Chapter 112: A Chance Encounter at the Tavern

The journey from Baiyue Village to Zhao Manor is only five or six li. Although an exceptionally heavy rainstorm had fallen the previous night, the roads were made of hard-packed earth and were not difficult to traverse. The five of them chatted and laughed as they walked, and while they were not moving quickly, they arrived in less time than it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

The Zhao Manor Tavern sits at the southwest corner of the manor. Hanging high in front of the tavern is a sign inscribed with the words: "Li’s Tavern."

Because the landlady, Mistress Li, had forcibly torn her daughter, Li Zhenzhen, away from Zhang Yong to marry her off to Cheng Dingye of Gaochang Town, Zhou Zhi really did not want to come here to drink. However, in these impoverished and remote outskirts, this was the only tavern available, so Zhou Zhi had no choice but to come, albeit reluctantly.

When the tavern waiter saw Zhou Zhi’s group—especially the well-dressed Lu Xingchuan and Che Lang, who were wearing the square caps of scholars—he naturally dared not neglect them. He welcomed them with a smiling face and ushered the five into the main hall.

It was well past noon, and the only other people in the main hall were five or six bare-armed men sitting around a table, drinking heartily and playing finger-guessing games. The rest of the tables had already been cleaned and cleared.

The group of bare-armed men was particularly eye-catching. The moment Zhou Zhi entered the hall, his gaze fell upon Liu Hui among them. Liu Hui sat at the head of the table; because of the sweltering heat, he too had his fair, muscular arms exposed. His face was slightly flushed from excessive drinking, and he was squinting as he watched the others play their games. Beside him were his underlings, Zhang Dong, Niu Desheng, and Liu Wa. The other two men were familiar to Zhou Zhi as well; they were ruffians who had accompanied him to Xinzhuang to rescue his father, Zhou Tie.

Liu Hui naturally spotted Zhou Zhi immediately. He started to stand up to greet him, but then thought better of it and sat back down. Instead, he offered Zhou Zhi a friendly smile, acknowledging their acquaintance. Clearly, Liu Hui had noticed Lu Xingchuan, Che Lang, and the others behind Zhou Zhi. Since they were dressed as scholars, Liu Hui was tactful enough to realize that being seen with his own rowdy crowd would likely reflect poorly on Zhou Zhi.

Zhou Zhi smiled back at Liu Hui, then found a window-side table with Che Lang and the others, where they seated themselves after some polite gestures. As for Zhang Dong and the others, seeing that their leader, Liu Hui, was not acknowledging Zhou Zhi, they quickly understood the situation and chose to look the other way, pretending they were strangers.

The waiter arrived to serve them with enthusiasm. Fan Jin, showing no restraint, ordered six meat dishes and a jar of fine, aged Yongfeng wine in one breath. Before long, the food and drink arrived, and the group began to toast one another. While scholars usually maintain a certain decorum when drinking, Fan Jin was remarkably bold and high-spirited, drinking deeply and holding forth on various topics. The conversation inevitably turned to the eight-legged essay Zhou Zhi had written, and they expressed boundless admiration and envy for his talent.

Liu Hui could hear their discussion clearly and was secretly astonished. He thought to himself, "No wonder Brother Zhou Zhi refused to join our lot; it turns out he had higher aspirations—he intends to be a man of letters!" He mused that this was for the best; with Zhou Zhi’s ruthlessness and intelligence, perhaps he could truly earn a degree and become an official in the future.

Thinking this, Liu Hui felt an even greater sense of awe toward Zhou Zhi.

After three rounds of drinks and the savoring of various dishes, Che Lang, Lu Xingchuan, and Wei Haogu also became more talkative, and the atmosphere at the table grew lively.

Just then, the sound of a carriage driver shouting at horses erupted outside, followed by a nasal voice declaring, "Mother-in-law, your son-in-law has arrived!"

Zhou Zhi recognized the voice immediately; it was the third son of the influential Cheng Ke, the insufferable fool Cheng Dingye. Though the address was technically correct, his tone was arrogant, dripping with disdain.

A moment later, a woman of about thirty hurried out from the back room. She was beautiful, dressed in a fashionable silk dress, and swayed with a certain charm as she walked. This was, of course, the tavern’s landlady, Mistress Li. Her face broke into a beaming smile, and after a hurried reply, she hastened out of the hall to welcome him.

No sooner had she left than Cheng Dingye strode in, his lip curled in a sneer, followed by three burly servants. The short, ugly Cheng Dingye scanned the room arrogantly before pulling up a chair at a table and sitting down. His three servants stood behind him, chests puffed out in a display of haughty pride.

Mistress Li apologized with a fawning smile, "You have had a long journey, son-in-law. Please, have a cup of tea to rest."

Cheng Dingye rolled his small eyes and barked, "No tea! What is the point of tea? Hurry up and call that wretch Li Zhenzhen out here!"

Mistress Li seemed choked by his tone, but she continued to smile placatingly, "I know you have come for my daughter, but she is currently ill and truly cannot come out to see you." Her voice was humble and timid.

"Ill? What nonsense! That wretch is stubborn and disobedient in my home; she has nearly driven me to death with rage!" Cheng Dingye roared. Seeing that Mistress Li remained motionless, he became even more incensed. "What? Are you planning to protect that little wretch, too?"

"This... this..." Mistress Li stammered. Finally, seeming to steel herself, she walked slowly toward the back room.

Cheng Dingye sat there, breathing heavily, his small eyes scanning the hall once more. Zhou Zhi noticed that Cheng Dingye’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary. Clearly, he had recognized him and was surprised to see a poor vegetable peddler from the countryside sitting at a table with a group of scholars. However, because their only previous interaction had been a simple business transaction where the prices were high—a fact that the fool had boasted about not minding at the time—there was no real enmity between them.

Finally, Cheng Dingye’s eyes rested on Liu Hui’s table. He was in a foul mood and clearly irritated by the noise coming from the ruffians. However, he likely recognized Liu Hui and felt some trepidation, so he refrained from lashing out.

Suddenly, Cheng Dingye slammed his small fist onto the table and shouted, "Mother-in-law, why isn't she out yet? Did you all die in there?"

"Coming, she is coming! Zhenzhen is just washing up!" Mistress Li called back anxiously from the inner room.

After another moment, when Mistress Li still hadn't brought her daughter out, Cheng Dingye lost his patience. "What are you standing there for?" he barked at his three servants. "Go in and drag that wretch out for this young master!"

The servants dared not disobey and hurried into the back room. Soon, they dragged out Li Zhenzhen, who was disheveled and covered in tear stains. Zhou Zhi had never met Li Zhenzhen before, but he had heard from Zhang Yong that she was beautiful and elegant. Today, seeing her, he found only a haggard, pale face beneath a tangle of messy hair.

Zhou Zhi recalled how Mistress Li had cruelly destroyed the relationship between Li Zhenzhen and Zhang Yong. At the time, Li Zhenzhen had resisted with all her might, consumed by grief, but had ultimately been forced to submit. Zhang Yong, left with no choice, had been driven to the point of desperation. According to the flow of history, Zhang Yong was destined to become a powerful and pivotal figure in the Ming Dynasty. He had been gone for only eight or nine months, and one could only wonder how he fared now. Surely, if Zhang Yong were to see Li Zhenzhen in such a state, his heart would be shattered.