Rise of the Argentine Empire

April 5th, 7 days before the start of school.

Early in the morning, Saint-Hesse drove that flashy Rolls-Royce to the rental shop to return it. He doesn't need the car much anymore, and in a few days, he will prepare to go to Bu City.

After retrieving the rental car deposit, he returned to the apartment and drove that beat-up second-hand motorcycle to the big market.

He searched around but couldn't find Old Man Chen. Old Man Chen's stall was not open today, with a slightly naive handwriting saying,

"The boss is celebrating a holiday today, open tomorrow."

This Spanish was probably written by Old Man Chen's son. It seems his learning has improved a bit, not bad, not bad.

Saint-Hesse couldn't help but feel a little strange. What holiday is today? He didn't see anyone celebrating on the road.

Since Old Man Chen wasn't there, Saint-Hesse went to the market and did some crazy shopping, buying a lot of food and drinks and some gifts, preparing to have hot pot.

In Chinatown, there seemed to be a celebration going on, with quite a lot of people and very lively. Rows of newly made Eight Immortals tables were set up with some offerings, and some people were worshiping.

Some people were also setting off firecrackers and fireworks. Looking at these fireworks, they seemed to be produced by the Maria Fireworks Factory. He just didn't know where the firecrackers came from.

Saint-Hesse couldn't help but pat his little head, feeling that he was too muddled. Today is April 5th, the traditional Chinese festival of Qingming Festival. He, an outsider, shouldn't have come.

The people in Chinatown were indeed celebrating Qingming Festival. Saint-Hesse felt that he should leave first. He was about to start his motorcycle and slip away, planning to come back another day. He definitely didn't check the almanac before going out today.

"Uncle Cohen, you're here too?"

Saint-Hesse was a little embarrassed and had to stop the car. But why use the word "too"? He didn't delve into it.

"Ha, it's Xiao Rong and Xiao Ming. Today, I won't go over. You two can just take the gifts back."

Old Man Chen's two sons are called Gui Rong and Gui Ming. The names are also of the older generation. He always felt that these were the names of his grandfather's generation in his previous life. He was a little embarrassed to say their full names, so he simply added the prefix "Xiao," which was easier to say.

"Uncle Cohen, it's okay. Since you're here, you must have a meal together before leaving. It's just celebrating the Third Month Festival," said Gui Rong, who was a bit older.

"Alright, you guys move things yourselves first. I'll go buy a pack of cigarettes."

Since the little guy said so, he certainly couldn't run away like this.

Saint-Hesse went to a nearby stationery store, bought a few sheets of hard red paper, and then bought a bottle of glue and a paper cutter, cutting and pasting a few simple red envelopes on the spot. Since he was going, he had to do enough etiquette.

He also took a few packs of cigarettes and walked towards Chinatown.

Originally, there were not many Chinese people in Cordoba. When he first met Old Man Chen, there were only about 10 tenants in the entire Cordoba city.

This Chinatown in Cordoba is located in the old city, all located in the old district of the immigrant city. The environment is relatively crowded, and security and racial issues are also problems that some Chinatowns have to face.

The land price and rent in the old city are not particularly expensive, but it is not easy to find a job, and the Argentine Peso is commonly used here, so it was still relatively difficult when he first came.

Overseas Chinese are very hardworking and thrifty, working nearly 100 hours a week, relying on their wisdom and labor to survive here. Saint-Hesse admired them from the bottom of his heart.

"Xiao Rong, one for each of you." Saint-Hesse took out the freshly made red envelopes, the glue not yet dry.

"No need, Uncle Cohen." * 2

"Take it, don't be polite."

"Uncle Cohen, we can't." * 2

"… …"

The two little guys were polite to him several times before accepting the red envelopes, which made people sigh that their family taught them well.

Saint-Hesse then slowly walked to the street entrance. Old Man Chen and Old Man Chen were standing there to greet him, making him feel flattered.

There was no sorrow in his imagination, but a smile on his face, wearing relatively new clothes, his beard shaved very cleanly, and his hair combed meticulously.

Could it be that he used dishwashing water? Saint-Hesse thought with some dark humor.

"Cohen, you, you, since you're here, why bring gifts? Have a meal before leaving later," he said, hurrying over.

Old Man Chen was still very strong. He and Old Man Chen grabbed Saint-Hesse's hands on the left and right. Although his hands were very rough, even thin, they were very strong, like ordinary steel claws, tightly clasped.

Sandwiched and walking forward, Saint-Hesse suddenly wanted to support his forehead. This posture was a bit like escorting a prisoner, as if they were afraid he would run away.

"Boys are also good. After Xiao Rong and the others grow up, they can find local girls to marry and have more children. Old Man Chen, you work harder and raise grandsons and daughters together," Saint-Hesse teased, saying casually.

"We Chinese generally still prefer to find Chinese to marry."

"Hey, your thinking is really old and feudal. It's also good for boys to find foreign girls. They all look pretty good. The grandsons born at that time will be handsome."

