Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter 77 Reunion!

It was the fourth watch of the night.

It should have been the deepest part of the night, when everyone was most sleepy, but the Wang family compound outside Qinghe City was brightly lit and filled with chaos.

All the servants, maids, and cooks crawled out of their warm beds.

They were busy killing chickens, slaughtering sheep, lighting stoves, and boiling water.

It was only because of a few sudden visitors, the plague-like Imperial City Guards, that they insisted on taking a bath in the middle of the night and even having a meal.

In the Wang family's backyard, the bathroom was filled with steam, like a fairyland.

Zhu Biao was soaking in hot water, leaning against the edge of the bathtub and closing his eyes to rest. In the wooden tub in the cubicle, Zhu Wu excitedly exclaimed.

"Young Master, I'm truly impressed! Just for one piece of gold!"

"Shut up!"

Zhu Biao interrupted him with a cold rebuke.

Damn it! This isn't his own home, nor an inn or residence, but the enemy camp. He was worried that someone might be listening in.

Zhu Wu realized he had spoken out of turn, so he quickly shrank back and began to vigorously rub the mud off his face, no longer speaking.

"Dawn is approaching; Wu Song cannot possibly make a move tonight."

"So, where is he now? Is he in the city, or has he already fled after the incident, or is he imprisoned?"

Zhu Biao glanced out the window, then closed his eyes again, fighting off sleepiness as his mind raced.

"No matter what, we must find him tomorrow and get him out of here as soon as possible."

"Although the Imperial City Guard's tiger skin is useful, it can only provide temporary relief. If it gets to the yamen (government office), it will inevitably be exposed."

After the bath, the round table in the flower hall was already laden with delicacies.

The Wang family truly lived up to its reputation as one of the wealthiest families in the area; they had everything imaginable on their table—things that flew in the sky, ran in the mountains, and swam in the water.

"In this rural place, we have only a little wine and simple dishes; please don't find them unappetizing, sir."

At this moment, the red, swollen whip mark still clung to Master Wang's fat face, and his smile was both obsequious and comical.

Humans are just that despicable!

The more arrogant and domineering Zhu Biao became, the more he trusted this ridiculously young Imperial City Supervisor.

If it weren't for the emperor's personal guards and royal hounds, who would dare to be so presumptuous in someone else's home?

Zhu Biao picked up his pure silver chopsticks, took a trembling, golden-yellow steamed bear paw, and brought it to his lips, sipping it casually.

After a long while, he picked up a damp cloth, wiped his mouth, and nodded noncommittally.

"Hmm, it's quite flavorful. Master Wang, you've put a lot of thought into it."

His performance was incredibly convincing, but in reality, he had never eaten bear's paw in either of his two lifetimes.

In his past life, this stuff was a criminal offense, and he couldn't afford it. In this life, the Zhu family village is pragmatic and doesn't care about such extravagance.

Master Wang said with a smile, "It is my honor that you like it, sir. Please have more."

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao scoffed, poked the amber-like bear paw in front of him with his chopsticks, and gave him a half-smile.

"Does the master know? The job of the Imperial City Guard is deadly and arduous. Such a sumptuous meal and wine, who knows when we will be able to eat it again?"

Upon hearing this, Master Wang immediately understood, and a look of relief flashed in his eyes.

As a wealthy local gentry and from an official family, Master Wang was all too familiar with the intricacies of officialdom.

As long as you ask for money, this matter will be resolved and soon be over.

"Your Excellency is selfless and incorruptible; I admire you greatly."

He bowed deeply and said.

"This old man has nothing else but some dry rations to express his gratitude. Please eat them on your journey."

As they were talking, a servant strode in from the outer room, carrying a heavy sack of flour in both hands. When he placed it on the table, it made a soft clattering sound.

Zhu Biao was very familiar with this soft sound; it was silver, and it was an official silver twig.

Moreover, just by listening to the sound of the silver hitting the table, he could roughly tell the weight of the silver, at least three hundred taels.

Previously, this fellow forcibly seized the Wu family's old residence, and this money is enough to compensate for it. As for other grudges, Zhu Biao has other methods.

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao smiled and casually cupped his hands in a perfunctory gesture, "Since it is Master Wang's kind intention, I will accept this dry ration as it would be impolite to refuse."

He then gave Zhu Wu a wink, who understood, grinned, and unceremoniously grabbed the flour bag.

As dawn broke, the city gates of Qinghe County were opened.

Outside the Wang family mansion, Zhu Biao and his group jogged away at a leisurely pace.

Only after Zhu Biao's figure completely disappeared did the fake smile on Wang Yuanwai's face suddenly change, becoming as ferocious as a ghost.

