Borrowing Money

Blackwater Bay, Fortune Gambling House.

Black Fish Liu San came out with a face full of bad luck, and the expressions of the two lackeys behind him were no better.

"Damn it! Today's been cursed—I didn't win a single hand!" Liu San spat out a thick gob of phlegm, then turned and glared at the gambling house signboard, his belly full of anger with nowhere to vent it.

But thinking of how this was a place opened by the gang leader's brother-in-law, he could only force that bit of fury back down.

"Third Brother, we haven't eaten or had anything to drink tonight." The Bamboo Pole-like man edged closer, carefully studying Liu San's expression. "We lost all our silver. So... what do we do?"

People like them lived for today with no thought for tomorrow. Whatever silver they had, they spent; they had never been in the habit of saving money.

Now they had lost everything, and could not even find a way to buy a meal.

Where there was fine food and drink, it was always a place run by someone important in the gang. They did not have the nerve to eat there without paying.

As for ordinary restaurants and noodle shops, without wine or meat, they could not be bothered with them.

Liu San's eyes darted about as he racked his brains for a solution.

The other dark-faced man suddenly slapped his thigh. "Got it! Today, Xu Laoer caught a treasure fish and got three taels of silver for it. Let's go borrow some from him."

"Blackskin, isn't that... not so good?" Bamboo Pole hesitated. "The gang has rules. If we take silver from those lowborn wretches, there has to be a pretext. We already took the lucky red money from the treasure fish. If we go ask Xu Laoer for more, we'll be breaking the rules. If the gang leader finds out..."

"Damn it!" Liu San slapped Bamboo Pole across the head and cursed with glaring eyes, "Blackskin said borrow! Not take! Once we have money, we'll just pay him back, won't we?"

"Yes! Yes! Third Brother's right!" Bamboo Pole rubbed his head and gave an embarrassed, ingratiating smile.

Liu San narrowed his eyes and swept Bamboo Pole a glance. His voice dropped, carrying a trace of viciousness. "Keep that mouth of yours shut tight. If this gets passed up the chain, I'll cripple you!"

He knew perfectly well that though they called it borrowing, they were really taking it.

This broke the gang's rules. If the gang leader found out, there would be no good fruit to eat.

"Third Brother, what are you saying?" Bamboo Pole hurriedly declared his loyalty. "How could I do something like that? Besides, if we go borrow money from Xu Laoer, us brothers will be eating and drinking together. If anything happens, shouldn't we bear it together too?"

Blackskin quickly chimed in, "Right, right, right! Third Brother, don't worry! Bamboo Pole wouldn't dare, and he's not that kind of person."

Only then was Liu San satisfied. He laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Go! Let's borrow money! Then drink wine and eat meat!"

The three strode into the night, their footsteps soon swallowed by the autumn wind.

Mossy Alley, the Xu family's small courtyard.

Xu Erniu blew out the lamp. The family of three squeezed together on the bed.

"Mother, the buns Auntie and Uncle made were so big and so tasty." Little Xiuer smiled until her eyes curved into crescents, her large eyes sparkling.

"Tasty, weren't they? There are still eight buns left from what your aunt and uncle brought. That's enough for you to eat for eight meals. If you want one, Mother will steam one for you again tomorrow." Second Aunt held Xiuer with a face full of tenderness.

The little girl in her arms squirmed, then suddenly sat up and looked seriously at her parents. "I don't want to eat them for eight meals. I want Father and Mother to eat them with me."

"All right, all right, Father and Mother will eat with you." Second Aunt scraped Xiuer's tiny nose and smiled as she pulled her back into her arms.

After the little girl lay back down, she asked again before long, "Father, did my brother eat buns too? How is he doing at the martial arts school? Can he eat his fill at night? Will he get cold?"

Xu Erniu chuckled. "Your brother ate too, and he ate until he was full. The martial arts school provides food and lodging. Your brother won't go hungry or get cold."

The little girl was about to ask more—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of someone smashing at the courtyard gate suddenly rang out, followed by a rough shout:

"Xu Laoer! Open up!"

Xiuer jumped in fright and hurriedly burrowed into her mother's arms.

Second Aunt recognized Liu San's voice, and her face instantly changed.

Xu Erniu quickly patted Second Aunt's hand, then stroked Xiuer's little head. Lowering his voice, he said to the two of them, "Don't be afraid. Stay in the room. I'll go out and take a look."

With that, he got up, threw on his clothes, and pushed open the door into the courtyard.

"Damn it! If you don't open up, I'm kicking the door in!" Liu San's voice was already edged with anger.