The sister-in-law Chen next to him also echoed. Saint-Hesse didn't feel anything about this, and even felt it was a matter of course, of course, not black people.

After chatting, they talked about other things.

"Today is indeed our Chinese festival. I came from Peru. It's a bit different from Nanyang and Xin Huaxia. Don't be too restrained. It's okay."

"Our ancestors have always been in our hearts. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There are not so many taboos as in the old days."

After some chatting, I learned that Qingming Festival in Peru is indeed not as many old rules as before.

The Qingming Festival is instead a day for family to gather happily. People who work outside and people who do business will definitely gather together to worship their ancestors, using their hometown language to show that they do not forget the words of their ancestors.

Saint-Hesse felt a little relieved in his heart and still stuffed the red envelope to Old Man Chen.

After another round of crazy politeness, I have to say that the two little guys learned the routine from their grandfather. Saint-Hesse covered his forehead with some headache.

Then the dinner began. The weather was cloudy today, not too hot. Everyone pulled the tables apart, took out their own long benches, and relatives and neighbors cooked and prepared dishes together, set out bowls and chopsticks, and came to eat.

It was not until the dinner that I realized that Old Man Chen was not the oldest in Chinatown. There were also several old women who looked to be in their seventies.

Saint-Hesse's seat was arranged above Old Man Chen and below the old woman to show respect for the guests. Saint-Hesse had no way to refuse and could only sit.

A group of people also happily gathered for dinner. Today is the time to eat vegetarian food. The vegetables and fruits that Saint-Hesse bought were used, and the others were put aside.

I have to say that even vegetarian food is especially delicious. The raw materials for these vegetarian dishes are mainly green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, carrots and corn, tomatoes, soy products, tofu, dried tofu, fungus, etc., all cooked with vegetable oil.

The vegetarian dishes on the Eight Immortals table are very rich.

Overseas, especially in Peru, many Chinese people open Chinese restaurants. Although Old Man Chen's family does not open a Chinese restaurant, they have also learned a lot of cooking skills. Sometimes, they often just deal with it simply and have to go to work, which is very hard, so it is very common to stir-fry and eat quickly.

Pickled radish, tofu with green onions, shiitake mushrooms and celery, celery and dried tofu, cold dried tofu skin, braised tofu, vegetarian chicken, vegetarian sausage, hot and sour shredded potatoes, bamboo shoot soup, vegetarian duck, vegetarian fish, vegetarian ham, etc., celery fungus, cucumber, cold okra, cold kelp shreds, and some Western dishes, such as vegetable salad... filled the entire table.

Today is a holiday. Eating and chatting, brewing tea, is not very fast, and everyone is very happy.

… …

Thinking back to Chinatown at that time, it was more like a "Chinatown Alley," occupying only a small alley. Last month, when I came to Uncle Chen's house for hot pot, there were already many more Chinese immigrants and overseas Chinese.

In particular, there was Sister Lin Yun, the factory director of Lanyun Garment Factory, which was established with investment. Most of the female workers came from here, making clothes and earning money to supplement their families.

There were also people who opened small shops outside the Plarri factory, doing small businesses to make a living.

Argentina is generally very peaceful. Since the eradication of the big gang, the "Bird Brothers," there are far fewer small gangs and factions, and the security in the old city has improved a lot.

It's been a while since Saint-Hesse went to Maria Town and hadn't visited Uncle Chen. He didn't expect it to have developed so prosperously in just a month, with the population increasing several times over.

After Uncle Chen explained, he learned that most of these people were somehow related to him, mostly his fellow villagers from Peru who had come from Peru.

There was also a small portion who had migrated from Nanyang's Java, like the families of these few old women.

Saint-Hesse also relaxed and chatted with everyone.

"Are the two little ones studying diligently?"

"It's alright, they learn everything. They say it's quite simple," Brother Chen chimed in from across the table.

Argentina's primary and secondary education is now similar to that of later generations, relatively simple. If you want to go to university, you need to study on your own.

"Okay, you can come to my house to get some books later. I bought a lot of teaching materials, but I don't need them now."

"Good, we should put some pressure on them, otherwise, they'll be caught back to wash dishes."

While talking, they also discussed the Chinese from Nanyang. The old woman slowly said:

"There were wars in Nanyang a few months ago, and our house was burned down. We escaped on a cargo ship. Some went to Australia, some went to Chile, and some went to the United States. We heard Ah Chen say this place was good, so we came to Argentina..."

The old woman next to her spoke very fluently, chattering for a long time, and everyone listened attentively.

Saint-Hesse's thoughts also turned to Nanyang, the region with the largest concentration of overseas Chinese in the world, mostly crossing the ocean to make a living.

Indonesia gained independence in '45, from the Dutch colonists, a very annoying country, known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Islands."

The Philippines gained independence in '46, belonging to the United States colony before independence. This is a Latin Americanized Nanyang country, originally ruled by the Spanish.

