Chapter Fourteen: Encounter with Xiao Ke

  One morning, the boat finally arrived at Yiyang dock after many twists and turns. Jiang Lao Da asked his wife to guard the boat and took three apprentices ashore, buying a chicken and a bottle of wine, bringing them to the Wei Gong Temple on the shore. He pulled out a sharp knife from his pocket and killed the chicken. The chicken's blood dripped onto the altar, and he poured three cups of wine into the altar, then burned three incense sticks and kowtowed three times. After finishing, he carried the dead chicken out of the temple and bought over ten oil lamps, some daily necessities, and vegetables at a stall. Lu Gang asked who the Bodhisattva in the Wei Gong Temple was. Jiang Lao Da said while walking: "Wei Gong, he's from Baoqing, Shaoyang, and specialized in releasing rafts on the river, binding together nanmu wood and other materials to float downstream." He said it was a legendary story, and asked if they wanted to hear it. They of course wanted to listen, so Jiang Lao Da began to tell the tale.

  It is said that during the Tongzhi period, Wei Gong's fleet passed through Yiyang Dama Du when they usually had to dock here and go ashore to pay respects to the guild at Matou before sending goods or boats downstream to Hankou or other ports. But Wei Gong was a bit arrogant and didn't do so, passing directly through Yiyang Dama Du. The people on the shore were furious and shouted loudly, but it was no use. This was unbearable, and Wei Gong's behavior offended the bosses of Yiyang Matou. They said that if everyone followed Wei Gong's example and didn't come, how would the people at Yiyang Matou make a living? How could they eat? Something had to be done about him.

  They invited a local Taoist priest, gave him some silver, and asked for a meal of wine. For those few days, they offered sacrifices to him, and whenever the Wei Gong passed by, they would ask the priest to perform rituals.

  When Duke Wei passed by the Yiyang dock again, the Taoist priest began to cast a spell on the shore. He saw him inserting a long-handled shovel into the water at the river's edge with great force, and Duke Wei's boat was stuck in the middle of the river like a nail, unable to move no matter how hard it tried, only spinning around in place. Duke Wei looked towards the shore and saw a man wearing a Taoist robe waving his hands on the riverbank, chanting incantations non-stop, and shouted in his heart: "Not good, someone is casting a spell!" He told everyone not to panic, instructing them to stand firmly in their respective positions of east, south, west, and north, holding the bamboo poles steady in the water. He himself took a deep breath and operated the elixir. A whirlwind rose from the surface of the river, and he rode the wind lightly, jumping from the boat to the front of the Taoist priest, and quickly patted his shoulder seven times, saying: "Admiration, courtesy to you!"

  The Taoist priest suddenly felt a numbness all over his body, and was shocked to realize that he had encountered a superior opponent and been hit by a move. As Wei Gong turned around and jumped onto the stage, he said to the people around him, "A high skill is matched by an even higher magic, I need to go back and get something to deal with him." His body had already been struck by seven invisible nails. After returning home, he hastily told his wife: "I met a master today, and there are seven nails in my body. The only way to resolve this is for you to steam me in the steamer for 21 days, otherwise these seven nails won't come out."

  His wife was shocked to hear that, and hurriedly did as she was told. Just when she had waited until there was only one more hour left, because of her heartache for her husband, she thought that a living person could not be steamed for so long, and if they continued to steam, the bones would probably all evaporate, she couldn't help but lift the lid.

  Here is the translation:

  As they spoke, they arrived at the boat's edge. Jiang Lao Da's wife was calling out to him from on board, overjoyed, holding up a fish and saying it was one she had just caught. Just as everyone was listening with great interest, Jiang Lao Da's story suddenly stopped, interrupted by his wife at the crucial moment. What's so surprising about seeing a fish? Lu Gang asked Jiang Lao Da, "What happened next?" Jiang Lao Da said, "There's more to come, let me finish cooking first and I'll tell you." After saying that, he tossed the chicken to his wife and said, "Today we'll improve our meal a bit, let everyone eat their fill."

  Three young men gutted the fish, plucked the chicken feathers, rinsed the rice and washed the vegetables, and after making sure their stomachs were warm and full for the night, they listened to Old Jiang's story.

  Jiang Lao Da looked at them all busy and asked if they still wanted to listen, Lu Gong and the others of course wanted to listen, Jiang Lao Da lit a cigarette and started again.

  The shaman's wife lifted the lid and saw that he was still alive, she was delighted. She saw seven small red thorns on her husband's shoulder, with hot steam rising from his body, just as she was about to pull them out, the shaman stopped her, looked up at the sky and sighed: "No power can change fate, the time has not come, it is heaven's will, forget it. After I die, you bury me by the river, take a bed mat, do as I say, next time you see Wei Gong's funeral procession, cry out loud, break the mat, I guarantee he will die in the belly of a fish."

  When the wizard died, his wife carried out his instructions. She guarded her husband's grave until the arrival of Wei Gong's raft, then cried out and tore a piece of matting. The raft on the river said it was strange, with one cry and one piece of matting torn off, the raft was also scattered root by root, drifting downstream on the water surface. Wei Gong knew that it was the ghost of the dead wizard who was casting spells, and as he watched his raft being scattered by magic, he didn't know what to do. The wizard's wife, who had cried herself half to death, made another mistake. She thought Wei Gong was about to collapse in the river, so when there were only three pieces of matting left, she thought that if she threw them all into the river, Wei Gong would be finished. So, she threw the remaining mats into the river. This throw actually saved Wei Gong's life, and he stood firm on his last five wooden pillars. He used his long pole to push himself up and jumped ashore, urinating on the wizard's grave. Suddenly, white smoke billowed from the grave, and in an instant, the wizard's tomb turned into a flat ground, and his bones became a pile of dirty mud.

  His wife and children, feeling guilty towards their father, threw themselves into the river and drowned.

  Wei Gong, due to the loss of his timber and lack of capital to continue business, coupled with the exhaustion from dueling with the sorcerer, was unable to return to Shaoyang. He had no choice but to stay in Yiyang. Every day, he waited by the river for people from Shaoyang to pass through. However, after Wei Gong's encounter in Yiyang, everyone in Shaoyang knew about it and dared not release their logs into the river again. The people of Yiyang saw that Wei Gong had defeated their respected sorcerer, so they didn't dare provoke him but also ignored him, fearing to stir up trouble. Wei Gong lived a vagrant life from then on.

  One day, someone found a stinking male corpse by the river and immediately reported it to the county magistrate. The county magistrate went to the riverbank and saw that it was actually a female corpse emitting a fragrant scent. He scolded the reporter, saying "You can't even tell men from women!" The reporter felt strange and went forward to touch the crotch of the corpse, only to find nothing. At this time, someone nearby explained: This corpse has been discovered for over ten days, it smells good for three days and stinks for three days, sometimes male, sometimes female, they all say he is the famous "Paigu" Wei Gong from Baoqing. From then on, a proverb spread in Yiyang: Wei Gong Bodhisattva's egg - yin xiao da!

