Xuan Yuemeng circled around Xuan Hongtao back and forth, holding her chin with her hand, and nodded, "It's quite an eyesore to wear this official uniform, yes, I'll take you to make two suits now." ”

Xuan Yuemeng didn't care whether Xuan Hongtao agreed or not, so she said to Timothy Li in English: "My father wants to wear a suit, you can accompany us, and then I will help you think of a way to see how to help you integrate into Chinese society as soon as possible." ”

Of course, Timothy Li readily agreed, and Xuan Hongtao shook his hand again and again, "What did you say to foreign devils?" I don't make suits, foreign devils' clothes, what do you wear? When I was seen, I thought I was a bandit. ”

Xuan Yuemeng sweated profusely, "Can you speak politely?" What's the bandit? Didn't Li Zhongtang have to find more foreign technicians to go to Tianjin Machinery Manufacturing Bureau? If it's a foreigner, it's all a bandit? This Mr. Timothy Lee is my friend, not a bandit, and he is not a soldier. ”

No matter what Xuan Yuemeng said, Xuan Hongtao just refused.

Xuan Yuemeng had no choice but to use a killer move, first retreating as advance, "If you don't want to, don't you, then I'll take my foreigner friend to our house for dinner in the evening, and you can arrange it." ”

Xuan Hongtao thought about it and took foreigners to eat at home? hugged Xuan Yuemeng aside, "That's not good, if people see it, what will happen?" I'm an official, how can I eat with foreigners in private? Still taking it home? Your grandfather won't agree, and besides, do you see any people from the Great Qing Kingdom who hang out with foreign devils all day long? In the future, you will come to this concession less often, foreign devils have no good things, you are still too young, you don't understand. ”

Xuan Yuemeng sighed secretly, it seems that many things are as simple as he thinks, and it is definitely a very profound knowledge to change people's minds, "This is not good, that is not good, then you will be an honest six-grade official for the rest of your life!" Didn't you tell me the day before yesterday that you wanted to sit firmly under Li Zhongtang's hands? If you don't do anything, you just let off empty cannons. ”

Xuan Hongtao was a little moved by what Xuan Yuemeng said, but he still refused to give up his prejudice against foreigners, "I won't tell you, I'll go first, Dali, you took the young master home earlier, did you hear that?" ”

Dali hurriedly agreed, "Yes." ”

Xuan Yuemeng said dissatisfiedly: "Let's go, let's go, what I said at home is all over the place, and when I come out, everything changes, those marks just now, you give me a little, I have to have some money." ”

Xuan Hongtao smiled and took out a ten-mark sheet and put it in Xuan Yuemeng's small pocket, "Such a big child will spend money and do business." ”

Looking at the back of the carriage that Xuan Hongtao was riding on, Xuan Yuemeng sighed, it was not easy, it would be good if he could decide everything by himself.

Timothy Lee: "Mr. Yuemeng, didn't you just say that your father was going to make a suit?" ”

Xuan Yuemeng smiled bitterly, and had an idea, "He's embarrassed to wear your foreigners' clothes, in this way, my father's figure is about the same as yours, so I'll order a set according to your size." ”

Timothy Li could understand what Xuan Yuemeng meant, and it was easy to help with this favor, so he naturally agreed.

Xuan Yuemeng saw that Timothy Lee's clothes were old: "Mr. Timothy Lee, take the liberty of asking, do you want a new suit?" Since we are friends, I would like to send you a set of clothes. ”

Timothy Lee said with a smile: "We Europeans, no man gives clothes to men, only men and women give clothes as gifts, besides, in the words of you Chinese, I have no merit." ”

Xuan Yuemeng laughed: "Aren't you quite familiar with China's human feelings?" You are now in China, and if you want to live well in China, you have to get used to Chinese customs and be polite. Besides, you're not useless, don't I still need to learn English from you? ”

Timothy Lee said embarrassedly, "This can't be counted, you learn English with me, and I also learn Chinese from you, offset." ”

Xuan Yuemeng waved her hand, "No, no, no, you know one more than me, don't you know German?" I only teach you one, but you teach me two, so I should give you a gift. Moreover, you also accompanied me to exchange foreign exchange today, I took up your time, I should express my gratitude to you, later, I will accompany you to make a set of our Chinese robes, so that in the future, you can wear like a Chinese, if you wear Chinese clothes and contact with Chinese, it will increase the Chinese's goodwill towards you. ”

Timothy Li was so grateful to Xuan Yuemeng for thinking so thoughtfully, and his good impression of Xuan Yuemeng increased a little, "Thank you, Mr. Yuemeng, I didn't expect that my first friend in China was actually a child, your concept is very close to us Westerners, I feel very good with you." ”

