The old man belatedly patted his chest, muttering, "I’ve hosted a big..."
He had only gotten halfway through his sentence when he covered his mouth and quickly left, withdrawing his gaze.
When the two reached a deserted area, Yang Ge took out a token left by a visitor from Lianhuan Fort during New Year’s greetings and handed it to the robust man.
Seeing the token, the robust man immediately bowed deeply, exchanging the token with both hands and respectfully said, "Second Master, if you needed anything, you should have just sent someone to call me; there was no need for you to come to this dreadful place yourself."
The entire Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was under Lianhuan Fort’s control.
In small places like Luting County, the wharf was originally managed by a subordinate gang of Lianhuan Fort.
Ever since Yang Ge and Lianhuan Fort had deepened their relationship, Li Jincheng had sent efficient personnel to take over Luting Wharf, ready to relay any support Yang Ge might need from them at any time.
It was only during the previous visit from Lianhuan Fort during the New Year’s greetings that Yang Ge learned about this.
Yang Ge carefully put away the token and said deliberately, "Some matters are better kept from too many people!"
The robust man replied, "I understand."
Yang Ge asked, "Stand up, what is your name?"
The robust man stood, cupped his fists and replied, "Replying to Second Master, I am called Wu Eryong, formerly the chief aide to the young fort lord."
"Wu Eryong, unmatched bravery… a good name!"
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Yang Ge smiled and nodded his head.
Pleased with his praise, Wu Eryong’s face lit up with an excited smile, "Such an unworthy name does not deserve praise from Second Master."
"If your young master has placed you permanently here, you must be one of the people he trusts most."
Yang Ge took out a sealed letter from his bosom and handed it to him, "I need you to use the safest means of communication and deliver this letter to Yang Yinghao, the Right Emissary of Light of the Ming Sect, at the Yang Family of Fengyang."
Wu Eryong took the letter reverently, thumping his chest emphatically, "Rest assured, Second Master, I will personally escort it. As long as I live, the letter is safe; if I die, the letter will be destroyed!"
Yang Ge patted his shoulder, smiling, "You needn’t be so anxious; should any real danger arise, your priority is to protect yourself, just make sure to destroy this letter."
With his face stern, Wu Eryong replied, "Rest assured, Second Master, there will be no mishaps; but if there are, I’ll face it head-on!"
Yang Ge gave up smiling, "Don’t talk nonsense like that— when dealing with me, staying alive is always the priority!"
After a pause, he continued, "That old man earlier seemed quite amiable; if you can help him, you should."
Wu Eryong bowed, "I understand."
Yang Ge motioned, "Alright, go attend to your duties, I’m leaving. If it’s anything urgent, find me directly at the Right Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; if it is an emergency, find me on Luting Chaimen Street. Just ask for Yang Ge; the neighbors will show you the way."
Wu Eryong replied, "I shall see Second Master off."
Yang Ge pushing a small cart said, "No need, you may go back... Huang, let’s go."
Wu Eryong stood at his spot, watching the man and his dog walk down the Bian River towards the downstream, waiting until both were out of sight, then he straightened up, his face full of disbelief, murmuring, "Second Master is unexpectedly amiable in private?"
In fact, he had recognized Yang Ge from the start.
He had been present when Yang Ge killed "Soul Reaper Duan Yu" at the headquarters of Hangzhou Jujing Gang; he recognized Yang Ge’s build and voice.
It was precisely the breathtaking strike he saw Yang Ge deliver to Duan Yu that,
made it difficult for him to reconcile the gentle young man, who always wore a friendly smile and treated even a tough old guy like Lu politely addressing him as ’Sir,’ with that celestial-like, eminent figure ’Yang Erlang’.
This made him recall the old fort lord, who also appeared like an ordinary fisherman when he wasn’t fighting.
"Could it be that the mediocre feign mastery, while the true masters seem just like ordinary people?"
Imitating the smile Yang Ge had on his face, Wu Eryong slowly walked back to the wharf. His stiff, grim smile frightened his subordinates out of their wits: "Second Master, please don’t smile like that, it gives me the creeps..."
Then, the form of address ’Second Master,’ which he usually found pleasing, now also unsettled him.
"Stop calling that rubbish, call me chief!"
He instinctively wanted to smack the ignorant man before him out of shape but then thought better of it, lightly landing his hand on the man’s shoulder instead.
