The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 110 Pig Cage and Gold (6k combined chapter)

A few days later, late at night, on the banks of the Yongning River.

It rained heavily all day, and the riverbank was muddy.

The Lin family members trudged through the mud, carrying torches as they arrived at this place.

Aunt Li, dressed in coarse linen clothes, had her hands and feet bound and strung on a stick. People carried her to this place, like carrying a pig for the New Year.

The group remained silent, went to the shore, took out the pig cage they had prepared beforehand, and stuffed Aunt Li inside.

Perhaps knowing what being stuffed into the pig cage meant, Aunt Li looked terrified and twisted her body incessantly, refusing to go into the pig cage.

Five or six servants around him tried their best, but they still couldn't squeeze the person in.

Seeing this, Lin Zhili frowned and urged, "Hurry up!"

"Yes!"

The servants, in a fit of rage, forced Aunt Li into the pig cage.

The pig cage was made of bamboo strips with many barbs on the edges, and Aunt Li was quickly cut in several places.

Bright red blood gushed from her wound, contrasting sharply with her snow-white skin and the dark mud, creating a shocking sight.

With a fierce determination, Aunt Li swallowed all the mud in her mouth, then cried out in a shrill voice, "Mother!"

The scene was so tragic that the surrounding servants felt a chill run down their spines and were overcome with compassion. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Lin Zhili.

Lin Zhili angrily said, "What are you looking at me for? Just stuff it in!"

"Ah—" Aunt Li's legs, body, arms, and face were soon covered with wounds, looking extremely miserable. She cried incessantly, sobbing and weeping blood.

"Mother! Mother, save me! Mother!"

The servants couldn't bear it any longer, so they stopped and looked at Lin Zhili.

Lin Zhili's forehead veins bulged, his face flushed, and he cursed angrily: "A bunch of useless trash, you can't even handle a woman!"

Lin Zhishu was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, staring at Aunt Li as if he had seen a ghost. He trembled all over, his lips quivering, unable to utter a single word.

Lin Zhili hardened his heart and said coldly, "Break their hands and feet, then it'll be easier to stuff them in, won't it?"

"This?" The servants looked at each other, their eyes full of evasiveness.

Lin Zhili was furious. He picked up the bamboo pole that had been used to carry Aunt Li and struck her arm with it.

"Snapped!"

The bamboo pole struck Aunt Li's left hand, which was gripping the pig cage, and her five delicate fingers immediately bled profusely.

Aunt Li screamed in agony and withdrew her hand.

Lin Zhishu's face twitched, and his body trembled, as if the stick had also struck him.

Seeing his brother's reaction out of the corner of his eye, Lin Zhili's face lit up with a look of satisfaction. He then raised the stick high and struck her right hand.

"Stop it."

Lin Jiren sighed deeply.

"Father!" Lin Zhili looked surprised and quickly turned around to advise, "This woman has an affair with my elder brother, her private morality is flawed, and she has disgraced our family. Keeping her around will only tarnish our family's reputation. We cannot be soft-hearted!"

Lin Jiren remained silent.

Lin Zhili then asked, "Brother, don't you think that makes sense?"

Lin Zhishu seemed to wake from a dream, and hurriedly nodded, kneeling in front of his father and saying, "This woman is unchaste, she deserves... she deserves to be drowned!"

“Hehehehe... I’ll kill you, I’ll kill them all…” Aunt Li suddenly chuckled again.

Laughter echoed along the banks of the Yongning River, sending a chill down the spine. Upon seeing this, the surrounding servants quickly stepped back.

Lin Jiren stared at the Yongning River, ignoring Aunt Li's miserable appearance, and sighed, "Our Lin family has been a family of farmers and scholars for more than four hundred years, relying on doing good deeds. Although this woman deserves to die, she should not die so cruelly. Let's not drown her in the pig cage."

"father!"

"father!"

The two sons were shocked and shouted one after the other.

"Tie stones to your feet and sink them into the river."

Lin Jiren finished the sentence, and both sons breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Zhili stared at Aunt Li and said mockingly, "Giving you a quick death is too good for you."

"Hehe...I'll kill you!" Aunt Li grinned foolishly, her bloodied left hand trembling, her fingers like knives, gesturing between the necks of the Lin father and sons.

