The second volume is full of glory and splendor in the capital, and the spirit is full of vitality in the foggy city. Chapter 296: Morning, Noon, and Evening
This chapter's subtitle: Eating is also a serious matter
Saturday morning, July 2, 1921.
“Tap, tap, tap.”
Still wearing pajamas and holding a copy of The Times in her hand, Yuan Yanshu opened the door of the guest room herself.
As soon as he arrived, he greeted with some surprise: "Brother Tong, why are you here? So early? Please come in!"
As he said that, he led Chen Xiying, who had a rather grim expression on her face, into the large balcony. There was a dining table on the balcony, and Miss Moman, who also had a grim expression on her face, was sitting beside the table.
There were three breakfasts on the table, one of which was still untouched.
When Chen Xiying saw the untouched breakfast, his expression became even uglier.
Our Master Yuan had a slight misunderstanding when he saw his expression, and said enthusiastically, "Brother Tong, you haven't had breakfast yet, right? Ai Si, go order another English breakfast..."
English breakfast is in contrast to Continental breakfast. English breakfast is richer than Continental breakfast, with more meat and eggs.
In fact, English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia all eat this kind of breakfast. However, in the United States, it is called American breakfast.
Continental breakfast is usually included in room service.
"Hmph!" His female secretary snorted coldly, but still tore off her napkin angrily and walked towards the phone.
"Hehehe..." Yuan Yan scratched her head awkwardly and explained, "I'm sorry, Brother Tong. Women, as women, have bad moods for a few days every month."
Chen Xiying didn't respond to the question. Instead, he pointed at the untouched breakfast and asked coldly, "Brother Hongjian, do you have any guests?"
Our Master Yuan thought to himself, this guy is really rude. What the hell does it have to do with you whether I have guests or not?
"Yes, I think you know this guest." He also said stiffly: "She is..."
"Good morning, sir."
Just then, a woman's voice called out from behind them, "Good morning, Chen. Are you here too?"
The two turned around and saw that it was Ms. Katherine Mansfield.
She was also wearing a silk pajamas, looking lazy but energetic, and looked particularly charming and beautiful.
Manshufeier limped forward and kissed our Master Yuan without paying any attention to the people around him. Then he said happily, "Great, breakfast is here. I'm starving."
As for why she looked lazy, why she was full of energy, why she was beautiful, why she was limping, and why she was starving, the reason was... you know, Yuan Yanshu had 16 points of constitution, 13 points of strength and 13 points of agility.
Our Master Yuan realized that the increase in strength and agility is not a bad thing..
When Chen Xiying saw that his "guest" turned out to be Man Shufei'er, the expression on his face immediately relaxed.
Yuan Yan suddenly pointed to the empty seat and asked unhappily, "Alright, Brother Tong, please take a seat. What on earth is it that brings you to see me so early in the morning?"
"Brother Hongjian, it's like this..." Chen Xiying glanced at Mansufei'er, who was concentrating on having breakfast, and said awkwardly, "Last night, Qisen came to my place, not only crying but also getting drunk, so..."
“Hahaha… I understand!”
Master Yuan suddenly realized and said with a smile: "So you think my guest is... Don't worry, brother, I asked my driver to send her home safely."
He said in a teasing tone: "Brother Tong, I, Yuan, am not Xu. I would never do something like seducing a little sister."
Chen Xiying thought to herself, you, Yuan, are even more excessive than Xu. You don't seduce little sisters, but only hook up with older sisters, and you get the upper hand so quickly.
He smiled bitterly and said, "I see. But Qisen..."
"Hahaha..." Yuan Yan sneered and took a sip of coffee. "Qi Sen is asking for trouble. He doesn't even think about it. Am I that kind of person?"
He sighed and said, "Brother, go back and tell Qi Sen that it's time for him to grow up."
"We study abroad to build a prosperous, strong, free, democratic and equal new China. Don't indulge in pleasure and neglect your studies. This is disloyalty."
"He's flirting with his friend's daughter right beside his official wife, and he's even suspecting his best friend of stealing his girlfriend. That's unjust."
"If you want a divorce, get the consent of both parents openly. Doing it in such a sneaky way is unfilial."
"When you encounter the slightest setback, you give up on yourself, cry, and drown your sorrows in alcohol. This is not manly at all, and it is shameful."
