Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 48 A lustful female

Meanwhile, behind the window crack on the upper floor of the small courtyard, a pair of bright, beautiful eyes were peering through the crack at the burly figure walking away into the distance below.

Seeing that he had gotten rid of the three idle vagrants, Zheng Tu felt a little better. Without thinking much about it, he shook his head and was about to turn around and go back to the teahouse.

Turning around, I saw a section of a carrying pole sticking out from the corner of the alleyway wall, I didn't know when it had been there.

He glanced at it and saw a basket covered with a cloth on the end of the carrying pole.

"Perhaps it was some peddler who saw the fighting but didn't dare to step forward." Zheng Tu didn't pay any attention and continued walking back.

Just as they arrived at the teahouse, they saw Granny Wang hurrying towards them from the other end of the street, followed by a greasy-haired, powdered-faced man.

The man was around thirty years old, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face. He wore a turban with a swastika pattern, a slightly worn dark brown silk robe, and fine-soled Chenqiao shoes. He carried a gold-flecked Sichuan fan and walked with a swaying gait, giving him a somewhat dashing and dissolute air.

It was none other than Earl Ying!

These two had clearly just witnessed Zheng Tu teaching those three idle ruffians a lesson.

Granny Wang grinned from ear to ear. Just now, she had led Ying Bojue this way and happened to see Zheng Tu's clean and efficient methods at the street corner, which secretly pleased her.

"What a perfect opportunity, a stroke of luck! It's a pity I couldn't bring Master Ximen to see it with my own eyes, otherwise I could have saved on the introduction fee for Ying Huazi, and I could have made an extra profit!"

Lord Ying had also approached, his slender eyes scrutinizing Zheng Tu from head to toe. Seeing his imposing figure and the skillful and swift action he had just taken, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He quickly cupped his hands and laughed, "Good brother! This must be Brother Zheng, right? What a magnificent and upright man! Wang Qianniang was absolutely right; this kind of person is exactly what my brother Ximen is looking for!"

This Earl Ying was a true hanger-on, a traitor who didn't keep to his duties, making a living solely through his honeyed tongue. Therefore, he was also extremely adept at reading people's expressions and could make people feel comfortable with his words.

Upon meeting Zheng Tu, he showered him with compliments, which was typical of his way of dealing with people.

Ying Bojue's daily work consisted of accompanying Ximen Qing to eat, drink, and have fun. Most of the time, he helped his girlfriend, gamble, play games, and make money.

He would do his best to help Ximen Qing with anything he wanted to do, and thus he was deeply trusted and favored.

He carefully examined Zheng Tu, thinking to himself, "Brother Ximen thinks that the ten brothers are missing one. If I can find a good brother that I like, wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

Moreover, judging from this man surnamed Zheng's appearance, as the saying goes, "he has great strength but lacks wisdom," which would be a perfect complement to someone as clever as me. In the future, working alongside Brother Ximen, I can offer ideas while he provides the physical labor—wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

"Hey, if I were Li Si from the Qin Dynasty, this guy could be like Meng Tian!"

Earl Ying grew increasingly smug, and the smile on his face became even more genuine.

Zheng Tu rose and returned the greeting: "Brother Ying, you flatter me. My surname is Zheng, and I am from Guanzhong. I am new to your place and hope you will give me your guidance."

The three of them sat down again.

Granny Wang hurriedly brewed a pot of fresh tea and set out several dishes of melon seeds and fennel beans.

Earl Ying, fanning himself, chuckled and said, "Wang Qianniang has already told me about Brother Zheng's matter. To be honest, my brother Ximen does intend to form another sworn brotherhood to fill the vacancy left by Bu Zhidao. However—"

He paused, put away his fan, and said seriously.

"Brother Ximen, there are three things to consider when making friends: first, loyalty; second, some skill; and third, knowing when to advance and retreat and understanding the rules. I have already seen Brother Zheng's excellent skills, but although his martial arts are good, it is not appropriate to display them at the banquet. I can't very well let Brother Ximen watch Brother Zheng practice his boxing, can I?"

Brother Zheng...do you have any other way to let Brother Ximen know about your abilities?

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tu knew that this was a test for him.

He needed to demonstrate his strength to Ximen Qing without being too flamboyant, nor could he take on the role of Earl Ying. So he feigned naivety and said, "Although my family is not wealthy, we value loyalty. As for my abilities..."

He extended his right palm, fingers spread, and gently pressed it on the table.

The desktop is made of old wood, incredibly hard.

He didn't seem to exert any force; his palm simply dipped slightly downwards. When he lifted his hand, a shallow palm print was clearly visible on the table, with the outlines of his five fingers distinct.

Lord Ying and Granny Wang were stunned by this scene and remained speechless for a long time.

The teahouse was quiet, with only the occasional calls of vendors coming from outside the window.

Granny Wang slowly reached out, her hand trembling as she touched the edge of the palm print. She then looked up at Zheng Tu, her eyes filled with, "This...this..."

Zheng Tu stopped, and said with a simple smile, "A little bit of brute force, not worth mentioning."

Count Ying snapped out of his daze, slapped his thigh, stood up, and exclaimed repeatedly, "Excellent! Excellent skill! Truly excellent skill! Brother Ximen loves to befriend heroes like you! Brother Zheng, rest assured, I'll take care of this! The gathering is in three days. Brother Zheng, please prepare a clean set of clothes, and I will come to pick you up so we can go together to pay our respects to Brother Ximen!"

Zheng Tu cupped his hands and said, "In that case, thank you for your trouble, Brother Ying."

The three chatted for a while longer, discussing details such as the time of the meeting and what to wear.

Earl Ying was satisfied and got up to take his leave.

Granny Wang saw Ying Bojue off at the door and whispered a few more words of advice to him.

He walked out of the teahouse, waving his gold-flecked fan and humming a tune, already planning how to praise his newly found "hero" to Ximen Qing.

He had just reached the center of the street when he casually glanced up.

Just then, the black lacquered gate across the street creaked open a crack.

A graceful woman swayed her waist as she came out carrying a wooden basin to splash water.

How alluring that woman was! Especially her eyes, which seemed to bewitch and captivate with every glance.

Though dressed in a slightly worn cloth skirt, it couldn't conceal her natural, graceful charm. The way she swayed as she splashed water was irresistible to most.

If not Pan Jinlian, then who is she?

When Earl Ying looked at him, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. He was so stunned that he stood there dumbfounded, and the gold-flecked fan in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud," but he didn't even notice.

"Truly, truly, she is an extremely beautiful woman..." he murmured to himself, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Even someone like him, who frequented brothels and entertainment venues all day long, had never seen such a stunning beauty, which made his heart itch with desire.

He felt his mouth was dry and his heart was filled with anxiety. His legs seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he could not move an inch.

The woman splashed water, and as if sensing something, she looked up and gazed in this direction.

Seeing that a strange man was staring straight at her, she frowned slightly, turned around and went back into the courtyard, slamming the door shut.

Earl Ying then came to his senses, bent down to pick up the fan, dusted it off, and his face still showed a look of infatuation.

But the fire in my heart just wouldn't stop burning.

"This woman... I've never seen her before! She's so captivating!"