Lu Ming

Chapter 606 Crowley's Fantasy Journey (seven)

Although it is the first time for merchant ships from various countries to come to Guangzhou New Area, how should I put it, most people are very comfortable with it.

To put it bluntly, the new district is an enlarged and upgraded version of Taijiang.For foreign businessmen who often do business with time-traveling forces, the unfamiliar new area makes them feel familiar.Everything here is neat, clean and full of vitality. The unique social rhythm that gathers a large number of people but is orderly makes it unforgettable for maritime merchants who are used to the dirty and chaotic port cities of this era.

Sure enough, a familiar routine, a familiar taste.

The European-style sailboat that followed the frigate to the port of the new area was first towed to the familiar pier by the familiar pilot boat.

Like the Taijiang River, the wharves in the new district are all trapezoidal wharves made of concrete poured with large gabion nets.The difference is that the number of piers in the new area is larger, wider and longer, each of which can accommodate two large sailboats on the left and right.

After disembarking at the designated pier, as expected, there is a hotel area not far away that is specially used to accommodate a large number of foreign sailors.

The hotel area is much larger.Like Taijiang, it has clean beds and a bar that stays open until late.

Considering that the drunkards on the Taijiang side often fight, more bars with different themes have been added in the new area, such as Jack Sparrow Rum Bar and Aoi Gai Noh Izakaya.

The scumbags from different countries now have their own territory and don't have to mix together.

The hotel area is still red brick houses, still isolated by walls, and there are still health and epidemic prevention personnel on standby 24 hours a day.

Thanks to the advanced imported infrared components, epidemic prevention personnel can use the most convenient way to measure body temperature to monitor large-scale infectious diseases.

Most infectious diseases, including colds, which are considered killers in this day and age, begin with a rise in body temperature as the first symptom.In this city where there is a large influx of foreigners, wherever there are crowds, including hotel areas and workers' residential areas, quarantine personnel will measure the body temperature every morning and evening in order to isolate problematic persons in a timely manner.

Quarantine is the most effective way of epidemic prevention under current conditions.With the weak chemical and health system, there is no way to prevent and control after the event. We can only use this "discovery-isolation" method to block the spread of large-scale infectious diseases.

As for post-quarantine, if the quarantined person is lucky, the cold can still be cured, and they will be fine in a few days.If it is another disease, after the doctor's identification, you can only resign yourself to fate. Anyway, there is no cure, and it depends on your own immunity to fight your luck.

Western sailors skillfully accepted infrared body temperature measurement at the pier, and then poured into the bathhouse in the hotel area to bathe, eat and sleep skillfully.

These scumbags knew very well that they would not be let out in the first few days, so they all recharged their batteries and prepared to go to the bar to have a good time at night.

The lives of sailors at the bottom have nothing to do with those at the top.

Although Crowley and Old William were also monitored, they went to the business district afterwards.

In this day and age, the East India Companies of various countries themselves perform diplomatic functions, so the business district is the diplomatic district.The construction of this area also started very early. The geographical location is superior, occupying a scenic area along the river, and it is not far from the administrative center of the new area, so it can get good travel and security services.

Public construction funds, including roads and greening, are provided by the government of the new district in the business district.However, the commercial halls of various countries are provided by their respective East India companies, which are regarded as pre-ordered goods.

Since the client is not a Ming person, in the end, these shops are built according to the customs of various countries as much as possible. This is not difficult for travelers who have a lot of architectural history materials in their hands.Various Gothic styles, Victorian styles, and Nordic styles, which are familiar to later generations, all appear in the embassy area.

However, due to the lack of building materials and skilled workers, most of these stylized buildings are a bit off. Four different.Well, anyway, the Brits don't know what Victorian style is. They are busy plotting to cut off the head of Charles I, so let's make use of it.

Crowley lived in such a "mansion", which was the old William's sincere praise for the Dutch business house, and Crowley agreed with it: it has a running water system with its own small boiler, beautiful tiled bathrooms and The toilets, the dining room filled with ornate Chinese china and the wonderful western fireplaces all wowed the merchants.

After enjoying the comfortable sanitation service and delicious Chinese seafood dinner in the mall, Crowley finally stood on the rooftop of the mall at nightfall and saw the "City of Paradise" repeatedly mentioned by Old William.

The night view of the city that future generations see every day is the most shocking miracle in this era.Even if this night scene is only at the county level, the large sparks at the entrance are enough to make Crowley, who has just arrived, dumbfounded.

Hastily dragging old William out of the shop, Crowley got into a four-wheeled carriage with glass windows.