Seeing the madwoman's frenzied state, Lin Zhili suddenly felt a chill, as if a steel knife was really held to his neck.

Lin Zhili became even angrier and shouted at the servants, "Didn't you hear me? Tie him to a stone and throw him into the river!"

The servants responded and went to find stones. After tying them up, they took Aunt Li to a high place where the water was deep enough to drown.

Aunt Li kept chuckling coldly, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the Lin father and son, filled with icy resentment.

Lin Zhili, chilled to the bone by the stare, roared, "If you look again, I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Lin Jiren stared at the river and said, "So be it. She's about to die. Let's leave her with some dignity."

"Drown in the river!" Lin Zhili ordered upon hearing this.

The servants pushed Aunt Li into the river and threw stones into it.

Aunt Li's ankle was pulled down by a stone, and she quickly sank.

Lin Zhili stood on the riverbank, watching as Aunt Li's sinister smile sank to the bottom of the river. A string of bubbles that submerged her lungs rose to the surface, and Aunt Li vanished from the world.

Lin Zhili felt a little uneasy, but seeing his older brother's terrified expression, he was instantly filled with pleasure.

Indeed, nothing in this world is more exhilarating than revenge.

"Let's go," Lin Jiren sighed softly, and said to Lin Zhishu, "You and the others go back first."

Lin Jiren then said to his second son, "Walk with your father for a while."

"Yes!" Lin Zhili's face was flushed, and his body trembled with excitement. He glanced at his elder brother with disdain.

Lin Zhishu's face was filled with fear, astonishment, and resentment.

……

At this moment, on the opposite bank of the Yongning River, beside an inconspicuous fishing boat.

A figure emerged from the water; it was none other than Aunt Li, who had already died.

Then, another figure emerged from the water and whispered to the people on the boat, "Help me bring the person up."

Several people got off the boat and hurriedly pulled Aunt Li's body onto the boat.

Bai Langzai complained in a low voice, "Sister, the captain doesn't want us to cause any trouble."

“This isn’t just creating unnecessary trouble; she’s already dead.”

Bai Qing gripped the deck with both hands and leaped onto the boat like a finless porpoise, creating a splash of water around him.

"Lay her flat on her back and get a towel. Bai Langzi, bring Dr. Su's wound medicine. Ah Qi, go and keep an eye on those two Lins, see what they do! Everyone, put on your masks!"

"Yes!"

On the fishing boat, everyone got busy.

Bai Qing knelt beside Aunt Li, placing one hand on Aunt Li's lower abdomen and striking her hard with the other.

"Oh!"

Aunt Li's body trembled violently from the beating, and a little river water spilled from her mouth and nose.

"Oh!"

Another heavy punch landed, and Aunt Li suddenly curled up, with more water flowing out.

After this happened several times, Aunt Li suddenly coughed, spitting out a large amount of mud and river water from her mouth and nose.

"He's awake!" Bai Langzai exclaimed in surprise.

Bai Qing quickly helped her up and patted her back forcefully. Aunt Li vomited the water in her stomach and gradually regained her senses.

She looked up and saw many unfamiliar faces. Then she grinned strangely, about to giggle, when Bai Qing covered her mouth and pushed her down onto the deck, while a dagger was pressed against her throat.

“We are good people, we saved you. If you want to live, shut your mouth.”

Whether Aunt Li understood or not, her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, and she smiled radiantly.

Bai Qing tentatively loosened his grip slightly, and Aunt Li made no more alarming noises, only whispering, "Kill them, kill them all!"

Bai Langzai frowned and asked, "Have they really gone mad?"

“Kill them all… Waaah, it hurts…” Aunt Li sobbed again.

Bai Qing took the towel from the crew member and dried her off, then took the medicine from Bai Langzai.

"It will hurt a little, just bear with it," Bai Qing said, and then helped her apply the medicine.

Aunt Li was mentally unstable, but she was obedient and kept quiet, only crying.

Seeing this, the crew member sighed, "What a pity, such a perfectly healthy person has been ruined."

After applying the medicine, Bai Qing wrapped her wounds with cotton cloth. However, there were too many wounds all over her body, so he could only wrap the most important ones.

Afterwards, they brought some coarse cloth clothes for Aunt Li to wear, and helped her into the cabin to lie down on the bed.

