Chapter 308: Centurion Lin
Liu Deshan sold all the coarse sugar on the ship here at a quite satisfactory price, leaving only the refined sugar. According to the market report in the “Hong Kong Ship’s Cargo Price List,” the price of coarse sugar in Jiangnan was lower than in Tayouan, but the market for refined sugar was higher in Jiangnan.
Since they had come to Tayouan, they naturally couldn’t leave empty-handed. Empty hold space was wasted money. Their next stop was Shanghai, and the gentry of Jiangnan had a considerable demand for overseas luxury goods. Liu Deshan bought American furs, high-quality European woolens, Indian printed cotton cloth, and spices from the East Indies. He also bought some Western miscellaneous goods that the gentry liked, filling up the hold space. Liu Deshan had originally wanted to buy some deerskin, but was told that all deerskin and deer products were sold to the Australians, and Tayouan had no stock.
“Cousin, what do you think about going to Kaohsiung again? To get some Australian miscellaneous goods. Australian goods sell very well in Jiangnan…”
“Huamin, you don’t know about this. Shanghai has large shops that act as agents for Australian goods. Their recent stock is plentiful, so the market price is not high. We won’t make much profit if we transport them there. If we had a lot of empty hold space, bringing a large batch would be better than nothing,” Liu Deshan said. “Besides, the Australian goods in Kaohsiung are mainly for overseas export. It’s not too late to go there on our return trip from Shanghai. We can transport them back to Guangzhou and sell them to Master Qin.”
So they decided not to go to Kaohsiung and to sail directly to Shanghai. After taking on fresh water in Kaohsiung and settling all the fees, just as they were about to set sail, Manager Liu suddenly came to report that someone wanted to hitch a ride to Lingao to work.
“Didn’t you tell him our next stop is Shanghai? After that, we’re going to Shandong, and only then to Lingao.”
“He said it doesn’t matter. He has no money and is willing to work on the ship to earn his passage.”
“Oh? How does he know our ship is going to Lingao?” Chen Huamin was a little puzzled. The final destination of this voyage was indeed Lingao. He and Liu Deshan had already discussed going to Lingao to check out the “situation” after returning to Guangzhou, and to see if there were any new goods worth buying.
“This is not a secret,” Manager Liu said. “He said himself that this ship looks like an Australian ship, and since it’s an Australian ship, it must be going to Lingao.”
“He’s a sharp one,” Chen Huamin smiled. “But we are not Australians, and this is not an Australian ship. He only got the part about going to Lingao right by chance.”
Liu Deshan asked, “What kind of person is he?”
“In his early thirties. From his speech and manners, he’s probably a scholar. I heard a Cantonese accent in his speech, and when I spoke a few words of Cantonese with him, he was a genuine Guangdong native.”
“A scholar, can he work?”
“He looks strong, not a frail scholar,” Manager Liu said. “From his appearance, he doesn’t look like a bad person, more like a profligate son from a wealthy family.”
“Can such a person do manual labor?”
“He worked his passage to Kaohsiung and then to Tayouan. I also know the owner of that ship; he’s an old acquaintance from Guangzhou. He said this person boarded the ship in Guangzhou and is very honest and capable,” Manager Liu said. “We’re a bit short-handed on our ship anyway. It’s not a bad thing to add someone who can read, write, and do arithmetic, and he doesn’t even want wages.”
“Alright, let’s take him on then.” Liu Deshan was most swayed by the words “doesn’t want wages” and made the decision on the spot.
“Thank you, two masters, for your great kindness!” Lin Ming kowtowed deftly. “I will definitely work hard to repay your kindness!”
“No need for kowtowing. Manager Liu says you can read and write, and you are a man of culture. Let’s address each other as peers.”
“I would never dare, you two masters are the owners. How could I overstep my bounds?”
“Alright, alright, the ship is small, we don’t bother with these empty formalities. Since you can read and write, can you use an abacus?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then follow Manager Liu and work for him.” Chen Huamin, seeing the man’s demeanor and speech, concluded he was at least the son of a middle-class family who had studied. Yet he was dressed in rags and had to be so humble to work on a ship. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity and instructed someone to get him a new short shirt. “It’s inconvenient to work on the ship in a long gown. Make do with this for now.”
“Yes, thank you, master.”
Lin Ming bowed and quickly followed Manager Liu back to the cabin. Manager Liu ordered someone to bring him a brand-new set of blue cotton trousers and a jacket, saying, “Young man, you can rest in this cabin at night and chat with this old man, play some chess. Now, change your clothes and come with me to the cargo hold to take inventory.”
Lin Ming was all smiles and repeatedly agreed. This was a desperate move for him. Ever since his sister-in-law had disappeared in Macau three years ago, he had spent a great deal of effort, using almost all his connections in Guangdong, to try to rescue Li Yongxun.
But Lingao had become an iron fortress of the short-hair rebels, and the Australians’ way of doing things was completely different from the Ming Dynasty’s. Lin Ming’s connections were almost all useless, like water that couldn’t seep in. Moreover, as soon as most people heard that the matter involved the short-hair rebels, no matter how “capable” they were, they all avoided it. Since the burning of the Wuyang Posthouse, the Australians’ influence around Guangzhou had grown day by day. No one was willing to oppose the Australians for a mere centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had spent a lot of effort and had indeed collected a lot of information about the short-hair rebels, but there was still no news of his sister-in-law’s whereabouts.
