The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Lighthouse Avenue is close to the harbor and is named after the tall lighthouse at the end of the road. Merchants, ship owners, captains, sailors, brokers from all over the country, people who come here to try their luck with the dream of getting rich, and some poor people who just want to make a living come here.

Therefore, this street is also a mixed place, where princes and nobles and beggars can appear at the same time.

As soon as it gets dark, the streets without street lights become dim, and only the scattered light from the houses and shops on the roadside can help the eyes. After drifting on the sea for half a year, there is a lack of vegetables, fruits, and vitamins, and the sailors' night vision is not very good, and Min Xi and Yun Ji are no exception.

However, although their eyesight is not very good, their hearing is particularly sharp. They can hear all kinds of strange noises coming from the darkness, bragging, cursing, flirting, laughing, crying... truly the various aspects of life.

Min Xi couldn't help but sigh: "This is the flavor of life."

When Yun Ji heard this, he couldn't help but look at him sideways, because Min Xi happened to say what he was thinking.

Reis led them to an inconspicuous storefront. The outside looked shabby and the sign was a little crooked, which seemed to be very consistent with the temperament of the sailors: bohemian and carefree.

As soon as they entered the room, Min Xi and Yun Ji were almost choked by the foul air mixed with tobacco, alcohol, and body odor. They both turned their heads at the same time, smiled bitterly at each other, and then took a deep breath of fresh air before mustering up the courage to walk in.

It's a different world inside, the space is very large and bustling with people. People gather together to drink, chat, brag and gossip. When they are happy, they stand on the tables and stools and dance.

Reis had already reached the bar's front desk and was chatting loudly with a large man whose beard covered most of his face. They patted each other on the shoulders, and it was obvious that the two had a very good relationship.

Following Reis's hand, the bearded man with a pipe in his mouth looked at Min and Xi. Reis waved at them, and they walked past the crowd quickly. They didn't notice that after they came in, the noise in the room gradually became lower, and the eyes gradually gathered towards them. After all, Asians are quite rare here.

Reis introduced them to the bearded man, "They are the Chinese we rescued at sea, Min and Yun. This is the old Sanvis I told you about. He is the owner of this tavern."

Min Xi and Yun Ji quickly saluted: "Hello, Mr. Sanvis!"

Sanvis took down his pipe and said, "You speak Portuguese well. What would you like to drink, my friends from afar? I'll treat you."

Min Xi thought for a moment and said, "Thank you. Give us a beer."

Sanvis laughed out loud: "The beer here is the best in Europe. You have good taste!" Then he took out two wooden cups and poured two large cups of beer.

"Thank you, sir!" Min Xi and Yun Ji did not refuse and took a sip. "Good wine!"

Sanvis' eyes sparkled, and he was obviously very satisfied. He asked, "Do you have beer in China?"

Min Xi shook his head: "No, we Chinese drink rice wine and sorghum wine."

This is quite different from the beer and cider in Europe. Sanvis' eyes lit up: "How does it taste compared to beer?"

Min Xi thought for a moment and said, "They each have their merits. I prefer the taste of beer." This was not a lie. He only drank a little beer and didn't drink liquor.

Sanvis was quite satisfied with this answer. This little foreigner loved his beer. It seemed that his beer was indeed the best.

Sanvis laughed: "Rice said you have no place to live. How about this? My attic is still empty. I'll give it to you two to live in. I'll charge you 300 ris a month, not including food. How about that?"

Min Xi quickly agreed: "Okay, thank you very much for your help."

In this way, Min Xi and Yun Ji found a place to stay in Lisbon, France.

Their room was an attic on the second floor. After entering, people could only stand up straight where the roofs met. They had to bend over to avoid touching the roofs. There were no beds inside, so they could only lie on the floor. However, this was much better than the conditions on the ship because there was a window through which they could breathe fresh air, see the stars, and even see the sea during the day.

Min Xi and Yun Ji took the blanket brought by the tavern servant Diego and lay down on the floor. The two of them shared the blanket and slept in each other's arms, having the most peaceful and sweet sleep in the past six months.

When they arrived in Lisbon, it was the end of February, the end of winter, and the temperature at night was around ten degrees, which was still a bit cold.

The two of them did not have much bedding, so they laid some sheepskins with the hair lost on the ground, which could only keep out moisture. They were covered with a hard blanket, which had an indescribable strange smell. Neither of them dared to pull the blanket too high because the smell was unbearable and the blanket did not provide much protection from the cold.

In the middle of the night, the coldness rose from the sea and enveloped the entire city. Min Xi and Yun Ji, who were sleeping, subconsciously hugged the only source of heat around them.

The long-term fatigue made them sleep well all night, and Yun Ji was awakened by the dazzling morning light until the sky was bright. He opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar roof. He was stunned for three seconds before he remembered where he was. He was now in the capital of Flanders. Min Xi said it seemed to be called Lisbon? By the way, where is Min Xi?

His waist suddenly felt tight, and he quickly lowered his head, and his cheek hit a head.

He reacted and found Min Xi in his arms. He was snuggling in his arms like a child, his legs hooked around his legs, and his arms were also around him.

At this moment, his uneasy heart suddenly calmed down, and he even subconsciously held Min Xi in his arms. Because Min Xi, in this completely unfamiliar environment, he did not seem to feel panic. If he was alone, he would never follow the Fulangji people here. With Min Xi by his side, he felt that he could go through any danger.

He moved his arm, and the person in his arms slowly woke up. The hand on his waist loosened, and the warm body in his arms gradually moved away. Yun Ji felt inexplicably lost.

Min Xi yawned, slowly raised his head, and met a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. The eyebrows and features were picturesque, which was really pleasing to the eyes.

Min Xi was in an extremely happy mood: "Morning, Young Master. Wow, look at the scenery outside, I can really see the sea!"

Seeing that he didn't even wear a coat, Yun Ji rushed to the window to look at the scenery, and quickly took the coat and put it on him: "Put on some clothes, don't catch a cold."

Min Xi reached out and grabbed the clothes, and said as he put them on: "So this is what Lisbon looks like. How do you think it compares to the capital of the Ming Dynasty?"

Yun Ji went to the window and took a look, saying, "What I see is not as prosperous as the capital. But this is just a corner, it's hard to comment."

Min Xi smiled and said, "You are quite objective."

Yun Ji didn't say anything, but just accompanied him to the window to look at the scenery, the ships passing by on the sea, and the people on the streets.

Min Xi suddenly said: "Do you know what I want to do most now?"

"What do you want to do?" Yun Ji asked cooperatively.

Min Xi said: "Take a hot bath, eat a hot meal, and then warm up in the sun. This is how you should spend the winter!"

Yun Ji smiled and said, "That's a good idea. Let's go and find a place to take a shower."

Min Xi said, "We need to find a place to buy clothes first. Our clothes are almost like rags."

This is not an exaggeration. They were still wearing their original clothes. When the ship arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, they landed once in Cape Town and bought a set of clothes. They had worn the two sets of clothes for several months and had long been torn due to the hard work they did on the ship.

"Yes, we are now almost like beggars. It's time to buy two new sets of clothes." Yun Ji said.

"Let's go shopping." Min Xi said excitedly.