Aunt Li would mutter curses about murder one moment, and then pitifully cry out in pain for her mother the next.

After finally settling everyone in, Bai Qing stepped out of the cabin.

Bai Langzai said with a serious expression, "This person cannot be taken back to the island!"

Bai Qing: "I know, we need to find a way to settle her down."

Just then, a commotion came from the water near the boat. A man jumped out of the water and climbed onto the boat. It was none other than Aqi, the crew member that Bai Qing had sent out earlier.

Bai Qing stepped forward, handed him the towel, and asked, "How is it?"

Ah Qi rubbed his hair haphazardly and said, "Just as the captain guessed, two men surnamed Lin have gone up the mountain."

Bai Qing asked, "Which direction?"

"To the east, there is Jiufeng Mountain."

"Set sail and follow them!"

……

late at night.

Jiufeng Mountain.

Lin Jiren and his son Lin Zhili walked along a mountain path. There was no sign of human habitation around them, only the distant hooting of owls that sounded like the cries of a baby.

Lin Zhili's mind was filled with the eerie smile on Aunt Li's face when she drowned in the river. Now, as he walked through the desolate mountains, he was even more terrified and his limbs went weak.

"Dad, why are we going up the mountain?" Lin Zhili asked in a trembling voice.

"Visiting graves."

Lin Zhili felt a cold wind blow, chilling him to the bone. He stared at his father's back and suspected that his father might be possessed by Aunt Li and was looking for a suitable stone on either side of the path.

Lin Jiren's voice came again: "How much silver is left in the manor?"

Lin Zhili answered honestly, "There are only some loose silver coins left; the large silver chests have all been taken by the thieves."

For a moment, the two were silent, climbing the mountain in silence, which added to the eeriness of the situation.

Lin Zhili broke the silence with a forced smile: "But Father, don't worry, the land is still ours. At worst, we can just raise the rent a bit. Anyway, our rent has never been high, so I don't think the tenants will complain even if it's raised a little."

"It's almost late autumn. Once the northwest winds stabilize, the fleet should head south to sea. Do we have the funds to go out to sea?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Zhili said with a forced smile, "I can only raise the rent a little more. The house was robbed this year, and I think the tenants will understand."

Aside from hiring crew members and repairing ships, the bulk of the cost in maritime trade is the money spent on purchasing goods.

Raw silk, porcelain, and silk fabrics all had to be purchased from other merchants, and a large sum of money had to be set aside for purchasing goods before setting sail each year.

Lin Jiren said, "The money for purchasing goods, rebuilding the mansion, and paying compensation to the guards are all substantial sums, which cannot be covered by raising rents."

Lin Zhili gritted his teeth: "How about we reduce the number of ships going out to sea this year?"

"Then does that mean my Lin family has truly fallen into ruin, just as others have said?"

"Could it be that Father has a way?" Lin Zhili sensed something was amiss.

"Let's go up the mountain and pay respects to our ancestors first," Lin Jiren said, then silently continued on his way.

Lin Zhili then recognized that this was the road leading to the Lin family ancestral graves. A thought flashed through his mind, and he understood his father's intention. He quickened his pace to catch up.

The father and son walked for a long time before finally arriving at the cemetery halfway up the mountain.

Lin Jiren walked slowly into the depths of the cemetery, stopped in front of a huge tomb, took out a brocade box from his pocket, opened it, and inside were three incense sticks and a tinderbox.

Lin Jiren placed the brocade box on the ground, took out a tinderbox, blew on it, lit three incense sticks in turn, bowed respectfully with the incense sticks in hand, inserted the incense into the incense burner in front of the grave, and kowtowed in respect.

Lin Zhili followed suit.

What should have been a solemn and respectful ceremony took on an eerie feel in the pitch-black night.

After the worship ceremony, Lin Jiren got up, walked into the nearby woods, and after some groping, took out a shovel and a pickaxe from the pile of weeds.

Lin Jiren handed the shovel to his son.

Lin Zhili took it and saw that the shovel was covered in rust and had been there for who knows how many years.

"Dad, I should have brought a new shovel."

Lin Jiren smiled wryly: "Silly child, if you take a shovel up the mountain, won't everyone know what you're up to?"

Lin Zhili felt a chill run down his spine.

