Chapter Thirty-Three: Karma

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Several of the scoundrels were rather dismissive. If Ma San truly understood the art of reading people, he would not still be a petty hoodlum at his age.

Ma San looked over the men and understood that they all thought he was merely putting on airs.

But he did not care. If he cared about too many things, he would never have become a scoundrel and spent his days drifting through life in a daze.

“All right. We didn’t get those twenty taels today, but Young Master Mu gave us two taels. That’s enough for us to eat and drink well for a meal.”

Ma San weighed the two taels of silver in his hand, then said, “Come on. Tonight, we’re going to the Heavenly Fragrance House for a feast. I hear their pickled-cabbage fish is absolutely unparalleled!”

At once, the eyes of the other scoundrels lit up.

“Third Brother, you’re magnificent!”

One of them shouted excitedly. The Heavenly Fragrance House’s pickled-cabbage fish had recently become famous, and nearly everyone wanted to taste it.

Unfortunately, for lowlifes like them, even a bowl of noodles had to be obtained through some extortion scheme. How could they ever have had the chance to eat at the Heavenly Fragrance House?

Yet the moment they turned around, they ran straight into Fang De and several constables.

“Lord Fang!”

The scoundrels trembled as they called out.

Fang De glanced at them, then turned his gaze to Ma San.

When he saw the silver in Ma San’s hand, his eyes immediately gleamed.

“Well now, Brother Ma San, you’ve had quite the luck today. You actually managed to get two taels of silver?”

Fang De gave a strange laugh, his tone carrying an unmistakable implication.

Ma San tightened his grip around the silver, then slowly relaxed his fingers.

Fang De’s meaning was perfectly clear: he wanted Ma San to hand over the money he had just obtained.

The other scoundrels understood as well, and they immediately turned anxious eyes toward Ma San.

They hoped he would show some backbone and keep the two taels for himself.

But they also knew exactly what Fang De and the constables were like. Two taels might not be much, but those bastards would never let it go.

Holding the silver, Ma San wore an expression of reluctance and inner struggle.

Seeing this, the other constables began mocking him.

“Ma San, don’t tell us you’re planning to keep those two taels all to yourself?”

“A dog wants to snatch food from its master?”

As these words reached him, Ma San’s face shifted between dark and pale, as though he were making an agonizing decision.

Fang De and the others were in no hurry. They simply watched Ma San with sinister smiles.

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These scoundrels might act imposing in front of ordinary people, but before Fang De and his men, they were no different from house dogs.

When their masters were pleased, they were given a bone. When their masters were displeased, they were beaten simply to vent their anger.

Ma San hesitated only a moment before quickly plastering a smile across his face.

“It is all thanks to Lord Fang that we have food to eat. Without you, men like us would have starved to death somewhere in the streets long ago.”

As he spoke, he held out the silver.

“Good. You know how to behave.”

Fang De took the money with satisfaction, then patted Ma San’s cheek.

“Remember this: only what we give you belongs to you. If we haven’t given it to you and you take it yourself, that is theft. And theft means prison. Understand?”

Ma San nodded with a smile.

“Understood. This humble one understands.”

Fang De studied him, his eyes growing increasingly contemptuous.

He knew perfectly well what Ma San was thinking, but he did not care. Nor did he need to.

There were countless people in the entire Taiping County eager to serve them as dogs. They were nothing more than a few animals trained to bite. If one refused to obey, it could easily be replaced.

He casually pulled several copper coins from his robe and tossed them onto the ground, his face filled with disdain.

“You did well today. Take these and buy yourselves some tea.”

Ma San immediately bowed and scraped, thanking him as he crouched down to pick up the coins.

The other scoundrels who had come with him looked just as unhappy, but they could only seethe in silence.

As a constable of the fast patrol, Fang De was precisely the sort of official responsible for dealing with lowlifes like them.

With any excuse at all, Fang De could have them thrown into prison for many days.

Besides, they were hardly good people themselves.

“Thank you, Lord Fang. Thank you, Lord Qiu…”

Ma San collected the coins, bowing and thanking everyone in turn, then led the scoundrels away.

Watching him leave, the constable known as Lord Qiu said, “Don’t you think that man looks exactly like a dog?”

The constables burst into laughter.

Ma San’s steps faltered slightly, but he quickly lifted his foot and continued on.

Only after they had gone some distance did the scoundrels finally reveal their furious expressions.

“That bastard Fang went too far! He gave us only a few copper coins. Does he think he’s dismissing beggars?”

“That Young Master Mu has a grudge against us, yet he still gave us two taels of silver. Fang De gave us only a handful of copper coins!”

“This is outrageous! He’s gone too far!”

“What a pack of beasts!”

Only after they were certain Fang De could not possibly hear them did they finally give voice to the words in their hearts.

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They were not defending Ma San out of sympathy. They knew exactly what kind of person he was.

Once the two taels of silver had fallen into Ma San’s hands, he would certainly have shared half of it with them.

But now they had only a few copper coins—barely enough even to buy tea!

Ma San glanced from side to side and said sternly, “Quiet! Have you forgotten what Fang De did to Old Liu the Second?”

At those words, the scoundrels shuddered and promptly fell silent.

Meanwhile.

Zhao Mu and the others had found a secluded tea stall and quietly listened as Wen Zhi explained the entire story from beginning to end.

As it turned out, Wen Zhi had not married his current wife for love.

In fact, in this era, very few people married because they were mutually in love.

Wen Zhi’s father-in-law knew a little about the art of reading people. The first time he saw Wen Zhi, he concluded that the young man would one day become a general. He therefore married his daughter to Wen Zhi.

Although Wen Zhi’s wife had been unwilling and had put up quite a struggle, she ultimately could not defy her father and could only accept her fate.

Later, her father used his connections to smooth Wen Zhi’s path, helping him secure the position of gate warden in the army.

With the old man’s support, Wen Zhi flourished for a time.

But good fortune did not last. A few years later, his elderly father-in-law passed away.

Thanks to Wen Zhi’s previous experience in the frontier army, coupled with his remarkable martial prowess, no one had any particular designs on his position as gate warden.

That changed several days ago, when Wen Zhi offended a superior over the matter of the refugees. He was stripped of his position and dismissed entirely.

Fang De, who had grown up with Wen Zhi’s wife and had been her childhood companion, immediately seized the opportunity to confess his feelings to her.

Although Fang De and Wen Zhi’s wife had known each other since childhood and had long been mutually attracted, marriages arranged by parents and matchmakers still held sway. Moreover, Wen Zhi had at least been a gate warden, while Fang De was merely a constable. Their social positions had differed considerably.

Thus, although Fang De had long harbored improper intentions, he had never dared to overstep the bounds.

Wen Zhi’s wife resented her father for the choice he had made years ago. Before long, she became openly involved with Fang De.

In order to remain together forever, they used this opportunity to lay a trap for Wen Zhi.

They had never imagined that he would walk into it so readily.

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