Chapter 3: Do You Believe It or Not?

He walked calmly up to Zhong Dayong, clasped his fists, and said, "Chief Zhong, I need to ask you for a few days' leave. The autumn sowing is almost here, and at home there's only my old mother and my young wife — two women will likely be too busy to manage. So I plan to go home for a few days, and I'll return as soon as the work is done."

Zhong Dayong was taken aback. Before he could speak, Yang Tong, standing nearby, said in a strange, mocking tone, "Wang Dou, you know perfectly well Chief Zhong needs hands here. Slipping away at a time like this — what do you mean by it?"

Wang Dou slowly turned his gaze toward him, a trace of contempt rising in his eyes. He said scornfully, "I'm speaking with Chief Zhong. Since when does a ball-less waste like you get to butt in?"

At these words, everyone present gaped. Yang Tong cried out in disbelief, "Well, well, you big fool Wang — you dare speak to me like that? You must have a death wish."

He was about to step forward and grapple with Wang Dou, but Wang Dou lunged forward first and threw a straight punch to his face.

With a whoosh, the fierce fist smashed heavily into Yang Tong's face. Yang Tong spun and was instantly sent flying.

Yang Tong scrambled up, his face and mouth covered in blood, several front teeth knocked out. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shrieked, "You filthy bastard, you dare hit me? Your grandpa will fight you to the death!"

Recklessly he tried to charge forward, but before his eyes a foot-shadow grew larger and larger — Wang Dou pivoted and swept a kick across his shoulder. Yang Tong spewed a mouthful of blood, tumbled several times, and hit the ground heavily like a sack, so pained he could not even groan, his whole body merely convulsing.

Wang Dou pointed at him and roared, "You filthy piece of trash! I work myself half to death in the watchtower every day, and that means I have to put up with your slander? Today I'll beat you to death, you wretch!"

He moved to haul Yang Tong's body up, but several voices shouted at once, "Stop!"

Yang Tong's wife, Madam Liu, threw herself forward and clung tightly to Wang Dou's leg, her face streaming with tears. She pleaded, "Brother Wang, please, no more — if this goes on someone will die! It's all my man's fault. Your sister-in-law here begs your forgiveness."

Wang Dou halted, looked at Madam Liu for a long moment, and said flatly, "Since sister-in-law pleads for mercy, I'll let him go today. But sister-in-law should give Brother Tong some good advice from now on, lest he regret it later."

He gently pulled his leg from Madam Liu's grasp, cast a sidelong glance at Zhong Dayong, and said evenly, "Chief Zhong, about that leave — what do you say?"

Zhong Dayong had merely stood stunned through the whole incident. Only when Wang Dou asked did he snap back to his senses. Shocked and furious, he pointed at Wang Dou and for a long moment could barely get the words out: "Fine... fine, you Wang Dou, what nerve you have!..."

Abruptly he shrieked, "You still want leave? This cheap bastard — I'm going to..."

His words stopped short, for Wang Dou's spear-point was now pressed against his throat. Zhong Dayong's whole body went rigid.

Wang Dou looked at him coldly and said, one word at a time, "You dare insult me one more time? Fuck your mother — do you believe I'll spear you dead right now?"

Inside the watchtower, one could have heard a pin drop. Everyone wore expressions of disbelief. Han Zhong gaped stupidly at Wang Dou, drool spilling from his mouth without him even noticing. His brother Han Chao had also shed his usual lazy demeanor, his eyes sharp and fixed intently on Wang Dou. Even Zhong Dayong's wife, Madam Wang, was stunned.

Was this the same Wang the Big Fool who used to be timid as a mouse, cowardly and meek? Though everyone had sensed some change in Wang Dou lately, they had never imagined...

Sensing the dangerous aura around Wang Dou, everyone instinctively edged farther away from him.

Cold sweat streamed down Zhong Dayong's entire body. The icy spear-point made every hair on his body stand on end. He stammered, "Brother Wang, careful... be careful..."

He did not dare move a muscle, terrified that one twitch from Wang Dou would be the end of him. He had every reason to be cautious. Although killing an official was an extremely grave crime under Great Ming law, and a soldier killing a squad leader or captain fell within the "Ten Abominations" of the Ming Code, invariably punishable by the ultimate penalty — yet who knew whether this fool in front of him understood the law? And for all he knew, after killing someone Wang Dou might simply slap his backside and run off to join the roving bandits, leaving him no place to cry for justice. Such things had happened before at Dongjiazhuang.

