"By boat?" Guan Zhuofan became suspicious, stopped, turned his head and asked her, "What boat are you on?" ”

Wan'er seemed to know that she had said the wrong thing, and she looked embarrassed, biting her lip, looking at the ground, and stopped squeaking.

"Master, are you back?" Hu Qingqing heard the sound of them talking outside and walked out.

"I'm back." Seeing the hazy smile on Hu Qingqing's face, Guan Zhuofan said in his heart, I don't know what the hell this beautiful concubine is doing?

So without mentioning Wan'er's matter, he took Hu Qingqing's hand and said with a smile: "Come on, go in and have something to say to you." ”

Wan'er in the yard was already a newcomer, and she knew that every time the master showed such a smile and led her sister to the room, it was probably not a good thing, so she was so ashamed that she hurriedly ran back to the east chamber and closed the door tightly.

However, when Guan Zhuofan hugged Qingqing into the inner compartment, he didn't do anything "bad", but pulled her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Qingqing, I have something to ask you now, you are not allowed to lie to me."

"You don't have to ask, I heard it all." Hu Qingqing smiled and shook her head, "Wan'er, this girl, is actually very clever, but every time she is in front of you, she becomes stupid." ”

"You mean ......"

"This time I went to the United States, I asked Wan'er to follow you, okay?"

"How's that going to work!" Although he had guessed most of Wan'er's words, when he heard Hu Qingqing say it herself, Guan Zhuofan couldn't help but be surprised, "Isn't this nonsense?" ”

"What's the nonsense?" Hu Qingqing said calmly, "Zhang Shun, you refuse to take it, and said that he would take care of the house in Xingyuan Yamen." Then you get out. Who will take care of it? ”

"I have soldiers waiting for me."

"You...... I still don't understand the hearts of our women. Hu Qingqing said quietly. You are in Beijing, you have a sister-in-law to take care of, and when you are in Shanghai, you have me to take care of you. Now you have to cross the ocean and sea, to a place tens of thousands of miles away, but there is no one by your side, how can you let us rest assured? If there is a headache and brain fever, the pro-soldiers are rude. What is being done? Even if you want to eat a delicious side dish or two, who will cook it for you? ”

"I ......"

"If it weren't for the fact that I was afraid of causing you a burden, I would have followed you myself!"

"There is a clear precedent for a large army to go out with its dependents."

"Oh, is Wan'er your wife or your concubine? Where to start with the word "inner family"? Hu Qingqing looked at him with a smile and said.

Guan Zhuofan was speechless and defended: "She is your ......"

"Master, I specifically consulted Mr. Liu." Hu Qingqing said, "She is the sister I recognize, and I also treat her as my own sister." But it's not blood relatives in the end. Even if it's your girl, you can't help it! Besides, it is clear in the edict that your Master Guan is going abroad for an investigation this time, not to lead troops to fight. ”

After saying a lot of words, Guan Zhuofan found that he didn't refute her.

"It's still a girl...... Guan Zhuofan hesitated, "I always feel like I can't go." ”

"Master, you underestimate my sister." Hu Qingqing sighed softly, "She told me that the ancestor of her family was favored by that Lord Yan, and as a result, he guarded the shrine for a hundred years - their Yang family's family motto is the grace of dripping water, and the spring reciprocates!" This time, you buried her grandfather for her and rescued her from the chaos. Now that you are so good to her, do you know that she feels that she owes you this kindness and has always been uneasy? ”

It turned out that there was still this meaning of repaying the kindness in it, and Guan Zhuofan was speechless for a while.

"Do you think I told her to go? Sir, you'll probably never guess anymore, it's her own. ”

Guan Zhuofan was stunned: "She's going by herself?" ”

"I just mentioned it, and said that it would be nice if you had someone around you who could take care of you." Hu Qingqing said calmly, "Wan'er listened, and immediately picked up the conversation, she said that she took care of her grandfather for more than two years, and she could endure any hardship and do any work." ”

"It's not all about suffering. When I arrived in the United States, I was unfamiliar with the place, and I had to fight again, and when the time came, I didn't know if she would take care of me or if I would take care of her. ”

"You don't know, Wan'er's mind is very detailed," Hu Qingqing shook her head slightly, "What you said, people have already thought of a set of explanations." ”

Wan'er's statement has three things: one is that she can speak foreign languages, the other is that she has kung fu and can protect herself, and the third is that she has suffered from a few years of long hair, and she is used to wars, so she is not afraid for a long time. ”

Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, it sounded reasonable.

"Besides, foreign women are both coquettish and beautiful." Hu Qingqing looked at him with a smile, "When you get over there, to be honest, I don't trust him very much." Wan'er is almost seventeen, and she is also an adult, and I have to feel a little relieved to have her watch you for me. ”

"Don't talk nonsense, you don't know me yet?" After saying this, Guan Zhuofan himself felt empty, and glanced at her face, "Am I that kind of person?" ”

"Are you like that?" Hu Qingqing covered her mouth and laughed, "I've been with you for so long, I want to ask, what kind of person is Master Guan?" ”

"I'm with you." Guan Zhuofan pondered the meaning of her words, smiled awkwardly, and hurriedly changed the topic.

