Chapter 30 of 100
Chapter 30
15 min read3,629 words
At lunchtime, Zhao Zhentang was in a bad mood, and the mental state of everyone in the prefectural office was about the same. Now, officials and nobles from neighboring counties were visiting the governor of Xuzhou, and Governor Tong of Xuzhou ordered his subordinates to patrol the streets, drive beggars and vagrants out of the city, and quickly deal with any impoverished civilians who were about to lose their homes. All the constables and their assistants were dispatched.
This task offered no benefits, and the cold weather made it even more arduous. These constables, who usually didn't suffer such hardships, naturally harbored a lot of resentment.
After a morning of intense training and practical battlefield drills, Zhao Jin was in a tense state. Listening to his parents' complaints about family matters at lunchtime was a form of relaxation.
Halfway through the meal, Mu Shulan entered the courtyard. He Cuihua called the young girl to eat, and Mu Shulan sweetly replied, "Auntie, don't worry, I've already eaten."
Then she complained to Zhao Jin, "That official's family is really troublesome; the guests have blocked the roads."
Everyone's timing was very precise. Just as they were about to finish eating, Chen Sheng came again. In yesterday's competition, Chen Sheng was first, and Sun Dalei was second. It took a while for them to determine the winner.
Since he had a worthy opponent, Chen Sheng took the first place very seriously and was in high spirits after winning.
They set off for the competition venue, and after going through all the formalities, fewer than seventy young men remained at the venue. These seventy were either from wealthy families or were naturally aggressive. The wealthy ones were also strong and capable, while the aggressive ones were confident they could win some prizes. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to endure the cold and the suffering.
Sun Dalei was straightforward, bringing three meat buns from home every day. Although they were cold, these fatty foods were very attractive.
Every day, Zhao Jin habitually arranged for the young men to tidy up the venue. Once, a young man fell on a stone and was unable to move for several days.
When Zhao Jin stood on the platform, raised Chen Sheng's arm, and shouted, "This is yesterday's first place winner," the crowd cheered, "Brave and strong!"
At that moment, Zhao Jin noticed a new face, one that wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
In fact, he wasn't the only one who noticed. After the cheer, Chen Sheng lowered his arm and quietly asked Zhao Jin, "Who is that young master?"
Many of the young men at the venue turned to look. A young man in a dark blue robe stood to the side, watching the scene with great interest. He was dressed in the manner of a wealthy family and was followed by a middle-aged servant.
Zhao Jin remembered this young man; he was the handsome young master that Mu Shulan had seen that day. Today, he wasn't wearing a silver crown, but a headscarf instead.
"It should be the son of the new official from the Wang family who just moved here."
"Do you know him?"
"I'm guessing!" Although the Chen family was considered wealthy, Chen Sheng's grandfather was a ninth-rank inspector, and his father was a constable in the prefectural office. They didn't have the status to interact with the new official, so they only knew about him but didn't know who he was.
"Draw the lots!" Zhao Jin shouted.
The young men ignored the new arrival and rushed to draw the lots. There were more people than lots, so those who couldn't push their way in missed out.
This time, Zhao Jin only fought two rounds and then stopped, but he didn't leave. He stayed to watch the others compete, but his real intention was to figure out what the young man from the Wang family was up to.
The young man from the Wang family didn't draw a lot but didn't leave either. He was now mingling with the young men in the crowd.
Zhao Jin pretended to be focused on the competition, changed his position a few times, and got closer to the young man from the Wang family. He was chatting with a young man. The best backgrounds among the young men at the venue were like Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng, and they mixed together without much sense of hierarchy. However, the appearance of this well-dressed, handsome young master made many feel curious. When the young man from the Wang family politely asked questions, the young men he spoke to felt honored and answered eagerly.
"What are you doing here?"
"We are competing!"
...
The young man who was asked stammered as he explained the rules of the competition. The young man from the Wang family sounded surprised and asked, "Who came up with this?"
"That's Zhao Xiao." Although Zhao Jin didn't turn around, he knew they were pointing at him. He pretended not to hear and continued watching the competition.
"Why did you stand on the platform and shout just now?" The young man spoke standard Mandarin with a clear voice.
After hearing the explanation, the young man couldn't help but laugh, a laugh that carried a hint of disdain. He said, "What's the point of being first? Your competition is just a free-for-all!"
Everyone at the venue was proud to participate in the competition and was unwilling to hear this. However, the young man's air of wealth and nobility intimidated them, so they didn't dare to react. One of them hurriedly defended, "Who says it's a free-for-all? When you see the top eight and the top four, you'll see they all have excellent martial skills. Chen Sheng, who won first place, is especially impressive."
After a pause, the young man continued, "Zhao Xiao is also impressive. Not only did he organize this competition, but he has never lost."
Someone interjected, "Our venue's winners are the strongest in Xuzhou City!"
At this point, someone must have looked back. Zhao Jin turned and met the young man's gaze. The young man was taken aback, perhaps remembering their previous encounter, and smiled and nodded.
Zhao Jin also turned away. This was his territory, and no matter what the young man from the Wang family wanted, he would eventually find him. There was no need to initiate a conversation.
The early rounds of the competition indeed looked like a free-for-all but ended quickly. After more than a month of practice, everyone had gained experience. Even those without martial skills had learned some techniques, and it often took only a few moves to determine the winner.
Zhao Jin changed his position and saw the young man from the Wang family watching with his hands behind his back, a somewhat dismissive look on his face.
"That guy is really annoying, with that look of disdain on his face." Mu Shulan had come to Zhao Jin's side and muttered quietly.
Zhao Jin smiled but didn't respond. People need to interact more to form a better judgment. When they first met, he thought the young master was perfect, but now he realized he was just a precocious and outstanding young man.
After a few rounds, the competition quickly reached the top eight. The randomness of drawing lots often led to early encounters, such as this time when Chen Sheng and Shi Manqiang faced each other.
The current Shi Manqiang was no longer relying on brute force. He had learned to probe and counter, but Chen Sheng was even better. It didn't take long for Shi Manqiang to be knocked down.
Each match after the top eight was worth watching. The young men either attacked fiercely or defended rigorously, and some set traps for each other.
Zhao Jin noticed that the young man from the Wang family's expression became less dismissive, and he started to watch more intently.
Having gathered enough information, Zhao Jin smiled and took Mu Shulan back. As they left, he saw the young man from the Wang family actively asking the young men around him about something.
Halfway back, the middle-aged couple who had accompanied Mu Shulan appeared. The little girl pouted as soon as she saw them and, as they approached, burst out, "What are you here for?"
"Mr. Mu said that Miss has played enough for the afternoon and needs to go back to study," the woman explained with a smile, her attitude very respectful.
"Miss, let's go back. Otherwise, you won't even have this afternoon," the middle-aged man said politely, but with a hint of firmness. Mu Shulan pouted but had no choice and waved goodbye to Zhao Jin.
The couple was very polite to Zhao Jin, nodding as they left. Zhao Jin found it interesting that the little girl was actually a young lady.
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