Chapter 104: The Militia Riots at the Wharf

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Outside the study of Zhang Kuang, the head of the Zhang Trading Company, a servant was quietly reporting something to Uncle Xiang. Throughout the report, Uncle Xiang only gave slight nods in response and did not utter a single word. Finally, he waved his hand indifferently at the servant and then turned to enter the study at a leisurely pace.

“Master!” Uncle Xiang glanced briefly toward the door behind him, then quickened his steps to the side hall. Upon seeing Zhang Kuang seated behind the desk, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened markedly. As Zhang Kuang nodded slowly, Uncle Xiang leaned in closer and said in a low voice, “That young man is called Ding Li. It’s said that recently he’s not only become close to Shou Yi but also shares a particularly significant relationship with the young master.”

“Hm? Shou Yi? What connection does Shou Yi have with him?” Zhang Kuang was momentarily stunned, frowning deeply before softening his tone. He looked at Uncle Xiang with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

“The Nanhai Gang,” Uncle Xiang said solemnly, pausing for a few seconds before continuing, “Before the young master went to Fuxu Town, he rescued this young man at Liu Lao San’s residence. That’s Ding Li! And now, the young master is supporting the Nanhai Gang under the name of our Zhang Trading Company.”

“Oh, the Ding Li who’s been causing upheaval in Guangzhou Prefecture? The one giving the Cao and Liu families so much trouble?” Zhang Kuang immediately recalled the recent reports about Ding Li. However, he still had no knowledge of what had occurred in Fuxu Town, as Zhang Mingzhi had not sent any updates. Suddenly, Zhang Kuang laughed heartily, then shook his head with a mixture of amusement and resignation, sighing deeply but ultimately remaining silent.

“That’s right, Master. However…” Seeing this, Uncle Xiang first nodded slightly, then hesitated as he looked at Zhang Kuang. After receiving a subtle nod in return, Uncle Xiang pondered for a moment before shaking his head with a hint of confusion. “But Ding Li’s background is somewhat suspicious…”

“Hm?” Zhang Kuang suddenly realized the crux of the matter, frowning deeply, his expression turning grave. After a moment’s thought, he nodded again to Uncle Xiang. “Tell me more. This is exactly what I suspected.”

“This Ding Li moved to the slum area over ten years ago. For several years, he’s worked as a laborer at the docks. He only has his mother at home and currently a wife named Liu Sheng, who was reportedly adopted by Ding Li’s mother since childhood. Later, she became the matchmaker and they got married.” Though the summary was brief, it caused both Zhang Kuang and Uncle Xiang to furrow their brows deeply. Before Zhang Kuang could ask further questions, Uncle Xiang shook his head and added, “Unfortunately, no one knows anything about Ding Li’s past before they moved to the slums. Or rather, no information can be found now. Maybe, with some time, we might uncover some clues.”

“So basically, aside from these details, there is no real information about Ding Li’s true origins?” Zhang Kuang, ever astute, immediately grasped what Uncle Xiang was implying. Though somewhat disheartening, it was not entirely unexpected.

“Exactly…” Uncle Xiang nodded reluctantly. He knew this was a serious matter but paused briefly before continuing, “Master, there’s no need to worry too much for now. It’s only been a few hours; with some time, I believe more useful information will surface.”

“Good. I understand.” Zhang Kuang nodded slightly, lowering his head in deep thought for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath, looked up at Uncle Xiang, and sighed, “Keep a close watch on this matter. I’ll go check with Brother Yang later. Also, there’s another matter—you’ll have to make a personal trip.”

“To Fuxu Town to pick up the young lady, right?” Uncle Xiang, sharp as ever, saw through Zhang Kuang’s thoughts. Seeing the weary smile on Zhang Kuang’s face, he knew his master was still troubled by past events. Shaking his head gently, he spoke softly to reassure him, “Don’t worry, Master. I believe the young lady no longer minds the marriage alliance with the Cao family from back then. She’s been staying in Fuxu Town and hasn’t returned—perhaps the young master is there too. Maybe the siblings have planned to come back together.”

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“Let’s hope so... Ah.” Zhang Kuang rubbed his tired face a few times, suddenly appearing much older, causing Uncle Xiang to feel a pang of sympathy. Just as he was about to offer some advice, Zhang Kuang waved him off and sighed softly, “Forget it. Don’t make a special trip to pick her up. Just go to Fuxu and, under the pretext of inspecting the trading company’s interests, observe the situation. Also, send someone to the Yang residence; if Brother Yang is free tonight, arrange a dinner meeting.”

“Understood!” Uncle Xiang nodded, hesitating to speak further, but seeing Zhang Kuang’s gaze lowered, he fell silent. After a brief moment of hesitation, he quietly withdrew from the study.

...

The Ding residence. Ding Li’s sudden return to the city should have been a cause for celebration throughout the household. Yet with Ding Li and his party’s arrival, a dark cloud seemed to fall over the estate. Sai Yijia was gravely injured and unconscious. Of the five companions, one died on the spot at the instrument shop, another succumbed to excessive blood loss en route, and although the remaining three were declared salvageable by doctors, one was left with a crippled left leg.

What troubled Ding Li most was not only these injuries. Liu Sheng, who had just returned to the residence, appeared to have developed a high fever from shock and was also unconscious. Though several doctors had examined her and declared her condition not serious, Ding Li knew the consequences of an unrelenting fever could be disastrous. Unfortunately, none of the doctors could quickly reduce the fever, explaining that recovery from such shock depended largely on the patient’s own resilience, with medicines serving only a supportive role.

