3
"Repair the boat first and don't let the enemy catch up!" Cheng Xi gave the order decisively.
Lin Meng also realized the urgency of the situation. Without hesitation, he immediately stood up and directed everyone to repair the hull and adjust the course.
Due to the previous attack, a hole was knocked out on the right front side of the ship. Fortunately, there was a watertight compartment below, so it would not sink for the time being. However, even so, the weight of the ship had to be reduced.
Coming to the bottom of the cabin, Cheng Xi looked at the piled up cargo and said, "The ship is leaking. We must raise the waterline and dispose of these cargoes."
Lin Meng's face turned pale, and it became even uglier when he heard this. The valuable goods had been taken away by the pirates, and all that was left were some seafood. This was the last savings of their village. Who would be willing to throw it into the sea?
However, Lin Meng also knew that saving his life was important. He gritted his teeth, picked up a sack and walked towards the deck.
Someone took the lead, and the others followed suit, throwing the cargo into the sea. The sea was silent, the sound of heavy objects falling into the water was almost inaudible, and instead the sound of people sobbing was clearer.
Others busied themselves patching the holes in the cabin and adjusting the course. After a night of desperate efforts, the ship finally set sail again. Fortunately, the pirates didn't catch up. Everyone collapsed on the deck, exhausted, panting.
Lin Meng limped to Cheng Xi and whispered, "My benefactor, the ship was robbed. We can only return to the village first and can't take you to Leizhou."
Cheng Xi remained calm and said, "I'm not going to Leizhou yet. If it's not too much trouble, can I stay in Linjia Village for a few days?"
That night, Cheng Xi found out a lot of things while repairing the house.
This ship wasn't actually a regular merchant ship, but rather a private vessel built by the villagers, who had spent all their resources to smuggle goods due to heavy taxes imposed by the imperial court. Some time ago, the soldiers were suppressing bandits, so they didn't dare go out to sea. When they finally had a chance, they ran into pirates.
Now that she knew nothing about the world, it would be better for her to hide away and recuperate for a while. Linjia Village seemed to be a suitable place.
Lin Meng quickly said, "As long as you don't mind, you can stay here!"
Cheng Xi nodded: "My last name is Cheng and my name is Xi. You don't have to call me benefactor in the future. Just call me by my name."
Lin Meng insisted, "How can this be? I can't treat my lifesaver lightly!"
Seeing his persistence, Cheng Xi stopped insisting. Lin Meng looked at her face and advised: "You have been tired all night, go and rest first, benefactor. I will call you when we reach the shore."
Cheng Xi was indeed exhausted, so he nodded in agreement.
The two men disembarked and found a relatively clean cabin. Lin Meng had water and provisions brought in. He added, "The pirates only took the valuables and didn't have time to search the ship. I had someone look for it, and this should be your package."
As he spoke, he handed over a small bundle. Cheng Xi was a little surprised and reached out to take it. The bundle wasn't heavy, and there didn't seem to be much inside, so it didn't seem like it was meant for a long trip.
After thanking her, she returned to the room and, after confirming that no one was there, immediately opened it and checked. The bag contained only three sets of clothing, toiletries, and a few pieces of loose silver. This certainly didn't look like something prepared for a sea voyage. Cheng Xi carefully felt around the hem of her clothes, finally pulling out a sewn oil-paper bag from a belt.
When he opened it, he found two fifty-liang silver notes and a letter inside.
She opened the letter directly, glanced at it, and couldn't help sighing in her heart.
This is a "letter of entrustment", with no signature. The writer wants to entrust his daughter "Yuehua" to a younger generation named "Zi Xin", hoping that the other party can take good care of her and let her live a worry-free life.
There were some stains on the letter paper, and faint traces of tears, which showed the writer's urgency and pleading.
The meaning of such a letter sewn into the belt is self-evident. Although the origin of the writer is unknown, Cheng Xi can feel the love of a father for his daughter.
Unfortunately, his daughter had died at the hands of pirates, and was replaced by another lonely soul.
Cheng Xi felt a pang of pain in her heart. She died too. If nothing unexpected had happened, she should have been given the title of martyr. Would that man be proud of her or sad for her? Or would he regret letting her join the army, just like he had complained before, "She's just a little girl, why are you trying so hard!"
She took a deep breath and refolded the letter. Now that she had taken over this body, it was only natural for her to help her find her family.
