The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

The next day, Min Xi was woken up by Yun Ji. They were going to the morning market to buy vegetables.

Min Xi sat up, stretched, yawned, and said, "It's dawn so soon? I should have asked for three days off. I can have a good rest today."

Yun Ji said: "You lack experience. Next time you will know to give yourself a break."

Min Xi sat on the bed and woke up for a while, then suddenly said, "How much money did the Baron give me yesterday? I fell asleep before I finished counting."

Yun Ji couldn't help but raise his lips: "100 reais."

Min Xi whistled: "Wow, so generous, it seems that the effort is worth it."

Yun Ji said: "How about giving each of the three of them 1 real?"

Min Xi snapped his fingers happily: "Okay."

After going downstairs, Min Xi's face completely fell. The light coming through the window reminded him of yesterday's troubles: "Who do you think broke the window glass? Are you going with me?"

Their store had just opened and business was so booming that it was bound to attract the envy of their peers. It was normal for them to smash the windows when they were out. The so-called business competition was often just some childish and inferior means.

Yun Ji said: "Mostly so."

Diego had gotten up a long time ago and was sweeping up the broken glass with a broom. When he saw them coming down, he said aggrievedly, "Sir, those people are so mean. Not only did they smash our window glass, they also threw dirty things into our store! Look!"

Min Xi and Yun Ji walked over quickly and saw that the bucket outside the corridor was filled with not only rotten fish and shrimp, but also dead rats.

Diego said: "Last night, after I lay down, I smelled a foul odor. I lit the light and checked. These dead things were thrown on the table and chairs by the window. I cleaned them out."

Min Xi was so angry: "This is too much! Who the hell is so wicked? Don't ask me to find him out!"

Yun Ji also snorted coldly: "This is simply outrageous!"

Diego said, "I'll go dump all of this out, then clean up the place again and wipe the tables and chairs a few more times."

Min Xi said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work. Let's go buy groceries and you clean the house."

"it is good."

The two picked up the baskets of vegetables and prepared to go out. Min Xi suddenly remembered something and took out a silver coin from his mouth: "Diego, this is for you. It was a reward from the Duchess yesterday."

Diego heard this and waved his hands: "I don't want it. I gave it to you the day before yesterday."

"The day before yesterday is the day before yesterday, and yesterday is yesterday's. Take it." Min Xi said.

Diego thought for a moment and took out the silver coin from his pocket: "Sir, please keep the money for me. I'm afraid I won't be able to control it and will lose it. Please keep it for me and give it to me later."

Min Xi heard him say: "Okay, I'll keep it all for you and give it to you later. It's two reais in total, remember it yourself, and Brother Qi, you can be the witness."

Yun Ji nodded: "Okay."

After leaving the house, Min Xi was still very angry: "You said those people are really despicable. They can't compete head-on, so they come to attack secretly."

Yun Ji said: "Don't let me catch who it is!"

When I bought groceries today, I bought less quantity than before. On the one hand, I was worried that old customers might not know that the store was open again. On the other hand, I didn’t want Min Xi to be too tired, so I wanted him to sell out early and rest early.

After buying groceries, Amanda also arrived and was cleaning with Diego. She was very angry when she learned that the restaurant had been vandalized. She had repeatedly scrubbed the tables and chairs that had dead objects on them, fearing that there was still some dirt left on them.

When Diego saw them coming back, he said, "Sir, the store next door is open. I'll go ask around and see who did it."

Min Xi said, "Don't worry, wait until I bake some egg tarts. I'll go ask myself."

So they started to get busy, packing up the vegetables they bought, making breakfast, and baking desserts.

After the egg tarts were baked, Min Xi personally brought a few boxes of desserts and visited the shops nearby and across the street.

The one on the left is a hat shop. The owners are a middle-aged couple with several children. The youngest boy always comes to Min Xi’s shop to buy egg tarts.

When the little boy saw Min Xi and the box in his hand, he jumped up happily: "Uncle, you are back? I have egg tarts to eat again!"

Min Xi nodded and handed him one of the boxes: "Yes. I was away from home for the past two days and the store was closed. This is for you."

"Thank you, uncle! Mom, the uncle from the restaurant next door is back and brought us egg tarts again." The little boy excitedly shouted to his mother who was making hats inside.

The charming lady boss came out and said, "You are so polite. Why are you sending us food again?"

Min Xi said, "Hello, ma'am! It's like this. I went out early two days ago. When I came back last night, I found that our window glass was broken. I want to ask you if you saw who did it?"

