Chapter 130

"Brother Zhang, drink!"

"Brother Lu, please as well!"

In the Water Margin World, in a vegetable garden outside the Great Xiangguo Temple, Zhang Jie was drinking with Lu Zhishen.

A large pit remained in the garden, left precisely by Lu Zhishen uprooting the weeping willow.

The time Zhang Jie and Lu Zhishen met was still a bit late; he had not seen the heroic posture of the Flower Monk angrily uprooting the willow.

However, based on Zhang Jie's analysis of the remaining tree roots and the pit,

he discovered that the root system of this willow tree had already rotted for the most part due to the gnawing of insects and ants,

which was what allowed the slightly tipsy Lu Zhishen to complete the feat of uprooting the weeping willow.

If one refers to the description in the original work, the height of the weeping willow Lu Zhishen pulled was about 8–10 meters,

the diameter was about 20 centimeters, and the weight was roughly about 600 kilograms (0.6 tons).

When pulling the tree, one needs to overcome the soil friction resistance (about 3–8 times the tree's gravity, taking the median value of 5 times) and the tree's gravity,

and Lu Zhishen's work distance was only about 0.5 meters ("with a single heave of the waist").

Taking the YB50 hydraulic tree-pulling machine developed in 1984 as a reference,

pulling out a tree of the same specifications requires consuming 0.25 kilograms of diesel,

which converts to about 330,000 joules of mechanical work, calculating that the required force is about 68 tons.

The single-handed palm force is about 54,468 jin (272,340 Newtons), and the combined force of both hands is about 108,000 jin (54 tons),

but after combining the grip and the tree weight, the total force needs to reach 68 tons.

This force far exceeds the human limit, equivalent to more than 5 times the weight of an African elephant (maximum 13.5 tons).

If Lu Zhishen really had this kind of divine power, Zhang Jie felt he should not ponder any rebellion,

and that hiding obediently in Yanggu County with Pan Jinlian to live a simple life with a wife and children was the right way.

After all, the Great Song court that could make such a Lu Zhishen become a monk to avoid the world might really have immortals!

One must know that Monkey Brother's Dinghai Shenzhen Iron was only 13,500 jin.

But in reality, according to Zhang Jie's understanding these days, Lu Zhishen was indeed immensely strong,

able to dance a 62-jin water-polished Zen staff as if it were straw,

but his strength was still within Zhang Jie's range of understanding.

"Ya haha, Brother Zhang, you actually placed third in the imperial examination; you are truly worthy of being a Wenqu Star descended to earth!

I have nothing of value and no congratulatory gift,

so let this bowl of wine today serve as a congratulation; I hope you will not mind."

Lu Zhishen raised a bowl of wine and congratulated him heroically.

"How could there be any talk of minding?

For this gift, if the person is sincere, even offering a blade of straw is worth a thousand pieces of gold in sentiment.

If the person is insincere, even offering ten thousand taels of gold is nothing but dust."

Zhang Jie also raised his wine cup and smiled.

"Haha! Brother Zhang, you really suit my taste!"

Lu Zhishen, feeling that Zhang Jie's words spoke to his heart, laughed heroically.

Bang.

After the two clinked glasses, they both drank the wine in their bowls in one gulp.

"Come, Brother Zhang, try this pork belly.

The roasted pork belly by Elder Zhiqing of our Great Xiangguo Temple is truly a masterpiece!"

Lu Zhishen pushed a plate of pork belly, glistening with oil and emitting an alluring fragrance, in front of Zhang Jie.

Zhang Jie was also a bit stunned looking at this pork belly.

The masters of this Great Xiangguo Temple not only received pilgrims and collected incense money,

but also lent out usurious loans, and even in this food business, they had a hand.

This Elder Zhiqing was just such a master:

It is rumored that his skill in roasting pork was nothing short of perfect,

and even the high-ranking officials and nobles who had eaten all kinds of delicacies praised his roasted pork endlessly,

always sending servants and subordinates to buy some to satisfy their cravings.

Previously, this Elder Zhiqing was away from Bianliang on business,

leaving Zhang Jie only having heard of this famous roasted pork, never having seen it.

Now it seems that Elder Zhiqing had already resolved his affairs and returned to Bianliang.

"Mm, not bad!"

Zhang Jie, who picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of roasted pork into his mouth, had his eyes light up.

The heat of this roasted pork was just right, lean but not dry, fatty but not greasy,

and the moment the warm meat juice bloomed in his mouth,

the appropriate sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors surged into his brain through his taste buds; it was truly a pleasure.

Especially in this era where spices were as expensive as gold and silver, Elder Zhiqing was very generous with seasonings.

"Elder Zhiqing's craftsmanship is indeed extraordinary."

Zhang Jie, who was very satisfied, exclaimed in admiration.

"Haha, Brother Zhang, as long as you like it."

Lu Zhishen touched his bald head with a chuckle.