Judging from the letter alone, it seems this family is in trouble. The letter had to be carefully hidden, not even their name was allowed to be left, and the daughter had to dress as a man, accompanied by bodyguards. This was clearly an act of escape, and it was hard to say what the hidden reason was.
As for the person they were originally looking for, the clues have been cut off, so they can only take things one step at a time.
Cheng Xi kept the money and the letter close to her body. She didn't even have the energy to wash up, so she fell directly onto the bed.
As most of the cargo on board had been thrown away, the ship was shaking violently, as if it would be swept away by the waves at any time.
Lying on the hard wooden bed, Cheng Xi stared at the closed door for a long time before stuffing the dagger under his pillow and closing his eyes.
The Leizhou Peninsula, adjacent to the great port of Hepu and rich in pearls and shellfish, was once a bustling place. However, after the Ming Dynasty banned maritime trade, the county government moved north, and the people moved inland. The county town at the port fell into disrepair and became a gathering place for pirates and private traders.
There are mostly desperate criminals near the port who will draw their swords at each other if they disagree with something. If you don't have some skills, you dare not stay here at all.
At this moment, there was a tall man standing on the dock. He was wearing a navy blue robe, with a long sword hanging at his waist. His face was so cold that people dared not look directly at him.
He often came to the dock these days and stayed there all day long. The porters next to him recognized him and couldn't help but whisper about him.
"Could this person be a secret agent sent by the government?"
"The Zhenhai General was beheaded. Which government office would dare to cause trouble for us?"
"Maybe he's here to escort some treasure!"
"Hey, don't tell me, this guy looks like a good fighter!"
"Just one person, what can he escort? I'm afraid he's waiting for someone, right?"
"Hahaha, Luoling Island has been occupied, what else can we wait for..."
Perhaps because the discussion was too loud, the man suddenly turned his head and looked over here, then strode towards them.
The porters were instantly hushed, not daring to utter a single word. The man asked, "Are there more pirates at sea? What happened to Luoling Island?"
A porter bravely replied, "They're not bandits. It's just that a group of strongmen have occupied Luoling Island. The number of private boats coming from Panyu has decreased significantly."
Luoling Island is a large island near Panyu, right on the way to Hepu. If it were occupied by bandits, they would block the road and plunder ships, and no privateering ship would be able to escape.
The man frowned, revealing murderous intent: "Is there really no boat that can come?"
The porter was intimidated by his aura and answered bravely, "It's OK for a fleet, but I'm afraid it won't work for a smaller private boat."
The man gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, was silent for a moment, took out a few copper coins from his pocket, threw them to the porter who answered, and turned to leave.
The porter took the copper coin, looked delighted, and then shook his head.
If we really wait for someone, we're afraid we won't be able to wait any longer. Without someone to calm the situation, chaos will break out on the sea again.
The sun slowly rose, and the moist sea breeze drifted into the forest. A slender figure ran slowly along the rugged mountain path.
I went from the standard breathing method of two steps, one exhale, and two steps, one inhale, to being out of breath and sweating all over, in just five kilometers, and that was jogging without any weight.
Seeing that she was not far from the courtyard where she was staying, Cheng Xi stopped, supported her knees and gasped for breath.
Her injuries were almost healed, so naturally she had to start training again. Unfortunately, her body was too weak. Her physical fitness was probably only at the level of her junior high school years, barely enough to escape, let alone protect herself in this dangerous world.
I'll have to adjust my training methods, focusing on improving endurance and flexibility first, then focusing on strength and technique. I'll also have to retrain with cold weapons, mastering the bayonet and dagger, and I can also try the bow and arrow. I just don't know how much of a difference there is between the compound bows I used to play with back then and the bows of today.
Cheng Xi straightened up, wiped the sweat from her face, and began to walk slowly to catch her breath. However, the closer she got to the courtyard, the lower her spirits grew. It wasn't that the people there weren't taking good care of her, but rather that this small fishing village was even more miserable than she had expected.
As everyone disembarked that day, cries echoed throughout the village. With loved ones killed and all their belongings lost, the shipwreck had dealt a heavy blow to the people of Linjia Village.
Who would venture into the sea to smuggle goods if they weren't desperate? But this desperate attempt led them to a dead end. The entire village was visibly engulfed in gloom. Not only the adults, but even the children's faces were devoid of smiles. They numbly went about drying their nets and handling their catch.
How could Cheng Xi feel at ease in such an environment? She sighed softly, pushed open the gate, and before she could speak, she heard a low argument.
