Late Ming sea owl

Chapter 3 Chief A’s usury

After about half a stick of incense, the boat came to a bend in the gentle water, and a lonely stilted house came into view.

This is a bamboo-wood structure with a thatched roof on top. The main structure of the house is suspended above the water, and the bottom is supported by stone pillars rooted in the water, so it is also called a water fence.Although the Dan people lived on boats, some people also built houses on the shore or on sandbanks. Lin Hai saw the remains of some water fences of the Dan people in Guangdong hundreds of years later.

"We're home!" Qizai shouted, and the tired faces of the Shi family's father and daughter also showed smiles.

Lin Hai guessed that today's pearl fishing harvest should be good, especially one old clam that caught his attention.The old clam was as big as a round fan, with colorful patterns wrapped around its shell. Judging from its growth rings, it had lived for at least hundreds of years.

According to Zhu Niang, the old clam was under Lin Hai at that time, and she discovered it during the rescue process.Although Lin Hai didn't know much about pearls, his intuition told him that this old clam was not simple, and there might be rare large beads inside.

As the boat moved forward, the stilted house got closer and closer. Lin Hai carefully observed the surrounding environment.I saw that the stilted house was completely built on the river, connected to the shore by a bamboo trestle. Under the house were sparkling blue waves, intertwined with algae, and fish and shrimp swimming from time to time. It looked wild and interesting.

Lin Hai saw that the stone pile was covered with moss, so he said, "Is this house old?"

"It's been seventeen or eighteen years. Aunt Chunhua died early in her family. Before she became a water chicken, she sold the boat. She built this water fence and asked my father to take care of Sister Hexiang. Later, she gave birth to the baby on the flower boat. Bao, but I don’t know who his father is, and it was my father who raised it. Now that her family has built a brick house, this water fence belongs to my family."

While listening to Zhu Niang's introduction to the origin of this house, Lin Hai helped Shi Wusi tie the boat to the stone piles of the stilted house.The Danjia boat has no rudder or anchor. It uses bamboo pennies and wooden oars for steering. When stopping, it relies entirely on mooring. When fishing for pearls, it drifts with the current.

After tying up the boat, Lin Hai followed the three members of the Shi family ashore, stepping on the creaking bamboo trestle into the stilted house.

There are only two rooms in the house. The larger one has an open space outside, and the corners are full of pots and pans.The small inner room is filled with donut mats, fishing nets, bamboo baskets and other sundries. There is a hammock hanging above the sundries, which is similar to how sailors slept on sea ships in the age of sailing.

After resting for a while in the open space, Zhu Niang took a kitchen knife and went to open the clams outside the house. Lin Hai also came out to help, but was criticized for not being agile enough: "Look at you, you are so weak-handed, just go back to the house and rest."

Lin Hai was also happy to be at ease, watching Zhu Niang from the side, and saw that she moved very quickly, and she could get a clam shell in a few clicks, and put the clam meat and beads into categories.After a while, the bamboo basket reached the bottom, and the air was filled with a smell like canned herring. Lin Hai noticed that the old clam had not been opened.

For dinner, these clams are just thrown into a clay pot and cooked. There is no seasoning to remove the fishy smell. The iron pot is a luxury item for the Dan family, and cooking is a no-brainer.

However, Lin Hai hadn't eaten anything all day, and he was really hungry at this time. He didn't care about the taste, so he picked up the clam meat and wolfed it down.

Shi Wusi saw that he was not polite at all, and his expression suddenly turned ugly.Lin Hai pretended not to see it and continued to eat as usual. He said vaguely: "Uncle Shi, when I go to Haojing to find a job, I will double the room and board expenses for you. In addition, Zhu Niang is my savior. I will also repay you heavily."

Shi Wusi still had a gloomy face, but Zhu Niang smiled and said: "It's good if you have this intention. Don't break your promise then."

While he was talking, a voice came from the bamboo trestle outside: "Old Shi, is Lao Shi at home?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden door of the stilted house was pushed open, and an old man with chicken skin and gray hair walked in.

This old man was as thin as a length of dry bamboo. He seemed to be a little older than Shi Wusi. The skin on his face and hands was as rough as orange peel, and he looked like he was born in poverty.But he was wearing a Geyi cut from Leizhou fine Gebu, and a melon skin hat inlaid with jade on his head. This outfit did not look like Kuhaha.

"Zhu Niang is here too." The thin old man glanced at Zhu Niang with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, he noticed a strange young man in the room and wondered: "Who is this man?"

"He was a foreigner who fell into the water. I fished him out of the sea." Zhu Niang said and asked, "Uncle Wang, what are you doing here on such a dark night in Heigulet?"

The thin old man let out a long sigh and said, "I'm here to let you know that the usury money can't be delayed. In two days, the Gou family will send someone to collect it."

Lin Hai was busy eating, and he couldn't help but stop his chopsticks when he heard this.He knew that the so-called usury was an ancient form of loan sharking. Countless farmers throughout the dynasties had been forced to lose their families and their families by this thing. The first step in losing their land was often borrowing usury. Unexpectedly, even the people who made their living on boats could not escape. "This... we agreed on a grace period of half a year? Why are you so impatient?" Shi Wusi said in a panic, contrary to his normal mood.

