“Jin… what?”
Lin Yuchan was in a daze. The oil lamp’s faint light illuminated half of Young Master Su Minguan’s face, outlining his young, clear features. That gentle and measured temperament from before had suddenly vanished, his entire being radiating a sharp and cold aura.
His face bore the unique pride of youth as he bowed in return.
She murmured, “That’s not right, Jin Lanhe is already dead…”
Heroically sacrificed, head severed from body, his head hung high by the authorities, staring at her for most of the day. She clearly remembered every detail of where the bloodstains were on that rough face!
The first scene she saw upon arriving in this world was that shocking red, that cruel scene deeply carved into her nightmares – she would never forget.
“Heaven and Earth Society bandit leader Jin Lanhe.”
Could it be, as folk legends said, that Jin Lanhe had returned from the dead, his ghost causing chaos everywhere, stirring up the whole city…
But Su Minguan’s mind was clear and lucid – he didn’t look at all like someone possessed by a ghost!
A very martial arts-like plot suddenly flashed through her mind: a young and capable martial arts leader, narrowly escaping the villain’s clutches through life and death, with only a body double having died…
This plot was too retro; it shouldn’t happen in the Great Qing!
All these wild thoughts occurred in an instant. Su Minguan was quickly giving orders: “Both entrances have guards. Everyone must muster their strength, remove the wall bricks, and exit from the riverside. Time is tight, don’t delay – oh, and call me Minguan. Having fallen to this state, let’s not worry about ceremony.”
Everyone quietly responded in unison, dragging their injured and exhausted bodies, finding wooden sticks and iron pieces on the ground, and began dismantling the wall by hand.
Light rustling noises filled the entire warehouse. The deathly stagnant air was stirred into ripples.
Su Minguan frowned again, asking: “Why so few people?”
The bearded man from earlier sighed and answered: “The other brothers had bad luck – they’ve already been put on ships, said to be sold to Peru. Sigh, the Qing court is vicious – not only wanting our lives, but making us die in foreign lands, never to return!”
Su Minguan’s expression darkened. He nodded and said no more, reversing his gun handle to begin prying the mortar between brick joints.
After removing one brick, he noticed Lin Yuchan standing there dumbfounded, looking like she was questioning life itself, even forgetting to close her mouth.
He couldn’t help but be amused. This intruding girl brought great entertainment to today’s events.
He kindly explained: “I’m not a ghost…”
Suddenly remembering that day in the mass grave when this girl had nearly scared his soul out of his body, thinking she was possessed by a ghost, making quite a fool of himself.
Today, by coincidence, he had finally regained face by scaring her back. Su Minguan was in high spirits, his smile deepening.
“A’Mei, help out. If we slip away before others notice, you can still return to the Qi manor for the second half of the night’s sleep.”
Lin Yuchan shook her head in confusion, repeating like she was possessed: “Isn’t Jin Lanhe already… already dead… that head…”
“Jin Lanhe is a title, not one person.” Though slender in build, his strength was considerable. He removed half a wall brick with his bare hands while multitasking to educate her. “The Heaven and Earth Society is divided into five ancestors and five branches, with Jin Lan County representing Guangdong. During the Kangxi era, the chief helmsman Chen Jinnan was called Immortal Crane, so later society members honored the crane. Jin Lanhe is the title of the Guangdong provincial branch leader, passed down to me as the seventh generation. The authorities don’t understand and think it’s a person’s name – hey, don’t just stand there dazed, help out.”
Lin Yuchan obediently squatted down, working alongside Su Minguan III, foreign trading company comprador, Jin Lanhe VII, Heaven and Earth Society Guangdong branch leader, pigeon cage liberator, young white master, moving bricks together.
Heavy rain poured down, raindrops drumming into mud pits with thunderous noise, completely covering the sounds of their wall renovation work.
She asked: “How long have you been this branch leader? How many people are under you?”
Su Minguan gestured with his eyes: “Just what you see here. The rest, after last year’s failed uprising, have been slaughtered by government troops, with barely any survivors. The previous branch leader – the one whose head hangs on the city wall, that Jin Lanhe – was an old friend of my family. I called him Uncle. After my family was condemned, it was entirely due to his protection that I could grow up safely. He was my benefactor who gave me a new life. When he died from severe injuries with no one beside him, he had no choice but to pass his mantle to me, asking me to contact society members from other provinces to plan a comeback.”
Lin Yuchan asked: “Then why are you at Jardine Matheson & Co…”
Su Minguan’s lips curved in a slight, cold smile: “Overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming doesn’t produce silver coins. I need to eat.”
He spoke quickly, and after explaining the basic information, he fell silent again, imperceptibly frowning slightly.
He thought of that head hanging on the city wall, eyes that wouldn’t close in death, and with some self-reproach, discovered that his feelings for that person weren’t as deep as he had described to Lin Yuchan.
When mentioning “overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming,” he also didn’t feel as passionate as other society members. Jin Lanhe always said he was too young to understand the blood feuds contained in those four words.
He had schemed endlessly, deceiving foreigners and tea merchants to reach this point today, mostly just for the word “responsibility.”
What about after completing his responsibility? He definitely couldn’t return to Jardine Matheson & Co. From now on, he had nothing.
He extinguished these thoughts and casually pointed to the gun at his waist, smiling: “Look, this is Jin Lanhe’s token. If you hold it, you’re also Jin Lanhe – hey, don’t look at me like that. I don’t plan to occupy this branch leader position. Once today’s people are rescued, I’ll resign and leave. Didn’t you covet the foreign gun? I’ll give it to you.”
Lin Yuchan didn’t dare take up this topic and instead asked: “You’re a young master from the Thirteen Factories – how would your family associate with… anti-Qing people?”
Su Minguan was surprised instead, laughing: “A’Mei, are you really from Guangzhou? In the past, half the merchants in the Thirteen Factories were society members. Since the Thirteen Factories were major taxpayers, the court turned a blind eye and rarely investigated – I thought everyone knew this.”
Lin Yuchan: “…”
The Great Qing was truly doomed.
She sorted through her thoughts and suddenly said: “But you didn’t follow his instructions – you still stayed in Guangzhou.”
Su Minguan suddenly looked at Lin Yuchan with a resentful expression: “I had already packed my luggage, just thinking of old friendship, wanting to risk paying respects to Uncle before leaving…”
Lin Yuchan could guess what happened next – pay respects if you want, but who knew he would accidentally discover an unknown little girl in the burial mound of rebels, and for the first time, indulge in kindness, advancing next year’s charity quota by carrying her long distances to the church for treatment. As a result, he was spotted by government soldiers and arrested just as he stepped out of the church…
“So the soldiers arresting you weren’t wrongful.” Lin Yuchan sternly pointed out. “You’re a genuine rebel bandit!”
“You don’t seem panicked.” Su Minguan was somewhat puzzled, studying her for a moment. “Regret redeeming me? Doesn’t seem like it either.”
Ordinary people would tremble just hearing the word rebellion – why did she seem excited instead?
“Why would I panic?” Lin Yuchan said without thinking. “Anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism are the primary historical tasks of modern Chinese people – you’re the progressive force!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she covered her mouth, instantly blushing all over, her cheeks burning hot, wishing she could glue her tongue inside her mouth.
Having memorized too much history and politics, these words came out almost as a conditioned reflex. In her excitement, she had even spoken in Mandarin!