Chapter 8: Strike While the Iron Is Hot

That night, Wu Tiande’s drinking was brief, and he only ate until he was halfway full before having to leave early. There was no other choice. That woman, Bao Er’s wife, had already feigned weakness from the wine and collapsed into the arms of Chief Flag Deng Gang, the two entwined in a passionate embrace. If Wu Tiande had stayed any longer, wouldn’t he be making a fool of himself?

What if negotiations between the two parties fell through and a conflict erupted? Would Wu Tiande side with the Baos or defend Chief Deng? Even if no quarrel arose, seeing the two so intimately entangled would surely make Wu Tiande uncomfortable.

Taking advantage of Bao Er’s drunken departure and the lovers’ preoccupation, Wu Tiande gathered up the leftover meats, vegetables, buns, and yellow wine from the kitchen stove and packed them all to go. These were the remnants of the fast food business; it would be unwise to let these adulterers have them for free.

Soon, Wu Tiande returned home.

“Hmph, at least you have some conscience and brought me something to eat,” Qingwen muttered softly.

Originally, as a participant in the operation, Qingwen was somewhat displeased that Wu Tiande hadn’t given her a share of the money. When everyone agreed to celebrate at the Bao household, Wu Tiande worried that a young maid like her might be corrupted by Bao’s wife or pursued by the soldiers Deng Gang brought along, so he had her return home to rest. As a result, she was still hungry late into the evening.

“Why don’t you cook for yourself?” Wu Tiande teased.

Qingwen snapped back, “For heaven’s sake, I’ve been running around all day for you, can’t I take a little break? Besides, I’m not good at cooking anyway.”

Yet when Qingwen saw the large amount of food Wu Tiande brought back, she was startled.

“I can’t possibly eat all this alone,” she pouted, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.

“We can save it for later. Can’t let Bao Er’s wife get this advantage for nothing,” Wu Tiande said, recalling the lecherous scene at the banquet where Deng Gang’s hands wandered over Bao Er’s wife’s supple body, and his own belly burned with jealousy.

He hurried into the courtyard and practiced the Hengshan Sect’s “Returning Wind and Falling Wild Goose Sword” for a while. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, he finally took a cold shower and went to rest.

By noon the next day, Wu Tiande had invited Mrs. Lou and her son Jia Jun to help watch the house, instructing Qingwen to learn cooking from Mrs. Lou. He himself, accompanied by Chief Deng Gang and the Bao couple, hired several horse-drawn carts and set off toward Tongzhou.

With such a lucrative business, everyone naturally wanted to strike while the iron was hot.

Perhaps it was harder to fool people in Beiping city, but there were other places.

In the following days, Wu Tiande and company repeated their tricks in Tongzhou, Shunyi, Changping, and Liangxiang counties, selling magnetic stones and fast food. Though their profits were not as high as the first time, they still earned five to six hundred taels of silver.

However, such deceitful schemes could not remain secret for long. Once rumors spread, Wu Tiande, Deng Gang, and the Bao couple prudently cut their losses and returned to Beiping city to lay low.

Some imitators, once exposed, were beaten to a bloody pulp, but these troubles were none of their concern.

After this trip, Wu Tiande received another one to two hundred taels of silver, Deng Gang and his men took two to three hundred, and the Bao couple received one hundred taels.

This time, the Bao couple was clever enough to refuse a fixed wage, insisting instead on a share of the profits. Wu Tiande, considering their neighborly relationship and the alluring presence of Bao’s wife, which helped attract customers, agreed.

Bao Er was so thrilled with his sizeable earnings that he became oblivious to the affair between his wife and Chief Deng. At the celebration banquet, he drank himself into a stupor and slept soundly, indifferent to whether a green hat adorned his head — a fact that made Wu Tiande shake his head in dismay.

Back home, Wu Tiande rewarded Mrs. Lou and Jia Jun with a string of cash for their help in watching the house and also gave them extra grain, meat, and vegetables, sending the mother and son home smiling and joyful.

As for Qingwen, he gave her a silver ring, hastily dismissing her to avoid her nagging.

The next morning, just after finishing breakfast and before he could practice martial arts, a loud pounding came from the courtyard gate.

“Who is it?” Wu Tiande frowned.

“Master Wu, it’s Bao Er. Please open the door, I have important matters to discuss,” came a voice from outside.

“Bao Er?” Wu Tiande grew suspicious. “That scoundrel pretended to be drunk last night. Now that he’s got the money, he probably plans to back out. He’s my next-door neighbor and my superior officer. If we fall out, I’ll be caught in a dilemma with no good outcome.”

With that in mind, Wu Tiande decided not to get involved. He cleared his throat and replied in a high-pitched voice, “Wu Tiande is not here.”

“If he’s not here, then who are you?” Bao Er demanded.

Wu Tiande gave Qingwen a look.

“I’m Qingwen,” she called out loudly.

“Hahaha, you two are trying to fool ghosts! That’s not the same voice at all,” someone outside laughed heartily.

“Brother Wu, it’s me, Deng Gang. I know you’re inside. Stop playing games and open the gate. If not, I’ll kick it down and you can’t say I’m ungrateful,” the man boasted.

“Alright, alright, I’m opening it now,” Wu Tiande hurriedly said.

If it were just Bao Er, Wu Tiande could have kept pretending, but with Deng Gang here, such tricks were no longer acceptable.

“Chief Deng, aren’t you supposed to be on duty at the camp today?” Wu Tiande smiled as he opened the gate.

“I took leave in advance. Besides, nothing important is happening at the camp. Sneaking away for a few days won’t matter,” Deng Gang replied.

