Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

The next day, near noon.

Wuzhi is a small hill east of the city, with a forest at its foot.

"Go ahead and find yourself a good family."

Zhu Wu removed the harness from the old donkey, stuffed a handful of roasted beans into its mouth, and patted its rump.

"Ugh, ugh~"

The old donkey was intelligent; it brayed at him with teary eyes and even nodded before staggering into the mountains.

"Hey~"

Zhu Wu was about to stop him, but Zhu Biao grabbed him.

"You idiot, what are you yelling about? It's been forced into labor for over twenty years, and now that it's finally free, how could it possibly want to suffer again?"

"oh oh."

Zhu Wu seemed to understand but not quite, and Zhu Biao was too lazy to pay attention to him anymore, turning his head to look at the city standing not far away.

Thanks to Ruyi, their living map, they passed through Huojia and Ningguo cities overnight, traveling more than seventy li and arriving at Wuzhi.

This place is not far from Bianliang, only about two hundred li away, but it is separated by the Yellow River, a natural barrier.

Upon arriving here, Zhu Biao finally relaxed a little, the tension that had been constantly taut in his heart.

Although Liang Siqi, that crazy little brat, was relentlessly chasing after him, he didn't care much.

The twenty-odd cavalrymen, without any outside support, were merely a lone force.

As long as her cavalry doesn't have a top-tier expert like Lu Junyi, he's confident he can turn the tables and kill them if he finds suitable terrain.

It could even wipe them out in one fell swoop.

"Yes, that's right. Liang Shicheng wouldn't send such an expert to play house with her. There wasn't anyone in that cavalry yesterday who gave me goosebumps."

Zhu Biao shook his head, suppressing his chaotic thoughts, and waved his hand.

"Let's head into town! Have a good meal and drinks, then get a nicer car. Tonight we'll head to Qinyang, take a shower, and go to sleep."

"Very good!"

Zhu Wu immediately cheered, and the two young women also smiled. Even Tan Tou snorted happily.

I'm so tired!

Since their last night in Bianliang, they have been on the run, and haven't had a chance to sleep for three days and three nights.

Fish and Lamb Restaurant wasn't the biggest or best restaurant in Wuzhi City, but Zhu Biao and his group asked several locals, and they all said that the food and drinks there were the best.

There are four signs in the shop:

Freshly sliced ​​Yellow River carp, roasted riverside lamb, stir-fried river delicacies, and lamb marrow cakes.

Fresh fish slices (sashimi) and river delicacies (small shrimp and crabs) were not particularly interesting to Zhu Biao, but he ate the remaining two with great appetite.

Especially the marrow cake, which is similar to a mutton pie, but with local specialties such as sweet shallots and purple jade mushrooms added inside.

Fragrant, fresh, crispy, and sweet, it has a unique flavor.

The marrow cakes were very substantial, each weighing a full four ounces. Zhu Biao ate six in one go, and even Pang Qiutang ate three with her cheeks swaying.

"Good cake!"

After a long while, Zhu Biao patted his slightly bulging belly, raised his hand to call out to the waiter:

"Make another twenty, no, thirty marrow pancakes, wrap them tightly in oil paper, and I'll take them with me on the road."

"Okay!"

The waiter smiled and agreed. As a restaurant owner, he naturally preferred big-bellied men like him who were rich, loved to eat, and were generous.

The waiter had just turned around when a little beggar darted into the dining room and swam like a fish to Zhu Biao's table.

"May you gentlemen have a safe journey, all things go smoothly, and your martial arts prowess be great! I beg you, gentlemen, to have mercy and grant me a bite to eat."

The little beggar bowed deeply to the ground, and auspicious words flowed from his lips.

"You beggar, what brings you here again? Looking for a beating?"

His voice was a bit loud, and the sharp-eared waiter heard it and immediately turned back.

"It's alright."

Zhu Biao waved to the waiter and then turned to the little beggar.

"Raise your head."

"uncle."

The little beggar looked up in surprise.

He was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features and a sturdy build, but he was thin and dirty, covered in grime, his hair was matted together, and his clothes were so faded that their original color was unrecognizable.

"Have you practiced martial arts?"

Zhu Biao didn't mind and reached out to pat his shoulder.

The few steps he took into the dining room just now were skillful; he was not only fast, but also agile, skillful, and precise as he navigated around three or four tables.

"When I was a child, my family was relatively well-off. I practiced martial arts haphazardly for a few days, but they were all just basic, rural techniques."

"Heh, quite modest."

Zhu Biao smiled and served him a bowl of mutton soup.

"Sit down, have a bowl of soup first. You've finished all the pancakes, I'll make you some more later."

This little beggar's skills are quite formidable. He could easily take on at least three of those guys just now, and if he had a knife in hand, he could easily take on five.

In terms of combat strength, he is already on par with Zhu Wu.

"Thank you, Uncle!"

The little beggar was also very hungry, and he drank a bowl of hot soup in just a few gulps.

