Qian Sanming saw the things Zhao Lin was carrying and looked troubled. "You're here to ask about your brother, aren't you? Your father already came by yesterday..."
Zhao Lin smiled. "Let's not rush to talk about that. I found a job in the county town and earned a little money."
"I'm grateful to you, Brother Qian, and your wife for looking after my family these past two years, so I came to visit."
"This is some floral cloth I bought for your wife. With spring on its way, it's perfect for making a couple of new outfits."
As he said the last sentence, Zhao Lin deliberately raised his voice.
Qian Sanming tried to refuse. "We're all fellow villagers. Why are you bringing gifts...?"
"Who is it?"
Just then, a slightly plump woman walked to the courtyard entrance. Her eyes lit up when she saw the floral cloth in Zhao Lin's hands.
"It's Zhao Lin, isn't it? I haven't seen you in a year, and you've gotten so tall! Qian the Third, why are you making him stand out here to talk?"
"Hello, sister-in-law!"
Zhao Lin bypassed Qian Sanming and placed the items directly into the woman's hands.
The woman felt the weight of the gift, her face breaking into a smile. "Quick, come inside the house. It's cold out."
Resigned, Qian Sanming could only shut the main gate and follow them inside.
"You two take your time and chat."
The woman served them tea, then ducked back into her room.
The moment he sat down, Zhao Lin asked, "Brother Qian, if we pay back the autumn grain tax now, can they release my brother?"
Qian Sanming lifted his teacup and took a sip, shaking his head gently. "Going in is one thing, but getting someone out is another matter entirely. You must have heard about the new County Magistrate."
"This... is tricky."
Zhao Lin heard him say it was 'tricky', not 'impossible', and understood immediately. He asked directly, "Can he be released if enough silver is spent?"
Qian Sanming's hand paused. He glanced sideways at him. "Younger Brother Zhao, I'll be honest with you. Except for capital crimes like murder and arson, there's nothing at the yamen that silver can't fix."
"There is a way, it's just that the amount of silver coins required is far more than you can afford. That's why I told your father it couldn't be done; I wasn't trying to deceive him."
Zhao Lin asked, "The County Magistrate won't allow releases, so what's the workaround?"
Qian Sanming gave a slight smile. "The County Magistrate has given a strict order, but what if the prisoner were critically ill and on the verge of death?"
"Either way, he can't work. But dying inside is very different from dying outside."
"If a prisoner dies, he dies. But a corvée laborer is still one of his subjects. The County Magistrate can't push things too far. He has to send the man out to see his family for the last time."
Zhao Lin understood. He said decisively, "Brother Qian, just give me a number. How much silver will it take to arrange this?"
Qian Sanming held out a fist. "Ten taels of silver!"
Zhao Lin's brow twitched violently. "That much?"
Qian Sanming said, "All I can say is your brother is unlucky. In past years, this would have only cost one tael of silver. This year, the price has gone up tenfold."
Zhao Lin was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who is all this silver for?"
Qian Sanming also came from a poor background and had a good reputation in the villages. Still, Zhao Lin had to be clear about where such a large sum of money was going.
"The case supervisor, the head bailiff, the clerks, the secretary... everyone up and down the line needs a cut. They're all taking a risk, after all."
Qian Sanming was certain Zhao Lin couldn't produce this kind of money, but since he had accepted the gift, he patiently explained the situation.
"If I spend the silver, he'll definitely be released, right?"
"Of course. If they took the money and didn't deliver, who would ever bribe the yamen again?"
"Thank you, Brother Qian! I'll come back to see you once I've gathered the silver."
Zhao Lin rose to take his leave.
"Of course, of course." Qian Sanming simply let his last words go in one ear and out the other.
'If they could afford ten taels of silver, would they have failed to pay the autumn grain tax in the first place?'
...
"Younger Brother Zhao, you've been at the docks for about half a month now, right? Never taking a single day off. You in a hurry to earn money for a wife?"
"Health is everything, young man. You'll understand when you get to be my age."
It was nearly noon when Zhao Lin arrived at the docks, and a few laborers he knew started to tease him.
"Looks like you all have plenty of free time yourselves. Why don't you go home and rest?"
With his mind weighed down, Zhao Lin could only manage a forced smile in reply.
"Stop wagging your tongues! The lumber boat's here!" a foreman shouted.
The laborers swarmed to the shore, forming groups of five or six to haul the neatly stacked logs onto the boat.
"Younger Brother Zhao, let's go!"
The few laborers who had been joking with Zhao Lin pulled him along to move the lumber.
