Water Margin - (Junior High Part) (Volume 1 and 2) (Revised Edition) (Condition: 80% new)

Author: (Ming) Shi Nai'an, Luo Guanzhong / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-01-01
Features: To say that this Wang Jin had no wife and only an elderly mother who was already over sixty years old. The plaque head spoke to the instructor Wang Jin: "Now that the new High Marshal has taken office, you have been omitted from the roster. The Military Justice Department reported that you were ill at home, and there were official records of your illness. The High Marshal is anxious and refuses to believe it, determined to arrest you, thinking that you are faking the illness to stay home. You can only go through this. If you still refuse, you will inevitably involve everyone, and even I will be held responsible." Wang Jin heard this and had no choice but to endure his illness and enter the High Marshal's mansion. Before the Grand Tutor, he bowed four times, made a respectful bow, and stood to one side.
Gao Qiu said, "You scoundrel, are you the son of the Military Instructor Wang Sheng?" Wang Jin replied, "I am." Gao Qiu roared, "You rascal! Your father is a street vendor who sells flower staffs and medicine. What martial arts do you know? The previous officials were blind to appoint you as an instructor. How dare you look down on me and refuse to submit to my inspection! Who do you have backing you? You are faking the illness to stay home in comfort!" Wang Jin pleaded, "I dare not! I am truly sick." The Grand Tutor cursed, "You criminal! If you are sick, how did you dare to come?" Wang Jin replied, "The Grand Tutor called, how could I not come."
The High Marshal flew into a rage, ordering his attendants to seize Wang Jin, "Beat him harder!" Many of the assistant officers were on good terms with Wang Jin, so they had to plead with the Military Justice Department: "Today is a good day for the Grand Tutor's assumption of office. Let us spare this man this time." The Grand Tutor roared, "You criminal, considering the officers' faces, I will forgive you today, but we will settle accounts tomorrow!" Wang Jin apologized and stood up, looking up and recognizing Gao Qiu.
After leaving the office, he sighed, "My life is in danger this time! I thought this High Marshal was someone else, but it turns out to be the high-ranking ruffian Gao Er from the Round Society in the capital. He had once studied flower staffs and was knocked unconscious by my father's staff. He lay up for three or four months, and now he has taken revenge. He has now risen to become the Grand Tutor of the High Marshal's mansion, and he is just waiting to take revenge. I never expected to be under his command. As the saying goes: Fear not the official, but fear the one in charge. How can I compete with him? What should I do?"
Back home, he was in a daze. He told his mother about it, and the mother and son wept together. The mother said, "My child, the best of all plans is to run. But I worry there is nowhere to go." Wang Jin replied, "Mother is right. I have thought the same way. There is the old General of the Yan'an Prefecture, who governs the border. Many of his officers have been to the capital and are fond of my martial arts. Why not escape and seek refuge with them? There, you can find employment and settle down."
The mother and son discussed it and decided. The mother added, "My child, if you want to leave secretly, you must be careful of the two plaque officers sent by the High Marshal to serve you. If they find out, you won’t be able to escape." Wang Jin replied, "Don’t worry. Mother, rest assured. I will have a way to deal with them."
That evening, before it got dark, Wang Jin called for Zhang Plaque and instructed him: "First, have some dinner, then I will take you to do some errands." Zhang Plaque asked, "Where is the instructor sending me?" Wang Jin replied, "Because I was sick the other day, I made a vow at the Yue Temple outside the Sour Jujube Gate. I will go there early tomorrow to burn incense. You can go there tonight and tell the temple officiant to open the temple early tomorrow so I can come to burn incense and offer a trio of sacrifices to Liu, Li, and Wang. You can stay at the temple and wait for me." Zhang Plaque agreed, had dinner, and went to the temple.
That night, the mother and son packed their luggage, clothes, and silver, tying them into a bundle. They also packed two cloth bags and tied them to the horse. At dawn, Wang Jin called for Li Plaque and instructed him: "Take this silver to the Yue Temple and buy a trio of sacrifices from Zhang Plaque and have them cooked there. I will go to buy paper and candles later." Li Plaque took the silver to the temple. Wang Jin went to prepare his horse, led it from the stable, tied the cloth bags and bundles to the horse, and led it to the back gate. He helped his mother onto the horse. They abandoned the household items, locked the front and back doors, and followed the horse, sneaking out of the Xihua Gate at dawn and heading toward Yan'an Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the two plaque officers had bought the sacrifices and cooked them in the temple. By midday, they still hadn’t seen Wang Jin. Li Plaque grew impatient and went back home to look. He found the doors locked and no way out. After searching for half the day, he found no one who had seen them. As evening approached, Zhang Plaque grew suspicious and returned home. The two searched for another evening but grew dark. Seeing that they hadn’t returned that night and hadn’t seen their mother, the next day they went to their relatives’ homes to ask but found no trace. Fearing they would be implicated, they went to the High Marshal’s mansion to report: "Wang Instructor has abandoned his family and fled, and his mother and son are unknown."
The Grand Tutor, upon hearing this, flew into a rage: "The criminal is on the run. Where do you think he’ll go!" He immediately issued a warrant, ordering all prefectures and counties to capture the fleeing soldier Wang Jin. The two plaque officers were spared punishment for their report.
As for Wang Jin and his mother, after leaving the capital, they traveled without rest, enduring hunger and thirst, and traveled for over a month. One evening, as the sky was getting dark, Wang Jin was carrying the bundle and following his mother’s horse. He said to her, "May heaven have mercy on us. Our mother and son have escaped the net. It’s not far to Yan'an Prefecture now. Even if the Grand Tutor sends someone after me, they won’t be able to catch me." The mother and son were overjoyed and, in their excitement, missed their night’s rest.
They walked all night without finding a village to stay in. As they had no idea where to go, they saw a faint light flickering in the distance from the forest. Wang Jin thought, "Well, I’ll go there and show my respect, asking for a night’s stay, and set off early tomorrow."
When he entered the forest, he found a large estate surrounded by earthen walls, with over two hundred large willow trees outside the walls.
P22-24