turn dire, Wang Po ran toward the door, but it was already locked. Wu Song quickly caught up, pinned her to the ground, and unfastened his belt to tie her up tightly, like a captured animal, leaving her unable to move, only shouting, "Captain, spare me; this is all the old lady’s doing, it has nothing to do with me!" Wu Song said, "Old witch, I already know everything; are you still trying to deny it? It was you who instructed Ximen Qing to harm my brother and send him into exile. Now that I’m back! Where is Ximen Qing? If you don’t tell me, I’ll first kill this lewd woman and then kill you!" He brandished the knife and slashed it across the woman's face twice.
The woman was so scared that she quickly begged for mercy: "Uncle, please have mercy! Let me go, I confess everything!" Wu Song lifted her up, tore off her clothes, and made her kneel in front of the spirit tablet. "Whore! Hurry up and confess!" Wu Song roared. The woman, terrified, had no choice but to confess everything: from how Ximen Qing took advantage of her while she was closing the curtains to how she later killed Wu Dalang, how Wang Po urged her to poison, and her subsequent marriage to Wu Dalang. She explained the whole story in detail. Wang Po listened on the side, groaning inwardly: "Stupid woman, you confessed everything; how can I cover up the lies now?"
While pulling the woman's hair, Wu Song poured a drink for Wu Dalang, lit the paper money, and said, "Brother, if you know in the underworld, today Wu Song will avenge you!" Seeing the situation was not good, the woman was about to scream, but Wu Song shoved ash into her mouth to keep her quiet, then slammed her hard onto the ground. The woman struggled, her hairpins and jewelry falling off. Afraid that she would continue to struggle, Wu Song first booted her in the ribs, then pried her chest open and quickly used a knife to slice into her chest, blood spraying out immediately. The woman’s eyes rolled back as her legs thrashed. Wu Song held the knife, pried her chest open, pulled out her heart and internal organs, and laid them, dripping with blood, in front of the spirit tablet. Then, he decapitated her, blood spilling everywhere. Ying'er, who was watching on the side, was terrified and covered her face. Wu Song was merciless! Poor woman, life is fleeting; she was only thirty-two when she met her end.
Youth perishes everywhere, blood is shed when the knife falls. The seven souls have already departed for the Hall of Yama; the three souls should return to the city of illusions. Like early spring snow bending the willows, the wind in December blows down the plum blossoms. Where will this woman's spirit find rest tonight, lost and wandering? There is a poem from ancient times that mourns the tragic fate of Jinlian: Mourn for Jinlian, truly pitiful, taking off clothes to kneel before the spirit. Who could have known that Wu Er would wield a knife and be ensnared by Ximen's machinations? Reflecting on the past, it all seems like a dream, now worth barely a dime. In this world, one life must pay for another; retribution is evident. After Wusong killed the woman, Old Wang shouted, "Murder!" Wusong heard it, went forward with a knife, and also cut off Old Wang's head, dragging the two bodies. He stabbed the woman's heart and liver and placed them under the eaves of the back building. It was probably early evening at that time, Ying'er was locked in the house. Ying'er cried and said, "Uncle, I'm scared!" Wusong said, "Kid, I can't help you right now!" Wusong climbed over Old Wang's wall and wanted to kill Wang Chao. But it seemed Wang Chao's fate was not to die. Hearing his mother's call, he knew Wusong was killing people, with the front and back doors closed. He was so scared that he ran to the street and called for help. The neighbors all knew Wusong was fierce, and no one dared to approach. Wusong climbed over the wall into Old Wang's room, only to find the light on but no one inside. He opened Old Wang's boxes and threw her clothes on the floor. Of the one hundred taels of silver, he left twenty for Wu Yueniang and took the remaining eighty-five taels, along with some gold and silver jewelry. He took a knife, climbed over the wall, left the city gate at five in the morning, and ran to Crossroads to seek refuge with Zhang Qing and his wife, becoming a monk, and later joined Liangshan as a bandit. Indeed, I've never caused trouble in my life; there shouldn't be anyone in this world who grinds their teeth in anger.
