Chapter 63

After buying clothes and shoes, Hong Tao and Karl were still dressed in shorts and barefoot, nothing had changed. The items were all custom-made and couldn't be worn immediately. Helpless, they could only buy two pairs of straw shoes to wear, so they could walk around without worrying about others stepping on their feet.

Further north, it was no longer a commercial street but an entertainment street. On both sides, there were not shops but performers. There were acrobats, puppet shows, storytellers, and singers, but most of what Hong Tao heard was incomprehensible, so he didn't join in. At the northernmost end of the street, there were two large open spaces. On the left, a group of people were watching a wrestling match, and on the right, a circle of people were watching cuju (ancient Chinese football) and shuttlecock kicking.

Wrestling and cuju were popular in the Song Dynasty, and Hong Tao knew this. Luo Youde even took out a cuju ball to play with on the ship when he had nothing to do. This thing was said to be the origin of football, called cuju, but Hong Tao felt it was quite different from football, more like a large shuttlecock, focusing on patterns rather than competition, a performance event.

Wrestling, however, interested Hong Tao more because he knew it himself. As a semi-professional, he naturally wanted to see the technical and tactical level of his Song Dynasty counterparts. The sign at the wrestling ring read "Jiaodi," and two people would wrestle on a wooden platform. The organizers would set odds on the spot, acting as bookmakers, and people could bet on each match, even with just one coin. The wrestlers wrestled, the bookmakers took bets, two groups, not interfering with each other, likely in a cooperative relationship. Whether there were any inside deals or intentional losses to win big bets, Hong Tao didn't know, but the Song people were truly fond of gambling, always ready to bet whenever there was a chance, regardless of wealth, much like buying lottery tickets in later times, a nationwide activity.

"Help me hold the shoes, I'll go up and win the money for us." After watching for a while, Hong Tao roughly understood the rules of Song Dynasty wrestling and had placed a couple of small bets, both of which he won. He became restless again. Seeing that spectators could also participate and bet on themselves, he wanted to try it out. Winning money was a small matter; mainly, it was for fun. He had been in the Song Dynasty for several months, and apart from getting drunk once, there were no entertainment activities. A person can't just work all day; they need to let off steam. If there's no fun, you have to create it yourself.

"Okay..." The Song people, besides being fond of gambling, also loved spectacles and cheering. They were the type who enjoyed a good show, regardless of the consequences. As soon as Hong Tao stepped onto the stage, he immediately drew a round of cheers from the audience, but it didn't sound like genuine applause, more like they were hoping he would get beaten up quickly.

Hong Tao wasn't satisfied yet. He took off his shirt and threw it at Karl's head, then struck a few bodybuilding poses on the stage, showing off his muscles and the colorful rat head tattoo on his back, mainly for the young women in the audience. The status of women in the Song Dynasty was not high, but it was relatively better compared to the Tang, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. At least they didn't have to bind their feet and hide at home, depressed for life. Whether married or unmarried, Song women could walk around the streets, eat at restaurants, and visit entertainment venues like the wrestling ring, and no one would say anything.

"Good... Oh... Good craftsmanship!" Had the Song people seen bodybuilding competitions? Definitely not. Had they seen a body like Hong Tao's? Not often.

Hong Tao's appearance immediately drew more cheers, and this time they seemed more genuine, with fewer people just there for the spectacle. However, the cheers were not for Hong Tao himself but for the large, colorful rat head tattoo on his back. The Song people also liked tattoos, but they were usually black or blue, not as colorful as in later times. Hong Tao's tattoo was a unique skill, with five bright colors, very attractive. A few young women in the audience started throwing flowers onto the stage, their eyes full of admiration.

By the way, in the Song Dynasty, don't call women "young lady" or "miss." These terms were used for professional entertainers, similar to "hostess" in later times. If you called a respectable woman by these terms, she would likely fight you. How should you address Song women? Call them "niangzi," whether you know them or not, as long as the age difference isn't too great. If they are very young, call them "xiaoniangzi," which sounds a bit vulgar, but that's how it's done, and the Song people won't be offended.

For men, there are also rules. Don't call men "hanzi" or "laohan" casually; it's considered an insult. If you meet a man of similar age, you can call him "xiong" or "di." For older men, you can call them "laozhang," but "laotou" won't be understood.

Can you call men "xianggong"? No, in the Song Dynasty, "xianggong" was not just a term for ordinary people or even couples. It was a respectful title, often used for officials, especially high-ranking ones. For example, Yue Fei could be called "Yue Xianggong."

How skilled were the Song Dynasty wrestlers? They were decent. In Hong Tao's view, Song Dynasty wrestling was a combination of Greco-Roman, international, and Mongolian styles, with some techniques but not very refined. The study of human joints and center of gravity was not thorough, and the use of upper body strength was more common, with less mature techniques for using the whole body.

"Good... Oh..." In less than three minutes, Hong Tao threw his opponent with a kneeling back throw. He didn't get up immediately but stayed in the position, one knee on the ground, buttocks raised, and tilted his head to give a few flirtatious glances to the young women in the audience. Whether they could see his flirtatious glances was hard to say, mainly because his eyes were too narrow. However, the audience's reaction was enthusiastic, and countless flowers were thrown onto the stage, including two sachets, the contents of which were unknown, thrown quite accurately, hitting his face and causing pain.

In the first match, Hong Tao won 80 coins, but he wasn't satisfied. The feeling of being recognized by others was too good, so he decided to enjoy it a bit more. He bet the money he won on himself and started the second match. His antics drew many spectators from other events, making the wrestling ring the most lively spot on the street.

The opponent in the second match didn't learn from the previous failure and launched an aggressive attack. However, he couldn't get the upper hand against the tall and long-armed Hong Tao. Several attempts to grab him were thwarted. In a hurry, he became too aggressive, and Hong Tao caught his left arm. Before he could break free, Hong Tao lowered his body and got close to him again, then threw him over his shoulder, landing him solidly on the wooden platform.

PS: Clicks, favorites, and recommendations! Throw them all at Hong Tao...

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