The Red Mansion

Chapter 135 Strange
After Wang Long and Lai Shangrong carefully discussed their plan to seize three thousand taels of gold from the Xue family, they left Deyuanlou.

Wang Long didn't drink much today, and given his high alcohol tolerance, he was only slightly tipsy.

He boarded a carriage, its hooves clattering, and headed straight for the outer city of Jiangning.

Arriving at a secluded alley in the outer city, one sees a small martial arts school, its entrance deserted, with the four characters "Tan Family Martial Arts School" on the plaque, the paint peeling and faded, clearly indicating years of disrepair. Ordinary people would only think it's a place where a poor instructor makes a living, unaware of the secrets within.

The owner of this martial arts school is surnamed Tan, named Fengchi, a local from Jiangning, and is nearly sixty years old.

Tan Fengchi came from humble beginnings and made a living by boxing in his early years. Later, he became a martial arts master who was also knowledgeable in medicine, especially skilled in bone setting and injury treatment. On the surface, he ran a martial arts school, but in reality, he was the leader of a secret gang with hundreds of men under his command.

If Tan Fengchi relied solely on the meager income from his martial arts school, he wouldn't be able to support so many people, let alone make ends meet for his own family. Therefore, he also engaged in some underworld activities…

Wang Long alighted from the carriage, straightened his clothes, and went straight into the Tan Family Martial Arts School.

Upon receiving the letter, Tan Fengchi personally greeted Wang Long. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two were led to the study for a private conversation.

The study was simply furnished with an elmwood square table, a few armchairs, and a bamboo bookshelf piled with martial arts and medical books.

Wang Long picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, but didn't drink it. He just glanced at Tan Fengchi and said slowly, "Hero Tan, I've come to bother you today with a generous offer—after it's done, you'll receive seven hundred taels of gold!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Fengchi's heart skipped a beat. Seven hundred taels of gold was equivalent to seven thousand taels of silver, a huge sum for him. If he obtained this gold, his financial situation would immediately improve.

Having spent decades in the underworld, he knew the principle that "the greater the profit, the greater the danger." Yet, he showed no sign of it on his face, only slowly sipping his tea before saying, "I wonder what kind of business it is that can earn seven hundred taels of gold?"

Seeing his composure, Wang Long secretly admired him. He then leaned forward, lowered his voice, and recounted in detail the matter of the Xue family's three thousand taels of gold.

After listening, Tan Fengchi closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. He tapped his knuckles on the table three times, then suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Alright! I'll take this deal!"

……

……

This day is June 21st.

It is the Great Heat solar term.

On this day, the sun blazed fiercely, melting stones and shimmering gold, under a vast blue sky.

Jiangning Wharf.

A thousand sails raced forth, their masts densely packed, like ten thousand tablets pointing to the sky. The white sails pressed against the river's surface, reflecting the sun so brightly that one could hardly open their eyes.

The bluestone steps gleamed from the river water, and the mottled moss reflected people's images. The pier resembled a dragon lying on the water, and the boats tied with hemp ropes rose and fell with the waves, like mandarin ducks with intertwined necks, whispering to each other.

The riverside warehouses and shops stood side by side, with burlap sacks and bamboo baskets piled up under tung oilcloth awnings, resembling small hills from a distance. The air was filled with the stale aroma of rice and grain, the fresh scent of tea, and the salty smell of pickled goods, all mixed together with the sweat of the porters, creating a truly complex and pungent atmosphere.

But listen to the shouts of "Goods are coming in!" and "Make way!" mixed with the boatmen's chants and the merchants' haggling, a noisy and bustling scene, a lively place in the world of fame and fortune.

Suddenly, two boats, one large and one small, were seen about to untie their mooring lines.

The large ship was decorated with carved railings and painted beams, its vermilion lacquer gleaming, and its windows were inlaid with mother-of-pearl; it was Lai Shangrong's ship.

The small boat beside them belonged to the Xue family and was carrying Xie Jixing and four Xue family servants. These four servants were all carefully selected by Aunt Xue as reliable.

At that moment, four servants of the Xue family were huffing and puffing as they carried two boxes onto the ship. The two boxes looked ordinary, with red labels on the outside saying "Jiangning Local Products," but inside they contained three thousand taels of gold.

Lai Shangrong stood on the shore with his hands behind his back, watching the Xue family servants carrying the box, their veins bulging and sweat pouring down their faces. He thought to himself, "If it weren't for three thousand taels of gold, why would it be so heavy? Wang Long's words must be true!" Thinking of this, a cold smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

Lai Shangrong then boarded the Lai family's large ship.

In order to seize the Xue family's gold, he deliberately brought only a few attendants with him, but he also brought along two women—one was Cailan, who was beautiful and good at playing musical instruments and singing; the other was Cailan's maid, Hui'er.

Cai Lan was originally a courtesan in a brothel in Jiangning. Lai Shangrong recently spent a thousand taels of silver to win her over, and she is now completely infatuated with her.

