Chapter 338

Chapter 339: Tang Rong, He Is Fed Up

How pitiful is it to have no wife? If you drink yourself to death outside, no one worries and no one cares. If you stagger home drunk, the pot is cold, the stove is cold, and the bedding is colder. The weather was already freezing, and that made it all the more desolate.

Jiao Wei nudged closer to Tang Mo and pleaded with a grin: “Brother Mo, help me ask Sister-in-law if she can arrange a wife for me. The bed is terribly cold in the dead of winter.”

Everyone burst out laughing as they scolded him with good humor: “You kid sure can talk. Arrange a wife for you? You really know how to dream.” Another added knowingly: “The girls around your Sister-in-law are raised like young ladies, dressed in silks and satins. If one were arranged for you, could you afford to support her?”

Maids from high households were literate and capable and had seen the world. Many families wanted to marry them, but they were not so easy to get. Not everyone in the Northern Garrison Army came from noble families; some had earned their place by their own skill. This Jiao Wei, who wanted a wife, came from ordinary stock, passable at best. After hearing those words, his shoulders slumped.

Tang Mo laughed and gave him a path forward: “Work hard. If you earn merit, I will ask your Sister-in-law to look for a pretty and diligent girl from the estate for you. If you have rendered merit, how could you lack a wife?”

“Really?” Jiao Wei’s eyes lit up at once. He scurried over to fill Tang Mo’s cup, chattering flattery in a stream. The lad knew how to make himself useful.

From then on, the story that Tang Mo obeyed his wife and drank without getting drunk spread widely. He used the reasoning more and more smoothly, and he truly did not get drunk again. As for Xin An, whose reputation climbed another rung because of it, Lin Yao and the others teased her later, but that can be set aside for now.

When Er Shan returned, he kowtowed to Xin An. She had someone bring him two sets of winter clothes and gave him two taels of silver, allowing him to take Xia’er home to see their parents during the New Year.

Though they were not loved by their parents, they had made something of themselves now. Likely the family would not treat them harshly any longer. Besides, it would only be for a few days. They had to return by the third day of the new year, because starting on the third they would go out to pay New Year’s calls.

Er Shan thanked her profusely. As he left, Chun Yang handed him a New Year’s gift and told him to take it home.

That winter felt unusually tense. Some soldiers muttered as they hauled in another few troublemaking thugs: “This year is really strange. No disasters anywhere that we have heard of, so why are there so many who seem not to want to live? At this rate the cells will not hold them.” Another grinned and admitted: “To be fair, the boss’s tactic really works. It has saved us so much trouble.”

Ever since learning of Tang Rong’s intentions, Tang Mo had summoned all the street toughs and beggars across the several blocks under his jurisdiction. He gave each a bit of small silver as a token, then declared that if they spotted an unfamiliar face acting suspiciously, they were to notify the Northern Garrison Army at once. If an arrest followed, there would be a reward. He also promised that on New Year’s Eve he would host a table for those who informed with merit, with wine provided without limit.

With that, those men finally had something to do. Everyone knew Deputy Commander Tang had deep pockets and a generous hand. When he rewarded personally, it was never meager. Never mind the silver; most of them would not see a banquet table once in an entire year, let alone unlimited wine. With such a good deal, they would keep watch twelve hours a day without sleep.

One runner called out as he hustled in: “Boss, we caught three more.”

Tang Mo looked at the three dragged before him. They were nonchalant, convinced it meant only a couple of days in the cell. Those days even paid a little. Once out, they could continue as before. They were not afraid at all.

They mumbled in practiced tones: “Sir, we were wrong. We just wanted to lift a bit of New Year’s money and did not even succeed.” Another echoed: “Yes, sir, we were wrong. We will not dare again. Please let us go.”

Their pleas were all show, tinged with provocation. The Northern Garrison Army men were troubled. Their place was not a major prison and had limited space. To transfer to the yamen they needed solid charges, and these offenses did not seem severe. One ventured: “Boss, should we release two first?”

They were all street rogues. Arresting them did little good. Once out, they would do the same again.

As the three grew more pleased with themselves, Tang Mo stood with his hands behind his back and let a faint smile touch his lips: “All of them are repeat offenders. Throwing them in prison only feeds them for free. Yet letting them go is too easy.”

He continued evenly: “I have discussed this with Commander Liao. The West Mountain Mine is short of hands. Send these men there for three months of reform. That way they do not eat prison rations for nothing, and it may make them change their ways and not dare offend again. The mine has been lacking people anyway.”

He surveyed the three and added with cool satisfaction: “The men we have caught lately are all strong and sturdy. I imagine the West Mountain Mine will be very pleased. Take them down and hold them separately with the others we have already caught. Send them out at first light tomorrow.”

The Northern Garrison Army men were delighted. Letting such ruffians out only harmed the people. Sending them to dig would make them remember. Three months in a mine would peel a layer of skin even if it did not kill them.

The three detainees were terrified. This was not what they had expected. They cried their objections, but commoners did not fight the officials; people were born three parts weaker before an officer. Their shouting lacked confidence.

Tang Mo swept them with a cold glance and said: “If you dare come out to make trouble, you should have the awareness that you may be caught. What, did you think we brought you in just to scare you, and then you would go right back to it?”

He let his voice fall like a gavel: “For scum who harm the people, three months of mining is already lenient. Not only you, but anyone who offends henceforth will be punished like this. Do not think prison fare is tasty.”

Seeing that he meant it, one of them panicked and knelt, babbling: “Spare me, sir, spare me. Someone ordered us to do this. Please investigate clearly.” The others chimed in at once: “Yes, please investigate clearly, sir. We are good people. Someone made us do it.”

They shouted it openly enough for all to hear, and the Northern Garrison Army men caught every word. After a round of questioning, a breathless Jiao Wei strode up to Tang Mo and reported: “Boss, most of these are thugs kept by gambling houses. They are targeting you.”

His face twisted with disgust as he added: “These bastards will do anything for a bit of money. According to what these three confessed, there is another batch behind them. Those are the real troublemakers. Some have even taken lives.”

He asked anxiously: “Boss, what should we do? Should we bring in more brothers and nab them one by one as they come?”

Tang Mo remained unhurried: “In this line of work we are bound to offend people. There is no need to rush. First, take them down and hold them separately. If those behind them want to retaliate against me, I will meet them myself. But if they dare use innocent civilians to stir trouble, I will not allow it.”

He laid out the plan with calm precision: “I will report this to the Commander first, then to the yamen, all while avoiding alerting the snakes in the grass. Since the capital holds so many desperadoes, we will take the chance to catch them all in one net. Consider it those men delivering merit to our brothers.”

Jiao Wei’s eyes gleamed: “Boss, Brother Mo, if we gain merit, does that mean you will arrange a wife for me?”

Tang Mo rose and ended it crisply: “Get to work. Whether you get a wife depends on whether you earn merit. Call all the brothers. I have a few words to say.”

Jiao Wei ran off beaming, as if the wife he longed for were already within reach.