Two sea ships sailed directly towards the dock from afar, medium-sized vessels styled as red-haired barbarian double-masted triangular sail ships.
Both ships flew typical red-haired barbarian pirate flags, featuring a skull with two crossed red-haired barbarian sabres beneath it, and an odd hat atop the skull.
Quintessential red-haired barbarian pirate style!
Zhang Mazi was all too familiar with these red-haired barbarian pirates. His boss had long-standing ties with them, not exactly a match made in heaven, but certainly a fiery partnership. Every few months, red-haired barbarian pirates would visit Moon Island.
Both sides were quite the pair.
We need your firearms, you need our guidance, and the spoils we plunder can be sold to them, especially porcelain and silk, which the red-haired barbarians loved and were willing to pay a high price for.
Ahem, his boss also had a thing for red-haired barbarian women.
But Zhang Mazi himself wasn’t fond of them, with their long body hair, peculiar smell, freckled faces, and ghostly eyes. His boss was just chasing exotic thrills, what was the appeal!
Seeing the two red-haired barbarian ships signal friendly intentions, Zhang Mazi quickly sent men to the dock to greet them.
These were esteemed guests, not to be neglected.
Sure enough, before long, Zhang Mazi’s underling led a group of red-haired barbarians over, dressed in their odd foreign attire, with a sabre on one hip and a flintlock on the other.
Trailing behind were local pirates, cannon fodder sailors recruited by the red-haired barbarians, a common tactic of theirs.
The red-haired barbarians often enlisted local idlers greedy for wealth and women, directing them to plunder.
With their small numbers and limited forces, this allowed them to bolster their ranks, minimise their own casualties, and maximise their gains.
“Nee how, my dear friend, Mister Zhang, long time no see, you’re still as robust as ever,” the lead red-haired barbarian said in broken Chinese, arms outstretched towards Zhang Mazi.
Here we go again!
I can’t stand this greeting custom of theirs, men hugging men, it’s just awkward.
Zhang Mazi inwardly grumbled about the red-haired barbarians’ touchy-feely ways, only to be warmly embraced by the enthusiastic leader.
“My friend, Mister Zhang, long time no see. We heard Mister Xu is getting married again today. We dropped everything, even piracy, to come and offer our heartfelt congratulations to Mister Xu,” the lead red-haired barbarian continued in his clumsy Chinese, patting Zhang Mazi’s back.
“Welcome, welcome, you look familiar, you are…” Zhang Mazi, overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and the strong body odour, quickly broke free under the guise of a welcome, clasping his fists to show hospitality. The red-haired barbarian seemed vaguely familiar, but to Zhang Mazi, they all looked somewhat alike, distinguishable only by height or build, so he couldn’t quite place him.
Every red-haired barbarian seemed a bit familiar to him.
Having dealt with them before, he knew their “Mister” was a respectful form of address.
Calling him Mister Zhang meant they knew him.
The more Zhang Mazi looked at the leader, the more familiar he seemed, likely someone he’d met before, given how many red-haired barbarians he’d encountered with his boss.
In truth, the lead red-haired barbarian knew Zhang Mazi’s name not from meeting him but from recent information.
Hadn’t Zhang Mazi sent his underling to greet them? The leader, ever smooth, slipped a red envelope to the underling, casually asking who was in charge of receiving guests at the gate.
The underling, having taken the bribe, spilled everything about Zhang Mazi.
The leader casually remarked,“Oh, it’s him, we’ve drunk together before, old acquaintances.”
The underling, unsuspecting, thought the leader was indeed an old friend of Zhang Mazi’s and welcomed him even more warmly.
Hearing Zhang Mazi’s confusion, the lead red-haired barbarian, well-prepared, chuckled and replied, “Oh, my friend, you’re such a busy man with a bad memory. I’m White, last time I came I wasn’t captain yet. The ship was under Colonel Peter, and I was his deputy. We drank together, haha, your tolerance is impressive, like the vast sea.”
Turning to the pirates behind him, the leader instructed, “Quick, bring our gifts down from the ship.”
Immediately, the pirates unloaded the gifts, box after box, over twenty in total, adorned with red silk, lavish and festive.
“This box contains medicinal herbs, ginseng, deer antler. Our people don’t appreciate Ming Dynasty herbs, but I know you value them highly, so I’m gifting this box to Mister Xu.”
“This box has three thousand taels of silver, following local customs, our contribution to show our lasting friendship.”
“This box is jewellery for women, looted but cleaned, for Mister Xu’s new bride.”
“These five boxes are silk…”
“And fifty jars of fine wine, we can’t stomach your Ming wine, so it’s all for your wedding feast.”
The leader introduced each gift, and Zhang Mazi’s eyes gleamed with every item.
Such generosity, only red-haired barbarians could be so lavish. The gifts were so extravagant they made one’s mouth water. If only these were for me!
“Mister Zhang, my friend, this is a token of our friendship.” The leader subtly slipped a blood-stained golden lion figurine into Zhang Mazi’s hand.
This guy’s quite adept at our ways of doing things.
Zhang Mazi’s eyes lit up as he pocketed the heavy golden lion, his attitude warming further. He enthusiastically threw an arm around the leader’s shoulder.
“Brother White, I’ve missed you since we last parted. Come, come, at the banquet we’ll have a proper drink. I’ll arrange a good spot for you to rest, just say what you need, no need to hold back. We go way back, old brothers.”
Zhang Mazi was all warmth.
“Thank you, my friend, I do have a favour to ask,” the leader said, seizing the opportunity.
Zhang Mazi was slightly surprised but, having dealt with red-haired barbarians often, knew they were straightforward about exchanges of interest. With such lavish gifts for Boss Xu and a costly golden lion for himself, they surely had a request, or they wouldn’t have gone to such expense.
These red-haired barbarians were so blunt, their transactions seemed almost crass to outsiders.
But that’s just how they were, uncultured.
“Brother White, what’s the matter? Speak freely, don’t hold back. Even if I can’t help, I’ll report it to the boss, and he’ll sort it out,” Zhang Mazi said warmly, already preparing an out, “If it’s beyond me, I’ll pass it to the boss.”
If it’s too much, don’t blame me.
“My friend, we’ve been playing Robin Hood in Fujian, well, not quite Robin Hood, more like plundering wealth. Our supplies are depleted, we need fresh water, meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, rice, salt. Most importantly, we need guides to lead us to targets,” the leader stated his needs plainly.
Zhang Mazi breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest confidently, “Brother, I thought it was something big. I’ve got this covered. Enjoy the feast, and after Boss Xu’s concubine ceremony, I’ll arrange for water, meat, and the rest. As for guides, I’ve got plenty of men, seven or eight, no problem.”
“Thank you, my friend Mister Zhang. Next time I’ll bring a proper, hefty thank you,” the leader said, delighted.
“No need for thanks, come, I’ll show you in and arrange your seats,” Zhang Mazi said warmly, leading the group inside.
He guided them toal fresco banquet area, seating the red-haired barbarians and their key men near the front, while their hundred-odd underlings were placed at the periphery.
Seeing Zhang Mazi, Moon Island’s second-in-command, personally escort them, the surrounding pirates gave face, mingling with the red-haired barbarians, quickly hitting it off.
