Chapter 6: Zongkong Burrows Through Walls Like a Rat — Juexing Schemes Like a Wolf Devouring Its Prey

Seeing that Guixing was now thoroughly enraged, Zongkong pressed on: "Hearing those words, I could not stand there and let your name be dragged through the mud, young master, so I argued back with a few words. His whole family — brother, father, and son together — looked ready to come to blows. The neighbors all came to urge restraint, and yet right in front of the crowd he continued to abuse you without restraint." Guixing thundered, "Whether in the provincial capital or in Nanyong, who does not know that it was my father who raised Liang Chaoda from nothing? How dare Liang Tianlai behave so outrageously! I will not share the same world with him!" He was about to set out for the provincial capital to confront Tianlai directly. Zongkong quickly stopped him: "Young Master, there is no need to rush! Going to argue with him now would do no good — he and his family are thick-headed as oxen and cannot be reasoned with. Besides, you are a scholar and a gentleman — you need not lower yourself to trade insults with them. If others saw you, it would damage your reputation as a man of letters. Far better to let others settle the score for you." Guixing asked, "How do you mean, let others settle it?" Zongkong put his head down and thought for a moment, then said, "I recall that the hill where Liang Chaoda is buried — that land was given to him by you, young master. It originally belonged to our Ling family. What if we arranged to have some of the Ling men carry a coffin over and dig up a space right there, beside Liang's tomb, to use for a burial of our own?" Guixing replied, "Digging and exposing an existing coffin — isn't that against the law?"

Zongkong replied, "If you fear the law, we need only break through the outer boundary of his earth mound, not dig deep enough to expose the coffin — what could he do about that? At the very least, we make a scene and ruffle his feathers." Guixing said, "I doubt there is anyone who would be willing to do such a thing." Zongkong said, "My brother Haishun is bold by nature and fearsome-looking. If given a sufficient reward, he will not refuse anything." Guixing asked, "But where would we find a dead person at short notice?" Zongkong said, "Young Master, you are too kindhearted! Why do we need a real dead person? We can just use an empty coffin." Guixing laughed and said, "Well then, Uncle, you go and arrange it. Whatever needs to be spent, come to me for the money."

Zongkong jumped at the chance. He found Haishun, explained the plan, and Haishun promptly recruited over a dozen ruffians. They obtained a thin-board coffin, Haishun dressed himself in mourning white, and the gang hoisted the empty coffin and marched straight toward the Liang family burial ground. There they fell upon the place with great commotion — chopping down trees, hacking into the mounded earth.

Liang Chaoda's tomb was directly adjacent to the house, just behind the vegetable garden at the rear of the property. That day, the family's servant Qifu was watering the garden when he saw this scene, ran at once, and reported it to the mistress, née Ling. The mistress was greatly alarmed; she hurried to the rear, opened the back gate, and looked out. Seeing that the perpetrator was Haishun, a collateral kinsman from her own natal Ling family, she blazed with anger and cried out, "What are you doing! Have you no regard for the law whatsoever?..." Her words were not yet finished when Haishun, brandishing a bamboo pole and roaring like thunder, charged at her and shouted, "Old woman! This is Ling family land. My young master Qibo gave it to me to bury my wife — what business is it of yours to come out here and block me!"

Now, Tianlai had an uncle by the name of Hanzhao who lived nearby; hearing the noise, he came out to intervene. Haishun turned from Mistress Ling and charged straight at Hanzhao. Hanzhao, being a law-abiding and peaceable villager who had never courted trouble, saw Haishun's unreasonable rampage and quickly retreated. The gang thereupon ran riot as they pleased and, when done, left the empty coffin where it lay and scattered with a howl. Zongkong then opened his account book and went to Guixing to collect the funds. The bill came to exactly fifty taels of refined silver, which Guixing paid out in full. Zongkong took the money, paid out the gang, and kept a large share for himself — what more need be said.

