Di Ming

Chapter 97 Mid-Autumn Festival Gathering

When Ning Caiwei and Zhu Yin heard the man call her "Big Foot Ning" to her face, their faces darkened.

Ning Caiwei is proud of her natural feet, but that doesn't mean she's indifferent to the malicious nickname "Big Feet Ning." One thing at a time.

Zhu Yin turned around and waved to Lan Cha, who was following not far behind him.

When they saw Lan Cha striding over, Zhu Yin led Ning Caiwei into the noisy mill.

"Cough—cough—" An old donkey lay by the millstone, and as Zhu Yin entered, it brayed weakly.

Inside the mill, a dozen or so people were gathered in a lively atmosphere, either gambling on Pai Gow or watching others place bets.

It's harvest season now, and every household is busy harvesting crops; it's the peak season for farming.

In many villagers' homes, the elderly and children were out harvesting rice.

Monks and Taoist priests from temples and monasteries were hired to help in the fields.

But these burly men, all with ruddy complexions, were gambling away, looking incredibly carefree.

Most of them wore silk robes or floral-patterned blouses, and had taken off their shoes. Some even wore flowers in their hair like elegant scholars.

Their attire was inappropriate and their demeanor was vulgar and unkind.

Two of them even had flamboyantly dressed women sitting next to them, heavily made up.

There were also two short-sleeved servants who warmed up the wine for everyone.

The small mill was filled with a mixture of smells: rice bran, wine lees, foot odor, perfume, donkey dung, and sweat... It was quite intoxicating.

Suddenly, the man who was in charge of the betting shouted angrily:

"You thieving bastards! I just got a pair of clubs, and you come up with a pair of earth tiles, and then a pair of benches, ruining my game with all three of your tiles at once!"

"Damn it! I've lost big this time!"

This man had a face full of fleshy muscles, a curly beard, and a large, sturdy nose with prominent nostrils. At this moment, he was so angry that his nostrils twitched incessantly.

He's clearly not a kind person; he's the kind of ruthless person who's inherently vicious.

Zhu Yin glanced at it and shouted in a clear, childish voice, "What a big deal you're doing here! Stop! Stop playing around!"

To everyone's surprise, a little kid, an outsider at that, dared to yell at them, the local bigwigs.

For a moment, they were all a little stunned.

Zhu Yin snapped open his folding fan and puffed out his chest like a little adult. "Who was gossiping just now? Stand up and let me see what you've got."

The dealer, with a "clatter," seized the opportunity to scramble his losing hand, tilted his head back, and sneered, "It's me! What's wrong?"

Zhu Yin stared coldly at the other person's large nostrils. "It's nothing, but you shouldn't have glared at me with your nostrils."

"Damn it..." The big man's face changed color suddenly. He stood up, lifted the hem of his silk robe, and walked towards Zhu Yin with his belly sticking out.

However, before he could get close, a tall and burly figure appeared behind Zhu Yin, stretched out a long arm, and grabbed his arm.

"Crack—" Suddenly, a sound of bones grinding together rang out.

"Ouch! It hurts so much!" the man screamed like a pig being slaughtered. "Hero, wait! Wait!"

He was a burly, fierce man, but in front of Lancha, who possessed superhuman strength, he was like a child.

The others wanted to step forward to help, but when they saw that even Kong Jiulang was subdued, and when they saw the fierce and imposing Lan Cha, they all stopped in their tracks in fright.

"Oh-"

The two girls were also terrified. They screamed in a pretentious, half-serious manner, clutching their chests, putting on a pitiful act of "I'm so scared."

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei both looked disgusted when they saw this group of bullies who preyed on the weak.

Throughout history and in both urban and rural areas, there has always been a parasitic group that is lazy, lazy, and like a malignant tumor: local thugs and hooligans.

These people are despicable, shameless, and ruthless. They not only bully the kind-hearted and provoke trouble, but they also bully the weak and fear the strong, and change their allegiance to whatever wind blows.

They formed a gang, shared similar vices, and were an organized criminal syndicate.

The "Yifu" whom the Ming Taizu Emperor severely cracked down on was actually this kind of person.

They do no productive work; they make their money through extortion, fraud, and deception.

He befriended clerks and runners, colluded with mountain bandits and waterways, and became well-known in both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

They even willingly served as henchmen of the powerful and wealthy, actively solving problems and doing dirty work for these elite families, seeking protection, and acting as accomplices to evil.

Kicking down a widow's door, digging up someone's ancestral grave, exploiting an orphan, cutting off water supply, promoting pornography and theft, lending money at exorbitant interest rates, organizing gambling, pimping, demanding debts at someone's door, forced buying and selling, setting traps, forcing women into prostitution...

