The Desperate Third Son Shows Filial Piety; The Chai Family of Cangzhou Has a Heartache

Although tuberculosis was very difficult to treat in ancient times, it was not incurable. At least a skilled doctor could cure it, but the cost and medicine required were far beyond what an ordinary family could afford!

There are countless people suffering in the world. This uncle and nephew are not wealthy people, and they have no choice but to suffer from this troublesome disease!

Seeing the young man's anxious expression, Song Jiang didn't have many options. The main problem was that Song Jiang didn't know anything about medicine, otherwise he wouldn't mind taking a look at the old man!

Wu Song whispered in Song Jiang's ear, "This young man is a trained fighter, and his martial arts skills are quite good!"

Song Jiang became interested. If this young man were just an ordinary person, Song Jiang might buy him a sheep and give him more silver as a token of fate that they met. But that would be the end of their relationship!

But Wu Song said that the young man's martial arts skills were quite good, so Song Jiang definitely wanted to recruit him!

It's not that Song Jiang was materialistic, but rather that talented people have always been valued and treated better than ordinary people—this is an age-old truth!

Song Jiang was not a saint; he couldn't treat talented people and ordinary people the same way. Many people wouldn't be able to do that either!

Otherwise, there wouldn't be distinctions between marquises with ten thousand households, marquises with a thousand households, and marquises with a hundred households!

Song Jiang looked at the young man and said, "Brother, this old man seems to be suffering from tuberculosis!"

The young man seemed dazed. He knew the old man was in poor health and might be suffering from this harmful disease, but he simply refused to accept it!

Now that Song Jiang has pointed it out, he knows that he will eventually wake up from his self-deception, so he might as well accept reality!

Song Jiang stepped forward and comforted him, saying, "Although this illness is troublesome, it is not incurable!"

The young man looked at Song Jiang, but did not say anything!

When faced with a stranger, the normal first reaction is to be skeptical, or even disbelieve them altogether – that's the normal situation!

Seeing that the young man didn't quite believe him, Song Jiang smiled but didn't say anything.

The young man pondered for a long time, his eyes scanning back and forth between the old man and Song Jiang.

Song Jiang wasn't in a hurry. He had planned to rest for a while before heading to Yinmachuan with Deng Fei and the others, disguised as government troops, to Cangzhou to find Chai Jin!

If the young man doesn't trust him, it just means they're not meant to be. Song Jiang won't force it. Everything depends on fate. If there's no fate, forcing it won't be good!

The young man hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke, "This is my uncle, but I really don't know a good doctor. Does this brother know him?"

Song Jiang said, "Kong Hou from Shandong is a legendary doctor. Although I don't know him well, I'm sure as long as the money is right, everything else is negotiable!"

The young man paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "My uncle and I make a living by selling horses and sheep. Although we have some savings, how can we afford medical treatment?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Everyone in the Jianghu has their troubles. If you trust me, take your uncle and come with me to Shandong. As for the money, don't worry, I can lend it to you first, and you can pay me back when you have it."

Upon hearing of this good news, the young man was initially delighted, but then shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. How can I possibly receive such a favor from you, brother, without reason?"

Song Jiang shook his head and said, "We are all men and women of the Jianghu, why should we be so restrained? Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. We can't just stand by and watch that old man pass away like this!"

The young man lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Brother, you are so kind and righteous, yet you don't know your name?"

Song Jiang smiled and said, "My name is Song Jiang, courtesy name Gongming, from Yuncheng County, Shandong!"

Upon hearing this, the young man knelt down and said, "So it's Brother Gongming. No wonder you're so righteous. I am Shi Xiu, and my ancestral home is Jiankang Prefecture in Jinling. I am a straightforward person, and I will risk my life to protect those who are injustice. That's why everyone calls me 'Desperate Saburo'."

Song Jiang was overjoyed. He had guessed correctly; this young man was indeed Shi Xiu!

In the original novel, Shi Xiu was only a woodcutter who made a living by chopping wood. This was because his uncle had passed away and he had lost money selling sheep and horses!

Shi Xiu must be skilled with a spear and staff, and his martial arts are extraordinary, but he is clearly not cut out for business. His hot-bloodedness and righteousness are more suited to roaming the martial arts world!

The original text praised Shi Xiu: "His body is like a fierce tiger in the mountains, his temper like adding fuel to a fire. He is bold, daring, and resourceful, always ready to help those in need. He relies entirely on his staff and his two fists. His fame spreads throughout the capital, a testament to his relentless courage."

Of course, Song Jiang also liked Shi Xiu very much. In the original work, Shi Xiu was a rare person who was both brave and resourceful. He was also a hero whom Song Jiang greatly admired. In particular, his exploration of the Zhu Family Village, his willingness to go undercover, and his rescue of Lu Junyi in Daming Prefecture were all very exciting scenes!

