Zhao Shuilan bit her lip and said, "Dad, I want to go to school to be a gentleman." ”

Zhao Weizhong was stunned for a moment and said, "What...... What sir?"

A hint of blush flashed on Zhao Shuilan's face, and she said, "Today, Senior Sister Gao came to me and wanted to invite me to be a gentleman in a school run by overseas Chinese, teach children to read and write, and be able to ...... You can also learn some overseas Chinese from them. ”

Tianjin is one of the more open areas in China in this era, and there are some books and newspapers with more progressive ideological content, Zhao Weizhong only has such a daughter under his knees, which is naturally very painful, and he is a person who does foreign affairs, and his ideology is also quite open, so when Zhao Shuilan was seven or eight years old, Zhao Weizhong asked Mr. to teach her to read and write, and she never thought about cultivating Zhao Shuilan into a beautiful girl, and she would marry a good family in the future, but she just wanted to wait for Zhao Shuilan to grow up, she could understand the accounts and be able to manage finances, after all, her own industry will be passed on to her sooner or later。

And although Zhao Shuilan is a girl, she is also very smart, after studying with her husband for three or four years, she has mastered the basic reading and writing, and her husband can no longer teach anything, one Zhao Shuilan has grown to more than ten years old, after all, there is a difference between men and women, and the second is that it is impossible for girls to participate in the imperial examination, and it is useless to learn other scriptures. Although at this time China had already opened new schools such as the Tianjin Sailor School and the Fujian Sailor School, China at this time was still a male-dominated society with a female spleen, and these new schools did not accept female students, so Zhao Weizhong had no choice but to send his daughter to the Tianjin Concession, a school opened by foreigners to continue her studies.

Although the schools run by foreigners have a strong cultural colonial nature, their curriculum, teaching methods, and educational concepts are indeed much more advanced than the vast majority of schools in China in this era, so Zhao Shuilan not only learned a lot of knowledge in the school, broadened her horizons, but also developed the habit of loving reading.

Zhao Weizhong didn't care that his daughter liked to read miscellaneous books and newspapers, and occasionally used his relationship to find some newspapers and books in Shanghai, Guangzhou and other places to go home for his daughter to read. Later, he even sent his daughter to the Tianjin Concession, a school run by foreigners, and in the past two years, he began to let his daughter help him look at the accounts.

Although Zhao Shuilan's age is not very old, she is not only literate in reading, but also has a broad vision, and has some understanding of foreign affairs and the general trend of the world, and her knowledge is far beyond that of her peers.

However, I know a lot of things, and it also brings some troubles to Zhao Shuilan, after all, China in this era is still a feudal society, although Zhao Shuilan is not the child of an official eunuch, but it is still a little shocking to go to a foreign school with a daughter, and the best female companions of the companions can't talk together, and they can't find a few companions who can talk. In addition, Zhao Shuilan felt that she was also full of knowledge and had some ambitions, but unfortunately in this era, she could not be used, and she could only live a mediocre life when she married in the future.

But after meeting this group of overseas Chinese, not only Zhao Weizhong's experience has changed, but even Zhao Shuilan's life has undergone major changes, from the very beginning, Zhao Shuilan has a great impression of this group of overseas Chinese, because among the overseas Chinese, there are a large number of women in important positions, just a few days on the warship, Zhao Shuilan found that there are more than ten female soldiers on the warship, and they are quite respected by male soldiers, and they are not discriminated against at all.

After a long time, Zhao Shuilan also got acquainted with some female traversers, and also knew some customs of overseas Chinese, what made Zhao Shuilan most excited was that in this group of overseas Chinese, the system of equality between men and women was implemented, and women could study, go to school, and work like men, and even decide their own marriage, which made Zhao Shuilan envious.

At the same time, there are also many female travelers who have a good impression of this little girl, after all, Zhao Shuilan is also a progressive youth in China in this era, of course, if it is in the old time and space, Zhao Shuilan's age is only a high school student, not enough for young people.

After Gao Jun took charge of women's work, he worked hard to develop available people among local women to work for the crossing group, on the one hand, to let the crossing group better integrate into this era, and on the other hand, to establish several examples of emerging women, so as to further carry out the movement of emancipation of women. Although Zhao Shuilan's age is not very old, she is quite open-minded, and she is literate and has studied Western, so she naturally meets Gao Jun's employment standards, and is suitable for teaching in the school of hope.

As soon as Gao Jun found Zhao Shuilan and said, Zhao Shuilan was immediately moved, this is a formal job, and teaching and educating people was a respected profession in that era, Zhao Shuilan also knew that in the Hope School, there were a large number of female students, and the equality between men and women advocated by this group of overseas Chinese was really not just talking.

After listening to his daughter's speech, Zhao Weizhong also knew that his daughter was quite interested in the position of this teaching gentleman, and completely dismissed his plan to take his daughter to Shanghai this time. Of course, if this group of overseas Chinese can really stay in Tianjin for a long time, it is not bad for their daughter to teach in a school run by overseas Chinese, and they can further strengthen their relationship with overseas Chinese, but how long can overseas Chinese stay in Tianjin?

