The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Baron Fernando said, "Then I'll share a room with you, or you two can make room for me. We haven't seen each other for so long, we can talk."

As soon as these words came out, Min Xi and Yun Ji's faces looked a little strange.

Min Xi did not answer him, but said to the baron: "You go back today, and I will make a room for you later, and you can stay here for a few days."

"Not today?" The Baron was still reluctant to leave.

"It's really not possible today." Min Xi said. He didn't want to say in front of so many people that he and Yun Ji were now living in the same room.

The Baron said reluctantly: "Well, you must prepare it for me quickly, I want to eat the food you cook." This was the real reason why he wanted to stay.

"Okay. I'll make you whatever you want to eat then." Min Xi agreed readily and just wanted to get him away as soon as possible.

After everyone left, Yun Ji looked at Min Xi and said, "Do you really want to keep him here with us for a few days?"

"Go find Mr. Bright and tell him that we want to use an extra bedroom. I don't think he would disagree. When the Baron asks, just tell him that we have made room for him."

Yun Ji heard this and nodded: "Okay."

Min Xi was unwilling to openly admit that he and he lived in the same room. Did this mean that he also felt that their current relationship was a bit ambiguous, and he also acquiesced to this ambiguity, but was unwilling to let others know that they were in this ambiguous state. In fact, he was still a little secretly happy in his heart.

The next day, Yunji went to see Brett and said that a friend of his was coming to stay for a few days and needed an extra room. He could pay more rent for him. However, Brett had eaten so much of their food, so he didn't feel comfortable paying more. So Yunji generously gave him the key and told him to vacate the room himself.

The two of them found some time to clear out the bedroom on the west side of the second floor and prepared bedding, waiting for the Baron to come and live there.

However, Baron Fernando did not show up for three days. He did not come until the afternoon of the fourth day. As soon as he came in, he lay down on the sofa and said, "I am so tired. I won't leave. Please treat me to food and lodging for a few days."

Min Xi poured him some tea: "What have you been busy with?"

The baron took the tea and drank it all. "Don't mention it. I couldn't get a word in when I met the Queen and the MPs these past two days. They just asked me to sit with them. It was so boring and I couldn't move freely. The food was terrible. I'm really amazed that the British can survive by eating these things! Don't they have tongues?"

Min Xi laughed out loud and wanted to refute, but he really couldn't find a reason to refute. He had eaten British food twice in the UK. One time was on the way from Southampton to London, where he had a disgusting vegetable soup, and another time was with the Queen, where they had chicken that was as dry as a rag. The British are really not good at eating: "Maybe it's not that they don't have a tongue, but that they are not good at cooking."

The baron said, "Min, I really have to stay here tonight, is that okay?"

"Okay, I'll make room for you. Yun and I will share one, and you can have your own room."

"Thank you, thank you!" The baron was very happy. "What's for dinner tonight?"

Min Xi said: "I have guests tonight, so we can only eat casually. Let's eat after the guests leave." Generally speaking, there is a curfew at night, and guests will not stay too late, and will leave at seven or eight o'clock at the latest.

"What time do you eat?" asked the Baron.

"It depends on when the guests arrive. Generally speaking, they leave around 7 or 8. If you're hungry, have some main course and dessert first."

"No problem!" The Baron also knew that he would not be hungry here. Thinking that he would have delicious food for every meal in the future, his mood instantly improved a lot. He finally had hope for the future.

When Min Xi and Yun Ji were busy in the kitchen, the Baron also came into the kitchen. He asked for help in washing vegetables and then for help in lighting the fire. In fact, he could not help at all and only made things messy.

Yun Ji took out a stack of steamed buns from the oven and said, "Your Excellency Baron, if you are hungry, have some steamed buns first. We will be in the kitchen soon."

The baron happily took the steamed bun: "Ahhh, my favorite steamed bun!"

Min Xi shook his head when he heard that. He had just heard him talk about his favorite beggar's chicken and hot pot a few days ago. It was obvious that anything that was delicious was his favorite.

But the Baron was not completely useless. When the guests arrived, he took the initiative to help serve the dishes and explained to the guests in vivid detail the unique features of each dish.

The guest was a regular customer and it was not his first time to dine here. He looked at the unfamiliar baron and asked in confusion, "Are you a new servant?"

The Baron was stunned and was about to speak.

Yun Ji was also serving the dishes, and upon hearing this he quickly said, "No, no, no, this is our guest, he's here to help us."

The baron laughed: "I would like to be a servant, but they won't accept me."

Yun Ji said, "Your Excellency the Baron, please don't joke with me. We can't afford to hire you."