In this world, if anyone weighed most heavily on Ding Li’s heart, it was undoubtedly Liu Sheng and Sai Yijia. Liu Sheng was his constant companion day and night, while Sai Yijia had unhesitatingly extended a helping hand when Ding Li was homeless. Although Ding Li later helped Sai Yijia many times over, he never forgot his gratitude.

Having just left Liu Sheng’s room, Ding Li encountered his old friends Gouzi and Wang De, both wearing anxious expressions. He immediately realized trouble had erupted at the docks concerning the Nanhai Gang. Since its formation, Gouzi and Wang De had risen with the tide—from ordinary laborers working under Ding Li to becoming two of the few spokesmen for the Nanhai Gang at Guangzhou Harbor.

“Brother Li! Bad news! There’s trouble at the docks!” Before Ding Li could ask, Gouzi shouted loudly, gasping for breath as he ran, “Just now, the Chaozhou Gang came with a group of men. Once they got on, they immediately started searching our goods without a word…”

“There was a fight—a serious one!” Wang De hurried forward and grabbed the conversation, explaining, “At both Pier A and Pier B, the Chaozhou Gang caused a ruckus! When Gouzi and I rushed over from Pier D, a group of men suddenly appeared carrying official government edicts, bearing the seal of the Maritime Customs Office!”

“Civil militia?” Ding Li immediately recalled news recently given by Yang Hongwen, frowning deeply as he asked quietly.

“Civil militia?” Gouzi was taken aback, clearly not understanding. Wang De, however, nodded repeatedly, adding to the explanation, “Yes, yes, civil militia! They said they were acting under orders from the Maritime Customs Office to strictly inspect all smuggling at the docks!”

“That’s not all!” Gouzi, feeling Wang De had stolen his thunder, pushed him lightly and rushed to Ding Li’s side to continue, “Brother Li, Pier D was also raided! When we arrived at Piers A and B, our brothers at Pier D sent word that the Chaozhou Gang came there too, started fighting right away, and many of our brothers got caught off guard and suffered losses! And they also showed official documents from the Maritime Customs Office afterwards!”

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“What about Xiao Li and Wang Huan?” Ding Li knew this was the Cao and Tian families’ combined effort to target him. He had already concluded these events were unrelated to what happened at the instrument shop; rather, the opponents had made their move from the start. The timing of the instrument shop and dock incidents was nearly simultaneous.

“They’re fine. Last night a large shipment arrived at the docks, and they were on duty!” Wang De shook his head quickly, then recalled something from over a month ago and said with lingering fear, “Brother Li, luckily Xiao Li wasn’t there. Otherwise, if the Chaozhou Gang had seen him, they might have settled old scores!”

“That won’t happen. Don’t worry! They’re civil militia now, acting under official orders. They’re no longer an ordinary gang, and there are things they dare not do openly!” Ding Li shook his head firmly, analyzing the situation calmly before asking in a low voice, “Our brothers at the docks—are they mostly okay?”

“Nothing major. Except for some brothers who resisted at first and got seriously beaten, the rest were mostly driven off by the Chaozhou Gang wielding wooden sticks and clubs!” As they spoke, Wang De and Gouzi gradually calmed down. Ding Li’s analysis had been accurate; what happened at the docks fit perfectly with his assessment. Unlike before, the Chaozhou Gang was no longer casually picking fights and attacking indiscriminately—they were acting with official backing and forcefully.

“Don’t panic. Go back to the docks and stabilize the brothers!” Ding Li patted their shoulders, then after a moment’s thought, continued with instructions, “Here’s what to do: apart from our Nanhai Gang brothers, the ordinary laborers working the docks—take some money from the gang’s funds and give each ten copper coins as compensation. Those injured get at least three copper coins for medicine and care. Also, keep control of the docks. Remember—don’t let gang members act rashly. The Chaozhou Gang is no ordinary gang now; they’re a civil militia recognized and appointed by the government! No direct confrontations!”

“But Brother Li, that means we suffer losses and have to pay compensation?” Gouzi couldn’t understand Ding Li’s approach and frowned in protest. Wang De echoed his sentiment, “Brother Li! If we just endure like this, the docks have thousands of laborers who are our brothers. Giving out money like that isn’t cheap!”

“Brother Li has his reasons. Besides, ten copper coins per person, plus medicine fees for the injured, only adds up to a few dozen strings of cash. Can the Nanhai Gang not afford this?” Suddenly, Xu Hong appeared beside them, looking disdainfully at the reluctant Gouzi and Wang De, his tone dripping with contempt.

“That’s right! Even if we spend this for a few days, it’s no big deal for the Nanhai Gang!” Surprised for a moment, Ding Li quickly agreed. The Nanhai Gang’s backer was the Zhang Trading Company. Dozens of strings of cash were nothing to them. He then turned and patted Xu Hong’s shoulder, saying sternly, “This matter is up to you. Select some brothers from the residence, take the money, and go to the docks yourself. I have other matters to handle.”

“Brother Li, rest assured—I will not fail you!” Xu Hong immediately stepped back, saluted Ding Li solemnly, then gave a determined look before signaling Gouzi and Wang De and heading off first.