A year passed, and Zongkong's days grew lean again. He came to find Guixing and said, "That stone building of the Liang family is still blocking my young master's path to wealth and success — I cannot get it off my mind. Last night I thought of a clever plan that will make Liang Tianlai hand over that stone building with both hands." Guixing asked, "What plan does Uncle have in mind?" Zongkong replied, "Directly in front of that stone building stands a low earthen hill. We can cut out a flat section on the face of that hill, set up a wooden board, and paint a white tiger on it, pointed directly at the front face of his building. As the old saying goes: 'A white tiger guards the main court — each year several shall die.' Once he fears for the lives of his family, he will have no choice but to sell."

Guixing said, "Then Uncle, please go and arrange it." Zongkong took his orders and lost no time. He duly went to the foot of that earthen hill and set up a wooden board some five or six feet wide, on which he painted a white tiger — with bared fangs and waving claws, swishing tail and swaying head — a truly fearsome sight. Mistress Ling was furious at the sight of it and summoned Hanzhao to discuss the matter. Hanzhao said, "Why don't we paint a pi xiu (a mythical beast said to ward off evil spirits) on the rear wall to counter it?"

Mistress Ling replied, "Aside from that, there is no other recourse — so that is what we shall do." She had a pi xiu painted on the rear wall.

Dear readers, it must be said that fortune-telling, geomancy, white tigers, pi xiu, and such matters are all superstitious nonsense with no basis whatsoever — so why include them in this account? It is simply because the state of common sense at the time was what it was, and people truly believed in such things. Since the characters in our story acted on these beliefs, I have no choice but to relate their actions faithfully. Do not mistake this for the author of a reform-minded novel following the ancients into superstition — please do not misread my intent.

But enough of digressions. After Zongkong had painted the white tiger, he came around day and night to monitor the situation, expecting the Liang household to be thrown into constant unease. One day he spotted a plasterer coming out of the Liang house. Zongkong went up and asked, "What construction work is being done at the Liang family?" The plasterer replied, "It is not construction — someone has painted a white tiger outside, positioned directly opposite the main court of the Liang house. They have hired me to paint a pi xiu on the rear wall to counter it." Zongkong asked, "Is it finished?" The plasterer replied, "Completed just today." Zongkong could not hide his consternation. He asked again on impulse, "Can a pi xiu really counter a white tiger? And what, in turn, can counter a pi xiu?" The plasterer replied, "That I really don't know."

Zongkong walked home in ill humor, turning the matter over and over in his mind, unable to devise a good method to get his hands on that stone building and curry more favor with Guixing. The more he brooded, the angrier he became, until at last his fury grew too great to contain. He rushed outside, recruited over a dozen ruffians, marched straight to the rear of the Liang house, and without a word of preamble began battering the rear wall. The wall gave way with a crash and tumbled down. Mistress Ling heard the noise, hurried to the rear to look, and saw Zongkong leading the mob, tearing things apart with great gusto. She called out loudly, "What has our family done to the Lings that you must harass us again and again! The last time Haishun desecrated the grave, I said nothing about it. Now you have come right to our door!"

Zongkong, without pausing for argument, snatched up a broken brick and hurled it at her face. Mistress Ling dodged quickly; it did not strike her, but smashed a ceramic goldfish basin. Seeing the basin broken, something in Zongkong's mind sparked. He immediately ordered the mob to carry the bricks from the demolished wall and dump them into a nearby fish pond, filling it in, while he shouted, "There has been measles among the children of Tan Village lately — the geomancer says this wall here is harmful to the young ones. I am tearing it down for the good of all, and even if this ends up in court, I will not lose!" Mistress Ling still tried to push forward and stop them, but her eldest daughter-in-law, née Liu, her grandson's wife, née Chen, and her granddaughter Guichan all came to hold her back and help her inside. Zongkong's gang tore and smashed for quite some time; they also plundered flower plants and trees before at last scattering with a shout.

When the noise outside fell quiet, Mistress Ling quietly made her way to the rear to look. She saw the wall torn apart in shambles, the fish pond half filled, and the flower pots and flower stands knocked over at all angles. She could not help bursting into loud weeping. Liu Shi had no idea what to do except send Qifu racing to the provincial capital to summon Tianlai and his brother back home. When the brothers received the news, they were greatly alarmed. They hired a fast boat and hurried back.