  The county magistrate thought that Wei Gong was an immortal, so he ordered the construction of a temple for Wei Gong between Yiyang Sanbao and Dama Tou's busy streets, near the General Temple.

  Since then, all passing merchant ships would kill chickens and worship here for peace.

  "It's said that the chicken blood spilled here doesn't have a stinky smell even in July and August, do you guys know why?" Jiang Lao Da asked.

  These young people certainly don't know.

  Staring at him with wide eyes, even Jiang Fan's son had never heard of it before.

  Jiang Lao Da said, "This is Wei Gong showing his divine spirit."

  Lu Gong said, Uncle, I think it's not a ghost, it should be the effect of wine. Xiao Lin said, It should be a ghost, Wei Gong is protecting us.

  Old Jiang's wife said, Little Lin is right, the Bodhisattva is indeed spiritual. Jiang Erzi, remember from now on, when you burn incense at the temple and see the Bodhisattva, bow down. Did you hear?

  Jiang Youzi nodded and cleaned up the mess on the table, he wasn't very fond of talking.

  Kobayashi asked Lu Gong: "Don't you have relatives here?" Lu Gong said he didn't know where to live, he had never been with his father before.

  Jiang Lao Da put down his bowl and chopsticks, saying "forget it, forget it", hurry up and finish eating, then clean up and let's set off. After speaking, he sat aside to smoke a cigarette.

  The boat sailed all the way, with several days' worth of food stored on board, enough for everyone to eat for several days, so there was no need to frequently go to some towns to buy food. Fish were readily available in the rivers and lakes, and using a net could catch many fish. The boat had been sailing on the river for a long time and didn't stop at any small docks it encountered. When they arrived at Xiangyin Lincizui, the captain wanted them to go ashore and take a look, but Lu Gang and Xiao Lin were unwilling to go, so they gave up. The boat continued on its way and entered Dongting Lake, passing by Chengling, but while they were docked at this pier, they were inspected by devils (Japanese soldiers) for a while, and after nothing was found, they entered the Yangtze River.

  Before long, it was already half a month into the journey. One evening, Jiang's wife pulled Jiang aside and said: "Old Jiang, I want to tell you something."

  "What's up, speak."

  "We've been on the water for many days, and I think these kids are getting bored on the boat. There's a dock up ahead, I thought it would be good to let them go ashore and broaden their horizons. Besides..." She gave Lao Da a coquettish glance.

  "Hey wife, are you thinking of me?" Jiang Lao Da whispered with a sly smile in his wife's ear.

  "You're a clever ghost, just you wait. Whatever." The wife was made to feel embarrassed by him and asked if he wanted it or not?

  "Want to get some loose change for them, go take a look too. Alright, tell Jiang to buy a few packs of cigarettes, I'm out of smokes."

  Jiang Lao Da's wife called over their three kids, gave each of them a banknote, and told them to go ashore and take a look around, and also buy something they liked.

  On the dock, there was a large ship moored, with a big banner on the mast written with a "Xiao" character. This ship was bigger than Jiang's, probably belonging to a wealthy merchant. There were also some small boats by the shore, swaying back and forth under the impact of the waves. On the stone steps of the dock, several willow trees with trunks as thick as basins grew lush green branches that lazily drooped towards the water surface. When the river breeze blew, they gently swayed like a young girl's delicate figure.

  Not far from the dock downstream, there were several women washing clothes and vegetables. Strings of laughter fell into the river along with the water splashed out by the washing and the dry vegetable leaves drifting away with the current.

  They went up the stone steps along the dock, and only when they passed under a single-span gate did they see the four characters "Xiao Jia Dock" written on the crossbeam. Once on the dock, people were coming and going, Jiang Niangzi had seen the world before, said this was a street, much bigger than the one in Yiyang, Lu Gang and Xiao Lin looked around here and there, feeling very novel, indeed many times more lively than that street in Yiyang.

  Arriving at a noodle shop, he found a seat by the window and ordered a bowl of noodles to eat. Jiang Fan asked for several packs of cigarettes and asked where this place was. The man replied: "Oh, you're from out of town, where are you from?" Jiang Fan said they were from Hunan. The man said: "You guys can really run, all the way to our small city, let me tell you, this is within Hubei province."

  After wandering around for a while, Lu Gang said he wanted to go back and didn't want to stroll anymore. Xiao Lin said let's take another look, the three young men idled away with nothing to do, looking at each store in wonder, but just not buying anything. The sky had already darkened, so they headed back to the dock.

  When I arrived at the dock, Jiang Lao Da's boat was nowhere to be found, but a big ship was parked beside it.

  The boat disappeared. The inexplicable disappearance left them in a state of panic, and they shouted towards the river surface, but no one responded. They then rushed to the big ship, where there was a deaf-mute person who gestured with his hands, but no one could understand what he meant. Jiang Pazi cried, standing on the boat and shouting for her parents again.

  "Has he gone ashore to look for us?" asked Kobayashi. "I don't think so," said Rokuro. "If he had, he would have left someone on the boat." "Unless he was robbed and... well, I wouldn't know how to deal with that. We're not familiar with this place, where would we go to find Jiang's parents?"

  Lu Gong said, go ashore and ask around, maybe some people know.

  They returned to the streets, asking everyone they met, but to no avail. They were disappointed and clutched the few remaining Mao tickets in their hands, knowing that staying at an inn was now impossible. They once again came back to the dock, hoping for a miracle. Unbeknownst to them, after spending a night in a simple shed by the dock, they woke up to find that Jiang Piao's family boat still hadn't arrived.

  Jiang Youzi cried, Xiao Lin consoled him not to cry, Lu Gong said let him go cry. Lu Gong knew the pain in Jiang Youzi's heart, sat beside Jiang Youzi, his crying evoked his memories of his parents and sister.

  Kobayashi said he was hungry, so Lu Gang took Jiang Youzi back to the noodle restaurant they had eaten at last night. Lu Gang looked at the prices on the sign, then looked at the money in his hand, and added that it wasn't enough for three bowls, even if they pooled their resources together, they could only afford two bowls. Lu Gang asked the boss if he could have three bowls of noodles without the soup, just the noodles. The boss looked them up and down, agreed, and asked what brought them here. Lu Gang told him about the boat's disappearance and asked if he knew anything about it. The boss said he usually didn't go out, he just took care of business.

  Three young men finished their noodles and were listless with nowhere to go, so they came to the dock again.

  Sitting on the dock, staring blankly as some boats sail across the river, with white sails rising and heading to distant places. Occasionally, some boats stop at this dock, waiting for the boat from Jiang Piao's family that never comes.

