Chapter 282: Chanting the Spell

"What's the Restoration Society worth? In front of me, they still have to kneel." Tan Laizi sat before a chessboard, his left foot propped up high. "Let me tell you, on the riverbank at Hezhou, I, Tan Ye, one man, one spear, fought my way out of a Roving Bandit encirclement, and just happened to run into a Restoration Society Licentiate. Guess what? He knelt and kowtowed to me thirty times, bang bang bang. I figured, since I was fighting my way out anyway, saving one more life wouldn't cost me any extra effort, so I saved him on the way."

The circle of onlookers around the chessboard were mostly absorbed in watching the game. The occasional two who overheard Tan Laizi's words all laughed and scolded him, "You, Tan Laizi, can't even beat Shopkeeper Mace in a fight, and you think you can kill Roving Bandits?"

Tan Laizi straightened his waist. "Shopkeeper Mace — I just didn't want to hit him. Don't believe me? Go ask around in Hezhou. Jiang Gang Leader knows all about it. If you don't believe me, go ask…"

Just then, Tang Laoliu across from him placed his piece, and the crowd immediately urged, "Your turn!"

"Play chess, play chess, what's the point of all that talk? Tan Laizi, are you going to move or not?"

The surrounding crowd was in an uproar. Tan Laizi was forced to stop his boasting and turn his attention back to the board, where the Ivory Chess Pieces lay crisscrossed and tangled, locked in the fiercest stage of battle.

This small table was set out by the Dong family's Food Stall to draw a crowd, furnished with a set of eucalyptus-wood Ivory Chess Pieces of unknown origin. The characters were poorly carved, and the wood quality wasn't much good either. After not long being slapped around by these peddlers and laborers, pieces were splitting open, splitting open, chipping corners, chipping corners.

Even so, Chinese chess remained the most popular real-time strategy game at the docks. This chessboard concerned not only the players but was also an important cultural necessity for the dock crowd, beloved by everyone from peddlers and laborers to the wealthy Boat Dock Masters.

Today Tan Laizi had come early and secured one side of the board. His wager with Tang Laoliu was five wen. Though the total sum wasn't large, for Tan Laizi, who currently had only a dozen or so Copper Coins in his pocket, this was already a high-stakes gamble approaching half his assets.

The surroundings were noisy. As Tan Laizi reached to take the horse, he suddenly realized the situation was dire and hurriedly stopped, grabbing his forehead instead.

Most of the onlookers had also seen that Tan Laizi was in trouble and began discussing it among themselves, some grumbling about Tan Laizi, some debating ways to rescue the position.

One man in a melon-skin cap said, "I told you earlier to trade cannons with him and you didn't believe me. Now look — this game is beyond saving. Laizi, admit defeat and let me take over."

As he spoke, he moved to pull Tan Laizi away, but the man in yellow trousers beside him objected, "Who says it's lost? This move you should pull back the chariot. Laizi, do you see Tang Laoliu's move here? Good thing I checked it for you, guaranteed it can still be saved."

Then came another in a blue cap, "Pull back what chariot? Do you still want the horse or not? Tan Laizi, don't listen to him. Set up the cannon over here, then jump the horse — see, it's a double threat. Let me tell you how to move."

The man in blue trousers was about to reach out and point when the yellow-cap who had spoken first grabbed him and shouted at Tan Laizi, "Don't listen to him. If you listen to him, you're sure to lose. Pull back the chariot first…"

"Pulling back is exactly how you lose! Let me talk to Tan Laizi — why are you pulling me? If Tan Laizi loses, are you going to pay those five wen or not? Just say whether you'll pay."

As the two argued, they began grappling, grabbing each other's clothes and refusing to let go, their faces red and ears crimson, spittle spraying into each other's faces, throwing the crowd of onlookers into chaos.

Lao Kang, squatting in the VIP seat right at the River Barrier, anxiously pointed and said, "I'm telling you, why doesn't this chariot of yours just take Tang Laoliu's cannon directly? Tan Laizi, you really are hopelessly stupid!"

