Moma Liangshan

Chapter 9: Heavy Snowfall, Three Heroes Ascend the Arena

Most of the heroes came from impoverished backgrounds, and rarely had the opportunity to enjoy even the finest ordinary wines, let alone this distilled spirit. A chorus of voices cried out, "Chief Wang, another bowl!" Wang Hao, understanding, gave each person another bowl. After two bowls, Wang Hao waved his hand, silencing the commotion, and announced, "In the depths of winter, with the year drawing to a close, I have invited you all here today to savor this rare and exquisite wine. However, such fine wine is hard to come by, and we cannot allow all the heroes to drink to their hearts' content. Therefore, this arena has been set up. The three winners will each receive a jar of fine wine and three hundred strings of cash." The crowd cheered loudly, scattering the falling snowflakes. Wang Hao continued, "The snow is falling heavily, and the lake water is icy cold. If any of you heroes catch a cold, it will be Liangshan's fault. Now, there are two ways to determine the top three. First, the rules remain the same: whoever can hold out on the third level of the arena for half a quarter of an hour, regardless of their methods, will be the winner. The second method... I invite Clerk Song to read it!"

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang frowned and said to Wang Lun, "This martial arts competition was organized by your esteemed stronghold. How could I, as the guest, presume to set the rules?" Seeing Song Jiang's loss of composure, Wang Lun felt smug and said, "Sir Song, you are unaware that my son and I have been discussing today's rules for three days and three nights. Unexpectedly, it snowed heavily today, and the weather is bitterly cold. I admire your concern for all the heroes, Sir Song. However, I am truly lacking in talent and ability, and in this haste, I cannot think of a better solution. Therefore, I can only rely on Sir Song." Song Jiang thought to himself, "With hundreds of people involved, if it were a one-on-one duel, firstly, there wouldn't be enough referees, and secondly, it would take too long." "The competition might not end for several days. That Wang Hao is truly despicable, dragging me into this mess." Seeing that Song Jiang couldn't come up with a solution, Chao Gai called out, "On behalf of Chief Wang, I'd like to ask everyone, can you withstand the cold of this lake?" At this moment, a burly man shouted, "Even if the river is frozen, you can still swim if you break a hole. Today it's just a little snowfall. If we can't even get in the water, we might as well go home and boil water for our wives to wash their feet." Everyone laughed heartily, and another person said, "That's right. Chief Wang's wine, even if we only have three bowls each, just three sips would be enough for us to go shirtless and fish in the river." Everyone echoed his sentiment.

Ignoring Song Jiang's gloomy face, Wang Lun shouted, "Then let's settle this quickly! Beat the drums!" At the sound of the drums, hundreds of strong men surged forward, rushing off. On the wide lake, huge waves crashed against the falling snow. The men's red skin steamed in the cold, creating layers of white mist. They moved, blocked, chased, and fought. Everyone was fighting; everywhere was a battlefield. However, at this moment, Wang Hao noticed three people standing upright on a wooden boat outside the arena. The three remained motionless, allowing the crowd to approach the center of the arena step by step. Finally, the heroes at the front began to ascend the first level of the arena, and those behind them stopped hindering each other and rushed towards the center. Suddenly, the three men on the wooden boat exchanged a glance, then disappeared into the water with a somersault. Wang Hao unconsciously walked to the very front of the viewing platform, but after several breaths, he still couldn't find the last three who had gone into the water. By this time, people had already ascended the second level of the arena, and the waters surrounding the arena were densely packed with heads.

Wang Hao turned to his henchmen and said, "The outcome is about to be decided. Light the bonfires so everyone can warm themselves later." The henchmen obeyed, and within moments, dozens of bonfires were lit. The flames were reflected in the lake, shimmering in the light. Just then, three huge waves simultaneously appeared in the waters surrounding the arena. Those around the waves were thrown to other directions. Wang Hao watched intently as three agile figures, using only their arm strength, leaped onto the first level of the arena, then, using both hands and feet, instantly ascended to the second level, almost without stopping, and then to the third. The three immediately supported each other, defending their positions. Wang Hao turned to his henchmen beside him and said, "Light the incense to keep time. If anyone is replaced, immediately restart the timer." At this moment, Wang Lun, Chao Gai, and Song Jiang also came over to watch the final competition. Chao Gai said, "These three cooperated very well; they must have come together." Song Jiang nodded and said, "Brother, I think so too." He then turned to Wang Lun and asked, "What does Chief Wang think?" Wang Lun, already intimidated by Song Jiang's imposing manner, said, "I also agree with Chief Chao's assessment." An incense stick quickly burned out. Wang Hao signaled for the drums to stop and the bell to ring. Hearing this, everyone quickly ceased fighting. Wang Hao shouted, "There's a fire on the shore; please, all heroes, go ashore first."

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the fires burned ever brighter. Beside each bonfire, Wang Hao had placed a jar of distilled liquor beforehand, and on top of the fires were skewers of various roasted meats, including chicken, duck, fish, pork, and lamb. To prevent fighting over the meat, Wang Hao also assigned two henchmen to each fire: one to pour the liquor, and the other to cut the meat. The three winners had red ribbons tied around their arms, and they would be rewarded after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill.