  No one coming and going could understand the feelings of the three young men, no one getting on or off the boat could answer the questions of the three young men.

  They waited like this for a whole day, missing one meal, and near dusk, a boat came over.

  Everyone on the boat came down, Lu Gong boarded the ship to ask the captain about Jiang Piaozi's parents and the fate of the boat, only to be met with "I don't know." Just then, a shout was heard from the shore, Lu Gong looked towards the dock and saw a woman waving her hands and shouting loudly, while a man rushed towards the dock in the chaotic crowd.

  This woman Lu Gan had seen before, just got off the boat and passed by his side, a young girl with a pure fragrance, saw that beautiful face, thought it was a lovely appearance.

  "Kobayashi, Jiang Ya Zi, hurry up and cut him off." Lu Gan shouted as he rushed onto the dock, his body agile and already running ahead of the woman.

  "She's stolen something, chase her!" The woman who had fallen on the stairs shouted to Lu Gang, who was about to help her up. Lu Gang responded with a loud "oh" and quickly dropped the woman to give chase. He kicked out at the thief, tripping him to the ground, and then pinned him down. Xiao Lin jumped onto the thief's back, twisting his arms behind him, causing him to cry out in pain. Jiang Ya Zi arrived on the scene and began pulling the thief's hair. Lu Gang shouted for them to let go, pulled the thief to his feet, and snatched the package from his hand. Just then, the woman ran up, and he handed her the package. She didn't even say thank you, but instead glared at the thief with a scowl on her face. The thief took advantage of Lu Gang's distraction to break free and make a run for it.

  "While running, he turned back and shouted at them: 'You little rascals, if you have the guts, don't run away, I'll make you look good.'"

  Lu Gong smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth and was about to leave with Xiao Lin when he was stopped by the woman.

  "You don't look like locals," the woman asked.

  Lu Gang and the others nodded, not speaking, and were about to leave. "I think you guys definitely don't have a place to stay today, right?" The woman's words kept them there. "Otherwise, I'll invite you to dinner first, as a thank you to your three benefactors. After eating, we can help you find a place to sleep, and it won't be too late to leave tomorrow, okay?"

  At this time, Lu Gong and Li Xiaolin turned around to carefully examine the woman in front of them. Her face was clear and beautiful, with a pink complexion and peach blossoms, her eyes were like pools, her nose bridge was elegant, her thin lips were slightly upturned, her neck was slender and delicate, her figure was slender and delicate, her tight-fitting school uniform showed off her plump and full figure, beautiful and pure as a white lotus.

  "Let's get to know each other, my name is Xiao Ke." He said, extending his hand towards them. Seeing Xiao Ke's confident demeanor, the three men felt a bit embarrassed. But being young people, they still shook hands with him. At the same time, Xiao Ke looked at Lu Gang and smiled, looking really good.

  Lu Gang never thought that the woman he met today was not an ordinary city woman, but Xiao Jie, the daughter of the town's Xiao family, who studied at Beiping University.

  Xiao Ke asked Lu Gong what he was doing here. Lu Gong said he had come to take refuge, his hometown had been destroyed by the devils, his mother and Xiao Lin's father had both been killed by the devils, and his sister was also missing. He had thought of coming here to find relatives, but hadn't found any, and didn't know where they had gone. Lu Gong said this with a mixture of truth and falsehood. Xiao Lin could tell.

  Xiao Ke felt sorry for their experience, comforted them with a few words, and then took them into a restaurant, which was the same place where Lu Gang and others had eaten noodles. The boss recognized them, but only came forward to greet Xiao Ke: "Ah, isn't this Miss Xiao from the Xiao family? It's been years since we last met, and you've grown so tall and beautiful! How are things in Beiping and the Great World? You must have seen a lot of the world by now. I'm truly honored that you would deign to visit my humble shop. Please, please, come in, little waiter, bring tea and take their order, we have noble guests!"

  Business was booming, with customers coming in for breakfast noodles, lunch and dinner rice dishes, and drinks. Locals and outsiders alike came to the restaurant to eat and drink at their leisure. They sat down at a table, ordered a few dishes, and started eating. Xiao Ke couldn't help but glance over at Lu Gang from time to time, who looked like he didn't know what to do with himself. Xiao Ke saw how flustered Lu Gang looked and burst out laughing, saying "Are you thinking of finishing your meal and then leaving? If you want to leave, that's fine, but you haven't even told me your names yet! A bird may fly away, but it leaves behind its song; a person may leave, but they leave behind their name." This made them laugh. They reported their names. Xiao Ke spoke up: "How about this? Why don't you stay at my place for a few more days instead of leaving? I can help you find your relatives later. My dad is familiar with the area, how does that sound?" Lu Gang was in a difficult spot and hastily said: "No need, no need, we'll find them ourselves. If we can't find them, we'll just head back." Xiao Ke said: "No way, no way! Now that you're here, you have to listen to me! I'll go settle the bill, you guys take your time eating." He also asked if they wanted to add any more dishes, but they shook their heads and said they were full.

  "What's going on here, don't you have any relatives at all? Now it's even better, looking for trouble. " Li Xiaolin saw Xiao Ke go to the counter to settle the bill and whispered to Lu Gang. Lu Gang said not to rush, wait a bit and think of another way. Xiao Ke smiled and returned to his seat, saying to Lu Gang: "I just want to ask one question, you several people from Hunan, during the war years, it was not peaceful everywhere, why did you all end up here."

  "Brother Lu." Jiang Youzi poked Lu Gan with his elbow. Lu Gan understood and said to Xiao Ke, "I don't think you're a bad person either."

  "What? You think I'm a bad person? Am I a bad person? I'm a pure and innocent girl, but in your eyes, I've become a bad person. What does that mean?" Xiao Ke scolded.

  "No, no, no, I didn't mean that. What I meant was that it's our good fortune to be able to meet such a great person like you in this place."

  Kobayashi chimed in: "Yeah yeah, look at all the great dishes you've ordered with us, neither I nor Zhang Ge have ever had them before."

  Jiang said, it's really delicious.

  He thought for a moment and said, "You ask us why we came here, I'll tell you." He pulled Jiang's body to his side and said, "His parents are the benefactors who saved my and Xiao Lin's lives. After our village was massacred by the devils, a translator helped us escape, but we encountered the devils again on the river, and he died, as well as Xiao Lin's father. I and Xiao Lin jumped into the river and were rescued by his parents and him." Jiang started crying while saying these simple words. Lu Gang comforted him when he saw Jiang cry. Xiao Lin continued Lu Gang's words, "Later, we had no home to return to, and we were afraid that the devils were still there, so we agreed to follow Jiang's parents here, and that's how we ended up here."

  "How did it come?" Xiao Ke listened intently and asked Xiao Lin.

  "He came by boat," said Lu Gong, "his parents were boat people, living on the river all year round."

