The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

After Min Xi and his friends had finished their meal, Shopkeeper Chen finally had some free time. He came to the table, ordered himself a set of bowl and chopsticks, and sat down to drink with them.

Shopkeeper Chen poured himself some wine, and filled the glasses for Min Xi and Yun Ji, and raised the glasses to toast: "You are too polite to give me such an expensive gift. It is so inconvenient to bring it all the way here."

The gifts that Min Xi and Yun Ji brought to Manager Chen were tea and a set of purple clay teapots. These gifts were very thoughtful for the people of Zhangzhou who loved drinking Kung Fu tea. They really touched their hearts.

The last time they came to Malacca, they saw that the tea set used by Manager Chen was not complete. They thought it was accidentally broken and they had no place to replace it, so they had been using it as is. When they set out this time, they specially brought such a set of tea set with them.

Min Xi smiled and said, "As long as Manager Chen likes it. Fortunately, the tea set is not damaged."

"I like it, I like it very much! You know how difficult it is to get a set of purple clay teapots here! This gift is really precious." Shopkeeper Chen didn't know how to describe the joy in his heart.

They chatted while drinking.

Min Xi asked about the seeds he gave to Chen, and Chen said, "I planted them according to the method you gave me, and the crops grew very well. The tomatoes grew so big, sour and sweet, very appetizing, and very delicious when fried eggs or soup. The chili is really spicy, and many people can't get used to it, but I like it very much. I dried the red chili and put a few in the cooking, which is very fragrant. Rice and sweet potatoes are also grown, and the yield is really not low, and each has its own characteristics."

After hearing what he said, Min Xi felt relieved.

Shopkeeper Chen asked them about the latest news in the Ming Dynasty. When he learned that Emperor Longqing had passed away, he was very sad. After all, it was Emperor Longqing who opened the ports so that he could return to his hometown. "I wonder what the new emperor's attitude will be towards maritime trade."

This is something that everyone who makes a living overseas worries about. Every emperor has his own decrees, and each emperor's decrees may be different. One emperor may issue one, and the next emperor may overturn it, and only the common people will be affected.

"When we left, the previous emperor had just passed away and the new emperor had just ascended the throne. We had not heard of any changes in customs policy for the time being," said Min Xi.

Yun Ji said: "The new emperor is young, so the empress dowager should be the regent. The decrees of the previous emperor will not change much. The customs policy will not change in the short term, at least not before the new emperor takes power."

"That's good! That's good!" Shopkeeper Chen put his hands together and prayed.

Min Xi said to Shopkeeper Chen, "Shopkeeper Chen, I see that you have cold dishes made with lemons in your store. I guess you also sell lemons in the market here, right?"

"Yes. People here like to eat sour food, and lemon is an important condiment. We have been here for a long time and have gradually become accustomed to eating sour food. The weather here is hot, which affects the appetite, and eating something sour is just right to stimulate the appetite." said Shopkeeper Chen.

Min Xi said, "Then I want to buy more lemons. Where should I buy them?"

"Brother Min, do you also like sour food?" Shopkeeper Chen asked curiously.

Min Xi smiled and said, "We are going to Fulangji. After passing Malindi, it will be difficult to replenish vegetables and fruits, so we want to bring more lemons on the boat to prevent scurvy."

"Eating lemons can prevent and treat scurvy?" Shopkeeper Chen was in Malacca, so he naturally knew about scurvy. The disease was very scary. Once one was found on the ship, a large number of cases would surely appear. It was the most feared disease on ocean-going ships.

"In fact, you can eat tomatoes, but tomatoes are not durable in storage and cannot be stored as long as lemons."

"Yes, lemons can be stored for several months without any problem. If you want them, I can ask someone to buy them for you and make sure they are big and fresh," said Shopkeeper Chen.

"Thank you, Manager Chen. I need a lot, at least the amount needed for the people on two ships for a month. Each person should eat about one pill a day." Min Xi said.

"That's no problem. I'll ask someone to go to the countryside to collect them. We can collect a lot. Many of these things are wild and no one eats them. Even if they fall on the ground, no one picks them. If you're not in a hurry, I can hire someone to help you pick them." said Shopkeeper Chen.

"We won't leave for a few more days, so there's no rush to leave."

"Okay, I'll find someone to help you collect it in the countryside."

Min Xi stood up and bowed to Shopkeeper Chen: "Thank you, Shopkeeper Chen!"

Shopkeeper Chen smiled and waved his hands: "It's just a child, it's nothing to worry about."

Min Xi added: "It may be a small matter for you, but for us, it is a matter of life and death. We paid for the purchase of lemons and the wages of the hired workers."

"It really won't cost much, so you don't have to pay." said Shopkeeper Chen.

"No, this must be given." Min Xi took out a ten-liang silver ingot and placed it on the table.