For the past few years, he had lost his appetite for food and his life was very dull: his wife never gave him a pleasant look. This was not surprising. His wife’s relative had been lost while in his care. It was already very polite of them not to come to his door and make a scene. Fortunately, Li Yongxun had run away from home and come to Guangdong on her own, so the main responsibility was not his. Otherwise, Lin Ming would have really felt like throwing himself into the sea.
Li Yongxun had disappeared on his watch, and he still had to take responsibility. After years of fruitless searching, Lin Ming finally made up his mind: nothing ventured, nothing gained. Since the short-hair rebels’ main base was in Lingao, his sister-in-law was most likely in Lingao. He had to go to Lingao himself, blend in with the Australians, to find out Li Yongxun’s whereabouts. Whether she was dead or alive, he had to give his wife an explanation.
Li Yongxun was just a child. The short-hair rebels probably wouldn’t kill her, but falling into their hands, her fate was predictable. Whenever he thought of this, Lin Ming would always sigh with regret. This delicate flower had been taken by the short-hair rebels. If he had known, he would have struck first. If he could really rescue her, the girl would no longer be a virgin, and it would probably be impossible for her to find a husband again. He could just keep her at home to accompany his wife…
Lin Ming naturally couldn’t tell his wife these thoughts, but his wife was very supportive of his idea of going to Lingao to rescue Li Yongxun. Because of this matter, she didn’t even dare to go back to Nanjing to visit her family. And every time a letter came from her family, they would ask about Qianqian’s (Li Yongxun’s nickname) whereabouts, leaving her speechless.
“It’s better to get it over with than to let it drag on like this, looking for people and making inquiries everywhere. It’s better to go there yourself!” Mrs. Lin was also from a family of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers and was very decisive. “If you can find her whereabouts, you can always find a way to save her. If she is truly ill-fated, at least we will know what happened. At worst, we will fulfill our filial duty to her parents on her behalf!”
“You are right, my lady,” Lin Ming nodded repeatedly.
“But you must also be careful yourself. I hear the short-hair rebels also have a secret police…”
“The Song Dynasty called it the Huangcheng Si…”
“Whatever they call it, I hear the short-hair rebels are very skilled in this area, with eyes and ears everywhere, and every word and action is being watched. Husband, you must be careful at all times.”
“I know. Don’t worry, my lady.”
“How can I not worry?” Tears rolled down Mrs. Lin’s eyes. “I’ve already lost a sister. Don’t you go and get yourself lost too! This whole family, big and small, depends on you!”
“Don’t worry, I know what’s important.”
He had “five blessings surrounding longevity” at home. While Mrs. Lin was “understanding of the greater good,” his four concubines were not happy. After all, Li Yongxun’s life or death had little to do with them. They were by no means willing for their husband to risk his life. There was inevitably some crying and fussing. Fortunately, Mrs. Lin managed the household well and, with a combination of admonishment and persuasion, managed to convince everyone.
After settling the affairs at home, Lin Ming had to consider how to get to Lingao.
It was very easy to get to Lingao from Foshan. From Foshan to Guangzhou, one could buy a boat ticket at the Dabo Shipping agency at Tianzi Pier, and in at most two or three days, one could be on a boat to Lingao. For those with money, there were well-appointed cabins. For those without, the common holds of the cargo ships were also quite clean.
However, Lin Ming did not plan to go to Lingao this way. He had long since inquired among people who had been to Lingao and learned that outsiders entering and leaving Lingao were subject to strict inspection. He himself was an expert in arrests. Not to mention that he had too many acquaintances in Guangzhou, just his own appearance, neither a merchant nor a scholar, would attract the attention of the short-hair rebels’ secret police as soon as he showed up at Bopu Pier.
To be a spy, one must first hide one’s identity and blend in with the common people to avoid attracting attention. But he had been an Embroidered Uniform Guard for more than twenty years, and his speech and demeanor would have an “official air” that would give him away without him even speaking. After much consideration, Lin Ming decided on a roundabout approach. Specifically, he would not depart from Guangzhou, but from another place.
He decided to go to Kaohsiung first. Kaohsiung was a new overseas territory opened by the short-hair rebels. He had heard that it was a melting pot of people, and it would be easy for him to hide his identity there, and then take a boat from Kaohsiung to Lingao. This way, he could not only hide his tracks but also gather intelligence on the short-hair rebels’ situation in Kaohsiung along the way. Since the short-hair rebels had defeated Zheng Zhilong and swept through Zhangzhou Bay, the court and the public had been paying more attention to this force.
Lin Ming estimated that in three to five years, the court would inevitably have another major battle with the short-hair rebels. The intelligence he gathered on the short-hair rebels would then be a good thing for promotion and wealth.
With his plan set, Lin Ming was truly dedicated. He disguised himself as a down-and-out scholar, took only a small amount of silver, and quietly went to Guangzhou alone. He got a job as a clerk on a merchant ship to Kaohsiung, specializing in bookkeeping and clerical work. He worked very hard on the ship. Although he was often seasick and was not a deckhand, he did his best and was willing to help with any work, which earned him the high regard of the boatswain.