Chapter 915: Somewhere in Xiangshan, Guangdong

"It's a trivial matter, why make such a fuss? Just let them scram." Xu Housheng stammered through the words.

Li Laohai did not press the matter further, only adding a couple of sentences in the local dialect. An Kebao, who had been kneeling on the ground, acted as if granted a great pardon. He kowtowed several more times, then scrambled to his feet and fled like a rat, not daring to look back.

"I've been to this Macau place a few times myself. If Young Master Xu doesn't mind, this old man can act as your guide!" Li Laohai said unhurriedly.

Having spent so long together on the ship, everyone was already well-acquainted. Xu Housheng's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile as he said, "Uncle Li as our guide? That would be perfect."

According to the hierarchical customs of this era, different statuses and ranks called for different forms of address. Given Xu Housheng's standing, calling Li Laohai "Master Li" would have been the most appropriate, and "Old Li" would have been normal. However, Xu Housheng had been interested in coal and iron since childhood. To win over the craftsmen, Xu Zhenzhen always had him address them with terms of respect for elders. After Xu Zhenzhen married into the Zhao family, Zhao Jin's household was also very casual about hierarchy and formal etiquette, though they did observe respect for the elderly and care for the young.

Over time, Xu Housheng developed the habit of always calling older people 'Uncle.' Being polite never hurt, and since Xu Housheng had limited life experience, having always been protected as he grew up, he had never witnessed the treachery of the human heart and was always sincere in his dealings with others.

It was precisely this form of address and his sincerity that gave everyone a good impression of Xu Housheng after he boarded the ship. Perhaps this was why Li Laohai was so enthusiastic. Of course, acting as a guarantor was not without its own rewards.

Seeing Xu Housheng so happy, Li Laohai smiled and nodded. Nie Hei and Yu Ou exchanged a glance and followed silently behind.

Macau was indeed not large, not even comparable to the county seat of Xiao County. However, the revenue from its maritime trade port was a mountain of gold and a sea of silver, making the place incredibly prosperous.

Though the place was small, there was much for people from the Great Ming to see upon arriving. For instance, the Folangji buildings lining both sides of Cross Street had a style and structure markedly different from those of the Great Ming. The ground floors had porticoes, the walls were whitewashed, and there were Western-style decorative patterns and wooden shutters. From within, the pleasant sound of a six-stringed lute would occasionally drift out. However, the first thing visitors noticed was the large cross at the intersection of Cross Street.

Since there were only a few streets, they spared no expense on the road construction, and the road surface was very smooth. On the streets were Folangji people, Great Ming subjects, Black people, natives from Southeast Asia, and a characteristic feature of such colonies—people of mixed blood.

In this place, the visitors from Xuzhou were truly dumbfounded. The white people were actually nothing special; everyone had seen Louis and his servant. But this was the first time any of them had seen a Black person. Xu Housheng murmured to himself, "Kunlun slaves, so these are the Kunlun slaves."

They soon discovered there was even more. According to Li Laohai's explanations, there were also natives from Tianzhu. Their skin color was similar to the Southeast Asian natives, but their builds were relatively taller and their facial features were different. They also saw many figures with Great Ming faces but exceptionally short statures. These people were mostly dressed as servants and laborers, bustling about for the Folangji and Great Ming people.

"These are the Wa people," Li Laohai explained.

"Wokou pirates?" Xu Housheng asked in surprise.

"What pirates? They're just poor commoners who couldn't survive in the Wa country, and many of them converted to this foreign religion. There are plenty of Wa people working here, in Luzon, and in the Southern Seas," Li Laohai explained casually.

There were only about a thousand or so white people in Macau, but distinctions of rank and status were still visible. There were nobles in brocade clothes riding horses; though their attire, decorations, and swords differed from those of the Great Ming, they still possessed a distinct air of prestige. Wealthy women rode in sedan chairs carried by two bearers, wore veils, and had servants walking behind them holding parasols.

"That one looks just like our fire lances," someone muttered quietly. They could see several Folangji men who looked like soldiers walking past, chatting and laughing, likely just returning from duty. They carried fire lances and wooden musket rests, their dirty military uniforms hanging open at the chest.

Everyone immediately shifted their attention to these soldiers, staring intently at the fire lances. Deep down, they still didn't quite trust the foreigner Louis and his people. Seeing that the firearms of these Folangji soldiers were similar to those of the Zhao Battalion, they subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're far inferior to our household troops," someone muttered. Nie Hei was also nodding, but then noticed Li Laohai was listening intently. He quickly shot his companions a look, signaling them to be cautious with their words.

Just as they were talking, a miserable shriek was heard not far away. They looked over and saw a drunken sailor being whipped away from a shopfront by a servant wielding a rattan cane.

Besides the normal pedestrians, there was another common sight on the streets: sailors staggering or even lying sprawled everywhere. The origins and ethnicities of the sailors were just as diverse—yellow, white, black, and brown could all be seen. Most were drunk, many were stumbling about, and even more were lying on the sides of the street. Never staying long in one place and having faced life and death at sea, they naturally indulged in unrestrained debauchery the moment they disembarked. Consequently, every shopfront along the street had guards posted; if any sailor came too close, they would be unceremoniously driven away with clubs.