Moreover, Shi Xiu came from a very humble background. Not to mention selling horses and sheep, the fact that he ended up chopping wood shows that he was desperate! This is why he was immediately persuaded by Dai Zong and Yang Lin.

As a skilled and willing hero who volunteered to join Liangshan, Shi Xiu was a rare find! His nickname, "Desperate Saburo," has been used in later generations to describe those who dare to fight and take risks!

In terms of martial arts, Shi Xiu is definitely in the top three among infantrymen. After Lu Wu, Shi Xiu should be next. It's not that Liu Tang is incompetent, but Shi Xiu is truly daring to risk his life. In terms of risking his life, Shi Xiu should be second only to Wu Song!

The fact that Shi Xiu single-handedly stormed the execution ground in Daming Prefecture and shouted, "All the heroes of Liangshan are here!" is enough to prove that Shi Xiu was both brave and resourceful!

Many people may think that Shi Xiu is too ruthless, but in Song Jiang's view, Shi Xiu is actually not very tainted by his loyalty and character. Perhaps personal opinions differ, but compared to Yang Xiong, who was cuckolded, if it weren't for Shi Xiu, he probably wouldn't even realize he was being cuckolded!

Unfortunately, even this hero ultimately sacrificed himself on the way to conquer Fang La!

Shi Xiu's sacrifice can be described as hasty. He was pierced by ten thousand arrows along with Shi Jin. To be honest, if Song Jiang could really change their fate, he would never have let them die such a miserable death on the battlefield!

Now that Shi Xiu is right in front of him, how can Song Jiang let him escape? Song Jiang doesn't want to see history repeat itself!

"There's no time to lose," Song Jiang said. "In that case, let's head to Cangzhou immediately, and then travel by water to Liangshan. What do you think, Brother Shi Xiu?"

Shi Xiu quickly replied, "I'll listen to my brother's opinion!"

With too many horses and sheep to abandon, Song Jiang ordered Shi Qian to hire a few people to drive the horses and sheep to Chai Village, while he led the rest of the group on their way!

On the banks of Yinma River, everyone was already prepared and waiting for Song Jiang to arrive so they could set off immediately!

The next day, Deng Fei and Meng Kang led the group, disguised as government troops, to continue their southward journey with Song Jiang!

With Song Jiang holding the position of a clerk and Yang Zhi being a regular military officer, no one questioned their relationship along the way!

Yang Zhi, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised to see that a group of bandits were willing to burn down their stronghold and follow Song Jiang to Shandong. However, he felt more admiration for them. If it were anyone else, it would be virtually impossible to persuade a band of bandits from a mountain stronghold to abandon their stronghold with just a few words!

Yang Zhi wasn't stupid. He wouldn't ask Song Jiang if he didn't say many things. He thought that if Song Jiang could really help him go to Daming Prefecture, it would be a good thing, and it would be another step forward for him to restore his family's glory in the future!

A few days later, Song Jiang arrived at Chai Village in Cangzhou.

Today, Chai Jin didn't go hunting or ride horses, but instead went to the East Estate to collect rent and settle accounts!

The gatekeeper naturally recognized Song Jiang. Upon seeing Song Jiang arrive, he hurriedly led Song Jiang and his entourage of several hundred men into Chai Manor in a grand procession!

Song Jiang didn't want to be so high-profile, but he couldn't leave his brothers outside, so he had no choice but to bring them into Chai Village together!

Anyway, Chai Jin has a large and wealthy family, so consuming a little bit of food is nothing to him!

At dusk, Chai Jin returned to the manor and was overjoyed to learn of Song Jiang's arrival. Without even changing his clothes, he went straight to find Song Jiang!

The two naturally reminisced about the past. Chai Jin never expected that Song Jiang would turn around and bring hundreds of men with him!

Although the brothers from Yinmachuan were dressed as government soldiers, the sharp-eyed Chai Jin could tell that they were all imposters. Moreover, they had a bandit-like air about them, so they were not ordinary farmers. There was only one possibility: they were all thieves in disguise!

Chai Jin didn't know why Song Jiang had taken in so many thieves, but he was secretly delighted!

If we're talking about who hates the Zhao family the most, then it has to be Chai Jin!

To put it bluntly, the Chai family may seem to be living a life of endless glory, but for the former royal family, they are now just barely surviving!

He was kept by the Zhao family and made a rich man, but all he could do every day was eat, drink, and have fun, just like a spoiled brat!

To outsiders, such a life might seem like the life they longed for, but for the Chai family, who had once reached the pinnacle of power, it was nothing short of a humiliation!

Think back to the Later Zhou Dynasty. Chai Rong was a powerful and influential figure who heavily relied on Zhao Kuangyin. But Zhao Kuangyin did something quite different. He put on the yellow robe, turned the tables, and seized control of the Later Zhou Dynasty!

Their home was robbed by the Song Dynasty for over a hundred years. Did they hate it?

