A Gallop on the Embankment with Spring Breeze - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Vitality

Translator: Zhou Yang

Proofread by Fu Tianying

Maybe he was influenced by Ma Tian’en’s enthusiasm, and it only took less three days before Uncle Five came at noon the next day. Ma Tian’en thought a lot about it and at this moment, she finally understood the meaning of a sentence: It is when you are using what you have learned from books that you wish you had read more books than you have. She pestered Wu Zhong to tell her the system of official promotion and demotion and the system of the army to see what can be learned. She found that there were too many disadvantages in the way that the experienced people fought hard for position and oppressed the new people at the wharf, and once someone got the position of battalion commander, he would not be replaced as long as he made no big mistake.Therefore, many battalion commanders took their own ships and boats as their own small kingdoms, and only hired the people who obeyed them all the time. This time, the Tian Family poached more than a dozen people, and there were seven battalion commanders, and the others were old servants who used to work on the boats. For officials in the government, there are still changes of positions, and there are assessment criteria for promotion or demoting. However, the wharf has always been ruled by the same group of people. So if there is a problem with those people, things will not be able to be addressed.

“Uncle Five, you go first, please.”

Uncle Five sorted out his thoughts again, and then said, “I think we can conduct the primary election first, and let the servants who want to be the battalion commanders sign up by themselves on the condition that they are strong, have traveled with the ship more than five times, have no disease or disability, and have found more than ten servants who are willing to follow them. Then we are here to select them. Since we want to live on water, we need to be water dogs to win respect from others. We can hold a dragon boat race. The persons who want to be battalion commanders share the boat with the servants who are willing to follow them respectively. Let’s set the route, and then put some duck signs on the boat. When they are near the end, they should put down the duck signs, and the persons who want to be battalion commanders fight for it. Those who can bring back the live duck can be battalion commanders. How do you think about it, master? ”

“Great! You really have a good plan, which can show that our Ma Family does not lack talents. I have another suggestion. In addition to the duck sign, let’s put another fish sign. It’s more difficult to catch fish than duck. Those who can catch the fish sign can be the general battalion commander, so how about it?” Ma Tian’en said happily.

Uncle Five smiled: “Master, it’s you who want to catch fish, right? However, it is not enough for someone with the best water dog skills to become the general battalion commander; he should have someone rich experience and management ability as well. The fish sign can be put, and the catcher can be given silver as a bonus reward. ”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if I won back the reward myself?” Ma Tian’en said as she looked at Uncle Five; while seeing that Uncle Five just smiled and didn’t say anything, she knew that he didn’t agree.

“Well, well, I’m not going to catch the sign. I’ll be on the sign boat and be responsible for setting the sign, ok?”

“That’s right, my master. Otherwise, other people will not even have the idea of fighting when facing you, and the competition will be boring.” Uncle Five saw she finally gave up, and quickly praised her with a few words, giving her a step down.

“That’s true. How lonely an adept is!”

It wasn’t long before the event of the dragon boat race for election of battalion commanders to be held by the Ma Family spread among all Zhas. The selection was completely open and fair, and both Ma Family and Tian Family could participate in. One who gets the sign can be the battalion commander of Ma Family. And the Ma Family claims that the interests of the ship are shared with the battalion commanders. That is to say, the battalion commanders no longer take a certain amount of silver, but can get dividends according to the benefits the ship brings to the Ma Family. But also, there will be a bottom line. If the interests cannot reach the bottom line, the battalion commander must be replaced. This makes a lot of people with real skills eager to try. Of course, it also makes old battalion commanders who were not poached by Tian Family for their neglect of duty angry and dissatisfied, because Ma Tian’en asked them to take part in the competition and regain their titles as battalion commanders.

“It’s just ingratitude. We are the meritorious ones who chose to stay here this time. But they asked us to hand over the position of the battalion commander. No way. We have to go and ask for their explanations!” Several people made up their mind together. Originally, they were ready to take this opportunity to ask Ma Tian’en to raise their salaries and improve their conditions because they didn’t leave. Unexpectedly, Ma Tian’en didn’t take the initiative to ask for help from them and give them reward, but wanted to re-select. Crazy!

