Chapter 28

Zhao Jin struggled to write these few characters. A writing brush was completely different from a pen. If it weren't for the education he received in elementary school, it would have been difficult to write at all.

He took out another piece of paper, and it was fortunate that the shop had a few account books left; otherwise, finding paper would have been a problem.

Zhao Jin drew several horizontal lines with the writing brush and annotated them with "armored pikemen," "halberdiers," and so on, and finally wrote "Swiss phalanx" at the bottom.

There was a lot of content he could recall, such as the small tip that adding a tea bag when stewing beef would help it cook faster, or that his leader liked to smoke Da Qianmen cigarettes. These things were naturally of no use, but Zhao Jin found that the content he heard and saw during his time in the hospital was the most helpful.

At that time, his friend was reading books he liked, so Zhao Jin learned a lot of knowledge outside his interests and expertise.

This knowledge about battle formations was very important. Although Zhao Jin didn't know much about history, he knew that it was during the Ming and Qing dynasties that Western military power began to surpass the East. His friend had also enthusiastically mentioned that even without firearms, European elite infantry was incredibly powerful.

He needed to learn martial arts, and this knowledge about battle formations must be preserved. Zhao Jin also noticed that whether it was the Spanish or the Swiss, these so-called elite infantry all emphasized the use of pikes. In that case, wasn't it right for him to learn martial arts and pike techniques now?

When his friend showed him the illustrations at the time, they included examples of infantry holding pikes. These couldn't be drawn with a writing brush, so he had to find a nail to carve them on the counter.

Looking at the patterns on the wooden board, Zhao Jin couldn't help but laugh. They looked very much like the secret manuals carved on stone slabs in martial arts novels.

Moreover, Zhao Jin felt very comfortable being alone in the empty warehouse and shop. It was his own space where he could think and act freely. Interestingly, Mu Shulan didn't like to go in; the little girl thought it was eerie and too dusty and dirty.

On the morning of October 23, when Zhao Jin came out, he saw many people coming and going from a courtyard on the adjacent street, as if someone was cleaning it, and various tools were being transported by ox and horse carts.

At the dinner table, he heard the reason: "I really can't understand what this scholar is thinking. He doesn't go to Yunlong Mountain, but insists on living in the North Gate." "With his status, he could live comfortably in Yangzhou or Jiangnan. Why come to this dilapidated place in Xuzhou?"

It turned out that the courtyard was where the retired official from the capital was going to live. This news was indeed surprising to Zhao Jin. He knew that there was a folk saying in Xuzhou: "Poor South Gate, rich North Gate, officials all live on Hubu Mountain."

Xuzhou City was close to the Yellow River and had been flooded many times due to the river's flooding, so the areas less prone to flooding were considered good places. Xuzhou City was built against Yunlong Mountain, which was higher in the north and lower in the south. The side of the city near Yunlong Mountain was Hubu Mountain, hence the saying.

After the parents' casual conversation, Zhao Jin finally understood why the retired official from the capital did this. It was because the official was originally from the North Gate and had some nostalgia for his hometown.

From this conversation, Zhao Jin finally learned that the retired official's surname was Wang, and he had no close relatives in Xuzhou, and his clan was not very prosperous.

On the afternoon of October 25, Zhao Jin, as usual, went home with his uncle for lunch. Mu Shulan didn't follow; the little girl had reluctantly told him the day before that she would have to learn things every day and couldn't come out to play often.

At first, Zhao Jin thought it was normal; girls around seven or eight years old were at the age to learn knowledge. But upon further reflection, he realized it was not right. In this era, for girls, being uneducated was a virtue, and learning household chores and how to support their husbands and raise children was the norm. However, from Mu Shulan's tone, it didn't seem like she was learning these things.

Without the little girl around, Zhao Jin felt very relaxed. Accompanying an eight-year-old girl who was very close to him was awkward for him.

When the uncle and nephew reached the intersection, they saw that it was already bustling with activity. Outside, there were long lines of carriages and sedan chairs, and they could see officials in black robes with red borders and square hats patrolling and checking. Zhao Jin even saw his father, Zhao Zhentang, who was holding the hilt of his saber, standing proudly at the intersection.