Tan Laizi fixed his eyes on the board, then spat out a curse, "Lao Kang, what the hell do you know? That's a pawn, and you're calling it a chariot. Damn, can't even read the characters and still wants to talk chess."

He finished speaking and pointed at Lao Kang. The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Lao Kang's old face flushed red, and the two men beside him seized the moment to squeeze the mortified Lao Kang out of the VIP spot.

"He called it a chariot, hahaha, no education." Taking advantage of the slight chaos, the hand Tan Laizi had been using to rub his forehead came down, grabbed the horse, and slapped it down onto the stable position with a crack.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Tang Laoliu stood up with a whoosh. "How did your horse jump like that? Flying the slanting sun — where the hell did you fly it to?"

"How is that not flying the slanting sun? Tang Laoliu, don't talk nonsense. Would I, Tan Ya, cheat you or something?"

Tang Laoliu's eyes went wide. "I was watching carefully — you clearly flew it in a field pattern."

Tan Laizi had just stood up. The onlookers were already in a complete uproar, but most were accusing him. Amid the condemnation of so many witnesses, Tan Laizi dared not defy public anger and had no choice but to put the horse back in its original position. Only then did Tang Laoliu sit down, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the board.

Amid the laughter, curses, and clamor, Tan Laizi's forehead broke out in sweat. Every line of play he could think of seemed unable to save the game. Those five copper coins were very likely gone, and that was his dinner.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside, "A passenger boat is coming in on the South Side!"

A group of porters from the Brokerage scattered in an instant and ran toward the passenger dock. Those left behind were all idlers. The ones who had been on the outer edge quickly filled the gaps, but in the end, the crowd was much thinner.

Tan Laizi pretended to look outside and said, "Aiya, a passenger boat's arrived. Tang Laoliu, let's call this game a draw. We'll finish it after I go pull in some customers."

Tang Laoliu said angrily, "Trying to run? Let me tell you, Tan Laizi, I've got this game won for sure. We agreed to settle the outcome before leaving. If you're leaving, hand over the five wen."

The remaining onlookers, out of a sense of justice, condemned him one after another. Seeing he couldn't get away, Tan Laizi cursed at Tang Laoliu, "Fine, I'll play, I'll play. You think I'm scared? Let me look carefully. One move from me and you're dead."

As he spoke, he braced his hands on the small square table, putting on the look of someone studying intently. Suddenly — aiya! — his hand slipped, shoving the chessboard sliding off the tabletop with a crash, pieces scattering all over the ground.

"How did it fall? I clearly had the win locked. Forget it, I won't hold it against you." Tan Laizi said this, waved his Sleeve, and made to leave.

Tang Laoliu grabbed Tan Laizi by the collar. "Dare to play dirty with me? Hand over the five wen!"

Tan Laizi seized Tang Laoliu's hand, fierce in voice and expression. "What are you doing? Your chess skill's worse than mine and now you want to hit someone? You think your Tan Ye is someone you can just hit? I've slaughtered Roving Bandits all over the ground — go ask around all of Hezhou. Can you, Tang Laoliu, afford to mess with me?"

…

At the passenger dock of the Sheng-Tang ferry by the riverbank, travelers who had just disembarked skirted around a Brokerage man before them, his face bruised and swollen, passing on either side as if avoiding a plague god.

"Returning home or doing business? Esteemed guest, are you returning home? Come to me, the best Inn at the dock. It's so late in the day, lots of bandits on the road. Don't go with him, hey — that Inn of his is no good…"

Tan Laizi stopped walking and watched that family go to a different Brokerage. He wiped his nose fiercely with his Sleeve, and after wiping, saw that it was actually red.

"Dog-fucking Tang Laoliu!" Tan Laizi hurriedly tilted his face up. The taste of blood immediately filled his Mouth. Swallowing it down, at least it was still his own.

