“Brother Feng, how did it go with the bandits? Did you kill them all?”
“Brother Feng, what’s in these carts? Why are they so heavy?”
“It’s not money, is it?”
“How could it be? How much money would it take to fill a dozen sacks?”
As they entered the village, before Jin Feng could separate from the team, he was surrounded by curious villagers, all bombarding him with questions.
After finally shaking off the villagers and preparing to head home, Jin Feng spotted a middle-aged man in a moon-white robe, accompanied by two bailiffs, approaching from the village.
“Is that Master Zhou?” Jin Feng asked, glancing at Liu Tie.
“That’s him,” Liu Tie nodded.
At this, Jin Feng squinted, sizing up Master Zhou.
Master Zhou was short and thin, holding a folding fan. His triangular eyes, hooked nose, thin lips, and a small, pointed moustache gave an unsettling impression.
When Master Zhou smiled, Jin Feng felt even more uneasy.
It was a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“You must be Mr. Jin Feng, I presume?”
Master Zhou quickened his pace and bowed to Jin Feng. “I’ve long heard of Mr. Jin’s youth and talent, a remarkable figure. Meeting you now, I see the rumours are true. I’ve been waiting eagerly.”
“You flatter me, Master Zhou.”
Jin Feng didn’t return the bow, casually asking, “What brings Master Zhou to this remote place?”
Not returning the bow was a slight, and a flicker of malice passed through Master Zhou’s eyes, quickly suppressed.
Still smiling, he said, “May we speak privately?”
“Fine, come to my house.”
Jin Feng nodded and led the way.
Master Zhou’s eyes lit up as he followed eagerly.
He had previously tried to visit Jin Feng’s home but was stopped by Liu Tie and others.
Now, with Jin Feng’s invitation, it suited him perfectly.
Perhaps he could catch a glimpse of Jin Feng’s new spinning wheel.
Since childhood, Master Zhou had seen spinning wheels daily. Given a little time to study one, he was confident he could replicate it.
“Mr. Jin, those carts must be carrying spoils from Iron Jar Mountain, right?”
Master Zhou glanced at the carts, probing, “The bandits of Iron Jar Mountain have plagued Jinchuan for years, harming countless people. You’ve eliminated them, so the haul must be substantial, no?”
Though the bandits paid him tribute annually, he didn’t know how much wealth Liu Jiang, their leader, had amassed.
“Not much, just over ten thousand taels of silver and five or six hundred carts of grain,” Jin Feng said, deliberately inflating the figures twofold.
“That much? Impossible!”
Master Zhou’s eyes widened, his tone betraying shock and envy.
Though the bandits paid him tribute, most of it went to the Zhou family.
What remained, after bribing various parties, paled compared to what Liu Jiang, the bandit leader, had hoarded.
“Just joking, Master Zhou,” Jin Feng said with a laugh. “You know I’m a blacksmith. Those carts are just carrying stones for smelting iron.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Master Zhou scoffed inwardly but smiled and said, “How about I offer five hundred taels of silver for those stones?”
He pulled out a stack of banknotes from his robe.
“What do you think?”
Jin Feng shot him a sidelong glance.
Was this guy seriously trying to take advantage?
“Just kidding,” Master Zhou said, tucking the banknotes away with a smile.
Jin Feng couldn’t be bothered to respond, turning onto a small path and parting from the carts.
But Qing Muluan and A Mei followed him.
In the city, many wealthy figures hired female bodyguards to protect their families, so Master Zhou assumed they were Jin Feng’s hired guards and paid them no mind.
Inside the courtyard, Master Zhou’s eyes darted around, searching for the spinning wheel.
Unfortunately, Jin Feng had already moved the spinning wheel and forge to his new house, so Master Zhou found nothing of value.
“Master Zhou, stop looking. There’s no spinning wheel here.”
Jin Feng bluntly called out Master Zhou’s intentions.
“Spinning wheel? What spinning wheel?” Master Zhou feigned ignorance.
“Worth of a seasoned official, your acting’s top-notch, not even a blush.”
Jin Feng sat casually on a stone bench, stretching lazily.
After hours of walking, his back ached.
A Mei poured two cups of water, one for Jin Feng, one for Qing Muluan, completely ignoring Master Zhou and the bailiffs.
It was as if they weren’t there.
Master Zhou could tolerate Jin Feng’s earlier jab, but A Mei’s actions felt like a slap in the face.
Squinting, he said coldly, “Mr. Jin, where did you find such ill-mannered servants?”
“First, they’re not servants, they’re my guests,” Jin Feng said. “Second, this isn’t the county office. I’ve no time for your bureaucratic games. These two bailiffs are your trusted men, not outsiders, so just say what you came to say.”
“What do you mean, Mr. Jin?”
“I can’t stand talking to you officials. I’ve made it clear, so why ask what I mean?” Jin Feng said, exasperated. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. I know you’re after my spinning wheel, I know about your dealings with the Iron Jar Mountain bandits, and I know you’re here to negotiate.
Since we’re both clear on this, why not just say it outright? Why pretend to be all friendly? Aren’t you tired?”
“Mr. Jin, don’t slander me! Explain yourself, who’s colluding with bandits?”
Master Zhou’s forehead veins bulged, as if Jin Feng had insulted his honour and he was ready to fight.
“This is boring,” Jin Feng said, irritated. “Are you here to talk or not? If not, get lost and stop wasting my time.”
Scholars of this era prided themselves on their dignity, and someone as blunt and crude as Jin Feng was rare.
Expecting Master Zhou to storm off, Jin Feng was surprised when he instead dismissed the two bailiffs from the courtyard, then smiled and pointed at Qing Muluan and A Mei.
“It’s your choice to send people away, but they’re my friends,” Jin Feng said.
Not only did he not ask Qing Muluan and A Mei to leave, he invited them to sit.
Master Zhou kept his smile. “Mr. Jin, you’re indeed straightforward. Fine, I’ll get to the point.”
“Go ahead.”
Jin Feng leaned back in a rattan chair, speaking casually.
“Since you know the Iron Jar Mountain bandits were my doing, shouldn’t you have informed me before taking action?” Master Zhou challenged. “That’s the rule.”
“Let’s get this straight. The bandits came to my doorstep, threatening to tear me apart. How was I supposed to inform you? Send you a dream after I’m dead?” Jin Feng said, looking at Master Zhou like he was an idiot.
“Fine, let’s say you had no choice. But you killed the bandits I painstakingly cultivated. By rights, you owe me compensation!” Master Zhou said. “I’m not asking much. You said you seized over ten thousand taels of silver and hundreds of carts of grain from Iron Jar Mountain. Return those to me, plus an additional five thousand taels, and we’ll call it even. We can still be good brothers…”
