Chapter 83: Salted Fish And Meat
Huang Hetai made up his mind, his face beaming even more with smiles as he led Lin Qian toward the main hall.
The main hall in the backyard of the General’s mansion was reserved for the General. Although the General stayed there only a few times a year, as his subordinate he did not dare enter it casually.
Since Lin Qian was begging him today, he naturally wanted to show off his full prestige and simply overstep once.
Entering the main hall, Huang Hetai ordered his men to light the candles, set up the table and chairs and wine vessels, and invited Lin Qian and his brothers to take seats.
Bai Langzai and the others opened the food box, took out the alcohol and dishes, and arranged them on the table.
All the dishes on this table were made by Chen Bo. The taste could not compare to Cantonese cuisine master chefs, but on Nan’ao Island it was already quite rare.
Seeing these carefully prepared alcohol and dishes, Huang Hetai became even more certain of his guess. He regained some of the demeanor of an Imperial Court fifth-rank official, immediately raised his cup in a toast, and then drank it all in one gulp.
The brothers exchanged glances, all looking toward Lin Qian, unsure whether to drink the wine.
Lin Qian picked up his wine cup and drank it dry. Only then did the brothers drink.
After Huang Hetai and Lin Qian exchanged cups for a moment, he surveyed the banquet. Seeing Lin Qian’s brothers only focused on their own eating and drinking with no one toasting him, he immediately pulled a long face.
Seeing no one paid attention to his expression, Huang Hetai cursed inwardly: “A bunch of crude barbarian bandits!”
When the banquet reached midway and Lin Qian still did not mention leaving the island, Huang Hetai simply clarified the matter himself.
Huang Hetai pretended to sigh deeply and raised his cup: “Leader Lin, we hit it off in conversation. I originally wanted you to stay longer on the island, but unfortunately Leader Li is so aggressive that I am powerless to help. With this modest wine, I wish Leader Lin can soon find a good place.”
As soon as he said this, everyone stopped eating and drinking. Lei Sanxiang wiped his mouth and said: “You mean that guy Li Kuiqi? He already…”
Lin Qian stopped him with a look, then raised his cup with a bitter smile: “It seems Garrison Commander Huang already knows…”
Huang Hetai was stunned: “Knows what?”
Lin Qian said: “It’s that matter mentioned in Li Kuiqi’s letter. The letter was sent at that time in a box to the beach at Qianjiang Bay.”
Huang Hetai: “There’s such a thing? What did the letter say?”
Seeing Huang Hetai’s expression did not seem feigned, Lin Qian figured his collusion with Li Kuiqi was not deep. At least Huang Hetai was unaware of the ship robbery.
In this way, Huang Hetai’s life was somewhat preserved.
Lin Qian casually brushed it off: “The letter naturally urged me to leave the island. It seems Garrison Commander Huang is unaware. Sigh! Under the eaves, one has to bow one’s head…”
Hearing this, Huang Hetai was overjoyed inwardly but had to pretend sorrow on his face. It was truly hard to hold back. He clinked cups with Lin Qian and drank, treating it as consolation.
Even his empty cup after putting it down had no one with the sense to refill it, stirring another wave of contempt in his heart for Lin Qian’s brothers.
Lin Qian changed the topic: “Speaking of which, Li Kuiqi counts as quite powerful. Why doesn’t the government deal with him?”
Huang Hetai was in high spirits now, and with the alcohol going to his head, he began to speak freely: “How not deal with him? In the Fujian-Guangdong provinces, Li Kuiqi’s wanted posters on the announcement boards have been pasted until rotten, and once rotten they paste new ones—almost thick as a wall.
You know what the Southeast coastal garrisons are like; they are all helpless against him.
Luckily this guy knows the rules and doesn’t go ashore to plunder, so the governors and commanders of the two provinces just turn a blind eye.
In the end, Huang Hetai did not forget to console Lin Qian: “Even the Imperial Court is like this. Leader Lin, better not make an enemy of him—plan to leave the island early.”
