Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 1418 Beach House
After saying goodbye to the treasurer, the red-flag carriage passed through the garden square in front of the governor's mansion, passed through several streets and houses, and passed through the south gate of the castle according to the earl's instructions, heading for the seashore.The road under the wheels is the famous landscape avenue in Manila more than 300 years later - Roxas Ocean Drive.However, in this time and space, although this road was regarded by the colonial authorities as a military thoroughfare connecting Cavite and Cavite Fortress in Manila City, and a sum of money was allocated every year to maintain the road, the road condition was in a mess: the so-called renovation was nothing more than Shovel a few shovels of dirt into the rut and throw two bundles of firewood into the pit.

Although the carriage shook a little when it ran over these obstacles, it didn't slow down at all. The shock-absorbing leaf springs creaked under the body, but it withstood the test.The carriage drove to a small bay surrounded by sand dunes, and behind the bay was a small fishing village called Malat.Looking from the small boats on the beach and the shabby thatched huts, there are only two brick and stone buildings near the fishing village. fence.It was built by a former mayor of Manila for his ailing daughter, so that she could breathe the beneficial coastal air.Until the little girl died of illness and the city magistrate resigned and returned home, this exquisite building became dilapidated and dilapidated day by day.Weiss bought it for nothing.

Before the car stopped, Weiss opened the door and jumped to the ground.But Shrek dawdled on the steps behind the car for a long time before slowly getting down.Weiss had known for a long time that this seemingly strong black slave was actually pitifully cowardly, and the feeling of the carriage speeding up and down just now scared him out of his wits.Weiss left Shlick alone in a daze, and walked straight to his new house.The gardens and villas are all open, and the yard is full of bricks, tiles and gray sand.The weeds and creeping vines that had covered the stones of the courtyard walls had been shoveled down, and the carpenters and masons from Parian were busy repairing the damaged parts of the building due to many years of idleness, and whitewashing it according to the count's request. new.

The yard had been cleared of vegetation—vegetation is so rampant in the tropics that it would quickly regain lost ground if human activity abated a little.When I first bought this villa, the grass and trees in the yard were so dense that it was almost impossible to walk in.

Except for Mimi who was supervising the work of the craftsmen in the house, there was also a young man leading several local servants who unloaded large and small wooden boxes from a bullock cart and carried them into the house. They were all Weiss' luggage, of which quite Part of it was the various outfits used by the fake earl: these were bought at great cost in Macau, and part of it was from the spoils of the Manila galleon.

The young man was wearing a newly made long-breasted livery, embroidered with the "arms" of the House of Count Vananova.His hair was cut unevenly, and the short stubble stood on his forehead in a mess like a dog chewing on it.This is undoubtedly the result of shaving his own hair in front of the mirror. No one in the local area would cut such short hair.

This is already a kind of obedience to the "organizational arrangement". Originally, he had been wearing his naval training uniform, but on the hair, the young man refused to compromise and continued this strange hairstyle.

Weiss knew that this young man who tried his best to show off himself, for fear that others would not know that he was an "Australian Kun", was called Jimmy De, and he was a naturalized citizen from a Chinese merchant family living in Beiqi.The protracted civil war in Vietnam has dragged quite a few Chinese businessmen in Hai Duong into the abyss of bankruptcy, and Jimmy's father is one of them.Although he did not fall into the loss of life and property, the whole family had no means of living, not even the money to go back to their hometown in Fujian.

Relying on the introduction of an acquaintance, the father and son found a job at the Dachang warehouse.Unlike his father who only wanted to make a living, the exquisite Australian products aroused the almost fanatical yearning for "Australia" among young people.This enthusiasm even touched Bei Kai, the station master of Beiqi Station. He sent a report to Lingao and recommended Jimmy to go to Fangcaodi to go to school.

Because of the family business, Jimmy learned to read, write and calculate accounts since he was a child. In addition, he is smart and eager to learn. Naturally, it takes a lot of effort to obtain a second-class diploma in Lingao compared with most aborigines who were born as refugees.Because of his age and expertise, he enrolled in the business class of Fangcaodi. When he was about to graduate, he was selected to participate in the first Luzon voyage trade internship in a Southeast Asian company.

This time, the internship that everyone in Fangcaodi envied was a kind of joke for the young high-achieving student in the business class. At this point the fleet is ready to return.Although he was out of danger under the treatment of the ship's doctor, he would never fully recover within ten and a half months.

