The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

As soon as Qiu Dabao beckoned, dozens of minions came forward and wanted to tie up three of them, Chao Mahan raised his foot and kicked two of them, Su Jin shouted: "Don't do anything, just let them tie up."

Chao Mahan said anxiously: "Master... this..."

Qiu Dabao waved his hand and said: "Since Special Envoy Su understands the situation in front of him, there is no need to be tied up. If the three of you know each other, please don't resist, just obediently follow me to the cell."

Su Jin said lightly: "Lead the way ahead."

Qiu Dabao turned around and left, Su Jin and the other three followed behind him, and a group of gangsters were waiting with swords and guns, escorting the three of them to a stone room in the south corner of Dazhai.

Su Jin's eyes dimmed, and he felt that his feet were empty, so he quickly stabilized his body, but saw a long step in the stone room leading to the ground, which was an underground prison.

After walking down more than [-] steps, his eyes suddenly lit up, and a huge prison cell appeared in front of him, with more than ten dim oil lamps lit inside, and there were three or four prison cells separated by logs on one side. There are a few figures in the dark, it seems that they are also prisoners held here.

The three bandits in custody were sitting around an earthen table, burning a small chafing dish and drinking wine. Seeing so many people rushing in, they panicked and shouted hurriedly, "Who is it?"

Qiu Dabao shouted in a deep voice: "You guys actually drink while on duty? Don't you want to lose your head?"

A bandit saw clearly that it was Qiu Dabao, shivered in fright, and hurriedly said: "Second leader, please don't say anything, it's very cold down here, Qi Lao Si Ma Lao San and I want to drink some wine to keep out the cold. "

Qiu Dabao stared and said: "Do you want to drink to keep out the cold? Wouldn't it be warmer to get some firewood outside and make a stove?"

The bandit said: "The second leader doesn't know something. The space here is so small that there is nowhere to go for the smoke from the stove. Isn't this smoker mouse?"

Qiu Dabao walked in with his hands behind his back, nodded and said: "It makes sense, it's indeed rather gloomy here, but it's a violation of the mountain's rules to drink while on duty."

"Don't dare to do it again next time. The second boss raised his hand and let us go as a fart."

"You have a lot of witty words, so I will spare you today, and I will not be an example."

The three bandits thanked in a hurry, and Qiu Dabao pointed to Su Jin and the others behind him and said, "Three new prisoners have arrived, so please take care of them."

A black, skinny bandit bared his yellow teeth and said, "I didn't say anything, you, the second leader, do you want them to eat fried pork with bamboo shoots or roasted taro?"

Qiu Dabao glared at him and said: "Pray for the fourth child, can you accumulate some Yin virtues, see people who are either fried with bamboo shoots or roasted taro, it's nothing more than fried pork with bamboo shoots, it's nothing to beat with a bamboo board dipped in water, How immoral is that roasted taro? Burning other people's eggs with charcoal fire, is this done by humans?"

Qi Lao Si hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, the second leader is a bit wicked."

Qiu Dabao said: "What? You say I'm immoral?"

Qi Lao Si hurriedly gave himself a mouth, and said: "Slap your stinking mouth, I mean, I am a bit wicked for the second in charge."

Qiu Dabao ignored him, pointed to an empty cell and said, "The three of you will be locked up there. Let me tell you, these are three court officials, they are important people. You should take care of them carefully. There is one hair missing. The three of you If you can’t afford it, go around; in this way, go get some more hay to lay on the bed, and give them two mattresses, don’t freeze them, the big boss will peel your skin.”

The three bandits nodded hurriedly, opened the gate of the prison cell, and brought a few bales of hay to spread in the corner of the room, then said: "Second in charge, is it okay?"

Qiu Dabao turned around and glanced at Su Jin. Su Jin cupped his hands and stepped into the cell. Chao Ma Han hesitated for a moment, then followed him.

Fourth Qi used a big and thick chain to wrap the door back and forth several times, fearing his hands and said: "That's it."

The bandit who spoke to him before said with a smile: "Second leader, do you want to sit down and have a drink?"

Qiu Dabao waved his hand and said: "No need, it's too late, I have to go back and cover the bed."

The three of them hurriedly said: "The second leader walks slowly."

Qiu Dabao scolded: "I wish I could leave immediately, so as not to bother you drinking?"

The three hurriedly said: "How can it be?"

Qiu Dabao walked to the side of the cell, looked at Su Jin and the other three through the fence, thoughtfully, and seemed to want to say something, but finally bit his lip, turned around and led them away.

