Although forced to leave his home country, the Thirteen Lines quietly took root overseas. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

In fact, after the end of the First Opium War, Wu Bingjian and other leaders of the Thirteen Lines had an ominous premonition, so they secretly began to migrate overseas, and by the end of the Second Opium War, although the war still caused huge losses to the Thirteen Lines, it was nothing compared to the property transferred overseas by the merchants.

Although most of the property was preserved, Wu Bingjian was already disheartened at that time. He once wrote to an American friend in Massachusetts that if he was not too old to withstand the toss of flying across the sea, he really wanted to move to the United States. A British businessman once said: "It seems that the famous Wu Haoguan (Wu Bingjian) was not only disappointed with the work of the foreign firm, but also with the entire Chinese social system. ”

When Wu Bingjian was dying, he was indeed disappointed with the entire Chinese social system at that time. He has already understood that under that system, the traditional commercial civilization that has been developed for many years in Guangdong and even in China is doomed to decline.

Today's Thirteen Merchant Group, in order to survive, without exception choose to be loyal to the country where they are located, and strive to integrate into Western society. But in spite of this, the governments of the host countries still maintained a certain degree of wariness against them as they did with the Jews, and always took advantage of and guarded against them, and even supported other groups among the Chinese businessmen as a check.

Isn't the Chen family in front of you a living example?

The banquet began, the atmosphere was warm and relaxed, looking at Chen Hong and Sara and his wife who were toasting between the guests, Xie Ruihan's eyes were even more jealous, she turned her head several times, forcing herself to focus on the food on the table, but every time she unconsciously found that her gaze, at some point, returned to Chen Hong and his wife.

"This young grandmother of the Chen family was born with a real Peugeot," her husband Wu Xiande's voice pulled her eyes back, "but I don't know if she is good at managing family finances." ”

Hearing her husband praise Sarah's beauty, Xie Ruihan was angry in her heart, glanced at him, and said, "What, you like it too?" Why don't I pour you a place, and you will also marry a foreign woman? ”

"Look, look! You're working again, and I didn't say anything. Wu Xiande laughed, quickly withdrew his gaze from Sara, and looked at Xie Ruihan, "In my heart, I only have you." ”

Xie Ruihan sneered in his heart, but he didn't have a seizure on the surface.

Her husband's affair outside, she is actually clear in her heart, and the reason why she has been holding back is because her position in the Wu family is not stable.

Once she had the opportunity, she would never spare him.

Thinking that she had a bad thought back then, she actually rejected Chen Hong's pursuit, and she couldn't help but feel bitter in her heart.

At this time, Chen Tingxuan's wife, that is, Chen Hong's mother, Pan Chen's wife Jinxuan, also came to the garden to greet the guests, and when Pan Jinxuan appeared, the guests from the thirteen families got up to greet the old lady.

"Isn't it the Pan family that is the only thing today? Hum! ”

Xie Ruihan thought indignantly in her heart, and then looked at her husband Wu Xiande, who was competing with wine, and the injustice in her heart was even worse.

It is no wonder that Xie Ruihan is not angry, the thirteen lines of the year were headed by the "Haoguan" Wu family and the "Zhengguan" Pan family, Wu Bingjian of the Wu family and Pan Zhengwei of the Pan family, both of whom are the first businessmen in Guangdong, and now, the Pan family still has the atmosphere of the past, and the Wu family is withered, and it is not what it used to be.

And his maiden family, the "Ao Guan" Xie family, is no longer in the limelight. Otherwise, she would not let herself, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, marry a nephew from a distant house of the Wu family.

The banquet lasted for a long time, and the atmosphere became more and more enthusiastic, because he was depressed in his heart, he drank a few more glasses of wine, Xie Ruihan felt a little dizzy, and then Chen Hong took Sara to this table and toasted to the guests.

Seeing Chen Hong in front of him in a suit and leather shoes, he looked handsome, and Sarah was dressed in a high bun next to him, a bright ** person, what a pair of beautiful people, Xie Ruihan was both envious and jealous in his heart, but he had to pretend to be smiling again.

Chen Hongxiang understood Xie Ruihan's feelings at this time, so he didn't want to anger her in the slightest, he smiled and introduced her and Sarah, as if he was an acquaintance and a good friend.

He didn't know that the more he was like this, the more uncomfortable Xie Ruihan's heart became.

Sara didn't seem to know the secret between Chen Hong and Xie Ruihan, but smiled and took Xie Ruihan's hand and greeted her affectionately.

At this moment, the crowd in the distance suddenly burst into applause, Sara turned her head to look, turned around and said goodbye to Xie Ruihan with a smile.

"The envoy has arrived, we will go over first, and we will not be with us."

Xie Ruihan nodded with a smile, and watched Sara hold Chen Hong and walk in the direction where the voice came from.

"What did she just say? The envoy has arrived? Wu Xiande asked.

"Yes, is it the envoy of the British king?" Xie Ruihan came back to her senses and couldn't help but be taken aback when she remembered what Sara said just now.

Sure enough, with the arrival of the chief chamberlain of Buckingham Palace, all the guests stood up and applauded.