Zhao Jin waved to greet him, and Zhao Zhentang also noticed his family, quickly waving to signal them to take a detour home.

Seeing this, Zhao Jin finally realized that the retired official from the capital had returned.

At dinner, with the day's events as a pretext, Zhao Jin could finally ask. Since this family was also a neighbor, He Cuihua was also very interested and asked incessantly.

Wang You Shan, with the courtesy name "Wang Shan Lao Ren," held the position of censor in the capital. It was said that he resigned from his post due to a dispute over an official position. His first wife had passed away, and he had not remarried. He had one son, and the two of them lived together.

As a constable responsible for maintaining order outside, Zhao Zhentang only knew this much. He Cuihua sighed a few times, feeling sorry for him. Generally, women had a good impression of men who did not take concubines after their wives passed away, and she even added, "This Mr. Wang must be a clean official!"

"Long hair, short sight. Have you ever seen a clean official move with hundreds of large boxes and dozens of servants? How could he have acquired such wealth on his salary alone?" Zhao Zhentang sneered at her words.

The next morning, when Zhao Jin went jogging, he passed by the Wang family's house and saw that the once dilapidated and old gate had been completely renovated, with lanterns hanging in front, bearing the character "Wang."

Perhaps hearing the footsteps outside, the gatekeeper opened the door and looked out.

When he returned for lunch, he still had to take a detour. According to Zhao Zhentang, not only people from Xuzhou but also from the four counties under Xuzhou's jurisdiction—Feng, Pei, Xiao, and Tang—and even from Huai'an Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, and Fengyang Prefecture had come. This was indeed a significant show of respect, and Zhao Zhentang was quite annoyed. The more distinguished guests there were, the busier they, the constables, became. As an executioner, he had no red business, and he had no chance to make extra money.

Zhao Jin was amazed by the retired official's network of connections. Such a grand display of social influence was truly impressive.

Despite his amazement, life went on. At the midday martial arts competition, fewer young people showed up.

In this competition, Zhao Jin once again defeated Ji Xiang in the quarterfinals. Among these young people, Zhao Jin's strength and skills had improved the fastest, but the finalists were Sun Dali and Chen Sheng. Zhao Jin had a strange smile on his face, and the other young people found it a bit odd. They couldn't have guessed that Zhao Jin was thinking of the place name "Hefei."

Chen Sheng and Sun Dali were the two strongest in terms of strength among the young people. Sun Dali, due to his weight, was even stronger, though not by much. The difference in strength was minimal, and Chen Sheng's speed was no worse than that of the leaner young people. His martial skills were even better, and everyone thought the outcome was clear.

Unexpectedly, when the two fought, Sun Dali slowly took a few hits, then seized the opportunity to tangle with Chen Sheng. In the past, Chen Sheng could quickly break free and counterattack, but this time, Sun Dali managed to pin his arm. Just as Chen Sheng was about to punch, Sun Dali tripped him with his leg and rammed his shoulder into Chen Sheng.

This combination of moves made it impossible for Chen Sheng to maintain his balance, and he fell backward, conceding defeat.

"Sun Dali, did you learn sumo wrestling?" Chen Sheng, sitting up from the ground, immediately shouted. At this point, Chen Sheng was more relaxed about winning and losing.

Sun Dali laughed proudly. The other young people were already tired of Chen Sheng's victories, and seeing the usually amiable Sun Dali win first place, they cheered loudly.

The cheers made Sun Dali even more excited. In the past, winning first place was one thing, but recently, everyone had been saying that Chen Sheng was unbeatable, and only Zhao Jin could defeat him. This victory was truly face-saving.

After his moment of pride, Sun Dali followed Zhao Jin's usual practice and helped Chen Sheng up.

Today, Zhao Jin didn't leave. He wanted to see the fight between Chen Sheng and Sun Dali. Seeing the result, he was a bit surprised. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Sun Dali say with great enthusiasm, "Tomorrow I'll bring some snacks too. It's not right for you and Zhao Jin to always bring things."