The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

At the end of the month when Yunji was resting, Min Xi and Yunji not only entertained Captain Reis, but also took time to go to the pastry shop. Diego knew the purpose of their visit and hid in the kitchen and refused to come out.

Min Xi then asked Aunt Luo who the girl Diego liked was from and whether he could marry her.

Aunt Luo was dumbfounded by the question: "Diego has a girl he likes? Who is it? I don't know."

Min Xi was dumbfounded: "Aunt Luo, you don't know either?"

"I don't know. I've been helping Diego keep an eye out for suitable girls, but I didn't expect he'd picked one first. I have to go ask her whose family she is from." Aunt Luo was really shocked. She didn't expect she was so blind to the truth. "Did he tell you?"

"He didn't say anything. I just saw that he looked strange, so I thought he was pregnant, so I asked him. He said she seemed to be someone's maid, and I thought you knew." Min Xi said.

"I really don't know. I'll ask him later and help him keep an eye on the girl and find out her background." Aunt Luo was in high spirits. Matchmaking for others was a good deed and it was her favorite thing to do.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to Aunt Luo." Min Xi said.

Aunt Luo looked at Yun Ji and Min Xi and said, "You are all worried about Diego's marriage, what about your own?"

"Aunt Luo, don't worry about my affairs. I have already made arrangements." Yun Ji said.

"Who? Which girl?" Aunt Luo asked hurriedly.

Yun Ji glanced at Min Xi and said, "You'll know later. Just find out about Diego's affairs."

A few days later, after school, Min Xi went to the pastry shop. The shop was still open and there were quite a few customers, including children and adults who came to buy pastries.

Min Xi took Yunlin in and did not disturb the busy Aunt Luo and her husband. She took the tongs and a small basket to choose snacks.

Yunlin loves coming to the dim sum shop. He can feast on his food every time he comes. However, Min Xi doesn't let him eat too much, even though he and Diego both know how to make them and they are often available in the shop. Min Xi still doesn't let him eat them often, saying that eating too much sweets can cause tooth decay, and that he doesn't like to eat and it will affect his growth.

Yunlin took a small clip and took two of each food he wanted to eat. He was not allowed to take more. After taking it, he sent it to the counter to check out and pack it. This sales model was naturally thought up by Min Xi. They were the only one in the whole city that did this. They didn't worry about customers stealing things. After all, many people in Beijing still wanted to save face. Compared with the small amount of losses, the advantages of this sales model obviously far outweighed the disadvantages.

Aunt Luo took Yunlin's small basket and took out some paper to wrap the snacks. When she looked up, she saw Min Xi and Yunlin and exclaimed, "Oh, Manager Min, Brother Lin, why are you here? Is this enough for us to eat?"

Min Xi said, "That's enough, Aunt Luo, just wrap it up for him."

Aunt Luo carefully wrapped the snacks for them, glanced at the guests, and said to her husband, "Master, please take care of it. I'm going to go talk to Steward Min and Brother Lin."

As she spoke, she opened a sliding door next to the counter and let the two in: "Manager Min, Brother Lin, please come in and sit down."

Min Xi led Yun Ji behind the counter. Auntie Luo lowered her voice mysteriously and said to Min Xi, "I have already found out who you asked me to find out about. She is a second-class maid in the Duke of Wei's family. She will probably come here to buy food soon. She comes almost every day. She is a very cheerful girl. No wonder Diego likes her. I like her very much too."

Min Xi said: "Is this possible for a maidservant of the Duke?" The Duke of Wei was the only Duke's Mansion in the Ming Dynasty that was passed down from the beginning to the end of the Ming Dynasty. One can imagine how noble his status was.

"That depends on the family tradition of the Duke's family. The Duke's daughter is about to get married, so there should still be a chance to propose marriage then. She is just a second-class maid, so it should not be her turn to include in the dowry." Aunt Luo said.

"That's good. I'll go back and ask around to see how we can get this done in a decent way," said Min Xi.

"Coming, coming!" Aunt Luo suddenly reached out and pulled Min Xi's sleeve, motioning him to look at the door.

Min Xi looked in the direction of the voice and saw two girls coming in. One was a little older, about 17 or 18 years old, and the other was a little younger, about 13 or 14 years old. The older one was slightly plump, with fair skin, and her appearance was not particularly outstanding, but when she smiled, she had two dimples, which made her very cute and lovely.

Min Xi lowered his voice and asked, "The big one?"

Aunt Luo nodded and smiled, "Yes. Her name is Gao'er, so the young lady must also love to eat."

Min Xi couldn't help but laugh. Isn't this a coincidence? Diego is a pastry chef, just like the saying goes, "People from the same family are not related." I just don't know if this pastry girl is willing to marry a foreign guy who can make pastries.

The cake girl was very bold. She first picked up two samples for the guests to taste with toothpicks and ate them, and then picked up the basket and tongs to select cakes. She also told the little girl beside her which one was delicious and what flavor it was.

