Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1082

Alvaro hadn't been to the mall port for a long time.

The successive major changes in recent years have greatly consumed the vitality of his body, and the damage to his family business in the second East-West War has also greatly affected his spirit. Now that he has just passed sixty, he looks like he is dying. It looks like it will die anytime.Of course, he was also very aware of his physical condition, so while his health had just improved, he persuaded his son Alvarez and his favorite grandson Inigo to come to the Port of Mall just a few months after its opening. , Make one last effort for the future development of the family.

It was already the end of October when spring was blooming, but Alvaro, who was still well dressed, took his children and grandchildren to San Jose Cathedral for a service.The San Jose Cathedral was built in 1635, and it has been baptized for nearly 20 years. I think that when it was built at the beginning of the year, the Rodriguez family, as a well-known indigenous white elite family in La Plata, also invested in it. At that time, the Spaniards used a lot of slave labor and Italian quarrying, and also ordered a large number of bricks and cement from the people on the east coast, and only then did this large-scale Catholic Church be completed.

Alvaro gently stroked the mottled walls with his hands, and sighed softly, not only for his own passing years, but also for the declining national fortune of the Kingdom of Spain.

"Speaking of which, there are quite a few people who came to worship today, many of them are Lithuanians? I haven't seen it before, are you new here? The heretics on the east coast are very good at finding people everywhere, but it's a pity that these people come from Poland, it is very difficult for us to insert our own people." Coughing twice, Alvaro looked at the faces of Europeans who were coming out of the church with their heads down, and said with emotion: "I heard Poland is at war?"

"Yes, barbarians from Russia attacked the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These Russians had poor military discipline and caused a large number of refugees there. Well, this seems to have happened last year. I'm not sure, the reason I know It’s because some Lima businessmen told me that the war should still be going on.” Alvarez, who is now in his prime, replied, “I don’t know where these heretics on the east coast came from. These Lithuanians who came here seem to be refugees, can the Dutch or the Swedes help?"

"Maybe it's Dutch." Alvaro took a deep breath, looked at the lush grove outside the church, and said with a smile: "Look, the fruit trees we planted back then are still there, so beautiful, I remembered It’s a pity that some of them died before me when I was doing business with those people from the east coast.”

"Father, the people on the east bank keep bringing people from the old continent to enrich their land. First they were French, then they were Livonians, and now they are Lithuanians and Italians! The prairie on the east bank is already Tens of 10 people have lived here, and this is an extremely large force, and they will eventually swallow the entire La Plata, and this day will not be too far away.” Alvarez said suddenly, and he deepened his father’s feelings. The decision to cooperate with the East Coast is extremely puzzling: "The peninsula people who come to the New World from Castile, Aragon, Basque Country, and Granada every year are only a few thousand people. Fighting the speed of population increase, we are not them Our opponents! We are now trading with the east coast to increase their national power in a disguised form. How can this be possible? The businessmen in Chile and Peru are short-sighted, but Rodriguez, who is based in Buenos Aires As far as the family is concerned, it is definitely not a good thing for the people on the east coast to grow stronger!"

"What time is it, don't you understand? Alvarez, my child." Old Alvaro coughed twice, and then said: "La Plata is incapable of resisting the invasion of the East Coast people." Yes, they don't do it now, just because it's not necessary. Now all the business families in La Plata, Chile, Chalcas and Peru are trying to cooperate with the East Coast people, which is correct. Why do we have to look at this matter with opposing thinking? Yes, our family has farms and ranches in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, and these are indeed extremely important properties, but only if we have the ability Protect them. The island of Jamaica has fallen, boy, and not only the East Coasters, but the English are after the land of great Spain. Castile is like a leaky sailing ship, and everyone wants to Waiting for the ship to sink to gain benefits, Portugal, France, and England are external enemies, while Catalonia, Basque Country, and Naples are internal enemies. Once Castile collapses, who can guarantee the long-term interests of our family? English?"

"No, England doesn't dare to stretch its claws here..." Although he didn't agree with his father's approach, Alvarez also admitted that the United Kingdom was powerless towards La Plata. He only heard him say: "But the East Bank People's laws are tough, and it's hard to accept that they would forcibly buy off most of our family's ranch and farm."

