前期提示：明老五為了得到人蔘，把他結拜的兄弟推到山澗裡頭去了，他進京獻寶，皇帝賞了他很多金子銀子，一夕之間，變成暴發戶。
從北京到他家裡多歡站這個地方，大約有一千五百多里路，這一路所有的田地都是他的，所有的村莊都被他給買下來了。你看，這有多少錢？！這個買下來了，不是論什麼村莊，他論一眼井一眼井的，你這個屯子裡有幾眼井––有多少人喝這個井裡頭的水，那麼這就都屬於他的了。他買地，你人就要住他的房子，種他的地，吃他井裡的水。這一千五百里路，那個山海關到他家裡是八百多里路，那個山海關裡邊聽說是七百里路到北京，裡七外八，這都是他的產業。那麼你說這個暴發戶，得到這個棒槌，真是得到棒槌了。
那麼這樣子，到了家裡，錢還多得很，就造房子。因為他錢多了，就自己表示他的豪富，所造的房子，每一個柱腳石底下，都用這個銀元寶，就是馬蹄寶，那個寶貝像個馬蹄子似的，有幾百兩，那不是四十八兩，就是幾百兩那個重的來打著，然後放在柱腳石底下做基礎。那麼這樣子蓋上了磚，在每一塊磚底下放四個銅錢，造到那牆裡頭。那麼他想要安享晚年，在這個地方享受，可是沒有兒子。
後來，太太有孕了，他就天天很高興地以為這回有繼承香煙的人了。不孝有三，無後為大，這回會有後了，就喝酒抽煙，很自在的，其樂無窮。可正在這個時候呢，就看見他這個結拜的兄弟，從大門就進來了。進來了，他一見著就打個冷顫，「喔！怎麼他來了，我不把他弄死了嗎？怎麼他來了！」這剛剛莫名其妙的時候，後邊使喚的丫嬛，就是工人，就來報喜來了，說：「老爺！你現在大喜了。」他說：「怎麼？」說：「你生個兒子。」他還打了一個唉，說：「唉！這是個要帳的來了。」
這個兒子生出來只會哭，你怎麼樣子來哄他，也哄不好，他就哭。在什麼時候他不哭了呢？你把碗這麼一落。這是當初大約他的宮人，這麼一落碗，落到這個地方，也沒小心把這個碗就「碰」！跌倒了，這碗「嘩啦」！這都打壞了。喔！這小孩子聽到這個聲音就笑了，他哈哈大笑。由這種事情就證明這個小孩子就是來要帳，因為他把他推到山澗裡去，這個小孩子要來令他家破人亡。
這個明老五，也知道這是個來要帳的，因為他自己看見他這個結拜兄弟來，就生這個兒子，他知道這個因果跑不掉了。跑不掉，也沒有辦法，那麼給這孩子起個名字，叫什麼名字呢？叫三成。意思間大約說，你要債就要三成好了，那七成你不要了，還捨不得還債。那麼這個三成長大了，吃、喝、嫖、賭、吸，吃，好吃好的；喝，好喝酒；嫖，好玩女人；賭，好賭錢；吸呢？就好吸鴉片煙。這五種吃喝嫖賭吸，他樣樣都通，他有五通神。
這五通神一長大了，他賭錢呢，不是親身去賭去，叫旁人給他下注，譬如押寶，就是押一二三四五六，這押寶的。他押寶不是像一般賭錢那麼押寶，他一押寶就講押幾個窩鋪（窩鋪是個鄉村）、幾眼井：「我要把什麼地方那個窩鋪押上！我把什麼地方那個井押上！」那個窩鋪和那個井押上，就是那個地方的地，你若贏了就都歸你，就這麼樣幹。他押，人家若說：「三爺！你贏了。」「嘿！他媽的！贏了幹什麼！」人家若說：「三爺！你這回輸了。」「欸！好好好！」輸了他也好，他說好好好。你看，這個如果不是討債的，怎麼會有這種思想？贏了罵人，輸了就好好好。
待續 |
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From last issue: In order to keep the ginseng for himself, Ming Laowu pushed his sworn brother into a mountain torrent. Then he went to the capital and presented the ginseng to the emperor, who rewarded him a tremendous quantity of gold and silver. Overnight, he became a newly-rich upstart.
