A Family in Difficulty: Who Can Be Blamed for Wu Da's Tragic End?

Wu Song sighed, "I once met my master by chance. He felt that I had a good physique, so he taught me some Shaolin boxing (Fanziquan) and some of his family's sword techniques. Although I was by his side for a short time, I learned some basics. However, after teaching me the skills, my master went to the Western Xia battlefield, and I never had the chance to serve him!"

Yang Zhi shook his head and said, "As far as I know, Hero Zhou only had two disciples in his life, namely Lu Junyi and Lin Chong. He also had one disciple, but for some reason, he became an abandoned disciple. This person was named Shi Wengong. As for the others, many of them were just unofficial disciples."

Song Jiang grinned, surprised that Zhou Tong was so strict in accepting disciples, with many of his students being only anonymous disciples!

Yang Zhi seemed to sense Song Jiang's confusion and explained, "You may not know, sir! Hero Zhou is the chief instructor of the Imperial Martial Arts Academy, personally appointed by His Majesty. He has countless students, especially the instructors of the Imperial Guards and many captains, who have all learned their skills from him. However, Hero Zhou is extremely strict in accepting disciples; most instructors are considered his students, but not his disciples!"

After taking a sip of wine, Yang Zhi continued, "If Old Hero Zhou takes a liking to someone with talent, he will accept them as an unofficial disciple. Don't underestimate these unofficial disciples; even one of Old Hero Zhou's unofficial disciples has an extraordinary status. If one can get a recommendation from Old Hero Zhou for a position, it will be a great honor for one's ancestors!"

Song Jiang was somewhat astonished. Zhou Tong was so highly regarded by the martial artists, and he was like a towering figure in their hearts!

Wu Song then said, "I am truly unworthy; I am merely a disciple in name only, not a true disciple, much less a disciple personally instructed by my master!"

Yang Zhi said enviously, "Brother Wu Song, don't be ungrateful. To be a disciple of the old hero Zhou is already a great honor. How many people in the world can receive his guidance on the 'Mandarin Duck Linked Kick'?"

Wu Song sighed, nodded, but said nothing.

Song Jiang spoke up, "Commander Yang, could you perhaps tell me about Lu Junyi and Lin Chong to clear up my doubts?"

Yang Zhi laughed and said, "Since it's about resolving doubts, it would be better if the esteemed disciple of the hero Zhou himself could explain it!" He then looked at Wu Song with a smile.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Song said, "These aren't really any secrets. Since you're curious, brother, I'll tell you!"

Song Jiang asked, "From what I understand, Lu Junyi is considerably younger than Lin Chong. Why is he the senior brother, and Lin Chong the junior brother?" (In the original novel, Lu Junyi was about 32 years old when he appeared around 1119, while Lin Chong was about 34 or 35 years old when he appeared around 1114. Lin Chong was at least seven years older than Lu Junyi!)

Wu Song pondered for a moment before speaking, "Lu Junyi is the son of Lu Yuanwai, the richest man in Daming Prefecture. He learned excellent martial arts from a young age! Later, he heard that his master's martial arts were unparalleled, so he traveled to Bianliang without hesitation to beg his master to take him as a disciple! He spent a lot of money just to learn his master's swordsmanship, archery, and fist techniques! His master also cherished his talent and taught him everything he knew, but unfortunately, Senior Brother Lu did not learn Master's Golden Saber Piercing Cloud Arrow, and he only learned 70% of the fist techniques! His master once said that Senior Brother Lu's future achievements with spear and staff techniques would far surpass his own, but swordsmanship was indeed not suitable for him!"

Wu Song paused for a moment, then continued, "As for Lin Chong, he joined the sect two years later than Lu Junyi. His father, Instructor Lin, possesses unparalleled skill with his spear, especially the Lin family spear technique called 'Dragon Turns Around.' It is said that once this move is used, it will either kill or injure the opponent, and it can be compared to the Yang family spear's 'Returning Horse Spear'!"

Yang Zhi laughed and said, "I've heard of the Dragon Turning Around, but I've never had the chance to see it. I'd love to have a go with Instructor Lin sometime!"

Wu Song continued, "Like Senior Brother Lu, Senior Brother Lin's spear skills are far superior to his swordsmanship. Therefore, he did not learn our master's swordsmanship and archery. When I left our master, he often sighed, wondering if he would ever find a direct disciple in this life to learn his skills!"

Having figured these things out, Song Jiang's doubts were suddenly cleared up.

Everyone was a generous and easygoing person, so there was no formality. They chatted about everything under the sun, having a great time. Time passed quickly because then the sound of gongs and drums drifted in from outside, creating quite a lively atmosphere!

Listen carefully, and you can hear several people shouting and cheering for the wedding. They must not be an ordinary family!