Lai Shangrong knew that he shouldn't have taken Cailan on this trip in order to seize the Xue family's three thousand taels of gold. However, he wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't bring Cailan with him to the capital. Besides, having Cailan along would help him alleviate the loneliness of the long journey.

At this moment, Lai Shangrong saw Cailan sitting by the cabin window, leaning against the windowsill, her lips half-covered by a handkerchief, her eyes sparkling with a natural charm, having long since cast aside any notion of "caution." He thought to himself, "Since this matter is foolproof anyway, what harm is there in bringing a beauty along?"

……

……

Lai Shangrong and Xie Jixing set off from Jiangning in two separate boats, one large and one small. They passed through several water stations, including Dasheng Station, Longjiang Station, Jiangdong Station, and Longtan Station. Along the way, they saw white sails dotting the water and heard the sound of oars, making for a safe journey.

Upon reaching Jingkou Post Station in Zhenjiang Prefecture, they turned onto the Grand Canal and headed north.

On this day, the two boats were passing through the waterways within the territory of Yangzhou Prefecture.

A light drizzle was falling, the raindrops as fine as cow's hair and as dense as a spider web, casting shadows on the distant mountains and nearby waters. White egrets were startled and flew away from the reeds, the river narrowed, and there were no boats passing by.

This scene perfectly captures the sentiment of "fine rain wets clothes unseen, idle flowers fall to the ground unheard."

As they were traveling, a whistle suddenly rang out from the depths of the reeds, like the sound of tearing silk. Two fast boats sprang out abruptly, each carrying seven or eight masked men, all with blue turbans and black veils covering their faces. These men held gleaming weapons, which flashed coldly in the drizzle, and intercepted the Lai family's large boat and the Xue family's small boat.

One of them, with a booming voice, shouted: "Listen up, everyone on the boat! We're smugglers of salt. Today we only want money, not lives. If you dare resist, we'll make sure you all lose your lives!"

Xie Jixing heard everything clearly from the bow of the boat. His heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "I encountered river bandits on my way to the capital last year. How come I'm running into them again this year? Is this just bad luck?"

Lai Shangrong stood on the Lai family's large boat and shouted loudly to Xie Jixing, "Steward Xie, the river bandits are numerous and powerful. Let's not use our weapons and let them take our valuables, so as not to lose our lives!"

Xie Jixing had initially intended to order his four Xue family servants to resist with weapons, but upon seeing this, a chill ran down his spine, and a suspicion arose in his heart: "Why is Lai Shangrong behaving this way? Faced with such vicious river bandits, how could he so easily believe their words and not resist?" Xie Jixing hesitated for a moment, then ultimately gave up resisting. With the Lai family not resisting, he and his four Xue family servants would surely die if they did. Moreover, he already suspected that something was amiss…

A pirate ship approached the Xue family's small boat, and eight masked men jumped aboard. The leader was none other than Tan Fengchi. Although his face was covered, his eagle eyes shone brightly, like two cold stars.

Tan Fengchi ordered his men to unseal the two boxes. They discovered that the boxes were covered with dirt as a disguise, but when they parted the dirt, they found neatly stacked, golden ingots underneath! The golden light seemed to illuminate the cabin. Although Tan Fengchi already knew about this, seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart flutter. He quickly ordered his men to move the two boxes of gold onto the pirate ship.

Xie Jixing had initially thought these river bandits would harm or kill people, but when the two chests of gold were taken away, the bandits followed suit, which only made Xie Jixing more suspicious. Why would these river bandits do this?

Meanwhile, another group of "water bandits" boarded the Lai family's large ship, but only took away a box of a thousand taels of silver.

When Cai Lan first heard that there were river bandits robbing her, she was so shocked that her face turned pale, and even the rouge on her lips seemed to dim. She hid in the cabin, trembling, and twisted the handkerchief in her hand until it almost broke.

She had thought that with her looks, she would surely be kidnapped by the river bandits. But to her surprise, the bandits acted as if they didn't see her at all, and only took a box of silver from the Lai family's large ship.

Cai Lan was surprised and thought to herself, "Strange! These river bandits didn't rob me? They didn't even lay a hand on me?"

Lai Shangrong stood at the bow of the ship, watching the pirate ship sail away into the distance, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.

The two pirate ships quickly disappeared into the vast reed marshes, leaving only ripples on the river, reflecting the sky and clouds, as if nothing had happened.

……

……

Xie Jixing stood at the bow of the boat, gazing absently at the murky river. Although the rain had stopped, the sky remained overcast, much like his current state of mind.

He pondered, "This matter is strange! Lai Shangrong actually acted as if he was about to be captured, so easily believing the bandits' shouts and ordering his men not to resist. And these bandits really didn't kill or hurt anyone, not even touching the beauty that Lai Shangrong was with. They robbed my Xue family of three thousand taels of gold, but only took a box of silver from Lai's boat... Could it be that Lai Shangrong is colluding with these bandits? Could it be that they are after my Xue family's three thousand taels of gold?"

Xie Jixing found it increasingly strange.

