Episode 70 First arrival in Germany

Autumn Honeymoon Logbook:

March 19:

At 20:32, the "Jade Xuan" started! There are thousands of Chinese in the port, they are all cheering, I know they are all here to see off Xiaoqiang and me! Xiaoqiang is very moved, and I am also very moved!

At 21:12, sailed out of the Straits of Johor, with a new course of 320 and a speed of 25 knots! Enter the Straits of Malacca! Or the Kui Wood Wolf escorted us. It followed us 600 meters and looked loyal, like a guard! We ran to the stern of the boat to get the signal light, and I personally signaled to them: Good work! They replied: It's an honor! The Timber Wolf will accompany us through the Strait of Malacca and will not part until we are in the Indian Ocean. I can't bear them. Such a good captain, such a good sailor!

March 20:

I spent the whole day crossing the Straits of Malacca today. The strait is getting wider and wider, and the land on both sides is getting farther and farther away, and then it is almost impossible to see. I know that usually this part of the voyage is a time when people are scared. But not this time! We were followed by the Kui Wood Wolf. Xiaoqiang lay on the railing again and watched the sea for a day. The sun is so strong here, he will see his eyes badly like this. However, he didn't listen to me. I had no choice but to accompany him.

At 19:50, we finally left Nanyang! New Heading: 268! New speed: 32 knots!

We got into the Indian Ocean on a beautiful big cruise ship. The captain invited us to dinner tonight, and he said that the "Jade Xuan" was going to rush to grab the "Red Ribbon Award"! But the tropical sun was strange, and we didn't go down until eight o'clock after eating. Because of the sunset, the sea to the west is beautiful. There were a few dolphins jumping on the bow of the boat, and there were large flocks of seagulls above us, quacking and quacking, until we were far into the ocean, and they followed.

In the evening we watched the movie "Grand Hotel" in the cinema on board. Greta Garbo is so beautiful, among the foreign actresses, I like Garbo the most. But Xiaoqiang said that the film is very boring, which is really annoying. He won't appreciate it at all. He also asked me if the films were so boring at this time. I don't understand what that means. But, hehe, after a while, I forgave him. Xiaoqiang, what can I do without you!

March 21:

9:00, I was so excited last night, I got up very late this morning. When we got to the deck, we found that the Timber Wolf was gone. The captain said it left at six in the morning. We have gone far into the Indian Ocean and are no longer in danger of being hijacked by pirates. It's a shame I didn't have time to say goodbye to it. But Xiaoqiang said that there may still be pirates there in the Gulf of Aden. I don't know if he's trying to scare me into being happy, but he's talking about a nose and eyes.

By the way, Xiaoqiang doesn't look at the sea today. He got into the casino. Oh my God, what to do!

March 22:

I missed my dad today. A telegram was sent back. I don't have a radio at home, so he has to go to the telegraph office to get it. I don't know when I'll be able to go back. sent a telegram to Xiuxiu for Xiaoqiang. It seems that he has completely forgotten about them.

Another: Today I passed through the southern tip of India and saw the island of Sri Lanka in the distance. The deck was packed with people, and everyone came out to see. At 12:25, drive through the South Cape of Sri Lanka. New Heading: 280! We've crossed half the Indian Ocean.

March 23:

Today, Dad's telegram came back, he said that Xiaoqiang is a good husband, and he wants me to just accompany him outside, don't be in the midst of blessings and don't know the blessings, and always feel homesick all day long. He also asked me to think about Shangxiu. Actually, I understand, but, alas......

Another: Poor Xiuxiu, how can I compensate you?

March 24:

It's boring today.

March 25:

It's boring today.

March 26:

It's getting boring every day.

March 27:

The Indian Ocean turned out to be so big. In the past few days, except for the sea, I haven't seen a single ship or island. Everybody doesn't love decks anymore.

March 28:

Thankfully, the Indian Ocean is finally over. 17:30, new course: 245! We entered the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden is wider than the Strait of Malacca, and there is no land in sight on either side. But I know that to the north is the Arabian Desert and to the south is British Somalia.