Unfortunately, Ma Chaosheng was on Tian’en’s side this time. After hearing this, Ma Chaosheng’s first reaction was that she was very good because she did what he wanted to do for so many years. Then he resolutely cooperated through feigning illness. He claimed that the injury was aggravated so that he could not speak and no one could see him. Even when Ma Tian’en’s two uncles came to him, he pretended to be confused and laid on the bed without any words to whatever they say. At last, Mrs. Ma scared the two uncles away again.

Wu Zhong was also very much in favor of this move, and he also detailed the plan for Ma Tian’en. It has to be said that Ma Tian’en has shocked Wu Zhong more and more, because she is smart, hard-working, and gets mature so fast, which makes him cherish and value her more..

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Ma Family’s dragon boat race for election of battalion commanders began on the third day after the news. Due to the panic and chaos caused by Tiam Family, the ships and the wharves were in a mess without battalion commanders. Fortunately, it is early winter now, and there are not many ships to go out. If the Tian family did this in the peak season and made it last for a few days, the loss of the Ma Family would be immeasurable.

The dragon boat race is usually held in May. But it’s a must for the Ma Family to hold the race in the early winter. Fortunately, the river hasn’t frozen, otherwise they have to compete by skating. But it’s just because it’s rare, people feel interested. More than a dozen of Ma Family’s boats are ready for the competition. Because of the hurry, they haven’t been decorated too much. The bow and the stern of the boat are still dragon heads and tails decorated during the Dragon Boat Festival whose color are getting a little dark. Some of the people who took part in the competition put on colorful clothes, and some of them wear the clothes used to enter the water at ordinary times. Instead, Ma Tian’en is on the “sign boat” in red colored clothes, holding the color bar with her hands. Ten standard ducks as well as a big turtle with color lines on legs are hung on the color bar, which shows the lively and festive atmosphere. There are more people watching the sign boat than those watching the competition.

The traditional dragon boat race only has one living sign, but now there are more than ten and all of them are live. It must be very lively.

With the continuous firecrackers, more than a dozen boats, like flying fish, row into the water. Compared with the normal boats, the racing boats are narrower, which are specially made to increase the difficulty of the race for passing the narrow waters.

“The robes on both sides of the river are fragrant and the silver hairpin looks like a frost blade. With the beating of drums and the spreading of red flags two dragons leap out of the water. The paddle strokes are like ten thousand swords and the sound of drums is like one thousand thunders. The drum sound is approaching, and the two dragon’s eyes are like a flash.” When Wu Zhong stood on the sign ship, he couldn’t help chanting Zhang Jianfeng’s “Race Song”. In fact, it is not necessary for him to get on the sign ship. He now stands here to keep an eye on Ma Tian’en for he is afraid that she can’t help but jump into the water to catch the turtle. Originally, Ma Tian’en wanted to put a fish sign, but he found that the fish was too slippery to be tied up by a ribbon as a sign. Without sign, the fish cannot be recognized in water. Finally she changed it into a turtle. Ma Tian’en also tied a ribbon on the turtle’s leg.

People could see that there were two ships gradually leading, the first one was rowing towards the sign ship. Just as they were getting close to the sign ship, Ma Tian’en untied the “live signs” and threw them into the water one after another. As living things, they swam quickly as entering the water, especially the turtle. They just disappeared in the water without any trace.

One person jumped from each of the two boats respectively. It was easier for the early-arrived persons to catch the signs because there were more left. Ma Family needed ten battalion commanders this time, so ten ducks weree prepared and the turtle could be a bonus. In a short time, a servant jumping into the water caught a duck. He raised it high and swam to the sign boat of Ma Tian’en. He was a dark-skinned and thin young man with enthusiasm and vitality in his eyes. This young man, Ma Dacheng, was from the side branch of the Ma Family. He was a good water dog and gets along well with people. But because he was young and from the side branch, he had never been valued. Ma Tian’en excitedly took over the duck and the person next to her wrote down his name. Then he dived into the water again to find the turtle.