It seems that Elder Zhiqing's roasted pork was not only liked by rough men like him,

but even a Wenqu Star like Zhang Jie liked it too!

The two, having common interests, immediately began to drink and eat meat.

"Master Lu, speaking of which, you are staying at the Great Xiangguo Temple, eating meat and drinking wine; doesn't the temple care?"

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhang Jie leaned lazily on his chair and asked with some curiosity.

Lu Zhishen was the one who caused a scene in the Heavenly King Hall after drinking,

smashing the temple gate and the statues of the Bodhisattvas to pieces, which is why he couldn't stay on Mount Wutai,

and had to come to the Great Xiangguo Temple to stay under the introduction of the abbot.

In that case, the Great Xiangguo Temple, having a precedent, should have been stricter with him.

As a result, Zhang Jie discovered during these days that Lu Zhishen did whatever he wanted,

drinking when he wanted to drink and eating meat when he wanted to eat meat,

and the Great Xiangguo Temple not only didn't care, but there wasn't even anyone to come and give him a warning.

Hearing this question, Lu Zhishen's expression became solemn:

"Amitabha..."

Just when Zhang Jie thought Lu Zhishen would say something like "Wine and meat pass through the intestines,

the Buddha remains in the heart," he only heard him say:

"After communicating with you, Brother Zhang,

I have realized that eating meat is not really eating meat, and drinking wine is not really drinking wine."

"Mm?"

Zhang Jie was momentarily like a monk in the fog, unable to grasp the meaning.

What had he said that gave Lu Zhishen such a great realization?

"Amitabha, Brother Zhang, you once said that people who don't eat meat at all are vegetarians,

so my current action is that of a second-hand vegetarian."

Lu Zhishen chanted a Buddhist name and continued.

Zhang Jie was still full of confusion; he had indeed chatted with Lu Zhishen about vegetarians,

There were quite a few people who had been Assistant Commissioners of the Militia in the hundred years of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the most famous of them was Su Shi, Su Dongpo.

Lu Zhishen's expression was solemn, his appearance dignified, like an enlightened high monk preaching:

"Cows eat grass, pigs eat grains; that is a first-hand vegetarian;

I then eat the beef and pork, so wouldn't that make me a second-hand vegetarian?"

"Ah?"

Zhang Jie exclaimed.

This theory seemed to make sense and was logical, but in reality, it wasn't like that at all!

If one followed this logic,

wouldn't Hannibal Lecter, who physically tears out people's hearts and lungs, be a third-hand vegetarian?

Zhang Jie, feeling he couldn't keep up with Lu Zhishen's train of thought, immediately decided to bypass this topic.

"Brother Lu, have you heard..."

Zhang Jie began to tell Lu Zhishen about the interesting things that had happened in Bianliang City recently.

Lu Zhishen, who was also very interested in this, listened attentively.

Knock, knock.

"May I ask if Master Lu is in?"

After a while, a knock and an inquiry came from outside the vegetable garden gate.

"Is that Lin Jiaotou? Please come in!"

As soon as Lu Zhishen heard the visitor's voice, a smile appeared on his face.

Creak.

The next second, a middle-aged man pushed open the door and walked in.

He had a leopard's head and round eyes, a swallow's jaw and tiger's whiskers, and a tall, sturdy build,

about eight feet tall, and was thirty-four or thirty-five years old.

"Eh! I didn't expect Master Lu to already have a guest here."

The visitor's gaze was immediately drawn to Zhang Jie, who was dressed in a green robe, the moment he entered the garden.

Zhang Jie: Having shared the charm of many Zhang Jies, I am the most handsome guy wherever I go~

"Haha."

Lu Zhishen walked to the visitor's side in two or three steps and introduced him with a smile:

"This is Brother Zhang Renjie.

He is a Wenqu Star descended to earth and is the third-place finisher in this imperial examination."

After introducing Zhang Jie, he introduced the visitor to Zhang Jie:

"Brother Zhang, this is Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards."

Zhang Jie thought to himself, 'As expected,' and then cupped his hands in salute:

"Zhang Jie has met Lin Jiaotou."

"I dare not, I dare not; the third-place finisher does me too much honor with this gesture."

Lin Chong hurriedly helped Zhang Jie up, saying repeatedly that he dared not.

After helping Zhang Jie up, he saluted Zhang Jie solemnly:

"Lin Chong pays respects to the third-place finisher."

"Please rise, Lin Jiaotou."

Zhang Jie also helped Lin Chong up.

After the exchange of greetings, Zhang Jie and Lin Chong could be considered acquainted.

The three of them came to the stone table beside the vegetable garden and sat down.

"Haha!

It is rare to meet Brother Zhang and Lin Jiaotou today; the three of us shall not stop until we are drunk!"

Lu Zhishen laughed heartily, very happy.

"It is what I desire, I would not dare to ask otherwise."

Zhang Jie and Lin Chong were both very interested in each other, so they agreed accordingly.

