Xu followed Chen's secret markings to Kaifeng and met

the heroes at the home of the local society leader

there. The heroes were very happy to see that he was

all right, and a banquet was held to welcome him. By

this time, Zhang Jin, 'Leopard' Wei and Xin Yan had

all recovered from their wounds. 'Melancholy Ghost'

Shi had not yet returned from the Muslim border

regions and the Twin Knights were still trying to find

out what had happened to Wen.

Xu did not mention anything about Lady Zhou or Zhou Qi

to Lord Zhou. He was afraid that if questioned

closely, it would be difficult to word his answers.

And anyway, he thought, they will be here within a

day. So he only told the heroes about what he had

heard of 'Scholar' Yu: that he was badly wounded and

travelling with a girl dressed as a boy. They

discussed the matter for a while but could not think

who the girl could be. They were all worried about his

safety, but Yu was quick-witted and they were

confident he would be all right.

Early next morning, Zhou Qi arrived by herself and her

father and the others were delighted to see her. After

greetings were over, she said quietly to Xu: "Come

with me. I have something to say to you."

He walked slowly after her. He thought she wanted to

berate him for leavng them behind, but he was wrong.

"My mother won't come to see my father," Zhou Qi

whispered. "Think of something."

"Well, ask your father to go to see her," said Xu,

surprised.

"She still wouldn't be willing to see him. She goes on

and on about the death of my brother, saying my father

has no conscience."

Xu thought for a moment. "All right," he said finally.

"I have an idea." He quietly gave her instrucitons.

"Will it work?" she asked.

"Definitely. You'd better go immediately."

Xu waited until she had left, then returned to sit

with the other heroes. When the appointed hour

arrived, he quietly said to Lord Zhou: "I understand

the Bamboo Garden restaurant next to the Iron Pagoda

Temple is famous for its excellent wine. Let us go and

try it."

"Good idea! I will be the host," replied Zhou, who was

always interested in wine. "We can all go and drink

our fill."

"The eyes and ears of officials are numerous in this

city. It would not be a good idea for all of us to

go," Xu replied. "Perhaps if just the Great Helmsman

and I accompanied you, what do you think?"

"All right," Zhou replied. "Once again, it is you that

thinks things out most carefully."

After speaking to Chen, the three went directly to the

Iron Pagoda Temple. The Bamboo Garden was as good as

its reputation. The three men talked, ate Yellow River

carp and drank wine until they were drunk.

Xu raised his cup to Zhou. "I drink to you, Lord Zhou,

in honour of your being reunited today with your

daughter," he said.

Zhou drank a mouthful and sighed.

"You are not happy," Xu continued. "Is it because Iron

Gall Manor was burned to the ground?"

"Wealth is not a part of the flesh. Such a thing as

Iron Gall Manor is not worthy of regret," Zhou

replied.

"Well then, you must be thinking of your deceased

son?"

Zhou said nothing but sighed once again.

"Seventh Brother, let us go," said Chen. "I've had

enough wine.

Xu ignored him. "Why did Lady Zhou leave home?" he

asked.

"She blamed me for killing the child. Ah, where could

she have run to, all alone? She loved him as much as

her own life. I have truly failed her. I had no

intention of killing him. It was just a slip of the

hand in anger. Once we have rescued Master Wen, I will

search to the farthest ends of the earth to find her

and bring her back."

As he spoke the door curtain parted and Lady Zhou and

Zhou Qi walked in.

"I heard what you said," said Lady Zhou. "I'm glad to

see you're willing to admit your mistake. I'm here

now, so there's no need to go looking for me."

Zhou was so startled and delighted at the sudden

appearance of his wife that he was momentarily

speechless.

"Brother Chen, this is my mother," Zhou Qi said.

"Mother, this is Great Helmsman Chen of the Red Flower

Society." The two greeted each other formally.

"Father, what a coincidence this is," the girl added.

"I had heard that the wine here was good and decided

to try it. Mother didn't want to come and I had to

drag her along. Who would have guessed that you would

be here too?"