Hao Siwen asked in surprise, "Is it a wealthy family getting married? Why is it so lively?"

Wu Song laughed and said, "It's Wu Qianhu from our Qinghe County getting married. I heard the celebration will last for three days!"

Song Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Wu Qianhu's daughter? Is her name Wu Yueniang?"

Wu Song nodded and said, "I didn't expect you to know so much, brother. Her name is Wu Yueniang. However, there's one problem: the man she married was already married. She only married this man after his first wife passed away!"

Song Jiang then asked, "Was the man she married Ximen Qing?"

Wu Song exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you even know this!"

Song Jiang shook his head and remained silent. Ximen Qing was originally from Yanggu County, but in Jin Ping Mei, he was from Qinghe County. The sudden appearance of Commander Wu aroused some doubts in Song Jiang's mind.

However, now is not the time to think about these things. I originally planned to keep a low profile, but because I stood up for Wu Song, I revealed my whereabouts and the constables found out that I was in Qinghe County on official business. Now it is impossible to hide my tracks. I can only take it one step at a time for now!

The group quickly finished eating and drinking, and Wu Song warmly invited his brothers to stay at his home. Seeing Wu Song's hospitality, Song Jiang couldn't bear to refuse him, so he nodded and readily agreed!

Bian Xiang and his four servants, along with Gongsun Sheng, were also taken along by Song Jiang. Since the plan had changed, they might as well face it calmly!

Wu Song and Wu Da lived in a small alley on a street corner. Wu Da rented a small courtyard, and the two brothers made their living there!

When Song Jiang arrived at Wu Song's house, he glanced around and could tell that Wu Song and Wu Dalang lived in poverty. The house was very small, even smaller than Bian Xiang's. The most important thing was that Bian Xiang had built his own house, while Wu Song was renting it!

There was hardly any furniture inside. There were two small rooms and a small kitchen. In each room, besides a bed, there was only a small cabinet, which probably contained clothes. On the bed, there was a tattered straw mat and a thin quilt, and nothing else. On the kitchen stove, there were several steamers, which were probably used by Wu Da to steam pancakes. There was a small table in the kitchen, which was covered with flour. It seemed that the pancakes were put directly into the steamer after being made, and there was probably no time to clean up because of the urgency.

Wu Song looked at Song Jiang somewhat embarrassed. The quality and environment of his life were indeed terrible. Although Wu Song was a tough guy, he was also concerned about his reputation and was afraid that Song Jiang would look down on him. However, Song Jiang's expression did not change. He called over one of Bian Xiang's servants, took out a few taels of silver, and told him to go and buy some wine and meat.

Actually, it's not surprising that the two Wu brothers, both bachelors, lived such a life. Especially since Wu Song didn't engage in any productive work and preferred to exercise, he had no income. Moreover, martial artists have large appetites, and most of the small change Wu Dalang earned each day ended up in Wu Song's stomach. Sometimes, even the leftover steamed buns were eaten by Wu Song. Life was already difficult enough, but Wu Song also liked to drink and had a bad temper. Sometimes, he would get into trouble after drinking, and in the end, Wu Dalang would have to pay for it, making their already meager life even worse.

Wu Da truly embodied the saying "the eldest brother is like a father," and no matter what, he certainly deserves respect.

Wu Song said embarrassedly, "Brother, since you've come all this way, it's not right for you to spend any more money. Why don't I go and buy it?"

Song Jiang took Wu Song's hand and said, "Brother, I know you're not exactly wealthy. Our friendship is based on sincerity and mutual respect, so why stand on ceremony? If you continue to be so polite, I'll leave immediately!"

Just then, a voice came from outside: "Erlang, you've gotten into trouble again? I just heard someone on the street say you injured someone, is that true?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man walked in from outside the door. He was short and carrying a shoulder pole. He was Wu Song's older brother, Wu Dalang.

Song Jiang carefully examined Wu Dalang. He was less than four feet tall, had yellow teeth, and a frightening face. Perhaps due to the pressures of life, he looked like he was forty years old, even though he should have been thirty.

Song Jiang sighed inwardly. These days, it's really not easy to find someone less attractive than himself. Although Mi Sheng was dark-skinned, his broad shoulders and thick waist gave him the air of a great general. Li Kui wasn't exactly handsome either, but he was tall and strong, so at least he was pleasing to the eye. Even though Yang Zhi had a birthmark on his face, his heroic spirit couldn't be hidden. As for the others, none of them were ugly, so they couldn't compare to him.

As soon as Wu Dalang entered, he scolded, "Erlang, what trouble have you caused again?"

Wu Song had no temper with his older brother at all, and whispered, "No."

Wu Dalang's voice was even louder: "I heard from Wang Wu that you fought with Hou San in the restaurant and almost killed him. Is that true?" After saying that, he picked up a carrying pole, and judging from his posture, it seemed that he wanted to whip Wu Song.