Myanmar gained independence in '48, a former British colony.

There are still several countries and regions in Nanyang that have not yet gained independence.

Such as Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah, Brunei, these places are still British colonies, and there will be wars and chaos for a period of time when they truly become independent.

Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are still French colonies. It seems that France is going to fight a war with Vietnam in the next two years.

"Those Javanese are really sons of bitches, we can be considered to have escaped."

Java Island is the largest and most populous island in Indonesia, the foundation of Indonesia, formerly a country, Java.

Saint-Hesse knew this word from reading "Water Margin" and "Dream of the Red Chamber." During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when talking about the past, they would say: I threw it to Java long ago.

"Grandma, those damn monkey Javanese, die, you street rats!"

Saint-Hesse also cursed a few words. He felt unspeakable disgust for those monkey country people, the hateful Nanyang monkeys.

"Yes, yes, yes, there are indeed many monkeys in Java." The old woman was a little deaf and misheard.

"Okay, the past is over. It would be good if we can settle down here in the future, but the Javanese monkeys are indeed not very good." Uncle Chen said.

"Yes, we all have to look forward, the future is a new life," Brother Chen echoed.

"This is not a big problem. You can contact the people in the Plarri factory area if you have anything. Someone can help you." Saint-Hesse's two factories both have security teams, and some Chinese have joined. Li Qingyun, Uncle Chen's neighbor, is also the director of the cannery.

Some older people can't speak fluent Spanish, but they can speak some Dutch. Saint-Hesse can't speak Dutch, but he can communicate in English and Cantonese without obstacles.

"Uncle Chen is very good to me."

"Ah Chen is a good person..." The old woman, who had lost some teeth, also said.

"By the way, you have a lot of white wine here. It smells good. Where did you buy it?"

Saint-Hesse saw several glass-bottled white wines on the table, which smelled very good, no less than ordinary brandy and tequila, very clear, and with a high alcohol content.

"This is brewed by the Jiu Kang family who migrated from Nanyang."

These liquors are not bad. Saint-Hesse secretly noted them down. The taste will be better if they are aged for a period of time.

Everyone is a very honest person, and it is indeed not easy to make a living here.

In Nanyang, since the colonial era, there have been many Dutch colonists and natives who are very hateful, often causing riots and mutinies, and even extortion is commonplace. Even more terrifying is killing for money. This situation even continued until the 21st century, and only the complete rise and strength of New China has changed it.

It's really a tragic and difficult history.

Everyone also chatted about building a Chinese school when they have money in the future, full of longing for the future.

The Lanyun Garment Factory has forty to fifty people, more than half of whom are Chinese female workers. The wages are okay, and two clothing stores have been opened. At present, the Lanyun Garment Factory can be self-sufficient and generate considerable profits.

Some Chinese with savings have also begun to create restaurants and small shops. Overall, they are doing okay. The shops in the Plarri factory area were opened in this way. The locals are simply unwilling to do these things.

Of course, most of the people who have just arrived in Ke City are still in the accumulation stage. Some have joined the garment factory, some have gone to the cannery, and the soda factory. Overall, the development is indeed very fast, and some have joined Saint-Hesse's Thunder Cross outer team.

The entire Chinatown has been built in a decent manner. Some small shops, roadside stalls, and restaurants have also opened, which Saint-Hesse admires very much.

This meal started at eleven o'clock in the morning and lasted until one-thirty in the afternoon. After the meal, tea must be drunk as usual. The tea for ancestor worship must not be wasted, so they started drinking tea again.

After drinking 10 cups of tea, Saint-Hesse hurriedly bid farewell to Brother Chen and Uncle Chen under the pretext of a pee break, and went home. They were talking about marriage, so he hurried back.

If they continue to talk... No, he has experienced this more than once, and he feels that he is still a child!

His stomach was half full again. It wasn't that he wanted to eat so much, but the elders were serving dishes, and he was too embarrassed not to finish them. He was not a wasteful person either.

Saint-Hesse rode his beloved little motorcycle and slowly returned to the apartment.

It has to be said that the development of this Chinatown is indeed not bad. As long as it is given more time, it can quickly prosper, and there are also many talents. By then, it would be a good choice to absorb some into the garment factory or the Plarri factory.

......

At the same time, the Viper Squad outpost in the Potassium Triangle, Galaxy Valley.

With Saint-Hesse's large-scale material, financial, food, and military support, Guerrero has begun a new round of expansion.

The Thunder Cross Viper Squad, with Oran City as its new headquarters and the Galaxy Valley as its new base, implemented a step-by-step encroachment strategy, swallowing up several small gangs nearby and controlling some new territories.

After not being targeted by other gangs, Guerrero pondered for a long time and felt that it was not good to continue like this, always letting the boss give money for development (in fact, this was Saint-Hesse giving him money to buy potassium chloride).

This would make him seem too incompetent. He must develop his own source of income, so he decided to convene another meeting in the Galaxy Valley to convey the boss's spirit.