Chapter 41: Shandong Giant
Lin Qian’s gaze swept over the remaining ship workers.
Everyone’s faces showed either fear, lingering fear, or dissatisfaction.
“Everyone has been voyaging at sea for a long time and finally docked, wanting to find some fun. I understand.”
Lin Qian said loudly.
This was Lin Qian, who had been silent all morning, speaking to the ship workers for the first time. All the ship workers looked toward him.
Lin Qian took a hard biscuit out from his clothes and held it up in his hand.
“Everyone has been gnawing on this ghost thing like wall plaster for half a month, wanting alcohol and meat. I know!”
Then Lin Qian pointed northward.
“Over there is Great Ming. Everyone has been out at sea for half a year, all wanting to go home, to see mother, to see wife and children. I’m the same as you!”
After this morning’s events, the ship workers originally thought Lin Qian was going to scold them when he spoke, but unexpectedly it was these three sentences that directly struck everyone’s heart. They couldn’t help but inwardly nod in agreement.
“But we can’t disperse now, because the silver from this ship’s cargo hasn’t been received by everyone yet. I’ve calculated it—each person is guaranteed at least three hundred taels of silver!”
All the ship workers’ hearts skipped a beat. They knew the Franks’ ship was valuable, but they hadn’t imagined getting three hundred taels each.
The vast majority of Great Ming’s common people earn less than three hundred taels of silver in a lifetime.
Lin Qian continued: “I know everyone is having a hard time, and so am I! But who calls us men! Men have to support the family. No matter how bitter or tiring, we can only swallow it down!”
“With empty hands, how do we go home? How do we pay for parents’ medicine? How do we buy clothes for the children? How do we fill the whole family’s stomachs?”
The ship workers all lowered their heads. Even those who haven’t married were born and raised by parents—who doesn’t want to properly honor their parents?
Thinking of parents and family’s expectant gazes, the ship workers felt that enduring any hardship was worth it as long as the family could live well.
Moreover, that was three hundred taels. In a lifetime, how many chances are there to earn three hundred taels?
“Everyone, don’t forget—we’re in the business of licking blood from the edge of a knife!”
Lin Qian’s one sentence pulled everyone back to reality.
“If even one person leaks the information, we all can’t escape the government’s pursuit! That’s why we established the roll call rules. Besides roll call, there will be other rules in the future. Without these rules, our safety would be hard to ensure!”
“So from now on, those who break the rules will be severely punished without exception. I’ve said this plainly today. If anyone is punished later, don’t blame me for not showing mercy!”
After he finished speaking, all the ship workers looked guilty and lowered their heads. For a moment, the only sound on the deck was the waves crashing.
Lin Qian took in everyone’s expressions and knew the timing was right. He softened his tone: “Alright, you’ve stood all morning. Go back to your cabins to rest and prepare for lunch.”
After these words, the atmosphere on the deck relaxed considerably. The ship workers walked with heavy steps, returning to their cabins in twos and threes.
Seeing the ship workers disperse, Lin Qian turned to Zhou Xiucai and said: “Second Brother, now that we’re near the coast, buy more fresh ingredients from the fishermen—alcohol and meat, vegetables, fruits, get some of each. Don’t worry about the cost. Tell Chen Bo about this. Decide what to buy yourselves.”
“Good.” Zhou Xiucai nodded in agreement and went down from the stern cabin.
“Third Brother…” Lin Qian still wanted to find Lei Sanxiang but looked around and didn’t see him.
Chen Jiao said: “He went back to his cabin… Don’t hold it against him. He just has that firecracker temper.”
Lin Qian smiled: “Elder Brother, what are you saying? I naturally know Third Brother’s temper. Today, I also thank all the brothers for backing me up.”
Chen Jiao hurriedly cupped his hands and said half-jokingly: “Don’t dare! Helmsman’s methods today have really opened this elder brother’s eyes.”
Lin Qian laughed boldly, draped his arms over Chen Jiao’s and Bai Langzai’s shoulders, and said: “Elder Brother, you’re too modest. Come, let’s go to my cabin to smoke a cigar.”
Chen Jiao laughed: “No, I can’t get used to your strange-tasting tobacco. Spare me…”
Although he said that, Chen Jiao still entered the captain’s cabin with Lin Qian and Bai Langzai.
Lin Qian lit a cigar for each of the three, then they started chatting idly.
Coincidentally, Lin Qian and Bai Langzai hadn’t gone to the flower boat yesterday, so Chen Jiao recounted his experiences there.
Once they started talking about women, the air filled with a cheerful vibe.
