1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 76 The Batavia Storm ([-])

"Mr. Ludwig, a few people from the Ming Dynasty came to see you this morning. According to your schedule, I will ask him to come visit you tomorrow afternoon!" Germanic Butler reported respectfully to Ludwig.

"Ming people?" Ludwig was taken aback for a moment, "Is it Chinese Jiabi Dansu?"

In order to better deal with the Chinese and manage the Chinese community in an orderly manner, the Dutch selected a leader from the most prestigious Chinese and awarded him the Chinese Kapitan, which has a relatively wide acceptance in the Chinese community. Later, it gradually developed into a special position in the Netherlands and India to assist the Dutch in managing Chinese affairs. It was the highest official rank of the Batavian Chinese in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Su that Ludwid refers to refers to Su Minggang, the leader of the Batavian Chinese at that time.Recently, I often come to discuss with him about Chinese taxation, land expansion, trade, etc., so I seem to be careless.

"Oh, it's not Su....He said his name is Chao, and he also took your letter of recommendation."

"North? And my letter of recommendation?" Ludwig looked at his German butler suspiciously.

"Yes, sir. The letter of recommendation has been placed in your study. ... Oh, and there are several gifts from them. It has been placed in the collection room for you, and it has not been opened yet! Sir!"

"Okay, I understand." Ludwig nodded, "Ask the servant to make me some tea from the Ming Dynasty and bring it to the study. Oh, damn it, next time, I can't drink so much wine!" As he said that, he walked towards the study, curious as to who would take his letter of recommendation.Too much alcohol seemed to have disturbed his memory a bit.

After entering the study, Ludwig sat casually on the chair by the door and was dazed for a while.It wasn't until a Javanese servant brought in a pot of tea lightly that he came back to his senses.

He shook his head with a wry smile, came to the desk, glanced at it, and saw a letter in the middle of the desk.

Pick up the letter, open the cover, and pull out the letter paper.

"Oh, God.... They're here! The evil..." Ludwig shook the letter paper twice with a smile.

The Batavia South City Market is the largest grain trading center in the whole city and even in the entire East Indies.Grain traders from Siam, Champa, Annan, Java, Borneo and other places gathered here.The buyers are mainly the colonial institutions of the Dutch East India Company, as well as the colonies of Portugal, England, France and other countries here.

In the morning, Zhou Yingping hired a Chinese dentist and went straight here.

"You want to buy six thousand shi of rice?" Zhou Yingping asked the grain merchant opposite in surprise.

Zhou Yingping looked at Hu Wenjin next to him, and nodded helplessly.Rice is the least valuable commodity in Southeast Asia.When people see that you are a great Ming sea merchant, they are naturally very surprised.

If merchants in Ming Dynasty wanted to buy rice, they usually went directly to Annan or Champa to buy it. How could they travel to Batavia to buy it?

Although the quantity of six thousand shi of rice is large, it is extremely easy to raise money. It can be said that this is an excellent business.

However, just because it was an excellent business, Song Enfang, the shopkeeper Song, was a little hesitant.Is it a liar, or just idle and have nothing to do with our family!

"In addition to buying six thousand shi rice, if you can raise wheat, sorghum, corn, etc., you can also buy them from you." Zhou Yingping continued.

"It's no problem to buy rice and other grains from me. But..., but you are willing to pay part of the deposit with me." Song Enfang was both happy and worried.

"No problem! Silver, or Western silver coins?" Hu Wenjin was very displeased when he saw Song Enfang's cautious look, and shouted in a rough voice: "It is impossible for me to lose your silver coins! No way, I still have to buy them in the future." More!"

When Cao Xiong and the others came out this time, they brought all the Spanish silver pesos that had been looted in Luzon. At the same time, they also prepared nearly 20 taels of... silver bullion, and some treasures from Boni, which can be regarded as rich and powerful.

Hu Wenjin didn't pay attention to the mere six thousand shi rice money.Who do you look down on, the master has money in his pocket now, or a lot of money!
Zhou Yingping smiled wryly, and signaled the hired Yaren to go with Song Enfang to the Market Supervision Office to sign a purchase letter of intent.

"Dalu, take shopkeeper Song to the ship to get the silver!" Hu Wenjin looked at the letter of intent for purchase, which was still wet, and turned to Qi Dalu to order.