Min Xi walked to the baking room at the back and saw Diego who was still busy: "Diego, it's almost closing time, what are you still busy with?"

Diego turned around and saw that it was Min Xi. He asked in surprise, "Boss, you're here?"

Min Xi looked over and saw Diego was baking cookies, so he pulled him out and said, "Come out for a moment."

Diego was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Min Xi said, "Go help Aunt Luo pay the bill, and I'll help you bake."

Diego was a little confused, but he went to collect the money anyway. As soon as he stood still, he saw Miss Gao'er. He instantly understood Min Xi's intention and blushed. Min Xi shook his fist at him, then smiled and turned around to bake cookies.

After they finished their work, Min Xi called Diego to go home.

Min Xi looked at Diego and smiled: "That girl is nice, she loves to laugh, and she is a blessed girl. I just don't know if she is interested in you. I will ask my grandmother later to see how to propose to her family."

Diego blushed: "Boss, I, I..." He talked for a long time but couldn't utter a single useful word.

"Are you willing?"

Diego nodded.

"Have you spoken to her?"

Diego nodded as well.

"Then she must have an impression of you. If she doesn't want to, there's really nothing we can do."

Diego nodded reluctantly.

Min Xi patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I think there is still a chance of success. Her name is Gao'er, so she must love eating cakes, and you make cakes, so aren't you a perfect match made in heaven?"

Diego was delighted by what he said and the corners of his mouth curled up.

The next day, after school, Min Xi went to ask Mrs. Tao about Diego and Miss Gao'er.

Madam Tao said, "The girl is not married yet, so she will definitely not marry the maid first. But you can propose marriage first, and then marry the maid after the girl is married. The maids in the Duke's Mansion are all slaves. You have to find a way to get rid of the slavery of the girl. Whether to redeem her or release her, it depends on the conscience of the Duke's Mansion."

Min Xi asked: "Grandma, do you want us to go and propose marriage in person?"

Madam Tao smiled and said, "You don't need to go there in person. Just find a reliable matchmaker and explain your ideas to her. She will go to the house to raise the issue and see how the Duke's Mansion responds."

"Okay, thank you grandma."

Old Madam Tao sighed, "You kid, you only care about Diego's marriage, what about your own? Don't you worry about it at all?"

Min Xi chuckled: "I'm not in a hurry. My seventh brother hasn't even gotten married yet, so how can I rush ahead of him?"

Madam Tao shook her head helplessly: "I really don't understand you two."

After getting the news from Old Madam Tao, Min Xi decided to entrust the matter to Aunt Luo and let her find a matchmaker to propose marriage. Women tend to have more contact with people like gossip girls.

Min Xi told Aunt Luo that Diego was not their servant, but a friend and brother brought back from Fulanji. Diego had skills, had no father or mother, and had earned a lot of money, which he kept with them. By then, Diego would buy a small courtyard in the capital, and their life would be worry-free in the future.

This condition is not bad in any way. The biggest problem is that Diego is a foreigner. I wonder if they can accept it. Aunt Luo promised to take the matter over and said she would find a reliable matchmaker to make it happen.

Before Yunji came back at the end of the month, Aunt Luo got a reply saying that the matchmaker had come to propose marriage, and the Duke's Mansion had sent someone to the pastry shop to see Diego, and gave the matchmaker a reply after seeing him. They agreed, but they needed to pay Gao'er 100 taels of silver to redeem her. The Duke's Mansion didn't want the 100 taels of silver, and gave it to Gao'er as a dowry. After all, Diego was a foreigner, and who knew when he would leave Daming and go home.

Aunt Luo asked Min Xi about this, and Min Xi agreed readily.

When Diego learned about this, he was so nervous that he stammered, "Dong, Dongjia, is it true? Did Miss Gaoer agree?"

"Miss Gao'er's master's family has agreed, and she will listen to their arrangements, so you don't have to worry. Get along well with Miss Gao'er in the future. After her daughter gets married, you can marry her." Min Xi said.

Diego nodded vigorously: "I will treat her well!"

When Yun Ji came back and heard Min Xi's arrangement, he did not object: "When the time comes, we will add some money and help him buy a small courtyard."

No matter how cheap the small courtyard in the capital was, it still cost several hundred taels of silver. Diego followed them back and forth, but he had never been paid. A thousand taels of silver was not a lot, not to mention that he had earned money from Oriental Flavor with them, and he had not been paid for his wages at Yunxiang Western Pastry Shop.

Besides, Min Xi and Yun Ji brought Diego from Fulangji to Beijing, so they naturally had the obligation to arrange his future. As a friend and brother, he wanted to start his own business, so it was only natural to give him a resettlement fee.

In this way, Diego's marriage was settled. He would only wait until the autumn when the daughter of Duke Wei got married, and then he would be able to marry Miss Gao'er.