“…You didn’t see it—these southern women look shy, but their vigor in bed is something else. Yesterday’s screams almost shook the flower boat apart…”
Lin Qian in his previous life had bedded countless women and was a veteran of the pleasure quarters. Upon hearing this, he cooperatively asked a few more questions.
Bai Langzai, thinking of that girl who had been beaten, realized why there was trauma medicine on the flower boat.
He further realized that the ship workers being late for roll call today was something Lin Qian had anticipated long ago. He had even bought trauma medicine for whip wounds in advance.
This level of meticulous planning truly shocked Bai Langzai.
After the three finished their cigars, Zhou Xiucai returned from Chen Bo.
Just in time, lunch was ready. The four ate together in the officer’s restaurant below the captain’s cabin.
Lin Qian had someone call Lei Sanxiang as well.
Zhou Xiucai said: “He said he has things to do in the afternoon, so he ate in his own room.”
“That’s fine too.” Lin Qian understood that Lei Sanxiang felt his face had been contradicted publicly and was sulking a bit, but he didn’t take it to heart.
Chen Jiao and Zhou Xiucai stealthily glanced at Lin Qian’s expression. Seeing no change, they felt relieved.
……
The officers’ cabins were located at the tail end of the cannon deck, below the restaurant.
After lunch, Lei Sanxiang was tidying up his bowl and chopsticks in his own cabin.
At this time, Lin Qian lifted the door curtain and walked in.
Upon seeing him, Lei Sanxiang sullenly greeted: “Helmsman.”
Lin Qian didn’t respond, walked straight to the table and sat down, and placed the items in his hand on the table.
Lei Sanxiang looked and saw two wine jars and a whip on the table—that was the same whip he had used that morning.
“Helmsman, what do you mean by this?”
“This morning in front of the ship workers, I contradicted Third Brother’s authority. I’ve come specially to apologize. If Third Brother is angry, feel free to whip your brother a few times—as long as Third Brother doesn’t hold it against me and damage our brotherly bond.” With that, Lin Qian removed his upper garment and turned his back to Lei Sanxiang.
“Helmsman is overthinking it. I’m not that petty sort who holds grudges.”
Lin Qian said: “If you’re not angry at heart, why still call me Helmsman? Hurry up and do it—don’t be all womanly and nagging!”
Lei Sanxiang was the straightforward type, proud of being a Shandong man. He couldn’t stand being provoked with words like “womanly.” He angrily said: “I said I’m not angry, so I’m not! You are the Helmsman. What’s wrong with calling you that?”
“You’re definitely thinking in your heart that me making you call me Helmsman in public made you lose face in front of your friends—that I was using you to establish authority among the ship workers, right?”
“Hmph.” Lei Sanxiang’s thoughts exposed, he didn’t dare retort and just snorted coldly.
“You’re definitely thinking now that me having you punish the erring ship workers made you the villain out front, right?”
“I didn’t!” Lei Sanxiang’s voice weakened considerably.
“You’re definitely thinking right now that everything I’m doing and saying is fake posturing—that brotherly bonds mean nothing to me compared to power and wealth, right?”
“Bullshit! If I thought that, I wouldn’t be a real man! Damn it! Don’t forget back in Luzon when old fourth and old fifth turned traitor—it was I who stood by your side!”
That last line was Lin Qian deliberately provoking him. Sure enough, Lei Sanxiang loudly refuted it.
Lin Qian turned around with a smile and said: “Of course. Since Third Brother doesn’t want to whip, let’s drink instead. I’ve heard Shandong men have enormous alcohol tolerance—not sure if it’s true?”
With that, he opened the two wine jars. Wine fragrance immediately filled the air. Inside was the yellow wine just bought from the flower boat.
Lei Sanxiang took a wine jar, gulped down three big mouthfuls, wiped his mouth, and said: “Of course it’s true!”
Lin Qian drank a few mouthfuls along with him, but the conversation hadn’t opened up, and the drinking felt dull.
As the slight buzz set in, Lin Qian took two porcelain bottles from his bosom and placed them on the table. They were the trauma medicine Bai Langzai had bought from the flower boat.
“What do you mean by this?”
“Trauma medicine,” Lin Qian said flatly.
Lei Sanxiang sneered: “Brother Lin, you’ve got the wrong idea about me. Between brothers, even if I’m angry with you, could I really hit you?”
Lin Qian shook his head: “This isn’t for me to use. In a bit, once the alcohol smell fades from your body, take these two bottles of medicine and apply it to the beaten ship workers.”
Lei Sanxiang’s drinking motion stiffened.