When everyone heard him address him as Baron, they realized that he was a nobleman. No wonder he didn't look like an inferior person, and they quickly apologized.

The baron waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, they are my friends, I came here to eat and help them."

"Then you are happier than us. The boss's cooking is so good that you can eat whatever you want." The customer was also very interesting and actually started chatting with the baron.

The baron smiled proudly: "That's right, I am luckier than you, I have eaten delicious food for more than one year."

The guest was really surprised: "You are not British?"

"I'm not from Portugal."

Then the baron started chatting with the guests about the current situation in Europe. As expected, men of all ages talked about similar topics. Finally, the guests invited the baron to join them for dinner.

The baron quickly refused. This was not edible. The meal cost more than a pound and he didn't want to take advantage of someone he didn't know.

While they were eating here, Min Xi also prepared their own dishes. Seeing that the guests were still eating, he did not wait and brought the dishes to the coffee table and started eating.

The three of them also had a hearty meal. They also had the roast chicken that the guests had, and cooked it together. Some of the dishes were just ordinary home-cooked stir-fried dishes, which were rarely prepared for guests. The three of them didn't drink, so they ate much faster than the guests. When they finished, the guests had almost finished. After clearing the coffee table, the baron chatted with the guests for a while.

It's no wonder that the Baron had a very pleasant conversation with them. When the guests left, they asked the Baron, "Do you want to go back to the city together?"

The baron was very proud: "I don't have to go back, I can live here and eat the meals cooked by Boss Min every day."

You know what, this is really enviable.

After the guests left, the three people who had finished their work sat down and chatted.

The baron said to Min Xi and Yun Ji, "To be honest, this Yizhuo restaurant is a great success! You can make money without having to work so hard."

"This is why I opened a restaurant, I just don't want to work too hard," said Min Xi.

Yun Ji asked, "How did you arrange your schedule? You were originally going to be here for two or three months, but because of an accident, you were delayed for so long. How long do you plan to stay in the UK?"

The baron looked at them and asked, "Want to go back?"

"You don't want to?" Min Xi asked him.

The baron lay on the sofa: "When I was in the Netherlands, I really wanted to go back because I was not free. Now I am in England, living in a house in the countryside, and I have meals cooked by you all. I don't want to go back anymore. Hehe!"

"But we want to go back. There are still two stores at home and no one is in charge. We don't know what's going on. We agreed to go back in three months, but it's been more than four months and we haven't gone back yet. They must be getting impatient." The money here is indeed easier to make than in Lisbon, and it's also more relaxed, but the two of them couldn't live here with peace of mind.

The baron said, "That's right. I'm actually busy too. The ship to the New World might have returned. While I'm away, there's a butler at home, but he can't make decisions on many important matters. I heard from my eldest brother that he should be back soon. He was originally planning to visit Queen Mary in Sheffield. I don't think he will go back anymore."

Min Xi was stunned: "Who is Queen Mary?"

"The former Queen of Scots. She is under house arrest at Sheffield Manor by Queen Elizabeth, but visits are still allowed. His Majesty the King originally instructed us to pay her a visit, but now my brother means that since we have received the favor of Queen Elizabeth, we should not do these things to upset her. Although she does not prohibit people from visiting, she is still a political enemy after all, and she will not be happy if we go." said the baron.

Min Xi understood: "We should avoid suspicion."

Mary I, Queen of Scotland, who believed in Catholicism, had always been a bargaining chip for Catholic countries in Europe to depose Elizabeth I. They had always wanted to depose Elizabeth I and let Mary I rule England. Elizabeth I imprisoned Mary I for many years and did not want to kill her at first. However, Mary I never gave up and tried every means to restore the throne. Elizabeth I eventually executed Mary I for political purposes. Later, Elizabeth I passed the throne of England to Mary I's son, realizing the unification of England and Scotland.

The baron looked at them and said, "In fact, we will have to go back soon. Are you going to close the store?"

"What else?" Min Xi asked back.

"It's a shame. It's a shame to close such an easy and profitable shop."

"After we go back, we will open a private restaurant. We will still let them run the Chinese restaurant, and we will still open a private restaurant like we do now, with a higher price. Those who want to eat my homemade food will have to pay a high price to come and eat." Min Xi said.

The baron nodded: "Not bad, but the price certainly can't be as high as here." One pound is equivalent to 20 reais, which is equivalent to more than a year's income for a Lisboa person. It's too extravagant. Although this pound is also equivalent to half a year's income for a British person.

"If there is no money, then there is no money. Whatever money you make is considered good." Min Xi didn't care.