Chapter 8

After the grain borrowing agreement was settled, the four leaders of the bandit camp, including Wang Lun, felt a great sense of relief. Song Wan invited everyone back to the feast, repeatedly urging Wang Lun, "Brother, even if you only drink a bowl of water, I will be very pleased!" Unable to refuse, Wang Lun had no choice but to follow the group to the Hall of Righteous Assembly.

As the six of them walked and laughed, just before reaching the Hall of Righteous Assembly, Wang Lun suddenly noticed a man and a woman with a child standing at the entrance of the hall. It seemed they were a family. At that moment, the young couple was looking down at him, their eyes filled with fear.

Wang Lun took a closer look and recognized the man as Li Si, who had just apologized to him. Beside him stood a woman in her early twenties. Though not exceptionally beautiful, she had a charming appearance that stood out in the male-dominated world of the mountain. Behind the young couple, a child of about three or four years old was hiding, his mouth wide open, gnawing on a fat chicken leg. Occasionally, he would put his greasy little hands in his mouth to suck, looking very adorable.

Seeing that the family of three seemed to be waiting for him, Wang Lun did not rush inside. He greeted them and approached, picking up the child. The child, seeing a stranger, did not struggle or cry but obediently nestled in Wang Lun's arms, continuing to gnaw on the chicken leg with great concentration. This single-minded focus made Wang Lun and the others, including Du Qian, laugh heartily.

The young woman, seeing her child's face covered in grease, was afraid of dirtying Wang Lun's sleeves and hurriedly tried to take the child. Wang Lun smiled and shook his head, continuing to play with the child.

Seeing the warm atmosphere, Li Si, as if making a great decision, spoke to Wang Lun, "Chief, I... I don't know how to speak! The kindness you have shown to my family, I will never forget. My wife and I would like to offer you a bowl of wine!" He then nervously handed a bowl of wine to Wang Lun.

Seeing this, Zheng Qian laughed and said, "Li Si, the Chief appreciates your gesture, but he has just recovered from a serious illness and should not drink. I will drink this wine on his behalf!" He then reached out to take the bowl from Li Si.

Hearing this, Li Si's face turned red, and he hurriedly explained, "I forgot about that. Please forgive me, Chief!"

"No problem!" Wang Lun waved his hand, stopping Zheng Qian from taking the wine. He gathered the child, who was still gnawing on the chicken leg, closer to him and took the full bowl of low-alcohol village brew from Li Si's trembling hands. Without hesitation, he drank it all in one go.

Seeing this, Li Si and the young woman also quickly drank their watered-down wine. After finishing, their faces turned red, and they looked very excited. Seeing their simplicity, Wang Lun did not rush to leave. He asked, "Li Si, where are you from? Why did you bring your family to join our bandit camp?"

Li Si was surprised that Wang Lun had not left after drinking the wine but instead asked about his situation. A sense of being honored and surprised filled him, and he stood there, speechless. It was only when his wife, unable to bear it, tugged at his sleeve that he came to his senses. After calming down, he replied, "Chief, my wife and I are from Xixi Village outside the east gate of Yuncheng County. We have been tenant farmers in the Baozheng family for generations. However, the young Baozheng is unvirtuous and often comes to our house, attracted by my wife's beauty. I went to the Baozheng family to complain, but the old Baozheng always dismissed me. My parents, unable to bear the injustice, left... " At this point, Li Si's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth, "That beast did not stop but became even more aggressive. One night, he came to the memorial hall, drunk, and caused trouble. Unable to bear it, I broke his arm with a pole. He then threatened to send me to court. Forced by circumstances, I fled to the bandit camp that night!"

Hearing this, Wang Lun was furious. He threw the wine bowl onto the steps of the hall, cursing, "How dare this scoundrel be so disrespectful? Is there no law in Yuncheng County? I have heard that Wen Bin is a good official, but how can his jurisdiction be so corrupt!?"