In times like these, who fears whom?

Zhong Dayong's wife, Madam Wang, her face deathly pale, stepped forward. She studied Wang Dou's expression and, with careful, ingratiating deference, said, "Brother... Brother Wang, blades and spears have no eyes — let's talk this over calmly. It's only leave, isn't it? We grant it, we grant it!"

Wang Dou looked at Zhong Dayong. "It's really granted?"

Zhong Dayong rattled off, "Granted, granted..."

Wang Dou smiled faintly. "Many thanks!"

He withdrew his spear, sneered a few times, and strode off without looking back.

Only after Wang Dou had calmly lowered the drawbridge, opened the watchtower gate, and was far in the distance did Zhong Dayong come back to himself. He shrieked in a fury, "He's gone mad, that fool has truly gone mad... I — I won't let him get away with this."

Madam Wang, beside him, said in alarm, "He really is a desperado..."

No one answered them. Inside the watchtower, all that could be heard was the heavy panting of the men, and from time to time the pained groans of Yang Tong.

Wang Dou swaggered out of the fire beacon tower, feeling utterly exhilarated. He had finally vented his pent-up frustration. After today's events, he imagined his days in the watchtower would be somewhat easier.

In truth, he had done it all deliberately. Over the past few days he had investigated thoroughly: apart from the Han Chao brothers, everyone else in the watchtower was outwardly fierce but inwardly weak — including Squad Leader Zhong Dayong. With these people, the moment he showed toughness, they would go soft. There would be no future trouble.

And the fight just now had also proved that this body was genuinely quite good. He possessed its memories and had inherited its skills. A small test of the blade — Wang Dou was satisfied.

A gust of wind blew past, and a surge of heroic spirit rose in Wang Dou's heart. Unbidden, he began to hum a song: "For you I bring forth a man's true nature, single-heartedly striving for our future. For you I offer a man's true feeling, single-heartedly staying by your side through life. Relying on my two hands, relying on my own skill, to build a happy family..."

Wang Dou carried his spear over his shoulder and strode along the road.

The land all around was flat. Walking west from Jingbian Watchtower a few li brought one to Dongfang River; crossing the river and continuing west a few more li brought one to Xinzhuang Village — that was Wang Dou's home. Although Wang Dou served as a watchtower soldier at Jingbian Watchtower, his child-bride wife Xie Xiuniang and his mother still lived in Xinzhuang.

In fact, it was much the same for most of the watchtower soldiers at Jingbian Watchtower. Passed down through the generations, every military household inevitably had many dependents. While on duty, a watchtower soldier could have his wife by his side, but the rest of the military household's dependents all lived inside Dongjiazhuang Fort. Wang Dou was not unique in this.

By reckoning, Wang Dou's ancestors were not originally from Bao'an Department but from Jiangnan. However, ever since his forefather Wang Hu, the Wang family had lived in the Xinzhuang area for several decades. Generation after generation, they had become a typical local native family. From his memory, Wang Dou recalled his mother telling him that their ancestor Wang Hu had once been a member of the world-renowned Qi Family Army. In those days, he had followed Grandpa Qi on campaigns east and west, north and south. Though merely a common soldier, he had learned a full set of fine martial skills in the army.

Later, Wang Hu retired to Bao'an Department, bought land and property, and passed down a family estate. Unfortunately, by the time of Wang Dou's father, the family fortunes had declined. Over a hundred mu of good land had been sold off until only a few dozen mu of poor fields remained. This was also why Wang Dou had joined the army — partly because his mother did not wish the family's martial tradition to die out, and partly to draw a bit of military pay to supplement the household. In any case, enlisting as a commoner recruit carried no risk of one's descendants all becoming military households. It was just a pity that the present army no longer possessed the might it had in Grandpa Qi's day.

As he walked, Wang Dou sank unwittingly into deep thought. Making his days in the watchtower easier was only the first step. The real question was how to survive — and even thrive — in the coming chaos. But how was he to do it? Wang Dou came from a later age, and though he possessed several centuries more knowledge than the people of the Ming, all his many ideas for changing the present situation had proved futile in the face of reality. Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice — Wang Dou understood this deeply.

He turned it over and over but could find no good solution. He did not even have the bare minimum of starting capital; on his person he carried no more than seven or eight copper coins. What could he possibly do with that? In the end, Wang Dou resolved: take it one step at a time, but never give up!

