1890: I'm in Hextech Brawl in America

Chapter 45 A Paradise in a Foreign Land

When the sun is high in the sky, casting a shadow that is shrunken into a ball.

Fang Jianqiu and Xiao Yuanshan finally crossed the last ridge, and the view in front of them suddenly opened up.

This so-called Chinese community is hidden behind a natural bay.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on the other, its location is extremely strategic.

"We're here." Xiao Yuanshan wiped the sweat from his brow and pointed down.

Fang Jianqiu followed his finger and looked at the first thing that caught his eye: several patches of green farmland. These fields were not large, and could even be described as fragmented, cultivated in the gentle slopes of the hillside.

The crops planted in the field are not delicate things, but rather drought-resistant, low-water-absorption coarse grains and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins.

But it's clear that these crops are being well taken care of.

The weeds in the field were pulled out cleanly, and the soil was turned over to make it soft. On the edge of the field, several speckled chickens were leading a group of chicks to forage in the soil, and occasionally one or two ducks could be seen waddling by.

In such a barren land with scarce freshwater resources, the fact that these Chinese laborers were able to cultivate such fields shows that farming was truly ingrained in their very being.

It seems that as long as you give a Chinese person a piece of land, there is nothing that cannot be grown.

"Woof! Woof!"

The two hadn't gone far down the path when a tan Hawaiian dog darted out of the bushes and barked wildly at Fang Jianqiu, a stranger.

It wasn't until Xiao Yuanshan shouted that the dog wagged its tail and shrank back.

After passing a few bushes, rows of wooden houses suddenly appeared before our eyes.

These wooden houses are similar in style to the ones Fang Jianqiu and his group stayed in before; they are all built using local materials, such as logs and thatch. However, these houses are clearly more elaborate, with some roofs even covered with tarpaulins for rain protection.

Roughly counting, there are probably only a dozen or so households here. After all, this is a hiding place for refugees. If there are too many people, they will be too conspicuous and easily discovered by foreigners.

In front of every household, there are several strings of dried salted fish hanging to dry, or dried seaweed spread out on the ground.

A faint, salty smell filled the air.

This is a typical small fishing village.

Looking at these havens built bit by bit by the Chinese themselves in foreign lands, Fang Jianqiu felt a pang of emotion.

Although simple and small, it has all the necessary functions.

With fields, houses, the sounds of chickens and dogs, and a sense of peace and tranquility, this place was truly a rare paradise for the piglets who had suffered so much on the plantation.

The two men led their horses into the village.

Along the way, they encountered several Chinese laborers who were mending nets or tidying up fishing gear. When they saw Xiao Yuanshan, they all stopped what they were doing and greeted him warmly as "Brother Xiao".

Fang Jianqiu noticed that, without exception, these people no longer had the long braids that symbolized shame on the back of their heads. Instead, they had neat and short hair, and their spirits and energy looked much stronger than those of the numb faces in the plantation.

"Grandpa Xiao is here again!"

Under a big tree at the village entrance, two or three children who were playing in the mud saw the commotion.

They were initially afraid and cautious when they saw Fang Jianqiu, a tall stranger leading a horse, and shrank their necks, not daring to move. But as soon as they saw Xiao Yuanshan next to him, they immediately ran over like crazy.

"Haha, slow down!"

Xiao Yuanshan greeted them with a smile, took out a few wild fruits he had collected at some point from his pocket, gave them to the children, and patted each of their little heads.

"Hehe, where's your Brother Zhou? Why can't I find him?"

Upon hearing this, the children who had been excitedly scrambling for the fruit immediately wilted like eggplants after a frost.

A slightly older child, about seven or eight years old, lowered his head, clutching the hem of his clothes, and replied softly:

"Brother Zhou... is taking care of Uncle Wang."

Xiao Yuanshan and Fang Jianqiu exchanged a glance, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.

There are people injured?

Xiao Yuanshan offered a few words of comfort to the children, letting them go play on their own. Then, following the direction the children pointed, he led Fang Jianqiu quickly to a wooden house in the village.

"Knock knock knock".

Xiao Yuanshan knocked on the door three times. "I am Xiao Yuanshan."

Soon, footsteps came from inside, and the wooden door creaked open.

The person who opened the door was a young man. Upon seeing that it was Xiao Yuanshan, he quickly ushered the two of them inside.

The room was dimly lit, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and herbs.

Fang Jianqiu glanced around and saw that six people were crammed into the small room.

On a wooden bed against the wall, a middle-aged man lay on his back, his face pale. One of his trouser legs had been cut open, and his leg was wrapped in thick bandages, which were soaked with blood and had a dark red hue.

This person was clearly seriously injured.

