"Large boats can ferry people, so why can't small boats? Are there some rules about that?"
Li Ping'an and Old Ox stood at the dock.
The old boatman said, "There aren't any rules. It's just that, for some reason, the Tongtian River's currents have been fierce this year.
"Several small boats have already capsized. Luckily, no one died, but the small boats around here don't dare venture onto the river anymore!"
"Then we'll have to take a large boat," Li Ping'an said.
"Large boats charge a pretty penny, though," the old man remarked, his pipe clenched between his teeth.
"Nothing we can do about that." Li Ping'an sat down at the dock.
Not far away stood a stall selling drinks.
A crowd had gathered around it. Li Ping'an and Old Ox went over and ordered two bowls of tea and a plate of pastries.
They could hardly be called delicate treats. At best, they gave them something to munch on and filled their bellies.
A storyteller was also recounting tales of the previous dynasty. He spoke of a certain county magistrate from that time.
Shortly after taking office, the magistrate had posted a couplet outside the county offices to demonstrate his integrity.
The first line read: "If I accept money in the dead of night, may Heaven strike me and Earth destroy me!"
The second line read: "If I heed the bailiffs' words, may my sons be thieves and my daughters whores!"
The common people were delighted when they read it, believing him an honest official.
Before long, however, the magistrate began taking bribes.
To avoid contradicting his couplet, he required all bribes to be given openly in daylight.
Moreover, the parties involved had to deliver the money themselves; bailiffs were forbidden to handle it.
That way, there was no