  "Why didn't I see his parents?" Xiao Ke asked, puzzled. This question suddenly brought Jiang Yaozi's emotions to a state of extreme sadness, and he cried even louder, attracting the attention of the surrounding customers. Xiao Ke shouted at the people around him, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a child cry before?" The boss was startled by Xiao Ke's shout and quickly came out from behind the counter to usher away the onlookers. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yaozi wiped away his tears and said, "Who is the child?" This made everyone laugh. Little Lin chuckled and said, "You're better off not speaking at all, because when you do speak, it's unbearable."

  "It was like this, when we arrived at the dock, his parents told us to come up and take a look around, after we finished eating noodles, the boat and his parents were gone." Lu Gong continued.

  Xiao Ke's eyes were filled with doubt, and she asked: "So you guys were waiting for news of the ship at the dock?"

  Kobayashi: "Yes, you know?"

  Xiao Ke: "I don't know. Let's go find a place to rest, I'll go home and ask my dad about the whereabouts of this boat."

  Before he had finished speaking, a rough voice came from outside the station.

  "Wow, not lazy at all! This little bean (slang for young girl) has a lot of good fortune, with three young brothers accompanying her." Just as they were about to leave, they were blocked by this strange and rough voice.

  He looked up to see a burly man standing on the steps, playing with two glowing steel balls in his hand, apparently having played with them for some time, and his movements were so skilled that they made people's eyes dizzy. Next to him were six or seven men who looked like thugs, grinning at them with ill intentions, one of whom was the man who had been beaten by Lu Gang. These people were actually all around the same age as Lu Gang.

  Lu Gong saw this momentum and was not afraid. His father had said that traveling in the Jianghu, there were rules to follow. If you couldn't reason it out, then you had to fight your way through. If you couldn't fight your way through, then all you could do was surrender. Xiao Lin hadn't seen a scene like this before and didn't know what to do. He looked at the several fierce-looking men by the door, feeling tense, but when he saw Lu Gong's fearless appearance, he calmed down.

  "May I ask who is coming?" Lu Gong bowed his fist and said with a burst of words.

  "How dare you ask who I am? I haven't even asked where the hell you're from, damn it!" The man yelled at Lu Gong condescendingly.

  The man who had been beaten ran forward, pointing at Lu Gang and said: "Third Master, it was them who beat me. Quickly say, what kind of dog shit did you eat to grow up, what qualifications do you have to ask me Third Master, spit." He raised his hand to hit, but was stopped by a loud "monkey" from the big man.

  "Since you want to know who I am, I'll tell you. Within dozens of miles around here, who doesn't know me? Who isn't familiar with me? I'm the 'Mountain Old Tiger', the one whose name and surname remain unchanged whether sitting or lying down. I'm their Third Master, what's wrong? Don't you dare?"

  Lu Gang didn't know what mountain tigers or water tigers were, and he hadn't even seen a real tiger before. "Oh, how do I look like a person to you? Where do I look like a tiger?" Lu Gang smiled without showing weakness.

  The self-proclaimed Mountain Tiger didn't get angry, his stout head shaking back and forth, listening to Lu Gang's words, he laughed directly at Lu Gang. He was certain that Lu Gang was a naive and inexperienced young man, and he wanted to tease this youngster who looked like a bookworm but also had a bit of a reckless air about him. Without paying attention to Lu Gang's words, he played with the steel balls in his hand, not even looking at Lu Gang, and walked straight into the main hall, coming to a square table where he sat down with an air of leisure, propping up one leg.

  At this time, all the people in the store had left. The boss was anxious and said: "Oh my god, who did I provoke? Just when there was a bit of prosperity and business was booming, someone came to make trouble. What kind of sin is this?" He came to the front of Shan Laohu, bowing his head and calling out "Third Master" repeatedly.

  Three old tigers didn't even look at the boss, their eyes scanned Lin Xiao, Xiao Ke and Jiang Ya's body, slowly picked up the teapot and took a sip, then slowly said with a mouthful of dirty words: "You little bastard, use your lucky charm to stand still, Mountain Master has made a move, just you don't understand, things are messed up and blame my horse eyes, isn't this making an enemy of me? Still spinning in the same place, not knowing the rules here is the land god or the water mother temple's ancestor. Today I bumped into your little sprouts, it's fate, can't let me, a mere pot maker, not say a few words. Today my brother fell into your hands, I also lost face, brothers, show your cards, do whatever you want." After finishing, he glanced at Xiao Ke.

  This string of inexplicable words initially left Lu Gang bewildered, unsure of what to say. However, he had heard some things from his father before and knew that Shan Laohu was speaking in a coded language. From Shan's tone, Lu detected a hint of provocation, especially when he saw the way Shan looked at Xiao Shao with a gleam in his eye. Lu felt like getting angry but calmed down and thought it through. If he were alone, it wouldn't matter, but with Xiao Lin, Xiao Shao, and Jiang Ya Zi around, he didn't want to act rashly. Being new to the place, he didn't understand the local customs, and dealing with such a thorny situation required strategy. So, he said calmly, "So, you won't let us off, right?" Shan Laohu seemed to sense a hint of provocation from Lu and slammed his steel balls on the table, saying, "That's right! You little brat, if you've bullied my people, I won't let you go. There must be a conclusion - either leave your hands and feet behind or... keep this beauty for me, and you can watch what happens."

  Lu Gang was itching to shut Mountain Tiger's mouth, but he restrained himself and said calmly: "Fine, I don't want to give you my hands and feet either. I have no other requests, this place is too small, can we change locations? My brothers and I will go outside to find a place to spar, so as not to damage anything here. Let the boss make up for it, I don't have that much silver to compensate. If I don't come back, consider me defeated. Please treat my three friends well, you wait here, but don't bully them."

  The mountain tiger heard Lu Gong say this, and he was suspicious in his heart. Was it true that there were two sons, or was he trying to scare him? Looking at his brothers again, and then looking at Lu Gong, he was no longer afraid. He burst out laughing, raised the steel ball in his hand, and threw it forward, hitting the pillar with a loud noise. "Alright, I agree to your terms," he said loudly. "But I have one condition: if you lose, this girl will stay with me." He waved his hand, and his brothers went over to take care of Shan Lao Hu. The boss immediately ordered the shop assistant to serve Shan Lao Hu, Xiao Lin, and Jiang Ya Zi a pot of high-quality tea.

  Lu Gang looked at Shan Laohu with disdain, and calmly walked out of the restaurant in front of those brothers of Shan Laohu's, who followed him out afterwards.

  Xiao Ke quietly told the boss, who was not far from the counter, "Quickly go and call her father over." The boss hastily instructed his assistant to sneak out of the back door and inform Old Man Xiao.