He maintained this forty-five-degree angle gazing at the sky to keep the nosebleed from dripping down. "It's just that I've got business to attend to. Once I find some free time, I'll beat you till you kneel and beg for mercy!"

Tang Laoliu had given him a good beating just now, and with some surrounding idlers landing cheap shots, Tan Laizi's face had taken quite a few hits. The dozen or so Copper Coins on him had been completely looted in the chaos, and now his nose was still bleeding — the losses could not be called anything but severe.

And this appearance was seriously affecting his business ability. Travelers took one look at him and walked around. It seemed there was no hope for this boatload of business. So he could only watch helplessly as others snatched up all the customers. Tan Laizi cursed bitterly a couple of times, but there were still two more boats on the river in the distance, looking like ferries coming from the south side, preparing to dock.

By the end of the second month, the bandit situation near Tongcheng had gradually eased. After the start of spring, because the lockdown had lasted too long, the economy of riverine cities like Anqing had taken a severe blow. The residents of the Prefectural City in particular depended on trade. With no means of Livelihood, more and more people were stirring up trouble, and looting had become rampant everywhere. Many Grain Shops dared not open their doors.

After the Garrison Commander's Ying were gradually in position, the Prefectural City's security was guaranteed. Seeing the situation in the Prefectural City turning dire, Shi Kefa finally lifted the ban on the Qingjiang. As shipping gradually resumed, Anqing began to recover its vitality. Although Hangshang and cargo boats were still few, some commoners who had fled to the south bank to escape the bandits last year began returning. Today, five boats came back from the south bank. Half of them would need lodging or to hire a Head of Livestock. The Brokerages were all counting on the lodging and transport business to sustain their Livelihood.

It was the same for Tan Laizi. After all, robbing beggars carried no small risk and yielded little profit. Now he could only hope to stop the bleeding quickly and try to pick up a job afterward, to earn back the dozen-plus Copper Coins he'd lost today and at least have dinner.

The first boat was soon approaching. Tan Laizi wiped his nose — it seemed the nosebleed had stopped. He was just about to go fight for customers when he saw a Water Army flag flying on the boat. He immediately tilted his head back up again. These Water Camp Soldiers were naturally not his target clientele.

The Garrison Commander's Army had been mobilized everywhere, but the Water Camp had stayed in Anqing. Word was they were also going to set up separate garrisons at Leigang and Zongyang, so they had recruited a lot of new soldiers lately. This time they weren't just recruiting Anqing Army men, but also from Chizhou and Pengze across the river. He'd heard the farthest ones were two soldiers from Hukou in Jiangxi. The Water Army's boats came and went ceaselessly on the river — no one knew what they were training. Anyway, every day you'd see them Rush onto the boat and Rush off again, or drift downstream to the mudflats not far away. What they trained there, no one knew.

"Bring the water over, the Water Camp soldiers want a drink."

Tan Laizi turned to look and saw it was Zhou Yong of the Canal Gang. Because this man had sold out the gang leader back then and was the first to defect to Jiang Fan, he had immediately gone from a porter to a Double-Stick cudgel gang leader of the Canal Gang. Meanwhile, Tan Laizi was still a Single-Stick cudgel gang leader, only a little better than an ordinary porter. The Canal Gang only gave him two Mace of silver a month, and he had to earn the rest of his expenses himself working as a Brokerage man — no comparison to Zhou Yong.

"Brother Zhou's been promoted to Three-Stick Steward!" The Canal Gang members nearby all exclaimed in surprise.

Tan Laizi looked closely. Sure enough, Zhou Yong wore a wooden Shield at his Waist, and on it were clearly three sticks. He couldn't help grinding his teeth. "How can he be promoted to Three-Stick? I nearly died in Hezhou and still haven't been promoted to Double-Stick. Manage what damn business? Don't expect me to call you Steward."

