PDLP Chapter 18 Night Walk
Chapter 18 Night Walk
The dock was bustling with activity.
The porters of Sanshui were all beaming with pride, chests puffed out and bellies protruding, shouting with all their might as they raised their carrying poles. Winning this round meant big money!
One month's salary for participating in the war, one month's salary for reclaiming the dock, plus another month's salary for defeating the enemy and forcing them to retreat to their ships.
Swinging a carrying pole dozens of times, and receiving three months' wages—who wouldn't be happy?
As for the dozen or so defeated porters from the Iron Lever Society, they were injured and hadn't had time to leave. They all curled up on the ground, gritting their teeth and groaning softly, not daring to make a sound.
The two groups of porters fought over territory, and the situation reversed in no time. Many people on the dock kept their distance to watch the spectacle, but some busybodies were clapping and cheering.
"Hahaha..." Despite his disheveled hair, tattered robe, and missing a shoe, Song, with a slanted eye, strode back with a loud laugh.
He went straight to Master Zhu and the four of them, Wang, Li, Xiong, and Yang.
"Uncle Zhu..." He changed his usual demeanor, reaching out to firmly grasp the other's rough, large hands, no longer calling him Old Zhu, "Truly, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure!"
"You are the pillar of our society!"
Master Zhu was laughing so hard his eyebrows almost flew off.
"Manager... I... haha... hehe..."
He still feels like he's dreaming. The victory was somewhat inexplicable. After the initial excitement wore off, he felt cold all over, and his hands and legs were weak.
"You are all young heroes..." Song, with a sidelong glance, patted Wang Daniu's red forehead, Li Erhu's big head, and Xiong Shan's shoulders affectionately. When it came to Yang Silang, there was a difference in height, so he patted his bulging chest to make up the difference.
With a sidelong glance, Song turned around and waved to the porters.
"No work today, let's tidy up!"
"We'll check the names first, then prepare to collect the money!"
"We'll have the feast right here tonight! Don't worry, there'll be wine and meat!"
The porters were overjoyed, and someone started shouting, "Master Zhu is mighty!" which quickly turned into "Manager Song is mighty!"
Night falls.
Tables were set up in front of the row houses, and a feast was laid out. All the porters who usually worked hard were seated at the tables.
The feast wasn't fancy, but the portions were generous, with plenty of meat and drinks. The porters ate with rosy cheeks and great excitement.
Because in addition to having full stomachs, they were all also full in their pockets!
This time, Song the Slant-Eyed kept his word. After consulting with the General Association, he immediately transferred silver from the bank and distributed the reward money in full view of everyone.
The more than forty porters who participated in the battle were all paid three months' wages according to their rank; among them, Master Zhu was the highest, receiving five taels more than others, while the four men who protected him and carried the flag, Wang, Li, Xiong, and Yang, each received one tael.
Even those porters who were beaten and fell on the road and did not participate in the subsequent counterattack were given half a tael of silver, and the guild decided to provide them with additional subsidies for recuperation.
Therefore, the atmosphere at the banquet was lively and extraordinary. However, there was a group of people who felt sour inside: the porters who were away and missed the chaos of the battle.
Yang Silang and several fellow villagers, along with other young men practicing stance training, made up a dozen or so people who sat at one table.
Wang Daniu was clearly drunk and was behaving inappropriately.
He was so drunk that his forehead was red and shiny and a little swollen, and he was spitting as he spoke.
"You have no idea how tense the situation was back then. That bastard on the other side took advantage of Master Song catching his breath and resting, unleashing a series of eighteen blows. He also brought reinforcements to fight back fiercely. We were beaten back step by step..."
"There was even a blow aimed straight at Master Zhu's head, delivered with full force—it was a deadly strike! But Master Zhu tripped and couldn't dodge it..."
There were a few workers who had returned late and were out working, and had missed the exhibition altogether. One of them, a good straight man, asked in a worried voice, "What should we do?"
Wang Daniu slapped his red forehead.
"hiss……"
"See that? It was me, Uncle Niu, who bravely rushed forward, trading blows with him. My forehead smashed that thug's nose, ensuring Master Zhu's safety. Only then could Master Zhu display his might and seize the flag again!"
"Just think about how much credit Old Master Niu's forehead has given!"
"Do you think I deserve this one or two taels of silver for capturing the flag?"
Several of the sergeants' faces contorted in disgust, their legs practically slapping themselves raw... Serves you right! You deserve to take that big jerk's head!
Unfortunately, I came back too late, and that silly boy got to keep the money I found for free.
Li Erhu, Xiong Shan, and Yang Silang exchanged glances and decided to lower their heads and pretend they didn't know Wang Daniu. This guy was as honest as he was when he was sober, but as mischievous as he was when he was drunk.
No one expected that he had such a low alcohol tolerance; he got drunk after just one cup, and when he was drunk, he was like a completely different person!