Yuan Yan suddenly raised her thumb and pointed at herself, saying, "How can such a disloyal, unrighteous, unfilial, and shameless person be a good friend of me, Yuan?"
His words left Chen Xiying speechless, and she had no choice but to nod in agreement.
When breakfast was served, Chen Xiying ate a few bites quickly and left.
Our Master Yuan also changed his clothes, said goodbye to Mansfield and his female secretary, picked up a few gifts, and went to the Embassy of the Republic of China in London with his driver and cook.
Of course, he was visiting relatives.
"Hongjian, since leaving Washington, you have become a famous figure both at home and abroad. This is truly a cause for celebration, truly a cause for celebration."
"Shaochuan, it was just luck, just luck. I just wrote a few novels, and they happened to be liked by Mr. Einstein, so I became famous by chance. Here, this is the Theory of Relativity signed by Mr. Einstein himself. I am just offering this to you, not as a token of respect."
The relationship between Yuan Yanshu and Gu Weijun is a bit awkward now. The former is still the latter's elder, but the latter is a little older than the former in terms of social status and age, so they no longer call each other brothers and just call each other by their "names".
Likewise, he had no choice but to address Gu Weijun as his wife...
"Huilan, come to think of it, I really want to thank you."
He took a large gift box from Xiaokang's hand and said, "I'm a poor man and don't have anything to give you. This is just a token of my appreciation. Please don't despise it."
In fact, he gave her a top-grade beaver fur coat worth two hundred dollars, but for Huang Huilan, it was just a token of his appreciation.
"Hongjian, since you are such a talker, I have no choice but to accept it."
"This is..." After meeting the couple, Master Yuan looked at the charming middle-aged woman beside them and said politely, "Elder sister, right?"
This woman is naturally Huang Huilan's mother, Gu Weijun's mother-in-law, Wei Mingzhu's elder sister, and now Yuan Yanshu's sister-in-law.
As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father and an elder sister is like a mother.
His eldest sister-in-law was half mother-in-law, so naturally the more she looked at our Master Yuan, the happier she became. She nodded and said, "I've heard that you, Hongjian, are a handsome man. Seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved. You and our Mingzhu are truly a perfect match."
Yuan Yan immediately thanked him, "Not at all. Your sister marrying me is a blessing for me."
He took another brocade box from Sister Lian and said, "A few days ago, I happened to see a Ming Dynasty Buddha statue in New York's Chinatown. I heard that you were devoted to Buddhism, so I specially asked for it."
"Hongjian, you're too polite."
"As it should be, as it should be."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the four of them entered the dining room. As expected, this was a wealthy family. The dishes on the table were nothing special. A row of spinsters stood by the wall, all serving them.
Our Master Yuan glanced at Gu Weijun and thought, it is said that marriage changes destiny, and this old Gu really proved this statement.
I got a great success on my first marriage and got the opportunity to study abroad.
His second marriage was a stroke of luck, and he became the son-in-law of the Prime Minister at the time.
The third marriage was... well, it seemed to be the same as mine, and he got both money and beauty.
It is true that it is better to marry well than to work well...that is a good marriage.
Fortunately, my ex-fiancée passed away, otherwise I wouldn't have this wonderful life. The three greatest joys in life are promotion, wealth, and the death of your wife. The ancients weren't kidding.
In short, everyone finished the meal politely and harmoniously.
When dessert was finally served, Gu Weijun asked casually, "Hongjian, when are you leaving for Southeast Asia?"
Yuan Yan suddenly calculated in her mind and said, "I still have to go to the Netherlands. It should be in August, and I can leave as early as the beginning of August. But if I'm unlucky, then it will be September..."
If I hadn't been a little more "lucky", I might have had to spend a few more years in jail in the UK.
Huang Huilan frowned and said, "Hongjian, don't you think it's a bit late? Aunt Mingzhu is waiting for you in Semarang."
Master Yuan sighed and said, "Huilan, I have no choice. I have other important matters to attend to."
Wei Mingniang also said with a bit of disapproval: "Hongjian, what could be ?"
"Sister, it's like this..."
Gu Weijun nodded and said, "So the Crown Prince of Japan wants to see you, and you also want to meet the deposed German Emperor to express your gratitude. These are two important matters that cannot be declined."
At this point, he once again considered recruiting Yuan Yanshu into the diplomatic community. Not only did his uncle's father-in-law have extensive connections in America, even becoming a guest of honor at the White House, he now also had established connections with Japan and Germany. He was a natural-born diplomat.