Of course I hate it! Dynasties rise and fall, unity inevitably leads to division, and division inevitably leads to unity—this is an unchanging truth. If you conquer someone else's territory, you will naturally have your territory taken away from you.

Not everyone is like Liu Shan (Adou), willing to live a life of mediocrity, content to be a carefree and easygoing ruler, and to live out their life in a daze!

Unfortunately, the Song Dynasty was now incredibly powerful (to the people of that time, the Northern Song had decisively defeated the Western Xia, while the Khitan and Jurchen were locked in a fierce battle, giving many people hope that the Song Dynasty could once again achieve glory!). Chai Jin's actions were extremely limited, but he was unwilling to do nothing. Therefore, he would treat all those exiled to Cangzhou by the court or those who fled to Cangzhou well, even befriending outlaws and supporting Wang Lun. It can be said that he would do anything to annoy the Zhao family, even though these actions had little effect. As long as he was happy, why did he care about anything else?

But Song Jiang was different. As someone who was on par with him, he seemed to have a greater desire for talent than he did. This was quite strange for someone whose only position was a clerk.

When Song Jiang returned from his trip to Jizhou, he managed to subdue another mountain stronghold to his side. Such methods were truly beyond my reach!

But Chai Jin had an even bolder idea in his mind!

That is, Song Jiang has rebellious intentions. Although it is unknown why Song Jiang has rebellious intentions, since Song Jiang has such thoughts, not only can he disgust the Zhao family, but he can also vent his anger. Thinking of this, Chai Jin felt extremely happy!

Chai Jin was willing to lend Song Jiang a helping hand, and if Song Jiang could truly succeed in his uprising, it would be a wonderful thing!

Having made up his mind, Chai Jin, though unsure, still asked, "Brother, where are Master Li and his nephew, and the Mi brothers?"

Song Jiang replied, "They have some business to attend to in Huaixi. They'll return to Shandong and meet up with me after they've finished their business!"

Chai Jin smiled without saying a word, thinking that Li Zhu and his group were probably helping Song Jiang find a mountain stronghold!

That makes sense. With Song Jiang's reputation, recruiting some people shouldn't be difficult!

Although Chai Jin couldn't be 100% certain, he was pretty close! Since Song Jiang had this idea, he would give him a hand!

"Brother, I have some surplus grain here, which has been stored for a while. However, there is simply too much grain in the manor, and it would be a waste not to eat it. Why don't you take it to Shandong to brew wine?"

Of course, this was just Chai Jin's explanation. If it really came to brewing wine, it was unrealistic to bring a small amount of grain from Cangzhou to Shandong, unless it was a large amount of grain!

Song Jiang instinctively wanted to refuse, because if it was only a few hundred bushels of grain, it wouldn't mean much!

Chai Jin spoke first, "Brother, don't be in such a hurry to refuse, it's five thousand shi of grain!"

Song Jiang was stunned for a moment, then realized that Chai Jin couldn't possibly be joking with him; that meant...

Thinking of something, Song Jiang smiled and said, "Then thank you, sir!"

Chai Jin laughed and said, "I've already found large ships. There are two large ships tomorrow. Brother, just get on board. The boatman is my man. We can leave him in Yuncheng when we arrive!"

Song Jiang smiled slightly and accepted Chai Jin's offer. Neither of the two old foxes continued the conversation, but instead changed the subject to other things!

Uncle Shi Xiu also received treatment from a doctor. Although he was not a divine doctor like An Daoquan or Kong Hou, he was by no means an ordinary doctor. The doctor prescribed some high-quality medicinal herbs, and after they were decocted, Uncle Shi Xiu's cough improved somewhat!

At dawn the next day, Chai Village was bustling with activity, with people pushing carts, carrying grain, and leading horses.

The shipbuilding technology of the Song Dynasty was already among the world's most advanced. Both ships were large vessels, each capable of carrying a thousand people, thirty meters long and eleven meters wide. While they couldn't withstand the winds and waves of the sea, they were more than capable of navigating the Yellow River!

Returning with a full load, truly a full load, Song Jiang stood on the boat watching the shore recede into the distance, his heart filled with indescribable excitement!

This trip to Hebei was full of surprises, like winning the ultimate gift pack in a game!

He already had more than ten brothers who followed him, and Chai Jin gave him so much food!

Thinking of Chai Jin, Song Jiang smiled. He knew perfectly well that Chai Jin was helping him to spite the Zhao family, but he did need the food. With this food, he wouldn't have to worry about food for many days to come!

There are quite a few horses this time. Although some cannot be transported back to Liangshan, they will definitely be picked up later. There are also about twenty horses on the ship. Apart from the horses from Yinmachuan, the rest are good horses that Chai Jin obtained from the Liao people. Although there are few of them, they are far superior to the ordinary, thin horses of the Song Dynasty!

Song Jiang remembered this favor and would continue to work towards it!

Gazing at the setting sun, Song Jiang raised his hand and shouted, "Keep striving! Keep going!"