the farmer came on the scene and said, “Young man, you are ill-mannered.” He replied, “He should not have laughed at my display.”
“Can our guest use the cudgel?” asked the farmer. “I know a little about it. May I ask who is this young man?” The farmer replied. “He is my son.” “As he is a young man of this house I will give him a few lessons if he likes.” “That’s very good,” said the farmer. He then summoned his son to come and pay respects to the guest, but he was unwilling to do this and instead he became very angry—He said, “Father, do not listen to his stupid talk—If he beats me with the cudgel, then I will pay respects to him as a teacher.”
“If you do not believe that I can do this, let us have a contest with the cudgels.” The young man walked to the middle of the yard and picking up a cudgel whirled it round. He addressed Wang Jin, “Come on! If afraid, you will be a coward.” Wang Jin only laughed, and was unwilling to move. “If you are willing to instruct my son, what objection have you to using the cudgel?” said the farmer. Wang Jin laughed, “I am afraid that I may hurt your son, and that will not do.” “That does not matter. Even if you break his arm or leg, that will be his own fault,” said the farmer. Wang Jin said, “Forgive me if I make a mistake.” He then went to the arms rack, and taking a cudgel, went to the center of the yard and stood on guard. The young man seeing this, seized his cudgel and went to strike at him. Wang Jin retreated, trailing his cudgel on the ground. The farmer’s son flourished his weapon and pursued him. Wang Jin suddenly turned round and delivered a downward blow. Seeing the blow descending, the farmer’s son met it with an upward thrust. Wang Jin stayed his blow, drew his cudgel away, and then with a sudden thrust, struck the young man on the breast and with a twist, knocked the young man’s cudgel out of his hand. He fell down on his back, and Wang Jin immediately advanced to lift him, saying; “Do not blame me! Do not get offended!” The farmer’s son scrambled up, brought a stool and requested Wang Jin to be seated. He saluted Wang Jin, saying: “I have wasted my time with other teachers; but they prove to be unworthy half a cash.47 Now I have to ask you to be my teacher.”
“My mother and I have given much trouble to your house for many days,” said Wang Jin. I have no favors to give you but I can compensate by teaching you.” The farmer was much pleased and told the servants to kill a sheep—prepare a feast with wine and fruit. He also invited Wang Jin’s mother to attend the banquet. All four sat down and drank wine together. The farmer stood up with a cup of wine and addressing Wang Jin, said, “Teacher, you are so skillful; you must be an instructor. My son, you have eyes, but have failed to see this eminent person.” Wang Jin laughed, “I will not deceive you. I am not Zhang; I am Wang Jin, Drill Inspector of the Imperial Guard at Kaifeng. Just now a new commander has arrived—Marshal Gao Qiu—and because my father once knocked him down with a cudgel he still harbors resentment, against me. As I am his subordinate I cannot dispute with him, so I take my mother to Yanan Prefecture. It was by chance that I came here and met you. You have treated me well—cured my mother, entertained us, so I felt uneasy of your generosity. If your son is willing to learn I can teach him. At present, his fencing is only showy and spectacular, but in a real contest it would be of no use. I will instruct him properly from the beginning.” The farmer insisted upon his son paying respects to his new teacher, and said, “You are a first-class instructor. My ancestors lived in this district of Huayin County, close to Mount Shaohua. This is the Shi family village, and contains about four hundred families of the surname Shi. My son takes interest in playing with lances and cudgels instead of doing farm work. When his mother remonstrated with him, he paid no heed and she became angry and died. I am unable to control him and do not know how much money he has spent. He engaged a man to teach him and also employed a workman to tattoo nine dragons on his body, so that the people about here call him “Shi Jin with nine dragons.” Drill Instructor, you have come here today and completed his training very well. I will amply reward you.”
Wang Jin began his lessons from that day and Shi Jin asked to be taught the eighteen subjects of athletics in detail. In a little over half a year he had mastered these: (1) use of the lance; (2) the long-handled mallet; (3) the bow; (4) the crossbow; (5) the jingal; (6) the iron whip; (7) the iron truncheon; (8) the two-edged sword; (9) the chain; (10) the hooks; (11) the axe; (12) the battle-axe; (13) the three-pronged spear; (14) the halberd; (15) the shield; (16) the cudgel; (17) the spear; (18) the rake.
He learned these one by one and became proficient.
Wang Jin thought that he could not stay there any longer although the conditions were suitable. One day he told them that he wished to leave. Shi Jin replied, “Master, you must not think of leaving; I will keep both you and your mother here till your dying days; will that not be better?” “Worthy sir, I have received many favors from you but I am afraid that Marshal Gao Qiu’s men may arrive and you will be implicated. I must go to Yanan Prefecture, where men are needed: there I can rest and settle.” Shi Jin spoke to his father and it was agreed that Wang Jin must stay until they had prepared a farewell feast. They presented him two rolls of silk and one hundred taels of silver.48 When he left, Shi Jin told one of his men to carry Wang Jin’s baggage and accompany him for ten li,49 where they parted with tears.
Drill Instructor Wang again shouldered up his load and mother and son traveled along the road to the western pass.
We will now leave Wang Jin and return with Shi Jin to his home. There he continued his drill. In the middle of the night he would practice for two hours, and during the day, ride his horse outside the village. In less than six months Shi Jin’s father died. He prepared a coffin and engaged Buddhist monks to conduct the usual memorial services for seven days. He also asked a Taoist priest to erect an altar; repeat the funeral services; pray for the safe passage of the soul to heaven; attend at the altar for ten days and select a lucky and fortunate time for the funeral and burial.
About four hundred members of the Shi clan came to the funeral in white mourning clothes and they buried the dead in the ancestral graveyard in the hills to the west of the village. After this there was no one at home to manage the property as Shi Jin only wanted to practice fencing.
Three or four months after the death of the farmer on a hot day in the sixth month Shi Jin was idling away his time. He placed a bedstead outside on the threshing floor, in the shadow of a willow tree, and took rest. A breeze came from the fir trees just opposite. He was enjoying the cool breeze, when all at once he saw a man stealthily spying. He shouted, “What are you doing, and who is there looking round this place?” As he said he rose and went to behind a tree to get a better view. He recognized that that man was Li Ji, the rabbit hunter. Shi Jin called, “Li Ji, what are you looking for in my village? Have you come as a spy?”
Li Ji stepped forward and said “Yes, sir, I want to find a man named Qiu Yilang to drink wine with him, but seeing you taking a siesta I dared not intrude.”
“Did you not previously come here selling game—and did I not pay you liberally? So why have you not been here lately with your game. You might think that I had no money.” Li Ji replied, “That’s not the case. Just now there is no game and therefore I did not come.”
“Stupid talk,” said Shi Jin. “Shaohua is a mountain of vast expanse and I do not believe that neither deer nor hare can be found there.” Li Ji answered, “You do not know that there is a band of robbers on the mountain, where they have erected a stronghold. They have collected about seven hundred armed men and over a hundred horses. The chief is a man named Zhu Wu, nicknamed “Intuitve Strategist,” and the second in command is Chen Da, nicknamed “Leaping Tiger,” the third in command is Yang Chun, nicknamed “White-speckled Snake.” These three leaders take to robbing houses; they have been officially denounced in Huayin County, and a reward of three thousand strings of cash has been offered for their capture. But who dare go to arrest them?
