1907, late autumn.

The distant sky is reflected in the vast Pacific Ocean, and the intricate islands are the shining stars in the sky. The Hawaiian Islands are one of those ordinary and beautiful places.

The sea breeze blows on the body, with a faint fishy smell, but it is still warm. Although the sky is just hazy, the docks in Honolulu are already full of people. The industrious and hard-working Oriental people have already been busy, and the shouts of selling breakfast and the shouts of carrying bags are mixed with sea water and sweat, and they are far away. This is a time when people can be filled with new hope.

With a whistle, another cruise ship entered the port. Zhang Yuanji, who had just celebrated his 40th birthday, stood on the bow of the boat, leaning on the railing with his arms, looking at the new land of Hawaii from afar.

On the dock, almost all of the people who were busy were Chinese, and it seemed that they had not gone to a foreign country or to the United States, but more like they had returned to Shanghai. Speaking of which, Zhang Yuanji is not surprising, in the past few years, people from the coastal provinces have come to this land one after another, first scattered a few people, and later, they are organized and one by one. In a few years, Hawaii has become a foreign country with the largest number of Chinese.

Among them, I heard that there is a figure of Hongmen.

Thinking of Hongmen, Zhang Yuanji was a little emotional. He has never thought that this is a reckless collection of Water Margin, and it will not become any climate. Who would have thought that five years ago, probably at such a time, when he had just replaced Cai Yuanpei, who had left his post due to Su's report, as the director of the compilation office, and suddenly one day, Xu Xilin, who had generously gone to justice not long ago, came to ask for publication with a translated copy of Hobbes's "Leviathan" by the Englishman.

Zhang Yuanji only doubled it slightly, and he was very interested. His book is all in Mandarin, although it is not as wonderful as the language of "Yuan Fu" translated by Yan Fu a few years ago, but when you read it carefully, it does not hide the literary brilliance at all, and the punctuation and sentences are very clear.

Zhang Yuanji looked at the "Leviathan", the meaning of the country and national sovereignty written about it, and the translation of "Yuan Fu" by Yan Fu complemented each other, and he couldn't help but applaud happily.

Zhang Yuanji originally thought that the book "Leviathan" was translated by Xu Xilin, but when asked, Xu Xilin said that it was the translator of this book, but it was his friend named Zhu Fangsheng on the island of Hawaii. This man was young and intelligent, lived in a foreign country for a long time, and heard that a North American priest who came to China to preach the gospel said that there was a Commercial Press in China that "advocated education and opened up the wisdom of the people".

When Zhang Yuanji heard this, he had the heart to invite Zhu Fangsheng to work in the Commercial Translation Institute. Unexpectedly, before the words came out, Xu Xilin shook his head again and again, just saying that it was a little inconvenient for this person to return to China. He also said that at this time, the country was in turmoil, and it was not as quiet as Hawaii, which was conducive to translation, and Hawaii was located in the center of the ocean shipping lanes, so it was cheaper to obtain books than Shanghai. What's more, Hawaii is only a month away from Shanghai.

Zhang Yuanji saw that what Xu Xilin said was reasonable, so he put down his mind to seek talents. This "Leviathan" was designed by himself and published within a few weeks, and sure enough, Luoyang paper was expensive for a while, and the Commercial Translation Institute swept away the decline of the change of director, and its reputation rose instead of falling.

Since then, in five years, almost in a month or two, Zhu Fangsheng has been able to translate into a book, large or small, but the materials are very fine, and the translation is better. The Commercial Press is even more coquettish in China because of this set of books.

It wasn't until not long ago that the news of Xu Xilin's assassination of Enming came, and Zhang Yuanji suddenly realized that the person who translated the book was actually a member of the party who opposed the Qing Dynasty and restored the Ming Dynasty.

It's been almost five years. That Zhu Fangsheng, I don't know who he studied from, but it is really amazing, in the past five years, he has not stopped at all, and up to now, he has translated more than 20 Western classics, and all of them are outstanding. However, when Xu Xilin was martyred and mourned, Zhang Yuanji returned to sorrow, and there was no middleman, so in the future, how can I get the manuscript?

Unexpectedly, within a few days, a monk came to visit late at night, saying that Xu Xilin had a letter with him and delivered it with a package. Zhang Yuanji opened the letter and saw a few words on it, writing:

"Brother Shinozai:

See the words as well. The incident started in a hurry, and the younger brother was determined to die, wanting to follow Nie Zheng's actions and police the country. Those who are worried, only Bosun has the trust of the son. In the package, it is my Hongmen list, Bosun thought about it again and again, only to bother my brother, the list and letters, sent to the Chen Mansion in Honolulu. The virtue of the elder brother to save the trouble, the younger brother admires the five.

Well-known does not have. ”

After reading it, Zhang Yuanji was surprised and delighted. What is surprising is that this Xu Xilin's trust is really important, the Hongmen roster is really an anti-thief roster, if he hides it, he will have to bear the boss's involvement; Happily, with the address, you can find that Zhu Fangsheng and fulfill the promise of the Commercial Press to translate 100 classics. Zhang Yuanji thought about it again and again, but still bought a ferry ticket on the second day and went straight to Hawaii.