"Some things are hard to accept, but you have to get used to enduring them." Alvaro walked slowly into the edge of the grove, holding a thick jujube tree with his hands, and said: "Now Spain and the east coast are at the national level As you can see, the land south of 42 degrees south latitude has been pledged to the people on the east coast, for which they paid us a lot of money and materials, which is the key to Spain's survival Nutrients. Of course, our guts and torsos are so weak from long-term ailments that it's hard to say how much they'll do, but a nourishment is a nourishment, and it's better than nothing. Our country is now in three wars at the same time Among them, with the Portuguese, with the French, and with the English—although there has been no news of a declaration of war, it is actually in a state of war, so we very much need the people on the east coast to provide Money and military supplies; in addition, the nobles and peasants who rioted in the country also need to appease, so the wheat and butter given by the east bank are also very important. Children, have you not seen clearly, the people on the east bank are like this jujube tree, thick and strong , powerful, perhaps thinner than the one next to it in terms of size, but this one was bitten by ants and moths, and the inside is actually empty, this is Spain..."

The bell of the church rang slowly, as if it was the sound of telling the time at noon. Several clergymen came out of the church. They had nothing to do with the Holy See, and their clothes were quite East Coast. They whispered as they walked. Talking and walking towards the cafeteria.There were already several intelligence officers in black uniforms eating there, and perhaps these priests would have to report some situations to the intelligence officers on the east coast in a while.

Heresy that blasphemes the Lord!Shameless degenerates!This is Alvaro's consistent view on these priests who listen to the government on the east coast. How shameless!

"The cooperation between the East and the West is inevitable. Therefore, if our family wants to seek higher development, we must also participate in this trend. Alvarez, don't think about fighting against this trend. You are smashed to pieces, get involved, get used to it, and then grab the benefits that the family deserves." Alvaro wandered slowly in the woods, and said in a soft tone: "Actually, if the people on the east coast refused , I originally planned to let Inigo join the East Coast nationality. After all, his identity is too sensitive. Maybe you can choose a clever member of the distant branch of the family to enter the East Coast development. This may be a turning point for the family business .My child, I can no longer do more for this family. I have a hunch that the time to be inspired by the Lord will not be too far away. Listen to me, restrain your true emotions, and do everything for the benefit of the family. Most importantly, the strong links between the East Coast and Spain, I don't expect that to change in the short term."

"Yesterday, an old friend told me that the government of the East Coast Republic has recently re-emphasized the pre-declaration system for entering and exiting the Strait of Magellan. Detain, inspect, and if necessary, they even have the right to attack it. Hehe, this is a gift from them to the great King Philip, and it also guarantees the tranquility of the seas of Peru and Chile. Damn French and English pirates again It is also impossible to enter the Pacific Ocean unscrupulously and attack our ships or coastal towns." Alvaro finally said, "Spain and Britain have declared war on each other in the past few months. In this way, the relationship between the kingdom and the east coast It will be closer. Children, take advantage of this opportunity, and returning to the mall port is the first step for our family."

Alvaro nodded silently.In fact, their family has recently started making preparations. The Port of Mall opened and only merchants from La Plata (including Paraguay) are allowed to come to trade. The Rodriguez family has decided to use livestock as a flagship product——Andalusia Naturally, black cattle continue to be sold to the east bank. In addition, the horses that the east bank spends a lot of time importing every year, such as Andalusian horses, Lusitano horses, Laschek horses, Sharma horses and even some camels, can all be sold. They sell for a good price here on the east coast.

Furthermore, the family's shipping business must also be developed. After all, it is not cheap to rent ships to transport horses and camels. The Rodriguez family has sufficient funds, so order some merchant ships on the east coast or the Netherlands, and then recruit them in the mainland or Italy. Some sailors use their own boats to transport livestock to the east coast for sale, which will be more cost-effective in the long run.

"Businessmen from Chile and Peru are already ahead of us, and the Kingdom and the East Coast government are also continuing to improve their relations in depth. Alvaro, this is the general trend. Don't try to defy it. Do our business with peace of mind, which is good for the family. ” Old Alvaro wandered around the grove reluctantly, and finally left the place that used to be the territory of the Kingdom of Spain.

(End of this chapter)