Besides them, there were four men and one woman sitting in the room, all of them with unpleasant expressions, creating a very oppressive atmosphere.

One of the bald, burly men sitting on the edge of the bed stood up as soon as he saw Xiao Yuanshan enter.

This bald man was big and burly, with a face full of flesh and a somewhat fierce look, but his eyes were very righteous.

"Brother Xiao, you've arrived." Xiao Yuanshan nodded to him. This was Brother Zhou, whom the children called Brother Zhou. "Brother Zhou, what... what happened to Brother Wang?" Xiao Yuanshan glanced at the wounded man on the bed and asked with a frown.

"Sigh, it's a long story." Bald Zhou sighed.

"Brother Zhou, is it convenient for us to talk now?" Xiao Yuanshan didn't rush to ask further, but instead pointed outside.

Bald Zhou nodded and gave a wry smile:

"Oh, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Xiao. Of course I am. It's stuffy inside, let's go outside and talk."

Then, the three of them left the wooden house and came to an open space outside.

As soon as they stepped outside, Fang Jianqiu extended his hand and introduced himself:

Fang Jianqiu.

Bald Zhou extended his large, calloused hand and shook hands firmly with Fang Jianqiu.

Zhou Liqun. A native of Foshan, Guangdong.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Fang Jianqiu learned that Zhou Liqun was also a person with a tragic fate.

Several years ago, he was sold here as a piglet. Later, he could no longer endure the abuse from the foreigners, so he and a few brothers risked their lives to escape and finally found a place to stay.

Zhou Liqun had already heard Xiao Yuanshan mention Fang Jianqiu before, and knew that the young man in front of him was the hero who led Xiao Yuanshan out of the plantation and brought them urgently needed medicine. His eyes immediately showed more admiration.

"Brother Fang, the bandages and disinfectant that Brother Xiao brought back really saved my life."

Zhou Liqun pointed inside the room, "If it weren't for those medicines, Old Wang's leg probably wouldn't have been saved."

Xiao Yuanshan interjected to explain:

"Brother Fang, don't blame me for taking the liberty of doing this. We're new to this place, and if we want shelter from the wind and rain, we have to show some sincerity. I've given them a few rolls of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant; the rest are still in my pack. Also, to show that we're not just eating and lodging for free, I've temporarily mortgaged your chestnut horse to them. We can redeem it when we leave, or whatever."

Fang Jianqiu nodded, indicating that he fully understood:

"Brother Xiao did the right thing. There's no such thing as a free lunch. These brothers have left their homes to make a living here, and it's not easy for them. Since we're troubling them, it's only right that we give them something in return! As long as it's not an exorbitant amount, I have no problem with it."

Fang Jianqiu spoke sincerely, giving Xiao Yuanshan face while also expressing respect for Zhou Liqun and the others.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liqun looked at Fang Jianqiu with even greater approval. This young man was honest and reliable.

After a brief exchange of information, Xiao Yuanshan got straight to the point.

"Brother Zhou, to be honest, Brother Fang and I have come here this time to ask you for a favor."

Xiao Yuanshan lowered his voice and said:

"We need your boat. Take Brother Fang and a few others to Chinatown in Honolulu. Don't worry about the payment; we've already made arrangements and will definitely not treat the brothers unfairly."

Upon hearing this, the bald Zhou, who had been full of admiration, instantly revealed an extremely troubled bitter smile, his fierce face almost scrunched up like a bitter gourd.

"well......"

He sighed heavily, took a cigarette from his pocket, and tried to light it, but his hand trembled twice and he put it down again.

"I already guessed that Brother Xiao was probably going to bring this up. Smuggling... in the past, of course, wasn't a difficult thing. Although the foreigners were strict and there were some risks, we've been in this area for so long that we know exactly which waterways are safe and when the patrol teams change shifts. We're so familiar with it that we can say we're very skilled at it."

"but......"

Zhou Liqun paused at this point.

He looked at Fang Jianqiu with a hesitant and reluctant expression, as if he had something difficult to say.

Fang Jianqiu looked at him, showing no frustration at the setback. He simply glanced calmly in the direction of the wooden house they had just left and asked:

"But is it related to the wounded person lying in the house?"

Zhou Liqun was taken aback, then nodded vigorously:

"Brother Fang has already guessed it."

He gritted his teeth, as if making a decision, and punched a nearby tree. "It's not that I don't want to help, nor that I deliberately hid things to raise the price. It's just... just so embarrassing!"

His face was contorted with resentment, his eyes were red, and his voice was filled with intense hatred:

"Brother Fang, Brother Xiao, you don't know, things are not peaceful on the sea right now!"

"It's not because of the foreign patrols, it's because of those short, ugly Japanese pirates!"