Wu Song dared not lie, so he nodded without saying a word.

Holding the carrying pole, Wu Dalang muttered with heartache, "Just two days ago you got into a fight with Chen Mazi and injured someone. I managed to borrow five taels of silver to compensate him and save you from legal trouble. Today, you, you, you actually injured someone again. Who will lend me money now? You're really going to kill me!" Wu Dalang's mouth was trembling slightly.

Wu Song was scolded and dared not speak. Song Jiang sighed. "Poverty-stricken families face a hundred sorrows," this saying is truly true. Sometimes, when a family is poor, they really worry about firewood, rice, oil, and salt. And sometimes, when it rains, it pours. If someone in such a family falls ill or gets into legal trouble, it can really drag the family down.

"Brother," Song Jiang said, bowing to Wu Da.

Wu Da looked at Song Jiang with suspicion and asked, "Who are these people? Why are they in your house? Nobody usually comes to visit."

Wu Song said, "Brother, this is the timely rain Song Jiang I often mention to you. He's the one who helped me out of this predicament today."

Wu Da knew little about the ways of the martial world, but he was still deeply moved to hear that this man had helped his brother. He himself was looked down upon by others, and Wu Song was a troublemaker; many people would rather avoid the two brothers altogether. He stepped forward and said sincerely, "Thank you, sir. I will definitely repay you with interest for whatever silver you spent today."

Song Jiang smiled and said, "It is fate that I can get to know you two brothers. Fate is more precious than money. Let's not mention money again."

Wu Da shook his head and said, "How can that be? How can that be?"

It must be said that Wu Da was a truly honest man, but honest people don't necessarily have a good ending. In fact, Song Jiang believed that Wu Da's tragedy could have been completely avoided, but he made wrong choices time and time again and finally met his demise.

In truth, Wu Da and Pan Jinlian were fundamentally mismatched. As the saying goes, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." If Pan Jinlian had been an honest and upright person, willing to live with Wu Da, perhaps nothing would have happened. But Pan Jinlian was not.

Many might argue that if Wu Song hadn't intervened, Pan Jinlian might have stayed with Wu Da. However, this is merely a portrayal in film and television. In the original novel, Pan Jinlian was inherently promiscuous, entangled with dissolute young men in Qinghe County, and prone to adultery. Consequently, Wu Da was cuckolded countless times. Wu Da had no choice but to endure Pan Jinlian's actions silently. Otherwise, he wouldn't have eventually moved from Qinghe County to Yanggu County.

Of course, being cuckolded is something no man can tolerate, and Wu Da is no exception. However, compared to Song Jiang, Wu Da is undoubtedly far less capable in this regard. In the original story, Song Jiang was also cuckolded by Yan Poxi. Moreover, compared to Wu Da and Ximen Qing, Zhang Wenyuan was far inferior to Song Jiang in terms of wealth and status, except for his looks. Unlike Wu Da, who was completely outmatched by Ximen Qing.

Unlike Wu Da, Yan Poxi was supported by Song Jiang, meaning Song Jiang paid for her food, lodging, and everything else. Using Song Jiang's money to cuckold him is certainly more infuriating than Wu Da's situation. However, Song Jiang, aside from feeling a little uncomfortable, didn't have any other thoughts. He didn't even want to get involved, let alone catch her in the act; he simply stayed away. Song Jiang's complete indifference to such matters shows he has no bottom line, and those without bottom line are often the most dangerous. If he can tolerate being cuckolded, what is he really after? You can imagine.

If Yan Poxi hadn't kept pressuring him, Song Jiang probably would have just watched her follow Zhang Wenyuan and even sent her a congratulatory gift. Of course, this kind of person is also terrifying because he has no bottom line for himself, so he certainly wouldn't be able to do the same for others.

Originally, Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing's affair did not intend to result in death. After all, killing someone is not like killing a chicken; one has to go through the mental hurdle first. Although Ximen Qing was a villain, he did not dare to kill someone so easily. He had too many concerns and too many things to deal with afterward. Therefore, Wu Da's death should first be attributed to Yun Ge, who had been interfering in the matter.

This man can be described as a complete scoundrel. He had always been taken care of by Ximen Qing, but one time he was not taken care of and was bullied by Wang Po. So he asked Wu Da to tell Ximen Qing that he was in trouble. More importantly, he did not want to tell Ximen Qing for nothing. Wu Da said he would give him some steamed buns, but how could a man as worldly as Yun Ge be satisfied with just a few steamed buns?

He only told Ximen Qing after taking money from Wu Da and eating at his expense. Wu Da initially offered to treat him to drinks, but he didn't say it all at once. He slowly provoked Wu Da until he got really angry, and then Ximen Qing kicked him for nothing.