RPAGF Chapter 336 One head, one ingot of gold
Chapter 336 One head, one ingot of gold
As soon as Lao Lu finished speaking, the previously noisy cabin suddenly fell silent.
The charcoal fire crackled and popped in the brazier, occasionally sending out a spark that illuminated the various expressions on the faces of those present.
Lin Ke's finger was originally on the sea chart, but perhaps because he was too angry, he pressed it heavily on the chart. Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his head, his eyes like knives.
Zhao Cheng frowned deeply, his muscles beneath his armor taut.
A-Yue paused as she wiped the arrows, a half-smile playing on her lips as she stared at Lao Lu with a playful look in her eyes.
Why are you all staring at me? Did I say something wrong?
Old Lu lay on his side nonchalantly, reaching out to pull down the wine flask from his waist.
Xu Yiyi slowly turned her head, her cold eyes staring straight at the old man. Lin Ke probably had a plan for the gold, but she guessed that the reward for coming along would not be small.
After a long pause, she suddenly chuckled softly, "Old Lu, are you asking me to steal something while I'm at it?"
The old man, oblivious to the strange atmosphere, sipped the last few drops of wine in his gourd and said matter-of-factly, "Anyway, the gold in the sunken ship has been soaking for so many years, the imperial court should have fed it to the fish long ago! You're just fulfilling your duty by submitting the fishing warrant, what's wrong with taking a couple of pieces of gold?"
He squinted and started counting on his fingers with Xu Yiyi, "You and Er'er aren't young anymore, you should save up some dowry, right? If there's anything left, you should pay back the money you owe Qingshan, right? If there's anything left, just take over the Ruyi Residence next door and turn it into an even bigger restaurant. If there's still more, immediately assemble a caravan, and I'll personally oversee it..."
Before even getting the gold, Lao Lu had already planned how to use the money.
He kept talking nonstop, and even seemed to get more and more carried away.
Completely unaware that Zhao Cheng, sitting next to him, had a face so dark it was almost black with ink.
"boom!"
Zhao Cheng slammed his hand on the table, causing the ink brush on the nautical chart to roll off in all directions.
He stared intently at Lao Lu, emphasizing each word: "That's the imperial court's money! Do you want to get your head chopped off?"
Old Lu impatiently picked at his ear, glancing at him with disdain: "The imperial court? Ha, more than ten years ago, you were forced to scuttle your ships by pirates. Your imperial court couldn't even protect them, and now you want to act all righteous?"
The air inside the cabin suddenly became cold and still.
"Why don't you try cutting me? Let's see if your knife is faster than my hand."
Old Lu waved his hand with a grin.
Xu Yi suddenly remembered that he had smashed Xu Wenli and Gao Haoming's boat with just one palm strike.
If that palm strike were to land on someone, how painful it would be!
She thought about it for a moment, and her eyes looked strange.
Zhao Cheng was provoked by him like this, and his hand was already on the hilt of the knife, but he was stopped by A Yue.
She thought Lao Lu was right, but she didn't dare say it in front of the adults.
Lin Ke paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Senior Lu, if you really have your eye on the gold..."
Lin Ke looked at him and said, "How about we make a bet? One head for one ingot of gold. How much you can get depends on your skills."
Zhao Cheng looked at Lin Ke with disbelief in his eyes. He really didn't expect the adults to make such an absurd decision.
This is utterly ridiculous.
Just as he was about to speak up to persuade her, Lin Ke stopped him.
Old Lu's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up: "You said it yourself, deal!"
The old man readily agreed.
Xu Yi raised an eyebrow, then shook her head helplessly: "We don't even know if we'll be able to salvage the gold, and you're already making bets here? What if there's no gold?"
"The fish tally is the most important thing. As for the gold... we can talk about ownership after we actually retrieve it," Xu Yiyi continued.
Seeing that Lao Lu already considered the gold as his own, Xu Yi felt the pressure increase even more.
Old Lu sneered, "Just you wait and see. Whether we can get the gold or not is one thing, I'll just focus on getting more heads. I'll earn the gold you want for you!"
The old man said this in a huff, even though Xu Yiyi usually bossed him around and treated him like dirt.
But that doesn't stop him from treating these children like his own grandchildren.
For a few months, Er'er, Sanchuan, and Sihai, these three children called him "Grandpa".
Maybe once Wuyuan learns to speak, we can get another grandpa to listen to him.
He was all alone, destined to die alone.
Having gained several granddaughters and grandsons out of nowhere, it's natural to plan for their future.
Old Lu frowned, determined to be at the forefront of the bandit suppression tomorrow.
Xu Yiyi couldn't help but laugh.
"If I really manage to get you some gold, could you call me 'Grandpa' so I can hear it?"
Seeing that she was in a good mood, Lao Lu couldn't help but speak up.
Xu Yiyi smiled and said, "What do you think?"
Old Lu pursed his lips and looked away. Was there even a need to ask?
Xu Yiyi was already being very lenient by not calling him by his old nickname, "Sixth Brother."
……
With the gold matter settled for the time being, the group went over the plans for tomorrow and then returned to their respective cabins.
"I never expected that Lao Lu would treat you all like his own children."
A-Yue sat on the small bed opposite, watching Xu Yiyi tidy up the quilt, her tone slightly teasing.
"Don't let his carefree attitude fool you, he can really handle things when it comes to trouble. Having a grandpa like him is much better than having Xu Yong."
Xu Yiyi's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
This is why she didn't stop Lao Lu from coaxing the children to call him Grandpa.
After holding back for a while, Zhao Cheng couldn't help but ask Lin Ke in a low voice, "Sir, what you're doing... isn't it against the rules?"
He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, his knuckles turning white from gripping the strings tightly, "According to the 'Naval Bandit Suppression Law,' spoils of war should be confiscated and put into the treasury; how can they be allowed to..."
"Zhao Cheng!"
Lin Ke suddenly interrupted him, frowning and nodding: "Do you know how long it has been since the brothers in the army received their full pay?"
He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, but it made Zhao Cheng stiffen up abruptly.
Zhao Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke with some difficulty: "Your Excellency, since last August, only 30% has been distributed."
Lin Ke chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Of the six official ships that Red Shark robbed last year, four were used to pay the navy's military salaries. I begged and pleaded with everyone I knew, submitting numerous memorials to request the allocation of military funds to strengthen coastal defenses, but guess what?"
Zhao Cheng suddenly lowered his head.
His throat seemed to be glued shut, and it took him a long time to speak: "The Ministry of War says the navy is wasting resources."
Lin Ke suddenly sneered: "But the funds that should have been used to repair warships and pay soldiers' wages last year were all used to fill the hole in the Ministry of Works' money to build a summer pavilion for the Empress Dowager."
Zhao Cheng's body trembled, and his eyes widened involuntarily.
Some things are better left unsaid.
Since Lin Ke took office as the Commandant of Zhechong Prefecture, he has paid for all military supplies and pay out of his own pocket.
Thinking of this, Zhao Cheng stopped saying anything that was against the rules.