Song Wen walked all the way to the side courtyard of Daxiangguo Temple, passed through a moon gate and entered a sparse bamboo forest. The surrounding grass seemed to have been abandoned for a long time.
An Chun, the little beggar leader, was waiting here with two taller men. Song Wen just walked a few steps over and heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
Looking back, Song Wen was immediately relieved... Lin Chong and An Dao had arrived.
Lin Chong just bowed his hand and saluted, while An Daoquan was so excited that his face flushed: "Brother Wen, are you going to negotiate with the Bianliang gang? Are you going to take action?"
Song Wen was stunned for a moment and found that the bulge on An Daoquan's lower back seemed to be hiding something. He couldn't help but laugh and said: "What are you thinking about? We don't do those things of killing, killing, extorting, and this time we are just with them
Let’s have a good chat, and by the way, get some protection for An Chun and the rest of the little brothers... After all, they are the ones who eat the food in the streets!"
The three brothers took An Chun directly into the bamboo forest. The ground was full of dead leaves and there were many fewer weeds. Song Wen noticed that several men in ragged clothes were lying lazily holding dark sticks.
In the corner next to the stone on the edge of the bamboo forest, Song Wen and others were ignored.
Lin Chong whispered to Song Wen: "There are two groups of beggars in Bianliang. The group in Beicheng is considered a local force in Kaifeng, Bianliang and is commonly known as the Huazi Gang. The group in Nancheng was gathered from elsewhere and is known as the Ling'er Club! They do whatever they want.
It has a very bad reputation.”
Song Wen asked: "Reputation is still very important. We can't do things that ruin our character!"
An Daoquan answered: "That's for sure. Brother Wen is quite famous in the Bianliang rivers and lakes now! If you dare to bet your life with the Liao people, if you win the sword of the nobleman of the Liao country, you can still brew the best wine in the world.
Fire Spring Spirits!"
Song Wen suddenly asked out of curiosity: "Do you have any famous nickname for me?"
"Uh, that's not the case."
"and……"
In the distance, several figures were sitting in an open space in the middle of the bamboo forest. There were several bottles of wine on the ground. The leader was a tall old man with a shaggy beard and sharp eyes. At this time, he was sizing Song Wen and his party from a distance.
An Chun whispered: "Brother Wen, the one in the middle is Ma Laizi, the leader of the Huazi Gang in Beicheng. He was a prisoner of the assassination team who fought for his life in the Western Army! Later, he became lame in one leg because he saved a Qian Jue, and ended up with him.
After being rewarded and returned to his hometown in Bianliang, he found that his wife and children had been killed. He killed four rogue enemies with one knife. The old official of Kaifeng Prefecture took pity on his situation and only sentenced him to fifty canes.
Lifelong hard labor..."
"Later, the government granted amnesty to the whole country and the lame horse was released. However, he spent all his wealth to help many local beggars and homeless people. He also had good martial arts skills, so he was praised by these people as the leader of the Huazi Gang in Beicheng..."
A martial artist in short clothes stood up, raised his hands and said to Song Wen: "Brother Wen, Mr. Zhou asked me to come over and introduce you and Brother Ma. Come here quickly...Brother Ma, this is the wine master."
Challenge the young brother Wen and Song of Song Dynasty who gambled his life with the Liao people to exalt the prestige of a man from the Song Dynasty!"
Song Wen vaguely remembered that this martial arts master was a disciple of Zhou Tong from the Imperial Boxing Hall in the capital, and his surname was Feng... "Brother Feng, please bother me!"
Martial Master Feng laughed loudly: "Some trivial things are not worth mentioning!"
Song Wen bowed and saluted: "Song Wen, the boy, has met the caravan leader!"
Ma Laizi nodded and stood up holding an iron staff, cupped his hands and replied: "I am an old guy who has inconvenient legs and feet, but I still have to return this gift! I only wish that you have the heroic spirit of a man from the Song Dynasty..."
