The city of Venice, originally a small savage coastal area belonging to the Roman Empire, was full of jungles, rivers, swamps and lagoons.

From the 5th century onwards, Jewish commercial and financial capital took refuge in Europe and accumulated, and by the 8th century, Venice was formed as a city-state.

At the same time, the Republic of Venice became the city-state of the Venetians in northern Italy, with the city of Venice as its center. The city is sometimes referred to as Serenissima, Latin for "the most honorable city".

The main origin of this title lies in the establishment of the Bank of Venice in 1171, which is the oldest bank in the world and represents the oldest and most traditional gathering of financial capital.

After seeing the success of the Bank of Venice, some cities such as Florence and Genoa in Italy, Lisbon in Portugal, Madrid in Spain, Hamburg and Frankfurt in Germany, Amsterdam and Antwerp in the Netherlands, and London in the United Kingdom have also set up banks.

The city-state of Venice became very wealthy due to its control of the European trade routes to the Far East and began to expand in the direction of the Adriatic, ruling over the Greek peninsula and many islands in the Aegean Sea, as it remains to this day.

So, when I came to this ancient and wealthy city, I knew that this was now the center of the world, and that although the center of the world would move northwest with the rise of Britain and the Netherlands, it would not be able to hide the greatness of the city.

All our warships were parked on the docks in Waifu, and they could not enter this narrow waterway. So we switched to small boats—the long, slender, oar-driven kinds—and made our way to the city ferry with the waves swaying.

Shakespeare's magnum opus, The Merchant of Venice, a classic of 3,000 gold coins and a pound of flesh, is an artistic exaggeration, but its provenance is based on reality.

When you come to this city, from the dock workers and foremen to the employees of the bank, to the pedestrians on the road and the little two of the restaurants, there is a kind of efficiency and speed everywhere.

The attitude of the people here towards money is like a precision instrument, strict and serious. They are in life with a business attitude, meticulous and very professional.

For example, the seafood and cuttlefish noodles we ordered, each serving is exactly like a sample, from the appearance to the weight.

I appreciate this kind of business attitude, but I don't agree with this lifestyle. I have always felt that the reason why people are human beings is that there are still three confusions, six invertedness, and seventy-two confusions. It's not people who are accurate, it's machines.

Naturally, we have already been to places such as business associations, but the famous Bank of Venice has not yet had time to visit. We found a famous restaurant to eat at – this was Old Tucker's recommendation – and we headed to the bar for a drink.

It's not that we're alcoholics, it's that bars are the most well-informed places in this society.

Sailors and navigators from far and wide gathered here, and they had all sorts of information, true and false, which they used to sell, exchange, or curry favor with prostitutes.

This time, instead of sitting at the wine table, I sat at the bar. Because after so long sailing, I have found that it is the sailor who knows the most information, but it is the barkeeper who knows the best which sailor knows the information.

So from the moment I came in, I had a good chat with this bar owner named Clark. And he was willing to talk to me, and I knew it wasn't because of my charisma, but because of the most expensive wine we were serving at the bar.

We talked a lot, but of course the topics revolved around business, money, wine and women. Of course, when we drank the third bottle, the bar owner Clark finally realized that the person drinking in front of him was not a local tyrant, but a big money owner!

So he behaved more proactively, and began to take the initiative to find topics, such as the spice pepper that was popular in the recent bazaar, such as the procon's* wife who died in childbirth, leaving only a child whose father did not know who.

When we talk about pirates, he's even more sexual, starting with the ghost ships of the Vikings and talking about Blackbeard, who has been in the limelight in the Mediterranean lately.

"God! That is a guy who even the Spanish Armada dares to provoke, and the only person who can restrain him is probably his lady who is both wise and brave! ”

Clark said.

I smiled and took these choices to heart, then sipped my wine and talked about a sad past.

It probably means that I'm from the East, and in addition to trade, I'm looking for someone - my grandmother who has gone missing because of a storm. It's a sad thing.

Although she was gone before I was born, and perhaps with a child, of course I explained that it was back then, and now my grandmother is sixty years old, and that child, that is, my cousin or cousin, is also in her thirties!

And the reason why I came out to them now is entirely because of my sad father at home, and my grandfather, who was worried all day and night—I did this as much as the younger generation wanted!

Clark seems to have been touched by my sincerity and filial piety! Before he could speak, I added another thump - I bought four more bottles of the same wine!

"Oh! Yes! Generous sir! You are truly my lucky star! "Clark is already a little incoherent, and some drinkers would normally buy a wine of this size with a glass of enjoyment, and I have never seen a half-barrel like mine at a time.

Just these few bottles of wine are already worth half a year's wine for other loose drinkers, so Clark is very excited! After adding me another glass of wine, he whispered, "For guests like you, we always have a lot to offer!"

"I don't know who you're looking for, but old Barry probably does!" Clark stared at me and explained, "He's been drinking here for forty years, and if he doesn't know, there's no one else!"

I clapped a few times, and that's what I wanted, and it was worth it for me to pay twice as much as usual!

