Chapter 104: The Loafers Assemble
The room was filled with a constant BUZZ. Master Zhang, the cotton fluffer, was bent at the waist, pulling a large bow back and forth. With each vibration of its string, the old cotton was teased into a fluffy, snow-white pile.
"Keeping busy, Uncle Zhang?"
Zhao Wendong called out.
Master Zhang straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled when he saw it was Zhao Wendong. "It’s Wendong! It’s been a while since you’ve dropped by. Are you here to get your quilts re-fluffed?"
"Yeah, all the old quilts from home. I want to get all the cotton re-fluffed."
"All of them?"
Master Zhang asked, a little uncertain. Cotton fluffing wasn’t cheap. Most families would only get one done when they absolutely couldn’t stand it anymore. Zhao Wendong’s request was a huge order.
"Yep, all of them! Where’s Dadan?"
Zhao Wendong was pretty well-off now, so getting a few quilts re-fluffed was no big deal. He was mainly here to find someone.
"Out back at the Songs’ place, gambling away!"
"Dongzi, I hear you’ve cleaned up your act. You’ve all been running around together for so many years. You should talk some sense into them. Tell them to stop messing around and learn from you!"
Zhao Wendong nodded quickly.
"Okay, don’t worry, Uncle Zhang! I’ll get him to come back and help you fluff cotton!"
"Hahaha, if you can do that, I can die in peace!"
A happy smile spread across Master Zhang’s face.
After dropping off the quilts, Zhao Wendong stepped out of the shop with Zhao Wenjun. He told Lin Zhiyin and the others to wait for a bit, then headed directly for the Songs’ place out back to find Zhang Dadan.
Zhao Wendong had forgotten Zhang Dadan’s real name. Like Zhao Wendong himself, he was a friend who spent all day messing around on the streets. They were called hooligans, but in those days, nobody really did anything truly bad. At most, they’d get into fights. And Zhao Wendong had once been one of them.
When he arrived at the Songs’ place, six or seven young men with wild, proto-punk hairstyles were gathered there. They were shouting and yelling while playing dice. When he saw Zhao Wendong arrive, Zhang Dadan, who was in the center of the crowd—sturdily built, with thick eyebrows and large eyes—waved happily.
"Dongzi, you’re here! Hahaha, everyone’s saying you’ve struck it rich and gone straight lately. I thought you’d started looking down on us brothers!"
"Come on, play a few rounds! We’re betting on high-low, one-cent ante!"
Zhao Wendong smiled and refused.
"Can’t. I’ve got something to do in a bit. Just came to see you guys."
"Also, there’s something I need to ask you for."
The crowd immediately protested.
"Hey, what’s with all this ’asking’ business? Dongzi, why are you being so formal!"
"Yeah, are you really trying to draw a line between us?"
Zhang Dadan slammed a large bowl over the dice and said bluntly.
"We’ll play later. First, let’s hear what Dongzi has to say!"
Zhao Wendong didn’t waste any time. He couldn’t remember most of their names, but seeing them now, he had a vague impression of each one. He remembered they were all on good terms with him. They were a small group that had spent the last few years messing around together, always fighting side-by-side. Naturally, he didn’t need to be formal with them.
"My uncle got beaten up by Wang Dana. I’m going to go demand an explanation!"
The moment Zhang Dadan heard this, he shot to his feet, furious.
"Fuck! Hitting your uncle is the same as hitting my uncle!"
"Say no more. Let’s get him!"
"Yeah, when are we going?"
The crowd was fired up. Zhao Wendong nodded. ’Good, their morale is high.’ But brotherly loyalty alone wouldn’t cut it. He had to pay his soldiers first.
"I got lucky on my last fishing trip and caught a big haul. You all heard about that, right?"
As soon as Zhao Wendong finished speaking, the group all started talking at once.
"Yeah, we know! The news is all over town!"
"At first, a lot of people didn’t know who it was, but the second we heard, we knew it had to be you, Dongzi!"
"That’s right! With a guy as big as your brother, you couldn’t find another one like him in the whole Commune!"
Zhao Wendong smiled and continued.
"I originally wanted to share some with everyone so your families could have something fresh to eat, but the county requisitioned the whole lot. My own family didn’t even get a single fish. But I did make a small fortune. This time, Wang Dana beating my uncle is a slap in my face. For any of you brothers willing to help, say no more—I’ll give each of you one yuan!"
"Damn, Dongzi, being so formal again?"
"Yeah, we’ve never taken money for this stuff before. Isn’t this a slap in our faces?"
"We don’t want your money. Just treat us to a meal, that’s enough."
Everyone in the room chattered on. Who didn’t want money? But they valued loyalty even more. Zhao Wendong knew they would help even without pay, but if he paid them, they wouldn’t just help—they’d give it their all. There was a difference.
Besides, Zhao Wendong wanted to live a good life, to not be messed with or harassed. He was looking for an opportunity to establish his dominance, and this was it. He had to use them to win over more people and make a bigger scene. He would use this incident with Wang Dana to let everyone know that he, Zhao Wendong, was not to be trifled with.
"Brothers, listen to me! The meal is a must, and so is the money. I’m not trying to insult you with cash. It’s almost the New Year, right? I just happened to get lucky and earn a little something. This is just a small token of my appreciation. It’ll let you all buy something to take home for the holiday, make your parents happy, and maybe earn a little more respect from your brothers and sisters, you know? It’s like back in my village. They all used to call me a street loafer, a punk. They’d avoid me on sight. I never want to feel that way again!"
After Zhao Wendong finished speaking, the crowd fell silent. They were punks and street loafers, but they longed for recognition just like anyone else. In those days, aside from the truly lazy, most guys who became punks were just those who didn’t want to toil in the fields. They had hearts that refused to settle for mediocrity but had no opportunities or outlets.
"Alright then, thanks, Dongzi!"
Zhang Dadan slapped his thigh and was the first to speak. The others all chimed in, their faces breaking into wide smiles.
"Thanks, Dongzi! When do we leave?"
"Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s go get him now!"
The thought of a full meal and getting paid on top of it got the group fired up. They were all the black sheep of their families, with pockets cleaner than their faces. The richest among them wouldn’t have more than fifty cents on him. Now they could earn a whole yuan just for backing up Zhao Wendong. Every one of them was raring to go.
"Is it the Wang Dana from Wang Family’s Hut?"
Zhang Dadan suddenly remembered something and asked. Zhao Wendong gave him an appreciative look. Despite his nickname ’Dadan’ (Bold), he was actually very meticulous. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the unofficial leader of their group.
"That’s right!"
Hearing Zhao Wendong’s firm reply, Zhang Dadan shouted, "Everyone, shut it!"
Once the crowd quieted down, Zhang Dadan looked at Zhao Wendong and said, "The Wang Brothers are numerous, and they play dirty. Dongzi, since you’re putting up the money for everyone, you must have a plan. Tell us what to do."
Zhao Wendong nodded at him, then turned to the crowd.
"I have to go out of town on business for the next couple of days. Let’s meet here in one week, in the morning. Everyone, call all your friends—the ones who dare to fight. Every person who shows up gets one yuan, on my tab. We’ll use strength in numbers. Wang Dana has a lot of brothers, right? We’ll just crush him with sheer numbers! The bigger the commotion we make, the better. If fifty people come, I’ll pay fifty yuan. If a hundred come, I’ll pay a hundred. We’re going to make this as big of a scene as possible!"
"Alright, no problem! It’s settled!"
"Haha, this is gonna be epic! To have this much action right before the New Year... we gotta make this a huge event."
"Dongzi, you’re a badass!"