  Two stone lions sat on either side of the entrance to the Xiao family's large compound, their mouths agape. Two red-lacquered pillars supported the balcony above the steps, and two large red-lacquered doors were slightly ajar. Even without looking at the "Xiao Fu" characters on the door, one could tell that this was the residence of Old Master Xiao, a renowned merchant. Upon entering, the spacious courtyard exuded a natural vitality, with lush greenery and vibrant flowers. Towering trees stood proudly upright. Passing through a winding path to the left, one would come across a semi-circular gate leading to an inner courtyard, where red flowers and green grass grew in abundance, surrounded by sturdy trees. In the center of the courtyard stood a stone tablet inscribed with four large characters: "Cang Qing You Dao". To the right were several large rooms, including one for the housekeeper, one for the chef, and another that was empty, containing little more than dust. Looking ahead from the central path, one could see the high threshold of the main hall, where two armchairs sat on either side of a table, with an ancient painting hanging above. Upon entering the hall and turning to the wall, one would notice a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, where Old Master Xiao's bedroom and Xiaosu's boudoir were located.

  At this moment, Old Master Xiao and Butler Biao were discussing something. The shop assistant came in, panting and stuttering: "Old Master Xiao, it's not good, Miss has been bullied, she wants you to come quickly, at our store." Butler Biao took over the conversation: "What's the hurry? What happened? Speak clearly!" The shop assistant paused for a moment, caught his breath, and slowly told the whole story of what had happened in their store. Old Master Xiao listened and slapped the table, saying to Butler Biao: "Miss is back, you didn't know? This is terrible! Quick, go call Cheng Sen. You and Cheng Sen go together, bring Miss back for me!" Cheng Sen was on duty at the front gate, a young and sturdy fellow.

  Biao Shu followed the shopkeeper's assistant to the door and took Cheng Sen directly into the store.

  Mountain Tiger was playing with his two steel balls, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he stared at Xiao Ke's face. Lin looked at him and felt like dragging him out of his seat for a good beating. Though he seethed with anger, it was futile to confront Mountain Tiger head-on; that would be like an egg hitting a rock.

  Xiao Ke didn't care, she was Xiao Da's daughter, and the mountain tiger didn't dare to do anything to her. At this time, his subordinate came limping in front of him and said, "Third Master, Third Master..." Before the mountain tiger could ask, Lu Gang swaggered into the room with a proud expression. This made Xiao Ke, Xiao Lin, and Jiang Ya Zi extremely happy. Behind Lu Gang were the group of people who had just gone out, each one stumbling and staggering, making faces and humming to each other as they came in. The mountain tiger saw this and understood what was going on, his anger not rising: "So many people can't beat one person, really a bunch of useless people, buns, a group of women, no, not even women, a group of people worse than women, damn it." He scolded them until they didn't dare to make a sound or breathe, standing there quietly, humming and rubbing their bodies in pain. To be honest, when the mountain tiger saw this scene, he felt guilty. He hadn't expected that this kid was so capable, able to take on five or six people by himself, which was unbearable. He had to find an excuse to save face, otherwise, he would have to continue to pretend to be tough and risk losing even more face.

  Lu Gang came before the Mountain Tiger, who couldn't help but smile. He quickly stood up. Lu Gang smiled and said: "How is it? Won't you regret it? They all lost, now it's your turn, please." His eyes were fixed tightly on the Mountain Tiger.

  The mountain tiger didn't dare to fight with Lu Gong, he thought that today he had met a master and couldn't afford to be serious. He clasped his fists, with a sincere smile all over his face: "I don't know the great mountain, I admit defeat, I surrender. Please tell me your honorable surname and name, I pay my respects."

  "No way, a man's got to have a man's dignity. Since you've agreed to the request, you've got to follow the rules." Lu Gang was unyielding.

  The mountain tiger was in a dilemma. Go out, and he would definitely not be a match for the young man in front of him; don't go out, and he couldn't break his promise either. However, the mountain tiger was not an ordinary person, and he also wanted to experience Lu's kung fu. He didn't think much about it, and he couldn't care less about losing face in front of his brothers. After making a polite gesture, he walked towards the door. At this moment, he was stopped by Biao Shu. When Biao Shu arrived, it was when those people who had been defeated were entering the house. He and Cheng Sen didn't go in, but stood at the door watching for a long time. He saw that Xiao Jia's young lady was in the hall without any major issues, and he didn't go to greet her, just quietly watching everything happening in the hall. At this moment, seeing the mountain tiger coming out, he stopped him and said: "Wait."

  The mountain tiger was stunned when he saw Uncle Biao. Uncle Biao, over fifty years old, had a refined and elegant air about him, with a robust body, bright eyes, and tightly pursed lips that looked very kind.

  Xiao Ke only saw Biao Shu at this time, and there was also Cheng Sen beside him. She ran up to call out "Biao Shu" and "Cheng Sen Ge", and like a wronged person, she started acting coquettishly in front of them.

  The boss saw Biao Shu come and suddenly felt a sense of relief, the sweat on his face stopped flowing, and he walked up to say: "Biao Shu, hello, I'm sorry to trouble you, let you come in person, really sorry." He turned around and loudly said to everyone present: "Everyone listen clearly, he is Xiao Jia Da Yuan's Xiao Lao Ye's big steward Biao Shu."

  "Sorry, I'm late," said Biao Shu. "Xiao Ke, tell me who's been reckless and arrogant here." Then he turned to Shan Lao Hu and asked sternly, "Is it you?"

  Xiao Ke pointed at the thin man and said: "Biao Shu, it's him, he's the one who stole my things."

  The mountain tiger finally realized that it was the monkey who had done this good deed. He didn't think that by letting the monkey go out to find a job, he would start robbing people instead. He hated to beat up the monkey immediately, but all of this trouble was caused by this guy, making him lose face in front of these outsiders. However, he couldn't scold the monkey in front of these outsiders either, as the monkey was his good brother from the same village, and they had only just arrived a few days ago when this incident occurred.

  Just now, he saw Lu Gong's arrogant appearance coming from outside, and his heart began to feel hairy. Although Lu Gong beat his brother into a twist, he didn't have any hatred for Lu Gong in his heart, but instead had admiration for him. If it weren't for Lu Gong being unyielding and not wanting to lose face in front of his brothers, he wouldn't have reluctantly accepted Lu Gong's challenge with a stiff upper lip. Fortunately, Biao Shu blocked him.

  Xiao Ke said that they robbed her things, Biao Shu got angry and asked: "What kind of people are you? Dare to bully my family's young lady here, don't want to live?" Biao Shu didn't look good.

  Mountain Tiger hastily made a bow and said: "No, no, no, I am Mountain Tiger, Third Brother, oh, I am nothing." Mountain Tiger realized he had misspoken in his anxiety and quickly corrected himself: "It's all my brother's fault."

