Chapter 35

In the afternoon, the city of Tokyo, after a half-day of bustling noise, gradually returned to a peaceful and tranquil state. At this moment, a suspicious-looking man stealthily slipped into an inconspicuous deep alley and knocked on the door of a house with a courtyard at the end of the alley. When he entered, he still looked around cautiously, as if very careful. Only after confirming that no one was following did he finally enter the door with ease.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, the man met the person who had opened the door and saw a large, eyebrowless man, who rarely spoke and had a terrifying appearance, practicing martial arts in the courtyard. The man who had just entered respectfully called out, "Master Jiao!" When the martial artist nodded, the man gently knocked on the door and heard a voice from inside say, "Come in!"

The man hurriedly pushed open the door, walked in, and reported to the person inside, "Sir, just as before, those people from the Hall of Generals are not letting up at all. We have been investigating for five or seven days, and these people always guard in front of and behind Zhang Jiaotou's house, not leaving for a moment. If this continues, what shall we do?"

The scholar sitting inside, flipping through ancient scrolls, looked up at the man and calmly said, "Don't worry, in a few days it will be New Year's Eve. That night, their guard will surely slacken. Even if they don't go home for the New Year, I have my own plan. Don't be concerned!"

"Don't worry, don't worry! The sir is truly wise!" the man said, flattery in his voice.

The scholar put down the scroll in his hand and looked at the man, saying, "Zhang San, have you really thought it through? Are you willing to follow us that night?"

It turned out that the man who had entered was Zhang San, the rat of the street who had pledged allegiance to Wang Lun. On that day, when they were a group of more than ten people who did not want to take the money and insisted on following Wang Lun's words, Wang Lun told these loyal ruffians of the capital about his intention to rescue Lin Chong's family.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately expressed their willingness to help. Wang Lun then rewarded them with twenty taels of gold, considering it compensation for the suffering they had endured for Lu Zhishen. Everyone happily accepted it, as twenty taels of gold was worth two hundred strings of cash, and each person would get more than ten strings of cash!

Wang Lun then asked them to rent a house for their stay in the capital. This was a trivial matter for these local ruffians, and they quickly completed the task, renting a quiet and spacious house. Zhang San told the landlord that a scholar from out of town wanted to rent the house for the exams and paid the rent for half a year in advance. The landlord had no suspicions and never came back after handing over the keys.

Seeing that these people were efficient and loyal, Wang Lun decided to recruit them. After all, he only had Jiao Ting by his side, and many things were inconvenient. After observing them for a few days, he was quite satisfied and thus asked them.

Zhang San raised his head and said loudly, "I can't stay in Tokyo anymore. I have no family, and one person being full means the whole family is full. I am willing to follow the sir, to the ends of the earth!"

Wang Lun, impressed by his loyalty, said with a smile, "There is no one else here, I won't hide it from you. I am not a landlord from out of town, and Lin Jiaotou is not a guest at my manor. I am actually the leader of Liangshan Marsh in Jizhou, and Lin Jiaotou has joined us. Do you still dare to come?"

Zhang San, hearing this, said urgently, "I am willing, I am willing! As long as the sir does not think I am useless, I, Zhang San, will follow the sir from now on! I will not avoid water or fire, and I will not leave or abandon you! If I have a second heart, may I die a bad death!"

Wang Lun waved his hand and said, "Then you will be a trusted leader under me!" He then got up and took out a fifty-tael silver ingot, handing it to him and saying, "Use this for expenses these few days, and collect the rent!"

Zhang San tried to refuse, but Wang Lun did not allow it. Zhang San had no choice but to accept it, looking at Wang Lun with a happy smile. Suddenly, Wang Lun said, "This news must not be leaked. First, ask Li Si what he thinks. If he is willing to join us, you can tell him a bit. For the others, wait until the matter is over, then ask them. If they are willing, they can all come with me to the mountain!"

Zhang San nodded repeatedly and said, "As the sir commands. However, my brothers are all loyal. Some of the less resolute ones have already been driven away by Gao Qiu. I think everyone will be willing to follow the sir!"

Wang Lun nodded and said, "When you have free time, learn some skills from Leader Jiao. It's better to be prepared than to regret it later!"

Zhang San was delighted and said, "I saw that Leader Jiao's skills are not ordinary, and I have been eager to learn. I was afraid he wouldn't teach me!"

Wang Lun smiled and said, "You have good eyes! That is a secret technique passed down in Leader Jiao's family, not taught to outsiders. Once we are on the mountain, I will have him teach you a few moves so that you don't embarrass yourselves in battle and tarnish the reputation of Liangshan!"

Zhang San was overjoyed and bowed in gratitude.

After some more casual conversation, Wang Lun asked, "Where in Bianliang can I find a large market for medicinal herbs and iron tools?" He had come to Tokyo with a lot of gold and silver, intending to purchase these essential items for the mountain stronghold.

This was right up Zhang San's alley. He had been hanging around the streets for years and knew these things well. He said, "Fortunately, there is a market not far from here, where many wealthy merchants and old shops gather. The first and oldest pharmacy in our capital, Jishi Tang, has its main store there. The sir can go and take a look if you have time!"

After staying in the rented house for more than six or seven days, mostly reading, Wang Lun was tired of it. Thinking that a good day was better than a chosen day, he called Jiao Ting and asked Zhang San to lead the way. They set out, and along the way, they saw many famous snacks of the capital. Wang Lun was interested and took Jiao Ting to try them all.