Song Enfang was overjoyed, and signed the letter of intent for the purchase, and then took a deposit later, and the business was assured.After changing hands, I made a net profit of five or six hundred taels of silver.Moreover, they have to buy wheat, corn, sorghum, etc. Adding them up, wouldn't they be able to earn 600 taels of silver?I heard that they will continue to purchase in the future, so I have to maintain this big customer well.

In the afternoon, Zhou Yingping and Hu Wenjin successively purchased some agricultural tools, various grains and vegetable seeds, as well as a large amount of spices and table salt.When leaving the market, we agreed with all the merchants to deliver the goods at the dock five days later, and to pay the tail money at that time.

"Today is going well. The food, farm tools, seeds and other materials in the purchase list have been completed."

In the evening, everyone gathered in the restaurant again, chatting about their respective work progress during the day while eating.

"Of course, the main reason is that today's purchases are relatively simple. Tomorrow's plan,...industrial category..., my mother, how much did Xiaotian write, a dozen or so pages of paper!" Hu Wenjin flipped through it Qi Tian made a shopping list for supplies, and seeing the many rows and columns, the words he knew, but he didn't, gave him a headache.

He simply handed the list to Zhou Yingping, and asked him, the only small sea merchant among the many who could read and write, to make purchases.

"Actually, the most important thing is to recruit some craftsmen and artists, which is a bit difficult." Hu Wenjin continued to have a headache.

"Old Hu, how about going to various workshops in the city? Let's spend a lot of money to hire some artisans back!" Cao Xiong suggested with a smile.

"No, Master Cao!" Zhou Yingping smiled bitterly, put down his chopsticks, and cupped his hands to Cao Xiong, "Craftsmen and artists are one of the key points of a workshop, how can those owners allow you to lure the craftsmen in their workshops at will?  … …This move will cause public outrage.”

"What's wrong with public outrage? Are we still afraid of them?" Hu Wenjin yelled.

"Master Hu, the owners of rich Chinese businessmen and workshops in Batavia are generally in the same spirit! If we commit public anger, we will be unable to do anything in Batavia!" Zhou Yingping said.

Doing business, buying supplies, communicating with people, and connecting merchants, you pirates are really... unprofessional!Hey, the word "professional" really describes it well.

"Then..., Shopkeeper Zhou, what should we do?" Cao Xiong stopped Hu Wenjin from continuing to mess around, and asked humbly sideways.

"...Then we should visit Jiapidan, a Chinese here. If he can help organize and coordinate, it must be extremely easy!"

"Okay, tomorrow morning I will visit this... Jiabidan, and give him some gifts. I beg him to help me recruit some useful craftsmen." Cao Xiong nodded and said.

"Master Cao, what's the situation with the visiting Dutchman?" Hu Wenjin asked.

"Today, he wasn't in the house, and told us to go tomorrow afternoon." Cao Xiong raised his head and drank a bowl of rice wine.

"Xiaotian said he is a big man!... How big is he?"

"I don't know either. Anyway, seeing the lintel is closed, and there are Western soldiers guarding the door, I guess he is a big man." Cao Xiong has never figured it out, you say you are a business, how can you manage so many people land?Qi Tian said that others are joint-stock companies, and many people have come to Nanyang to colonize and operate in partnership.

Shouldn't it be the court's business to manage the place and rob other countries' land?This Western, this Dutchman, is too wicked.Unexpectedly, without authorization, they expanded the territory of their imperial court and managed both the military and the civilian affairs.Maybe, like me, I want to rebel against the imperial court and set up my own family?

Letting go of my thoughts, I asked again, the brothers on the boat took turns to get off the boat to relax, if there was any trouble caused.

"When the brothers got off the boat, they just made a lot of noise, but nothing happened. Besides, Dajiang and Rucheng led the teams each time, restraining them a little bit," Hu Wenjin said.

"That's good! However, I still need to warn my brothers a lot, Batavia is a big port under the rule of the Dutch, and you can't make mistakes at will."

"Don't worry, Master Cao, brothers will save themselves!"

"Master Cao, Master Cao!" At this moment, Gao Youfu, who was staying at the inn, hurried over.

"What's the matter?" Seeing Gao Youfu running away in a panic, Cao Xiong's heart sank. Nothing will happen in the inn.

"...Master Cao, a group of Western soldiers came to the inn. The barbarians at the head called for you!"

When everyone heard this, they all stood up suddenly and looked at Cao Xiong in amazement.

(End of this chapter)