Chapter 83: Salt-Preserved Fish

Huang Hetai had made up his mind, and the smile on his face grew even wider as he led Lin Qian toward the main hall.

The main hall in the rear courtyard of the Regional Commander's residence was reserved for the Commander himself. Though the Commander stayed there only a few times a year, Huang Hetai, as his subordinate, would never dare presume to enter it.

But since Lin Qian was the one asking him today, he naturally had to put on a full display of authority—so he would simply presume for once.

Once inside the main hall, Huang Hetai ordered his men to light the candles, set up the table, chairs, and wine vessels, and invited Brother Lin Qian and his men to take their seats.

Bailangzai and the others opened the food boxes, took out the wine and dishes, and arranged them on the table.

This table of dishes was all Uncle Chen's handiwork. The flavors couldn't match those of a master Cantonese chef, but on this island of Nan'ao, it was already a rare treat.

Seeing this carefully prepared spread of food and wine, Huang Hetai grew even more certain of his guess. He recovered some of the bearing befitting a fifth-rank court official, immediately raised his cup with a toast, then drained it in one go.

The brothers exchanged glances, all looking at Lin Qian, unsure whether they should drink.

Lin Qian raised his cup and drained it. Only then did the brothers drink.

After Huang Hetai and Lin Qian had exchanged a few rounds of toasts, he swept his gaze across the banquet and saw that Lin Qian's brothers were only busy eating and drinking for themselves—no one was toasting him. His face immediately darkened.

Seeing that no one paid his expression any mind, Huang Hetai cursed inwardly: "A pack of uncouth barbarian bandits!"

Halfway through the banquet, seeing that Lin Qian still hadn't brought up the matter of leaving the island, Huang Hetai decided to broach the subject himself.

Huang Hetai feigned a long sigh and raised his cup: "Headman Lin, you and I have hit it off well in conversation. I had wanted to keep you on the island for a longer stay, but unfortunately Headman Li is pressing hard, and I can do nothing to help. I can only offer this humble wine and wish Headman Lin an early finding of a better place."

At these words, everyone stopped eating and drinking. Lei Sanxiang wiped his mouth and said, "You mean that bastard Li Kuiqi? He's already—"

Lin Qian stopped him with a look, then raised his cup with a bitter smile: "So Garrison Commander Huang already knows..."

Huang Hetai froze: "Knows what?"

Lin Qian said: "About what Li Kuiqi said in his letter, of course. The letter was placed in a box and delivered to the beach at Qianjiang Bay."

Huang Hetai: "There was such a thing? What did the letter say?"

Seeing that Huang Hetai's expression showed no sign of pretense, Lin Qian judged that his collusion with Li Kuiqi wasn't all that deep—at the very least, Huang Hetai knew nothing about the ship robbery.

If that was the case, then Huang Hetai's life was somewhat spared.

Lin Qian brushed it off without changing his expression: "The letter naturally urged me to leave the island. It seems Garrison Commander Huang was indeed unaware. Alas! When under someone else's roof, one must bow one's head..."

Hearing this, Huang Hetai's heart blossomed with joy, though he had to put on a troubled face on the outside. The strain of holding it in was no small effort. He clinked cups with Lin Qian and drank, as a gesture of consolation.

But when he set down his empty cup, no one had the sense to refill it, which made him feel another wave of contempt for Lin Qian's brothers.

Lin Qian changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Li Kuiqi's power is considerable. Why doesn't the government deal with him?"

Huang Hetai was in an excellent mood by now, and with the wine going to his head, he began to speak without reservation: "Deal with him? How could they not? In both Fujian and Guangdong provinces, the wanted posters for Li Kuiqi have been pasted on the notice boards until they rotted, then pasted again, until they've nearly formed a wall.

You know what the southeastern coastal guard stations are like—none of them can do a thing about him.

Fortunately, that fellow knows the rules. He doesn't raid ashore, so the Governors and Guard Commanders of both provinces just turn a blind eye."

Finally, Huang Hetai didn't forget to console Lin Qian: "Even the court is like this. Headman Lin, you'd best not make an enemy of him—make your plans to leave the island soon."

