Chapter 863

Cai Tong smiled, a rare hint of mischief appearing on his face: "You'll find out tomorrow if you come with me."

He stood up, clasped his fist to everyone: "You all rest early; I'm heading back first."

Xiao Ningyuan blinked, then laughed: "Mr. Cai, you've even learned to keep people in suspense!"

Cai Tong burst out laughing, turned and walked away.

Xiao Ningxun watched his disappearing back, a smile on her face: "Mr. Cai now speaks with us without standing on ceremony."

"He really has it tough," Luo Zhenjiang leaned back against the chair, cradling Xiao Tuanzi in his arms, "He's hated those red-haired devils for ages, yet he still has to act deferential in front of them."

Tuan Tuan lifted her little face to look at him: "Uncle Luo, is 'red-haired devil' an insult?"

Luo Zhenjiang grinned: "Exactly! It's an insult aimed at them."

Tuan Tuan nodded, imitating him: "Red-haired devils are really bad."

Everyone laughed.

The next morning, just as the group sat down for breakfast, Cai Tong arrived.

Tuan Tuan waved her little hand at him: "Uncle Cai, hurry over! Uncle Ye said there'll be fish slice congee soon!"

Cai Tong answered with a smile and walked over to sit at the table.

Shopkeeper Ye personally carried over a steaming bowl of fish slice congee and set it down: "These fish were just hauled up this morning and sent over fresh—give them a try."

Tuan Tuan gave a sweet smile: "Thank you, Uncle Ye."

"I made this myself especially for you," Shopkeeper Ye looked at her and sighed helplessly, "Please don't go messing with the fish in my courtyard, alright?"

"Got it!" Tuan Tuan giggled: "They just lie sunk at the bottom; I just want to let them come up and bask in the sun."

Everyone at the table laughed.

Luo Zhenjiang ladled a bowl for her: "Blow on it before drinking, watch out for the heat."

Everyone served themselves a bowl.

Xiao Er took a sip and praised: "Delicious! Shopkeeper Ye's skill is great."

Shopkeeper Ye waved his hand with a smile: "You flatter me." Then he stepped back.

After finishing breakfast, the group left the inn, mounted their horses.

Cai Tong led the way; after about half an hour, the road gradually changed from gravel to packed earth.

Houses grew sparser, replaced by endless sugarcane fields.

Sugarcane stalks packed tightly together, standing as tall as a person; when the wind blew, the whole field looked like a green sea, rolling from underfoot to the horizon.

A narrow dirt track cut through the sugarcane, barely wide enough for two horses to ride side by side.

The group urged their horses onto the track; sugarcane leaves brushed against shoulders and knees, making a soft swishing sound.

Tuan Tuan sat in front of Luo Zhenjiang, reaching out her little hand to grab the sugarcane leaves fluttering overhead; she tried several times, just missing, and shook her legs in frustration.

Luo Zhenjiang laughed, took her small hand, lifted it up, and let her grasp a leaf tip.

Tuan Tuan tugged but couldn't pull it free; the leaf snapped back, swaying a few times, making Xiao Tuanzi giggle nonstop.

After walking about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a clearing appeared in the middle of the sugarcane field.

The clearing wasn't large, shaded by an old banyan tree.

Under the tree's shade stood a thatched shed—though called a shed, it was just four thick wooden posts supporting a A-frame roof covered with thick dried sugarcane leaves.

The shed was open on all sides; inside lay a few low stools and an old square table, on which sat several coarse pottery bowls and a chipped teapot.

A man sat on a stool, a short knife for cutting sugarcane placed beside him.

Cai Tong dismounted: "Chief Lin, the people I told you about have arrived."

Lin Jiang glanced over everyone, stood up, and clasped his fist.

Everyone dismounted and returned the salute with clasped fists.

Xiao Ze looked closely: Lin Jiang appeared to be about fifty, slightly stooped, his hands rough like old bark, his tiger's mouth full of old calluses from cutting sugarcane.

He wore a smile: "Chief Lin, sorry to disturb you."

Lin Jiang gave a slight nod, acknowledging, and gestured with his hand: "Please have a seat."

Everyone sat down.

Lin Jiang said nothing, sat with a blank expression.

The atmosphere instantly turned stiff.

Tuan Tuan looked this way and that, her face full of puzzlement: "Uncle Luo, why aren't you all talking?"

Luo Zhenjiang took her little hand: "Come on, Uncle Luo will take you to see the field."

Xiao Tuanzi's eyes lit up: "Great!"

She turned and shouted: "Second Uncle, Seventh Uncle! Shall we go together?"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance: "Sure."

Tuan Tuan grabbed Luo Zhenjiang's big hand and ran toward the field: "Come chase us!"

The trio of big figures and the small one vanished into the sugarcane; soon came Tuan Tuan's laughter.

Lin Jiang listened to that laughter, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, then quickly returned to his former expression.

Cai Tong raised his hand slightly: "This is the Seven I mentioned..."

Lin Jiang waved his hand, cutting him off.

Immediately, he picked up the coarse pottery jar on the table, poured a few bowls of water, and pushed them toward several people: "There's nothing special to offer in the sugarcane field—just make do with this water."

Xiao Ze lifted his bowl and took a sip; it was just plain water.

Lin Jiang looked at him: "The thirst-quenching drink of farmhands makes you gentlemen laugh."

"Chief Lin," Xiao Ze set down his bowl and got straight to the point, "We are here by the Father Emperor's order to recover our lost lands."

Lin Jiang's hand holding the bowl paused; he slowly set the bowl back on the table.

He lifted his head and stared straight at Xiao Ze: "Recover the lost land?"

His voice was neither cold nor hot: "The Imperial Court tossed Taiwan Island aside for thirty‑eight years; why does it remember us now?"

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"My father's generation waited for the Imperial Court to send someone, but they died waiting."

"Both of my brothers died miserable deaths, and I never saw even one person from the Imperial Court come!"

His tone turned sharp: "What, what does the Imperial Court lack now? Deer hide? Or cane sugar?"

Everyone glanced at one another, each secretly letting out a sigh.

Lin Jiang raised his hand and pointed to the sugarcane field ahead: "This sugarcane field has long been occupied by the Red‑haired Barbarians; all the sugarcane fields on the island are now theirs."

"They make us plant and harvest, and forty percent of the crop goes to tax."

"If we can't deliver, they drag people to the village entrance and whip them publicly for everyone to see."

"When we were being whipped by them, where were you?"

He scanned the crowd: "You're probably still in the capital, drinking wine and tea, listening to opera and reading books!"