Yet, the light hand was enough to make the man collapse to the ground, hugging his thigh and crying, "Second Master, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have been collecting fees for the ferry service privately..."
Wu Eryong:...
Were there other surprises meant to come?
...
"Woof woof woof..."
Huang excitedly dashed to the wood door and raised his paws to scratch at it, but with one swipe, he pushed the partially closed door open.
Through the courtyard door, Yang Ge caught sight of the old fisherman sitting under the wall corner, basking in the sun, wearing a new set of clothes.
"Oh, finally decided to wear it, eh?"
Yang Ge teased with a chuckle, released the dog leash, and turned around to lift the unicycle with one hand as he walked into the yard.
Huang dashed towards the old fisherman and was about to jump on him when he suddenly slammed the brakes, stopping and tilting his head to look at him.
The old fisherman wrapped his arms around him, stretching his neck as veins popped on his face, and loudly said, "Hahaha...I figured by the days, it was about time for your visit!"
He was clearly laughing, but it gave Yang Ge the feeling that it was very strained.
The tone and speed of his speech were fine, but it sounded like he was breathing heavily.
Yang Ge, carrying the grain sack toward the kitchen, slowed his steps and asked with concern, "What’s wrong with you? Feeling unwell?"
As he spoke, he let go of the grain sack, walked up slowly, and took the old man’s wrist to check his pulse. He felt something odd about his pulse, but upon closer inspection, all his organs seemed normal...
"Ah, it’s just winter coughs and spring wheezes, no big ailments; you’ll understand when you’re older."
The old man swatted his hand away and eagerly asked, "What tasty things did you bring today? I can even smell the meat!"
Yang Ge, relieved by his cheerful spirit, laughed, "Beef shank! Good stuff, right?"
The old man’s eyes, cloudy and listless, widened, "You better not be breaking any laws, young man!"
Yang Ge chuckled, "It’s just a cow that died naturally in the East Market; what law would that break?"
As he spoke, he turned to grab the grain sack and ducked into the kitchen, "You’re in for a treat today, braised beef with white radish, the taste... tsk tsk tsk..."
Laughter came from outside, "Then you’d better hurry, I’ve been waiting for this meal since yesterday."
Yang Ge, "Do you dare to be any lazier?"
The old man, "You think I’m still young like you? When I was your age, I could eat ten fist-sized wild veggie buns in one meal!"
Yang Ge, "Since boasting isn’t illegal, just keep it up."
The old man, "Now that your residence registration is settled, no one’s asking where you’re from, right?"
Yang Ge, "Who cares about that? Don’t worry. I am quite popular in town, everyone knows me, and no one’s going to trouble me unnecessarily."
The old man, "That’s good. If anyone asks, don’t be afraid. I haven’t told anyone about your story. The dogs only know I fished you up from the river, nothing else..."
Yang Ge, "Yeah, I’m not scared!"
He chatted casually with the old man basking in the courtyard, while quickly working on the beef.
Soon, the rich aroma of the beef filled the small, dilapidated courtyard.
The old man inhaled deeply and chuckled, "It smells so good!"
Yang Ge, "Smells good, doesn’t it? Just wait a bit longer, it’ll be ready soon. I cut the meat thin; it won’t take long to stew..."
He set the beef to stew, then turned to rinse the rice to steam it.
The old man, "Mmm, I’m waiting, waiting..."
Just as Yang Ge had finished steaming the rice, he heard Huang’s anxious yelps from outside.
Curiously, he poked his head out and saw the old man embracing Huang, leaning against the wall, asleep, while Huang anxiously nudged his palm with his nose.
He quickly wiped his hands and moved forward, "It’s cold, come inside to sleep..."
He gently pushed the old man, but he did not wake up.
Yang Ge pushed him again, but there was still no movement.
"Hey, the beef is ready..."
Yang Ge kept pushing him, tears suddenly streaming down, "Time to eat, hey, don’t sleep!"
The old man leaned silently against the wall, no longer responding to him.
The gentle spring breeze tousled his unkempt white hair, shining translucent, much like the willow fluffs drifting along the riverbank in August...
"What’s the rush!"
Yang Ge slowly knelt in front of the old man, tears streaming down into the dust, "Even if you had to go, you should have left with a full belly..."