They all laughed and drank, Zhou Qi was exuberantly

happy, and without thinking, she began to talk

elatedly about how Lead Escort Tong had been killed

and the death of her brother and the burning of the

manor avenged. Xu surruptitiously tried to stop her,

but she took no notice.

"Brother Xu was very clever to think of a way to deal

with them," she exclaimed. "After all the Lead Ecorts

had passed out, we jumped in through the window and

saved mother. Then he lifted Tong up and let me kill

that villainous bandit myself."

Zhou and Chen toasted Xu.

"You have saved my wife and taken revenge on my

behalf," Zhou said to him. "I am eternally gratefuly

to you."

"How did you two meet up on the way?" Chen asked, and

Xu faltered along for a few sentences trying to

explain.

"Damn! Damn!" Zhou Qi thought to herself in distress.

Her face flushed and an unintentional movement of her

arm knocked her chopsticks and winecup to the ground.

The winecup smashed loudly, increasing her

embarrassment.

Chen examined both their faces carefully, and when

they had returned to the residence, he called Xu over

to one side.

"Brother Xu, what is your opinion of Mistress Zhou?"

he asked.

"Great Helmsman," Xu replied hurriedly. "Please don't

mention what she said in the restaurant to anyone. She

is a good person and has a pure heart, but if other

people knew and added a touch of filth, we wouldn't

ever be able to face Lord Zhou again."

"I think Mistress Zhou is an extremely nice person

too," Chen said. "How would you like me to be your

match-maker?"

"That's impossible," said Xu, jumping up. "How could I

be good enough for her?"

"You must not be so modest. You are the 'Kungfu

Mastermind', renowned throughout the fighting

community. Lord Zhou always speaks of you with the

greatest respect."

Xu stood dumbfounded for a second.

"What do you think?" Chen repeated.

"Great Helmsman, you don't know. She doesn't like me."

"How do you know?"

"She said so herself. She said she hated my peculiar

ways. We have been quarrelling and arguing ever since

we met."

Chen laughed. "So you're certain?"

"Great Helmaman, there's no point talking about it. We

cannot risk being turned down."

Just then, a servant entered.

"Master Chen," he said. "Lord Zhou is outside and

wishes to speak to you."

Chen smiled at Xu and walked out of the room. He saw

Zhou pacing up and down the corridor with his hands

behind his back and quickly went up to him.

"Lord Zhou, you should have called for me. Was it

necessary to come personally?"

"It's not important," Zhou replied, and with a tug on

Chen's arm, led him into a reception room and sat

down.

"I have something on my mind and want to ask your

help," he said. "My daugher is nineteen this year. She

has been a good-for-nothing since she was born, but

she is basically a good and sincere person. Her faults

are the result of my teaching her something of the

martial arts. She has wasted much time and still has

no husband." He hesitated a moment before continuing.

"Everyone respects your honourable Society's Master

Xu. I would like to ask you to become a match-maker

and arrange for my daughter's betrothal to him. But I

am afraid that with her bad temper, she would not be

good enough."

Chen was delighted. "Leave this matter completely in

my hands," he said. "You are the Taishan Mountain and

North Star of the fighting community, Lord Zhou. It is

a great honour for the Red Flower Society that you are

willing to give up your daughter to one of our

brothers. I will go and see to it immediately."

He ran to Xu's room and told him the news. Xu was so

delighted, his heart beat wildly.

"Well," Chen said. "Are you willing?"

"Why wouldn't I be willing?"

"I didn't expect that you'd be unwilling," Chen

replied with a smile. "But there is something else.

All of Lord Zhou's three sons are dead, and the

youngest died because of the Red Flower Society. It

looks like the Zhou family line is finished. I wonder

if you would be willing to make a concession and

become not only his son-in-law, but his son as well?"

"You want me to become a member of the Zhou family?"

"Yes. The first of your future sons would be surnamed

Zhou, and the second Xu. It would be a small repayment

of our debt to Lord Zhou."