He couldn't help but ask, "Hongjian, what are your plans after returning home?"
Yuan Yanshu replied frankly, "Oh, I'm sure Shaochuan has heard of the China Public School as well. The university's Dean of Academic Affairs, Zhang Jundongsun, has offered me a position as a professor in the economics department, and I've already accepted."
"I have indeed heard of Liang Qichao's Chinese Public School." Gu Weijun asked, "Hongjian, do you want to join our diplomatic community?"
Our Master Yuan said solemnly, "Thank you, Shaochuan, for your kindness. However, I have been away from home for many years, and this time I am going back to fulfill my filial duty. Let's talk about this matter in a few years. By the way, there is one thing I want to get rid of Shaochuan for..."
He said a little embarrassedly, "Uncle Luo in New York did me a favor and sent some of my luggage to London as diplomatic mail. I'll ask Shaochuan to be flexible when the time comes."
"This..."
Having served as a diplomat for so many years, Gu Weijun naturally understood what he meant. According to international practice, diplomatic mail was not only duty-free but also exempt from inspection, making it the perfect place to carry contraband.
He laughed and pretended to be joking when he asked, "Hongjian, there won't be any contraband in your luggage, right?"
"How could that be?!" Yuan Yan's eyes widened suddenly, and she said innocently, "It's just some stationery..."
For example, the Chicago typewriter, as soon as you hear the name you know it is a stationery.
"Some toys..."
For example, a mortar used for fireworks.
"Some medicines..."
For example, trinitrotoluene (TNT) is definitely considered a drug.
How can we make big news without stationery, toys and medicines?
Yuan Yanshu didn't have any strong connections in the UK, so even if he could get it, it would cost a lot of money. It would be better to purchase it in the United States and then ship it to the UK via diplomatic mail.
This is the real purpose of his visit to relatives this time!
When Gu Weijun hesitated, Huang Huilan spoke up to persuade him: "Shaochuan, since he is a relative, you should help him if you can. Hongjian knows what is important."
Master Yuan, who "knew the importance of things", looked at her gratefully and thought that because of your niece's words, your later years would not be as bleak as in the original timeline.
Gu and Huang divorced in 1956. Old Gu found a new love and doted on his last wife, praising her till the end of his life.
This coincided with the Huang family's decline. Many of Huang Huilan's properties were confiscated by the Indonesian government, and she eventually lived in seclusion in New York, living off the interest from her inheritance in the bank.
So the name of her autobiography is "All Good Things Must End".
"Okay." Gu Weijun finally nodded and said, "I'll take care of it."
Of course, he doesn't know yet that this "care" will bring him endless troubles.
However, what does this have to do with our Master Yuan? At this time, what difference does it make whether Seres serves as the Minister to the United States, the Minister to the United Kingdom, or the Minister to X?
After they chatted for a while, Yuan Yan suddenly said goodbye because he had another dinner party to attend.
This time our destination was a Japanese-style restaurant near the Imperial Japanese Legation in London.
"Nomura-kun, Yamamoto-kun, we meet again. And Inoue-kun, it's been a long time, I missed you so much."
The "Sea Country Men's Third Company" also replied: "Mr. Yuan, we are also very happy to meet you in London... Please!"
"please!"
The meal lasted from the evening to late at night. When it was over, Yuan Yan suddenly stumbled into a rented carriage with Xiaokang's support.
"Sa, sa, sayunara..."
He drunkenly waved . After the car drove a distance, he was no longer drunk and said soberly:
"Xiaokang, send a telegram to Dalongtou tomorrow and ask when they can expect to arrive. The goal is to reach London by mid-July, so these people need to come and check out the location as soon as possible."
"Second Master, I understand."
"Xiaokang, ask the local Hongmen brothers to find a secret place to house them."
"Second Master, I remember this."
"Xiaokang, when the people arrive, you go to Southampton in person to pick them up and bring them to London. And don't forget that diplomatic mail."
"Second Master, I understand."
"Xiaokang, after this action, the Hongmen and you and I will surely go down in history!"
"Second Master, that's for sure!"
"I was so busy drinking those three bottles of sabiya that I didn't eat anything. Xiaokang, ask the driver to find us a place to have a midnight snack."
"Second Master, okay, okay."
