Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 131 The Portuguese who are obsessed with money
Barreto de Noronha, the captain of the "Oriental Hope", looked at his dozen or so crew members who were beaten black and blue with a grim face. He did not speak for a long time, and subconsciously tightened the rapier at his waist with his right hand.

He raised his head and looked at the Chinese people gathered at the dock. Although he tried his best to appear calm, he couldn't help feeling a little fear in his heart. He signaled to his first mate with his eyes to quickly take the crew back to the ship.

"Wei, don't you want to pay us the freight?" He took a deep breath and asked Wei Yingbin who hurried over in a deep voice.

"Captain Noronha, what makes you think this?" Wei Yingbin said with a smile, "I think there must have been an unnecessary misunderstanding here."

On his way here, he had already briefly understood the entire process of the dock conflict.

In view of the fact that the Portuguese had experienced a long voyage of several months, in order to avoid introducing infectious bacteria that they might carry on their bodies to Qiming Island, Dong Xinping, who was in charge of the sanitation and epidemic prevention at the dock, asked them to stay on the ship temporarily and prohibited them from going ashore and walking around at will.

The fresh water and food they needed were also lowered to them by the residents of Qiming Island through ropes.

After completing the fourteen-day quarantine period, they can go ashore and move freely on land.

During the first two days, perhaps because they had just arrived in a very unfamiliar place, the Portuguese were quite well-behaved. They ate the food and wild fruits sent from the island, tasted the game and fresh fish served from time to time, and quietly waited for the host's next arrangements.

However, when the Portuguese sailors stood on the deck and watched that group of immigrants were guided off the ship and settled into a large area of ​​wooden houses on the east side of the dock.

Every day, many residents of the island came in and out, covering their faces with a piece of cloth, holding piles of linen clothes, taking off all the clothes on the immigrants, and then dragging them to the wilderness to burn and bury them.

Of course, there were also immigrants who were seriously ill and dying and were carried out and treated in the same way.

Afterwards, these new immigrants, under the arrangement of many managers, did simple physical recovery exercises, such as walking, jumping, or squatting in the large square in the wooden house area to bask in the sun.

There is also a special person to cook for them, three meals a day.

Although I don’t know what their food is like, the smoke rising every day and the fragrance occasionally wafting over on the breeze should be pretty good.

Looking at all this, it seems that these immigrants are enjoying themselves very much and are very comfortable.

Unexpectedly, the Chinese people on this island treated immigrants very well. Not only did they not treat them harshly, but they treated them with warmth and affection, like family members.

Oh, and that might involve excluding images of administrators brandishing sticks and whips to discipline unruly immigrants.

Seeing the situation on the shore, the Portuguese sailors, who had been stuck on the ship for several months, immediately forgot the Chinese people's request.

Why can those immigrants from the East disembark when they arrive at the port, but we are confined to the ship and not allowed to move around freely?

Could it be that there are many shameful things on your island that you don’t want us to see?

So, a group of Portuguese sailors ignored the warnings of the armed militia guarding the dock, got off the ship directly, and prepared to head towards Shixing Fort.

There should be fresher and more delicious food in that small town, there should also be mellow wine, and perhaps many beautiful women.

After experiencing so many storms, it is time to relax your tense nerves and comfort your empty heart.

Unexpectedly, before these Portuguese sailors had gone far, they were stopped by a team of armed militia on duty. They waved short sticks and ordered them to return to the ship immediately and were prohibited from going ashore.

The two sides did not speak the same language, and soon they started quarreling and pushing each other. It was unclear who started the fight first, but in the end they ended up fighting.

But this was Chinese territory after all, and the numerous armed militiamen and residents who arrived upon hearing the news quickly took complete control of the situation, striking down the rebellious Portuguese sailors. When Captain Noronha arrived, he was shocked and enraged by the situation. He ordered his men to protect his own sailors while loudly protesting to the Chinese.

So ungrateful!
It took four or five months, through countless storms, across the vast Pacific Ocean, to deliver your Eastern immigrants to their doorsteps, yet they were treated like this.

Is this how you Chinese people treat your guests?

If that's the case, then this will probably be the only time we can cooperate with each other. We'll each go our separate ways and never contact each other again.

Wei Yingbin comforted the Portuguese with kind words and finally calmed them down.

Soon after, he promised the Portuguese that they only needed to be patient for two or three days, and after a warehouse on the north side of the dock was vacated, he would allow all the Portuguese sailors to disembark.

As for the freight that the Portuguese are concerned about, Shixing Fort is checking the warehouse and will definitely pay it in full.

Seeing the other party's sincere attitude, Captain Nolonya finally put his heart at ease and promised to do his best to restrain the sailors' behavior and prevent them from causing trouble again.
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On October 10, when several large boxes full of peso silver coins were placed in the center of the hall, they immediately dazzled the Portuguese.

Captain Noronha reached out and grabbed a handful of silver coins, holding them close to examine them carefully.

The obverse and reverse of the silver coin are composed of the Habsburg coat of arms and the cross of Castile and León, typical Mexican casting specifications, and the entire shape is an irregular striking pattern.

"Here is 70,400 pesos silver coin. According to its silver content, it is exactly 54,200 taels of silver." Wei Yingbin grabbed a silver coin with a smile, threw it into the air in an arc, and then it fell into the cash box with a crisp collision sound.

"Of course, we've deducted a small amount from the cost, about a dozen or so taels of silver. Captain Nolonya, don't you mind?"

"Honestly, I do mind," Captain Noronha said with a smile. "A dozen taels of silver could buy a load of pepper from Aceh in Haojing, which could sustain a family of four for six months. Oh, and of course, it could also pay a sailor's wages for two months."

“…” Wei Yingbin was stunned after hearing Harvey’s translation next to him.

Why is this Portuguese guy asking for money?
“Hahaha…” Captain Nolonya couldn’t help but laugh when he saw him like this. “Wei, you must be cursing me for being greedy in your heart, right?”

"No, no." Wei Yingbin waved his hand and said, "I was just thinking about whether I should convert the food and accommodation you have eaten these days into a more suitable price."

"..." Captain Nolonya shrugged after hearing this. "Wei, you can't do this. We are honored guests of your castle. We are the most loyal partners in our cooperation. Therefore, whether you are treating guests or partners, you should show the utmost hospitality. Well, to be honest, your behavior is nothing like that of a true Ming citizen."

"Of course, since we left the Ming Kingdom and came to this desolate New Continent, we are no longer Ming citizens," Wei Yingbin said. "Perhaps, we will establish a brand new country here in the future, creating a true paradise. So, we hope to continue our cooperation with you next year and send more hungry Ming people here so that they can have a new life."

"I'm looking forward to working with you again." Captain Nolonha said, throwing the silver pesos in his hand into the cash box, and then pretending to hug the other party to show the close cooperation.

"Captain Nolonya, I suggest you stay with us for a while longer. It would be best if you could return to Ming with us in January next year."

"Wei, we can't stay here for too long. We need to return to the Far East as soon as possible. If we have enough time, we can go to Japan and bring back some Japanese goods. That way, we can maximize our ocean profits."

"Captain Nolonya, I have a big business deal for you. I wonder if you'd stay for it?" Wei Yingbin's words were full of temptation. "If everything goes well, you might earn a hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"..." Captain Nolonya said gently, his eyes shining immediately, and he grasped Wei Yingbin's hand, "I am very interested in any business that can generate huge profits."

(End of this chapter)