With Zhang San leading the way, they didn't miss anything. They tried Li Family's quail meatballs, Zhou Family's mutton fat chives cakes, Wang Family's sticky rice cakes, and Qian Family's red-braised ginger and bean paste. Wang Lun and his companions kept sitting down to taste them, and Jiao Ting, a rough man, ate until his mouth was full of oil, still calling for more.

Wang Lun, feeling sorry for Jiao Ting, who had been wandering for years and had not enjoyed much, kept ordering more. Zhang San also benefited, as he, though a native of the capital, could not afford to eat there often due to his limited means. Seeing Wang Lun order without hesitation, the two of them did not hold back, eating heartily and greedily until they were full.

As they walked and ate, they finally arrived at a market. Zhang San led the way, and Wang Lun, with Jiao Ting, entered the century-old pharmacy, Jishi Tang. The store was indeed busy, with many customers and the staff running around, taking orders and dispensing medicine.

Wang Lun, seeing this, did not rush. He found a seat for customers to rest and sat down. Jiao Ting and Zhang San stood behind him, not sitting down.

The store manager, noticing their demeanor, felt something was different. Seeing Wang Lun's noble bearing and the well-mannered attendants, he did not dare to be rude and personally came out to greet them, offering tea.

After some polite conversation, Wang Lun said, "Old manager, how many types of medicine do you have in your store?"

The manager was surprised but quickly replied, "To be honest, our store has been in business since the founding of the Song Dynasty and has branches all over. While we may not have the most complete selection, there are medicines here that you might not find even if you searched all 300 military prefectures!"

Wang Lun smiled and said, "May I see your list of medicines?"

The manager looked uncomfortable, saying the list was not in the store and he was embarrassed to provide it.

Wang Lun, realizing there was a misunderstanding, said with a smile, "Does your store have a branch in Jizhou?"

The manager quickly replied, "Yes, yes, it's not far from the East Gate! What can I do for you, sir?"

Wang Lun nodded and said, "I remember there are over 400 commonly used Chinese medicines. Let's do this: divide your stock into two parts. For common medicines, I want 100 pounds of each, and for rare medicines, 300 pounds of each. Deliver them to this address in Jizhou! I will cover the transportation costs, and if the medicines are of good quality, I will do more business with you!"

Wang Lun handed over a piece of paper with the address of Zhu Fu's inn. The old man took it and said, "Since it's within Jizhou, I won't charge for transportation. I will send the medicines from our branch and have them delivered. What do you think?"

Wang Lun nodded and had Jiao Ting take out 200 taels of gold, placing it on the table. He said, "This is the deposit. The rest will be paid upon delivery. Regardless of the main store or branch, ensure the quality of the medicines!"

Wang Lun did not ask about the price, as the century-old store had a branch in Jizhou, and he was not afraid of any tricks. If there were any issues, he could hold the store accountable.

The manager repeatedly assured him, asking Wang Lun to wait a moment, and hurriedly gave instructions. He returned soon, offering tea to Wang Lun. Suddenly, Zhang San said, "Manager, this is a business worth at least 10,000 strings of cash. My master didn't even ask the price, trusting your reputation. You should show some appreciation!"

The manager, hearing his local accent and demeanor, guessed he was from the capital. He understood and bowed to Wang Lun, saying, "Thank you for your trust. Our store has clear prices, and since you are ordering such a large quantity, we will only add a slight markup to the cost price. We would have done this even if you didn't ask!" He then bowed to Zhang San, saying, "When you have time, please come by, and we will have a small gift for you!" It seemed he took Zhang San for a middleman.

Zhang San quickly said, "This is my master. Don't mistake me for a helper. I am now a gentleman..."

The manager, thinking to himself, "I've never seen a gentleman like this!" apologized repeatedly and asked the three to wait. He went to the counter and brought out a red silk-wrapped ginseng root, offering it to Wang Lun, saying, "This is a precious ginseng we bought from Liao. I have always been reluctant to use it. Now I will give it to you, hoping for your continued patronage."

Wang Lun smiled and had Jiao Ting take the ginseng, nodded to Zhang San, and continued talking to the old man. After signing the contract, they left. On the way, Wang Lun praised Zhang San, making him very happy. As they talked, they arrived at a large blacksmith shop. The place was vast, with dozens of blacksmiths working under the sheds, sweating profusely.

As they watched, a man walked out and bumped into Jiao Ting. Jiao Ting pushed him, and the man fell to the ground, his eyes red and tears streaming. He struggled to get up and wanted to fight Jiao Ting.

Jiao Ting was surprised and said, "Why are you crying just because you fell?"

People from the blacksmith shop came over, holding the man, and someone explained, "Sir, this brother is carrying the burden of a ruined family. He came here to borrow money from acquaintances. Please don't be offended! If you want to buy iron, please come inside!"

Wang Lun, seeing the man's pockmarked face, asked, "What is your name? Why are you here?"

The man, seeing Wang Lun's noble appearance, thought he was someone important, and calmed down, no longer fighting with Jiao Ting. He said, "My name is Tang Long. My brother was wrongfully imprisoned, and I need to borrow money to handle the legal proceedings."

Wang Lun, impressed by his demeanor, asked, "What is your name, and why are you here?"

The man, seeing Wang Lun's noble appearance, thought he was someone important, and calmed down, no longer fighting with Jiao Ting. He said, "My name is Tang Long. My brother was wrongfully imprisoned, and I need to borrow money to handle the legal proceedings."