Lu Ming

The bosses are laying out around the "earth dragon", and the natives also have their own thoughts.

"Indigenous" is a neutral word.The aborigines here include not only the masters from Guangzhou, but also Bai Shenming and other progressive gentry.In addition, the natives naturally also include foreign businessmen like Crowley.

Unlike the natives of the Ming Dynasty, in the cultural totems of the gringos like Crowley, the creature "dragon" is not in the form of a long snake, but in the form of a large lizard.So just now no foreigners associated steel kilns with Jackie Chan.

But this did not lessen the shock of some foreign businessmen.

When they saw the iron pillar rolling and roaring on the huge steel platform, some people also sat down on the ground, and some people pulled out the cross on their chest in horror and shouted: "Lord, please give me strength to fight against evil!"

The good thing is that, probably thanks to his culture, Crowley believed from the very beginning that the giant in front of him was just a magical steel machine, so he maintained his composure in the chaos, standing out from the crowd, and still looked very good. Elegant, very aristocratic.

What Crowley didn't know was that just now, in an inconspicuous corner, an inconspicuous follower who looked like a follower recorded all his performances in a small book in his hand.

The last program of the groundbreaking ceremony is to inspect the finished product.

From the ratio of raw materials to the success of calcination, about 5 hours later, the guests who came today saw the delicate and smooth standard cement with residual temperature from the carts pushed over one by one.

At this moment, the progressive gentry, including Bai Shenming, who held on to the ashes in his hands for several years and invested most of his fortune in the cement factory, felt overwhelmed.During the period, many people lost their composure on the spot, some yelled, and some wept silently.

The opening ceremony of the model cement factory that day had different effects on different indigenous groups.

For those old gentry groups who have never been exposed to industrialization, there is no doubt that the impact is the strongest.

This kind of "united front" method that is completely divorced from the traditional sense shocked everyone in charge, and made a lot of consideration afterwards.

This is exactly what the traversers hope to see: you can become more extreme and "reactionary" after seeing the power, but you cannot remain indifferent, you must think, and you must change.

Facts have proved that most people are still realistic, and Tie Hanhan who is against such a powerful force is still a minority after all.

There was also a consequence of the groundbreaking ceremony.

After that day, a rumor quickly spread in Guangzhou: it was said that a certain "Master Cao" was actually the reincarnation of Arhat, the Dragon descending from the West.Not long ago, the descendant Arhat first locked up a vicious earth dragon in Zengcheng, and then called thousands of laborers to feed the earth dragon on a mountain every day.The excrement that the earth dragon swallowed from the top of the mountain is the cement sold in the world!

That's right, cement is earth dragon dung!

Chapter 610 Crowley's Fantasy Journey ([-])

Night had already fallen, and the blue planet fell into boundless darkness.But in a house in a certain city, through the exquisite handmade log window lattices and the transparent glass windows inlaid on them, you can see a long river of dancing lights.Such a spectacle, in this dark seventeenth century, is so exciting and incredible.

Robert Crowley, wearing a silky indigo silk knit pajamas and papyrus sandals, was writing letters at his desk with a thick blotting pen by the light of a kerosene lamp on the table.

"Dear Father. I originally thought that the phrase 'Age of Change' was prepared by God for today's Europa Continent. Regarding this, there are some examples to prove it: so far there is no end in sight, and it has lasted for 14 years. Wars, and the vigorous rise of great navigation in various countries... the latter point is especially important."

These thoughts became more and more clear during my journey on the sea boat.

The ancient native kingdoms along the way, still using wooden swords and guns, convinced me that when the Habsburgs, the Vatican, Saxony and the Louvre's big men finally ended this war of interpretation about God's spokesperson, the Holy Light Sooner or later it will recover and shine to the dark lands of the east.

I have always believed in the above speculations...until I came to the Eastern Earl's territory.

Yes, my mind was changed at the end of the journey.

The Ming Kingdom, the most oriental kingdom in the world, has a vast land and a large number of emperors and descendants.

Surprisingly, in this backward and ancient country like other oriental native kingdoms, there is now a rising power: Earl Cao, the power we call the Earl of the East.

