The Netherlands in this time and space is well-deserved to be awarded the "hometown of bourgeois civilization".
However, if one turns one's gaze from Europe, where capitalism flourished after the groundbreaking, to the vast lands and oceans of Asia and Africa, the hypocrisy and barbarism of the bourgeoisie will be nakedly revealed before one's eyes.
No matter how dignified and elegant this emerging class is in its hometown, it will no longer conceal its greedy and plundering nature once it reaches overseas colonies, or even just on the borders of other countries that are not yet controlled by them.
At this moment, in the Fujian tavern in Bengang, Taiwan, Gullit and Lu Fen had already begun to discuss the business terms with Zheng Haizhu about the sale of "Mingren Piglets".
"I, Haizhu Zheng, promise to provide Mr. Gullit, the senior advisor of the Dutch East India Company (hereinafter referred to as VOC), to Mr. Gullit, the senior advisor of the Dutch East India Company (hereinafter referred to as VOC) before the tenth day of the third month of the Chinese calendar this year: eighty Ming Dynasty citizens aged between sixteen and twenty-five.
For men, the price is five taels and five cents of silver per person, which can also be calculated as six silver coins per person by the Spanish 'eight real silver coins'. Mr. Gullit must send a ship to Nan'an Bay, Fujian, Ming Dynasty to pick up the goods, and Haizhu Zheng will accompany the ship.
Transfer to Penghu Island..."
When Zheng Haizhu read this, Gulit still said with saliva on his face: "Mrs. Zheng, you don't have a ship yet, and the cost is not high. How about counting it as four lille silver coins per person? Hey, beautiful madam, you have to know,
When we hired a Chinese chef in Batavia who had lived there for a long time, we only paid him two silver riels per month."
Zheng Haizhu did not give the Dutch a counter-offer.
"But Mr. Gullit, how can a native Chinese in Batavia be willing to be your slave laborer? Besides, in order for us to cooperate for a long time, I definitely can't directly find bandits to rob civilians for you like you did when you robbed black slaves. I'm here
My friends in Fujian have to pay each man two taels of silver as wages in order to trick them into boarding the ship and away from their homeland. If we remove the profit sharing to my friends, I actually don’t make much."
Zheng Haizhu said, looking at Lu Fen with a troubled expression, as if begging for mercy from the superior.
After meeting Ruffin's indifferent gaze, this Ming Dynasty woman, who lacked noble morals in the eyes of the Dutch, was a little embarrassed by her miserable failure, and then showed a clumsy look of helplessness.
"I really don't dare to go to the Spaniards, they are too fierce. Of course I would rather do business with a familiar gentleman like you. Let's do this, Mr. Gullit, I guarantee that each piglet will weigh no less than ninety pounds.
How about converting it to five lille silver coins per person?"
This figure is actually in line with Gullit's psychological price. He knows that the physique of an Oriental and the weight of ninety pounds is not light, which shows that the nutrition and health are adequate and he can guarantee the strength required by the plantation.
Seeing that Gulit finally approved the price, Zheng Haizhu pretended to be cautious and said: "By the way, the piglets must be transported in batches to avoid gathering too many and being seen by the Ming army patrolling the sea. You can't use big ships. You guys are going to be stupid today.
This silk and porcelain ship in Hong Kong is too big. It would be safer to transport the piglets to Penghu Island in a small sailboat and then transfer to a larger ship to Batavia."
Gullit translated it for Ruffin.
Ruffin thinks it makes sense.
After all, the Ming Dynasty was different from those weak tribes in black Africa. The coastal defense was not in name only, and it was not easy to land with open fire to rob people. Listen, use the method of the businesswoman in front of you, use Penghu Island as a transfer point, and accumulate a small amount to Bada.
It is most reasonable to transport people to Via Plantation.
Ruffin then asked Gullit to call the interpreter on the ship, read the order written by Zheng Haizhu, and annotated it in Dutch on the side, in duplicate, with Gullit's signature and Zheng Haizhu's seal and fingerprint.
A few days later, in the early morning, Zheng Haizhu and Mabel took a Dutch merchant ship and arrived at Baisha Island in the northeast of Penghu Island.
The Dutch seem to be very efficient.
The flood troops from Fujian had only left for a month. The red-haired outsider with cat eyes had already anchored three double-deck warships at Baisha Island. They were all large ships of six to seven hundred tons. There were small iron cannons on the deck that could be dragged.
There are larger cast iron cannons between the decks on both sides.
Lu Fen only allowed the two Ming women to rest on a specially guarded beach after disembarking from the merchant ship. They were not allowed to approach the warship, let alone visit the island.
But Zheng Haizhu saw that not far away, towering trees fell down every once in a while. The Dutch were obviously preparing to build fortifications and fortresses in Penghu.
Soon, a small-tonnage sailing ship came from the direction of the battleship. Five or six sailors were busy on the ship, and about a dozen soldiers in uniform were either guarding the small cannon on the ship or walking on the deck with muskets on their shoulders.
Gullit politely invited Zheng Haizhu and Mabel to board the boat called "Cod".
However, Lu Fen suddenly stopped Mabel and said coldly to Zheng Haizhu: "Your partner, stay here."
Zheng Haizhu nodded calmly and made a request: "To transport the first batch of piglets, even if everything goes well, it will take three or four days to go back and forth. You are taking my partner as a hostage. She must have a separate and clean tent to live in. She must be polite.
Treat her."
Gullit hurriedly patted his chest and said, "Mrs. Zheng, please rest assured, we are all gentlemen, not barbarians."
Zheng Haizhu said no more, turned around and comforted Mabel with a few words, and then boarded the small sailboat with Gulit.
…
In the days that followed, Ruffin gave up his plan to rob passing merchant ships at sea and escort the prisoners to build a fortress in Penghu.
He planned to squeeze the nearly a hundred Ming coolies bought by Gullit for a while, and then transport them to Batavia on the Indian Ocean together with the accumulated bulk goods.
The wait was not too long. Three days later, at dawn, the "Cod" returned to Baisha Island.
Dutch sailors and soldiers gathered around them one after another, looking at dozens of Ming Dynasty men with tattered clothes and dirty hair, their hands tied with hemp ropes, staggering onto the land as if they were prey.
"Look, finally a slave has come to work for us!" Several white people chatted happily.
Behind them, two black soldiers remained silent.
The Dutch slave trade from Africa was in full swing decades ago. These two black men, who were born in Amsterdam, both heard their fathers talk about their distant hometown and tragic voyage.
The black soldier's eyes fell on Zheng Haizhu, who was escorted off the ship by Gullit.
In contrast to the beggar-like men of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty businesswoman with her head held high looked even more energetic.
"Sir Lu Fen, God bless, this time it will be smoother than when we loaded piglets for the Japanese before." Zheng Haizhu showed an excited smile on his face.
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Gulit also cheerfully added: "Mrs. Zheng's friends in Nan'an said that it is the season for picking and making tea, and the soldiers on patrol have all gone to work in the tea garden of the commander's family. We will have a rest tonight.
After that, we can go to Nan'an Beach tomorrow and transport the second batch of piglets."