Seeing Wang Lun's anger, Zhu Gui hurriedly tried to calm him, "Brother, please calm down and take care of your health! I have also heard about the Baozheng family's deeds in Li Si's village!" Seeing Wang Lun look at him, he continued, "It is said that in Xixi Village, anyone who dares to defy him, whether tenant or villager, is secretly beaten to death and thrown into the stream. He then pretends it is the work of ghosts, luring people into the water. Over the years, he has either invited monks to chant scriptures or hired Taoist priests to perform rituals, all to cover up his crimes. The officials, well-fed by him, never investigate!"

"I know about this too!" Hearing Zhu Gui's detailed account, Song Wan slapped his thigh and added, "That Baozheng of Xixi Village once had a pagoda made of blue stone placed by the stream to suppress the ghosts. However, the Baozheng of Dongxi Village, a brave man, took the pagoda and placed it in his own village. The villagers thought this would cause a fight, but the Baozheng of Xixi Village did not dare to do anything. After this, the Baozheng of Dongxi Village, Chao Gai, earned the nickname 'Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.' I heard about this while traveling, so I know it well!"

Hearing the whole story, Wang Lun gradually calmed down. He nodded to Song Wan and said, "I have also heard of the Baozheng of Dongxi Village, Chao Gai, who is known as a righteous hero. In Yuncheng County, there is also a man named Song Gongming, known as 'Timely Rain,' who holds the position of Yasi and is famous for helping the poor. Li Si, I ask you, have you ever appealed to the county office?"

Li Si shook his head, his face on the verge of tears, and said, "Chief, my family has been tenant farmers for generations, with no money or power. Even if we appealed, how could we stand against the Baozheng family? I have heard of Song Gongming from the villagers, but he is a frequent guest at the Baozheng family. They are like one person, and everyone in the village has seen this. How could I dare to appeal?"

"Brother, in such a world, what can the common people do?" Du Qian saw Wang Lun's displeasure and tried to console him.

Wang Lun's gaze swept over Du Qian, Song Wan, and Zhu Gui. He said, "Li Si has brought his family to our Liangshan, making him one of us. If one of us is hurt, we all feel the pain. If the officials do not care about his injustice, should we, the bandits, also ignore it? I find no taste in drinking any more! Tonight, it seems it won't snow. Du Qian and Song Wan, do not refuse the hard work. We will go down the mountain tonight to see the might of the Baozheng of Xixi Village! Zhu Gui, do not return to the inn. Stay here tonight and guard the camp with the children! Li Si, feed your family and, when it gets dark, lead us to the village. Our bandit camp will give you justice!"

Hearing this, Li Si and his wife were moved to tears. They knelt and kowtowed, saying, "The Chief's kindness is beyond repayment!"

Wang Lun helped them up and returned the child to them. Then Song Wan loudly said, "Brother, do not talk about hard work! If you go down the mountain, what face will we have? Since you have just recovered, why not rest in the camp? Let me and Brother Du go and bring back the Baozheng's head for you to see!"

Wang Lun understood Song Wan's good intentions, which were different from Song Jiang's later attempts to sideline Chao Gai. However, he did not want to be like Chao Gai, who always stayed on the mountain and never took action personally, leading to a situation where everyone only knew Song Jiang and not Chao Gai.

Wang Lun patted Song Wan's shoulder and said, "I appreciate your concern, but this matter is too serious! First, since Li Si has joined our bandit camp, his injustice is our injustice. If I do not act, I will not be able to sleep or eat. Second, Xixi Village is separated from Dongxi Village by a stream. Chao Gai of Dongxi Village is not an ordinary man; many heroes from the江湖 (jianghu) stay at his manor. Although he is said to be at odds with Xixi Village, they are still from the same region. Our large group going to seek revenge will surely cause a commotion, and we might inadvertently provoke him. I will go personally to handle the situation as it arises. I appreciate everyone's concern, but this is how it will be!"

Seeing Wang Lun's thorough consideration, Song Wan did not insist. Du Qian and Zhu Gui also did not try to persuade him further. They all invited Wang Lun to return to the feast to discuss the plan for avenging Li Si that night.

---

Mobile users, please visit the website for a better reading experience.