Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 84

Inside a rowdy tavern where all sorts of people came and went, four or five men swaggered in. Leading them was a burly man with a fierce presence. Their demeanor was loud and domineering, and their attire made it clear they weren’t decent folk. As soon as they entered, they shouted, “Waiter! Bring out the best wine and dishes you’ve got!”

It was mealtime, so the tavern was packed. The men following the burly leader strode up to a table and barked, “Move! Move! Make room!”

The two middle-aged men who had been eating there didn’t dare protest. They quickly carried their bowls and plates aside to give up the table.

But the tavern was full, and they were left awkwardly holding their food with nowhere to sit. At that moment, a voice came from the corner, “Sit over here.”

The two men hurried over gratefully, saying, “Thank you, young brother.”

The one who had spoken was a young man with clear eyes, it was actually Ying Su disguised in men’s clothing. Since her features were delicate and a bit too feminine, she had thickened her brows with makeup, giving her face a sharper, more heroic look.

After the four or five men sat down, the tavern waiters rushed over to serve them. The burly leader barked, “Bring out all your signature dishes!”

“Right away!” The waiter answered, returning shortly with wine.

One of the smaller men among the group poured a full bowl of wine for the burly man and said, “Big Brother, it’s been four or five days now, and still nothing has happened. Don’t you think that Liu Huang from Qinglong Hall is just too timid?”

“Better to be cautious than careless,” the burly man muttered, lifting his bowl.

The man sitting beside Ying Su leaned closer and whispered, “Little brother, that one there is none other than Lu Da, one of the most notorious thugs in Shili Town. Every petty gangster around here knows his name. That fellow pouring wine is Wang Si, one of his underlings. These men all follow Lu Da. Whenever there’s trouble in town that can’t be settled, people go to Lu Da.”

This man was Shili Town’s so-called “Know-It-All.” The name was an exaggeration; he wasn’t omniscient, but because he often mingled with street thugs, he picked up bits of gossip others didn’t know.

For the past few days, Ying Su had been wandering the streets in disguise. Inspired by Liu Chuncao’s words, she realized that if there were no grudges involved, the people who smashed her shop and set it on fire couldn’t have been ordinary citizens or professional killers.

That left only two possibilities: hired street thugs lured by money, or retainers of a wealthy household sent to cause trouble.

If it had been the latter, the culprits would have already flaunted themselves openly by now. Since no one had stepped forward, it could only mean the first: someone had secretly paid the local ruffians to do it.

And that was something Ying Su would never swallow in silence.

After four days of observation, she had already mapped out the situation with Shili Town’s underworld. The local riffraff weren’t particularly powerful; most were petty thieves or loafers. Thanks to the upright governance of Fengyang’s magistrate and the constant patrols of Officer Zhou, law and order were good, which meant these thugs didn’t dare to act too brazenly.

Even so, Lu Da stood out as the biggest name in town, with dozens of men under him. He made his living “helping” people smooth over disputes. Normally, he lingered around the docks but curiously, he hadn’t shown up there for the past four days. That alone made Ying Su suspicious.

Lu Da’s survival in Shili Town depended on the Canal Gang’s protection. The Canal Gang was the largest outlaw society in Jiangbei. It was said to have originated from river pirates who once plagued the area.

Twenty years ago, those water bandits were so rampant that the court sent imperial commissioners and troops several times to suppress them. But the bandits knew the waterways too well: the currents were swift, the reed marshes twisted like a maze, and countless hidden channels ran beneath the river. 

Time and again, the government failed to catch them. The moment the troops withdrew, the bandits returned, ravaging the people of Jiangzhou. In the end, the court had no choice but to grant them amnesty.

Peace lasted only a short while before the Canal Gang emerged, led by those same bandits. Instead of robbing ships outright, they now “managed” the waterways. Any boat passing through Jiangbei had to pay them tolls. 

Over time, they took control of every dock in the region, extorting fees from all ships unloading cargo. The gang grew stronger and stronger, and every petty thug in Jiangbei saw joining them as an honor.

Lu Da owed his own notoriety to serving under Wang Ba, a leader in the Canal Gang. He oversaw Shili Town’s docks on Wang Ba’s behalf.

“Big Brother,” one of his men whined, “we’re sick of hiding. Haven’t been able to have any fun in days!”

Lu Da tossed some broken silver onto the table. “Take this and enjoy yourselves.”

The men’s faces lit up. “Thank you, Big Brother!”

With that, the group feasted heartily, clinking bowls and drinking to their fill.

They spoke no further of business. Ying Su, hearing nothing useful, pulled a small piece of silver from her pocket and set it before the “Know-It-All.”

“Thank you for helping me these past few days.”

The man grinned, tucking the silver away. “Think nothing of it. If you ever need news again, come find me. I won’t keep you from your affairs. Farewell.”

The two middle-aged men at the table also finished their meal, thanked Ying Su again, and left.

Meanwhile, Lu Da’s group continued drinking noisily. Ying Su remained unhurried, signaling for the waiter to clear her dishes and bring tea and melon seeds instead. She cracked them leisurely while she waited.

When the five finished eating, they split up outside the tavern. Three of them headed toward Fengyang City, silver in hand, likely off to visit brothels. Lu Da and Wang Si, however, turned toward the docks.

“Been three or four days since we went down there,” Lu Da muttered. “I wonder if those lads have been slacking off.”

“Of course not!” Wang Si flattered him with a grin. “You told them to watch the docks carefully. Unless they’ve got an itch for a beating, they wouldn’t dare slack off!”