When the letter was written here, Crowley temporarily stopped thinking.

He put down his pen and pulled a string on the wall.Soon, a young white boy in a clean shirt opened the study door and asked in broken English, "Sir."

"Bring me a cup of black tea."

"Okay, sir."

After the collapse of the city of Macau, many indigenous people lost their homes and job opportunities and began to look for jobs everywhere.

The aborigines here also include native-born French whites.

Fortunately, after the opening of the new district, some foreign-related departments hired foreigners.The Portuguese boy was lucky enough to find a job as a waiter in a British emporium.

Not long after, the boy brought a beautiful cloisonne plate with an equally beautiful cloisonne teacup with gold wire rim.

Mr. Crowley from Kent, because he made a lot of money selling horses in the sea trade before, and he has special contacts with some big figures in the Earl's Territory, so Crowley's residence in the British Commercial House is the best view on the second floor. Good suite, with occasional servants.

Taking the cloisonne tea cup, Crowley took a sip of the black tea in the cup.

This is a cup of black tea mixed with buffalo milk, sugar and a little lemon juice, which is Crowley's favorite taste: "The tea is good, thank you, Garcia."

After dismissing the servants, Crowley quietly watched the night view of the new district outside the glass window while drinking tea.At this moment, his thinking can't stop diverging, and he is in the most active state.

The good time to think about life is always short.After drinking the black tea, Crowley picked up the pen and continued writing.

In fact, before that, he had entrusted the merchant ship to bring a letter home.It's just that it is difficult to communicate letters in this era, and even if they are successfully sent back to the UK, it is often a year or so later.

Today's letter is different from last time.Last time it belonged to Baoping's family letter, but this time, Crowley had some more complex and profound thoughts that he needed to communicate with his old baron father.

In the second half of the letter, Crowley introduced in detail what he saw and heard in the Eastern Earldom during this period.At the same time, he spends more ink to describe a new, unheard-of colossal mechanical power.

At the end of the letter, Crowley wrote: "It is hard to believe that such a miraculous, destined to change the world power has appeared in the far east. Fortunately, as a European, I have been exposed to this power. I think that in the near future, I will return to England with something useful. Perhaps the Crawley family will be once again prominent, and the glory of their ancestors will be restored."

After writing the last stroke, Crowley checked the letter, solemnly sealed the letter with sealing paint, and put it in a waterproof leather bag.This letter will be handed to the captain of a British ship about to go to sea tomorrow, and he will take it back to London.

After finishing all this, the next step is leisure time.Crowley got up excitedly, put on a thin linen checked suit common in the new district, and went downstairs.

In the bright world of the New District, there will always be businessmen who sleep late in the shop.

Sure enough, at least four or five British people still gathered in the gorgeously decorated smoking hall to talk.They smoked a high-quality cigar rolled out of the lap of a girl from a tobacco farm in Guangxi, drank coffee, and the table was piled with fruits, snacks, tea, and of course, the indispensable rum.

"It's time for the adventure, I need a partner to pay for the beer!" Crowley, who entered the hall, clapped his hands vigorously to attract the attention of the people present, and said with a smile: "Of course, I will pay for the beer." The cost of oysters and kebabs.”

Crowley added, grinning.

"Very well, count me in!"

"Mr. Crawley's invitations are always so timely. Speaking of which, I seem to be getting a little hungry!"

"Damn night market, well, I admit I can't live without it now!"

Amidst the echoes, the merchants got up one after another, put on their coats, stepped out of the shop gate with Mr. Crawley, and walked towards the light in the distance - the street illuminated by street lights was clean and safe, and the merchants liked it very much This feeling of darkness and light intertwined.This is a fun that can never be enjoyed in Europe where the night is extremely long.

And of course, there are the skewers with destination.

……

The current time is already September of 1632.Crowley, who was walking on Shangguan Street, had been half a year since he last visited a model cement factory in Zengcheng.

In the past few months, thanks to the spring breeze of "reform and opening up" by a certain force, Crowley and Old William have traveled almost all the areas under the rule of Chuanzhong.

