Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

In the Water Margin, there are generally two types of stronghold leaders.

One type clings to their position, arrogant and self-important, unable to recognize their own limitations.

Another type is when you encounter someone stronger than yourself, you readily give up your position and willingly become a brother.

Wang Lun belongs to the former category, as does Deng Long.

Both men met the same fate: they were killed, and the village changed hands.

Deng Fei is different.

He was self-aware; when Pei Xuan was exiled and passed through Yinmachuan, he relinquished the position of chieftain without hesitation.

Zhu Wu of Shaohua Mountain did the same, giving up his position to Shi Jin.

Pei Xuan is upright, not stupid.

If he's like Lin Chong, thinking that after serving his sentence on Shamen Island he can come back and live a clean life, then he's being incredibly naive.

What kind of place is Shamen Island?

Of ten people who go, fewer than three will come back alive.

Of course he wanted revenge.

I dream about it.

He wanted nothing less than to drag out and tear to pieces all those corrupt officials who framed him.

But he knew in his heart that it wasn't realistic right now.

With just a few hundred men and a few broken guns, how could Yinmachuan possibly shake the Jingzhao Prefecture?

He couldn't swallow that anger, but he had to swallow it for now.

Pei Xuan came out of the house, straightened his clothes, and bowed to Zhang Shan, saying, "Chief Zhang has come from afar and I have not been able to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Zhang Shan returned the greeting with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the people present, and said loudly, "To be honest, I came here specifically to Yinmachuan."

Deng Fei and Meng Kang looked at each other with puzzled expressions, wondering what the leader of Liangshan was up to.

Zhang Shan didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "My Liangshan Marsh, spanning eight hundred li, is currently only filled with small fishing boats. Let alone warships, I don't even have a single decent large ship. I'm uneasy about this, so I've come to invite Brother Meng Kang to make a trip."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Meng Kang stood up and waved his hand, "What's so difficult about that! I have a dozen or so brothers who know how to build ships. I'll lead them on a trip to Liangshan, and whatever kind of ship they want, I'll build it for them!"

"Good! Brother, you're a man of honor!" Zhang Shan laughed heartily, then turned to Du Qian and shouted, "Brother Du Qian, bring out the Hero's Wine!"

Du Qian responded and turned around to take several bottles of wine out of the truck; the celadon bottles gleamed in the sunlight.

Upon seeing this, Deng Fei deliberately frowned and said in a pretentious tone, "Oh, Brother Zhang Shan, are you perhaps looking down on us? When we arrive at Yinmachuan, why would you need to bring your own wine?"

Du Qian quickly explained with a smile, "Please try our wine first, then you can drink yours later."

Deng Fei nodded and ordered his men to slaughter pigs and sheep and prepare a feast.

The stove fire was lit, and the aroma of meat wafted far and wide.

In the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, a banquet was set on the table.

Although it couldn't compare to the grandeur of Chai Jin's manor, it was still quite a feast for those in the mountains.

Wu Song had been craving this wine all the way.

He was a proud man; he wanted a drink on the way, but was too embarrassed to ask.

Now I finally have another chance. Ever since I drank that baijiu, the village brew I drink on the way is like plain water, bland and tasteless.

Pei Xuan sat at the table, observing Zhang Shan discreetly.

He had worked as a clerk, adjudicated cases, and met all sorts of people, which cultivated his habit of observing people.

He knows in his heart how much truth is in what he says and whose eyes are darting around.

Did Liangshan really send people to Yinmachuan just to invite Meng Kang to build a ship?

He always felt it wasn't that simple.

Zhang Shan had no idea what Pei Xuan was thinking.

Even if I knew, I wouldn't care.

No matter how smart and upright Pei Xuan is, he is still a person in the government system at heart.

Throughout history, the government system has shown the least respect for technology; it may claim to value it, but it doesn't really care about it.

What the government wants is stability and to avoid trouble in the short term. As for shipbuilding, cannon building, and machinery manufacturing, as long as they are usable, it doesn't matter whether they are good or bad.

Du Qian poured a small cup for each person.

As the wine was poured, its rich and domineering aroma instantly filled the air, overpowering the smell of meat on the table and wafting straight into our nostrils.

Deng Fei, Meng Kang, and Pei Xuan were immediately drawn to the wine, their eyes fixed on the clear liquid in the glass, their throats bobbing involuntarily.

"Gentlemen, let's drink this cup to the brim!" Zhang Shan raised his cup first.

Wu Song could no longer contain himself, so he picked up the cup, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.

A surge of scalding heat rushed from his throat into his stomach, as if someone had lit a fire in his chest, making him feel comfortable all over.

"Hiss, that's great!" Wu Song slammed the cup down on the table, his eyes lighting up.

The others didn't hesitate either, picked up their glasses and drank them down in one gulp, but secretly wondered why so little was poured.

"Cough cough"

"hiss"

"Cough cough cough"

Deng Fei, Meng Kang, and Pei Xuan reacted exactly the same way others did when they first drank baijiu.

Deng Fei coughed until tears streamed down his face, Meng Kang blushed and kept slapping his tongue, while Pei Xuan tried his best not to lose his composure, but his ears were already bright red.

"Good wine! Good wine!" Meng Kang, having recovered, slapped the table and exclaimed, his eyes shining. "The shipbuilding brothers love strong liquor! If this wine were taken to the shipyard, those men would fight tooth and nail for it!"

Deng Fei's eyes were already red, but now they were even redder, whether from the alcohol or from excitement, it was hard to tell.

He smacked his lips, savoring the taste for a long time, and sighed, "Such fine wine, I've never tasted it before."

Pei Xuan was the most knowledgeable of them all, but even he had never tasted such strong liquor.

He picked up the cup, brought it to his nose, sniffed it, pondered for a moment, and asked, "How much is such fine wine worth?"

Zhang Shan waved his hand and laughed, "We're brothers drinking together, why talk about money?" After a pause, he added, "However, I plan to take these wines to the Liao border to see what price I can get for them."

After listening, Pei Xuan nodded and said thoughtfully, "The people of Western Xia also like to drink strong liquor. I met Western Xia merchants when I was in Jingzhao Prefecture. The liquor they drank was stronger than the yellow wine of our Central Plains, but it was still far inferior to this."

Deng Fei and Meng Kang looked at each other, their minds filled with doubt.

They were clearly bandits, ruling the mountains and relying on robbery and extortion.

Why is Zhang Shan suddenly talking about business?

Selling wine and traveling to the Liao Kingdom—this doesn't seem like the kind of thing a bandit hero would do.

Zhang Shan ignored their questions.

The weight on his heart lifted a little more.

The first time, Lu Zhishen said that people in the north love to drink strong liquor, and the second time, Pei Xuan said that people in the Western Xia also love it. The two of them were right.

As for whether the Liao Kingdom actually recognizes this wine, we'll have to try it ourselves to find out.

Deng Fei picked up his wine glass, took another sip, smacked his lips, and suddenly remembered something.

"Brother Zhang Shan, you just said that Instructor Lin is the third-in-command in your village, so who is the second-in-command?"

Zhang Shan smiled and put down his chopsticks: "As I just said, he is my elder brother, who used to serve under Lord Zhong Lue."

He didn't mention names, but the words "under the command of Lord Zhong Lue" were enough.

Deng Fei and Meng Kang exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting repeatedly.

The two of them looked at Pei Xuan again. Ever since Pei Xuan came up the mountain, the three of them had discussed all the big and small matters of Yinmachuan together.

Life in Yinmachuan is not easy these days.

There are hundreds of people on the mountain who need food, drink, and clothing, but fewer and fewer merchants are coming and going from the surrounding area.