  Look at Cheng Sen and Lu Gong again, he said: "How dare you, how dare you. Is that right, Miss Xiao?" Xiao Ke snorted and didn't even look at him. Uncle Biao saw Xiao Ke like this and called out to Cheng Sen. Cheng Sen understood and looked at Mountain Tiger, flexing his muscles, beckoning him to come over with his finger. Mountain Tiger didn't dare to make a move, knowing that good men don't take advantage of the situation in front of them. He looked at Xiao Ke again, laughing and cupping his hands, but Xiao Ke turned her head away, ignoring him. Uncle Biao called out to Cheng Sen again, and Cheng Sen immediately took off his shirt and walked towards Mountain Tiger without saying a word. What kind of person is this? His robust muscles were far superior to his own flabby body. He retreated, casting a pleading glance at Lu Gong. Lu Gong saw the situation and thought that if he didn't intervene, Mountain Tiger would either kill or cripple him.

  "Xiao guniang, forget it." Lu Gong stepped forward, blocking the way between Cheng Sen and Shan Laohu.

  "No way, he must apologize to me, and to all of you!" The tone was firm, with a hint of indignation and arrogance at the corners of his mouth.

  Kobayashi didn't want to be entangled like this either, he pulled Xiao Ke's hand and persuaded her not to do so. But Xiao Ke was in a bad mood, no one could pull her back.

  "A real man can yield and stretch, there's no hurdle that can't be crossed, nor is there a bridge that can't be passed. Let's see how it goes, Miss Xiao got angry, you have to take back what you said." Lu Gong saw that Xiao Ke didn't comply, so he spoke to Shan Laohu again.

  The mountain tiger knew that Lu Gong was in the arena, and he followed Lu Gong's words to make a bow to Xiao Ke and said: "Sorry, the young man has eyes but no pearls, with eyes but not recognizing Miss Qianjin of the Xiao family, with eyes but not recognizing Uncle Biao, with eyes but not recognizing each of you young heroes, I apologize."

  "You young people are doing sneaky things, what kind of thing is that? If you don't behave, see how I'll deal with you." Seeing the sincerity of Mountain Tiger, Biao Shu spoke up.

  "We were wrong, we were wrong. Farewell, Biao Shu, gentlemen, until next time." Shan Lao Hu smiled and threw down a sentence before leaving with his men, who slapped the monkey's head along the way, blaming him for bringing them trouble.

  Bo Uncle saw the mountain tiger leave, and smiled as he walked forward to pull Xiao Ke out. Xiao Ke told Bo Uncle that she still had three friends here, and they couldn't just abandon them. Lu Gong smiled at Bo Uncle and said, "Thank you, thank you, Miss Xiao, we have something else to do."

  Xiao Ke pulled away from Biao Shu's hand and grabbed onto Lu Gan: "No, you can't go. You've helped me, but I haven't thanked you properly yet. You're not familiar with this place, where would you go? Let me help you find some relatives to stay with. Tonight, just stay at my house." Biao Shu listened and saw that it was already dark outside. Hearing Xiao Ke's suggestion to take them to the Xiao residence, he didn't say much and agreed, letting Cheng Sen lead the way for the three of them to follow.

  Lu Gan was still trying to decline when Jiang Niangzi suddenly burst into tears, crying out for her father and mother. It wasn't until then that Xiao Ke remembered this matter and told Biao Shu about how their boat at the dock had disappeared, along with Jiang Niangzi's parents. Biao Shu listened and asked if this was true. Lu Gan said it was.

  Biao Shu furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then turned to the boss and handed him some silver tickets: "Take these, consider them compensation for the trouble my family has caused your business." Xiao Ke was about to speak when the boss said: "No need, no need, Miss Xiao has already paid."

  Biao Shu insisted on pushing the tickets into his hand, saying: "Then wrap up a few pieces of good meat and stir-fry some dishes. My old master wants to eat. Alright?" The boss said: "Alright, alright, I'll have someone deliver it to you later." Biao Shu told Lu Gan: "Just listen to Xiao Ke for today and follow me. It's late, and sleeping at an inn isn't safe. Besides, you're outsiders here."

  "Brother Biao, what about his parents?" Lu Gong asked.

  "Cheng Sen, go to the dock and take a look around, ask about the situation, and then come back and tell Old Master Xiao. I'll take Xiao Ke and the others back first and report to Old Master," Biao Shu instructed Cheng Sen. Cheng Sen agreed and walked out of the door. Lu Gang heard Biao Shu's words and didn't know what to say. Besides, he had spent all his money and could only sleep on the streets or under a shed. Sleeping in the wind and rain was not pleasant. The previous night, sleeping in that shed was really cold. Since they met good people from the Xiao family today, they had no choice but to follow orders and stay for one night. The group followed Biao Shu and left. Before leaving, the boss specially thanked Lu Gang for his righteousness and gave him an ancestral recipe for treating injuries, saying it would be useful when practicing martial arts in the future.

  Xiao Lao Ye anxiously waited for news of his daughter, pacing back and forth restlessly. Just then, Biao Shu led a group of people in, and Xiao Lao Ye's first glance fell upon his daughter, rushing over to hug her tightly. "It's been two years, you've grown taller," he exclaimed, beaming with joy. He asked this and that, completely ignoring Lu Gang and the others.

  Xiao Su felt embarrassed and introduced Lu Gang and the others to Xiao Lao Ye. Only then did Xiao Lao Ye come back to his senses, scrutinizing the three young men from head to toe. Seeing their awkward expressions, combined with Biao Shu's whispered words in his ear, he hastily invited them to sit down in the hall.

  He asked Biao Shu if he had prepared fine wine and delicacies, wanting to share a cup with the three young men as a gesture of gratitude for helping Xiao Su. He also took a liking to Lu Gang and the others, admiring their refined features and dignified demeanor.

  Just as Biao Shu was about to speak, the servants arrived with food, and he quickly instructed them to set it out on the table. Lu Gang said they had already eaten, but Xiao Lao Ye insisted, saying that a few bites at a restaurant couldn't possibly fill them up. They reluctantly took their seats.

  As they gazed upon the sumptuous feast before them, Jiang Piao Zi and Xiao Lin couldn't help but drool.

  They couldn't hold their liquor, and each of them was a little drunk after just one cup. Old Master Xiao laughed and said, "Haha, how can you have such a small capacity for wine? It's really disappointing." After finishing speaking, he himself picked up a cup of wine and poured it into his mouth, then instructed Uncle Biao to arrange their accommodations, telling them to rest first and discuss things tomorrow. At this time, Cheng Sen returned, quietly whispering something in Uncle Biao's ear. Old Master Xiao asked what was going on, so Uncle Biao told him about Lu Zhuang's misfortune.

  "Is this really happening? Is something like this going to happen at my Xia family dock? Who is the audacious person who did this? Cheng Sen, no matter what, you must get to the bottom of this, understand?"

  Cheng Sen listened and said, "Tonight, I will turn this place upside down to find the bandits, no matter what it takes."

