第三十五章 人头费(1 / 2)

从姑获鸟开始 活儿该 1217 字 2023-04-24

一阵剧烈的嘈杂声钻进查小刀的耳朵里,他不耐烦地揉了把脸,从网绳床上翻身跃下,推开舱门:“那姓蔡的有完没完?他再叫人哭丧,叫弟兄们刻一块木牌子挂上,上面写八臂哪吒蔡明福,咱们也哭一哭他死鬼老爹!哭谁不会?”

天舶司的产业是世代家传,蔡牵的父亲蔡明福早年也是海上大枭,一直帮葡萄牙人做走私生意,半匪半商,有个诨号叫“八臂哪吒”,后来失踪,有人说他是死在日本幕府军队的火枪下,更有甚者传说是蔡牵弑父夺权,谣言满天飞。

李查经营南洋这么久,自然早就听人说过蔡氏这桩旧闻。

查小刀之所以发这么大火,是因为昨天晚上楼船上有许多蔡氏家仆给天保仔烧纸钱哭丧,少男少女嚎哭抽泣的声音隔着海水一直传到红旗帮的船上,吵得他一夜没睡好。

蔡牵似笑非笑地转过头:“查兄弟,大清早就来挖苦我?我手下不少人都是疍家渔民出身,一向敬仰红旗天保龙头,他们自发祭奠,我是一概不知,亏我还好心帮你付人头费。”

“人头费?”

查小刀揉了揉头发,顺着他的目光看去,岸边站着约莫五六十个头顶斗笠的陌生汉子。脚边放着些香料,果酒之类的土产,应该是礼物。

薛霸上下抛着一只柑橘,嘴角含着一点冷笑,他身后的几个红旗水手在甲板上或站或倚,一副慵懒的模样,隐隐有对峙的意思。

有意思的是,一旁的楼船上,几名阎姓家仆也在貌似谈笑间,把住楼船的各处,似乎和红旗同仇敌忾。

蔡牵正和对方交涉,同他站在一起的,还有一人,一个包蓝色头巾,腰里别着白铜烟杆的老头,衣着和那些陌生汉子大差不差,应该是头领一类的人物。

那老者见到查小刀,伸出左右手各以拇指直伸对齐,食指弯曲,其余三指直伸,指尖向上贴在胸前,行的是红旗帮中人的礼数,所谓“三把半香”

“安庆合剥皮钟,见过查头领。我曾在钱陀头领的麾下任过舵手。与红旗有一段香火情。不知道钱头领这次来了么?”

查小刀面色缓了缓,依样还礼。对老者的说法没甚怀疑。过去每逢灾年,粤闽沿岸不少渔家子弟撑一杆竹蒿便来投奔红旗,若是不如意想离开,或者落下残疾不能出海,也大多能领到一笔安家费用,他们行过还香礼,和大屿山一刀两断,也有人干脆做了红旗海盗在民间的耳目,知道红旗帮的暗语讯号,并不稀奇。

“按大盟主和天保龙头的号令,钱头领已经是一旗之主。奉命驻扎在澳门,老丈这次怕是见不到了,你刚才说什么人头费?”

剥皮钟脸上有些为难,但是吞吞吐吐,还是说了个明白:“这是婆罗洲的规矩,自打明末便有了,为了岛上华人团结求存,我们安庆合,和九头洪,老平,新十四平………一共十六家公司定了人头费,凡是来婆罗洲上讨生活的人,不论出处,必须选一家公司签合同,缴纳人头费。少则十几两钱,三五斛米,多则二十两钱,八斛米,公司会给他一份合同和生计,惹了麻烦,公司也会给他出头。要是没钱,也有活儿干,只是要从合同里扣。”

薛霸按捺不住,质问道:“不知道宝船王林阿金当初签的是哪路合同,给哪家公司缴足了他林氏一万余儿郎的人头费啊?”

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