Having made up his mind, he strode forward with even greater purpose.

Wang Dou's pace was fast, and he soon arrived before Xinzhuang.

Xinzhuang Village was where Wang Dou's family lived, and also the seat of Sangqian Li of Bao'an Department. Although Bao'an was called a department, it was inferior even to an inferior county in the interior — fewer than a Battalion Commander, fewer than ten thousand people, the countryside divided into only seven li, of which Sangqian Li was one. And of Sangqian Li's hundred-odd households, the majority were concentrated in this Xinzhuang: seventy or eighty households, over four hundred souls. The remaining households were gathered in the two natural hamlets of Fangjiagou and Yizhuang.

To guard against barbarian raiders and roving bandits, the civilian forts and villages along the Great Ming frontier were largely indistinguishable from military forts, possessing the same defensive systems — fort walls, ramparts, drawbridges, gate towers, and barbicans, everything one could need. Xinzhuang was no different. Its rammed-loess perimeter wall was tall and sturdy, nearly two li in total length. The south fort gate was the sole entrance, its gate tower built of brick and stone arches, towering high.

Only upon reaching the Xinzhuang area did one feel some signs of human life. Here and there, men and women could be seen working around the village, but every one of them wore a vigilant expression, constantly raising their heads to glance warily around. On the fort gate and watchtowers, some villagers kept lookout and patrolled back and forth. The previous month, the Later Jin army had raided the region; some Xinzhuang villagers working outside had not managed to flee back in time, and a number of men and women had either been killed or carried off by the Later Jin troops. The lesson was still fresh, forcing everyone to be cautious.

As Wang Dou returned, some villagers along the way spotted him and called out in jest, one after another, "Well, well, our Great General Wang has returned?"

Some women, hearing this, giggled and pointed at him, laughing and teasing one another.

Wang Dou's former reputation as Wang the Big Fool was not only well-known at Jingbian Dun but even more famous far and wide here in Xinzhuang — after all, Wang Dou had grown up here since childhood. These people, of course, had no idea what Wang Dou had just done inside Jingbian Dun. Wang Dou could not be bothered with them. Carrying his spear over his shoulder, his hand on his waist saber, he crossed the drawbridge and entered Xinzhuang directly through the fort gate.

Xinzhuang looked decent from the outside, but only upon entering could one see its decay and dilapidation. The main street was full of potholes, making walking very unpleasant. On both sides, narrow alleyways were crammed with low, shabby earthen houses and adobe huts. Everywhere there was garbage and the droppings of chickens, ducks, and pigs, giving off all sorts of odors. The men and women hurrying past mostly had gaunt, undernourished faces and dull, numb expressions. Many children had no clothes at all and ran about everywhere bare-bottomed.

Wang Dou sighed inwardly. Xinzhuang was considered well-off within Sangqian Li, yet even it was like this. The poverty of the common people in the late Ming was plain to see.

Perhaps the wealthiest family in Xinzhuang was the Li family on the west side of the village — a large compound with multiple courtyards, most of the surrounding good farmland belonging to them. Many Xinzhuang villagers were their tenants. It was said that the Li family ancestor, Li Tinggui, had once passed the Provincial Graduate examination, and the authorities had erected an Examination Honor Arch for them in the Bao'an Department seat. In the Sangqian Li area, the Li family had always enjoyed high prestige; even the li headman and the jia leaders had to defer to their family's wishes.

In Wang Dou's memory, after his father died, the Li family had once schemed to seize their family's land and homestead. Only his mother's desperate, life-risking resistance had preserved that property.

Wang Dou walked with his head lowered in thought. From time to time, villagers he knew greeted him or teased him as they passed; Wang Dou merely responded perfunctorily. His home was on the north side of Xinzhuang, near the God of Wealth Temple. Like other village forts, Xinzhuang did not have much of anything else, but it had plenty of temples and opera stages — God of Wealth Temple, God of Fortune Temple, Dragon King Temple, Guanyin Temple, Five Grains Temple, and so on, too many to count.

Just as he reached the front of the God of Wealth Temple, a figure suddenly darted out from a side alley and nearly collided with him. Wang Dou hastily sidestepped. It was a pretty young woman, her face pale, her head lowered, biting her lower lip. She said nothing, merely hurrying away with a preoccupied air.

Watching her retreating figure, Wang Dou gave a slight shake of his head.