Amid the splashing of water, that Water Army boat drew near. A group of Sailors and Marine Corps soldiers shouted in unison. The stiff sail quickly swung to face away from the wind. Bamboo poles extended fore and aft, and the boat's speed dropped rapidly. Over twenty Marine Corps soldiers on deck swarmed down, shielding their faces with Rattan Shields as they charged onto the dock. On the steps, they split into groups of five, as if forming some kind of formation. Tan Laizi had seen this set of disembarking and forming ranks many times now, and he felt it was indeed much faster than before.

Tan Laizi noticed that a few of them were actually wearing dark brown armor, seemingly made of Leather. A moment later, they withdrew the formation and began lining up. Then a man in a red military uniform stood before the Marine Corps soldiers. Tan Laizi muttered under his breath, "About to chant the spell again."

Led by that man, the twenty-some Marine Corps soldiers shouted in unison, "I am a Marine Corps soldier of the Garrison Commander's Ying. Every grain of rice and millet I eat, every copper and silver I receive, all come from Lord Pang, taken from the myriad common people. Therefore, protecting the common people is the sacred duty of the Marine Corps. To fulfill this sacred duty, the Marine Corps soldier shall become the most elite soldier. Lord Pang demands that I obey my officers' orders, strictly observe Military Law, train hard, face any enemy bravely in battle, and never retreat…"

This performance had been staged many times a day recently. Every time the Marine Corps assembled, they had to chant it once, always the same words. Tan Laizi could already recite it from memory. Yet it never lacked an audience each time. The words were so simple that everyone could understand them. Those Canal Gang porters all liked to gather and watch, and passing travelers found it even more of a novelty, most watching with keen interest.

Tan Laizi had been somewhat interested at first, but after seeing it so many times, he found it dull and no longer wanted to watch. Occasionally he would look at the man in the red military uniform, who he'd heard was called something like a military clerk. Tan Laizi found it strange — what did a bunch of grunts need a clerk for?

The Marine Corps soldiers were all drenched in sweat. After chanting the spell, they lined up to get water. Only after the two Team leaders ordered a rest did each begin Drinking.

Suddenly, among the crowd of Marine Corps soldiers, Tan Laizi spotted a familiar face. It was actually Tang Ershuan, who used to loaf around the docks with him. On the arm of his uniform was sewn a red pattern — the two characters for Squad Leader.

Tang Ershuan was one of the few people at the docks back then who got along fairly well with him, because Tang Ershuan was very countrified. In front of him, Tan Laizi was a city rich man. But later, Tang Ershuan became a Marine Corps soldier, and that Monthly Pay immediately pulled him far ahead of Tan Laizi. Now that he'd become a Squad Leader, it was even more.

Tan Laizi muttered only after a long pause, "How can Tang Ershuan be promoted to Squad Leader…"

But thinking back for a moment, that day on the river island at Hezhou he had nearly frozen to death. Luckily, the Marine Corps scouts had come by, which was how he'd crossed the river to Dangtu. Tang Ershuan had been on one of those boats too, one of the men who'd saved his life. Thinking of it that way, Tang Ershuan being a Squad Leader was acceptable enough — though it still left him a little uncomfortable.

"Let him have it. One of these days I'll make Triple Cudgel myself." Tan Laizi was still somewhat indignant, but after mulling it over he decided to go and greet Tang Ershuan, to congratulate him on making Squad Leader.

He pushed his way to the front, but before he could get a word out, he saw Zhou Yong, full of swagger, giving orders to a Double Cudgel behind him. "Lord Pang has given the word — those people brought back from Chuzhou are to go to Shipai Market first to build the Barracks. Our Canal Gang is to Watch and Control them, one man to fifty Mouths. We're still short seven or eight men. Go ask which brothers are willing to go — Monthly Pay of five Copper Coins."

"Fifty Mouths." Tan Laizi's eyes went wide. "A Squad Leader only commands five men."

Without much hesitation, Tan Laizi hurriedly pressed forward toward Zhou Yong. "Chief Steward Zhou…"