After a cursory glance at all this, Li Laohai first went into a trading house. After exchanging a few words, two clerks came out to attend to them diligently, following the group at a distance and only approaching if anyone had questions.

"The Sea Lords and Dragon Heads of the ocean all have familiar shops in Macau, or the businesses are their own properties. This one is probably connected to the Li family," Yu Ou remarked, understanding the situation well.

Although the exotic scenery was a feast for the eyes, Xu Housheng still remembered his purpose for coming here. After a superficial look around, he asked where he could buy cannons. Li Laohai simply called a clerk over to ask. The clerk immediately led the group to a shop near the port. This made everyone sigh with deep emotion; this place was truly not the sovereign territory of the Great Ming. There were many places in the Great Ming that privately cast cannons, but none where they could be bought and sold so openly and aboveboard.

There was no shopkeeper or regular clerk inside the shop, but rather a few individuals with an aura similar to Yu Ou's. When the group entered, the people in the shop were indifferent and unresponsive. It was only after the guide clerk said a few words and studied Li Laohai for a moment that their attitude became considerably more attentive and polite.

"Cannons aren't hard to come by. There are two types. The cheaper ones are those cast by our own Great Ming. For those, you'll have to wait some time. If you're willing to spend the silver, our shop can go to the harbor and ask the foreigners. We can have a few cannons unloaded from their sea vessels. The cannons on the foreign ships are much better than our Great Ming ones. They shoot farther, are more accurate, and are less prone to bursting." Since they were all customers, the shop staff remained quite attentive.

"Can you find a master who knows how to cast cannons?" This was the real purpose of Xu Housheng's group's visit. The few men in the shop gave them an odd look before speaking: "There are cannon-casting masters right here in Xiangshan County. If you want the best, go to Foshan. You can hire anyone you want there."

Xu Housheng hesitated for a moment, then thought that since this shop openly brokered cannon business, there was no need for him to be secretive. He immediately asked, "Are there any foreign cannon-casting masters? The craftsmen who cast cannons for these foreigners?"

At this question, the people in the shop exchanged glances, then looked over at Li Laohai. Only then did one of them say, somewhat awkwardly, "We really can't get ahold of those."

After saying this, the man who had spoken coughed and added, "Buying foreign cannons isn't hard. Plenty of people on those foreign ships are blinded by money. If you offer enough, they'll dismantle a few from the ship for you. But finding the foreign craftsmen who cast the cannons... that is truly not easy..."

He spoke with great hesitation. After finishing, he glanced at Li Laohai again before saying in a muffled voice, "People brought by Uncle Li aren't outsiders. Sir, everyone knows the foreigners in Macau have their own cannon foundry. Everyone knows the goods produced there are top quality. But for all these years, no one has ever managed to smuggle anything out of it. The foreigners themselves keep a very tight watch. We're in this business—who wouldn't want to make that fortune? But after all this time and effort, there's still no way. You're new here, sir, so you'd best drop that idea."

Xu Housheng's mind worked quickly. He understood what the shopkeeper meant—they thought he wanted to use the foundry's craftsmen to smuggle out even better cannons from inside.

"Macau has a cannon foundry?" Xu Housheng hadn't known this. He had only assumed there were more foreigners in Macau; he hadn't expected to learn this news from the shop.

His question confused the people in the shop. Deciding to say no more, their attitude turned somewhat cold: "Sir, do you want cannons or not? If not, don't waste our shop's time doing business."

Xu Housheng pondered briefly, then said decisively, "I do. Only the cannons from the foreign ships. How many types do you have here?"

This question surprised the men in the shop again. This young gentleman didn't even know how many types of cannons there were, yet here he was, acting so confidently about buying them and even having designs on the cannon foundry. They looked again at Li Laohai. They didn't know this one-armed man, but the clerks' introduction earlier had not been for nothing. With this man present, this wealthy young gentleman might actually be credible after all.

"There are many types of ship cannons, over a dozen kinds, large and small. But the really big ones, even larger than our Great Hongyi Cannons, they wouldn't dare sell those from the ships. However, the one-catty, three-catty, six-catty, and twelve-catty types are available. With some luck, we could even get our hands on an eighteen-catty one."

Watching Xu Housheng nod along, the men in the shop exchanged glances, a hint of seeing an easy mark in their eyes. But then they looked again at the expressionless Nie Hei and Yu Ou, and the ever-calm Li Laohai. They all shook their heads slightly—better not to invite trouble.

"Sir, there's something we need to say upfront. The foreign catty is different from ours. Their catty is quite a bit lighter than ours. When the goods are delivered, don't think we underlings are trying to cheat you."

"I know that. One foreign catty is roughly equivalent to eight or nine of our taels."

Xu Housheng's answer surprised the shop staff greatly. A young gentleman who seemed to know nothing actually understood this conversion.

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