"I'm gone, Wan'er is gone, so you're the only one left, what's good?"

"Wall is also gone, and Yang Ying is also alone. and my sister, Mrs. Luo, is also in Zhejiang now. Usually if I'm bored, I'll walk around with them more. ”

It seems that the two sisters have everything planned. Thinking of the long journey, Guan Zhuofan actually felt quite happy to have this delicate and lovely Wan'er by his side. However, Jiangnan's daughter, every time she is scheming, she can't just listen to Hu Qingqing about this matter, she has to ask Wan'er in person.

*

*

When she had breakfast the next day, Wan'er's demeanor was not very comfortable, and while she lowered her head to eat, she had to secretly look at her sister from time to time, and then look at Guan Zhuofan.

When Guan Zhuofan saw her like this, he believed Hu Qingqing's words a little more in his heart. But he refused to say anything, and talked to them casually, and did not stand up until he had finished eating.

"I'm going to the docks today to see the boat." He smiled and said, "Wan'er, do you want to come with me to have a look?" ”

"Good!" Wan'er's eyes shone with joy.

So, a large sedan chair and a small sedan chair, guarded by the cavalry of the Guards Regiment, were carried all the way from Qingya Street to Wusongkou.

When I arrived at the dock, there were already a bunch of people waiting. U.S. Minister Anson Pu, U.S. Consul Charles, Honorary Vice Consul Kim Neng-hyung, as well as Wall, Liu Xunji, and Libin were among them. After everyone greeted Guan Zhuofan, they all went to see the girl behind Master Qincha, and couldn't help but cheer in their hearts: What an excellent little girl.

"This is the daughter of one of my seniors." Guan Zhuofan said lightly, "Wan'er, salute all the adults." ”

Wan'er didn't have stage fright, she didn't say anything about it, and even said hello in foreign language, which surprised several Americans.

Only Liu Xunji knew it, but he only pretended not to know everything.

It was early in the morning, and there was still mist drifting at Wusongkou. Guan Zhuofan stopped talking, put his hands behind his back, and quietly stared at the opposite sea. A group of Chinese and foreign dignitaries on the dock, like Guan Zhuofan, looked into the distance without saying a word.

Only Wan'er, who was very strange in her heart - she said that she wanted to see the boat, but there was something on the pier, why did she look at the empty sea instead?

This question was quickly answered. It didn't take long to hear two whistles in the distance, one long and one short, and after a while, finally a shadow of a ship appeared vaguely in the mist.

Wan'er thought to herself, it turned out that the old man was waiting for this boat.

Who knows it's not one. Soon, the second boat came into view, followed by a third, a fourth, and a fifth...... When the huge fleet composed of dozens of ships of all kinds came into view, slowly heading towards Wusong Port, Wan'er was already stunned, but Guan Zhuofan's face finally showed a smile.

He had seen clearly that on every boat, there was a Stars and Stripes flag.

He knew that this was the American fleet from Canton and Fuzhou, where every American merchant ship had already joined the fleet as long as it was suitable for carrying people, and rushed to Shanghai to prepare to transport 27,000 "volunteers" to the American mainland.

"Minister Anson Pu, Consul Charles," Guan Zhuofan stretched out his hand, "I want to say, it's not bad." ”

"We do our own thing, we do it ourselves." Pu Anchen said with a smile on his face, "Let the British and French cry." ”

When the fleet entered the port, several people rushed over, but Guan Zhuofan pulled Libin aside.

"Mr. Li, how many ships were originally used to transport Chinese laborers?"

"There are always half of them," replied Libin in a whisper, "and now there are more and more people going to Jinshan via Canton and Fuzhou, no less than one or two thousand a year." ”

This is exactly what Guan Zhuofan wants to know. The gold rush in the western United States has already attracted many poor Chinese, who do not hesitate to go bankrupt, and even go into debt everywhere to scrape together enough money to buy a ferry ticket and gamble on the future and fate of the United States.

Not to mention, the Pacific Railroad that crossed the continental United States.

Guan Zhuofan didn't say anything more, and entrusted the affairs on the dock to Liu Xunji and Libin, and he was going back to the city first.

Before getting into the sedan chair, he called Wan'er to his side.

"Wan'er, you all know, in a few days, I will take these ships to the United States." He looked at Wan'er's big eyes and asked calmly, "You stay at home with your sister and wait for me to come back, okay?" ”

Wan'er, who has always been obedient, still lowered her head this time and said softly but resolutely.

"I don't!"

*

(I want to prepare for tomorrow's business trip, and the evening is more likely to be after ten o'clock, forgive me.) ）

*(To be continued......)