There's nothing they won't do.

This group of people were local thugs from Qingqiao North Lane.

Their deliberate provocation of Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei was not out of boredom, but rather with a purpose.

It was both a test and a provocation.

If the two choose to remain silent, it would mean they are weak and easily bullied, truly outsiders with no background.

Then, we can start blackmailing them directly.

There are plenty of ways to make the two spend money to buy peace of mind, and to squeeze their money out of them little by little.

If the two do not swallow their anger but fight back fiercely, then take the opportunity to teach them a lesson and force them to reveal their origins.

It has a history, but we also need to see if it can be moved.

If they have no background and are just stubborn, then we'll use our methods directly, and we'll make sure they obediently pay tribute.

As soon as Zhu Yin settled in the village, they set their sights on him, thinking he was a fat sheep.

But they didn't expect that the two children would actually take action without any fear!
The usually fierce Kong Jiu had also learned some martial arts, but he couldn't even last a single move against this burly man.

We're no match for them militarily, what can we do?
"Young master, I am Kong Jiulang..." The man, his arms gripped tightly, was sweating profusely from the pain. "Misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding! Please let go, young master..."

He was so arrogant before, he's such a coward now.

Ning Caiwei looked coldly at Kong Jiulang, "Didn't you say Ning Dajiao? Say it again and see what happens."

Zhu Yin closed his fan, patted Kong Jiu's face with it, and laughed, "Yes, say it again, I'd love to hear it."

Kong Jiulang was completely unable to move, feeling as if his arm was about to break, and said in a tearful voice:

"Young master, young lady, please have mercy! I'll never dare to do it again... Oh dear, I know Inspector Chen, and I also know Young Master Wang..."

The Inspector Chen he mentioned is Chen Hui, who is in charge of patrolling the surrounding villages and towns.

Young Master Wang must be a nephew or son of Wang, the registrar of the Wang family in Xili.

In other words, the local gentry and powerful figures you cannot afford to offend.

Zhu Yin suddenly reached out and slapped Kong Jiulang across the face, then launched into a tirade of abuse:

"You gossiping scoundrel! What kind of person are you! You're like a dog, yet you dare to mention Inspector Chen and Young Master Wang!"

"They know who you are! You're always the type to bully others and rely on their power! If they knew you were using their influence, they'd skin you alive!"

Zhu Yin, sitting casually at the gambling table, fiddling with a few dominoes in his hand, continued, tilting his head back:

"You blind fools, listen carefully! Although I am an outsider who has settled here, I am renting a villa from the Zhou family. How could I be anything less than respectable?"

"Hmph, in this city of Nanjing, there are countless officials, from high-ranking ministers of the second or third rank to lowly constables and head constables in the yamen, who doesn't give me some leeway!"

"You've got some nerve, daring to mess with me! I may not be a powerful outcast, but I can easily suppress you local bullies."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kong Jiulang was almost in tears. How could he not know that he had kicked a hornet's nest?
Having committed evil deeds in the village for many years, he had long since developed the ability to change his tune depending on the situation. Seeing that Zhu Yin seemed to have some influence, he immediately had no choice but to beg for mercy.

"It's a misunderstanding, I deserve to die!" Sun Jiulang cried, "Young master, please forgive me this time, I will surely repay you."

Zhu Yin waved his hand, signaling Lan Cha to release Kong Jiulang. Kong Jiulang patiently thanked him and then shouted at the crowd:

"Everyone, take out the silver you have and offer it to the young master as an apology!"

After saying this, he first offered up all the seven or eight taels of silver he was carrying.

Intimidated by Zhu Yin's "tyrannical power," the crowd had no choice but to follow suit and search their bodies for silver.

Having acted arrogantly for so many years, they've learned a lot. For example: a wise man doesn't suffer a loss in front of him.

They hadn't expected Zhu Yin, not even ten years old, to be so shrewd. This was no ordinary child.

Sun Jiulang quickly wrapped forty or fifty taels of silver in a handkerchief and respectfully presented it, saying:

"We were just being rude, young master. Please forgive us. This small amount of silver is just a token of our apology."

According to the rules, if Zhu Yin accepts the money for forgiveness, the matter will be temporarily dropped.

If you don't accept it, then today is a fight to the death.

Zhu Yin reached out his small hand, took the silver, casually tossed it onto the gambling table, slapped his palm with his fan, and said:

"Get lost! If you see me in the village again, remember to keep your tail between your legs!"

Zhu Yin had no choice but to "show mercy" and release the people after paying them. What else could he do with these thugs?
You can't just kill someone to vent your anger because of a nickname.