When the chief attendant took out the edict on the spot, announcing that the British king had conferred Chen Tingxuan as the "Earl of Hartford" and Chen Hong as the "Viscount of Belford", the crowd burst into cheers, pushing the atmosphere of the banquet to a climax.

Seeing Chen Tingxuan and Chen Hong's father and son receiving the edict from the hand of the chief attendant, Xie Ruihan could no longer hide his jealousy, but it was not good to leave immediately, so he could only sit down and drink stuffy wine.

After Chen Tingxuan saw off the chief of his chamberlain (this is to announce the results of the enthronement, and the knighthood ceremony will be held separately), it was almost noon, after everyone was invited to eat the traditional Chinese longevity noodles, under the auspices of his grandmother Pan Jinxuan, Xiao Chen Wei's "Catch the Week" ceremony (called Drawlots in the UK) officially began.

The servants brought a large round table and filled it with all the items needed to catch Zhou, and then Sara hugged little Chen Wei and placed him in the center of the round table.

Although facing the gaze of countless pairs of adult eyes, Xiao Chen Wei at this time did not have the slightest intention of recognizing life and fear. He looked curiously at the various objects around him, and slowly crawled around.

Seeing this scene, people gradually quieted down. After Xiao Chen Wei turned his head and crawled around, his eyes began to search among the items.

After a while, Xiao Chen Wei seemed to see something, he stared at a pile of items for a while, and then pulled it up with his little hands.

Soon, Xiao Chen Wei grabbed the item he had picked - a small silver carved rouge box!

Seeing that the first item that Xiao Chen Wei grabbed turned out to be a rouge box representing a woman, Chen Tingxuan's face was slightly embarrassed, and Chen Hong's face turned red all of a sudden.

Sara noticed the strange expressions of her husband and father-in-law, and remembered Chen Hong's extraordinary "outer house", which was funny, but also couldn't help but be surprised that this ancient ritual did have a good effect. She turned her head to look at her father, Nathan was looking at Xiao Chen Wei with a smile at this time, and when he saw Xiao Chen Wei grabbing a rouge box, he seemed to nod unconsciously, as if there was some kind of approval.

As if to show off the items he had caught to the adults, Xiao Chen Wei sat there, raised his little hand, and waved the silver rouge box in his hand at the adults.

Seeing the embarrassed look on Chen Hong's face, Xie Ruihan, who was standing in the crowd with her husband to watch Xiao Chen Wei catch Zhou, finally felt some balance in her heart.

"The young master will grab the rouge, and he will marry a beautiful lady in the future, the husband and wife will love each other to the end, and the children and grandchildren will be full of good luck!" A master of ceremonies sang a blessing and auspicious language on the side, which provoked bursts of applause among the Chinese guests, and although the foreign guests present could not understand what he was saying, they also applauded when they saw the Chinese cheering and applauding.

At this time, Xiao Chen Wei grabbed the rouge box with one hand, and looked for it in the pile of items with the other hand.

Soon, Xiao Chen Wei grabbed a toy knife out of the pile of items, held it high, and a cute smile appeared on his face.

"The young master's second treasure knife will be sealed in the future, and he will be crowned as the marquis of ten thousand households, and he will be a great success in protecting the country and the country, and the glory of the ancestors will show the court!" The master of ceremonies sang again.

Seeing Xiao Chen Wei grabbing the rouge box with one hand and the knife with the other, Chen Tingxuan was happy, "Okay, good!" Worthy of my grandson, hehe! Come on, come on! Wei'er, grandpa kiss one! As he spoke, he couldn't wait to pick up Xiao Chen Wei from the table and kiss Xiao Chen Wei's pink face.

At this time, the onlookers came forward one after another, surrounding the Chen family, saying all kinds of blessings to Xiao Chen Wei, Xie Ruihan looked at this scene, and felt jealous again.

"How? What to catch? Wu Xiande leaned over to her, craned his neck to look over there, and asked casually.

Xie Ruihan smelled the strong smell of alcohol on her husband's body, and knew that her husband had drunk a lot just now, but she didn't see what the young master of the Chen family was caught, nor did she hear the words of the master of ceremonies, so she was annoyed, but for the sake of her husband's family and her mother's family, she didn't scold him like she did at home, but answered her husband's question with a sneer.

"Guess what? Rouge and knives! ”

"Rouge and knives?"

"That's right, these two things are really good to catch!" Xie Ruihan whispered to her husband, "The first rouge and two knives, this child will grow up in the future, he will definitely be a romantic ghost, and he will still be a good fighter!" In the future, their Chen family will have a good life! ”

"Hehe, I see. If this catch Zhou Er works, I am afraid that their Chen family will lose in the hands of this kid in the future. Wu Xiande laughed, "This foreign species is really unacceptable." ”

Xie Ruihan just wanted to say a few more words to ridicule the Chen family to relieve his hatred, but suddenly remembered her husband's affair outside, and couldn't help glaring at him, and asked, "By the way, when you were a child, what did you catch Zhou?" ”

"How can I remember, how many years have it been......" Wu Xiande suddenly understood, his face turned red, and he immediately said, "When you go back, you can ask the old lady......"

Xie Ruihan sneered, turned his head away, and didn't look at him again.

Her gaze unconsciously stared at Chen Hong's body again.

――――Dividing Line――――

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