Chapter Fourteen: A Restless Heart

“…The Australians buy jute, cotton yarn, cotton cloth, and opium—all goods brought by the Portuguese. They also sell goods to the Portuguese. Just selling wine, they can sell thousands of barrels!” Huang Shunlong knew that Master Lin was very interested in the “Australians,” and his dealings with them could not be hidden from these people. So he deliberately spoke at length. But he was very careful to conceal the fact that the Australians were buying large quantities of Indian saltpeter. The court forbade the export of saltpeter. But the Australians, he didn’t know from where, had learned that India produced saltpeter—he, Huang Shunlong, who had been doing business with the Portuguese in Macau for so many years, had never known about this.

Lin Ming listened intently. After hearing Huang Shunlong’s words, he became even more interested in the Australians. Lin Ming had not participated in Wang Zunde’s “punitive expedition against the kūnzéi bandits.” The Guangdong Jinyiwei had not been involved in this matter from beginning to end. Of course, even if the Guangdong Jinyiwei were to participate, there would probably be no suitable candidate to act as a spy in Lin’gao. Guangdong had been at peace for a long time, and Lin Ming knew better than anyone what the hundred-household offices were like now. Of his two subordinate banner commanders, one had taken leave to do business and had not been seen for a long time. The other spent his days socializing with merchants and scrounging for profits. The lower-ranking banner commanders, officers, and soldiers, besides thinking about ways to “find money,” “get money,” and “spend money,” were just idling their time away. Who would be willing to work hard? Even he himself, if it weren’t for his hope of promotion, would not bother with the Australians.

Li Yongxun was not interested in their conversation. To her, the Australians were no different from the Portuguese or the Dutch—they were all merchants from overseas who brought interesting goods. But their things seemed more interesting. Especially the set of silver-cased lipsticks in her cousin’s boudoir, which had more than ten different shades of red alone. The lipstick didn’t need to be mixed with water beforehand; it could be applied directly to the lips, making them moist and beautiful. It was much better than the “Jiangnan rouge” that came in porcelain boxes from Yangzhou and Nanjing, and cleaner than biting a piece of red paper. Her cousin treasured it very much, and even she had only used it secretly a few times when her cousin was not around.

The servants brought another new dish. On a large white porcelain plate was a pile of yellow scrambled eggs stained with some kind of red sauce. There were also many mushy, red, fruit-like things in it. Lin Ming thought it was a spicy dish like the fish fillets just now, but when he tasted it, he found it to be sweet and sour, with another fresh and fragrant flavor.

Li Yongxun took a few bites, but a strange expression appeared on her face. She asked, “Is this also an Australian dish?”

“Exactly. The red fruit is the so-called ‘tomato’,” Huang Shunlong said. “This dish is called scrambled eggs with tomatoes. It is said to be the most beloved dish of the Australians.”

Li Yongxun whispered, “Tomatoes, the doctor from Lin’gao and his attendants also had them…” She remembered the two jars of sauce she had found on Huang Tianyu after drugging him.

Lin Ming nodded. “This was originally an Australian dish…”

Huang Shunlong, seeing the topic turning back to the Australians and fearing he might say too much, smiled and said, “Master Lin, on such a fine night, the wine is intoxicating. Why not watch a Persian song and dance to liven things up?”

“Persian song and dance?” Lin Ming was very interested. “I have never seen such a foreign dance…”

Li Yongxun was already impatient: “I want to see it! I want to see it!”

Huang Shunlong chuckled and turned to his steward behind him, muttering a few words.

A moment later, the sound of music came from behind the tapestry curtain. A musician was probably playing. With the music, an enchanting woman leaped out from behind the curtain, twisting and turning to the fast-paced rhythm. The dancer was tall and buxom, with snow-white skin. Her long, curly brown hair was tied with a gold chain and cascaded over her bare shoulders. Her red lips were like fire, and her almond-shaped eyes, with their brown pupils, were foxy and deep.

The dancer wore only a few small pieces of cloth. The bodice barely covered her breasts, and a few light gauze scarves, adorned with gold and silver flakes and various jewels, hung from her waist. With a slight movement, large patches of her snow-white skin were revealed. The dancer swayed her hips and waist to the rhythm of the music, the rhythm extremely fiery. As she danced, the white gauze scarf with gold embroidery hanging from her waist would occasionally fly up, revealing two long, white legs. Her full, firm, round buttocks were completely exposed, with only a glimpse of a fiery red silk thread between her buttocks. A strong fragrance filled the air, mixed with a hint of foxy musk.

Lin Ming was instantly mesmerized. He had seen many courtesans. The higher the class, the more pretentious they were, with their speech and mannerisms like those of a young lady. Even in bed, they were only slightly more accommodating. How could he have ever seen such a wild and bold beauty, especially her curvaceous figure, which was rarely seen among local women.

Huang Shunlong stroked his beard and smiled, very pleased with himself. He had seen such scenes many times. Although the female slave he had bought from overseas through the Portuguese had cost him a fortune, she always managed to stun his honored guests whenever he brought her out. And he didn’t have to worry about anyone asking for her—many men were infatuated with the beauty of foreign dancers, but no one wanted to keep a foreign woman at home.