Even if he killed Kong Jiu and others to rid the people of a scourge, he still committed murder and had to pay with his life.

Don't think that killing a bad person goes unpunished; it's still murder.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kong Jiulang pulled off his headscarf to wipe his sweat, bowed and smiled obsequiously, and then left in a disheveled state with a group of people.

They weren't even bothering to collect the dominoes on the gambling table.

Ning Caiwei picked up the silver, held it in both hands and weighed it in her hands, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Calling out 'Big Foot Ning' earned me over forty taels of silver, which is quite a small fortune. If I could exchange it for money every time, I would be happy to hear it in front of me every day."

Zhu Yin said, "These hooligans won't let this go. They'll definitely investigate our background, and they'll only behave themselves once they find out the relationship between Magistrate Zhuang and us."

"It's fortunate that we found County Magistrate Zhuang to back us up, otherwise we wouldn't be able to fight against these local bullies. They have the Inspector and the Wang family as their backers."

“We are outsiders. As long as we show any weakness, they will take advantage of us.”

“We are renting a large house, and with so many people, and being outsiders, we are bound to attract the attention of the Zhang, Wang, and Liu families. They will definitely find out where we come from and they will not ignore us.”

Ning Caiwei's expression was somewhat solemn. "These local thugs are just chickens and dogs, but those three powerful gentry are local tyrants, and they are not easy to deal with."

"Unless we stop developing. As long as we develop, it will inevitably affect their interests, that's for sure."

Zhu Yin nodded: "This is unavoidable. In traditional agricultural societies, resources are limited. As we develop, they, as beneficiaries, will naturally suffer losses."

"Therefore, we must obtain the imperial examination qualification as soon as possible. One must be strong to succeed. Only with the qualification of a successful candidate in the imperial examination can we have room for development."

Ning Caiwei said, "Then you need to study hard. Luckily, you've always liked literature and history, so you have a foundation."

Zhu Yin smiled wryly and said, "I still have a year left. I will study hard, but after all, it is the imperial examination for the title of Juren. I am not confident."

Ning Caiwei smiled gently and understandingly, "Don't feel pressured. You're only nine years old, you have plenty of time. We can wait patiently."

After walking a distance, Sun Jiulang and the others stopped in front of a haystack by a rice paddy, their shock subsiding.

"Ninth Brother, are we really just going to let this go like this?" a thug said with a gloomy face. "We brothers have never suffered such a loss before." Sun Jiulang gritted his teeth: "Let it go? There's no way it'll be that easy! Ning Dajiao and Zhu Xiao'er have gone too far!"

"We need to find out more about Zhu the kid and Ning the big-footed girl. Hmph, they're orphans, they have no elders, I don't believe they have any big connections!"

"He's probably just a penniless guy who couldn't stay in his hometown any longer!"

"If a family truly has a distinguished background, why would they settle in a foreign land?"

"Hmph, even if they have some background, can they be bigger than the Zhang, Wang, and Liu families? We've made an enemy of each other today, so let's wait and see."

As Sun Jiulang finished speaking, he stood there, lifted the hem of his long robe, tucked it into his waistband, and pulled down his underpants, facing the rice paddies and the eastward-flowing river.

His urination seemed to have extinguished the anger that Zhu Yin had inflicted upon him.

"Heh heh heh, I don't believe it! Two little brats and a family of outsiders can outdo the local tyrant in this village!"

"Even if we can't deal with Zhu Xiao'er and Ning Dajiao, aren't there still the Zhang family, the Wang family, and the Liu family?"

"Even if the three major families are easy to talk to, there's no guarantee that there won't be bandits and pirates."

As Sun Jiulang opened the sluice gates to release the water, he said angrily, "You all know what to do?"

A group of thugs revealed sinister smiles.

"Got it. What's that saying again? Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake."

"What a load of bull! They're just two greenhorn brats! I've heard there are people who specialize in trafficking women who didn't have bound feet. I do know some traffickers. Someone like Ning Dajiao is exactly what they're looking to acquire."

"I've heard that it's not a good thing for a child to be so precocious. Zhu Xiao'er is so mature for his age, he's probably destined to die young. It wouldn't be surprising if he were killed by bandits, haha."

……

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei returned to the mansion and prepared to teach the students.

The basic curriculum, which was set in the first half of the year, consists of four subjects: literature and history, geography, arithmetic, and horsemanship and archery.

The four basic subjects were taught only once a day. Horse riding and archery were taught by the Jurchens, including Lancha, while geography and arithmetic were taught by Ning Caiwei.

Considering that Zhu Yin needed to study for the exam, he only taught one literature and history class per day.

