Chapter 6, The Matter Must Be Escalated (Part 1)

There is no other way; we can only force the ducks onto the shelf. Wu Chaoyue, increasingly helpless, could only calculate and say: "Uncle Liu, it seems we have no choice but to do this. After all, you control some workers at the dock. Gather them together and have them recite the Bible to unload the cargo from this ship. Also, let them know that anyone who obediently recites the Bible will have their commission waived for today, and each will receive a reward of ten wen. I believe they will be more than willing to comply."

"I had no choice; I was forcibly brought here by them," Wu Chaoyue replied with a mournful expression, then comforted Liu Lichuan, saying, "It's alright. Whether those foreign shipowners agree or not is another matter. They may not be willing to assist these priests, as they are pressed for time."

Upon hearing Wu Chaoyue's words, Liu Lichuan's expression softened somewhat. Not daring to offend the young master of the Wu family, Wu Chaoyue, while still enjoying the hospitality of the Wu family, he could only helplessly nod and say: "Alright, I will give it a try. You little rascal, it seems that today I will definitely offend countless people for your sake! Do you know how chaotic the Shanghai docks are? Do you have any idea how many people will hate you for doing this?"

Unable to entangle with these overly zealous missionaries, and unwilling to offend so many foreigners, while also considering that the Boxers, who specifically targeted the Russians, would still be active decades later, Wu Chaoyue, feeling dizzy from the entanglement, gritted his teeth and made up his mind. In the end, he reluctantly agreed to the demands of these missionaries with a mournful expression. The twenty or so missionaries immediately erupted in joyous cheers, eagerly pulling Wu Chaoyue out. Meanwhile, Wu Chaoyue instructed Wu Dasa to bring more lackeys to assist him, while internally comforting himself: "I am not aiding the oppressors; I am doing a good deed, helping those dockworkers increase their income. This is a good deed, not an act of treason for personal gain. Even if I face some criticism now, history will surely vindicate me in the future."

Dear Wu, we need your help. The British missionary Luo Weilin, who was beside him, spoke more candidly: "Wu, please be sure to help us. I have been in China for fourteen years, and I know better than anyone the difficulties and hardships of preaching in China, as well as the great misunderstandings and hostility that the Chinese have towards us missionaries. Your idea is excellent; we can handle the negotiations with the Western merchant ships, but we need your assistance in organizing the dock workers to recite the Bible. We need your help to communicate with those Chinese workers and let them understand that our intentions are entirely good."

What left Wu Chaoyue dumbfounded was yet to come, as Father Martin brought along more than twenty priests dressed in black robes, each holding a Bible. Missionaries from England, the United States, France, Prussia, Austria, Italy, and Belgium were all present. As soon as they met, they surrounded him, speaking various Western languages and their halting Chinese, showering Wu Chaoyue with blessings while simultaneously requesting to establish a friendship with him. The only English-speaking Wu Chaoyue was overwhelmed by the cacophony, feeling dizzy and faint, unable to comprehend why he was so favored and trusted by so many foreign priests.

"Chao Yue, Chao Yue." Suddenly, a familiar shout echoed in his ears. When Wu Chaoyue looked up in surprise, he saw Liu Lichuan, the leader of the Shanghai Double Knife Society, supported by his grandfather, rushing over with a group of thugs. Without any preamble, he bombarded Wu Chaoyue with questions: "Chao Yue, what happened? Your grandfather asked me to bring more people to the dock to help you. Help with what? How did you end up with so many foreigners?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chaoyue's already thin face appeared even more sorrowful. Liu Lichuan, who did not understand English, could only guess that something was amiss from Wu Chaoyue's pale complexion, and quickly pressed for details. With no other choice, Wu Chaoyue translated the words of several foreign priests for Liu Lichuan. After listening, Liu Lichuan also lamented, saying: "What a good deed you have done! Now, what do you suggest we do?"

By coincidence, a British cargo ship from Hong Kong had just docked at the pier, and it had not yet had the chance to unload or load cargo. However, the area around the ship was already crowded with dockworkers seeking work. Luo Weilin and Maidusi, along with other British priests, were overjoyed upon seeing this. Without a second thought, they rushed aboard the ship to negotiate and communicate with the shipowner, requesting the shipowner's cooperation in their missionary work. Wu Chaoyue, upon witnessing this, felt anxious and continuously prayed in his heart: "Lord, please do not let the shipowner agree; otherwise, my enjoyment today will be greatly affected." Luo Weilin and Maidusi, along with other British priests, were overjoyed upon seeing this. Without a second thought, they rushed aboard the ship to negotiate and communicate with the shipowner, requesting the shipowner's cooperation in their missionary work. Wu Chaoyue, upon witnessing this, felt anxious and continuously prayed in his heart: "Lord, please do not let the shipowner agree; otherwise, my enjoyment today will be greatly affected."

Wu Chaoyue exclaimed, realizing that Wu Jianzhang must have already received the news, which is why he hurriedly sent his most capable enforcer, Liu Lichuan, along with a vibrant social organization to the dock to assist. Without hesitation, Wu Chaoyue quickly pulled Liu Lichuan aside and briefly recounted the events to him. Upon hearing this, Liu Lichuan was initially taken aback, then he stomped his feet and cried out, "Chaoyue, have you lost your mind? Why get involved in such matters? Do you know what the consequences of this could be? If the workers at the dock are unwilling, once they cause a ruckus, a single spit from each of them could drown you alive!"