"These shovels and picks were left five years ago when I paid respects to my ancestors during the Qingming Festival. I thought I would never need them... Oh well, let's dig."

Lin Jiren led his son to a low grave.

The tombstone was covered in moss, and the words carved on it were blurred and illegible, indicating that countless years had passed.

There are too many graves in the Lin family, and sometimes even the family members themselves can't distinguish the graves of less important relatives. That's why, for so many years, no one has paid attention to this low grave.

"Let's get started. We need to finish before dawn." Lin Jiren spat into his palms and began digging the grave.

Lin Zhili grabbed a shovel and scooped it up.

Half an hour.

The father and son collapsed to the ground, exhausted, their faces and bodies covered in mud, their hands red and swollen.

The grave hadn't even been dug up halfway.

Lin Zhili gasped for breath, "Father, ancestors... why did you bury the silver... so deep..."

Lin Jiren smiled bitterly: "We started from scratch and opened up the mountains and forests. I wonder how difficult it was for my ancestors to establish our family business. They probably never imagined that their descendants would be so incompetent that they couldn't even dig up a low grave."

Lin Zhili encouraged his father: "Father, you can't say that. These rough jobs should be done by servants. We are a family that values ​​farming and studying. Our precious lives are meant for studying and doing business."

Lin Jiren sighed, said nothing more, and silently picked up the pickaxe.

After digging for a long time, Lin Zhili asked, "Father, is the silver down here something our ancestors left behind? It's been over four hundred years now."

Lin Jiren wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm, pounded his waist with his other hand, and said, "This place was told to me by your grandfather. It has been passed down orally from generation to generation of Lin clan leaders. As for whether it was left over from four hundred years ago, only heaven knows."

"Oh!"

With a dull thud, Lin Zhili's shovel came to a halt. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Dad, I've found it!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Ignoring the pain in his hands and the mud staining his clothes, Lin Zhili shoved himself into the mud and used his hands to pry it away.

A wooden box was visible, the wood of which was almost completely rotten and crumbled when touched lightly.

Inside the box were two earthenware jars. The gaps in the box were filled with mud, and the mouths of the jars were carefully sealed. Due to their age, it was impossible to tell what material was used to seal them.

The two pottery jars didn't look very big, and Lin Zhili tried to take them out, but found that he couldn't lift them no matter how hard he tried.

"Dad, this jar is so heavy!" Lin Zhili said.

Lin Jiren, supporting his aching back, came to help his son, but to his surprise, even with their combined efforts, they couldn't lift him an inch.

"Father, what's inside... could it be gold?" Lin Zhili asked in a very low voice.

Gold is dense, so this jar would only be so heavy if it were filled with gold, which is why it's worth keeping the secret of the Lin clan for generations.

Lin Jiren smiled broadly and rubbed his lower back, saying, "I don't know either, but these two jars don't seem that big. If they're only for holding silver, they're a bit too little."

Remembering something, Lin Zhili hurriedly asked, "Father, is this the only treasure our ancestors left behind?"

"What, you still think it's not enough?"

“Our Lin family has a history of four hundred years and has prospered several times. We shouldn’t have left behind only this much.”

"Since our family started dealing in maritime transport, at our wealthiest, we had over ten thousand taels of silver in our vaults. Have you ever thought about leaving some for our descendants?"

Lin Zhili was speechless.

The two rested in silence for a while, then encouraged each other and tried to lift the jar, but they still couldn't budge it.

A thought flashed through Lin Zhili's mind: "Could it be that our ancestors forbade my father and me from using this treasure?"

Lin Zhili suddenly thought of the tragically deceased Aunt Li, and a chill ran through him. His hand slipped, and he fell backward to the ground.

"Ouch!" Lin Zhili cried out in pain.

"Son, what's wrong?"

"I twisted my ankle!"

Lin Zhili twisted his ankle very hard, and it swelled up visibly, with cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Son, bear with it. Once we get the ancestral treasure back to the manor, we'll have the best doctor treat your injuries!"

"No pain, no gain!" Lin Zhili said fiercely. He tore off a piece of his sleeve, tied it around his ankle, struggled to stand up on one leg, but fell heavily to the ground again.

Lin Jiren wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm, thought for a moment, and said, "Son, wait here for a moment, I'll go find a tree branch for you to lean on."