Xu agreed. The two went round to Zhou's room and also

asked Lady Zhou to come over. Unaware of what was

happening, Zhou Qi followed her in. As soon as Zhou

saw the expression on the faces of Chen and Xu, he

knew the matter was decided.

"Daughter, go outside," he said with a smile.

"You are trying to deceive me about something," she

replied accusingly. "I won't have it!" But despite her

words, she turned and left.

Chen brought up his idea of Xu becoming a member of

the Zhou clan, and Lady Zhou and her husband beamed

with delight.

"We are away from home and I don't have anything

worthy to present to you," Zhou said to Xu. "But later

I will teach you how to use the Iron Gallstones."

Xu was overwhelmed. He had gained both a beautiful

wife and a wise teacher, and he knelt down to kowtow

in thanks.

As soon as the news leaked out, the other heroes came

to offer their congratulations. That night, a great

banquet was held to celebrate, but Zhou Qi hid herself

and refused to come out.

During the drinking, 'Melancholy Ghost' Shi returned

from his journey to the Muslim regions with

Muzhuolun's answer to Chen's letter.

Chen took the letter. Just then, 'Crocodile' Jiang

raced in shouting: "The Yellow River's broken it's

banks!"

They clustered round and questioned him on the extent

of the disaster.

"The river's already broken through at seven or eight

points. In many places the roads are completely

impassable," he replied.

They were all concerned about how the peasants were

faring. Furthermore, the Twin Knights had still not

returned to report on Wen's situation.

"Brothers, we have already waited here several days,"

said Chen. "Conditions on the road ahead have probably

changed, and I am afraid the floods will have ruined

our plans. What do you all think we should do?"

"We can't wait any longer," Zhang Jin called out.

"Let's get on to Beijing quickly. Even if they are

holding Fourth Brother in the Heavenly Prison, we'll

still get him out."

The others voiced their agreement, and it was decided

to start out immediately. They thanked the local

society chief and headed off eastwards.

While on the road, Chen opened and read Muzhuolun's

letter. In it, he thanked the Red Flower Society for

its warning and said he had called his tribe together

and was preparing for war, determined to fight the

enemy to the end. The mood of the letter was

tragically heroic and Chen's anxiety showed on his

face.

"Did Master Muzhuolun have anything else to say?" he

asked Shi.

"He asked after Fourth Brother. When he heard we had

not yet rescued him, he expressed great concern."

"Did you meet Master Muzhuolun's family?" Chen asked.

"I met his wife, son and two daughters. You know the

eldest daughter. She asked after your health."

Chen hesitated. "She didn't say anything other than

that?" he asked slowly.

Shi thought for a second. "Just before I left, there

appeared to be something else she wished to say to me,

but she asked only about the details of our attempt to

rescue Fourth Brother."

Chen was silent. He put his hand into his gown and

felt the dagger that Huo Qingtong had given him. The

blade was eight inches long, bright and dazzling, and

the handle was entwined with gold thread. Judging by

the amount that had been worn away, it was of great

antiquity. Huo Qingtong had said that a great secret

was supposed to be hidden in the sword. He had

examined it closely over the past few days, but had

been unable to find anything unusual about it. He

turned and looked back westwards. The host of stars

were shining brightly, and he wondered whether on the

great flat desert, the same stars were now shining on

Huo Qingtong.

They travelled all night, and when morning broke, they

were already close to the places where the Yellow

River had broken through. The great plain had turned

into a vast lake. The fields and homes of people in

low-lying areas had long since been submerged. Many

people were camping out in the open on the hilltops.

The heroes made their way round the flood, keeping to

the high ground and heading eastwards. Occasionally,

they spotted a cluster of corpses bobbing along beside

pieces of driftwood. That night, they lodged out in

the open, and the next day had to make a long detour.

Zhou Qi had been riding with Luo Bing the whole way,

but suddenly she could restrain herself no longer. She

spurred her horse on and caught up with Xu.

"You're the one with all the ideas," she said. "Think

of a way to save these people."
关键字:书剑恩仇录
生词表: