Chapter 11: Wang Dafang
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Ma Zengsan and Xiao Bugui sat on the ridge of a roof. Between them stood a small table, leveled with two blue bricks. On it rested a jug of wine, two cups, a plate of braised beef, and a roast duck.
Ma Zengsan took a sip of wine and a bite of meat before asking, “Tell me, boy—which is better, Heaven or the human world?”
“The human world is livelier than Heaven,” Xiao Bugui replied. “And the wind up there is terribly strong. This place is more comfortable.”
“Wait until winter comes and you have no padded coat to wear,” said Ma Zengsan. “Then you’ll know what suffering in the human world is.”
“Don’t frighten me. It took me no small effort to come down here, and I came precisely to enjoy myself.”
“Perhaps one day you’ll be weeping bitterly.”
“No matter how hard life becomes, I’m only a passerby here. Sooner or later I’ll leave. I’m not afraid.”
From their lofty perch, Ma Zengsan gazed down at the bustling streets with his weathered eyes and said with a smile, “Such a hard mouth. One day life will teach you a lesson.”
The streets were thronged with people. Ma Yulang was so absorbed in conversation with Ma Liang that he collided with a young man coming toward him. The young man was thin and slight, dressed in a long robe covered in patches. He held a meat bun in his hand and had taken only one bite when the collision sent it flying, knocking him to the ground as well.
Ma Yulang paid him no attention. The young man picked up his bun, then doggedly chased after him and blocked his way.
“You knocked me down,” he said indignantly. “And you don’t even intend to apologize?”
“What kind of creature are you?” Ma Yulang snarled. “How dare you demand an apology from me?”
The young man was not intimidated. “My name is Wang Dafang. I’m from Button Village in Cangzhou.”
“Do you know who I am?” Ma Yulang asked. “I’m Ma Yulang, one of the Forty Bandits of the Western Regions.”
Wang Dafang held up his soiled bun with grim determination. “Pay me for it.”
Ma Yulang pursed his lips, opened his eyes wide, and glared viciously. “Are you an idiot? I’m a bandit, and you’re asking me for compensation? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“I, Wang Dafang, am not a petty man. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be called Dafang. But you insulted me today, and you must pay for the bun.”
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As a bandit of great renown, Ma Yulang had never endured such an insult. In the vast deserts of the Western Regions, whenever a person or object offended his eyes, he settled the matter with a single stroke of his blade. If one stroke was insufficient, he struck again. And when he was angry, there were many strokes—and the other party ended up as a fresh mound of minced meat.
At that moment, Ma Yulang could bear it no longer and drew his knife.
Ma Liang immediately stopped him, seizing the wrist of his knife hand. In a grave voice, he said, “Brother, you know what Boss Ma is like. It’s only a bun. We’ll pay him.”
Ma Liang tossed five copper coins to Wang Dafang. Wang caught them, finally feeling that he had vented some of his anger. Then he noticed a small piece of meat filling stuck to Ma Yulang’s clothes and made another demand.
“Wait.”
Ma Yulang was about to unleash a torrent of abuse when Wang Dafang pinched the morsel between two fingers and popped it into his mouth. With a smile, he said, “Brother, don’t be angry. Thrift is a virtue. I wouldn’t want the filling to soil your clothes, so I’ll eat it myself.”
Ma Liang laughed despite his anger. “You’re from Stingy Village, aren’t you? You can’t really be called Wang Dafang. Your name must be Wang Miser!”
Wang Dafang flushed. “It’s precisely because I’m thrifty that the villagers call me Dafang.”
“That’s sarcasm!”
Hearing this, Ma Yulang was delighted. The two men burst into laughter and walked away.
Wang Dafang, meanwhile, was perfectly happy. He ate his bun and had earned five copper coins besides. Life was good.