A square wooden table was also set up on the referee's platform, with Wang Lun, Wang Hao, Chao Gai, and Song Jiang sitting around it. The center of the table had been hollowed out beforehand, and a small red clay stove was placed inside. Charcoal burned in the stove, heating a black basin above it. The basin had low sides, resembling a large flat-bottomed plate. Wang Hao placed pre-cut slices of meat into the basin, which sizzled under the heat of the stove. The other three were quite surprised. Chao Gai said, "Chief Wang, your young master is so young yet already has such amazing abilities; his future achievements are limitless." He then raised his cup and continued, "Brother Song Jiang, let's first toast Chief Wang." After drinking together, Song Jiang asked, "Young master, was this earthenware pot custom-made?" Wang Hao smiled and replied, "It was fired with the help of a master craftsman; it's quite crude, please don't mind, Chief Song!" Song Jiang replied, "I truly admire Young Master Wang's talent. Having eaten meat for so many years, I never knew there was such a way to eat it. Chief Wang is truly blessed!" Wang Lun said, "My son's mother died early, and he has had no one to discipline him since childhood. Apart from reading a few books when he was young, he spends his days playing with these strange and lewd tricks." Neither Song Jiang nor Chao Gai had wives, so they were completely ignorant about raising children. More than an hour later, everyone was full and their soaked robes had mostly dried.

Wang Lun stood up and shouted, "Please invite the three victorious heroes to the stage!" The three men ascended the stage, and Wang Lun asked, "May I ask your names and where you reside?" The eldest of the three said, "We three are brothers, from Shijie Village. We make our living by fishing and enjoy practicing martial arts. I am Ruan Xiao'er, nicknamed 'Standing Tai Sui'." Another man continued, "I am Ruan Xiao'wu, nicknamed 'Short-lived Erlang'." The last one said, "I am Ruan Xiao'qi, nicknamed 'Living Yama'." At this moment, the henchmen had already brought out fine wine and money. Wang Lun said, "The three heroes have displayed astonishing skills, truly opening our eyes to a new world. Please accept this small gift." Ruan Xiao'er declined, saying, "Chief Wang has brewed a wine unlike any other in the world, and his first thought is for us, his humble brothers. This is a matter of great righteousness. Chief Wang puts righteousness first; how can we brothers put profit first?" Ruan Xiao'wu chimed in, "Exactly! Exactly!" Ruan Xiao'qi hesitated slightly, saying, "However, we are reluctant to refuse Chief Wang's wine." Wang Hao thought for a moment, deciding it wasn't appropriate to insist, and said, "The three heroes are so loyal and righteous. Why don't you take the wine first, and then Liangshan will give each of you three jars of wine?" Ruan Xiao'qi was incredulous and asked, "Young master, you mean to give each of us three more jars of wine?" "?" Wang Hao replied, "That's right." After a slight pause, he continued, "However, Liangshan has no wine left at the arena today. Therefore, the nine jars of wine for the three heroes will only be available in four to five days. Is that alright?" Ruan Xiaoqi replied, "You flatter me, sir. Excellent! Excellent!" Wang Hao then said, "The place where the three heroes reside seems to be quite a distance from where I brewed the wine. Therefore, it will be somewhat troublesome to deliver the wine to the three heroes after it is brewed." Ruan Xiaoqi replied, "How could we trouble you, sir? We brothers will go to collect it ourselves!" Wang Hao said, "On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, at the inn by Liangshan Lake, I will be waiting for the three heroes." The three thanked him, each carrying a wine jar, and boarded the wooden boat. The banquet then ended, and they all returned home.

Zhu Gui led more than twenty henchmen to clean up the site, while Wang Lun and Wang Hao returned by boat first. The two stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the heavy snow falling from the sky. Wang Hao asked, "Father, what do you think of the three Ruan brothers?" Wang Lun replied, "They are brave and skilled, but I wonder about their strategy?" Wang Hao said, "At the beginning of the competition, the three of them were calm and collected, building up their strength before launching their attack. When everyone was engaged in a fierce battle and exhausted, they pressed on and directly ascended to the third level of the arena." Wang Lun asked, "Did you witness this yourself?" Wang Hao said, "Yes!" Wang Lun continued, "In that case, the three Ruan brothers are both brave and resourceful." Wang Hao replied, "I want to recruit these three into our group. What do you think, Father?" Wang Lun pondered for a moment and said, "If these three are not colluding with the government, then there is no problem. But how should their positions be allocated?" Wang Hao said, "I have a consideration and would like to ask Father for his advice!" Wang Lun nodded, and Wang Hao continued, "I want to establish a special branch to manage the affairs of the winery." Wang Lun was slightly puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?" Wang Hao explained, "Father will control the Liangshan forces behind the scenes, while I will plan for Liangshan's interests from the front."

Wang Lun's expression turned solemn as he asked, "You want to start your own business?" Wang Hao thought to himself, "This is bad," and quickly replied, "Your son has absolutely no intention of disobeying me!" Realizing his seriousness, Wang Lun smiled and said, "A father and son speaking from the heart is already a joyous occasion. If starting your own business is beneficial to you, I will certainly support you wholeheartedly. I know that next spring, you and your fine wine will surely enter the capital city of Dongjing. Now, I only want to tell you to act according to your abilities and never be impatient for quick success and lose sight of your principles. If one day you lose your capital or get into trouble with the law, don't panic. Return to Liangshan Marsh, and we, father and son, will start over!" Wang Hao could hardly control the tears in his eyes, his voice choked with emotion, and said, "Your son will heed your teachings, Father!"