  The moon quietly climbed up the treetops, and the quiet night color in the soft summer wind seemed especially secluded. Lu Gong couldn't sleep, he saw Jiang Niangzi sleeping soundly, so he woke up Xiao Lin, and the two of them whispered to each other, no matter what, tomorrow they must find Jiang Niangzi's parents and leave this place by boat.

  Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside, and they quickly got up from bed to take a look. A group of people were standing in the yard. Biao Shu and Xiao Lao Ye walked out of the house, and under the torches, they saw Shan Laohu and several others, as well as someone tied up with ropes standing in the yard. What was even more surprising was that Jiang Pianzi's parents were also standing there. Xiao Lin hastily ran back into the room to wake up Jiang Pianzi, dragged him out of bed, and rushed outside.

  Xiao Ke was also awakened by the noise outside, put on his clothes and went downstairs to his father's side, asking what had happened. Biao Shu said that Jiang Pianzi's parents had been found. Xiao Ke was overjoyed and wanted to tell Lu Gong and the others, but they were already surrounding Jiang Pianzi's parents.

  Xiao Lao Ye saw a person and asked Cheng Sen what was going on. Cheng Sen told him.

  It turned out that Cheng Sen followed Xiao Lao Ye's instructions and went to find a boat and people overnight.

  Cheng Sen had some people go back to the dock to keep watch. He had gone before and didn't want to go again, so he sent others in different directions and took one person with him towards the south of the town. As they walked, looking around and asking questions yielded no results. When they arrived at the southernmost point, they saw a bright firelight ahead, and hurried forward. It turned out to be an abandoned temple, where people from the city would normally burn incense and worship Buddha.

  Everyone inside stood up when Cheng Sen came in. Cheng Sen took a look and saw that it was Shan Laohu and his gang. Shan Laohu thought Cheng Sen had come to cause trouble for him, so he felt a bit tense. Cheng Sen asked them what they were doing there. Shan Laohu said this was their home. Cheng Sen responded with an "oh" and then called out to him, asking: "Have you seen a medium-sized boat docked at the pier?" Shan Laohu shook his head, saying he didn't know. Cheng Sen told him to ask the people inside. He went in for a moment and brought back the monkey.

  The monkey came out, a little scared. Cheng Sen said he didn't come to beat him up. He asked: "When you snatched Xiao's stuff on the dock today, did you see a boat parked next to Old Man Xiao's boat?" The monkey said: "I saw it, I saw it last night." Cheng Sen was overjoyed and asked: "What happened later? Where did they go?" The monkey rubbed his head thoughtfully and said: "At that time, I was on the dock, keeping watch. I saw three young men come down from the boat, and at that moment, I was in the shed watching the outside situation. Just then, someone got on that boat."

  Cheng Sen hastily asked, "What does that person look like? Did you see clearly?" The monkey said, "He's about five feet three inches tall, he..." Cheng Sen listened and cursed a sentence: "Doesn't he have a tuft of white hair on the back of his head?" The monkey said it was indeed, very obvious white hair. "Damn it, it's him." Cheng Sen cursed a sentence and wanted to leave without saying another word. Shan Lao Hu held him back and asked what was going on, Cheng Sen told him everything from start to finish. Shan Lao Hu said, why didn't you say so earlier, this is unbearable. He shouted at the brothers in the temple: "Brothers, follow me!" Cheng Sen did not stop them and followed along with them.

  The monkey said that this rough and unrefined person, Cheng Sen, was his junior fellow apprentice. He used to work as a bodyguard with him at Old Man Xiao's place, but he was not promising, didn't learn well, and often caused trouble. He had a strong physique, but was simple-minded and only knew how to eat. If it weren't for the fact that one day, after drinking some wine at a tavern, he followed Old Man Xiao out onto the street to flirt with a woman, Old Man Xiao wouldn't have driven him away. Cheng Sen thought that he probably had too much to drink again and his old habit of bullying outsiders and women had resurfaced.

  He opened the door and saw it was Cheng Sen, he wanted to close the door but it was too late, Cheng Sen had already rushed in.

  Without saying another word, Cheng Sen pinned him to the wall. "What do you have to say?" Cheng Sen asked sternly. His mouth still had a chicken leg in it, and Cheng Sen pressed his mouth, causing the chicken leg to fly out. He was nervous, knowing that Cheng Sen's arrival wouldn't be for nothing, especially not with this kind of attitude. He stuttered: "Brother, easy does it, you're here for the boat, right? I didn't touch Old Man Xiao's boat, did I? That boat isn't Old Man Xiao's, is it?" Cheng Sen heard him out but was too lazy to ask more questions, already understanding the situation. He called Mountain Tiger to find some rope and tie him up, without saying a word, and walked out the door. His brother called out from behind: "Wait, there are two people in my house! Brother, do you want them?" Cheng Sen turned his head back and saw that indeed, a man and woman were tied up in the corner of the wall. Mountain Tiger helped untie them.

  A man and a woman came out of the door, saw the tied-up man, and got angry. The woman kicked him with one foot, and the man let out a loud cry. The man saw a wooden stick beside him, picked it up and was about to hit him, but was stopped by Cheng Sen.

  It turned out to be the case. Xiao Lao Ye walked up to the tied-up man and knocked on his head: "Is it true? Their boat was robbed by you?"

  "Mr. Xiao, I was wrong."

  "Where's the boat?"

  "It's parked by the river behind my house, I haven't touched anything."

  "Cheng Sen, take Jiang Lao Da and dock the boat at Xiao Jia Wharf. Wait a moment." Old Master Xiao continued: "Also, get some people to unload the cargo from the boat and send it here, it's safer that way. And if any of the goods are missing, your younger martial brother will be dealt with by you."

  Cheng Sen called Jiang Lao Da and some others to go with him. Shan Lao Hu and his men also followed them.

  Then Old Master Xiao instructed Uncle Biao to take good care of Jiang's mother, and then told Xiao Ke to go back to bed quickly. Xiao Ke was no longer sleepy and wanted to chat with Lu Gang and the others, but didn't dare disobey his father, so he had to return to his bedroom.

  Lu Gang walked into the house without noticing Xiao Ke's admiring gaze as she turned around on the stairs. He didn't pay attention and entered the room with Xiaolin. Jiang Ya Zi and his mother went into another room to wait for Old Man Jiang to return, and when they met, there was no extra joy between the mother and son.

  In the Jiangnan region, summer sunshine comes out very early. Birds chirp and jump on trees as the sun rises. The town gradually becomes lively, everything happens naturally, people do what they should do, some walk around buying needles and threads, some carry vegetables and fruits to sell, there are also fortune tellers carrying flags that read "free divination, pay for bad luck", bustling with a busy atmosphere.