The Huangpu River dock, which is specifically designated for foreign merchant ships, is far more bustling than the inner city of Shanghai. There are over 3,000 workers on the dock who make a living by loading and unloading goods, not to mention the various vendors engaged in small businesses, as well as coachmen, horsemen, and sailors, bringing the total number of people on the dock to at least ten thousand. However, it is precisely because of the large number of people at the dock that when Wu Chaoyue led a large group of foreign priests onto the dock, he immediately understood what it meant to be the focus of attention—being gazed upon by thousands of eyes filled with curiosity and confusion, making it impossible not to comprehend this term.

"No! No!" Luo Weilin quickly shook his head and said, "Dear Wu, you can definitely do it! I understand the Chinese people too well; they have hardly ever seen foreigners and possess an innate hostility and fear towards us, the white-skinned, yellow-haired foreigners. They often refer to us as devils behind our backs, making it impossible for us to communicate with them normally. I know the Chinese people too well; they have hardly ever seen foreigners and possess an innate hostility and fear towards us, the white-skinned, yellow-haired foreigners. They often refer to us as devils behind our backs, making it impossible for us to communicate with them normally. But Wu, you can do it; you are Chinese, with yellow skin and black hair, and you can communicate with them normally. Even better, you are a descendant of Chinese officials, and the Chinese people generally fear officials. Therefore, if you come forward to help us explain and promote, those poor Chinese workers will surely understand our good intentions!"

Thank you for your gratitude, but in order to avoid being burdened with the unpleasant reputation of a scoundrel, Wu Chaoyue still said with a frown: "However, esteemed Father Luo Weilin, and all respected fathers, it is not that I am shirking my responsibilities; it is that I possess neither official power nor any influence or authority. If you wish for me to help organize the dockworkers to recite the Bible, I fear I will not be able to accomplish that"

Thank you, esteemed Father Luo Weilin. Wu Chaoyue expressed heartfelt gratitude, fully aware that while many foreign missionaries of this era are indeed the vanguards of Western powers invading China, a considerable number are genuine foreign friends who sincerely wish to help the Chinese people. Therefore, Wu Chaoyue has great faith in Father Luo Weilin's promise.

Mother, is it better to have grandpa or to be at home?

The harsh reality quickly shattered Wu Chaoyue's beautiful expectations. Not even five minutes had passed when Luo Weilin and several British missionaries, including Maidus, joyfully rushed back, calling out from a distance: "Dear Wu, it’s done! Mr. Charlie, the owner of the ship St. John, is also a devout believer! He has promised to help us, no matter how much of his precious time it takes, he is willing to assist us in spreading the gospel of the Lord to the Chinese workers!"

The book states that Luo Weilin is such a great international friend. During his missionary work in China, he not only provided free medical treatment to many impoverished people during the late Qing Dynasty, but he was also the first foreigner to introduce the cowpox vaccination surgery to China. Furthermore, he is the renowned founder of both Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Renji Hospital! Historically, during the Small Sword Society uprising, his hospital treated wounded soldiers from both the Qing army and the Small Sword Society, managing to ensure that both groups coexisted peacefully within the hospital and helped each other.

Speaking of this, Luo Weilin eagerly added: "Moreover, you can inform those dockworkers who are willing to recite the Bible that they can come to the hospital I have established outside Shanghai to receive treatment for various ailments at any time. I will reduce the medical costs based on their specific circumstances, and even provide treatment free of charge. Dear Wu, I am still a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, particularly skilled in ophthalmic surgery. As long as those dockworkers who are willing to recite the Bible, or their relatives, require it, I can perform cataract surgery for them free of charge."

... ...

Fortunately, a considerable number of the priests among the clergy can speak English, and having been in China for a sufficient amount of time, they can also speak a little Chinese. After communicating with their representative, Father Martin, and the British missionary, Father Luo Weilin, who has been in China for fourteen years, Wu Chaoyue finally understood their intentions and immediately regretted his suggestion. These Western missionaries, who have varying lengths of stay in China, unanimously supported the poor idea Wu Chaoyue proposed to Father Martin, and all wanted to take the opportunity to develop Catholicism and spread the gospel at the Shanghai docks, seeking to gain followers.

"It is my honor to meet so many clergymen," Wu Chaoyue said, secretly cursing Martin for being so talkative while feigning humility, and somewhat apprehensively asked, "Mr. Martin, since your brethren in the church believe my method is feasible, why don't you go directly to the docks to spread the gospel? Why come to me?"

Wu Chaoyue shook his head modestly, saying that he did not dare to take on this unfortunate task of being scolded. However, the various missionaries led by Luo Weilin and Martin were clamoring, insisting that Wu Chaoyue help them. A few foreign missionaries with more impatient personalities even went so far as to physically pull Wu Chaoyue to the dock to assist. The servants of the Wu family, including Wu Daisai, watched from the side and did not dare to intervene, only able to hurriedly send someone to the customs to inform Wu Jianzhang.

This is not all; yesterday, Father Martin, who had been skeptical of Wu Chaoyue's suggestions, candidly apologized to Wu Chaoyue, saying: "Dear Wu, I still do not understand ancient China well enough, nor do I realize how difficult it is for us foreign missionaries to develop followers in China. It was only after I returned last night that my brothers in the faith informed me that your approach would surely be very effective. They deeply regret not having thought of such a good idea earlier. Not only do they support me in this endeavor, but they are also all willing to help me with it, and they all wish to meet you, this rare Chinese who understands the West. So I apologize for bringing them along without informing you in advance."

When it was Liu Lichuan's turn, his face was longer than a donkey's. Wu Chaoyue guessed his thoughts and could only stamp his foot and say: "How much commission did you lose today? I will make it up to you! Also, the people you brought, I will treat them to dinner and drinks tonight, I will pay for it! But you must remember, you must ensure that your people protect these priests well; they are not bad people, and they mean well!"