Fortunately, Master Zhu wasn't around. Master Zhu had done a great service and was invited to sit at the main table with Slant-Eyed Song and several high-ranking members of the association.
Fortunately, quite a few people had drunk too much today, so Wang Daniu's behavior wasn't too outrageous.
Xiao Jiling, standing next to him, had a wound on his head and his arm was also bandaged. He was holding a wine glass and speaking incoherently, already somewhat dazed.
"Gentlemen..."
He was lucky; the sight of him lying on the ground with a bloody head looked dangerous, but it turned out to be a minor injury, and his arm was also fine.
Some porters were unlucky; some lost arms, some coughed up blood, but fortunately no one died.
At this moment, Xiao Jiling was drinking and telling everyone about the information he had obtained from who-knows-where, spitting as he spoke.
The Iron Gang's takeover of territory this time was actually caused by a conflict between their backer, the Flying Snake Gang, and our gang's backer, the Black Tiger Gang, who deliberately stirred up trouble.
Just you wait, this isn't over. Our porters' fight is just the beginning. Who knows when the two gangs might start fighting each other?
If the competition gets fierce and there's a shortage of manpower, they might even recruit people from our association. As long as we master our stance training, we might just get chosen...
My information is guaranteed to be accurate.
Someone nearby immediately spat and cursed Xiao Jiling, saying, "You're just bragging! Last time you said someone was cheating on you, that was fake news."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Yang Silang listened to everyone's nonsense with a smile on his face.
He touched his inner pocket, where the three-month reward silver plus the flag-protecting silver lay quietly, totaling five taels and five mace, an unprecedented sum of money.
Yang Silang was already planning how to spend the money.
Pay back the eldest sister's secret stash of money, and give her some extra money to ease her financial burden; buy some meat and grain so that the fifth sister can have a proper meal and get enough nutrition...
And on the screen in my mind.
The progress bar in the equipment slot is more than halfway full. Including today's income, the total amount of money is seven taels and eight mace of silver. I wonder what it will be like after this thing is activated.
The banquet was lively and bustling, and the drinking lasted for an hour before finally ending.
The crowd dispersed.
Zhu Ye was carried back by Wang Daniu, Li Erhu and Xiong Shan.
Yang Silang returned home, gave some money to his fifth sister and told her to hide it well, and briefly explained what had happened that day.
The little girl hurriedly circled around him a few times. Seeing that her brother was unharmed, she felt relieved. Then, she took the silver and became anxious. In no time, she hid it in three or four places in the house, but still felt unsafe.
Yang Silang hurriedly pushed the water cart out the door. There wasn't enough time today, so he could only make one trip and fill the cart with water. After these days of training, his strength had increased, and he could now handle most of the water cart going up and down the slope.
When I arrived at my older sister's door, I brought her water and returned the money.
The eldest sister was surprised, delighted, and angry all at the same time. She told him never to get involved in such messy things again, and happily accepted the money, saying that she would save it for him to get married in the future.
Go home.
Yang Silang could still hear the sounds of commotion in the inner room, and his younger sister was still searching for where the money was hidden. He closed his eyes and began to stand in a static posture.
until late at night.
His younger sister was fast asleep. Yang Silang, who was practicing standing meditation, opened his eyes, finished his exercise, changed his clothes, and went out.
A curfew has been imposed on the streets, and night watchmen are patrolling the streets and alleys.
Yang Silang skillfully avoided being seen and made several turns before turning into another neighborhood. There, he saw rows of houses with blue-tiled roofs, and the beams, pillars, and walls were mostly made of wood. The doors were not large, and it was clear that most of them belonged to wealthy families.
It can't compare to a brick house, but it's much better than the bamboo and mud house where Yang Silang lived.
He walked toward a house in the alley, and before he got close, he could faintly hear several men making noise and playing drinking games inside.
Yang Silang took a detour, ran up and gained momentum, stepped on the neighboring courtyard wall and rose several feet into the air, then gripped the wall bricks, flipped over, and with a long stride, landed lightly and silently.
The commotion from the neighboring group, number 6665, was even more pronounced.
He pressed his ear against the wall and listened carefully, hearing the voices of Gao Laodao and his leg-haired henchman.
Ever since I met with Gao Laodao that day.
Yang Silang kept a close eye on things and patiently followed them under the cover of night for several days. He figured out their pattern: every five days they would gather one or two of their underlings at home to drink until midnight.
Because he was a scoundrel, the neighbors didn't dare to mess with him. But coincidentally, his neighbor's yard was vacant, which Yang Silang took advantage of to eavesdrop.
After standing there for half an hour, listening to nothing but boring chatter, Yang Silang was about to leave.
Suddenly, a remark from his hairy-legged follower made him realize something.
"Brother Dao, the fake insignia is ready. Tomorrow we'll go to that stinking laborer's house, demand payment, break his legs, and just snatch his sister!"