This is the Lin family ancestral cemetery, which is regularly cleaned. There are no weeds here, let alone tree branches. Lin Jiren can only search in the distant woods.

Lin Zhili nodded emphatically: "Father, go and come back quickly."

"Ah."

Lin Jiren's figure gradually disappeared into the forest.

After his father left, the desolate mountains became even more bleak and lonely.

"Cuckoo~"

An owl's call echoed through the woods, sounding like a baby crying, or perhaps like someone mocking.

Lin Zhili suddenly remembered Aunt Li's crazy laughter.

"Hehehe... Hahaha... I'll kill you!"

"Who?"

Lin Zhili turned around in a panic, but there was nothing around him. The only sound in the woods was the hooting of owls, which was his auditory hallucination.

It turns out I misheard.

Lin Zhili gritted his teeth, sweat dripping from his forehead into his eyes. He dared not wipe it away, and stared wide-eyed, looking around.

"Who? You— Waaah..."

Lin Zhili turned around abruptly. Just a moment ago, he seemed to have heard his father's voice, but the voice was too short and abrupt. He didn't know if it was just his imagination.

He was so frightened that he stood frozen on the spot, staring in the direction of the sound, not daring to blink.

After an unknown amount of time, he tentatively called out in a low voice, "Father?"

His voice was barely audible.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage: "Father?"

No one answered; the desolate mountain was silent.

"Father, where are you?" Lin Zhili's voice was already trembling with tears.

"Pat-pat!" A light footstep sound came from behind.

"Father, is that you?" Lin Zhili asked joyfully.

No one responded.

The footsteps were light, not Lin Jiren's heavy steps, but a woman's footsteps!
By the moonlight, he saw a thin figure emerge from the woods, dressed in coarse linen clothes; it was Aunt Li.

Lin Zhili's eyes widened in horror, his mind reeling. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat, yet he remained frozen in place, unable to move an inch, staring blankly as the figure approached step by step.

"Aunt Li," Lin Zhili's voice trembled so badly she could barely speak, "It was my elder brother who harmed you... Your parents were driven to their deaths by my father, the steward poisoned them... I didn't, it wasn't me..."

Lin Zhili's face was contorted with terror. By the moonlight, he could see the person who had come in. Who else could it be but Aunt Li, who had drowned in the river?

"puff!"

A cold blade swiftly plunged into his stomach and was pulled out. Lin Zhili lost all strength in his limbs and bones, and died with his eyes open.

Bai Qing shook off the blood from the blade, then used Lin Zhili's clothes to carefully wipe the blade before sheathing it.

In the woods, several crew members dragged Lin Jiren's body out and placed it next to his son. Both father and son had the same look of horror on their faces.

Ah Qi asked, "What should we do with the body?"

Bai Qing pointed to the grave where the pottery jar was buried: "Isn't there a ready-made pit here? Let's move the jar out first, and then bury the person in it."

The two crew members obeyed the order and held onto one of the tanks.

"One, two, get up!"

With a shout, the jar was steadily lifted out and placed aside, and another jar was lifted out in the same way.

The crew member dusted off his hands: "It is somewhat heavy, but one person can lift it. Those two surnamed Lin are really useless."

Bai Qing said, "After all, he's a wealthy man. Let's see what's in the jars. If it's just two jars of copper coins, then this whole trip has been a waste."

Bai Langzai bent down and removed the seal from the jar.

The pottery jar was sealed very tightly, with layers of cloth, thread, and yellow mud used to seal it.

When they reached the last layer, Bai Langzai said, "Be careful."

He then lifted the cloth, and everyone covered their mouths and noses, stepping back slightly.

Although the contents of the jar could not be seen, a golden light could be faintly seen emanating from the rim of the jar under the moonlight.

After confirming that it was safe, everyone approached, all showing expressions of infatuation, their eyes reflecting golden light.

This was a whole jar of gold!

By the bright moonlight, one could see that the jar was filled with gold bars as thick as a finger, stacked in a grid pattern, completely packed full.

Gold itself does not shine, but under the moonlight, this jar of gold gleamed brightly!

Bai Qing put the seal back on, blocking the alluring golden light.

"Time to get to work." Bai Qing gestured with his eyes toward the corpses of the Lin father and son.

The crew members came to their senses, picked up shovels and picks, and widened the pit. In no time, they had dug a large pit.