The fleet cannot wait any longer, and the trading fleet composed of sailing ships should return as soon as possible while the trade wind season is not over.However, no one can afford to take the great risk of bringing on board a still infectious patient.Ocean-going ships are originally hotbeds of diseases, and even the strictest isolation measures may not be able to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases.In the end, it was decided to let Kimide stay in Parian's Guangdong Guild Hall to recuperate. Ping Qiusheng left him a batch of medicines and money, and gave an additional gift to the head of the Chamber of Commerce. Through him, he found someone to look after Kimide. Pick him up when the next trade ship arrives.

Before leaving, Weiss knew from the intelligence outlet that he "will find someone useful" in Manila. After today's almost indiscriminate contact with the intelligence agent, Weiss feels that he will be full of energy after recovery, "always ready to serve Australia. The young man who contributes to Song's career should indeed be thrown out and put to use. It would be a pity to let him stay at home all day doing odd jobs.

Weiss walked up the steps and took a few steps along the porch.He entered the house as dark, thin Chinese craftsmen came in and out through the open door, bringing in buckets of ash and sawn timber.To increase the light in the house, the windows on the first floor have been enlarged, and a full-height space has been added to the roof - a hole has been cut in the roof for a glass skylight.

The newly installed blinds made by Lingao were all open, making the originally dark living room much brighter.Despite the good ventilation, a strong smell of lime, raw lacquer mixed with linseed oil made him frown.Mimi didn't care, running around the living room tidying up, now and then nimbly avoiding splashes of plaster and paint.The fluttering skirt and the girl's slender waist suddenly made Weiss smell a seductive youthful fragrance from the pungent smell.He waved his hand, motioning for Mimi to look around with him.The entire villa and garden are full of busy construction scenes, the sound of hammering walls and nails and the noise of craftsmen.His bedroom on the second floor has been basically completed, the walls smell of freshly painted lime water, and the floor has been covered with Porto cork flooring shipped from Macau.This kind of floor is wear-resistant, beautiful and elastic, and is very popular among the elders in Lingao.

The furniture has been placed in the house. The furniture is old furniture from the original villa. It has been damp and deformed after being vacant for many years.Mimi had it rebuilt by a carpenter, and it was very solid, all made of the best local wood.

According to Lando's instructions, Lingao straw mats, gauze mosquito nets and bamboo skin pillows have been laid on the single bed, which looks very refreshing.

The thought of the Spaniards in Manila sleeping on mattresses made him itchy all over, and he wanted to take a bath immediately.

However, the newly built toilet was empty, without any equipment, only a few reserved holes.

"Sanitary fixtures arrive from Macau a little later. And plumbing. But the guys here don't know how to install..."

"It doesn't matter, people will be sent with the ship to install it." Lando said, "Is the drainage channel ready?"

"The coolies won't be able to come to work until the day after tomorrow—the local coolies are very tense now, and the price has also risen," Mimi took out a small notebook, "The foreman in charge said: Everything here has increased in price. Even wood."

Timber is everywhere in Manila, as long as you find enough workers to cut it and bring it back.If the prices of all these things increase, it can only show that the artificial increase is very large.

"A new bath tub has been prepared for you in the bathroom downstairs - bought from the Japanese Village, as you ordered. A temporary toilet has been set up in the yard. As for soap, bath brush and toilet paper, they can be found at the Ryan has bought them all. They will be delivered in a moment."

Are Southeast Asian companies doing a good job!Lando thought to himself, at least he didn't have to write a letter to apply for these most common daily necessities.

"All the windows have to be replaced, and these ridiculous shells have to be replaced with glass." Filipinos like to use pearl shells on their windows to block the scorching sun, and in Manila, where earthquakes are frequent, replacing broken shell window panels is far away. Much cheaper than glass.Even the Spaniards are not exempt - not to mention the high price of European glass that can be transported to Manila in its entirety during the year-long bumpy sea.

"Go to Parian's Huangji shop to buy glass. The Southeast Asian company's glass plates are all sold by his family, and then they will send a glassmaker over. No, I'm not asking you to buy it. I asked Jimmy to do it. One thing, remember to bring my business card. And Shrek, an idiot, ask him to stand guard at the gate in full armor! Go, my sweetheart."

Seeing Mimi closing the door and going out with a blushing face, Weiss took off his stuffy boots in a happy mood. He didn't lie down directly on the bed, but on a piece of paper bought from Parian's bamboo shop. On the bamboo couch—he didn't plan to take off his muddy and sweat-stained clothes to enjoy the bed yet—relying on the habits he developed on the battlefield, he quickly fell asleep amidst the noise.

(End of this chapter)