Ma Zengsan had watched the entire scene. He said to Xiao Bugui, “Did you see that? The man called Wang Dafang is actually a poor wretch. He has known hunger and endured the scorn of his own family. That is why he became so miserly, valuing money above everything else. For the sake of a few copper coins, he would rather die than yield to two bandits.”
Xiao Bugui looked at him in astonishment. “Old man, can you read fortunes?”
Pleased by the compliment, Ma Zengsan puffed himself up. “If I didn’t have that much skill, how could I make a living as a swindler? Come down with me. There’s demonic energy around that Wang Dafang. I’m going to capture this wild demon.”
Wang Dafang continued on his merry way when Ma Zengsan dropped from the sky, nearly colliding with him.
The young man jumped in fright. “Good sir, you came falling out of the sky! You nearly scared me to death!”
Ma Zengsan ignored the matter of demon hunting and tried to deceive him instead. “You’re lucky to have encountered me today. I happen to need an apprentice. How would you like to become my disciple?”
“What would I gain from that?” Wang Dafang asked.
Xiao Bugui had already followed them. An idea flashed through Ma Zengsan’s mind, and he ordered, “Xiao Bugui, perform a trick for him.”
Xiao Bugui obediently transformed into a swallow and flew onto Wang Dafang’s shoulder. Wang Dafang raised his left hand, and the swallow landed upon it. He blinked, thinking he must be hallucinating, then stroked the bird with his right hand.
Suspiciously, he turned to Ma Zengsan. “Make that bird turn back into a man.”
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Xiao Bugui instantly resumed human form. His weight was too great, however, and he nearly crushed Wang Dafang beneath him. With natural agility, Xiao Bugui spun around, steadied himself, and reached out to pull Wang Dafang upright.
This time Wang Dafang was truly dumbstruck.
“What exactly do you do? You’re not some wandering con artists, are you?”
“We’re heroic demon hunters,” Ma Zengsan declared.
Wang Dafang regarded them warily. “I don’t believe you. I have an urgent matter to attend to, so please leave me alone.”
Ma Zengsan immediately ground his teeth and swore, “If we’re lying, may we turn into puppies.”
Hearing the oath, Wang Dafang could not help laughing. “Swear together, and I’ll believe you’re heroic demon hunters.”
The marketplace was noisy and chaotic. Whether he had misunderstood or Xiao Bugui’s thoughts were simply too pure and foolish, he said at once, “If you don’t believe us, I’ll turn into a puppy and show you.”
With that, he transformed into a black dog.
Wang Dafang suddenly understood everything. Throwing back his head, he shouted in the middle of the street, “They’re not only con artists—they’re demons! Come and catch the demon!”
There were crowds everywhere, and crowds naturally had strength in numbers. When people saw Xiao Bugui turn into a black dog, some cried out while others shouted, “A dog demon! A dog demon!”
Before long, many had armed themselves with whatever they could use to beat a dog and began chasing Xiao Bugui. Liu Ma the Pockmarked, in particular, snatched up a sharp knife from his butcher shop and joined the pursuit. He thought gleefully, This dog demon’s meat must taste even better than ordinary dog meat!
Xiao Bugui kept running. At first, many people had no idea what was happening, but word spread from mouth to mouth until everyone became convinced that he was a dog demon. Even the pedestrians ahead formed a human wall, waiting for him to throw himself into their trap.
Xiao Bugui had no choice but to transform once more, this time into a small bird, and fly away.
Seeing such a large piece of fat meat about to escape, Liu Ma the Pockmarked hurled the sharp knife in his hand with all his might. Unfortunately, the blade was not a throwing knife, and Liu Ma was no master of throwing weapons. Instead of striking the little bird, it buried itself in the good leg of Zhao the Lame.
The little bird, meanwhile, flew nimbly into the blue sky and white clouds.
Zhao the Lame was consumed by rage. Limping desperately forward, he seized Liu Ma by the collar amid the crowd and burst into tears.
“I’ve only got one good leg left, and you stabbed it, you miserable dog! Pay me!”