Chapter 88: Old Single Dog
Because Zhang Fei was preoccupied with dealing with Wang Wenshan at the time, and Cao Dongdong and Ma Xiaoyi had saved his life, so he hadn’t discussed his compensation with Cao Dongdong. However, he believed that since Cao Dongdong was a young master, he would not be mistreated.
It was this uncertainty of how much he would be paid that made it exciting.
“Zhang San, I am here, come out quickly!”
“Brother San, are you there?”
“I’m here! I’m here!”
Before they even entered, Zhang Fei could hear Cao Dongdong and Ma Xiaoyi howling like ghosts and wolves inside the shop, banging on tables and pounding on doors, which hastened his steps.
But upon entering, Zhang Fei was instantly stunned.
What the hell? Just… just a small gift box?
Just before, when Ma Tianhao and the others had come, they were carrying in large wooden crates, a spectacular sight indeed!
“Zhang San!” Upon seeing Zhang Fei, Cao Dongdong was extremely excited, rushed up to him, and placed a hand on Zhang Fei’s shoulder, “This time I really owe you one for clearing my name. I did not trust the wrong person! Haha!”
“Hold on a moment.”
Zhang Fei brushed off Cao Dongdong’s hand, “Let me have a moment of peace. If I remember correctly, it seems that you have not yet paid my fee.”
Ma Xiaoyi jumped forward, giggling, “Brother San, we saved your life, that should count for something, right?”
Cao Dongdong nodded vigorously, “Exactly, exactly, we are your lifesavers, and you still have the nerve to ask us for money.”
Playing this game with me? Zhang Fei said, “But I helped you in two ways: first, by winning the lawsuit, and second, by shielding you from the Grand Empress Dowager’s punishment.”
Cao Dongdong was surprised, “How do you know I wasn’t punished?”
Zhang Fei smiled, “If you were punished, could you still be hopping around here?”
“That’s true!”
Cao Dongdong chuckled, “You know, my grandaunt just advised me to be careful in the future and praised me for sticking to principles and not disgracing our Cao family.”
With that, he couldn’t help but laugh proudly.
After the lawsuit was concluded, Grand Empress Dowager Cao felt somewhat guilty, wondering why she hadn’t trusted her own grandnephew and instead believed outsiders.
Far from punishing him, she even praised him a few times and gave him many delicious pastries, delighting Cao Dongdong immensely.
It was the first time he had ever been praised so highly by his grandaunt.
Zhang Fei said, “So this is how you thank me?”
Cao Dongdong shook his head, just as his servant Taozi stepped forward and opened the small wooden box he was holding.
“Gold?”
Zhang Fei’s eyes lit up instantly.
Having been in the Northern Song for so long, this was the first time he had seen gold. His transactions with Ma Tianhao and the others had always involved copper coins.
Cao Dongdong smiled, “How could I fail to reward you adequately when you have helped me so much? Here are one hundred taels of gold, is that enough?”
The Cao family was truly wealthy.
After all, Cao Bin was a founding hero of the dynasty and had been ennobled as a prince.
But this approach seemed a bit old-fashioned, couldn’t he add some new twists? Zhang Fei’s eyes flickered, and he quickly said, “You are too generous. Actually, I have always regarded money as dirt; it is neither what I love nor what I need.”
Taozi, who was listening intently, suddenly felt his hands lighten, and looking up, he saw that the box had already reached Zhang Fei’s hands.
Cao Dongdong asked, “Then what do you love, what do you need?”
Zhang Fei, clutching the one hundred taels of gold, sighed deeply, “I long for a home.”
Cao Dongdong was no fool, “Houses in Bianjing are very expensive, I can’t afford to give you one of those.”
Zhang Fei coughed, “Home is not just about the house.”
“What is it about then?”
“People!”
“Are you asking me to help you find your parents?” Cao Dongdong asked.
“……?”
Zhang Fei, nearly moved to tears by Cao Dongdong’s sympathetic look, choked up, “I’ve been searching for my parents, so there’s no need for you to worry. But my parents have always hoped that I would have a home.”
“A woman!”
Suddenly, Ma Xiaoyi exclaimed, “Brother San, are you talking about a woman?”
Zhang Fei immediately gave Ma Xiaoyi two thumbs up, tears nearly escaping his eyes. Truly, it was his parents who gave him life, but it was Little Ma who understood him.
He wondered why, in the Northern Song, where it was normal to give women away, no one had ever given him one.
They only knew to give money.
How vulgar!
Intolerably vulgar!
Cao Dongdong curiously observed Zhang Fei, “Zhang San, at your age, you still haven’t married and had children?”
Please! I’m only twenty-four, but that seems to qualify as an older single man here. Zhang Fei nodded shyly.
Cao Dongdong then asked, “Have you ever visited a brothel?”
So direct? Zhang Fei blushed and shook his head.
Cao Dongdong was shocked, “Then you haven’t…?”
Zhang Fei nodded firmly.
Cao Dongdong, very curious, asked, “How have you resisted?”
Zhang Fei replied, “I’m barely holding on.”
“Oh, boy!”
Cao Dongdong slapped his thigh, “You should have said so earlier, I could give you a concubine.”
“A… concubine?”
“Yes.”
Cao Dongdong nodded earnestly, “I have quite a few concubines; giving you one wouldn’t be a problem.”
In the Northern Song, it wasn’t just common to give concubines; there was even swapping, which made things very chaotic.