Lin Qian pretended to ponder, then said after a moment: “Even if I take my men off the island, since we stayed here after all, if the General investigates it down the line, there will inevitably be blame.”
Huang Hetai was chewing chicken wings and spat out the bone upon hearing: “What’s to blame? Doesn’t the General himself collect protection money? Sea bandits… cough… sea leaders landing on the island—he can’t escape involvement!”
Huang Hetai wiped his hands with a towel: “Besides, he only visits the island a few times a year. All matters on the island are handled by me. If I don’t tell him, how would he know?”
Lin Qian got the answer he wanted. Evidently, Huang Hetai not only hadn’t told the Imperial Court about Lin Qian landing on the island but could continue helping to cover it up.
His few casual words had earned back a bit more of his own life.
Huang Hetai picked up a piece of fish meat, slurped it into his mouth, then said meaningfully: “This fish meat is so fresh and tasty—it reminds me of an amusing story. Does the leader know seagulls? This bird loves to follow ships in flight. Sometimes when a ship crosses the sea, seagulls can trail it for over a thousand li in one go.”
After saying this, he looked at Lin Qian.
Lin Qian indicated he wished to hear the details.
Huang Hetai continued: “So some sea bandits, to avoid exposure from seagulls’ cries, throw a large piece of fish meat ashore before setting sail. The seagulls go scrambling to peck at it, leaving none to follow.
Lin Qian understood. Huang Hetai telling this clumsy little story was to demand that piece of fish meat from the beach.
Coincidentally, he had indeed brought the “fish meat” on this trip.
Lin Qian said: “Bai Langzai, bring up the gift.”
Bai Langzai picked up a food box at these words. The brothers cleared away the leftovers and scraps, and Bai Langzai placed the food box on the table.
Just seeing the weight of the food box made Huang Hetai’s eyes gleam.
At Lin Qian’s indication, he eagerly opened the first layer of the food box.
Inside was a milky white ewer.
Huang Hetai extended his trembling hands and carefully lifted it out of the food box.
Held to the candlelight, the ewer was seen to be entirely crafted from blue jade, engraved all around with patterns of mountains, rocks, flowers, and birds, all in exquisite detail. The lid was carved with a lark, its form extremely lifelike—a true treasure, on par with that previous stalk of blood coral.
Huang Hetai was ecstatic, smiles even hidden in the wrinkles at his eyes.
“Good, good treasure, good!” Huang Hetai kept praising aloud.
In the month or so since Lin Qian arrived on the island, the gifts he sent equaled the graft Huang Hetai had skimmed in ten years as garrison commander.
Realizing this blue jade flower-and-bird ewer was the last bribe he could receive, his heart darkened unwittingly.
He had inexplicably begun to miss this God of Wealth.
Huang Hetai smilingly admired the blue jade flower-and-bird ewer for a long time before reluctantly setting it down and reaching for the second layer of the food box.
Considering the first layer held such a prized item, he wondered what treasure the second layer would contain.
The food box opened, and a faint rotten stench wafted out.
Huang Hetai clearly saw what was inside, his face abruptly changed, he let out a shrill scream, retreated several steps, crashed into the wall, and fell to the floor.
He pointed at the food box, mumbling: “You… you… what is this…”
The second layer of the food box held Li Kuiqi’s head, pickled in salt.
Lin Qian smiled: “This is Leader Li. How come Garrison Commander Huang doesn’t recognize him?”
Huang Hetai was utterly horrified, gaze fixed on Li Kuiqi’s head, hands tightly clutching his own neck as if fearing to follow suit.
Lin Qian grabbed Li Kuiqi’s hair, hauled his head out of the food box, and tossed it before Huang Hetai.
Li Kuiqi’s head rolled a few times before stopping, its eyes staring blankly at him.
Huang Hetai recoiled like from snakes and scorpions, yet his eyes remained glued to the head, unable to shift away.
“Killing Li Kuiqi is a great achievement. This is precisely my second great gift.”