"I'm coming, I'm coming—" Xu Erniu hurried over and pulled back the bolt.

The moment the gate opened a crack, Liu San shoved it wide and barged in, followed by Bamboo Pole and Blackskin.

"Master Liu, what brings you here? So late at night..." Xu Erniu put on a smile, though his heart was pounding like a drum.

"Cut the damn nonsense!" Liu San eyed him sideways. "I heard you and your A-Qing went into the city? What, A-Qing didn't come back? He's staying in the city or something?"

Xu Erniu could not make out Liu San's intentions. He had not wanted to mention Xu Qing going to the martial arts school, but on second thought, perhaps it might be enough to cow Liu San.

After weighing it over, he smiled quietly. "A-Qing and I did make a trip into the city. He didn't come back. He stayed at the martial arts school to learn martial arts."

"What!" Liu San's face froze, his voice shrill as a duck's quack, before it returned to normal. "Well now, Xu Laoer. You've been quietly making a fortune."

Liu San sidled closer with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Even the cheapest martial arts school in the county costs ten taels of silver as an apprenticeship fee. If you can cough up ten taels, looks like you've struck it rich."

"Just so happens, us brothers have been short on money lately. How about lending us a few taels to spend?"

Xu Erniu's face went pale at once. He had not expected to shoot himself in the foot. Not only was Liu San not intimidated, he now thought Xu Erniu had money and wanted to borrow it.

"Master Liu, those ten taels for the apprenticeship were scraped together by borrowing from all over. There isn't even a single copper coin left in the house now..." Xu Erniu's face crumpled miserably.

"Bullshit!" Before Liu San could speak, Blackskin grabbed Xu Erniu by the collar. "You think we're giving you face for nothing? Third Brother already said it's borrowing, not that we won't return it! Once we have money, we'll pay you back! Enough nonsense—go bring out two taels of silver, now!"

Xu Erniu was about to speak again when Liu San's expression turned savage. He kicked Xu Erniu squarely in the chest and cursed, "Damn it! Go get me the money, now!"

Xu Erniu was kicked to the ground, the pain in his chest leaving him unable to draw breath.

Bamboo Pole sneered as he stepped forward and looked down at Xu Erniu clutching his chest. "Xu Laoer, if you won't bring it out, us brothers will have to search for it ourselves."

His eyes suddenly shifted, and he narrowed them with a smile. "Oh, right. Your wife and little girl are both home, aren't they? Us brothers don't want to go inside and scare the child."

As he spoke, he started toward the room.

"Don't... don't..." Xu Erniu hurriedly begged for mercy. Enduring the pain, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. "I'll get it... I'll get it. There are only the last two taels for the household tax left... Master Liu, you must return it before spring..."

"Enough nonsense. Go get the silver!" Liu San cut him off brutally.

With no other choice, Xu Erniu could only steel himself and slip into the kitchen.

There were still a little over three taels of silver in the money jar beneath the woodpile.

They had borrowed three taels from Xu Qing's little aunt's family. They only needed one more tael to make up the apprenticeship fee. Xu Erniu had originally told Xu Qing to take the remaining two taels as well, but Xu Qing had ultimately taken only one tael of broken silver and several dozen copper coins.

Trembling, Xu Erniu handed over the two taels of silver.

"That's more like it." Liu San snatched the silver and smiled in satisfaction. "Don't worry. Once I'm flush, I'll pay you back."

Then his face turned vicious. Staring at Xu Erniu with murderous eyes, he said coldly, "Keep your mouth shut tight about me coming here to borrow money today. If anyone else finds out I came to borrow money and makes me lose face, I'll tear your bones apart and set this rotten courtyard of yours on fire!"

With that, he waved a hand and swaggered away with his two lackeys.

On the road, Blackskin promptly began flattering Third Brother's might. But Bamboo Pole asked with some concern, "Third Brother, Xu Laoer said his A-Qing went to learn martial arts at a martial arts school. We borrowed silver from his family—there won't be any trouble, right?"

"Learn martial arts?" Liu San curled his lip and snorted. "With that poverty-stricken frame of his, no matter how he learns, he'll be useless."

He did not take the matter to heart at all. He found the thought more absurd than seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

He himself had trained in martial arts for a few days and knew just how difficult that stuff was.

When he was younger, he had spent several months fooling around at a martial arts school. He had spent no small amount of silver, yet in the end he had only learned a few flashy tricks—good enough to scare people, but useless as fart when it came to a real fight.

Xu Qing could actually learn something?

Heh, about as likely as him becoming the county magistrate—nothing but a dream.