Jianghu Experience

"We're setting off. It'll take several days, so you brats had better be patient!"

Hu Ma and the other youths followed Second Master onto the road. Before long, they began to catch glimpses of scenery they'd never seen back in the village.

A sturdy yellow ox pulled the cart. Its coat had been brushed until it shone, and it hauled the wooden-wheeled wagon along the rugged mountain road at a slow, swaying pace. Truth be told, the boys aboard could probably have run faster than the ox.

But they'd set out several days early, so there was no need to hurry. They watched the scenery pass by and listened to Second Master spin his tall tales.

After a day or two, they gradually left the bounds of Old Yin Mountain and reached the main road. The road was a little flatter, but not by much; it was still bumpy, uneven, and rugged.

Hu Ma gained plenty of knowledge along the way. In this world, traveling far from home was no small matter.

The first thing to fear was running into Evil Spirits.

But everyone aboard the cart was a strapping lad with a lit stove inside him. On top of that, Second Master was an old stove with sixty years of cultivation. They traveled without a hitch and encountered nothing.

Of course, they were careful. Every day, they found somewhere to rest before dusk and tucked the pond ash they'd brought from the village into their chests. Ordinary Evil Spirits would have a hard time getting close to them...

They didn't encounter any Evil Spirits, but they did run into a band of road robbers.

There was no "This mountain is mine, and I planted these trees" nonsense. Just a pile of rocks and a fallen dead tree blocking the road, followed by a group of raggedly dressed people emerging from the roadside.

Some carried manure forks, others shouldered hoes. A few held sticks or stones. From a distance, they clasped their hands toward the people on the ox cart. "Traveling neighbors, please, have mercy on us..."

"Our village was struck by disaster. We won't last until spring. Please, spare us a little grain so we can feed the children."

"When we have grain after next year's autumn harvest, come back here and wait for us. We'll repay you double..."

"..."

The boys on the cart were at a loss, but Second Master waved a hand and jumped down.

The moment he opened his mouth, his voice was choked with tears. "Neighbors, our village is poor too. Look, we're even preparing to go to the city and sell our children."

"But we still have a little dry food on the cart. Take it, if you don't mind."

"These are hard times. We're all neighbors in Old Yin Mountain. We can only stay alive by helping each other..."

"..."

He poured three big bowls of coarse rice from a sack for them. Though they clearly saw that half a sack remained on the cart, they didn't ask for more.

They even kindly came over to move the rocks and dead tree out of the way, then gave them a warning. "Go twenty li past the fork in the road, and you'll find a mass grave. There are wild dogs that dig up graves and eat people, and Yin Ghosts who can't rest in peace after death. Be careful, and whatever you do, don't go that way at night..."

"Thanks, thanks. Until we meet again."

Second Master clasped his hands and said goodbye. From afar, they watched the group put the rocks back in place.

Hu Ma watched Second Master's every move closely. His instincts told him that this kind of worldly experience might prove just as useful as the skills he'd learned.

As for the boys on the cart, once they'd gone a good distance, some started itching for a fight. They said they should have taken those men on just now. There were six of them, after all; surely they could have handled the lot. Second Master smacked one of them over the head. "Don't ever say that again."

"If you rely on fighting and killing to make your way in the world, when will you ever finish killing?"

"..."

Their experience and knowledge grew with every mile. By the fourth day, they had reached the outskirts of Mingzhou Prefecture.

Hu Ma looked into the distance and saw a great city rising from the plains. It looked quite impressive from afar, but up close, its walls were large yet rather shabby, patched here and there with marks of chisels and fire.

There was still a finger's breadth of sunlight left before sunset, but the city gates were already shut. Only the small gates on either side remained open.

Second Master jumped down in advance and led the ox to the gate. Seeing an old man and a few children, the slovenly, dispirited gate guard waved them away impatiently. "It's too late to enter the city today. Wait outside!"

Second Master hurriedly put on a smile and took out the token left by the steward. "Have a look, sir. We're going to pay our respects to the Goddess at the Red Lantern Society."

"The children on this cart are all workers the Red Lantern Society asked for."

"..."

"The Goddess Society?"

The guard's expression changed. He looked over Hu Ma and the others, then stepped aside and pointed the way. "Keep to the side of the road and make sure the ox doesn't drop dung. Go to Diao Gan'er Alley in the west city, and you'll find the Red Lanterns."

"..."

Second Master eagerly agreed and drove the ox cart into the city.

Night was falling. Back in Great Sheep Village, the villagers would have been home already, perhaps finished with supper and lying in bed, enjoying one of the few entertainments available to them.