For the rich, the city is warm and kind.The beautiful carriage was driving slowly on the beautiful hardened road, and Crowley sat in the car, constantly looking at the glowing gas street lamps and the lighted windows on both sides of the road.

In the strange feeling of being bright and dark at the same time, the carriage walked silently for a long time.However, in the end, Crowley still couldn't believe all of this: How many gold coins would the ruler burn in one night for the dense streetlights in a whole city?
"How do Easterners do all this? Are they really that rich?"

Old William chuckled and took a sip of his rum before telling his nephew that as far as he knew, Easterners were as poor as Europeans, and most of the legendary wealth stories were lies.And only in the territory of the Earl of the East will such a bright city appear.

While speaking, the carriage came to a very noisy market.The interpreter of the store, which comes standard with the carriage, pointed to the large stone archway at the entrance of the street and told the two gentlemen: This is called "Zhuangyuan Restaurant".

In seventeenth-century Europe, the dark streets were filled with theft, betrayal and murder.In any city in this era, the streets at night are unsafe places.Even in the warm tavern in the film and television drama, in reality, there are only a few candles lit, which are used to provide a place for whispering schemers in the shadows.

Crowley got lost in the bright and noisy night market.

The night market is full of people, mostly young men and women, but there are also middle-aged people with tired faces.

Crowley noticed that most of the people who came here were low-level people wearing short T-shirts—he could now roughly distinguish the ranks of Eastern citizens.

A gentleman wearing a later-style suit just like this novelty mixed in the crowd and drifted with the crowd.He saw the food stalls hung with gas lamps, the young men and women fighting wantonly, and the vitality and safety of the city.

Next, together with the old William, the gentlemen tasted some novel oriental food: grilled squid, rice noodles, grilled oysters, milk and eggs fermented glutinous rice.

Finally, after reaching out his cuffs to wipe off the grease from the corners of his mouth, Old William said meaningfully: "I think, even with the revenue from the night market, the earl is enough to pay for the lighting expenses."

After thinking about it, Crowley agreed.

A trip to the city at night will make the gentlemen return home full of energy.Of course, the belly can be regarded as a rewarding experience.

After returning to the shop, Crowley found that many equally excited merchants gathered in the bright smoking room to chat, so he joined in, and they didn't go to sleep until midnight.

Crowley, who came to the modern city for the first time, spent the next week in novelty.

This week, his main task was to accompany Old William on business.

First of all, the old William sold all the saltpeter in the warehouse of the Lady Jacob to the Ministry of Commerce in accordance with the previous contract.The saltpeter and the proceeds from the sale of horses in Hongji Port, Old William settled the account in one lump sum.

Next, Old William and other merchants on board will also look for buyers at the port's exchange to sell other traditional goods in the warehouse, such as Indonesian spices, Indian cotton yarn, gemstones, rice and mahogany.

In addition to business activities, Crowley also followed the old William to visit those old friends.In fact, this kind of visit to the powerful is the most important business behavior of Old William, because he can get opportunities that others cannot get.

For example, to participate in the "Guangao Expressway" foundation stone laying ceremony.

In this plane, there is no opportunity for the development of Hong Kong Island.The Guangzhou New District, which was opened hundreds of years earlier, has actually undertaken all the foreign trade and business activities of Hong Kong in the old world.

As for the Guang'ao Expressway, after traveling across the continent, the strongest voice has been uttered in terms of governance: If you want to get rich, build roads first. This sentence is an unbreakable truth of the plane.

1632年4月25日，农历3月初7日，宜开业、动土、迁宅、修坟。

Located outside the Great South Gate in the south of the old city of Guangzhou, there are already crowds of people waving colorful flags. The originally cramped prime location in Guanxiang, where every inch of land was occupied by merchants, has now been demolished to a large vacant lot, with walls of some houses in the distance On the top, there is still the word "demolition" circled in white and gray.

Thanks to the old William, Crowley took the top spot at the concierge desk set up in advance at the gate of the city today.

A loud voice overwhelmed the noisy scene, and was floating in the sky: "Leaders, guests, foreign friends, Hong Kong, Macao and indigenous people, today, I am very excited."

After a long time, after a certain chief executive from the Ministry of Communications finished his stereotyped speech, the two red-robed officials sitting on the guest table raised their arms, surrounded by many old-fashioned officials in long robes and time-travelers in suits. Next, the collective came to the foundation laying pit where the monument had been inserted.

Immediately afterwards, Crowley saw a strange oriental custom: a circle of oriental dignitaries, bowed their waists, pouted their buttocks, shoveled about a pound of soil with a shovel, and collectively looked at the strange machine that was continuously flashing. Their faces were full of smiles, motionless, like zombies.

(End of this chapter)