Just as Zhu Biao was about to reach for more soup, Ruyi, being very perceptive, got up and placed the entire bowl of soup in front of him.

"We're all full, so eat slowly and don't burn yourself."

"Thank you, Madam!"

The little beggar's eyes reddened, he mumbled a thank you, and drank from the bowl.

Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing slight surprise. He became even more interested in him. This little guy had a sharp eye; he could tell at a glance that Ruyi was a woman disguised as a man.

After finishing most of the bowl of mutton soup, the little beggar's face regained some warmth, and he clasped his hands, tears streaming down his face, and said:

"Thank you, sir and madam, for treating me like a human being and offering me soup."

Zhu Biao asked with a smile:

"Don't thank me yet, there will be more cakes later. Tell me, what would you like to order?"

"Su, Su Fang."

"What a nice name! Su Fang, where are you from? Do you have family?"

Su Fang pursed her lips and replied after a long while:

"Grandpa, I'm from Yulin. My family is all gone."

"Yulin!"

Ruyi whispered.

"That's the border, a land of tigers and wolves thousands of miles away, where the Tanguts, Western Xia, and Liao people have taken turns ravaging the region."

"My lady is absolutely right!"

Su Fang wiped her face hard, but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

"Those beasts from the Wei family in Yulin colluded with the Western Xia dogs to wipe out my entire Su family and chased us for hundreds of miles. My father, uncle, and brother are all dead."

Su Fang could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

"Come with me, and I'll avenge you later."

After a long while, once he had finished crying, Zhu Biao suddenly put his arm around his shoulder and said, word by word.

Su Fang suddenly looked up, staring at him in disbelief.

afternoon.

A large, two-mulet cart slowly drove away from Wuzhi City. In addition to Zhu Wu, a handsome young novice monk was also seen on the crossbar.

Of course, it's the Soviet side.

The little guy's hair was so dirty that it wouldn't get clean no matter how many times I washed it, and it was also infested with fleas and lice, so I just shaved it off.

He took a shower and changed his clothes from head to toe. At that moment, he felt as if he had been reborn.

No, he was reborn. He will never have to worry about food and clothing again, and he will have something to look forward to in his revenge.

"Fifth Brother, since we're going to Xiangzhou, why don't we head north instead of continuing west?"

After walking a few miles, Su Fang asked in a low voice, and Zhu Wu put on a stern face, pretending to be a senior.

"Xiao Fang, our family rule is that you do whatever the young master says, and don't say a word!"

"oh."

Su Fang nodded honestly, keeping his lips tightly pursed.

Zhu Biao, who was leading the way, heard this and turned around, laughing and scolding:

"You fool, when did I ever make such an absurd rule? Would you jump into a fire pit if I told you to?"

"Jump!"

Zhu Wu answered decisively.

"Let alone a pit of fire, even a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire, as long as you give the order, Young Master, Zhu Wu will not flinch!"

"Fool."

Zhu Biao cursed, but his heart was filled with both bitterness and warmth.

Zhu Wu wasn't just talking nonsense. Since leaving Zhu Family Village, he had traveled north and south, and now he was heading west again. He had trekked more than two thousand miles and had even been stabbed twice.

He never uttered a single complaint.

Not only him, but also Zhu San and Zhu Jiu are the same. If there were three thousand brothers like this, who in the world would not take notice?

"When we arrive in Qinyang tonight, I'll find you two more gentle and attentive courtesans!"

"Thank you, young master!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wu immediately grinned widely, revealing a lewd expression, completely abandoning any semblance of seniority.

Qinyang, also known as Henan, was the last major city before entering Shanxi. It was a bustling place with merchants.

After finding an inn to stay in, everyone went to bed without eating dinner, and even Zhu Wu didn't care about Hua Niang anymore.

The moment he hit the bed, thunderous snoring would erupt.

Zhu Biao was also exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. He still had to go to the mule and horse shop to try and buy two horses.

Zhu Wu and Pang Qiutang can both ride horses. If they are cramped on the mule cart, it will not only slow down the cart, but also prevent them from exerting their full fighting power.

Pang Qiutang, in particular, is a skilled archer on horseback, capable of hitting her target every time within sixty paces.

Just as he stepped out of the inn, a strange noise suddenly came from behind him. Zhu Biao stopped as if on cue, turned to the side, and pressed his hand to his knife.

"Young Master, it's me."

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Su Fang, wearing Zhu Wu's leather hat and following along.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

"Young Master, I slept well last night and I'm not sleepy at all. I'll accompany you out and help you with some chores."

As he spoke, he took off his hat and scratched his dark blue scalp.

Fifth Brother said that the young master is too tired, and we should do our best to help him.

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao smiled and patted his bald head.

"Alright, I'll buy you a matching leather hat while I'm at it."

"roll!"

Just then, in front of the inn, a tall and handsome man suddenly pushed a woman far away, causing her to fall heavily to the ground.

"You lowly servant, if you bother me again, I'll kill you!"