Chapter 97: Yellow Croaker
Everyone fell silent and looked into the distance.
Only to see on the southern sea surface, a ship lantern slowly approaching.
Lin Qian pointed to the rear, the fleet slowly retreating along the cliff.
Only to see that ship moving very slowly, actually heading straight towards the fleet.
“It’s the garrison’s sentry ship!” Lei Sanxiang said in a low voice.
“Don’t rush, let’s watch first.” Lin Qian replied.
After a long time, the ship came closer. It was a two-masted sand ship, which has a flat bottom and shallow draft, able to pass shoals. Hence, it is often used in coastal and inland rivers and is also a common type for garrison patrols.
“Helmsman, this sentry ship is coming straight towards us.” A crew member said.
Indeed, the sand ship was getting closer and heading straight for the fleet.
Lei Sanxiang: “It must be that piss just now that gave us away.”
Lin Qian: “Stay calm.”
At this time, Chen Jiao sniffed and asked: “Did you smell anything?”
Lei Sanxiang complained: “It’s all the piss smell from Lu Zhou! Don’t smell it, bad luck!”
“No.” Lin Qian sniffed. “There’s a fragrance, like fried fish.”
Lei Sanxiang sniffed hard: “Now that the helmsman says so, there really seems to be a fragrance.”
Lu Zhou: “Why didn’t I smell it?”
Lei Sanxiang: “Lu brother, stand back. As soon as you come near, it’s all stench.”
“Oh.” Lu Zhou helplessly retreated two steps on tiptoe.
At this time, the sand ship drew even closer, and the fragrance became more pronounced.
This aroma was a hundred times more fragrant than stewed meat—fragrant and fresh with a slight fishiness.
It made people’s mouths water. On the deck came sounds of swallowing saliva.
Lin Qian had already identified it: this was the smell of fried yellow croaker.
The Zhejiang sea surface was exactly yellow croaker habitat.
Select a dozen plump tender wild big yellow croakers, clean them, heat fragrant lard in the pot, and when hot, put them in. The yellow croaker hits the hot oil with a sizzle, emitting thick smoke.
The more golden and crispy the yellow croaker is fried, the stronger the smoky fragrance. Carried by the wind, it travels very far. One family frying fish, and the whole village can smell it and eat two more taels of rice.
But frying yellow croaker uses a lot of oil. Even in the Zhejiang producing area, ordinary families only do it during festivals.
At this late hour, everyone was hungry. Suddenly smelling fried yellow croaker, how could they hold back.
If not for the helmsman’s order, they would swim to that ship to satisfy their craving.
Zheng Zhilong: “Everyone prepare. In a moment, when this sand ship enters the river, we’ll follow from afar and enter together.”
Lei Sanxiang realized: “Yiguan brother, did you arrange this fried fish ship?”
Zheng Zhilong smiled: “Exactly.”
Lei Sanxiang gave Zheng Zhilong a thumbs up: “Brilliant.”
Zheng Zhilong: “Third brother, you drank the victory toast too early. The good show is still to come.”
After a long time, the sand ship gradually sailed to the Ling River North Bank, then turned the rudder left and hugged the North Bank into the river.
Soon, shouts came from the North Bank garrison.
“Who goes there?”
“Sailing at night—what audacity!”
Then the scolding quieted. After a long time, voices came again.
“Oh, since it’s delivering goods to Lin Mansion, come on in.”
From the North Bank cliff came the creaking sound of a winch rotating.
After a long time, water sounds came from the Ling River surface. It should be the river blocking rope falling into the water.
“Yiguan brother, time to go?” Lei Sanxiang asked.
Zheng Zhilong: “Not yet.”
Moments later, sounds came from the garrison again.
“Approach shore, stop for inspection…”
Zheng Zhilong said: “Helmsman, time to go.”
Lin Qian waved forward. The bird ship slowly left the cliff and entered the Ling River. The other six ships closely followed the lead ship in single file.
The fleet slowly entered between the two mountains, only to see a wide river ahead, the banks over two li apart.
Each bank cliff extended a huge stone pillar—those were the river-locking stakes—wrapped with giant ropes as thick as an arm, suspending a giant iron chain.
The South Bank iron chain was highly suspended above the river surface. The North Bank iron chain had already been lowered.
Due to the iron chain’s own weight, even the river blocking rope in mid-river sank into the water.
In the distance on the North Bank, the fried fish ship was slowly approaching shore for inspection. The shore was densely packed with torches—over a hundred people.
Zheng Zhilong said: “Helmsman, we’ll go through the middle of the river.”
Lin Qian nodded and ordered the helmsman to steer to mid-river.
The bird ship had shallow draft and just cleared the iron chain in mid-river.
Tonight’s bright moon illuminated the Ling River banks exceptionally clearly.
Without obstruction, they passed right under the noses of the Haimen north and south bank garrisons, putting everyone on ship in a cold sweat.
The South Bank garrison was feasting on alcohol and meat—no concern there. The North Bank garrison soldiers were all gathered on shore with torches. If anyone so much as glanced at the river surface, they would be exposed.
No one on the bird ship spoke. All crouched low with muscles tensed.
In the Ling River downstream, the current was gentle. The stern helmsman rowed the sweep desperately, and the bird ship sped like an arrow from the bow.
Soon they reached the river blocking rope.
Lin Qian looked toward the river blocking rope.
Under moonlight, the chain was as thick as an adult wrist, parasitized with many shellfish barnacles, wrapped in abundant water weeds, elsewhere showing thick reddish-brown rust.
Where the iron rings joined, it was rusted more than halfway through. The thinnest part was only two fingers wide.
They quickly passed the river blocking rope. Beyond this point, the terrain gradually flattened. Ahead, the fried fish ship was docked at a shoal.
The surrounding torches gathered more and more—fully one or two hundred.
As the distance to the fried fish ship closed, everyone held their breath and waited intently.
Voices came from the shoal.
“Bullshit! Lin Mansion? Chartered ship? Purchasing? All empty talk without proof. What big household purchases at midnight?”
“Captain, no need to argue with this old bastard. Have the brothers board and search!”
These words drew cheers from the hundred-odd torches around.
“No more excuses. Intruding Haimen Guard at night is a grave crime. Tie him up!”
Commotion at the shoal. Vaguely, the ship master could be seen held by the arms and dragged off the ship.
“Brothers, move every item from the ship to camp one by one. Set up an iron pot and heat oil—we’ll inspect carefully together!”
“Good!”
The North Bank erupted in thunderous cheers.
At this moment, Lin Qian’s lead ship passed the fried fish ship just in time to see the ship master dragged off, pinned to the ground. A soldier behind stabbed a knife into his back. Blood stained the river surface.
The soldier poked the ship master’s corpse a few more times to confirm death, wiped the knife on the corpse’s clothes, rifled the money from the corpse’s lapel and pocketed it, then cut off the ears and dumped the body into the Ling River.
Too many soldiers boarded and accidentally knocked over the fried fish oil pot. The air filled with the thick fresh fragrance of yellow croaker.
In the glaring torchlight, a boarding soldier halted, peered suspiciously toward mid-river.
Several dark shadows seemed to swim past in the river.
“Everyone stop! Something’s in the river!”