Of course, this interest was not the kind of interest of Longyang affection,

but an interest in status and ability.

For Lin Chong, even though Zhang Jie did not yet have an official position,

and he himself was the spear and staff instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards,

in reality, Zhang Jie's status was far higher than his.

It sounded good to be the spear and staff instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards,

but in reality, he was just a low-to-middle-tier military officer.

The military officers of the Great Song had thirty-one levels from Rank 1 to Rank 9,

and above his instructor position, there were successively Chief Lin Jiaotou,

Guard Officer, Chief Guard Officer, Commander, Regional Military Commissioner, and so on.

The Regional Military Commissioner was Rank 5, while his instructor position was Rank 8,

and in terms of rank, it was not even comparable to a Rank 7 County Magistrate who was a legitimate Jinshi.

Furthermore, our Great Song had always insisted on the policy of controlling the military with civil officials,

and the status of a civil official was at least three levels higher than a military officer of the same rank.

Not to mention that Zhang Jie's third-place finish placed him in the first tier,

and he could enter the Han Lin Academy first, then the Privy Council, and govern the world!

Lin Chong knew that if there were no accidents, a dragon among men like Zhang Jie could not possibly have any intersection with him.

And Zhang Jie was also very interested in Lin Chong:

This "Leopard Head" had extremely outstanding martial arts and was hailed as the number one horse-combatant of Liang Shan.

During the Liang Shan Grand Assembly, he ranked sixth, corresponding to the Heavenly Hero Star, and was listed among the Five Tiger Generals of the Horse Army.

However, what Zhang Jie found most noteworthy was Lin Chong's actions.

The life of this Leopard Head could be summarized in two words—wimpish, truly damn wimpish!

The first half of Lin Chong's life was quite good:

He himself was born into a low-level military officer family and had learned excellent spear and staff skills,

becoming an instructor step by step and ranking among the best of the many Imperial Guard instructors.

He also married Zhang Zhenniang, the daughter of Lin Jiaotou Zhang, who was also an instructor.

Although they had no children for many years, they were a harmonious and happy couple.

But when he encountered Gao Yanei, the adopted son of Gao Qiu, who was a devil in lust,

his life entered a path of endless decline.

When his wife was almost bullied by Gao Yanei, he chose to endure it.

When he mistakenly entered the White Tiger Hall, knowing he had been framed, he still cried and pleaded like a woman.

Later, because Lin Chong was worried about his uncertain future and afraid that Gao Yanei would continue to coerce his wife,

and at the same time believing his wife was young and not wanting to delay her future,

he asked someone to write a divorce letter, stating "My wife, surnamed Zhang, is young,

I am willing to write this divorce letter, allowing her to remarry, with no disputes,"

and after writing it, he "signed it with a flourish and pressed his handprint," giving the divorce letter legal effect.

He did not know that his wife was a strong-willed woman:

After Lin Chong was exiled to Cangzhou, Gao Yanei harassed Lady Lin many times,

and eventually, unable to bear the humiliation, she chose to commit suicide to preserve her purity.

On the way to exile in Cangzhou, he was bullied and teased by two evil yamen runners, Dong Chao and

Xue Ba, and in the end, he continued to endure it.

If not for Lu Zhishen's rescue, the Leopard Head would likely have died in the Wild Boar Forest.

Not killing Gao Qiu earlier could be explained by saying Gao Qiu had too many bodyguards around him, making him difficult to approach,

but when Gao Qiu was captured by Liang Shan and he still didn't take action, one could only say he was wimpish to the bone.

After all, Gao Qiu could be considered the main culprit who caused Lin Chong's family to be destroyed.

Don't talk about the instigator being Gao Yanei.

Without Gao Qiu as his backing, would Gao Yanei dare to molest a respectable woman in broad daylight?

Not to mention the later framing of him, making him bring a knife into the White Tiger Hall.

Lin Chong's only highlight moment was the Wind and Snow Mountain Temple,

where he angrily killed Lu Qian, Fu An, and the dispatcher who framed him and wanted to burn him to death.

It is just a pity that he thought this was the moment of the Leopard Head's transformation,

but he didn't expect this to be the only highlight of his life.

After releasing Gao Qiu, he could only die in depression, ending his wimpish life.

If Zhang Jie had to say it, Lin Chong was trapped to death by rules his whole life.

When he was an instructor, others bullied and insulted him, and he dared not resist because it was the rule.

Later, he went up the mountain to become a bandit, burning, killing, and looting; that was the rule of the mountain bandits.

In the end, he died wimpishly after receiving amnesty, never killing his enemy in his entire life.

Because he drifted with the tide, doing whatever the rules of his position dictated,

he seemed to have become a bandit, but in his bones, he was actually still a coward.

Majestic Leopard Head, unable to let go of home and sorrow.

Even with amazing skills, it is hard to climb the Heavenly Tower.