They threw the two corpses inside, and everyone rushed to fill the hole with soil.

In less than half an hour, the grave was completely restored.

The crew tamped down the grave mound with shovels and their feet, then brought up loose soil and rotten leaves from the woods to cover up any traces of fresh soil. Finally, they sprinkled some water on it to make it look like it had been rained on all day.

After some concealment, at least at a glance, no flaws can be detected.

Finally, the crew threw their shovels and picks down the cliff, covered the bloodstains with loose soil, and cleaned up their footprints.

The crew members, carrying two jars of gold, left the cemetery together.

After boarding the ship, Bai Qing instructed Bai Langzai to place the jar in the cabin, and then said coldly to the crew, "Don't forget the captain's rules. Anyone who dares to reach for the jar, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

All the crew members knew how formidable the Bai siblings were, and dared not utter a word of rebuttal.

……

The next morning, on the upper reaches of the Lingjiang River, there was a fishing family.

As soon as the homeowner got up, he discovered a masked woman sitting in the room.

"Awake?" Bai Qing picked up the teapot and poured a glass of water for the couple who owned the house, her demeanor natural, as if this were her home.

The homeowners felt a chill run down their spines. They thought to themselves that they should have just given her the boat; they shouldn't have been so greedy as to accept the silver. Now the bandits were coming to claim their lives.

It's a pity that the two of them toiled half their lives without leaving behind a son or daughter. But it's alright, they died just like that, so their descendants don't have to grieve.

"Drink some water," Bai Qing said with a smile.

The couple shakily picked up the water glass, but before they could even drink it, most of it had already spilled.

Bai Qing said leisurely, "I've come here today to ask you for something."

The homeowner said, "Your Majesty, please speak. This old man will certainly not refuse."

After saying that, he gave his wife a wink, and she understood. She quickly took out the loose silver coins she had gotten from selling the boat from under the bed and put them on the table.

Bai Qing slowly shook his head: "I would like to ask the two of you to help me take care of my sister."

"Sister?" Only then did the two notice a woman sitting at the table. Instead of sitting on a stool, she was sitting on the ground, dressed in men's clothes. Her face and hands were covered with freshly scabbed wounds, as if she had just been tortured.

Upon closer inspection, the woman was no more than sixteen years old. She had fair and delicate skin, exquisite features, charming eyes, and a well-proportioned figure. She was truly a beauty, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the bandit king before her.

The king said it was his sister, and the old couple dared not question it.

"Hahaha...They're all dead! Hahaha..."

The woman on the ground kept spouting crazy things like "die" and "kill," which made the couple's scalps tingle.

Bai Qing explained, "She has gone mad and has difficulty walking on the water, so I can only entrust her to your care. Please treat her like your own daughter, do not lock her up or abuse her, and do not let her be bullied by others."

After Bai Qing finished speaking, he took Aunt Li's hand and handed it to the couple.

"From now on, they are your parents, understand?" Bai Qing said softly.

"Hahahaha, Mother... Mother, it hurts." Aunt Li laughed for a while, then began to sob again.

The woman gently patted her back to comfort her.

Bai Qing picked up a heavy package from the ground, opened it, and found fifty taels of silver inside. She had traded a top-quality South Sea pearl with the crew for it.

“Take this silver, hide it well, and use it as money to take care of my sister.”

"How can this be allowed?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Qing smashed the cup on the ground.

"Whoosh!"

"Snapped!"

A crossbow bolt was shot in from outside the door and embedded itself in the wall inside the hall.

Bai Qing said, "I operate in the Lingjiang area. Every few months, I secretly come to see my sister. If you treat her badly, the next arrow will be aimed at your heads!"

The couple were so frightened that they fell silent.

After saying this, Bai Qing got up and returned to the boat on the riverbank.

Bai Langzai put away the crossbow and said, "Sister, it's no use. In this world, good people and madmen can't survive. Giving them so much money might just harm them."

Bai Qing said slowly, "Life is something you earn yourself. This family will eventually find their own way to live. I'm not a saint. In this world, no one can help anyone else. I just want peace of mind."

"Madam Bai, isn't it time to set sail?"

"No rush, the helmsman said we should catch a boatload of fish before we leave!"

"okay!"

(End of this chapter)