Lin Qian pretended to ponder, then after a moment said: "Even if I take my men and leave the island, I did stay here for a time. When the Commander investigates, he'll hardly fail to lay blame."

Huang Hetai was just chewing on a chicken wing. At these words, he spat out the bone and said: "What blame is there to lay? The Commander himself takes his share of the protection money. When sea bandits—ahem—when sea leaders come ashore, he's not free of involvement either!"

Huang Hetai wiped his hands with a towel: "Besides, he only sets foot on the island a few times a year. All the island's affairs are handled by me. If I don't tell him, how would he ever find out?"

Lin Qian had gotten the answer he wanted. It seemed that not only had Huang Hetai never reported Lin Qian's arrival on the island to the court, he could even continue to help cover it up.

A few casual words had bought back a few more points of his life.

Huang Hetai picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, slurped it into his mouth, then said with deep meaning: "This fish is delicious—it reminds me of an amusing tale. Does Headman know of seagulls? Those birds love to follow ships in flight. Sometimes when a vessel crosses the sea, seagulls can follow it for over a thousand li in one stretch."

Having said this, he looked at Lin Qian.

Lin Qian indicated he would be glad to hear the full story.

Huang Hetai continued: "So some sea bandits, to avoid having their position exposed by the seagulls' cries, would toss a large piece of fish meat onto the shore before setting sail. The seagulls would scramble to peck at it, and thus no seagulls would follow the ship."

Lin Qian understood. Huang Hetai had told this clumsy little story to ask him for that piece of "fish meat" on the beach.

As it happened, he had indeed brought "fish meat" with him on this trip.

Lin Qian said: "Bailangzai, bring up the gift."

Hearing this, Bailangzai picked up a food box. The brothers moved the leftover dishes aside, and Bailangzai set the food box on the table.

Just from the weight of the food box, Huang Hetai's eyes gleamed with gold.

At Lin Qian's signal, he eagerly opened the first layer of the food box.

Inside lay a milky-white ewer.

Huang Hetai extended trembling hands and carefully lifted it out of the food box.

Holding it up to the candlelight, he saw that the ewer was made entirely of green jade, its surface carved with designs of rocks, flowers, and birds—every detail etched with exquisite precision. The lid was carved in the shape of a lark, its form extraordinarily lifelike. It was truly a great treasure, matching the blood coral from before in value.

Huang Hetai was overjoyed, delight brimming even in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"Good, what a fine thing, good!" Huang Hetai praised repeatedly.

In the month or so since Lin Qian had arrived on the island, the gifts he'd sent were worth more than the graft Huang Hetai could collect in ten years as Garrison Commander.

The thought that this green jade flower-and-bird ewer would be the last bribe he could accept cast a shadow over his heart.

He found himself already inexplicably missing this god of wealth.

Huang Hetai admired the green jade flower-and-bird ewer with a beaming smile for a long while, then reluctantly set it down and reached to open the second layer of the food box.

If the first layer held such a treasure, who knew what marvel the second layer might contain.

The food box opened, and a faint stench of rot wafted out.

When Huang Hetai saw what was inside, his face suddenly changed. He let out a shriek, stumbled back several steps, crashed into the wall, and collapsed to the floor.

Pointing at the food box, he stammered: "You... you... what have you—"

In the second layer of the food box, preserved in salt, lay Li Kuiqi's severed head.

Lin Qian smiled: "This is Headman Li. How is it Garrison Commander Huang doesn't recognize him?"

Huang Hetai was utterly terrified. His gaze fixed on Li Kuiqi's head, both hands clutching his own neck, as if afraid of meeting the same fate.

Lin Qian grabbed Li Kuiqi by the hair, lifted the head out of the food box, and tossed it in front of Huang Hetai.

Li Kuiqi's head rolled for a moment before finally coming to a stop, his eyes staring blankly at him.

Huang Hetai shrank back as if he had seen a viper or scorpion, yet his eyes were transfixed by that head, unable to look away even a hair's breadth.

"Killing Li Kuiqi is a great merit—this is precisely my second grand gift."

Yahei

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