Martial Master Feng continued: "Brother Ma doesn't know, but Brother Wen is a good man who makes money and is also good at charity! There are eight military orphans raised in Zhuangzi outside the city, plus these little beggars taken care of in the city... it's enough
There are more than twenty people!"
Ma Laizi, an old wandering beggar, nodded, leaned over and picked up a dirty coarse porcelain bowl... "I heard something! Yes, it's worthy of another bowl of wine from the old beggar!"
Song Wen took the dirty wine bowl with both hands and drank it down in one gulp, then took out a huge wine gourd from behind: "Ma Gang Leader, since we are all famous men, we should drink this best liquor in the world...
…The fire is coming! The boy brought a gourd here, and I’m going to treat the old hero to a drink today!”
"Hahahahaha! That's a good relationship. To be honest, the old beggar's wine bug has been eager to try it for a long time. It's just that the threshold of Gaoyang Zhengdian is too high and the wine is too expensive, so I can't afford it!"
Martial Master Feng next to him joked: "With your reputation as Brother Ma, if you sit at the door of his Gaoyang store, the shopkeeper will respectfully invite him to come in and entertain you in the private room!"
"Hey, that's not okay! The disciples and grandsons can just sing "Lotus Blossoms Fall" at the door and say auspicious words to ask for some food and scattered copper coins. We can't break the rules! It's not what our Hanako Gang does by hook or by crook..."
Song Wendao: "That's why I wanted to come and pay a visit to the seniors. If these little brothers I have taken in had not been taken care of by the seniors in the past few years, I am afraid they would not have been able to survive the next two years."
Ma Laizi pulled Song Wen to sit on the broken futon and sighed: "In recent years, there have been more and more beggars and homeless people, and we can't take care of them! And they are all hungry and full. The rules left by the gang are still there.
If you don’t worship Master Xiangtang before the age of sixteen, you will not be considered a formal disciple! If I can give them a mouthful of gruel, it will make me proud. You can save so many babies... I, an old beggar, have to thank you!"
After the greetings, Master Feng said goodbye and left. His mission was completed. The remaining matters were the private affairs of Song Wen and the Hanako Gang. Yuquan Gym did not want to and would not get involved in them.
The old beggar Ma Laizi took a sip of Huo Shaochun and shouted that he was satisfied with it. Then he wiped the drink from the corner of his mouth and asked: "So, Brother Wen has offended that Wang Fu? Although the Huazi Gang is in the market,
He has some abilities, but who can control this high-ranking official of the imperial court? However, if Brother Wen is in danger, you can come to find the old beggar in advance... We must risk your life to get you out of Bianliang safely!"
Song Wen shook his head... "I came here today. Firstly, I want to thank my brother for his support for these little brothers! Secondly, I want to join hands with my brother's Huazi Gang to do something!"
"Oh? Aren't you afraid of offending such an important official?"
"No matter how big it is, it's better than gambling with the Liao people! In addition, as long as public opinion is turbulent and rumors are spreading, as long as people in the court can talk about these things for once... Wang Fu can only swallow this breath in his stomach even if he is unwilling to do so.
Go! I am a young turtle boy and will never set foot in the imperial court in my life. What are you afraid of him doing?"
"Okay! You are so brave and courageous! Tell me, how do you want our Hanako Gang to help you?"
Song Wen thanked Ma Laizi first, and then took out a bronze medal! On the bronze medal was the words Sihai Liquor and several strange symbols. Song Wen went on to say: "The Huazi Gang puts benevolence and righteousness first, and the leader of the Ma Gang takes righteousness first and performs many good deeds."
!Today I handed this bronze medal to the Ma gang leader. From now on, as long as my Sihai Winery does not collapse! With this bronze medal, the Huazi Gang can receive thirty guan of copper coins and three shi of rice and grain from Sihai Winery every month... I am today
I swore an alliance with my old brother. From now on, the Huazi Gang will be my allies in the Four Seas Wine Shop, and we will advance and retreat together no matter what!"