After pondering, Xie Jixing decided to send two Xue family servants back to Jiangning immediately to inform Aunt Xue and Xue Pan of the matter, while he himself would lead two other Xue family servants to the capital to inform Jiang Nian and Xue Baochai.

Xie Jixing sighed inwardly, "Grandma and Pan-ge'er at home can't handle this matter. The only way is to hurry to the capital and tell Master Jiang and my daughter about it; perhaps then we can salvage the situation..."

So he led two Xue family servants and continued northward along the Grand Canal, still following the Lai family's large ship.

……

……

Inside the cabin of the Lai family's large ship.

Cai Lan sat by the window, stealing glances at Lai Shangrong sitting opposite her. Seeing that Lai Shangrong's expression was uncertain, she tentatively said, "Sir, those river bandits were quite strange just now. They boarded our boat, but they didn't rob me or hurt anyone. They only took a chest of silver from you..."

Lai Shangrong frowned, put down his teacup, and said coldly, "Do you want to be kidnapped by those river bandits? It's a good thing we didn't resist, otherwise not only would you be kidnapped, but all of us men would die a miserable death. I'm in a bad mood right now, so don't talk to me."

This was the first time Cai Lan had seen Lai Shangrong act this way. She looked aggrieved and deliberately said, "I... I'm just feeling sorry for the chest of silver on behalf of the master."

Seeing her like this, Lai Shangrong softened his tone and said, "You don't understand the ways of the martial world. It's better to avoid trouble than to cause more. Just pay up to avoid further trouble."

Cai Lan gave a soft "hmm" and said nothing more.

Seeing that she wasn't pressing the matter further, Lai Shangrong picked up his teacup again, took a slow sip, and gazed through the window at the surface of the Grand Canal, pondering to himself:

"The Xue family encountered river bandits on the Grand Canal when they went to Beijing last year, and they have encountered river bandits again this time. This is reasonable."

“This time, that old bastard Tan Fengchi brought more than a dozen ‘water bandits.’ He was numerous and powerful. I was concerned about the safety of the people on both boats. In addition, I didn’t know that the two chests of gold from the Xue family were gold. I thought they were just local products, so I ordered my men not to resist. This is reasonable.”

"The pirates could barely manage to steal two chests of gold ingots because their ship was too small. My ship only had one chest of silver, and the rest was cargo, so they only took one chest of silver from my ship. That's reasonable."

"The Xue family has declined now. Xue Pan, that tyrant, is an incompetent fool, and Aunt Xue is nothing but a woman."

“From my grandmother to my parents, two generations of my family have embezzled a lot of money in the Rongguo Mansion, and nothing has happened to us. Now, my grandmother and my parents are quite respectable in the Rongguo Mansion. The old lady of the Rongguo Mansion is easy to fool, and the second master of the house is incompetent. Besides, I am not a servant of the Rongguo Mansion, but a gentry who has donated money to obtain an official position. The Rongguo Mansion should not make things difficult for me.”

"Xue Baochai is merely Jiang Nian's concubine; Jiang Nian's legal wife is Jia Yuanchun. Although Jiang Nian is a formidable figure, he would still consider the dignity of his legal wife, Jia Yuanchun. Would he really risk offending Jia Yuanchun's reputation for the sake of a concubine?"

"In conclusion, I should be fine in this attempt to seize the three thousand taels of gold from the Xue family!"

Suddenly, I heard the sound of water flowing outside the window, like the clinking of gold and silver.

Lai Shangrong tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, continuing to calculate in his mind:
“Three thousand taels of gold is far too tempting. Twenty taels of silver is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year, but three thousand taels of gold is thirty thousand taels of silver, enough for an ordinary family to live on for fifteen hundred years. My grandmother and my parents were so greedy in the Rongguo Mansion, they probably only embezzled thirty thousand taels of silver in total. Even if I only get twelve hundred taels of gold this time, it is still a huge amount. Moreover, if I don’t take this gold, Jingqing from Qimeng Courtyard will be bought by someone else.”

"Therefore, it was worthwhile for me to participate in this plot, despite the relatively small risks!"

Thinking of this, Lai Shangrong calmed down a lot. He took a big gulp of the remaining tea, but then he saw Cailan stealing glances at him. He couldn't help but feel a little tempted and said to the maid Hui'er, "Hui'er, you go out and stand guard at the door."

Hui'er hurried out of the cabin and closed the door behind her.

Cai Lan understood and moved closer to Lai Shangrong. Her slender fingernails traced across the back of Lai Shangrong's hand as she covered her mouth and chuckled, "Your appearance just now scared my heart so much." As she spoke, she took the initiative to sit in his lap, revealing half of her scarlet floral trouser leg under her skirt.

Lai Shangrong grabbed her wrist: "You're quite good at reading people."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed Cailan down.

The sound of the canal water outside the window grew more urgent, mixed with the clanging of the golden hooks swinging inside the cabin.

Cai Lan was well-versed in the arts of romance and charm. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, she had already made Lai Shangrong forget all his worries about the three thousand taels of gold.

(End of this chapter)