The next few days will be spent preparing course materials and textbooks, and then making some simple charcoal pencils, chalk, and blackboards to improve learning efficiency.

After all, calligraphy is not conducive to quick learning.

That evening, when Zhao Chan came to breastfeed Ning Qingchen, she said that Teacher Gu and the county magistrate had actually committed a crime!

The banquet originally scheduled for tomorrow has to be temporarily cancelled and rescheduled for another day.

The scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination respectfully addressed the county magistrate who admitted him as his teacher, just as the scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination addressed the chief examiner who admitted him as his mentor. They had the title of teacher and student, but not the substance of a teacher-student relationship.

Although there was no real teacher-student relationship, nor any teacher-student affection, even if there was only a nominal one, Scholar Gu could not hold a banquet to celebrate when the county magistrate was dismissed.

We'll have to wait at least a while.

This is a matter of etiquette, and it must be observed.

Zhu Yin knew the answer, but knowingly asked, "What crime have my parents committed?"

Zhao Chan said somewhat dejectedly, "They say that Hai Qingtian arrested many corrupt officials for crimes such as colluding with foreigners and rebels, and selling weapons. Some people even implicated their elderly parents."

"My parents served as county magistrates for five years and held great power in Jiangning for five years. They were about to be promoted when they committed a crime."

Zhu Yin thought to himself, "Now that the top official has fallen from power, is there any chance that County Magistrate Zhuang will be promoted? It's possible, but unlikely."

It all depends on whether any of the bigwigs in Nanjing will speak up for him. If so, he has a chance to serve as acting magistrate, for a maximum of one year, before officially becoming the magistrate of Jiangning.

If no powerful figure intervenes, it's possible that Han Canyuan, the higher-ranking Left County Magistrate, will act as the county magistrate. Alternatively, Han Canyuan might not even get the chance, and the imperial court might appoint a new magistrate.

Zhao Chan continued, "My husband said that many high-ranking officials have been arrested in Nanjing. Some foreigners from overseas in Southern Zhili have also been arrested. But since it's a major case handled by Hai Qingtian, they certainly won't be wrongly accused."

"I have never encountered such a major event in Nanjing since I can remember."

What she didn't know was that the instigator of this major case was the seemingly harmless boy in front of her.

Zhu Yin asked, "If the county magistrate has fallen from power, then who will take over the county administration?"

Zhao Chan replied, "They said that the two county magistrates on the left and right have been temporarily appointed to manage the county seal, but I don't know the specifics."

Zhu Yin nodded. He thought to himself, "If I give Magistrate Zhuang a push in this matter, could I propel him to the position of acting magistrate?"
……

August 14th arrived in the blink of an eye.

In the morning, a young servant in blue robes came to the city, found Zhu Yin, and presented him with an invitation.

It turned out to be a letter from Zhuang Shu.

The letter invited Zhu Yin to attend the Confucius Temple fair during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then to enjoy the moon and eat mooncakes at Zhuangjia's house in the evening.

Upon seeing the invitation, Ning Caiwei said in an annoyed tone:

“That little hussy actually remembered this! She was so direct, only asking you out, without mentioning me at all.”

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "I didn't invite you, nor did I say you couldn't come. If we go together, she can't kick you out, can she?"

"Haha!" Ning Caiwei laughed. "Then I'll go with you. I bet that little hussy's face will be quite a sight when she sees me."

……

Wuyi Lane, Zhuang Mansion.

Although Zhuang Tingjian had his own independent county magistrate's office, he came from a prominent family in Changzhou with a large and wealthy household, and also owned a large mansion in Nanjing.

Zhuang Tingjian's residence in Nanjing was located in the famous Wuyi Lane.

At that time, only famous scholars, officials, and gentry could own property in Wuyi Lane.

In a flower-lined pavilion in the courtyard of the Zhuang family, a young girl of only ten years old was playing chess with a slightly older girl.

That ten-year-old girl, just beginning to blossom, was none other than Zhuang Shu.

She played against a maximum of twelve opponents, all of whom were beautiful and charming.

Although they were both small, their eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and their expressions were serious, like little adults.

"Fourth Sister." The girl, who was about twelve years old that year, placed a chess piece down. "That Zhu Yin is only nine years old. Even if he has the potential to be a child prodigy, it's hard to say what his future will be like."

"Throughout history, there have been many child prodigies who showed great promise in their early years but did not necessarily excel as adults."

Zhuang Shu also placed a chess piece, "Cousin, you don't know, but Zhu Zhihu doesn't seem like a precocious person. I think he's a lucky one."