Zhao Lin was an honest worker who never shirked his duties. For jobs that required teamwork like this, the other laborers all loved having him in their group.
After half an hour of hard work, the lumber boat was full and pulled away. Zhao Lin stared at the small handful of bamboo tallies in his hand. 'At this rate,' he thought, 'saving up ten taels of silver will take forever.'
'Being a laborer is hard, but it's nothing compared to what my brother is going through. The living conditions there are terrible. If he gets sick or injured, his life will be in danger.'
The image of his parents' expectant eyes came to mind, and Zhao Lin gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he pictured Zhou Pao's face.
'Looks like I have no choice but to do it.'
Zhao Lin decided to get the full story on hunting the bear. If it seemed doable, he would accept Zhou Pao's offer.
He didn't approach Zhou Pao directly. After all, he had just turned the man down two days ago. Going back on his word now would make him look fickle and cause Zhou Pao to look down on him.
Zhao Lin scanned the docks and spotted Zhou Pao squatting nearby, gnawing on a flatbread wrap. The man's eyes kept drifting in his direction.
'The guy still hasn't given up.'
Pretending not to notice, Zhao Lin walked to a street stall and bought a stack of flatbreads and two large slices of cured meat.
He returned to his spot and wolfed down the food. Patting his full belly, he leaned against a stone bollard and pretended to nap, watching from the corner of his eye as Zhou Pao began to quietly inch closer.
"Brother Pao."
Just as Zhou Pao sidled up next to him, Zhao Lin suddenly opened his eyes and spoke.
"Hey, what a coincidence! Younger Brother Zhao, you're here too."
Zhou Pao feigned a look of surprise, as if he'd only just noticed Zhao Lin.
Zhao Lin almost laughed at the clumsy performance. Suppressing his smile, he asked, "Brother Pao, I thought you were going to hunt that bear? Why are you still working the docks?"
"I just haven't found the right men for the job. Otherwise, a boss like me wouldn't be bothering to haul sacks all day."
Seeing that Zhao Lin wasn't shying away from the topic, Zhou Pao immediately began to complain bitterly.
Zhao Lin chuckled. "There are so many Hunters in the mountains. How can you not find helpers?"
"We've failed to corner it twice. Now they're all scared to death, and almost no one is willing to risk it again."
"Besides, that bear is like it's wearing a suit of armor. More men won't do much good. We need someone with great strength who can handle a spear."
As Zhou Pao spoke, his gaze landed on Zhao Lin once more.
Zhao Lin averted his gaze. "Then why not hire a martial artist? Didn't you say there were masters at the martial sects and boxing halls?"
"Ha! How could I possibly afford to hire one of them?"
Zhou Pao shook his head like a rattle. "Even if I had the connections to hire a master, the money from selling the bear might not even cover their fee. I'd have gone through all this for nothing, wouldn't I?"
'So, it's not just about avenging his father,' Zhao Lin thought. 'He's in it for the money too.'
He changed the subject. "You told me last time about the three treasures of a bear. How much can they sell for in total?"
Seeing his opening, Zhou Pao replied eagerly, "The going rate for the Bear Hide is twenty taels, and thirty taels for the Bear's Paw. The bear gall's price depends on its quality—there's golden gall, iron gall, and cabbage gall. The better the quality, the higher the price. It should fetch at least another ten or twenty taels."
"And this is no ordinary bear. It's a rare breed, so the price could go even higher."
Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then asked, "How many people are on the team now?"
Zhou Pao's eyes lit up. "Three of us. The other two are experts, both skilled archers with nimble reflexes."
Zhao Lin was silent for a long moment after hearing this. Zhou Pao watched him, tense.
"I want to know how the money from the bear will be split."
After a long while, Zhao Lin finally spoke.
Zhou Pao's expression turned serious. "I'm the one who organized this, and I know where the bear is hiding. By the rules of the trade, I take a thirty percent cut. Younger Brother Zhao, you'll be on the front line, so you'll also get thirty percent. The other two will split thirty percent between them."
"The last ten percent is a bonus, to be given to whoever performs the best. How does that sound?"
Zhao Lin did a quick mental calculation. Based on a minimum of sixty taels, he would get eighteen.
That would be more than enough to get his brother out, with enough left over for three months of martial arts tuition. The thought was incredibly tempting.
Zhou Pao, an expert at reading people, thought Zhao Lin was about to agree on the spot. Instead, he heard him ask, "Didn't you say you had a foolproof plan?"
"What is it?"
Zhou Pao froze for a second, then chuckled. "You really are a cautious one, my friend. Alright, let's find a quiet spot, and I'll explain everything."