Chapter 33: The Fang Gang

When Li Mu fell asleep, Ninth Aunt had already returned home, and the old woman next door relayed his instructions to her. Ninth Aunt stood in a daze for a moment upon hearing the news, then felt both comforted and inevitably worried.

“This child left in such a hurry—couldn’t he have said goodbye in person?”

Not long after, Ninth Uncle also came back. Upon hearing what had happened, he was briefly taken aback, but after thinking it over, he said to Ninth Aunt, “Mu is fifteen now, no longer a child. Li San and his wife died early, and it’s a good thing for him to stand on his own at this age. Don’t worry too much; I’ll have someone keep an ear out in the county and make sure someone looks after him.”

Ninth Aunt listened, paused, and nodded. “I don’t know much about the county, but I’ve heard it’s a disorderly place. You’re his uncle—once he’s in the county, you must look out for him.”

Ninth Uncle nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Er Niu had already told Sister Luo San in Luo Family Village about Li Mu’s instructions. Sister Luo San, though worried—since they’d agreed only yesterday that he would come today—accepted the news. Since Li Mu had made arrangements, she went to the villagers who’d asked him to trim their animals’ hooves, explaining that Li Mu couldn’t come for a few days and apologizing on his behalf.

At first, these villagers were displeased. After all, no one likes someone breaking an appointment at the last minute. But when Sister Luo San added, “Mu said he’ll come again in a few days and will trim the hooves free of charge to express his apology,” they were all taken aback. Then their faces lit up, and everyone hurried to say it was no problem.

Hoof trimming by Li Mu was no small expense—at least a silver coin each time. Now it was to be free? Of course they were pleased.

Someone remarked in admiration that, despite his youth, Mu was a young man who knew how to conduct himself. People in Luo Family Village had also heard that, in gratitude for their help burying his mother, he’d spent three days trimming hooves for free in Li Family Village. At the time, as outsiders, they hadn’t thought much of it. But when such kindness extended to themselves, they realized he was truly someone you could deal with.

It was just a broken appointment, yet he’d sent someone promptly to inform them, and even promised to make it up with free service. Despite his age, his conduct was measured and reliable, earning everyone’s respect.

…

The night passed uneventfully.

Li Mu woke early the next morning. The first thing he did was check his physical condition. After two nights’ rest, the exhaustion in his body had lessened a little, though he was far from recovered. His arms, treated with Grandfather’s ointment, had also shown some improvement.

This was a relief. He couldn’t help but marvel again at Grandfather’s remarkable ointment.

Struggling to his feet, he immediately checked the silver in his basket—everything was still there. Only then did he relax.

Not long after he awoke, someone knocked on the door. It was the inn’s waiter.

“Sir, I asked my second uncle at home, and he really does have a few courtyards that match your requirements. Shall we go see them today?”

It was good news first thing in the morning. Li Mu’s spirits lifted.

He ate breakfast, checked out of his room, and only felt truly at ease when he saw the waiter leading his sturdy blue ox out, safe and sound. After seeing so many stories about shady inns in his previous life, he’d been uneasy in the inn, but it seemed there really weren’t that many black dens—especially not in a busy county town, where any such place would have been demolished long ago.

He loaded his basket back onto the blue ox and mounted, just as the waiter brought over a middle-aged man—his second uncle.

Through introductions, Li Mu learned that the man was a member of the Tooth Guild in Wugong County.

Having traveled from village to village for some time, Li Mu knew that every trade in Wugong County was controlled by guilds. The most powerful were the Wharf Guild, the Fishermen’s Guild, and the Firewood Guild. Wugong County was surrounded by mountains and rivers, so naturally, these trades were strongest.

It’s worth noting that each guild had more than one branch. For example, there were several wharf guilds, but since they all worked at the docks, they were known collectively as the Wharf Guild. The same was true for the Fishermen’s and Firewood Guilds. Some of these guilds cooperated, others were rivals—it was all very chaotic.

Besides these three major guilds, there were other, lesser or more discreet ones, such as the Tooth Guild.

The Tooth Guild’s influence wasn’t small. The county had over twenty villages, and when villagers came to town, they often needed brokers—so the Tooth Guild naturally arose. But since the business was based on courtesy, they were much more low-key than the Wharf or Fishermen’s Guilds, who were known for frequent brawls.

It should be mentioned that the so-called “child snatchers”—those who stole and sold children—were also technically under the Tooth trade, but those were the scum of the profession. The proper Tooth Guild had its rules.

Even when children were sold, money changed hands. In times of famine, when families could no longer survive, children were sold willingly to brokers, so that everyone might live. It was a matter of mutual consent, nothing like outright kidnapping.

Of course, every trade has its black sheep. There’s a saying, “Carters, boatmen, innkeepers, porters, and brokers—kill them all, guilty or not.” But that’s unfair. There are honest carters, ferrymen, shopkeepers, porters, and brokers too. Still, when traveling, people tend to be cautious and expect the worst in others—especially with some of the heinous acts committed by the few rotten apples, which have ruined the reputation of the whole trade.

The Tooth Guild in the county, however, was known for keeping to its code—this he had heard from other villagers.

The waiter’s second uncle was a member of the Tooth Guild, but not an important one—otherwise his nephew wouldn’t be working as a waiter. Having heard from his nephew yesterday, he came today, eager to earn the commission from Li Mu.

He greeted Li Mu warmly, his face all smiles. After all, in the brokerage business, you had to greet everyone with a grin if you wanted to make a deal.

He would be showing Li Mu the houses today.

The waiter exchanged a few more polite words with Li Mu, then Li Mu mounted his ox and followed the middle-aged man. The man was talkative but not annoyingly so, introducing Li Mu to the area along the way. Li Mu mostly listened, occasionally asking a question or two out of curiosity.

They made their way through the streets, and the houses they were to see were some distance from the inn.

As they passed a huge market, however, they heard commotion ahead.

Li Mu instinctively looked up and was startled. The market was piled high with stacks of timber, and at the entrance two gangs were facing off. Each side had at least twenty or thirty men—one group brandishing knives and staves, the other wielding axes for chopping wood. They stood about ten meters apart, hurling insults at each other.

The hubbub was so loud it was impossible to make out exactly what was being shouted—only that it was a chaotic din.

Many townsfolk stood at a distance, watching the standoff, pointing and whispering among themselves, but no one dared approach.

Li Mu was still in a daze when the middle-aged man beside him muttered, “At it again? Looks like the Clear River Gang and the Hatchet Gang are headed for a big showdown sooner or later…”