Another: there are no pirates at all. But Xiaoqiang's mouth is very hard, and he will have it later. It's terrible.

March 29:

We entered the Red Sea. On the right is the Arabian Peninsula and on the left is Egypt. On both sides there was a great desert, dry and hot, and it was unbearably dry, not at all like at sea.

However, something big happened today!

10:50, attention! Forward target, battleship! One! Distance, 10,000 meters!

At 10:55, the heavy cruiser was spotted! There are two of them!

At 11:10, the nationality of the other party was confirmed, and it was British!

11:20, distance between the two sides, 5000 meters! I can almost confirm that it was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship! Those two heavy cruisers should be both Norfolk class. There are only two ships in the Norfolk class, the Norfolk and the Dorsetshire. Both are very new warships and have only been built for a few years.

The whole boat ran out to see, but no one cheered. The Queen Elizabeth-class cannon barrel is too scary. When they passed by us, no one honked their horns and saluted, as if they were all embarrassed. We're heading to the West, and they're heading to the East.

Xiaoqiang's expression was very serious.

We only remembered that a few days ago we had received a telegram from home saying that Britain had sent one battleship and two cruisers to the East, saying that they were destined for India. But we all know that this is to beware of the Ming. Xiaoqiang said that this incident will be a watershed in Mingying relations. I think so. But after all, Britain did not send the fleet directly to Singapore. Although Singapore has a military port, it has never had a capital ship, and it is an empty shelf. If the British were to send it directly to Singapore, the Malacca area would become the most tense region in the world.

Fortunately, the British were only sent to India. Alas, I hope that the two countries will not fight in the future!

In the evening, there was an auction on the ship, mainly jewelry, and several sets of hand-cut fashion by French and Italian masters, but all second-hand. Those jewels are all big road goods, and the most expensive ones are less than 10,000 Ming Yang. But these things are amazing treasures in the eyes of those women. There are three women, all of whom are young grandmothers of some company, and we play cards together these days, and we win a lot of money. I showed them my "autumn roses" and their eyes were green. Haha, so happy!

Hmm, I picked a pair of diamond earrings that were quite pleasing to the eye, and I took it at 4100 Ming Yang.

March 30:

We entered the Suez Canal. Because this canal is so famous, everyone comes out to see it. I remember being able to see the pyramids on the Suez Canal, but I couldn't see them even when my neck was broken. Later, when I heard from others, I remembered that I was mistaken, and I had to see it on the Nile, not the Suez Canal. Alas, what a shame!

I used to look at the Suez Canal on a map, and it felt quite short. But now I know that it turned out to be so long! That's more than a hundred kilometers! There is also a lake in between. We drove very slowly, for hours to finish.

At 11:20, we finally entered the Mediterranean! New Heading: 275! New speed: 33 knots! The captain said we had to hurry up, or we wouldn't get the Red Ribbon prize.

Entering the Mediterranean, everyone's emotions are high. I don't know why, maybe it's finally out of the desolate Indian Ocean and finally into the ocean of civilization! Throughout the day, there were many people on deck, and other ships could often be seen in the sea. Everyone was happy. The lonely voyage is finally over.

In the evening, we passed from the south side of Crete. Further north is the Aegean Sea. There were a lot of Greek delicacies cooked on the dinner boat, and Xiaoqiang wondered, we just passed through Greece and never docked, where did all this Greek food come from? Haha, it's just a Greek flavor, and people didn't say that it was purchased from Greece.

After dinner, everyone went out on deck to blow the wind. Although the Mediterranean Sea is still a little hot and dry, it is much more comfortable than in the Red Sea. The lights in the far north are dotted with lights, both from coastal cities and from other passenger ships. From time to time, small yachts pass by. The Mediterranean is so lively.

March 31:

In the morning, we passed through Sicily, with Italy to the north. At noon crossed the Strait of Tunis. There we finally saw a corner of the African continent. In the afternoon, passed through Sardinia. 2:30, new heading: 240!

Another: As expected, we had pizza again in the evening and a lot of Italian food, even though we never stopped in Italy. Xiaoqiang bets that tomorrow we should eat Spanish food.