They quickly settled into the main hall. Qingwen poured warm tea for Deng Gang and Bao Er and then slipped away to a side room, leaving the three men to talk business.

“Brother Wu, I’m here to ask for your help,” Deng Gang said bluntly.

The night before, Bao Er’s wife had seduced Deng Gang again. After their liaison, she half-kneeling on the bed, pressed her full, fragrant bosoms toward him and asked to borrow money.

“I’m not borrowing for nothing. Years ago, Bao Er and I agreed that once we had money, we’d buy a proper three-entry courtyard house near the Jia estate for a comfortable life. But funds have been tight, and without extra income, it’s been delayed.”

“Today by chance, we met Jiao Da from the Ning household on the road. He’s short on drinking money and is selling a courtyard house on Rong Street for five hundred taels. We feared missing such an opportunity, so we came to you for help.”

Given Deng Gang’s temper, if she had demanded money immediately after their tryst, he would have flipped out. To think someone dared to play this kind of trick on a seventh-rank chief officer!

But the problem was that Bao Er’s wife’s flirtatious charm pleased Deng Gang, and her voluptuous figure made him reluctant to part with her. To cut ties now would end their future dealings, which he found regrettable.

Also, Bao Er’s status was not simple. Though a servant, he belonged to the Jia family and was trusted by the candidate magistrate Jia Lian. His masters hardly gave him orders. The couple’s several days of fast food business had passed without incident.

No one would believe Bao Er had no standing in the Jia household.

Though Bao Er’s wife had seduced Deng Gang, there were surely expectations of reciprocity. If she gave herself without benefit, a falling out would be awkward.

Deng Gang, an officer with some standing, would never want to be accused of freeloading.

“How much do you still need?” Deng Gang asked gently, holding Bao Er’s wife in his arms. Deciding that after several trysts, giving her thirty to fifty taels would not be a loss.

Bao Er’s wife replied, “Quite a bit. The three-entry courtyard on Rong Street is well maintained and expensive.”

“Plus, the stewards of the Rong and Ning estates like to buy property there for convenience. Jiao Da won’t budge an inch on price — not a single tael less.”

“My husband and I have scrimped and saved for years, but we’re still short by two or three hundred taels…”

Deng Gang frowned, “Two or three hundred taels? You really have the nerve to ask me for that?”

Bao Er’s wife blushed. Though she had hooked up with Deng Gang, it had been brief, and asking for such a sum seemed unreasonable.

She knew that a few taels in the red-light district could buy a night with many dazzling women.

But pressed for time, facing the chance to buy a home, she couldn’t bear losing it over money.

Steeling herself, she raised the stakes: “Brother Deng, if you lend me this money, my flower-like body will always be yours to enjoy. If not, I dare not see you anymore.”

“Interesting indeed,” Deng Gang mused.

Having just dallied a few times, she now wanted him to shell out money. He would never agree outright but was happy to lend for a time.

Overall, he stood to lose nothing, and it would be cheaper than frequenting brothels, without sullying his reputation — a clear benefit.

The key was, where to get the money?

He was strapped too.

Recently, Deng Gang had learned a secret: Sun Shaozu, the Left Sentry Captain of the Divine Machine Camp, was seeking the Tongzhou garrison post and had spent much silver to do so.

If Sun dared buy office, others would sell.

Within the Divine Machine Camp’s Left Sentry, Sun Shaozu could control promotions below the rank of hundred-man commander, including chiefs and sub-chiefs, all at a set price.

Promotion from chief to trial hundred-man commander cost five to six hundred taels, depending on connections; from sub-chief to chief was cheaper, but still two to three hundred taels — no small sums.

Deng Gang had risen from soldier to seventh-rank chief, and naturally knew how to leverage resources.

“Two or three hundred taels is quite a lot. Though I’ve made some money, I have other uses for it and can’t lend you all. Think carefully — do you have other ways to raise funds?” Deng Gang said, willing to help but setting clear limits to avoid risk.

If the Baos bought the house at a loss and couldn’t repay, he’d suffer too.

After much discussion, they settled on a crooked plan involving their good neighbor Wu Tiande.

“Hahaha, Brother Wu, you’re no spring chicken. In a few years, when you marry and have children, your small courtyard will be too cramped. Why not follow my advice: swap your little yard for Bao Er’s house, and pay him a two hundred tael difference? You’ll still be neighbors,” Deng Gang laughed.

Wu Tiande naturally refused. He wasn’t a fool to let his superior manipulate him. Bao Er’s place was slightly larger—a two-entry courtyard—but located in the remote, narrow Xiaohuazhi Alley, no wealthy person would want it, so it wouldn’t fetch a high price.

Asking for two hundred taels difference was likely unrealistic.

“Chief Deng, you know the Divine Machine Camp values reciprocity. I’ve finally gotten some silver, but if I don’t save some for festival gifts, I won’t be able to handle my superiors’ expectations. If I fall short, it’s not just me who suffers, but you’ll get blamed too,” Wu Tiande said, unwilling to reject outright but invoking the camp’s customs.

“That’s true,” Deng Gang muttered.

Just as the matter reached an impasse, Bao Er suddenly spoke, “Jiao Da is an old servant of the Ning household who once saved the late Duke from a pile of corpses. The Duke rewarded him generously. Jiao Da also owns a shop on Rong Street, which he wants to sell with the house. If Master Wu is interested, we can negotiate with him to get a better price.”

“A shop on Rong Street?” Hearing this, Wu Tiande’s heart began to beat wildly.