Chapter 322: Wendong Cards (2)
Just these people were enough to nearly fill a table; at this rate, they might need three. He quickly called over a nearby militiaman and had him inform the cafeteria and the Zhao Family of the situation. The message was to report that guest numbers had far exceeded expectations and to activate the contingency plan. Soon, smoke began to rise from the chimneys of several other houses, as they were urgently tasked with preparing more cornmeal rations.
Zhang Dadan and his gang of street loiterers were restless by nature. Leaving a few of their younger guys to greet the other punks who arrived, the whole group swarmed toward the cafeteria. Knowing the front seats were reserved for the officials, they had the good sense to occupy the seats in the back.
“Brother Dadan, what’s the cool thing you’ve got? Show us!”
“Yeah, you’ve been so secretive about it.”
Zhang Dadan let out a sly chuckle, opened his cloth satchel, and pulled out more than ten decks of cards. The cards were finely made, with just the right amount of stiffness—they were a pleasure just to look at.
“Whoa, playing cards!”
“The craftsmanship is really nice! This is good stuff. Brother Dadan, where’d you get them?”
The punks’ eyes lit up. This bunch loved nothing more than playing cards to kill time, a rare pastime, and they immediately recognized quality and started clamoring.
“Heh heh, you think these are just ordinary playing cards?”
“Take a closer look!”
Zhang Dadan flipped over a card, showing off its design. A punk who was close by glanced at it, confused at first. “Isn’t this just a Nine of Characters? What’s there to see—”
“Holy shit! Isn’t the Nine of Characters supposed to be Song Jiang? How did it become Brother Dong?!”
His sentence trailed off, turning into a cry of shock.
“Huh? Brother Dong? For real?”
Hearing this, the others all crowded around to look, and the group exploded into an uproar. They saw that the figure of Song Jiang, which should have been on the card, had been replaced with an image of Zhao Wendong. The drawing wasn’t a perfect likeness, but the name next to it was clearly written: Zhao Wendong.
“Whoa, it really is Brother Dong! Brother Dong is the Nine of Characters!”
The group immediately started shouting and clamoring. Zhang Dadan, his face full of pride, couldn’t resist picking up another card. “Look what this one is.”
“Eight of Characters, Zhang Dongsheng?”
“Who’s Zhang Dongsheng? Don’t know him!”
HAHAHA!
Seeing Zhang Dadan’s face freeze, Liangzi, who was beside him, burst out laughing.
“I told you to write ‘Zhang Dadan’! But you just had to use your real name. Who recognizes your real name?”
Once they heard that Zhang Dongsheng was Zhang Dadan’s real name, all the punks roared with laughter. Just then, a clever one among them put the pieces together and shouted.
“Don’t tell me every card has been changed to one of us!”
Liangzi slammed his hand on the table. “That’s right! Hahaha! Last time we went to fight at Wang Family’s Hut, there were exactly one hundred and eight of us. Isn’t that a coincidence? It must be fate! So, we made these cards as a gift for Brother Dong. What do you guys think?”
“Great! That’s awesome!”
Those who were among the one hundred and eight immediately started shouting in excitement, while those who weren’t looked on with envy. ‘What is this? This is a medal of honor! Proof of their bond with Brother Dong!’
“Quick, quick, let us see.”
“I’m the Five of Characters.”
“I’m the Four of Circles.”
“Hahaha, I’m the Six of Bamboos.”
The boisterous crowd began to claim their own cards. Just then, someone asked Zhang Dadan.
“Brother Dadan, do these cards have a name?”
“How about ‘Brother Dong Cards’?”
“Let’s call them ‘Brawl Cards’!”
“‘Punk Cards’ is the best.”
Liangzi couldn’t stand it anymore and quickly proposed, “Stop messing around! Since it’s a gift for Brother Dong, let’s call them ‘Wendong Cards’!”
“Alright, Wendong Cards! Come on, let’s play.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get a game going.”
A group of them started a game right away. Four people played while a large circle of onlookers gathered around. Liangzi quickly reminded them loudly.
“No gambling for money! Just keep a tab for now. We’ve got officials here today!”
“Okay, got it!”
The punks all agreed. Right now, the main point was getting to know the cards; the money was secondary. Besides, although gambling was officially forbidden, telling people they couldn’t play for stakes while cooped up all winter was like a death sentence. Even decades in the future, what village wouldn’t have its own mahjong parlor?
Zhao Wendong had no idea that Zhang Dadan and his friends had created “Wendong Cards,” or that they would soon become incredibly popular due to their excellent craftsmanship and unique design. At that moment, he was busy welcoming a convoy of vehicles from the county.
Two jeeps led the way, followed by two large trucks. Jiang Weimin had arrived. And not just him—he had brought pretty much everyone else along with him.
“Hahaha, Comrade Wendong, we’re not late, are we?!”
Jiang Weimin stepped out of the car, smiling as he shook Zhao Wendong’s hand.
“Not at all, not at all! The food isn’t even ready yet!”
An elderly man was standing next to Jiang Weimin. Zhao Wendong went to greet him next. He hadn’t expected Former Secretary Tao to come as well.
“Former Secretary, hello, hello.”
“Comrade Wendong, I hope this old man hasn’t disturbed you by showing up uninvited?”
“Not at all, not at all. It is my honor.”
After all, Former Secretary Tao was still the nominal county secretary; Jiang Weimin had to wait for a general meeting in a few days to officially take over. For two successive secretaries to attend his wedding together was a huge show of respect for Zhao Wendong. Jiang Weimin hadn’t expected Former Secretary Tao to come either, but it wasn’t a complete surprise. After all, Zhao Wendong was no ordinary person.
“Comrade Wendong, I’ve brought the other comrades along, too. Oh, and Special Commissioner Wei and Director Tang from the prefecture asked me to bring their wedding gifts for you.”
As he spoke, he produced two boxes. Zhao Wendong quickly accepted them and, without opening them, handed them to his older brother standing nearby to put away safely.
“Please, Secretary Jiang, Former Secretary, go and rest for a bit. There will be a simple ceremony shortly. When the time comes, I’d like to ask you, Secretary Jiang, to be my witness. I was wondering if I might have that honor?”