During this process, in addition to the rotary kiln, visitors also saw more shocking things.

For example, in a factory area lined with large factories in the lower reaches of the Nanjiang River, they saw a huge man-made building with a height of more than ten meters - a steelmaking blast furnace under construction.

In the industrial park near Guangzhou, the automated production lines for soda, nails, woodware, etc. that have been put into production also left a deep impression on the guests.

In addition, Crowley and the others also saw the glass production technology that was strictly kept secret by the Venetians at the Guangzhou Glass Instrument Factory.

Of course, the glass production technology and even the scale of the Orientals are much higher than those of Venice.From the hot glass solution out of the furnace to being made into glass and wine bottles, mechanical power is used for most of the process during this period.The visitor can tell at a glance that this powerful manufacturing style cannot be mastered by the Venetians.

During the months-long visit and thinking process, Crowley was deeply impressed by the great industrialization.He hired a Chinese teacher, and now Mr. Crawley can use simple Chinese for daily conversations.

However, there is no permanent banquet in the world.Every year after September, the monsoon along the coast of East Asia will change direction.At this time, some sailing ships that have been prepared in the early stage will return to India and more distant Europe as soon as the trade wind blows.

Crowley, an English businessman, was no exception.At this time, he is also making preparations before returning to the voyage.

On the morning of the second day after writing the letter home, he personally delivered the letter to the captain of a British ship that was about to depart.

Afterwards, Crowley met Old William at the Dutch shop, and the two went to the Lady Jacob to check the stock.

Due to the appearance of the traveler in this plane, sailing ships that come to East Asia for trade are far easier and more enjoyable than in history.

Merchants from all over the world don’t need to fight to the death now, and they don’t need to be deceived to find ways to get the raw silk—sailboats need to berth at the port of the new area, and the captain can order a wide range of goods in several trade exhibition halls near the pier.Whether it is traditional raw silk or new thermal insulation, you can buy it.

In a word: I am not afraid that you will buy it, but I am afraid that you have no money.

Of course, if you have no money, you are not afraid.For guaranteed or reputable merchants, the port also has institutions such as Huabei to provide small loans.

Although it is so easy to stock up now, the warehouse of the Lady Jacob is not full.

In fact, most of the existing cargo in the warehouse was purchased by other shareholders on the ship.As for Old William and Crowley, they only bought a few goods before this, and most of the funds they had on hand had not been spent yet.

As for the reason, this has already been mentioned before: A few months ago, a boss from the Ministry of Commerce told Crowley not to rush to prepare goods, and he had a business to hand over to him before he left.

So Crowley waited until now.

And this morning to inspect the warehouse, it is precisely because Crowley finally received a notice: the boss will meet him at noon.So he and old William rushed to measure the remaining warehouses, so that the boss could know what to expect when arranging business.

After inspecting the warehouse and measuring the balance, Crowley returned to the shop, took a bath, changed clothes, and prepared gifts.

After that, he got into the carriage alone and went to the Ministry of Commerce to meet the boss.

Arriving at the gate of the compound surrounded by the double-storey building, Crowley got out of the car and took out his ID. After going through a security procedure, he soon met the boss who invited him this time in the office: Vice Minister of Commerce Li Hao.

Today's invitation is a bit nondescript.Say it was a private invitation, but the place was in Li Hao's office.Let's say it's business, but at the moment, there are some wine and dishes, tableware and tea sets on the coffee table in the office.

But for Crowley today, it should be a relaxed and pleasant meeting.Because when he entered, Li Hao, who was already prepared, made a joke first.

Li Hao, who had turned his back on him, turned around abruptly, and slashed the tip of Crowley's nose with a mighty broadsword in his hand.

Crowley, who had just bowed up, still holding the gift in his hands, was taken aback.

The next moment, Li Hao laughed loudly, and said in English: "Mr. Crawley, are you all right?"

"Your Excellency Li Hao, it's a great honor to be invited by you." Crowley, who had calmed down, began to flatter him as usual: "Besides, the shape of this knife is very strange. Is it the weapon you use to defeat the enemy?"