"Hey! Old Barry! You damn thing, are you still alive? Clark shouted into the corner of a black hole in the back.

After a few moments, a nasal, muffled voice came from that corner: "Yes! Boss, I'm alive because of your generosity! ”

Clark didn't know what to mutter, and shouted again over there, "Come here if you can catch your breath!" Here's a chance to drink with your skills! ”

The word drinking, like an electric shock device hitting the chest of a critically ill patient, made the paralyzed old Barry staggered to his feet, and then, under my gaze, walked to the bar step by step, leaning on the seat next to me.

"Oh! Poseidon is on top! What do I see? Old Barry's confused eyes suddenly widened, staring at the wine in my hand and shouting, "Black Pearl! It's a black pearl."

Clark tilted his head and gave me a look. I immediately asked him for an empty wine glass, poured a full glass of black pearls, and gently pushed forward: "As long as you answer my question well, this is yours!"

Old Barry swallowed visibly, staring at the glass with his eyes fixed on it, and muttered, "I...... Can I swap this glass for a month's worth of regular rum? ”

I laughed and said, "As long as you can answer my question, how about two months of rum with this glass of black pearl?"

Old Barry opened his cloudy eyes, as if he had been injected with a heart booster, and it was only then that a ray of light shone through the doorway that had been pushed open, and I could see his face clearly.

This is a face that is vicissitudes enough, and it can be seen that Clark is still very reliable in choosing people. If this old guy doesn't know, then no one in this bar will know!

"Uh...... My dear sir. Ask your questions! Old Barry knows it all! He said eagerly, because he was excited and even used idioms, and the deep wrinkles on his face seemed to be shiny.

"I'm looking for someone!" I stared into his eyes and said slowly, word by word, "About thirty-five years ago, my grandmother, I mean an Oriental woman, came to this neighborhood, and she and her friends were supposed to be engaged in trade, have you ever seen such a person?"

Old Barry listened to me, shook his head vigorously, and muttered in a nasal voice, "Thirty-five years ago...... Oh, I was ten years old then......"

He seemed to be trying his best to think, and muttered, "This damn lovely alcohol, I can't remember much here." He pointed to his head, glanced at the glass of wine, and asked, as if distracted, "May I have a drink first?" Mr! ”

I silently pushed the cup of black pearl forward again, and old Barry was like a hungry wolf who had been hungry for half his life and saw the tender tenderloin, and without saying a word, he picked it up, put it in front of his nose and sniffed it deeply, then closed his eyes, raised his head and drank it all!

As if the addict had gotten something he loved, Old Barry shook his head in intoxication, this should be the highest enjoyment of his life, there is no one.

After a long time, he came to his senses and exclaimed, "Oh! Poseidon is on top, and I promise that if I am given another drink like this, I can do anything! Even if it's to catch a sperm whale empty-handed! ”

To Clark's sneer, I filled old Barry's cup with a glass of black pearls again, which made the old fellow almost widen his eyes, and quickly snatched the glass of wine, but did not drink it in a hurry, but held it tightly in his hand, and trembled slightly.

"Do you remember anything now?" My seductive voice came to his ear: "Oriental women should be extremely beautiful!"

The voice came into Old Barry's ear drum, and he suddenly became excited, turned his head to look at me, and said slowly, "If I'm not mistaken...... When I was a teenager, I used to see people like that! ”

As he spoke, he muttered, "Mrs. Crisson! You're talking about Mrs. Crisson! ”

I eagerly asked again, "Where is this person you are talking about?"

Old Barry replied, "She has a very beautiful daughter, oh! She's only seven or eight years old, no, six or seven! But when you grow up, you must be a beauty! ”

I couldn't help but be a little anxious, grabbed Old Barry's shoulder with one hand, squeezed it hard, and said, "Say!" Where are they? Do you know? ”

Old Barry suddenly came to his senses, bared his teeth at me and smiled, "Sir! I can only look at a woman like Mrs. Crisson from afar, including her daughter. Oh! Her sun-colored skin is like the sun god! ”

After saying that, he paused, looked at me and continued: "They are indeed doing business, porcelain, silk, and I also went to help move the goods. They are generous! Yes, we are paid a lot! As for the later ......"

He hammered his head hard, and recalled with difficulty: "She must have married the owner of the Bank of Venice at the time, Mr. Crisson!" So we'll see her Mrs. Crisson! ”

Bank of Venice? Mrs. Crisson? I couldn't help but hesitate, and suddenly grabbed Old Barry's shoulder, and squeezed it hard again: "If you dare to lie to me......"

Old Barry was in pain and wanted to shake off my hand, but unexpectedly, that hand was like an iron tong! He could only wail, "No! I'm telling the truth! Mr! Please don't! ”

I slowly sent my right hand away, stared at him for a long time, and said, "I'll go and confirm it!" If you're right, you'll get rum for the year ahead! ”

Old Barry's eyes lit up at once, but he listened to me continue: "But if you say it, hum ......."

In my eyes, a chilling light flashed in an instant!