Chapter 2628: Kun Thieves Go to the Countryside

Jin Zhu watched the spectacle with great curiosity, turning to ask one of the onlookers beside him, "Why is Master having guards trained here?"

The man recognized Jin Zhu and greeted him warmly. "Brother Zhu, you're back! These aren't guards—they're Manor Ding (Zhuang Ding). Our manor has established an altar called the Eight Immortals Society. After the rice harvest, everyone in the manor will train together. See those three with black kerchiefs wrapped around their heads? They're the three apprentice brothers who founded the altar and perform the rituals." He pointed them out one by one. "On the left is Third Apprentice Brother Sha Er. He practices the Iron Head Skill and wields a chain whip—they call him 'Iron Chain Divine Whip.' The fat one on the right is Second Apprentice Brother Ma Jin. He trains in Iron Belly Skin and uses a white wax pole, earning him the nickname 'Changban Golden Spear.' But the most formidable of all is Eldest Apprentice Brother, the one overseeing the training. His name is Chen Sheng, and he practices the Golden Bell Cover—his entire body is invulnerable to swords and guns. A few days ago, someone took a Kun thief's firearm to test Eldest Apprentice Brother's Golden Bell Cover. Fired a shot right at him. Can you guess what happened?"

The man paused dramatically, wiping the spittle from his lips, and looked at Jin Zhu with smug satisfaction. Seeing that Jin Zhu was listening with rapt attention, he continued: "Eldest Apprentice Brother caught that bullet in his mouth, chewed it up—ga beng ga beng—like he was eating fried beans, and swallowed it whole. Then he patted his belly and said, 'Didn't add salt. Too bland.'"

Jin Zhu couldn't help but exclaim, "Is he really that formidable?"

"Absolutely!" the man declared with conviction. "Everyone in the manor witnessed it right here on this threshing ground." The other idlers standing nearby chimed in with agreement. Someone pointed toward a banyan tree. "They tested the gun on that tree first. The bullet's still lodged in the trunk."

Jin Zhu gestured toward the incense table. "Is this altar also part of the White Lotus Sect?"

"Watch your tongue!" A man who had remained silent until now spoke up urgently. "We don't worship the White Lotus Sect. That's a tablet to the Jade Emperor!"

Ever since the Shandong Smell Incense Sect (Wenxiang Jiao) uprising during the Tianqi period, the White Lotus Sect had become notorious throughout the realm. Xu Hongru's name was known far and wide, and the legends surrounding his "magical powers" had reached the realm of the supernatural. Even in Guangdong, where folk religious sects were less prevalent, the White Lotus Sect's reputation preceded it. The moment the man heard those three words, he launched into immediate denial, then hastened to explain: "This time, it's the Jade Emperor himself who has witnessed the Kun thieves in the lower realm using demonic arts to stir up chaos. He commanded the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu) to emerge from seclusion and accept disciples to vanquish demons and monsters, protecting the Great Ming's rivers and mountains. Fairy Huang is the Queen Mother's personal disciple. The round fan she carries contains two magical treasures bestowed by the Queen Mother herself—that fan can summon the Five Elements Wind. Fairy Huang's powers are extremely efficacious. Right now, she's leading the women of the manor in cultivating magic and refining an immortal formation at Master Li's villa. After forty-nine days of practice, they'll succeed, and then they can summon the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to assist us." He looked Jin Zhu up and down with sudden recognition. "Say, isn't your wife practicing magic with Fairy Huang? Hasn't she told you about this?" A knowing smile spread across his face.

Though Jin Zhu had never ventured far beyond the neighboring villages, Xiaoyao Market saw enough travelers that he could claim to be more worldly than the average country farmer. He listened with only half-belief. But since this was Master Li's initiative, he naturally didn't dare voice any doubts. He watched the sword practice a while longer, then went on his way to look for work.

The period around May, when early rice was harvested and late rice planted, was the busiest season for rural day laborers. Harvesting, sun-drying the paddy, threshing. No sooner was the early rice finished than the fields needed fertilizing, tilling, flooding, and transplanting seedlings for the late rice—all without a moment's rest. They worked from dawn until dark, heads baked by the sun, feet scalded by the hot paddy water. Yet this was also when short-term laborers earned the most and ate the best. Not only three full meals of rice each day, but meat and fish as well. Now, at the end of May, every household was preparing for the Summer Harvest and Summer Planting season. Any family with substantial landholdings had to arrange with laborers in advance or risk being caught short-handed.

Jin Zhu made the rounds to his regular employers from previous years—ostensibly "paying respects," but really to secure work agreements. He was relieved to find that demand for labor hadn't diminished. After the Australians arrived to "Clarify Fields and Acres," although the New Field Tax they promulgated was nominally higher than under the Great Ming, the clear delineation of property rights, transparent tax calculations, and simple payment methods meant landlords no longer bore the burden of countless mysterious surcharges and allocations. Many actually found their loads lightened. Moreover, with the Australians' increased demand for grain, many families had expanded their planting areas and needed more hands. Some landowners, seeing what a capable worker he was, urged him to abandon day labor and become a Long-term Worker instead, promising excellent treatment.