The best part was that as long as the foreign woman was well-kept, her age was not obvious—eighteen and forty looked almost the same. As long as her figure was maintained, she could still charm men—after all, rarity makes things precious. If he had spent a lot of money on a “slender horse” from Yangzhou, she would be a withered flower after just a few years. High officials and nobles had seen many such women and did not find them rare.

Lin Ming was intoxicated and could not control himself. Li Yongxun’s face was red and her ears were burning. She dared not look at the dancer, only feeling a flash of white before her eyes, which made her face burn, her throat dry, and her body restless. She pulled on Lin Ming’s sleeve and whispered, “This foreign woman is truly shameless.”

“This is a barbarian song and dance,” Lin Ming said, glancing sideways. He saw that the young lady’s face was flushed, her eyes hazy like spring water, and she was wriggling restlessly in her chair. His heart pounded, and he quickly turned his head back to watch the dancer.

The music of the qin and drum suddenly stopped. The dancer came off the dance carpet and knelt before everyone, then poured wine and offered a cup to the guests. Lin Ming, dazed and with his heart in a turmoil, took the cup and drank it down in one gulp. He smelled the dancer’s sweat and perfume, and his blood rushed, his senses reeling. Li Yongxun didn’t even dare to look. She quickly took the cup and drank it down in one go, choking a few times.

After offering the wine, the dancer left. Lin Ming was already somewhat lost in thought. Huang Shunlong whispered, “How about having her serve you tonight, sir?”

“Mm, mm, ah, ah,” Lin Ming said nothing—it was not convenient to be too frank with his sister-in-law present. But his meaning was quite clear. To cover up his gaffe, he asked, “What country is this woman from?”

“The Portuguese say she was bought from Persia,” Huang Shunlong said, happy that the topic had shifted to women. “According to legend, there is a large port city there, with all kinds of goods, and also a human market, specializing in selling beautiful women and handsome boys of various foreign peoples.”

“I never thought there were such beauties overseas,” Lin Ming’s face lit up with a smile. He felt a strong yearning for it. Thinking that he would have a night of pleasure tonight, he felt that this trip was not in vain.

The banquet ended with an Australian dessert, “cake.” The cake, baked with rum and cinnamon, was fragrant and soft, and it greatly pleased Li Yongxun. Seeing his sister-in-law happy, Lin Ming was very happy in his heart and felt that this Master Huang was truly sensible! When Master Huang inquired about the recent trends in the Guangzhou officialdom, Lin Ming, having had a few too many drinks, was in high spirits for conversation and spoke freely about Gao Shunqin’s disappearance.

“…Censor Gao has disappeared. The Portuguese and the Australians must be celebrating—after all, an enemy is gone.”

“So, is it true that Master Gao wanted the court to ban the Portuguese’s business in Macau?”

“Of course, it’s true,” Lin Ming nodded repeatedly and said mysteriously, “If Master Huang is in the business of selling foreign goods, you should prepare early. You will definitely make a fortune in the future.”

Huang Shunlong gave a dry laugh. “I am just a local merchant; I can’t do big business.” From Lin Ming’s words, he knew that the matter of stopping the Portuguese’s trade was most likely a foregone conclusion. If he informed the Australians of this news, it would probably earn him their favor. In Huang Shunlong’s mind, the Australians were no longer the pirates who had suddenly appeared in Lin’gao and taken advantage of the situation to make a quick profit, but a force that was about to rule the seas of Guangdong. Pleasing them would be beneficial to him and do him no harm.

Lin Ming laughed loudly and wagged his finger at him. Huang Shunlong, with a fawning smile on his face, poured him more fine wine.

The banquet ended with everyone in high spirits. Huang Shunlong, not knowing the relationship between Li Yongxun and Master Lin, had them stay together in his newly built courtyard for honored guests. It was recently built in the “Australian style” and had cost him one thousand five hundred taels of silver. However, this money, like his investment in the Persian dancer, was well spent.

Li Yongxun was very curious about all the rooms in the courtyard, whether it was the flush toilet, the bathtub, the pipes that automatically flowed with water when a lever was pulled, the bed that was both soft and firm, the large chair that felt like it was wrapped in cotton, or the glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling—especially when she discovered that the chandelier could be lowered… everything aroused her endless interest. The transparent, fragrant soap on the glass countertop in the bathroom, the colorful perfumes, the various dried flower petals in glass jars… she couldn’t put them down, fiddling with this and that.

The most amazing thing was that the room was as warm as spring without any stove, brazier, or heated floor.

“Is this the kind of house the Australians live in? They really know how to enjoy themselves,” Lin Ming said, leaning back in a sofa chair, savoring the feeling of yielding yet resisting beneath him.

“Exactly,” Li Yongxun’s eyes turned into stars. “I really want to go to Lin’gao and see what kind of life the real Australians live…”