Chapter 792 – The Australian Lifestyle

Such men naturally attached great importance to cultivating relationships with figures from officialdom. Though a Trial Centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a low-ranking official, he wielded local influence. Adhering to the principle of "worshipping at every temple," Huang Shunlong had always been exceedingly ingratiating toward such characters. When the Assistant Magistrate spoke to him, he had agreed immediately and wholeheartedly.

The interpreter called for a two-bearer sedan chair from outside, had Li Yongxun seated within, and led the way to Huang Shunlong's residence.

Huang Shunlong lived in the Chinese residential quarter of Macau. The sedan chair was carried directly to the entrance of his storefront. Lin Ming gazed doubtfully at the dimly lit shop front, where two robust Kunlun slaves stood guard at the door clutching short clubs.

On the journey over, the interpreter had boasted about Master Huang's luxurious lifestyle. Lin Ming had thought little of it: since Huang Shunlong resided in Macau, foreign goods were naturally accessible to him as a local advantage. Yet the variety of foreign goods was limited to those few familiar things—even the "Australian goods" that had risen in popularity in recent years, he had seen many of in Foshan.

"Master Lin, please come inside," the interpreter whispered.

Led by a short, dark-skinned Kunlun slave, the group passed through the shop front and traversed a long, semi-dim corridor. Li Yongxun felt a creeping unease and pressed close to Lin Ming, a fragrance like orchid and musk wafting faintly from her. Lin Ming, who had originally been supporting her arm, seized the opportunity to wrap his arm around his sister-in-law's waist. Beneath his hand, her waist was soft; he kneaded gently with his fingers, and his sister-in-law only murmured a few soft sounds. Instantly delighted, he found himself wishing this corridor would never end.

The corridor's exit opened into a meticulously manicured fountain garden. It wasn't large; a small fountain at its center dripped water droplets. The ground surrounding the fountain was paved with mosaics inlaid with various patterns. Lush flowers and trees ringed the space, and an exquisite little pavilion stood within.

High walls and buildings surrounded the garden, isolating it from the outside world and rendering it remarkably quiet.

Huang Shunlong welcomed them in the pavilion. He was dressed brightly and bore himself with dignity. With his professional sensitivity, Lin Ming noted at a glance that there were at least a dozen violations of sumptuary regulations in his attire from head to toe. Even in Guangzhou, where court dress regulations were treated as waste paper, such excess was unusual. Macau was indeed a land of barbarians.

Huang Shunlong was effusively warm, inviting them to "freshen up" first and promising to summon a doctor immediately.

Servants came to attend to their washing and changing. Lin Ming had his sister-in-law dress as a man only to avoid unnecessary trouble, not to conceal her gender. Now in a private residence, there was naturally no need to maintain the disguise. The clothes brought by the maids were all brand new, with exquisite material and tailoring, which satisfied Lin Ming greatly. The summoned doctor examined Li Yongxun's foot and concluded there was no serious problem; applying a medicinal patch and resting for a few days would suffice.

The welcome banquet was set in the garden pavilion. High walls blocked the cold wind, and the pavilion was surrounded by Persian velvet carpets of various colors woven with different patterns. Two braziers on the ground burned high-quality hardwood charcoal mixed with exotic spices, filling the pavilion with a rich fragrance and spring-like warmth.

The tables and chairs were all woven from rattan, but in styles Lin Ming had never encountered—dainty and elegant. As it was winter, the seats and backs were padded with thick cushions of Nanjing velvet felt, exceedingly comfortable. Li Yongxun looked around with great curiosity, examining the rattan round table from top to bottom.

Seeing no high-stacked display dishes or sugar sculptures on the table, Lin Ming knew this was a family feast. A formal welcome banquet with "three cuts and five offerings" would have been unbearable. Wealthy merchants' family feasts were renowned for their refinement. Observing the scene Huang had arranged, this meal would likely prove extraordinary in many ways, and he couldn't help looking forward to it.

Sure enough, the dishes served diverged from typical Cantonese cuisine. The flavor was quite peculiar—rich and fragrant, with a somewhat cloying sweetness. Both Li Yongxun and Lin Ming were experiencing such flavors for the first time. According to Huang Shunlong, this was Folangji cuisine, prepared personally by his wife.

"This crab is sea crab, with the meat extracted and seasoned with cheese..." Huang Shunlong explained with assurance.

The wine served was Guangzhou's most fashionable "Scholar Unrivaled." Lin Ming had frequently purchased this wine for northern colleagues; anyone traveling from the north to Guangdong on business would buy several boxes to take back as gifts. Sometimes they even sent letters requesting he buy it for them. Lin Ming often had to dispatch people to Guangzhou to procure this wine. Occasionally, for important figures or urgent needs, he'd been forced to pay out of pocket—Gao Ju wasn't a minor figure from whom he could demand gifts—costing him considerable sums. Naturally, "Scholar Unrivaled" was indeed pure and crisp in taste, truly incomparable to ordinary local spirits. Ever since Wang Zunde's "campaign against the bald ones," however, the "Scholar Unrivaled" supply had been severed, and its price had skyrocketed. Lin Ming rarely enjoyed it himself these days.

"What is this? Why is it bubbling?" Li Yongxun stared in surprise at the orange liquid in the glass cup, fine bubbles streaming from the bottom.

"This is Australian water—most cooling and thirst-quenching."