The lady boss said, "We were all taking a nap yesterday afternoon when we heard a few crackling noises. When I came out to check, I didn't see anyone. I didn't notice it was your glass that was broken. Later, the children came out to play in the evening and found out that it was your glass that was broken. I wanted to tell you about it today. It might have been a prank by some naughty child."

Min Xi said: "Then do you know what time it is?"

The proprietress thought for a moment and said, "It was about two o'clock. Not long after, the three o'clock bell rang."

"Thank you! I'll go and ask around." Min Xi said goodbye politely.

Southern Europeans have a long tradition of taking lunch breaks. Two or three o'clock is when most people are sleeping soundly. The other party chose this time to prevent more people from discovering his whereabouts.

Min Xi asked several shops, but they had all sold out their egg tarts and still had no definite news. Finally, the owner of the bakery across the street called Min Xi and said, "Young man, are you looking for the person who smashed your window yesterday?"

"Yes, sir, do you know?" Min Xi asked hurriedly.

The short and fat baker said, "Yesterday afternoon around 2 o'clock, I finished watching the fire in the oven and went to the door to get some fresh air. I saw that little bastard Jamie passing by my door with a short and thick stick and a rag bag in his hand. I paid attention and saw him walk to the door of your hotel, smash all the window glass with the stick, and throw the rag bag in through the window."

After hearing this, Min Xi asked, "Sir, do you know that Jamie? Who is he?"

"He's a street thug. Do you have any grudge against him?" said the baker.

Min Xi frowned. He really didn't know Jamie's gangsters. They were most likely sent by someone else to cause trouble. Min Xi thanked the bakery owner and went back to get two boxes of egg tarts to express his gratitude.

When I came back and told Yunji about it, Yunji said, "We have always been kind to others and have never offended anyone. I'm afraid we are being cheated by our peers."

Min Xi nodded: "I feel a bit like that too. Maybe someone sent that thug to cause trouble."

Yun Ji snorted coldly: "He only dares to disgust us when we are not around. If he dares to do it to our faces, I will respect him as a man."

Diego heard Jamie's name and said, "I know Jamie. He is also an orphan. We used to beg at the dock. But he always bullied us younger kids. He is not a good guy."

"Then do you know where he is?" Yun Ji asked.

Diego said: "After that, I went to Mr. Sanvis' place and rarely saw him. I heard that he followed a very powerful person and became his younger brother."

Min Xi asked: "What kind of person is that powerful person?"

"He's just a gang leader who helps loan sharks collect debts and collects protection fees. I heard that he has killed people." Diego had an uneasy look on his face.

After hearing this, Min Xi exchanged glances with Yun Ji and switched to Chinese: "Seventh Brother, I originally thought that he was sent by his peers to cause trouble. Now it seems that it is possible that he was sent by that villain?"

Yun Ji shook his head slightly: "If the villain wanted to collect protection money, why didn't he just come and ask for the money, but let a small thug do such a disgusting thing? Let's wait and see."

"Well. After lunch, let's find someone to fix the window glass. It really doesn't look good like this." Min Xi said.

Yun Ji nodded: "Yeah."

If the culprit cannot be found, this matter will always be a dark cloud, even diluting their joy of making money.

France was the first country to become wealthy through overseas colonial trade. It once made huge profits from spices shipped from the East Indies and Asia, making it the most powerful maritime empire.

However, the first bird to stick its head out gets shot. The Flamengo country was small in size and had a small population, and was obviously unable to resist the joint stranglehold of European countries. The cost of transporting spices back from the colonies was increasing day by day.

Nowadays, European countries are also devoting their national strength to developing overseas colonial trade. More and more spices are shipped to Europe from Asia and America. The price of spices has plummeted, and the rich days of the Flamencos are unsustainable.

Those most affected are the farmers who gave up their land and moved to the cities to make a living, as well as the government that maintains the normal operation of the state mechanism.

Farmers who move to the city and cannot find jobs or survive may become a hidden danger to society. The government is short of money, so it is naturally unable to maintain social order. Various crimes occur frequently, and the people are the most affected.

Min Xi knew that it was destined not to be peaceful for two foreigners like them to open a restaurant here. From the time the restaurant opened till now, it had been peaceful for more than half a month, which was actually very rare.

Although Yun Ji's fighting ability is not low, Min Xi feels that some things still need to be prepared and planned in advance, such as getting one or two pistols for self-defense.