"Besides, my cousin knows that I have a competitive nature. Father said that the little tiger could become the son-in-law of the Zhuang family, but he also has a child bride, which makes me want to compete with him."

"If I give up so easily, it would make me, Zhuang Si Niang, seem inferior to others."

“Our daughters are betrothed at thirteen or fourteen and married into the family at fifteen or sixteen. We may be young, but how many years do we have left? While we are still young and unafraid of shame, we should take the initiative and make a difference. Otherwise… it will be too late to regret.”

My cousin nodded slightly, covered her mouth and laughed, "Although Fourth Sister is young, she already understands this principle, so there's no need for me to remind her."

Just as the two women were talking, the servant who had delivered the message returned to report:

"Fourth Miss, I have delivered the invitation to Qingqiao. Young Master Zhu has already agreed to attend."

Zhuang Shu raised her rosy cheeks and asked, "Where's Ning Dajiao? Is she coming too?"

"Ning Dajiao?" The servant was taken aback, then remembered the big-footed little girl beside Zhu Yin and immediately nodded, "I think she might come along."

Zhuang Shu sneered and threw the chess piece into the chess jar.

"I'm not playing anymore, it's boring."

"I knew Ning Dajiao would follow."

My cousin asked in surprise, "You mean that child bride? She actually has big feet?"

Zhuang Shu covered her mouth and chuckled a few times, "Who says it isn't? It's her. She's not bad looking, looks presentable, but she has unbound feet."

"Judging from her expression, she probably doesn't have a lowly status. She's probably just afraid of pain and hardship, and she's only willing to give up on herself because she craves comfort."

My cousin shook her head: "How can someone who's afraid of pain and hardship and craves comfort ever become a superior person? We endured so much suffering, pain, and tears to raise her bound feet. How can she expect to gain anything without putting in the effort?"

“My ancestor once said that all outstanding people throughout history have endured hardship in order to sharpen their will. To bind one’s feet as a woman is tantamount to cultivating the Tao; how can one not cultivate oneself?”

“What’s the difference between a woman with unbound feet and a naughty boy who neglects his studies? They are both fools who indulge themselves.”

Zhuang Shu said, "Mr. Jingchuan was a great scholar in the country. Although he has passed away for many years, the Tang family's reputation has not declined to this day, which shows how profound his legacy is."

My cousin shook her head: "It's a pity that I, Tang Rong, was born too late and never saw my ancestor's face. Just imagining him leading the troops against the Japanese pirates, a civil official wielding a sword and charging into battle, with no one able to stand in his way, is truly awe-inspiring."

Zhuang Shu nodded and said with emotion, "He is both a master of literature and a master of martial arts. In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, there has only been one person who has achieved such a high level of both literary and martial arts skills, except for Master Tang."

Tang Rong smiled, her youthful face radiating a subtle confidence.

“Cousin, since Ning Dajiao is coming, let’s give her a taste of her own medicine as a gesture of respect.”

Zhuang Shu smiled confidently, "I already have a plan. Tomorrow at the temple fair, there will be poetry recitations, riddle guessing, and I'll force her to participate and see if she can handle it."

"If I can't catch it... in public, it's not just about my big feet being embarrassing."

At this point, the two women exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

……

Early the next morning, Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, along with Ding Hongying and Meihe, left Lancha and others to guard the house, and rode into the city by carriage.

As agreed with Zhuang Shu, they would meet at the north side of Wuding Bridge at the entrance of Xuanzhen Alley.

From the residence in Qingqiaoli to the inner city, it's only about seventeen or eighteen li.

In less than 45 minutes, the carriage arrived at Wuding Bridge.

Zhu Yin pulled his child bride off the carriage and saw two young girls gracefully stepping down from the painted carriage in front of them.

Although there were many people on the bridge, Zhu Yin recognized Zhuang Shu at a glance.

At the same time, Zhuang Shu also met Zhu Yin.

As per custom, Zhuang Shu stood on the right, gave a proper curtsy, and said gracefully:
"Younger sister greets elder brother, may you be blessed."

She was clearly a year older than Zhu Yin, but she called herself "little sister".

This is a gift.

As Zhuang Shu bowed, her beautiful eyes met Ning Caiwei's.

She looked a little surprised. "Why is Sister Ning here too? Is she here to participate in the lantern festival and compete for the prize?"

Tang Rong, standing beside her, looked Ning Caiwei up and down, her eyes first filled with amazement, then regret, and even a hint of disdain.

Is this Ning Dajiao?

Haha, that’s interesting.

P.S.: I wonder how far I'll fall in the monthly ticket rankings. But I'm content; we're small, and we've already done a great job. Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)