At the sight of them, Mistress Ling burst out weeping: "The two of you are away in the city — have you given offense to anyone in the Ling family, to bring about such a calamity? Whatever mess you have made, you will have to sort it out yourselves. I am nearly seventy — I have not long to live — but I would at least like you to have peaceful days." The brothers had heard a general account from Qifu but were still not entirely clear on what had happened, so they asked Liu Shi to tell them everything. Tianlai went to the rear to inspect the damage and said in anger, "This is no way for the world to be! Tomorrow I am going to Panyu County to file a complaint and have an official come to assess the damage — at the very least he must be made to pay compensation!" Mistress Ling replied, "Let it go! Have you never heard: 'The yamen gate stands open to all eight winds — but without money, do not enter even if you have right on your side!' In wealth and power, how can you and your brother compare to Ling Guixing? Do you want to suffer this outrage and then on top of it lose a lawsuit? I would like to know what wrong you have done him to bring all this trouble down on us."

Tianlai told her about Zongkong's visit to buy the stone building. Mistress Ling heard this and could only sigh. Liu Shi said to Tianlai, "Since mother-in-law does not wish to go to court, husband must not go against her wishes, lest we upset her further. Let us simply accept this misfortune, quickly hire workmen to repair everything, and return to the city to manage the business." Mistress Ling agreed, "What my daughter-in-law says is right. Stay away from those hooligans from now on." Tianlai had no choice but to engage craftsmen to repair the tomb, replant the trees, and rebuild the rear wall. A few days later, they discussed returning to the provincial capital. Junlai said, "There is a debt to collect in Cha Village — why not collect it before going to the city?" Tianlai replied, "Good thinking." So the two brothers set off by way of Cha Village.

Truly, as they say, "There are no coincidences unless the story demands them." As ill luck would have it, just as the two brothers set out on the road, not paying any particular attention, Zongkong spotted them. He wondered: that road goes to Cha Village — what are they going there for? He immediately ran to Guixing's home and began shouting in a great commotion: "Young Master! Something terrible! Liang Tianlai's brothers are going to file a complaint at the yamen!" Guixing was startled and asked, "What makes you say that?" Zongkong replied, "I saw the two of them going toward Cha Village — they must be going there to have someone write a petition!" Before Guixing could reply, a voice from the side said, "Calm yourself — he is certainly not going to have a petition written." Zongkong looked up and saw it was Guixing's cousin-uncle Qu Juexing.

This Qu Juexing was a degenerate among the educated class. He ran a small private school teaching young children, which barely kept him alive. He spent his days cultivating relationships with local constables and yamen runners, stirring up lawsuits, inverting right and wrong, confusing black and white. He had a certain low cunning about him, and Ling Guixing and his circle treated him with respect, considering him to be full of resourceful schemes. They had even given him a nickname: "Second Zhuge Liang" (a reference to the famous strategist of the Three Kingdoms period). Zongkong now asked him, "Old cousin! You have always had a gift for reading situations. Do you know what those brothers are going to Cha Village for?" Juexing replied, "The Cha Village area has many merchants from Suzhou, and Suzhou merchants generally deal in sugar — they almost certainly do business with the Liang brothers. They must be going there to collect a debt."

Zongkong clapped his hands and said, "That's it, that's it! Why don't we go and intercept them on the road, rob them of their silver, and deflate their arrogance a bit? Young Master has hundreds of thousands in wealth and naturally has no need of their money — but if we rob them, the whole gang of us poor brothers can have a good drink on it. What does Young Master think?" Guixing replied, "Ambushing and robbing them — that is not only against the law, but even bystanders would be outraged." Zongkong replied, "If we bring enough men, who would dare oppose us?" Guixing shook his head, "Not advisable, not advisable." Juexing said, "Even with many men, it would be useless if we are in the wrong. I have a plan that will make Tianlai hand over all the silver on his person with his own two hands. And if he refuses, we can simply take it by force, and no one will dare step forward to interfere. Nor will Tianlai dare so much as peep about it afterward!" Zongkong was overjoyed and asked what the plan was.

What brilliant scheme did Juexing propose? Read on to the next chapter.