Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 22 Women

After leaving Yanmen County, Zheng Tu let his horse roam freely, choosing only the most secluded places and heading in one direction.

He had no clear plan in mind, only one thought.

It doesn't matter where we go, the farther away from Lu Da's pursuit and the government's arrest, the better. Although there is no longer the threat of Master Zhao in Yanmen County, the arrest warrant has been issued, and sooner or later they will find our whereabouts. It's better to go far away from home.

The horse seemed to know its master's thoughts, its hooves flying as it hurried toward one direction.

They traveled day and night for several days in this manner.

But we see:

In a desolate village, I hear the night watchman's drum; at a roadside inn, I sleep under the fading

By day I tread the yellow dust, at dusk I seek refuge in an ancient temple.

During the day, they would ride their horses on the road, and at night they would find a quiet place to rest or a small inn to stay in.

At first, Zheng Tu was very worried, fearing that he would be questioned. Whenever he heard the sound of horses' hooves, he would slip into the woods.

If they occasionally saw someone who looked like an official, they would take a detour.

But after accidentally bumping into it a few times, nothing ever happened, and over time it became commonplace.

As he traveled along, he saw picturesque mountains and rivers, peaceful villages, and nothing unusual in the surroundings. Zheng Tu's tense heart gradually relaxed.

"It seems the world isn't as treacherous as I thought," Zheng Tu thought to himself.

"Once we reach a larger prefecture or county town, find a stable place, and use some means to acquire property, we can live a leisurely and wealthy life, marrying several beautiful wives and concubines. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Thinking this, Zheng Tu felt relieved and cheerful. He even squinted his eyes on horseback and hummed some tuneless little tunes.

At noon that day, he was riding his horse down a hillside.

Looking up, I saw a wine flag hanging on the slope, fluttering in the wind.

He didn't think much of it until he saw a tavern, and then Zheng Tu felt thirsty and hungry, so he reined in his horse and turned to go up the hill.

Upon arriving at the shop, one could see three thatched houses, one facing the road and the other against the hillside.

A woman, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, was sitting by the window sill in front of the door. She was a mature woman.

She wore a green gauze shirt, her hair was adorned with a headdress of bright yellow hairpins, and a few wildflowers were pinned to her temples, making her look very attractive.

When the woman saw Zheng Tu arrive alone on horseback at the door, she got up to greet him.

Below, she wore a bright red silk skirt, her chest exposed, revealing a peach-colored gauze waistband adorned with gold buttons.

This outfit is truly daring, with an extremely low neckline that causes the flesh to ripple as the wearer moves, creating a rather alluring effect.

Upon closer inspection, the woman's face was not particularly striking; she was merely of average appearance. However, her voluptuous figure and daringly revealing clothing gave her a certain alluring charm.

The woman greeted him from the doorway, smiling before even speaking: "Sir, you must be tired from your journey. Please dismount and rest. We have fine wine and meat, and if you'd like some snacks, we also have large steamed buns."

When she said the word "steamed bun," the woman's eyes were ambiguous, and she deliberately dragged out the word, giving Zheng Tu a meaningful look.

Zheng Tu was not the kind of naive man who couldn't resist a woman's charms, and he was not easily seduced by her tricks.

Whether in his original body or his previous life, he had experienced the pleasures of love and romance.

As for looks, he hadn't done anything with a pretty young lady like Jin Cuilian who was eighteen or nineteen years old. This woman was plain-looking and had such a flirtatious manner. How could she possibly seduce him?

Do you really think that Master Zheng eats everything?

Zheng Tu simply nodded and said indifferently, "Then bring a few jugs of wine and a few side dishes."

The woman twisted her body, consciously squeezing her arms together to accentuate her deep cleavage, and said with a coquettish laugh, "There are also some very large steamed buns. Would you really like to try some, sir?"

Zheng Tu remained expressionless, thinking to himself:

"I, Zheng, am a man of the world. These days I've been traveling and lost a lot of fat, but I've developed a strong and muscular physique. If I were to try something new, I'd have to find a young and beautiful woman. How could I let a middle-aged woman like you have it? If you really think about it, I'm the one who's at a disadvantage."

He simply said, "Not yet, just bring the wine first."

Seeing that Zheng Tu remained unmoved, the woman was not annoyed and continued to smile, "Alright, sir, have a few bowls of wine first, then go and cool off under the big tree in the back. If you wish to stay the night, our inn has clean rooms."

Zheng Tu found a clean table and sat down, while the woman went to the kitchen to busy herself.

Taking advantage of the moment, he took out his money pouch from his pocket and weighed it. Inside were about seven or eight taels of loose silver and several hundred copper coins.

"Ugh!"

Zheng Tu sighed inwardly. He had given all the gold and silver in that satchel to Jin Cuilian, and now he only had this little bit of money left. He figured that if he saved every penny, he could last for a few more months.

He cursed inwardly, "Why did you have to pretend to be a hero! You've squandered all your wealth and are now in such a sorry state. You're no longer a wealthy landowner!"

Then, he reassured himself, "It's nothing, just a little bit of gold and silver. With my intelligence, I can find a peaceful place and surely build a good fortune."

Thinking it over, Zheng Tu shook his head, feeling somewhat relieved. He then put the money pouch back into his pocket, no longer feeling the pain of losing the gold and silver.

Once seated, Zheng Tu began to look around the hotel.

He came up from the slope behind the shop, and now, upon closer inspection, there is indeed a large tree in front of the shop.

The tree was incredibly thick, probably requiring four or five people to encircle it; its branches were gnarled and twisted, covered with withered vines. Further on, there stretched a vast, boundless forest.

"This hotel is located in the middle of nowhere, standing all alone. It's a must-pass place for merchants and travelers, so it doesn't have to worry about business."

Zheng Tu was bored and lost in thought, but his mind wandered to another place, and he became wary.

"If this kind of desolate inn were a shady establishment, wouldn't it be incredibly easy for them to kill and rob people?"

Just then, a commotion arose outside the shop. A group of five or six people arrived at the shop and tied their mule cart to a tree.

The group of people entered the shop and picked out a cypress wood table and stools for their seats.

The men leaned their sticks against the corner of the wall, untied their bundles and slung them over their shoulders, then casually tossed the packages on their backs onto the table. They also untied their shoulder sashes, took off their cloth shirts and draped them over the back of chairs, revealing the lush green thorns underneath.

One of the men, who looked like a merchant, shouted, "Master, where is everyone? Quickly pour some wine!"

The woman came out of the kitchen and gracefully went to greet them.

The obsequious manner she had displayed towards Zheng Tu was completely gone. Now, although her smile was still ingratiating, it was much more dignified: "Oh dear, it's been quite a while since you gentlemen have been here! How much wine would you like?"

The leader said, "Don't ask how much, just pour out a large bowl of good wine. Cut three to five catties of meat, and we'll pay you in full."

"The steamed buns I made today are huge, white and fluffy..."

A man who looked like a vendor chimed in, "We're starving! Quickly, get us twenty or thirty as a snack!"

Zheng Tu observed secretly and saw that the group of people spoke familiarly with the proprietress, indicating that they were regular customers who often traveled this route.

He thought to himself, "Since this shop has regular customers, it must be a decent place. I was just being paranoid."

Thinking this way, my wariness dissipated considerably.