A sly light flashed in the eyes of the thin old man named Uncle Wang, and he spread his hands and said: "Uncle Gou family regrets it, what can I do? My daughter-in-law is just Mrs. Ru, and she can't speak in the Gou family. I will help you delay." After these days, I have tried my best.”

Shi Wusi grabbed Uncle Wang's sleeve: "Old Wang... Wang Jia Chang! Please allow me a few more months. The October Pearl Period has just begun. Within three months... no, no, I will definitely return it before the New Year." money."

Lin Hai noticed that Shi Wusi called Lao Wang Jia Zhang, and wondered whether Dan households in the Ming Dynasty also had Li Jia?Having Li Jia means that you have to pay taxes, but I don’t know if the tax amount for Dan households is heavy?
In fact, he guessed well. As early as the Hongwu period, the Ming Dynasty had set up a boat armor in Danhu, and the Hebo Office was responsible for collecting taxes. This old man named Lao Wang was the commander of the boat armor where the Shi family was located.As for the tax amount for a Dan household, including regular and miscellaneous classes, it is about two taels per year for an adult male. The actual amount depends on how greedy the officials in Hebo are.

Lao Wang was caught by Shi Wusi's sleeve and said with a smile: "Lao Shi, are you just telling lies? The number of pearls in the sea is getting worse every year. Otherwise, why would your family be in ruins?" There is no food in the warehouse, so we can only borrow money to survive..."

"Uncle Wang, this year is different from previous years. We will definitely be able to pay back the money. I..." Zhu Niang interrupted Lao Wang, but she suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Lao Wang shook his head and said: "You just talk empty words to fool me, an honest person. For your sake, my daughter has been left behind in the Gou family. I am really at my wits end in this matter. Three to five days at most." , the uncle of the Gou family will bring someone to the door, and if you don’t pay the money then, you will have no choice but to see the official."

Zhu Niang sneered: "What kind of official are you meeting? Isn't your good son-in-law an official? After all, this is not..."

"Shut up! Don't you think it's urgent enough?" Shi Wusi, who had always been like a gourd with a saw-shaped gourd, rarely became angry at his daughter.

"Old Wang... Chief Wang Jia, for the sake of the ancestors of the two families, I beg you to show your kindness and ask the Nagou family to allow me for another two months." Shi Wusi knelt down to Lao Wang with a plop and begged, "As long as Two months, just two months, Wang Jia Chang... I beg you."

As he spoke, Shi Wusi kowtowed to Lao Wang, but Lao Wang held him back: "Lao Shi, get up first! What are you doing? Our families have been close to each other for several generations, can I help you?" What?"

As soon as Shi Wusi heard that there was a way out, he stopped kowtowing and looked at Lao Wang with hope.

Lao Wang hesitated for a long time with an expression on his face, and then slowly said: "There is absolutely no way out from the Gou family. Is there any other way? It's not that there is none, I'm afraid you don't want to."

Shi Wusi's eyes lit up: "What method?"

Lao Wang hesitated and refused to speak. After a while, he said: "You must listen to the truth. There is a saying that 'men should marry when they are young and women should marry when they are young'. Is Zhu Niang turning nineteen this year? Well...my old lady died early." , if you promise Zhu Niang to me, all the repayment will be on me."

"You... you are so kind-hearted." Zhu Niang suddenly stood up, pointed at Lao Wang's nose and cursed, "You are such a dirty old pig, why don't you soak yourself in urine and take a look at how old you are? Do you want face?"

Lao Wang hesitated for a long time, trying to say something nice, but he didn't want to be scolded by Zhu Niang. He immediately turned red and said to Shi Wusi: "Lao Shi, look at this...I have this old face." Please help me out of kindness, your daughter’s temper is too ugly.”

Zhu Niang was so angry that she was shaking all over and almost jumped up to hit someone, but was stopped by Shi Wusi.Her father smiled stiffly at Lao Wang: "Lao Wang...Chang Wang, you are so different in age, you are separated by a generation..."

"So what if we are separated by a generation? Master Gou is still a few years older than me, and my daughter is one year younger than Zhu Niang, and I haven't heard her cry out for injustice." Seeing that Shi Wusi was a little moved, Lao Wang simply became shameless, "I Speaking of Lao Shi, you still get the advantage in this matter, you are a generation higher than me, but if we really want to talk about it, I still suffer the loss."

Shi Wusi was speechless.Lao Wang proudly said to Zhu Niang: "Zhu Niang, as long as you enter my Wang family's door, I will keep your family fed and clothed..."

"Get out! Get out of here." Zhu Niang took out the kitchen knife at some point. When she heard this, she broke away from Shi Wusi. She picked up the kitchen knife and gestured in front of Lao Wang, "Get out of here! Come into my house again." In one step, I will chop you to death, you old thief bug shot by a donkey or an ox."

As soon as Lao Wang saw her using the knife, he hurriedly backed out of the door and said with a livid face: "Lao Shi, this is just the way it is. You don't have the final say on your children's marriage, so you just have to decide. I'll give you three days. If it's Zhu, If you don't listen to me, you and your family will go to jail."

After that, he flicked his sleeves and turned around and walked into the dark night.

(End of this chapter)