It was more than 1,500 li from Beijing to his hometown of Duohuanzhan, and all the fields, lands, and villages along that stretch of road came to belong to him. Look at how much money he had! After he had bought those properties, he didn’t refer to them as villages; he referred to them in terms of wells—the number of wells in a village, and the number of people who drank the water of those wells—all of that belonged to him. Once he became the owner of the land, people had to live in his houses, farm his land, and drink the water of his wells. It was a distance of about 1,500 li in all: more than eight hundred li from Shanhai Pass to his hometown, and about seven hundred li from Beijing to the Shanhai Pass from what I hear—seven hundred li inside the Pass and eight hundred outside—and all the properties along the way belonged to him. You could say this newly-rich upstart really hit the jackpot!
He still had plenty of money when he arrived at his home, so he started to build a mansion. Being so rich, he want to show off his wealth. In the mansion he built, under the base of each pillar he placed a large silver ingot, which was called a “horse’s hoof ingot” because it was shaped like a hoof and weighed not forty-eight ounces, but several hundred ounces. He placed this kind of ingot under the pedestal of each pillar to serve as a foundation. In building the wall, he placed four copper coins beneath each brick. He hoped to live out his old age peacefully and enjoy himself there. His only regret was that he did not have a son.
Later, when his wife became pregnant, he was very happy every day, for he thought he finally had an heir to continue the family lineage. As it is said, “There are three things that are considered unfilial, and having no heir is the worst among them.” Since he was going to have a son, he started to drink and smoke, feeling carefree and utterly delighted. Right at that time, however, he saw his sworn brother come in the front door. He shivered at the sight of his sworn brother, thinking: “Oh! Why has he come? Didn’t I kill him already? How did he get here?” Just as he was puzzling over it, the maid came over and reported, “Master! Congratulations!” “What is it?” “A son has been born to you.” Then he heaved a sigh and said, “Oh no! This son has come to collect the debt!”
From the time of his birth, his son only knew how to cry. No matter how people tried to coax him, he would just cry and cry. When did he stop crying? When someone dropped a bowl. Probably one of the maids had been careless and dropped a bowl. The bowl hit the ground with a crash and shattered to pieces. Hearing the sound of the bowl shattering, the child laughed—he chortled with glee. This proves that the child had come to collect debts. Because Ming Laowu had pushed his sworn brother into a mountain torrent, this child came to ruin his home and family.
Now, Ming Laowu was very clear that this child was coming to collect debts, because he had seen his sworn brother coming in right before the child was born. He knew there was no way to escape cause and effect. Since he couldn’t run away, there was nothing he could do, so he gave the child a name. He named the child Sancheng (which means “three tenths”). He was probably trying to say, “When you collect the debt, just take thirty percent and forget about the remaining seventy percent.” He was still reluctant to repay all his debts. When Sancheng grew up, he indulged in eating, drinking, gambling, visiting prostitutes, and taking drugs. He wanted to eat good food; he was fond of drinking; he fooled around with women; he liked to gamble; he indulged in smoking opium. He was really good at these five things—eating, drinking, visiting prostitutes, gambling, and smoking opium. He was a genius at these five things.
When this five-skilled genius grew up, he would gamble, but he didn’t go gambling in person. He would send someone else to stake a wager for him. A typical bet would be one, two, three, four, five, or six. His bets were not like those of ordinary gamblers, however. He would bet several villages or several wells at a time. He would say, “I want to stake all the villages in such-and-such a place.” “I bet all the wells in such-and-such an area.” When he used those villages or wells as stakes, he meant all the land they covered. If you won, it would all belong to you. That was how he played. If people said to him, “Master San, you’ve won!” he would say, “Damn it! What do I want to win for?” If they said, “Master San, you lost this time!” he would say, “Great! That’s fantastic!” He felt great about losing and said it was great. You see? If he hadn’t come to ask for debts, why would he have this kind of attitude? He scolded people if he won, and said it was great if he lost.
To be continued |