April 1:

This afternoon, we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is one of the narrowest straits in the world, only 10,000 meters wide at its narrowest point, and we can clearly see the mountains on both sides. A few kilometres to the north is Cape Europa, along with the Gulf of Algeciras. There's the British military port in there. Xiaoqiang didn't know why, and suddenly asked me mysteriously, if we were to go to war with Britain, would I have the ability to sneak across the Strait of Gibraltar in a submarine. It scared the hell out of me. War with the British? It's terrible, could it be that some secret telegram is coming from China? But Xiaoqiang said that he was just asking and playing.

Oh my God, how do you say that? I drove a submarine in the Yangtze River, and the Strait of Gibraltar is much wider than the Yangtze River. However, the British Navy is also much stronger than the Qing Navy! Hehe, fortunately, I have Xiaoqiang, even if I fight, it doesn't matter what strait I wear.

1:50, new heading: 310! We entered the Atlantic.

According to common sense, the most sinful part of the voyage has arrived.

The damp, cold wind blew over the Atlantic. The sea conditions also began to bump. The temperature dropped rapidly, and everyone on board was looking for clothes to wear. Everyone suddenly remembered that it was only the beginning of April! Hehe, the earth is really strange, all the way is in the middle of summer, after crossing a strait, it will return to early spring.

3:30, new course: 000!

We stick to the Portuguese coast and head due north. Throughout the afternoon, and into the evening, the sea was rough and the temperature was getting colder. A lot of people got seasick, and no one was on deck. The air was humid and had a strong salty smell.

Another: We didn't eat Spanish or Portuguese food in a day. Xiaoqiang lost the bet.

April 2:

Last night we crossed the entire Bay of Biscay and at 6:00 this morning we passed Cape Finisterre, the farthest stretch of land in France into the Atlantic. New Heading: 085!

We entered the English Channel.

Although the sea conditions were worse, everyone's mood was high. Because today you can end your long voyage!

A lot of people came to us for breakfast today and asked for autographs. Xiaoqiang couldn't sign it, so they asked me to sign it. I was nervous, autographing the ladies and ladies, and thinking, what right do I have to sign for them? I'm just luckier than them. I didn't meet Xiaoqiang when I joined...... But who told me to meet it? Just think about it and you can die happily.

At 10:20, the Jade finally sailed into the port of Southampton! Our captain couldn't keep his mouth shut, as a small balloon rose from our mainmast with a 31-foot red streamer hanging underneath! This means that the average speed of our voyage was 31 knots! It wasn't easy, we crossed half the world in just 13 days!

Many people in the harbor were watching us enter the port, and in front of us was the pilot ship. On both sides were fireboats, spraying high curtains of water to congratulate us. The whole ship cheered. Even though we didn't disembark here, we were really happy.

Nearly half of the guests on board got off in the UK. The Jade docked in the harbor for a day. On this day, many people came up one after another. The English ladies were tall and well-buried.

It's a pity we don't have British passports and can't disembark. But the harbor is calm, much more comfortable than in the English Channel.

At 21:00 p.m., the Jade set sail again and sailed out of the port of Southampton. Heading: 090, once again entering the English Channel with white waves.

The boat was very bumpy, everyone was seasick, and even I was very uncomfortable. We all went to bed early. The next ten hours or so were bumpy in the English Channel. Luckily, in my sleep. If it were daylight, he would have suffered. Stop until the evening and then go, this is also the thoughtful arrangement of the ship.

April 3:

At 7:30 we finally entered the Bay of Hergland. The pilot ship came to pick us up. A few kilometres to our right is Wilhelmshaven. This is the most important military port in Germany, and we can see several small speedboats lined up, dragging white waves across the sea. Through the binoculars, you can see that the German sailors are in high spirits, as if they are full of confidence. I wonder if they're training or patrolling?

At 7:45, we finally arrived at the destination of the voyage, Bremerhaven! So happy! I'm in the navy, but I've never been out to sea! I really admire the officers and men of the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet. They often go to sea for a month or two, and they are warships, which is much harder than ours! Salute them!

……

"Qiuyun, pack up your things, don't leak it, let's get off the boat immediately!"