"How old are you?!"
"...Niuniu is two years younger than me, isn't Fifth Uncle..."
"His family is his family, our family can still afford to support you..."
As if sensing someone coming in, the quarreling stopped abruptly. A little girl ran out of the kitchen and hurriedly asked, "My benefactor is back? Do you want to eat?"
She was only about eleven or twelve years old, thin, with a dark face that often had a wooden expression, and was not very pretty.
However, at this moment, that wooden face showed more emotions: anger, stubbornness, sadness, along with the red corners of her eyes, making her whole person come alive.
Cheng Xi stopped and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is there any trouble at home?"
The little girl was startled and quickly shook her head: "There is still food at home, don't worry, benefactor. Change your clothes quickly to avoid catching a cold."
The only food she mentioned was dried fish and taro. If it weren't for the protein from seafood, Cheng Xi wouldn't dare to exercise.
After a moment of silence, Cheng Xi said, "I still have some money on me. If I really run into trouble..."
Lin Ya's eyes widened, and she said anxiously, "It was my benefactor who saved my brother and so many villagers. How could I take his money? My family is not short of money, and there will be a betrothal gift later..."
Her voice was so loud that it caused a heartbreaking sob to come from the kitchen.
Cheng Xi frowned. What was the point of talking about a betrothal gift for a girl of this age? And judging by Lin's mother's reaction, it seemed that she didn't want her daughter to get married so early.
But she said it anyway, with a resolute tone. Could it be that this family has also reached the end of its rope?
For a moment, Cheng Xi was confused.
While in Africa, she had seen girls holding hands with several children, and had seen impoverished families with little clothing and no food. However, she had her mission at the time and could not possibly interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
And now, with no goals and no responsibilities, what should she do in the face of these people struggling desperately?
As if hurt by Cheng Xi's gaze, Lin Ya lowered her head: "The meal is ready, I'll bring it."
After saying that, the little girl turned around and went back to the kitchen. Cheng Xi stood there for a long time before stepping into the house and changing into clean clothes. Looking out the window again, Lin Ya was already busy setting the table for dinner.
Although they only ate two meals a day, they prepared an extra meal for her. There were wild vegetables in the soup, fresh fish on the table, and occasionally boiled eggs. She ate better than Lin Meng, the seriously injured patient. They treated her as a benefactor with all their heart, which made Cheng Xi feel sorry for her and wanted to do something.
Alone, what could she do?
Just as he was thinking, Lin Ya suddenly said in surprise: "Brother, you are back? How is the matter?"
Lin Meng, with a white cloth wrapped around his head and a dark complexion, strode into the room and asked, "Is my benefactor home?"
Cheng Xi lifted the curtain and went out: "What happened?"
Lin Meng hesitated for a moment and said, "There are some things I want to discuss with my benefactor."
Cheng Xi understood and stepped aside to let him into the house.
There were no chairs in the room, and Lin Meng had no intention of sitting down. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "My benefactor, my family has relatives in Wang Village, which is wealthier than Lin Village. I wonder if you could stay there temporarily?"
Are you going to drive her away? No, judging from Lin Meng's expression, there must be something else going on. Cheng Xi frowned and asked, "Are you in trouble?"
Lin Meng struggled for a moment, then finally sighed, "To be honest, benefactor, I've received news from the county that taxes will be increased again this year. The village is short of money, so there might be some trouble. I'm afraid of disturbing your rest..."
"What kind of tax is being added? Is it very high?" Cheng Xi interrupted him and got straight to the point.
"high."
Lin Meng's face was gloomy. He nodded and said, "Before, they only collected fish tax and head tax. But with the disasters in the past two years, the officials said that the salt we eat comes from the sea, so we have to pay a salt tax. If we don't pay, we will be treated as salt smugglers."
In ancient times, smuggling salt was punishable by death. Isn't this pushing people to death? With the government already so corrupt, what kind of era did she enter?
After a moment of silence, Cheng Xi asked, "How long until the tax is collected? Can't we go out to sea again? But we don't have the money to buy goods?"
If he was just short of money, she still had a hundred taels on hand, and maybe she could be of some help.
The profits from smuggling were considerable, and as long as they could make one more trip, they would probably be able to survive. But resisting the tax wasn't always easy; the worst-case scenario was that they would murder officials and rebel.
Having served in the army and fought on the battlefield, Cheng Xi knows better than anyone else the horror of the state apparatus.
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