But Zhang Fei couldn’t stand it, thinking, so you tire of her and then hand her over to me? What does that make me? I don’t have that kind of hobby!
Cao Dongdong, seeing Zhang Fei silent, said, “Is one not enough?”
“It’s… not… not a matter of being enough, it’s just something else entirely!” Zhang Fei forced a smile and said, “How could I take what you love.”
Suddenly, Ma Xiaoyi spoke up, “Big Brother, have you forgotten? We came here today to invite Brother San to drink at the White Crystal Inn, and just the day after tomorrow, there will be a big auction there, including many respectable women.[1] Why don’t you buy one for Brother San?”
You clever devil. Zhang Fei found Ma Xiaoyi increasingly endearing. He understood people’s minds so well.
Cao Dongdong said generously, “That would work, what do you think?”
He really wanted to befriend Zhang Fei now, so they could happily cause mischief together in the future.
Zhang Fei hesitated, “I’m so handsome, yet I have to rely on buying a woman to form a family. This…!”
Cao Dongdong impatiently said, “You don’t want a gift, and you don’t want to buy, so what will you do? You can’t just take one, though I wish I could….”
“Ahem, I mean, is it legal to buy a respectable woman?”
“If it were illegal, would the White Crystal Inn dare to do it? Some women are sold voluntarily, while others are punished for crimes and reduced to servitude. They are still under the government’s control. Can the government break its own law?”
“Good point!” Zhang Fei nodded firmly, “Then it’s settled.”
“What’s illegal or not illegal?”
Suddenly, Xu Zhiqian appeared.
“It’s nothing!”
Zhang Fei placed one hand on Cao Dongdong’s shoulder and the other on Ma Xiaoyi’s, “Just now, Cao Dongdong was consulting me on some legal matters.”
Xu Zhiqian glanced suspiciously at Cao Dongdong, “Young Master Cao, you’re lucky this time. If you don’t change, you might not be so fortunate next time!”
“I…!”
Cao Dongdong barely started to respond when Zhang Fei choked him off, “Lady Xu, rest assured, I’ll keep an eye on them.”
Xu Zhiqian looked dubiously at Zhang Fei, “I’m going back now.”
“Lady Xu, take care.”
Once Xu Zhiqian had left, Zhang Fei let go of Cao Dongdong and Ma Xiaoyi, sighing in relief.
“Ahem, Zhang San, you almost choked me to death.”
“Sorry! Sorry! I got too excited and used too much force.”
Cao Dongdong straightened up, looking at Zhang Fei, “Why are you afraid of that Lady Xu, could it be that you two…!”
Zhang Fei quickly interjected, “Don’t speak nonsense, I still want to live a few more years. I’m just afraid she might report me to my benefactor.”
Cao Dongdong nodded in understanding; this was something he was familiar with. He added, “Although Lady Xu is beautiful, she has a fierce temper. I dare not provoke her. So far, no man in Bianjing seems able to tame her.”
Suddenly, Ma Xiaoyi said, “I actually think Lady Xu is quite nice. Not only is she beautiful and well-proportioned, but she is also righteous, charitable, and a heroine among women. It’s a shame she doesn’t notice me.”
“Huh?”
Both Zhang Fei and Cao Dongdong gave Ma Xiaoyi a strange look.
…
Meanwhile, as Zhang Fei was preoccupied with having a good time, Xu Zun was truly worried about him.
He never expected that Zhang Fei would refuse a position as an official.
If it were merely a simple rejection, that might have been the end of it, but the issue was that it was the Emperor himself who had suggested this!
“What?”
Emperor Zhao Xu looked at Xu Zun in shock. “You say Zhang San has refused to take up an official post?”
Xu Zun nodded.
“Why is that?” Zhao Xu asked, extremely curious.
Who in the world did not want to be an official!
Especially since Zhang Fei wasn’t the type of refined scholar who preferred the solitude of the mountains and forests; he was someone who would rather stay in a bookstore than take up an official post, which was quite a blow to the Emperor’s self-esteem.
Xu Zun awkwardly explained, “Zhang San says that even if he were to take an official post, he would find it difficult to accomplish anything.”
Zhao Xu grew agitated, “On what basis does he say this? If he is capable, how could he not achieve anything? Does he think I am the sort of imbecilic ruler who cannot recognize talent?”
“He meant no such thing.” Xu Zun quickly clarified, “It’s just… it’s just…”
Zhao Xu pressed, “Just what?”
Xu Zun replied, “It’s just that he believes the bureaucracy is so entangled with rules that any action he takes would be hindered on all sides. Thus he feels he would be unable to accomplish anything.”
Bang!
As soon as Xu Zun finished speaking, Zhao Xu slammed his hand on the table. “You see, you see, the problem of excess officials has become so severe that even a pen-in-cap resents it. If we do not reform, how can the nation prosper?”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
Aside from this phrase, Xu Zun didn’t know what else to say.
Zhao Xu looked at Xu Zun, still not giving up, “Do you have any way to persuade him to join the imperial court as an official?”
The more Zhang Fei resisted, the more excited the Emperor became, and the more he wanted him.
Xu Zun said, “Your servant has no solution at the moment, but I feel that the young man is not entirely resistant. Perhaps we should wait and see.”
Zhao Xu frowned in silence.
He could not afford to wait!
Reform efforts were imminent, and he badly needed capable officials.
[1] The term respectable woman is used to refer to a woman who is not from a “bad background” such as having been a servant. We will see later how such respectable women can find themselves up for sale.