Xiang Xiaoqiang was wearing a windbreaker and a top hat, standing at the door urging Qiu Qiu. The four guards behind him were already carrying six suitcases, and the three old advisors had also packed up.

Qiu Yu happily carried a small suitcase and a small Kun bag, almost jumped out, threw himself into Xiang Xiaoqiang's arms, hugged him and kissed him twice, and laughed quietly:

"That's great! I am so happy! …… I love you......"

"Mm-hmm," Xiang Xiaoqiang glanced at the serious guard standing on the side, and stammered, "I...... I'm ...... too."

Then he looked at Qiu Yu for a moment. Little Nizi stood in front of her in a noble tweed fashion, a cashmere shawl, and a wide-brimmed hat, just as charming as the noble English ladies on the ship.

"Well, well," boasted to Xiaoqiang, "those Germans are going to be fascinated by you...... Did you bring everything? Your autumn roses? Your baby diary? ”

"Bring it," Qiu Yu smiled like a flower, nodded and said, "Bring it all!" ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around, leaned over and whispered:

"Qiu Yun, from now on, you have to be careful when you speak...... We are now in Nazi Germany, a police state full of spies, spies, secret police...... Probably by the time they were in England, they had already sent spies on board. We are their key targets......"

After more than ten days of floating on the sea, as soon as Xiang Xiaoqiang's feet stepped on land, he immediately felt that he could barely walk. The incomparable stability under his feet makes people extremely uncomfortable. Look at the guards, the three old advisors, and even Qiu Yu, each of them has a bit of a strange pace. Several people looked at each other and laughed.

As soon as he stepped on land, several reporters immediately appeared in front of him. They retreated around, holding their cameras and shooting at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Yu a few times, and the surrounding crowd looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Yu in surprise. Most of them are Europeans, and they don't know Xiang Xiaoqiang yet.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Yun smiled at the camera, and Qiu Yun also waved like Zhu Yourong. Ten days of life on the ship made them almost forget that there is a creature called "journalist" in the world.

After the reporters took pictures, they immediately gathered around for an interview. These Europeans speak broken Chinese:

"I am the correspondent of the Times in Germany, General Xiang, are you coming to Germany with your government's diplomatic mission this time?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang has been prepared for this problem for a long time. This is a question that will certainly be asked again and again on this trip to Europe.

"I have only one mission," Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled, looking at Qiu Yu beside him, "is to spend this time happily and happily with my wife." ”

Qiu Yu also looked at Xiao Qiang sweetly. This happy scene was immediately captured by several reporters.

The British reporter was not reconciled, and he chased after another sentence:

"These three gentlemen behind you, as far as I know, one is a former diplomat in Germany, one is a former diplomat in Russia, and the other is a former senior official of the General Administration of Military Industry, why do they come with you for a 'honeymoon'?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a smile as he walked:

"Hehe, the three old gentlemen were very good friends before they retired, and they had long planned to travel together after retirement. The reason why I chose to come to Germany is because Mr. Song has been working in Germany for a long time, so he is familiar with it and can be a good guide. It just so happened that our destination was also Germany, so naturally we met by chance on a ship. Hehe, in China, we call this 'fate'. These days, we have been through the East Indies together and have become very good friends. We decided to travel together. The three old gentlemen are very good people. ”

Without giving the British reporter a chance to ask questions again, another reporter rushed over and said:

"I'm a reporter for the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, General Xiang, what was your first impression of the new Germany?"

Well, there are tricks to this question. I haven't even seen the "old Germany", let alone the "new Germany"? Xiang Xiaoqiang knows that "New Germany" here refers not only to Germany, but also to the Nazi regime. He had no choice but to perfunctorily:

"Very clean, neat and ...... Pretty. ”

"Excuse me, is there a feeling of prosperity?"

“……”

Xiang Xiaoqiang can't cry or laugh, this kind of questioning mode really has a fight with CCTV-TV reporters. He smiled politely:

"Well, it seems to me that Germany is indeed a country full of vitality."

Well, I'm talking about "Germany", and there's nothing old or new.