At this moment, the morning sun is rising in Honolulu, and although it is late autumn, it is still warm as spring. Zhang Yuanji stood at the bow of the boat, thinking of his interactions with Xu Xilin in the past few years, and was full of emotion for a while. Suddenly, I felt that the people in the party were not necessarily all reckless heroes, and Xu Xilin was an excellent example. Yunwen Yunwu, generosity and righteousness, ancient gentlemen, it is better than that.

As soon as the whistle sounded, the cruise ship docked. Zhang Yuanji carried simple luggage and slowly walked off the boat with the crowd.

Speaking of which, this is the first time Zhang Yuanji has set foot in a foreign country, but this place in Honolulu, Hawaii, really can't be regarded as a foreign country, because most of the people who come and go here are still Han people.

However, Zhang Yuanji walked and found that many Japanese expatriates were dressed in similar clothes compared to Han Chinese, and some were even ragged and poor. This is the opposite of Shanghai, most of the Japanese in Shanghai are well-dressed and high-spirited, and some people joke that the Japanese on the beach are toads if they are covered with a layer of pimple skin; Put on the shell, and then it's a crab alive.

Zhang Yuanji walked out of the dock, and the Chinese and Japanese who came and went on the dock just now, for a while, it really made him feel like he was in Shanghai. But when he saw the crisscrossing roads and rows of buildings and commercial buildings in front of him, he finally realized that he was now in a foreign country called Hawaii.

This Chen Mansion, it seems that in Honolulu, it is quite famous, not only famous, but also has a great prestige among the Han people. Zhang Yuanji stopped, stopped at a Han stall on the side of the road and asked for directions, and the man spoke very clearly without thinking. However, Zhang Yuanji is a scholar, and he really can't understand this journey. After taking dozens of steps, he turned in the wrong direction.

Who knew that Zhang Yuanji only took a few steps around the intersection, and the stall owner chased after him and asked directly: "Sir, this is the first time to come to Honolulu, I see that you are not very familiar with the road here, if you don't see the strangeness, I will take you there, right?" ”

Zhang Yuanji thanked him, but he was strange, so he asked, "If the boss leads me there, what should you do with this business?" ”

The little vendor walked in front and said, "My name is Zhao Dali, and I am the fifth oldest in the family. I don't have to worry about my business, just leave it over there. Rest assured, this Honolulu is safe. Besides, the Chen Mansion is not far away, look at what you are wearing, you are a learned person, it must be the gentleman invited by the Chen Mansion, several of my children are literate in the Chen Mansion, I will lead the way to Mr. ”

After listening to this, Zhang Yuanji knew that Zhao Dali had misunderstood, so he explained: "The boss misunderstood, I am not the gentleman invited by the Chen Mansion, I am entrusted by someone to come to the Chen Mansion to send some things, and by the way, visit Mr. Zhu Fangsheng Zhu." ”

Who knew that as soon as Zhang Yuanji mentioned Zhu Fangsheng's name, Zhao Dali was even more humble: "You are a friend of Gongzi?" I said that I would go out in the morning, and I felt beaming, it turned out that I had such good luck today and could do something for my son. Why don't you wait here for a moment, I'll get a car. It's better to go to the Chen Mansion early today. ”

After speaking, without waiting for Zhang Yuanji to reply, he hurriedly ran to the side. After a while, he brought a Western carriage over. When Zhang Yuanji saw such a scene, he was taken aback. This kind of car is European, not a nobleman and does not often sit, this Zhao Dali looks like an ordinary small vendor, in a blink of an eye, he can find a Western carriage to travel, what a strange thing?

Zhang Yuanji was in amazement, and Zhao Dali had already led the carriage to him. Zhao Dali said to Zhang Yuanji: "Sir, you can take this carriage, the name of the driver is Zhao Erniu, who is my nephew, I have made it clear to him, he will always drive you to the door of the Chen Mansion." I won't go with you. ”

After Zhang Yuanji was surprised, he was a little surprised. It turned out that he had never ridden in such a carriage before. Seeing Zhao Dali diligently open the door for himself, he sat down a little nervous and excited.

After sitting down, he suddenly remembered, and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhao." ”

Zhao Dali waved his hand and said with a smile: "Mr. is polite." You're a guest of Childe, and it's too late for us to be happy that you can do something for Childe. He closed the door and said to the driver: "Nephew, good driving, don't bump the guests." ”

The driver said honestly: "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely send my son's guests over safely." ”

The car was really fast and steady all the way, and in a trance, he arrived at the Chen Mansion, Zhang Yuanji got out of the car and thanked Zhao Erniu, then Zhao Erniu didn't even say no, looking at his look, the words that didn't need to thank came out of his mouth, but it took more effort than driving.

Zhang Yuanji stood in front of the Chen Mansion, his mood was inexplicably a little excited, that Zhu Fangsheng, although he had never met, from the translated books, he could see that this person's feelings and ambitions were the same as himself; And what I have just experienced, this Zhu Fangsheng is clearly in this Hawaii, very prestigious, comparable to a prince. I don't know what kind of person I will be this time, who has crossed the ocean and longed to see?

Zhang Yuanji naturally didn't know that he came at this moment to coincide with a major event on Hawaii Island. Originally, he only planned to stay for a short time, but he happened to witness the changes in Hawaii, and the rolling trend of the 20th century began.