  When Xiao Ke met Lu Gong, she liked him from the bottom of her heart. For a sentimental girl like her, the first sight was always beautiful, no matter how tortuous and unpredictable the future would be. She wasn't sure if this was what people called love at first sight.

  As she thought, her face turned red. At this time, Xiaolin carried a pole with water and happened to meet Xiaoke sitting beside the stone, silently meditating, and greeted her. Xiaoke, who was thinking of Lugang, was startled by Xiaolin's greeting and her face became even redder, like peach blossoms in March, her heart beating rapidly, but she quickly regained her composure and said: "Why are you carrying water? Someone else will carry it... uh, where is Lugang? Is he still sleeping?" Xiaolin told her that Lugang had gotten up a long time ago and was practicing boxing in the backyard, so she carried water for no reason. Xiaoke responded with an "oh" and headed towards the backyard to watch Lugang practice. At this moment, Lugang walked out of the backyard and said: "Miss Xiao, we don't want to trouble you anymore, Jiang's parents have been found, we need to leave." Xiaoke became anxious and said: "No way, can't leave! If we must go, it has to be together!" She shouted while running towards the main hall: "Father, father, come quickly! They're leaving!"

  "Everyone has their own ambitions, let them do what they want to do, why block their aspirations?" Old Master Xiao said casually.

  "No, Dad, let them stay for a while. Their hometown was burned and slaughtered by the little devils, they have no home to return to, and it's far from here anyway. Dad, I'm telling you, they came here to find relatives. If not, we can wait until they find their relatives and then ask them to leave, okay?"

  "We appreciate your kindness. Mr. Xiao, you have not forgotten our hospitality and we hope you will take care of Jiang Lao Da's family well. Thank you." At this time, Lu Gong and Xiao Lin walked to the front of Mr. Xiao from outside the door. After Lu Gong finished speaking and bowed to Mr. Xiao with Xiao Lin, they were about to leave when Xiao Cao rushed forward and grabbed Lu Gong, asking for meal money, accommodation fees, water fees, kerosene lamp fees, land occupation fees, and so on. They calculated a lot of money. Their serious attitude made Lu Gong and Xiao Lin stare at each other with their mouths open, not knowing what to say. Mr. Xiao heard this and said that Xiao Cao was being presumptuous. Only then did Xiao Cao stop talking, secretly rejoicing in his heart that his father would speak up for him. Indeed, Mr. Xiao told Biao Shu: "For the next few days, you go help them find their relatives and ask around..."

  When Lu Gang was about to speak, Old Man Xiao said to Biao Shu: "Oh, right, by the way, collect some debts, some money can't be collected, it's all business people, they won't owe us. After a while, I'll go to the provincial city to discuss a deal, you prepare for it. Lu Gang, it's not that I don't want to keep you here, but this place can't hold young people like you, it's chaotic and the devils are rampant. Xiao Er, I also don't want her to stay here, but there's nowhere to go, Beiping is also in chaos. If not, these few days, you all accompany her, don't go out, stay at home, wait for me to come back from the provincial city and then make arrangements."

  Lu Gong wanted to speak again, but was pulled out of the house by Xiao Ke.

  Kobayashi said with a hint of disdain to Xiao Ke: "I really didn't think you were still a miser."

  "What's wrong with me?" Xiao Ke asked Xiao Lin.

  "You're really good at calculating, what's with the food and lodging fees, foreign oil fees, and even land occupation fees? I'm impressed you could think of it and say it out loud." Little Lin said unhappily.

  Xiao Ke was delighted and said recklessly: "If you want it, then just take it."

  "You're too overbearing."

  Xiao Ke looked up at him with a smile and said: "I'm just overbearing. You're a big fool."

  Lu Gong said, no matter what, we have to go. Xiao Ke got angry and said, you can't leave until her father comes back. Lu Gong said that he actually didn't have any relatives here, it was a lie.

  Xiao Ke said, "I don't care if you have relatives here or not. Biao Shu will help you find them anyway. You want to leave? Wait until my dad comes back and we'll talk about it then. It's settled like this. Let's go, I'll take you to the back to see the fish."

  Lu Gong and Xiao Lin reluctantly stayed behind. In the Xiao family's large courtyard, they spent their days idly doing nothing, either chatting with Old Master Xiao, reading books in the study, or playing together as a trio, sometimes watching Cheng Sen practice his skills. Lu Gong felt that Cheng Sen's abilities were not quite sufficient, somewhat empty and insincere. When he was idle, Lu Gong would think of his parents, sister, and Teacher Yang, thinking about Geng Ying and the others. At this time, Xiao Cao would find excuses to bother him, but he didn't have the mood to pay attention to her, yet Xiao Cao remained cheerful and innocent.

  Mr. Xiao is going to the provincial city. Jiang's parents heard from Uncle Biao and found Mr. Xiao to travel with their boat, taking advantage of the opportunity to take care of things and then return together. Mr. Xiao nodded in agreement, thinking that it was not just a delivery but a business trip, and with Cheng Sen and another bodyguard by his side, there shouldn't be too much trouble. Mr. Xiao said to Uncle Biao: "Arrange for two boat workers to help them, we'll pay their wages."

  Lu Gang, who was standing aside, said he also wanted to follow Jiang Lao Da's boat. Xiao Ke was unhappy and said that if they wanted to leave, they had to calculate the expenses, and also for helping Jiang Piao Zi find his parents, they had to be compensated. Old Master Xiao laughed loudly: "Look at you, you're like this again, you really know how to calculate, a little girl can't be underestimated, one day I'll give all my property here to you, if you still calculate like this, it's strange that the partners won't run away." Everyone burst out laughing. Xiao Ke ignored them, pouting and saying: "I don't care, I just want to be with them." She pulled Lu Gang out, making his face turn red with embarrassment, while Xiao Lin and Jiang Piao Zi followed them out, laughing.

  Xiao Lao Ye pretended not to see. He couldn't interfere with the young people's affairs, his daughter was already so big and had her own thoughts, her pursuits, let alone someone who had studied in Beijing.

  The night before departure, Jiang Ya Zi came to his parents' room and said he didn't want to follow the boat, wanting to stay here and play with Lu Gang and others. At first, they disagreed, worried about leaving their only son behind, but couldn't withstand Jiang Ya Zi's persistence. Thinking it over, they agreed, feeling it was okay for their son to stay with these young people. They came to Lu Gang's room, where Xiao Cao was also present. Jiang Lao Da's wife took out money and divided it among the three of them, saying not to trouble the Shuos too much, keeping some cash on hand to buy snacks. Xiao Cao saw this, snatched the money from their hands, and returned it to Jiang Lao Da's wife, saying: "Can't give it to them, if you do, they'll run away." This made Jiang Lao Da and his wife burst out laughing, while Lu Gang, Xiao Lin, and Jiang Ya Zi also started laughing.

  The next morning, Jiang Lao Da and Xiao Lao Ye set off with their group early in the morning.