Xuan Yuemeng stretched out a finger and shook it, "Mr. Timothy Lee, I will correct you a problem, if you treat me as your friend, don't treat me as a child, I hope you treat me as a business partner, I still hope that you can seriously consider my request." ”

Timothy Li was too curious: "Mr. Yuemeng, do you still want to hire me?" What are your specific thoughts? ”

Xuan Yuemeng: "I have channels to know about the affairs of the Chinese court, but the people in China's officialdom are not suitable for direct business, so I want to open a foreign bank, hire you as my manager, I will give you one percent of the shares, you are the shareholder of this foreign bank, and then I will say to the outside world that you are the boss, I will also give you a basic salary every month, and I will pay you a commission of one percent per business, if our foreign bank develops well, You will soon be able to bring your wife and daughter to China. ”

Timothy Li was almost stunned, he felt that Xuan Yuemeng was much smarter than ordinary children, but judging from what Xuan Yuemeng said to himself, there was no way to explain a child with intelligence, it was just a monster-like child? Timothy Lee is sure that even Xuan Yuemeng's father in his thirties is far worse than Xuan Yuemeng. Timothy Lee now not only thinks that Xuan Yuemeng's statement that he wants to hire him is by no means just talking, but it also seems that this matter is really possible.

Xuan Yuemeng saw that Timothy Li still did not speak, seemed to be hesitating, frowned tightly and was thinking, and couldn't help but smile and said: "Mr. Timothy Li, you can find a lot of bosses, I can also look for people like you, but I think it is difficult for you to find a more generous boss than me, and it is difficult for me to find a more solid European than you, you have a family in your heart, it proves that you are not a person without affection, we Chinese pay the most attention to this word of affection, so I now formally invite you." ”

Timothy Li thought for a long time before saying, "Although this is very strange, but, Mr. Xuan Yuemeng, don't forget, you are a Chinese, if you want to start a foreign bank, you are not qualified at all, and the nationality of the British Empire is not easy to obtain." ”

Xuan Yuemeng sighed, very happy, Timothy Li was able to say this, which proved that he had seriously considered the issue of helping him open a foreign bank, "British nationality is not easy, then Germany, if Germany wins the Franco-Prussian War this time, it will definitely recount the household registration information, right?" Won't it be easy to get it then? ”

Timothy Lee was stunned for a while, and said for a long time: "Perhaps, you really should be the boss, you were born to be the boss." ”

Timothy Li's words made Xuan Yuemeng very useful, he has never been a team leader in Dalian since he was a child, and it is really not easy to find that he has a talent for management.

Xuan Yuemeng and Timothy Li bought suits, Xuan Yuemeng also took Timothy Li to get a robe, and then the two of them summed up how to get a German nationality for Xuan Yuemeng, Timothy Li told Xuan Yuemeng that when he first came to China, he came with a German nobleman, and then the man died in China, and now Xuan Yuemeng wants to apply for a German household registration, it can be said that Xuan Yuemeng is the child born by that person in China, so it is easier to gain the trust of the German consulate.

Although Xuan Yuemeng was very dissatisfied with Timothy Lee's story, she couldn't think of a better way.

Xuan Yuemeng is in full swing carrying out her own development plan, and Xuan Zonglu is not idle.

At night, Xuan Zonglu's bedroom.

Xuan Hongbo put a good hookah on Xuanzong and served the old man to smoke.

Xuan Zonglu spat out a puff of smoke and breathed a long sigh of relief, "In this way, Li Hongzhang will not use me, an old man, he wants to cultivate all his own forces, this is called a son of heaven and a courtier." ”

Xuan Hongbo was anxious: "Dad, if you say that, you can't come up with it again?" ”

Xuan Zonglu: "It's not impossible, I have to wait, when Chonghou recovers his official position first, my side will be soon, and then I can only find Master Li Hongzao first, let me go back to the Ministry of Rites first, and then take a step to see a step." ”

Xuan Hongbo nodded, his expression gloomy, "You have to wait a little longer, then I don't know when I have to wait, now that the eldest brother has become an official, you look at the people on the other side of the big house, now they are arrogant all day long, what has they been pressed into by them on the second side of the house, Dad, do you say that his boss is the material to be an official?" ”

Xuan Zonglu glanced at Xuan Hongbo, "You don't have to be in a hurry, I will let you go, it cost 10,000 taels!" I've already donated a tribute to you, and in a few days, I'll think of a six-rank official for you, and I didn't want to tell you first. ”

Xuan Hongbo was pleasantly surprised, and his eyes suddenly widened, "Dad, why did you tell me?" That dare is good, now we can be on an equal footing with the eldest brother, the old man in the province is angry at home, Dad, don't worry, I will never live up to your old man's high expectations! Don't let me go out of town then, will you? ”