"I'm a reporter from the Berliner Zeitung," another reporter asked, "General Xiang, as we all know, Britain is the first choice for your country's high society to travel to Europe, but why did you abandon Britain this time and choose our country's social-socialist Germany?" ”

Hell, when did I "give up" the UK? Xiang Xiaoqiang was a little unhappy, this German reporter was too misleading-naked-naked. He thought for a moment and said:

"Hmm...... Quite simply, the weather in the UK is always terrible at this time. So, this time we chose the European continent. ”

Immediately after, another reporter came over:

"I am a correspondent for the Frankfurter Zeitung, and what do you think of the fact that after your country signed a treaty with the Netherlands and received just compensation for the cession of Sumatra, Britain sent a fleet to Asia? Do you think this is a threat? ”

This is a clear provocation too. To tell the truth, Xiang Xiaoqiang's original intention was to get closer to Germany and alienate Britain. But now the German propaganda machine is roaring so quickly, which makes him very unhappy.

Xiang Xiaoqiang said somewhat coldly:

"The Ming Empire and the British Empire have a long-standing friendship and deep trust. Moreover, India is a legitimate territory of the United Kingdom. Any sovereign nation can send any warship to any of its territory, and His Majesty's Government is certainly no exception. For example, the island of Sumatra is now the legitimate territory of our Ming Dynasty, and we send a fleet to Sumatra, and I don't think His Majesty's government will consider it a threat. ”

The reporter of the "Frankfurter Zeitung" touched his nose, and the reporter of the "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" quickly took it and asked a question that did not hurt or itch:

"General Xiang, how long are you and your wife going to stay in Germany this time, and where are you likely to visit?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang breathed a sigh of relief and regained his smile:

"Yes, our visa is 20 days, and the actual stay depends on the ...... Uh, ahem, it depends. This one...... If we are satisfied, we may apply for an extension, and if we are not satisfied, we may leave early. We could go to Aachen for hot springs, to Berchtesgaden for skiing, to Berlin, and maybe to Munich. ”

The German journalist followed up with a sentence:

"And after that? Will you travel to other countries in the future? ”

He meant to say whether he would go to Russia or not. Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled secretly and said with a haha:

"Well...... Again, it depends on whether Germany is fun or not. If it's fun, we'll only play with Germany...... Oh no, no, it's only 'in' Germany...... If it's not fun, you will definitely have to go to another country to play. ”

The British reporter had been left in the air for a long time, and had not been able to interject, but now he seized the opportunity and immediately asked:

"General Xiang, if Germany is not fun, is it possible for you to go to Russia to play?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang admired his cleverness, but he still smiled and pointed to Qiu Yu beside him:

"Ask my wife, this is the leader of our family, who came out for a honeymoon, and she said that she counted better than me."

Qiu Yu hurriedly shook his hands and laughed repeatedly:

"Oh, don't ask me, I don't know anything......"

……

A few hundred meters of the port road, entangled by this group of reporters, it took half an hour to get out. Then Xiang Xiaoqiang finished answering the reporter's last question, declined to continue the interview, found a few taxis, and hurried to the train station.

When they arrived at the train station, the group got off the train, and the guard in the last car came quietly and whispered:

"My lord, there's always a car following you along the way."

Xiang Xiaoqiang nodded and didn't say anything. This was to be expected. When you get on the train, there may be someone wearing a trench coat who "walks in the wrong box"!

Bremerhaven is only the port area, and the city of Bremen is still two places. But even in the port area, the cleanliness and grandeur of the waiting hall of the railway station here are still much beyond Xiang Xiaoqiang's imagination.

The floor is spotless, and most of the passengers walking around the waiting hall are well-dressed people. At one end of the hall are restaurants and shops, just like the train stations in various countries. It's just that there is a sign at the entrance of every shop and restaurant. Xiang Xiaoqiang had already roughly guessed the content of the brand. He asked Song Ruhai. Song Ruhai glanced at the sign, shook his head and sighed:

The translation reads: Jews will not be accepted. Alas, when I retired in '32, Germany was not like this. In three or four years, the country has become strong, but it has also become crazy. ”