He covered his face, gritted his teeth, and said, "Immediately send someone to the Daming Prefecture's magistrate's office to deliver a message to the Second Master, telling him the whole story and letting him make a decision!"

"yes!"

The butler acknowledged and hurried off to make the arrangements.

"Quickly! Get into the city."

"You two go straight to the rice market in the south of the city, to the Wu family's old residence. After you find out the situation or locate the person, come and meet me outside the west gate immediately."

On the other side, Zhu Biao also gave urgent instructions.

Zhu Wu had been to Wu Song's house with him before, so he could find the place, but Zhu Biao didn't dare let him act alone, so he could only let Pang Qiutang accompany him.

"Third Brother, what about you?"

Pang Qiutang asked.

"I'll block the west gate; if those two want to take action against the Wang family, they'll have to pass through here."

Around noon, outside the West Gate, along the official road, there was a tea stall, a place that happened to be located between Qinghe City and the Wang family.

"Young master, shall I go into town again to inquire?"

Zhu Wu asked in a buzzing voice, scratching his head, his tone urgent.

On the one hand, as long as they find Wu Song, they can return home to the east. On the other hand, Zhu San is like a brother to him, and he misses him dearly after not seeing him for so long.

How can I find out?

Zhu Biao stared intently at the official road and replied irritably.

"There are nearly 100,000 people in the city. Even if they are stupid, they would conceal their tracks and act discreetly. Foolishly searching for them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Zhu Wugang was silenced by the rebuttal, and then Pang Qiutang jumped out again.

"Third Brother, are we just going to wait like this? What if they take a detour?"

"If we can't wait during the day, we'll go to the Wang family's house at night."

Zhu Biao replied somewhat impatiently.

Last night, the Wu family's old house was set on fire and reduced to rubble. Zhao San was also knocked unconscious by masked men and caught a cold.

After he woke up, he reported the incident to the authorities and insisted that the perpetrator was Wu Erlang. However, he had no witnesses or evidence and was eventually kicked out of the government office.

It's over.

This is the information that Zhu Wu and his men had just gathered in the city. Based on this information, Zhu Biao could make a judgment.

Wu Song will definitely leave the city today and launch a night raid on the Wang family.

Although he had already made up his mind, Zhu Biao was also very anxious. As he said before, his patience was running out.

Anxious, he picked up the large bowl of coarse tea from the table, about to gulp it down, when he heard Zhu Wu exclaim, "Hey? Young Master, look at that person!"

Zhu Biao quickly looked up and saw a man carrying a load walking towards him on the official road.

The man was sturdy, dressed in several layers of coarse cloth, wearing an old felt hat, and a scarf wrapped around his face, revealing only his eyes.

A few dozen steps behind him was another man dressed similarly, also carrying a load on his shoulders.

This man was taller and stronger, and the heavy carrying pole, bent into an arc shape, seemed weightless on his shoulders as he strode forward with ease.

From a distance, it looks just like a fierce tiger unleashed from its cage.

Who else could it be but Wu Song?

Bang!

Zhu Biao's eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hand on the table, standing up abruptly.

Unexpectedly, a buzzing sound rang in his ears, and his vision blurred, causing him to stagger.

He is so tired!

Since leaving Zhujiazhuang, he traveled north, south, west, and east, traversing thousands of miles in the bitter cold.

During that period, there were one bloody battle after another, and almost every day was spent scheming, acting, and running for one's life.

Now that he has seen Wu Song in good health, his journey has finally come to a successful end, and the tension in his heart has eased.

Zhu Wu was completely focused on the man who resembled Zhu San and didn't notice Zhu Biao's strange behavior. "Third Brother!"

Pang Qiutang didn't recognize Zhu San or Wu Song; her heart was entirely with Zhu Biao. She exclaimed in surprise and reached out to support him.

"It's alright."

Zhu Biao bit his tongue secretly, forcing himself to calm down, and patted her hand.

At this moment, Wu Song keenly noticed their movements. He raised his thick eyebrows, narrowed his tiger-like eyes, and coldly swept them over.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

Whoosh!

Lost in thought, he forgot to hold onto the carrying pole on his shoulder, and the two bamboo baskets slipped to the ground, shattering the earthenware jars inside and causing lamp oil to seep out.

"Saburo!"

However, he couldn't care less about any of that. With a joyful roar, he took off and charged towards Zhu Biao.

"Young Master! Fifth Brother!"

At this moment, Zhu San also spotted Zhu Biao and Zhu Wu. They burst into tears instantly, dropped their loads, and ran over like a gust of wind.

"Hahaha! Third brother, you're still alive?"

Zhu Wu rubbed his eyes hard, then burst into laughter, ran a few steps, jumped up, and hugged Zhu Sanxiong.