Xuan Zonglu said with a smile: "Donating 10,000 taels of tribute, running your positive six products, it cost another 20,000 taels, plus the cost of dotting, this is nearly 40,000 taels!" Tianjin Prefect Yamen is not much worse than his Tianjin Machinery Manufacturing Bureau. ”

Xuan Hongbo was surprised, almost jumped up, and suddenly stood up, "Dad, why do you talk paragraph by paragraph?" You've already done it for me, huh? So, I'm also an official now? Rest assured, I will honor you for the rest of my life! ”

Xuan Hongbo never imagined that the old man would spend such a large amount of money on himself, and he couldn't be moved.

Xuan Hongtao and Xuan Yuemeng couldn't imagine that the old man would spend such a large amount of money to buy an official for Xuan Hongbo, and when they saw Xuan Hongbo swaggering into the hall, they didn't know what illness he was guilty of.

Everyone is having dinner.

Xuan Hongbo stood at the top and coughed, "Wife, Ming'er asked someone to buy a table, and in the future, there will be three people in the second room, and a separate table!" No, buy two more, and there will be four tables in this hall in the future, and my parents will also have one separately, don't you like to show off? In the future, my parents will have a table, a big room, a second room, and a third room, each with a table, and everyone will show it together, and if you break the situation, you won't know what your surname is, phew! ”

Xuan Zhou's family knew that the old man had spent a lot of money to donate money to the second child, so he hurriedly went to peek at the faces of the eldest and third child.

Although Xuan Hongtao probably guessed what was going on, he was not very angry, his personality was not a personality that likes to be vindictive, he was forced to have no way out by the second and third rooms before, and he only jumped twice, Xuan Hongtao also likes that the family can get better.

Of course, Xuan Hongyu immediately guessed what was going on, Huo stood up all of a sudden, and walked to the back, when it was time to eat, the old man didn't come out himself, and after ordering the meal, he muttered with the second child for so long, and then looked at the appearance of the second brother who didn't know how thick the sky was, Xuan Hongyu knew what was going on no matter how stupid he was, not to mention, among the three brothers, none of them was stupid.

Xuan Yu didn't know what was going on, so he pulled the corner of Xuan Hongbo's clothes and signaled Xuan Hongbo not to do this.

Xuan Hongbo smiled: "What are you doing? What's wrong with me not being able to speak? Don't eat it, now hurry up and go to Zuixianju to call a few good dishes, add vegetables at night, eat this meat and vegetables for many days, and soon become a rabbit. ”

Xuan Hongtao: "Congratulations, second child, did my father donate an official to you?" ”

Xuan Hongbo laughed: "Boss, it's not as good as you, we don't have the ability, we can only rely on the old man to do the activity, the Tianjin Prefect's Yamen, the top of the six products!" ”

Xuan Hongtao and Xuan Yuemeng were taken aback, although Xuan Yuemeng is not very clear about the structure of officialdom until now, but the grade is still clear, Xuan Hongtao is because he made great contributions in the Tianjin teaching case, and Li Hongzhang personally came forward to protect, so he got an official body, this kind of opportunity can be said to be rare in history, especially not when it is a war, if it is in the process of fighting with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or something, and dozens of people are promoted at a time, it is normal.

But this Xuan Hongtao was suddenly forced into the yamen of the Tianjin prefect from a white body, how many connections did this use, and how much money did it cost? Xuan Yuemeng secretly wondered, and hated the old man's partiality.

Xuan Hongtao is not a person with a lot of energy, it's just that in this family, they are really people with a small amount of energy, so they seem to be a little big, but after Xuan Hongtao heard Xuan Hongbo report to his official position, he suddenly lost his words, and his face was pale.

Everyone in the big house didn't have a good face, Xuan Huang naturally needless to say, the sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law under him, although they are not very old, they are all sensible, Xuan Yuelei and Xuan Yuewen, the two children, are even more deeply touched, they have been reading for so many years, for what? Isn't it just to be an official? The second uncle has a positive six products without much effort, how can it not make people psychologically unbalanced.

Xuan Huang snorted: "The old man is really willing to spend money!" This item is no less than 100,000 taels of silver, right? An ordinary county official has to be a county official in a rich land, and I am afraid that he will never want to earn 100,000 taels of silver in his life! ”

Xuan Huang was slightly exaggerated, and Xuan Huang didn't know how much money the old man spent on the second running official.

The big room is psychologically unbalanced, the number of people in the third room is second only to the big room, and the minds of the people in the three rooms are generally much narrower than the minds of the people in the big room.