With curiosity, I came to the backyard of the Tang family with the servant girl, which is really worthy of a wealthy family with several generations of inheritance, with a backyard of buildings and water pavilions, and winding stone bridges. The small lake of several acres is crystal clear, the pavilions by the lake are scattered, the reflection is in the waves, and the study is by the lake.

When entering the study, Shi Yiwen couldn't help but be taken aback, this is not a study, but a study building, the two-story building, full of bookshelves, full of books.

"This Miss Tang is a book lover."

Thinking so in my heart, under the guidance of the servant, when I arrived on the second floor, there was a drape near the window, and under the wind, the curtain swayed slightly. Half-hidden by the drapery, you will see a view of the lake in the courtyard.

There is a bookcase in front of the drapery, there is a pen and ink inkstone on the case, on both sides of the case, there is a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young girl standing on each side, and the bottom is a thickened scarlet carpet, and it is soft and soft without a sound when stepping on it.

"Childe, wait a while, my young lady will come over."

Because there was no one in the study, Shi Yiwen looked up and down inside and out, and finally his eyes fell on the bookshelf on the side.

Hey!

Suddenly, the books on the shelves caught his attention, unlike the usual wire-bound books, many of the books on the shelves were hard-shell books, and what was even more surprising was the words on the books.

"Actually...... Foreign books! ”

Picking up a book in surprise, Shi Yiwen found that he couldn't read it at all.

"Not English?"

Frowning tightly, Shi Yiwen looked at those foreign language books on the bookshelf, there were as many as 100 books, this discovery surprised his heart to the extreme, after all, as far as he knew, it seemed that learning from the West to the East was something that only happened to Xu Guangqi, how could there be foreign books here.

Perhaps because he was too focused, Shi Yiwen didn't hear the footsteps behind him at all.

"Childe, are you also interested in Western studies?"

The voice behind him made Shi Yiwen hurriedly turn around.

"Miss Tang."

"Shi Gongzi."

Tang Ziqi squatted slightly.

"If you like it, you can borrow it and study it carefully at home, and some places in Western learning are really exquisite."

"That's true, why are there so many Western books here, Miss?"

Compared with the Western studies in the books, Shi Yiwen is more curious about the origin of these books.

"When my father was alive, he often traveled to and from merchants in Guangdong, and he also went to Guangdong, and came into contact with some people in Macao, most of these books were bought back at that time, and he was not afraid of the jokes of his son, and the method of making soap in the slave family was learned from these books, but he didn't know anything about it in the past."

"Ah, fortunately, Miss doesn't know at all, otherwise how could it be my business? Thank you, Miss, for your mercy. ”

Shi Yiwen made a joke casually, and suddenly realized in his mind that the woman in front of him must be a grape...... Fu Lang whispered, but admired her in his heart, and then asked again.

"Miss can also whisper?"

"Well, when I was a child, I saw that my father often exchanged letters with the Fu Lang Jiren in Macau, discussing all kinds of knowledge, and the slave family followed along to learn and learn, and it would be."

The memory of learning from his father came to mind, and Tang Ziqi felt a burst of melancholy in his heart.

"It's rare that Ling Zun is so interested in Western studies, it's really rare."

"Rare?"

Tang Ziqi said casually.

"Is this rare? My father said that when he was in Guangdong, he saw many Cantonese gentry going to Macao to learn about Western things. ”

"Huh?"

Tang Ziqi's words caused a wave in Shi Yiwen, and he immediately thought of Matteo Ricci's book he had read, in which he described the strong "curiosity" of the Chinese, "as if crazy" curiosity, and the visitors were endless, just to learn about Western things. Those who could not meet him were exchanged through letters, and he received many letters, some of whom he did not know at all, but who were happy to discuss with him in letters about Catholicism, science and technology, and other topics.

It is most precious for a nation to have such a vigorous curiosity. Looking at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the panic, hostility, and ignorant rejection of the Chinese in the face of new things such as foreigners, trains, and telegraphs make people wonder why they came here.

In the eyes of Westerners in the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese were well-dressed, personable, and polite, and the entire Ming Dynasty looked like a big garden, quiet and serene. And only one hundred and fifty years later, the once cheerful, neat and healthy compatriots have become malnourished, cowardly and filthy, and a place of extreme poverty and filth as far as the eye can see.

Thinking about all this, and everything he has seen recently, Shi Yiwen's heart can't help but be touched. The common technique used in the literary and historical circles of later generations was to use the Ming Dynasty to cushion the evil government of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. For example, when it comes to literary prison, it is said that "Ming and Qing literary prisons" are mentioned, and then there is the seclusion of the country. It is also mentioned in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Implying that the Manchu Qing closed off the country was a continuation of the Ming Dynasty's policy, the incredible phenomenon of "praising the Qing and devaluing the Ming" completely ignored the fact that the Ming and Qing dynasties were two completely different dynasties. Even so, many people actually believe, just as they believe that the people of the Ming Dynasty were dirty and unclean, that the streets of the Ming Dynasty were full of stench and feces, and completely ignore the almost heavenly country written by those Westerners, and even the records of the remnants are deaf ears, but close their eyes and believe that the Ming is the Qing, the Qing is the Ming, the Manchu Qing is conservative, the Ming Dynasty is naturally conservative, the Manchu is poor everywhere, and the Ming is naturally full of beggars......

While lamenting the absurdity of those people, Shi Yiwen, who came back to his senses, said.

"I have too little knowledge in the next place, so I make the young lady smile."

"Gongzi has just returned from the West, and when it comes to knowing too little, he is really very modest, but he doesn't know much about the Heavenly Empire."

"Miss has won the award, in fact, this time I came down to thank Miss for her help last time."

In any case, this thank you always has to be said, so Shi Yiwen specially prepared a gift to thank him, and when he thanked him, Tang Ziqi smiled casually.

"Childe is polite, I heard that Childe is going to the capital?"

"Well, I'm afraid I don't know when I'll go to the capital and go back to Nanjing."

Speaking of this, Shi Yiwen couldn't help but feel a little sad, after all, he was used to Nanjing, and even used to that home.

"I wonder what arrangements Gongzi has for Nanjing?"

Hesitating, Tang Ziqi opened his mouth and said.

"If Childe is interested, you might as well ......"

Looking at Tang Ziqi with a smile, Shi Yiwen shook his head and said.

"In this matter, please Miss Tang avoid opening her mouth, I already have other plans."

"Oh? Have you guessed what the slave is going to say? ”

"Miss Tang, after all, she is barely a businessman."

Glancing at Tang Ziqi, Shi Yiwen shook his head and said.

"After leaving, Nanjing's industry is indeed beyond the reach of the whip, and there is no cronies to operate, so it is natural to have a plan."

"Then I wonder what Childe is planning?"

Looking at Shi Yiwen with a smile, Tang Ziqi took out a bill of exchange.

This is 200,000 taels of "meeting ticket", the son can take 200,000 taels of silver in the capital with the ticket, the slave family only needs sixty percent of the soap factory, the son's annual dividends, the slave family guarantees that the penny is not bad, and it will be sent to the capital at the end of the year. I don't know what Childe thinks the slave family's proposal is good? ”

"The conditions offered by the young lady are indeed extremely generous."

Looking at the bill of exchange, Shi Yiwen had to admit that the conditions she opened were indeed very good. But still shook his head and said.

"But I do have other plans!"

Facing Shi Yiwen's refusal, Tang Ziqi's brows furrowed slightly, and she suddenly exclaimed after a while.

"Childe, are you trying to ......?"

Before she could say anything, she said in annoyance.

"Why did Childe do this!"