Li Xiujie merely said "I'll think about it," though he didn't take these invitations seriously. If he was going to be a Long-term Worker, he might as well work for Master's household—at least they were of the same clan and would show him some consideration. Besides, how much could a Long-term Worker really save? He'd learned his lesson over the years. Master families always made it sound generous—so much silver per year, food and clothing all provided. But once you arrived, everything cost money. When the accounts were settled at year's end, receiving sixty or seventy percent of your promised wage was considered fortunate. What galled him most was that beyond farming, Master families treated their Long-term Workers like household servants. Any heavy or menial task around the residence fell to them, without so much as a copper in reward.

Fortunately, after making his rounds, he'd filled his schedule for the next two months. The wages were more generous than in previous years, too. He calculated that once this busy season ended, he could save up enough money to travel to Dongguan and buy a few pills of "Cough Suppressing Pill" (Zhenke Wan)—said to be the most efficacious cure for coughing, effective with a single dose. The only drawback was the price: fifty wen per pill.

Though the incense ash from Fairy Huang that his wife had obtained did show some effect, it couldn't cure the root cause. Each dose brought only a few days' relief. Besides, he resented his wife going to "cultivate magic" every day. Something about it struck him as wrong. Even if there was nothing amiss, he begrudged Lian Niang wasting half a day every two or three days—with that time, she could be doing anything more useful!

The money saved from buying medicine he would set aside. When the Clan Family next released land for reclamation, he could use it to grease the right relationships and secure ten mu or so. Once reclaimed, that would be his own tenant land. He wouldn't have to scrape by on odd jobs anymore. If his mother's cough and breathing troubles could be cured, she could help around the house, and Lian Niang could get silkworm cocoons on credit from the Silk Warehouse to reel silk, earning a bit more money. Their circumstances would finally ease...

On the way back, the sun shone warm on his face. Li Xiujie didn't mind the heat at all. For once, the warmth felt good. These days, having hope gave a man spirit. Everyone said it didn't matter whether it was the Great Ming or the Great Song—whoever ruled, you still had to pay taxes and surrender grain. Yet against all expectations, the Australians' arrival had actually made his life better. He mused that since he'd be doing farm work, he should buy some new tools at the market.

The most essential tool for harvesting rice was a sharp, handy sickle. His family had always kept one, and it suited him well. But some days ago, he'd seen Australian New Farm Tools in a shop at Xiaoyao Market. The steel edge was truly fine, and it handled beautifully. His only reservation was that it looked rather light and thin—he suspected it might not be durable. As for the price, it had been expensive at first, but now cost little more than an ordinary sickle.

A few days back, he'd heard from buyers that Australian farm tools were quite sturdy, not as delicate as he'd feared. So he planned to buy one. It would make the work go faster—after all, he'd have his own land to tend soon!

With this thought, Jin Zhu's heart swelled with contentment. His steps grew light and brisk as he hurried home. As he neared Li Family Enclosure, he spotted a small boat coming up the river channel, heading toward the village.

The waterways crisscrossed throughout Dongguan, and boats served in place of footpaths. A small boat was the most common sight. But the passengers on this particular vessel caught his attention. Three or four young men squatted or sat at the bow, talking and laughing loudly.

From their short hair and button-down jackets, Jin Zhu knew immediately: "False Kuns" were coming.

Jin Zhu had seen plenty of Kun thief bandits during his odd jobs at Xiaoyao Market. At first, the Kun soldiers had arrived aboard small fire-wheeled boats that belched black smoke. Merchants and townsfolk fled the market in panic, leaving only the Market Master and a few servants to attend to them. The Kun bandits ate a meal, rested for two hours, then boarded their vessel and departed. They bought nothing, requisitioned nothing—only asked the Market Master's manager to boil several large pots of water for their use.

Later, he saw "Tax Bureau" men come to collect taxes, also arriving on fire-wheeled boats under escort of a squad of Kun soldiers. From that first tax collection onward, Australian Silver Dollars and Notes began circulating—because the tax collectors refused to accept white silver or copper coins. The shops panicked for a time, as no one knew where to obtain this "Australian Money." Fortunately, before long, a grocery shop on the market hung out a sign reading "Exchange Agency."

Then came the Australian "Work Team" last winter, arriving to "Clear Property and Clarify Tax." This time, many more people came. Young Kun men with satchels slung over their shoulders fanned out into the countryside to survey land, protected by squads of Kun soldiers. The Work Team had set up camp at the market, pitching tents near the wharf. The wharf was crowded with small boats and cannon-mounted fire-wheeled vessels. Jin Zhu had been hired to help unload mysterious wooden crates from the supply ships, each one marked "SECRET" in black paint.

After that, the Kun bandits largely disappeared. Though a few False Kuns occasionally conducted business at the market, or passing Kun ships docked for a meal, no one ventured into the countryside anymore. The common people breathed a collective sigh of relief. The "Kun" had finally passed through.

Who sat on the emperor's throne, who served as County Magistrate—common folk didn't much care. But from long habit, they dreaded seeing "Official People" come to the countryside. Whenever such men appeared, it meant losing money or getting beaten. Never anything good.

What were these "False Kuns" doing here? Jin Zhu's heart clenched with apprehension. Following the river downstream led straight to Li Family Enclosure!

(End of Chapter)