But the city was a different world. Ornate towers stood on either side of the street, their bright lamps lit, and the streets thronged with people. Passing merchants wore brocade robes. Some rode in palanquins, others astride tall horses, moving slowly down the middle of the street like mountain gods inspecting their domain. Peddlers called out loudly from their stalls, trying to attract customers.

The boys from Great Sheep Village stared wide-eyed, Hu Ma among them.

The others had never seen anything like this. Hu Ma had seen plenty in films and television, but something about this place was different. It felt more rustic and real.

Especially when they saw a burly man carrying a languid-looking woman with bound feet on his back as he hurried past the cart. The boys' eyes went wide all at once, and Hu Ma looked over too.

Second Master caught sight of their expressions. With a cold laugh, he flicked his whip through the air. "What are you staring at? That's a pimp, carrying a prostitute to serve the big masters at the restaurant."

"Remember, none of you are allowed to get up to that sort of thing until you've learned some real skills..."

"..."

"Wait, they have takeout for this too?"

Hu Ma felt his horizons expanding. The boys were even more excited. "Second Master, how does that work?"

Second Master perked up and regaled them with all the details: listening to music, being fed wine, playing backgammon, even those bound feet that hadn't been washed in a month. He described it all in painstaking detail.

But just as he got to the important part, he abruptly stopped. One boy who hadn't heard enough blurted out, "And then? After they get under the covers..."

Second Master's expression turned awkward. He turned and smacked the boy, scolding him. "Why do you want to know so much?"

"Don't learn bad habits."

"..."

"..."

They made their way slowly through the city. It took them more than half an hour to reach Diao Gan'er Alley in the west city. As expected, it was different from the other parts of town. The passersby mostly wore black, with wide belts around their waists.

Red lanterns hung along the streets and alleys, but unlike those used for weddings, they gave the place a gloomy air. At the mouth of the alley, Second Master stopped the ox cart and looked around. Before long, two men in black came over to ask what they wanted.

Second Master honestly explained. Their expressions eased, and they pointed to a residence farther ahead. "Go on."

After driving the cart over, Second Master had the boys get down. He told them to tighten their belts and wipe the grime from their faces, then put on a smile and cautiously peered into the courtyard.

Inside, an old man in a short shirt, sporting a thin mustache, sat beneath a pomegranate tree smoking a dry tobacco pipe. He caught sight of Second Master and was about to ask who he was when Second Master hurried over, explained why they'd come, and presented the token from the steward.

"The Goddess's altar-opening ceremony is still several days away. Why bring them so early?"

The old man with the thin mustache took the token and glanced at it, looking rather languid.

"The mountain road's rough. We were afraid we'd be delayed, you see."

Second Master answered with a smile, then took out the coarse-cloth sack from the cart, opened it, and offered it to him.

The old man was a little put off by the dirty sack, but when he glanced inside and saw three strips of dried, cured meat, he grew curious. He let Second Master bring it closer, pinched a piece, and put it in his mouth.

His lips smacked together, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

He hurriedly took the sack, stood up, and clasped his hands with a smile. "You're too kind, old brother!"

"They're all our own people. What did you have to go to all this trouble for?"

"These—these few strips of cured meat are more than I can eat. I'll hold on to them for now, then take some around to the others for you..."

"..."

"But, but..."

Second Master showed no trace of suspicion or pettiness. He readily agreed. "Our village is poor. We don't have anything good to offer."

"It's just a little cured meat. Please don't think poorly of it."

"..."

After accepting the cured meat, the man called out a young boy in a blue jacket from inside the house and had him put the sack away in an inner room.

Then he straightened his lapels, took out a key, and led the way with a smile. "We've already cleared a place for you. I'll take you there to stay for now."

"We'll open the altar with the Incense Master on the twenty-ninth and pay our respects to the Red Lantern Goddess. That's our Goddess's birthday."

"After we've paid our respects, we'll arrange places for you children. But don't worry. I'll make sure you get a good posting and find a good Shopkeeper. You'll earn wages and learn a trade..."

"..."

They all agreed eagerly. The man took the key himself and led Hu Ma and the others to a residence on the next street over.

It looked run-down, as if it had been abandoned for a long time. Still, it had a decent main hall, east and west wings, as well as a gatehouse and a stable. It was clearly a property owned by the Goddess Society.

The steward didn't take them into the main hall. He opened the door to the west wing instead. Inside stood a simple table and chairs, along with a brick bed built against half the wall.

So we still have to sleep in one big bed...

Hu Ma glanced around and was reasonably satisfied. At least there's more room to sleep than at Second Master's place before.

He turned and saw Second Master escorting the steward out of the courtyard, then thought to himself, We came to the city to burn incense. After that, who knows where they'll send us to work? That fellow Erguotou must be a powerful man, given how much influence he has. He's probably someone with real authority in the Goddess Society.

I wonder if I'll get to meet him while I'm here...