The old monk Su Jin sat motionless as if in a trance, Wang Chao Mahan scratched his ears and cheeks anxiously, and whispered next to Su Jin's ear: "My lord, why don't you let us do it, the three of us grabbed a few knives and hacked together Kill, maybe there is a chance to get out of trouble and go down the mountain."

Su Jin opened his eyes and glanced at the two, sighed and said: "You two just don't use your brains, there are many bandits in this village, where are we going once the gate of the village is closed?"

Ma Han said: "At worst, he can kill more than a dozen bandits, or have a chance to capture the bandit leader as a hostage. Wouldn't it be possible to go down the mountain safely?"

Chao Chao also said: "That's right, the second master was in front of me just now, I really wanted to grab him as a hostage, but the young master kept silent, so I couldn't do anything."

Su Jin said: "Killing a few bandits but dying, what's the use? Take the second leader as a hostage? Can't you see that the second leader is just a decoration? It's one thing to catch Shen Yaozu; but others Will it be easy for you to hold it? Besides, what if we go down the mountain? If we can’t get things done, we can’t get the food back, isn’t it a death?”

Ma Han blinked his eyes and said, "Then shall we just let others slaughter us? Young Master, you can't give up on yourself, the whole family is counting on you."

Su Jin couldn't help laughing, what was it all about, she couldn't explain to these two people at all, so she simply closed her eyes and calmed down, ignoring them.

Chao Mahan was at a loss. He heard the three bandits Xili snoring in the middle of the hall, eating meat pots and drinking hot wine. His heart was like a cat scratching. He just ate a few bites of meat in the hall and was killed by the bandit leader. The table was overturned, and when I smelled the smell of wine and meat, my stomach suddenly felt like a little rabbit, beating drums.

"Hey, brother, how about some wine and meat?" Ma Han finally couldn't help shouting.

The three gangsters turned around in astonishment, and seeing Ma Han looking at him eagerly through the cracks in the wooden fence, they couldn't help but smile and said, "Do you want to drink and eat meat?"

Ma Han said: "Yes."

Fourth Qi picked up a glass of wine and came to the fence with a piece of hot meat in his hand, squatted down and said, "Want to eat meat, do you want to eat wine?"

Ma Han said: "Just give me something to eat, what's the point of talking so much?"

Fourth Qi was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed loudly with his yellow teeth open: "Emotions are a mess."

The two bandits said: "What are you doing with him? Come and sieve the wine, it's your turn to do it."

Fourth Qi laughed, stretched out his hand and shook the piece of meat in front of Ma Han's eyes a few times, then threw it on the floor of the cell through the wooden fence with a clatter, and said, "Eat, it's still hot."

Ma Han was furious, praying that the fourth child didn't realize it, and poured a small glass of wine on Ma Han's face, and said with a smile: "How does it taste?"

Furious, Ma Han suddenly stretched out his hand from the fence, grabbed Qi Lao Si's hair in a bun, and pulled it hard, Qi Lao Si immediately screamed like a pig, and Ma Han swung his palm to shine His head crackled and thrashed wildly, beating the fourth child so that he cried and cried.

The other two gangsters rushed over when they heard the sound, yelled loudly, and beat Ma Han's hands and head with a bamboo board. Ma Han finally let go of the pain, and prayed that the fourth child ran away all the way. Only then did he sit slumped on the ground, his cheeks on both sides were swollen, and several large bumps bulged on his head.

Fourth Qi cursed vaguely and turned around 360 degrees. When he saw the copper basin by the wall, he picked it up and ran to the cell, cursing, "I told you to play tricks? I'll freeze you tonight." Into ice lumps."

With a whoosh, a basin of cold water poured in through the fence. The three of Su Jin couldn't avoid it, and they were soaked all over, even the dry grass on the ground was wet.

Qi Lao Si opened his mouth and laughed loudly: "You will suffer tonight, mother, if the second head of the family has not explained, I will not let you try the handicraft of roasting taro. I don't believe in Qi."

The three of Su Jin were dripping with cold water, and stood there like drowned rats, their eyes widening.

Ma Han was still busy wiping Su Jin up and down.Originally, he just lost his coat, but he rubbed it with his big hands, and suddenly got inside, the cold Su Jin shivered.

Wang Chao slapped Ma Han on the head twice, and scolded: "You foodie, look at what you have done, we two can hold on, how will my son live tonight?"

Ma Han was dejected, peeking at Su Jin with lowered eyebrows, completely languid.