Shopkeeper Chen was shocked: "How can I spend so much? One tael of silver is enough!"

"We bought a lot, so one tael of silver may not be enough. Shopkeeper Chen, please keep it first and refund if there is any excess or a small amount."

Shopkeeper Chen pushed it back: "I'll buy it for you first, and we'll settle the bill then."

"Then I'll have to trouble Manager Chen." Min Xi thanked him again.

It really saves a lot of trouble to have familiar fellow villagers in a foreign country. When they were shopping for supplies, Shopkeeper Chen also took the initiative to help, and the things they bought were cheaper.

Captain Almeida also found two Portuguese ships that were scheduled to return to Europe soon through local Portuguese officials, but the cargoes on those ships had not been loaded yet and they would have to wait for some time.

After discussion, they decided to wait a few more days. After all, safety was more important, especially since Yunji's ship was not equipped with cannons, and the Jazz had only made one trip to Asia and was not familiar with the route.

When their ship was anchored at the port of Malacca, merchants came every day to ask what goods they had on board and whether they wanted to sell them. Most of the merchants who came to ask were from Europe or West Asia. After all, in this era, the most popular goods were those from the Ming Dynasty.

When they got a negative answer, these people were very disappointed, because a round trip from Malacca to Ming Dynasty would take at least two months, not including the time to purchase goods, so many middlemen were willing to go to Malacca to trade goods, which could save a lot of time and greatly reduce risks.

Of course, there were also some merchants who were unwilling to give up and tried to persuade Yun Ji and Min Xi to sell the goods, and they offered a high price, but Yun Ji and Min Xi were determined not to sell. They also did not say that their ship was going to Europe. After all, a man is innocent but is guilty of possessing a treasure. If a merchant ship without guns went to Europe, wouldn't that be equivalent to telling others that this was a big fat sheep?

Even when Almeida told people that they were going to travel together, he never said that they were going to take a Ming ship to Europe. This would have to be discussed later when they reached the supply point.

When it was almost time to set off, the date was postponed again. The captain of the Laurel said that they had to wait for another ship. When Min Xi heard the name of the ship, they were all stunned. They were all familiar with the ship, called the Harvest.

Captain Almeida thought he had misheard: "Is it the Harvest? The captain is Rodriguez?"

Captain Martins of the Laurel was also a little surprised: "Yes, you know him?"

Captain Almeida showed a joyful expression on his face. "Thank God, they are fine. We came to Asia with the Harvest and the Goddess, but before we arrived in Cape Verde, we encountered a damn storm that separated us. We waited and waited all the way, but the Harvest never came. We thought they had an accident. I didn't expect to meet them here. It's really God's blessing! They are safe! Have they arrived? I want to meet Captain Rodriguez."

Captain Martins suddenly realized: "I see, it seems that the Harvest is lucky to have survived the storm and reached Asia on its own."

They soon met Captain Rodriguez of the Harvest. When he saw them, he came up to them and gave them a warm hug: "Haha, my old friends, we meet again. I didn't expect that we would meet again in Malacca."

Captain Almeida patted him on the back and laughed, "Mr. Rodriguez, I am so happy. I never thought I could see you here again. God bless you!"

After the two captains exchanged greetings, Captain Rodriguez looked at Min Xi and Yun Ji: "I didn't expect to meet Mr. Min and Mr. Yun again. Are you going to Europe again?" He had eaten the dishes cooked by Min Xi and was deeply impressed.

Min Xi smiled and said, "That's right, we are going to Portugal again. And this time we have something to ask Captain Rodriguez."

Captain Rodriguez asked, "What is it?"

Min Xi and Yun Ji looked at each other and said, "This time we are using a Ming ship to load a shipload of goods to Portugal. We have to rely on you and Captain Almeida to take care of us on the way."

Almeida added: "This cargo was actually purchased for Baron Fernando."

This was the decision they made after discussing it together. They confronted Captain Rodriguez and pretended that the cargo on the ship belonged to Baron Fernando. Because Captain Rodriguez was trustworthy, the Harvest belonged to the Rodriguez family, and this family had a close relationship with the Fernando family, so they would not turn against Fernando for a shipload of cargo.

If the other two ships are unwilling to accommodate Yunji's speed, at least the Jazz and the Harvest are trustworthy.

Captain Rodriguez understood what they meant: "You want to come with us, right?"

"Yes, our Ming Dynasty ship cannot catch up with the Galen, so we need you to take care of our speed." Min Xi said with a smile.

Captain Rodriguez hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay. But if we go to Daming to do business in the future, I hope Mr. Min and Mr. Yun can provide help."

Min Xi readily agreed: "No problem." This way, both parties got what they needed and it was mutually beneficial, so they felt more at ease.

Min Xi said to Yun Ji, "Seventh Brother, Yun Xiang should open a branch in Macau later."

"Okay." Yun Ji agreed without saying a word.