Zhao Weizhong thought about it for a while, and felt that he would first go to Shanghai to see what Li Zhongtang said and what attitude the foreigners had towards this group of overseas Chinese, and then decide whether he would stay in Tianjin to develop or turn to Shanghai, so he said: "Daughter, my father is going to Shanghai to meet Li Zhongtang in the next few days, at most half a month, at least ten days, this matter will be decided when my father comes back from Shanghai, what do you think?"

After listening to her father's words, although Zhao Shuilan was a little disappointed, what her father said was not unreasonable, after all, her father didn't say anything to death, and it was not easy to say anything more, so she nodded and said, "Okay, then wait for my father to come back." ”

At this time, I only heard Zhao Hong say outside the door: "Master, Miss, it's time to eat." ”

When the father and daughter heard this, they went out of the house together and came to the outer hall, only to see that the meals on the table had been prepared, Zhao Weizhong and Zhao Shuilan sat down at the table, and Zhao Weizhong said, "Everyone sit down." Zhao Hong, Zhao Ping, and Qiu Qing listened, and sat down at the table in turn.

Zhao Weizhong is not from a family of eunuchs, and it is an extraordinary period now, there are only five masters and servants in total, so there is not so much attention to the distinction between the top and the bottom, and everyone sits around a round table to eat every time.

After eating a few bites of food, Zhao Weizhong told everyone that he was going to Shanghai again, and Zhao Weizhong used to go out from time to time, either to work for the Tianjin Machinery Bureau, or to buy goods for his own shop. However, he usually brings a few family members, but now there are only five people in the family and two women, so Zhao Weizhong does not plan to bring his family this time, so he will go alone. And told everyone to take good care of their families after they go out.

When the others heard this, they all agreed.

At this time, Zhao Weizhong looked at Zhao Ping again and said, "Zhao Ping, how many years have you been by my side." ”

Zhao Ping hurriedly said: "Master, I have been following you since I was nine years old, and it has been more than ten years. ”

Zhao Weizhong nodded and said: "The days go by so fast, it's been more than ten years in a blink of an eye, I remember that you were born in Zhengyue, and you will be twenty in the next year." ”

Zhao Ping said: "Yes, master, you remember it very clearly." ”

Zhao Weizhong said: "A twenty-year-old person should also do a career, and I shouldn't still keep you by my side, mediocrity, delaying your future." ”

When Zhao Ping heard this, he hurriedly put down the dishes and chopsticks, stood up and said: "Master, why do you say that, if it wasn't for the master to take me in back then, I'm afraid I would have starved to death, the master has the grace of life for me, and I am willing to follow the master for the rest of my life." ”

Zhao Weizhong smiled and said, "What is this for, sit down and eat." After Zhao Ping sat down and picked up the chopsticks again, he said: "The current world is not good, it is difficult to do anything, if you want to get ahead, only from the army to the army is a road, our family has been farmers for generations, my father was in the army back then, and followed Li Zhongtang to pacify the long-haired rebellion, so that the family road was revitalized, and I can follow Li Zhongtang to do foreign affairs and earn these family businesses, which is also my father's favor." Now that overseas Chinese are recruiting, I don't need to say that you also know that overseas Chinese value military merit, and there is a law to govern the army, and even foreigners are not opponents, so joining the army under the command of overseas Chinese may be a way out, do you want to join the army. ”

Zhao Ping was stunned, and didn't know how to answer for a while, although he also practiced some martial arts, but this was just to strengthen his body and take care of his family. He went to see the celebration meeting held by overseas Chinese with Zhao Weizhong, and he also admired the military prestige of the army, but he never thought of joining the army and making meritorious contributions. Because Zhao Ping is very pure, his future is not in his own control, but Zhao Weizhong's decision, in a sense, Zhao Ping is Zhao Weizhong's domestic slave.

Seeing that Zhao Ping couldn't speak, Zhao Weizhong said with a smile: "But enlisting in the army is not an easy thing, going into battle to fight, it is inevitable that there will be casualties, so the key is important, you don't have to decide right away, I went to Shanghai during this time, you can think about it, wait for me to come back and make a decision, if you want to join the army, it's not too late to recruit again, even if overseas Chinese don't recruit at that time, I think with my face, I can still be accommodating, if you don't want to, don't force it, then stay and help me take care of the business." ”

Zhao Ping hurriedly said: "Yes." ”

Zhao Weizhong turned to Zhao Hong again and said: "This time I will go to Shanghai, I will take this opportunity to buy a batch of goods back, you will sort out the accounts tomorrow, and mortgage everything that can be mortgaged, including the foundation of the old house, to see how much money can be scrapped." And after I leave, you will recruit a few more guys, be honest and reliable, and when I come back from Shanghai, these two shops will be reopened. ”

Zhao Hong said: "Yes, master, I'll do it in the next day?"