"This knife involves a legend of a dragon slaying warrior, as well as my youth." Li Hao stroked the casting inscription on the thick steel knife, with nostalgia and sadness on his face: "It's called Quercella."

Chapter 611 Crowley's Fantasy Journey ([-])

Amidst the elegant and melodious piano sound, Crowley held up a fork and swallowed a piece of bright red poultry meat forcefully: "The roast goose is delicious, and the music is also very nice...Your Excellency, is this an oriental harpsichord? What's the name of the music?" name?"

"It's an instrument called a piano, and this piece of music is "Fur Elise."

"Oh, Alice must be a beautiful girl...it's perfect for some opera. So, can I get a copy of the score? Also, this may be an presumptuous request, I'd like to meet the master composer."

Li Hao shook his head with a smile: "Master Beethoven has passed away for many years, you can't see him. There is no problem with the score, I can give you a copy personally."

"Thank you for your generosity. You know, with regards to my previous experiences... Collecting sheet music is an occupational disease."

"Understood." Li Hao nodded: "You are a refined gentleman."

Crowley grinned and raised the glass filled with red liquid: "I'm glad to hear such beautiful music in the East, I feel like I'm back in my hometown. Let's salute the great Earl and the great music .”

The good lunch time lasted a long time.During this period, the host and the guest talked and talked, and the atmosphere was very good.In the end, when he was full with wine and food, Li Hao called someone to remove the table, and put some melons, fruits, tea, and food for digestion again.

Crowley had made sufficient mental preparations before coming here today, so he would take it easy this time, eat as much as he wanted, and drink as much as he wanted, and everything followed his master's rhythm.

Li Hao's side was also as stable as Mount Tai, and continued to chat with the guests after the meal.After a while like this, Li Hao clapped his hands after the red wine that both parties had drunk earlier said, "I invite you to drink tea."

Immediately afterwards, Li Hao added: "I know the taste of Europeans, today I invite you to have black tea."

Following the applause, two servants opened the door and walked in.

These two servants are very special, they not only have a western face, but also wear gorgeous court clothes.

"Wow." Crowley whispered.He was indeed a little surprised that he could see the court maid he was familiar with in the far east.

Taking a closer look, Crowley was relieved: the two maids were obviously of Liberian Peninsula descent, probably like his temporary servants in the business house, they were also native Portuguese white girls recruited from Macau.

After the girl entered the door, she squatted down slightly to salute, then sat on the low stool in front of the coffee table and began to fiddle with the tea set in her hand.At this time, Crowley noticed the things in their hands.

These are two sets of tea sets with different textures.One set is a mahogany porcelain bowl, and the other is simply an all-ceramic utensil with bright and gorgeous red and gold colors, which matches the taste of Europeans.

Crowley is no stranger to this.In the past six months of "investigation" time, Crowley has visited many families of Ming people.This includes not only local officials, but also gentry and even civilians.

In these families, Crowley has seen all kinds of oriental traditional tea sets and tasted all kinds of tea.

However, at this time, the British guy was already muttering in his heart.He didn't think that with his current status, he could be treated so grandly by his master, even though he and Li Hao got along very well and were regarded as good friends—specially buying and training two white girls who can learn tea art to entertain him?

I didn't drink much red wine for lunch today, and Crowley's IQ is still online.

So since I am not qualified, there is something wrong with this kind of hospitality etiquette that goes beyond the norm.

... Before Crowley could continue to think, after a series of dazzling and elegant operations, two maids brought over the brewed Kung Fu tea.

"Please." Li Hao signaled.

Crowley hastily imitated his master, picked up the teacup with one hand and touched it slightly, then drank the tea.

"Tea, please." After drinking one cup, Li Hao quickly motioned for a second cup.

If there are three cups, the first round of tea offerings is over.

"This tea is Lapsang souchong from Fujian." Putting down the teacup, Li Hao said slowly in English: "The tea art of these two girls is an improved version based on the traditional Chinese tea art."

Lifting Erlang's legs and leaning against the sofa behind him, Li Hao smiled and said casually: "Of course, this will be the only 'official' standard Kung Fu tea program in the future...Crowley, you know what I mean? ?”