Chapter 87: An Impromptu Adventure

Reuniting with Jun Tao had already filled Luo Gan’s heart with such joy that he could think of nothing else. He could not spare a moment to consider what awaited him in the capital. Let it be whatever it might—wasn’t this simply a honeymoon rendezvous?

Luo Gan gathered the members of the Bamboo Grove Guild. Everyone assembled in the hall, where a cloth-covered mound bulged up on the table. Luo Gan sat in the seat of honor, while the others were arranged to his left and right: Er Hu, Uncle De, Yan Shan, Xiao Zhi, Farmer A, Liu Bu Wen, and the rest.

“Now that everyone’s here, I’ll keep this brief. The frost disaster in Anping County has passed, and our people may once again live and work in peace. A cause for celebration! And next…”

Luo Gan was speaking with relish when Er Hu suddenly stood up and headed for the door. Everyone looked at him in confusion.

“Er Hu, what’s gotten into you?”

“I heard you only said two sentences. Ain’t that done?” Er Hu wore an innocent look and had no desire to listen to Luo Gan’s rambling.

At that, Luo Gan restrained himself a little and smiled apologetically, asking Er Hu to sit back down.

“‘Say a few words’ doesn’t necessarily mean exactly a few words. There were commas the whole way through; the speech wasn’t over yet,” Luo Gan explained.

Everyone was still puzzled. Yan Shan stepped in to shield Luo Gan. “What the guild master means is a little hard for us to follow. In short, he hasn’t finished speaking yet!”

Not understanding commas was only natural; after all, in that era there was not yet any real habit of punctuation, and commas, periods, and exclamation marks were beyond comprehension.

With a deliberate scrape, Er Hu, who had been teasing Luo Gan, sat back down again. Luo Gan nodded.

“The day we gathered to tackle the challenge together, we endured countless hardships before reaching what we have today. This victory did not come easily.”

“What victory is there to speak of…” Uncle De muttered from the side. Once the old man’s habit of lecturing took hold, it was hard to stop. “I told you from the start that you need a righteous cause. Now not a single soul knows we’ve done a great deed.”

“Exactly, exactly! A Luo, this job has been stifling for the rest of us!” Farmer A chimed in from the side.

In truth, Luo Gan had long anticipated such complaints. A ragtag assembly gathered under the pretense of money would inevitably clash over money. Uncle De was still manageable; in the end he had helped somewhat. But Farmer A had simply vanished before the final battle, and no one knew what schemes he had been hatching.

“Don’t put it that way. Brother A Luo is doing this for the common people! I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” Xiao Zhi said, trying to ease the awkwardness in the room.

People die for wealth, birds for food; every soul understands this truth. A temporary guild would ultimately have to seek profit, and could not survive on charity. Once he had seen through their expressions, Luo Gan lifted the cloth from the table, revealing gleaming gold bars.

Uncle De and Farmer A stared wide-eyed, while Xiao Zhi looked only more perplexed. Er Hu watched Luo Gan with visible discomfort.

“This… so many gold bars! Oh, A Luo, you rascal!” Uncle De exclaimed in delighted shock.

Luo Gan explained to the group, “Listen to me. Each of you may take one gold bar as payment for this mission, but I have another request.”

Uncle De and Farmer A, whose eyes had already been kindled by greed, quickly composed themselves. Following Luo Gan had been a succession of calamities; bitter experience told them not to trust or agree to him too readily, lest they invite trouble upon themselves.

Er Hu glanced around, disgusted by the scheming looks on everyone’s faces. Liu Bu Wen, however, grew curious.

“Brother Luo, do you have some plan in mind? Why not speak plainly?”

Luo Gan paused, then went on. “During the time you have followed me, you have all given your utmost. Our goal has already been achieved. If any of you wish to leave, take one gold bar.”

Farmer A and Uncle De were quite satisfied with this outcome. Uncle De hesitated only briefly before Farmer A strode up and took a gold bar at once.

“If you’re willing to continue this venture with me, then take two gold bars.” Luo Gan held up two fingers.

The expressions around the room varied, each person harboring his own calculations.

Er Hu had lived an honest farmer’s life all along, yet ever since the dreamlike sea of flowers, visions of another kind of life had kept echoing in his mind. As for his childhood friend’s rise, his feelings were mixed.

Uncle De was already old, a respected elder in the village, and seemed to have few desires left.

Liu Bu Wen was different. He had failed the imperial examinations many times and possessed a heart higher than the heavens. He still came from a family of letters, after all; if he could be brought into the fold, that would be a good thing indeed.

“I’m old enough myself. Better not go making trouble. My days are numbered as it is, so I might as well enjoy a quiet country life,” Uncle De said as he rose and took a gold bar from the table. Luo Gan nodded.

After some thought, Liu Bu Wen stepped forward, took two gold bars, and smiled at Luo Gan.

“There is an old saying: a scholar should die for the one who understands him. Meeting Brother Luo was destiny. It has let me spread my wings like a fish in water! I am willing to follow the guild master wherever he goes.”

Xiao Zhi did not make a decision. When Luo Gan asked him, he still had not made up his mind even after a long wait.

Luo Gan nodded, then let his gaze rest on Er Hu, the brother who had stayed by his side all along.

Suddenly, Er Hu burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Never would’ve thought a bunch of us country bumpkins could sit together so properly, like townsfolk at the market!” After the laughter died away, silence fell, and only the sound of everyone’s breathing remained. “I’m not going. I’m going back to take care of A Yu.”

Clearly, Luo Gan’s eyes had been shining, yet Er Hu’s answer still disappointed him. In his heart, Luo Gan understood very well that Er Hu was different from the others; he had not come for money.

Like a mountain walking on two legs, the man moved toward the table piled with gold bars. Each step landed with a heavy thud, a dull scraping sound. As his hand closed around a gold bar and passed by Luo Gan’s side, something inside Luo Gan seemed to give a sudden lurch, as though it had fallen to the ground.

“Aren’t you going to come on a spontaneous adventure?” Luo Gan asked Er Hu. “How long are you going to spend doing farm work every day before it ends?”

“My whole family line has been farmers, honest and hardworking folk. I never thought of doing anything else. A Luo, this time I’m staying only because you are our brother. I can’t forget where I came from.”

Uncle De nodded approvingly, then went on, “Er Hu is right. We can’t forget our roots! A Luo, go back. Those flowers and grasses outside are all illusions. Piss on the ground and let the sun shine on it, and everything disappears.”

Luo Gan said nothing. Only then did he understand that deeply rooted ideas are hard to change. Those rooted in the earth are steady and dutiful; though they have never seen the sun, they learn to live with darkness. Having spent generation after generation in the fields, how could they understand the full colors of the wide world?

The teacups before them were filled once more. Yan Shan watched in silence until the tea in front of Luo Gan had been topped up, and only then remembered that he himself had not yet been served.

“Yan Shan, what about you? Will you keep following me?”

Yan Shan froze for a moment, then smiled with relief. “Of course! Guild master, I came to the Bamboo Grove Guild because I admired you, and in the future I will remain at your side as well.”

Hearing this, Luo Gan handed him two gold bars. Yan Shan naturally pushed one back, astonishing everyone present.

“I’ve only done what I ought to. Please keep the money yourself, guild master. I’m not worthy of it.”

Luo Gan insisted on giving the gold bars to Yan Shan, and after some back-and-forth Yan Shan finally accepted one.

The sunlight was perfect, falling upon the signboard of the Bamboo Grove Guild. More and more passersby moved through the streets, full of spirit as they welcomed the life that lay ahead.