Li Yongxun took a sip, her expression complex. "It tingles, and it's very sweet. Tastes like tangerine."

"Precisely—this is tangerine-flavored Australian water," Huang Shunlong laughed, clapping his hands. "This item is extremely rare locally. If it loses its gas, it's not tasty."

He explained that Australian water above all feared losing its gas—without it, the drink became mere fruity sugar water. Accordingly, packaging used specially thick glass bottles, corked and tied tight with iron wire. Every twelve bottles came in a partitioned wooden crate. Transported over long distances, the price was steep. Yet it was indeed a wonderful item for relieving heat and boredom, highly popular among the Folangji.

Next, a servant brought a large porcelain pot. When the lid was removed, the pot brimmed with an oily, crimson liquid. Lin Ming peered closely: floating in it were snow-white fish slices and the yellow backs of eel, with soybean sprouts at the bottom. Small, bright red fruits resembling tiny eggplants floated in the oily soup. A rich, strange fragrance permeated the air.

"This dish is an overseas flavor, quite unique," Huang Shunlong laughed. "Though I must warn you—the taste is extremely punchy."

"It appears to use a great deal of Sichuan pepper." Sichuan pepper was a common spice in Ming cuisine.

"Correct," Huang Shunlong nodded. "Besides Sichuan pepper, there is also foreign pepper from the West."

Everyone raised their chopsticks. Lin Ming felt an extreme spiciness flood his mouth—a sensation entirely different from the numbing heat of Sichuan pepper. The snow-white fish meat, seasoned this way, possessed a unique deliciousness. His appetite surged, and he consumed several chopsticks-full in rapid succession. Li Yongxun, spotting the bright red lantern-like fruits floating in the oily soup, struck as fast as the wind. Before Huang Shunlong could stop her, she stuffed a pickled chili pepper directly into her mouth.

"You can't eat—" Before his warning could land, Li Yongxun let out a scream. Her mouth felt as if it were on fire, her throat numb and choking. Tears and mucus ran down her face as she sneezed over a dozen times. The maids hurriedly passed water and towels. She drank four or five cups of soda before finally stopping.

"What is this?!" Li Yongxun gasped, barely able to speak from the spiciness.

"That is a pickled chili pepper," Huang Shunlong said. "It's used for seasoning, not for eating directly."

Lin Ming was intrigued. Through casual conversation, he learned this was "Heavenly Kitchen" pickled pepper from Lingao—a common ingredient in "Australian cuisine." Huang Shunlong spoke enthusiastically about this cuisine. After sampling it once at the Violet House in Guangzhou, he had never forgotten the experience, specially dispatching a cook to Lingao to learn the craft and returning with recipes for a dozen dishes and four or five dim sum snacks.

"Australian cuisine?" Lin Ming was not unfamiliar with Australians or Lingao goods. The head manager of "Yang Run Kai Tang," Yang Shiyi, was quite familiar with him. One of Yang's cousins had opened a medicine shop in Lingao and asked him to sell several patent medicines in Guangdong in large quantities; business had been incredibly good. When drinking and chatting in their spare time, Yang would often discuss his cousin's situation. Though merely hearsay, it had given Lin Ming considerable knowledge about Lingao.

"Exactly. Though Australians are overseas barbarians, their various enjoyments are no less refined than our Great Ming's," Huang Shunlong said, his conversational interest heightened upon seeing his hospitality suited the esteemed guest's taste. "Take this Australian cuisine—many dishes are things I'd never even conceived of!"

Lin Ming responded perfunctorily while eating and drinking, but his ears captured every word Huang Shunlong uttered. He sensed this Manager Huang seemed to maintain rather close ties with the Australians in Lingao. So he began probing indirectly—he reasoned that since the Australians had defeated the government troops and reached the gates of Guangzhou, they would inevitably become enemies of the Great Ming, and future wars were likely. Lin Ming was extremely attentive to Australian affairs because of this possibility. Should the Court one day dispatch a great army to suppress the bald ones, and he proved to be an "Australia expert," he might hope for military merit and promotion.

Huang Shunlong intended to curry favor, and Lin Ming did his best to oblige. Their conversation grew increasingly congenial. Huang Shunlong was in high spirits, personally toasting Lin Ming. As the wine took effect, their exchange became more relaxed.

"Manager Huang must have many dealings with the Australians."

"There were some business transactions in the past," Huang Shunlong replied cautiously, knowing who he was speaking with. "Not as many recently. They have many novel goods—all bestsellers—but unfortunately, I'm not based in Guangzhou, so the benefits of selling Australian goods have been captured by Official Gao."

"Does Manager Huang know someone named Guo Yi? I've heard he's the Australian chief in Guangzhou."

"Guo Yi? Of course I know him." Huang Shunlong nodded. "Who doesn't know the famous Proprietor Guo! He maintains no property here, but his people frequently come to Macau, specifically to purchase Folangji goods." He took a sip of Scholar Unrivaled. "Speaking of which, it's strange. The Folangji here usually buy more than they sell—but ever since the Australians arrived, they specifically want their things!"

In truth, Huang Shunlong's relationship with Guo Yi ran far deeper than simple acquaintance. Though Huang Shunlong's importance within the broader Lingao economic system had greatly diminished, his smuggling channels still enabled small-scale import and export of goods to Guangdong even during the economic blockade against Lingao.

(End of Chapter)