Chen Ying's smile was tinged with sadness, and he asked, "Do you know what other buildings there are in the Chinese workers' camp outside the small town of Nuyelle, apart from the shed, toilets, kitchens, hospitals, and prisons?" ”

"What building?" Zhou Hexuan said. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"The Monatic Quad." Chen Ying replied.

Zhou Hexuan was puzzled and asked, "Crazy Sifang Courtyard?" ”

"It's a madhouse, built as boxy as a camp. It was a building built by the British for Chinese workers, and there were countless madmen living in it, hahahaha......" Chen Ying laughed, laughing so much that he was almost in tears, "It's nothing to be discriminated against and beaten by British officers, and German planes always come to bomb them." When a cannonball falls, it is the lives of a dozen or twenty Chinese workers. We were bombarded with shells to build railways, build fortifications, dig trenches, and were forced by guns to use our bodies to wade through mines. Working more than ten hours a day, if you are a little lazy, you will be beaten, and many brothers are driven crazy. ”

Zhou Hexuan remembered an article he had read before the crossing, which recorded that after the war, a transport ship from France to Qingdao was made of Chinese workers with mental illness.

"Why didn't you go back home?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

Chen Ying shook his head and smiled bitterly: "What are you going back for?" My mom and dad are dead. If there is no war on the French side, life is actually quite comfortable, not as chaotic as at home. Moreover, most French people are fairly kind. Two years ago, I went to the small town of Noyelle to visit and offer incense to my brother who died there. The residents of the town knew that I was a Chinese aid worker, and they all treated me with respect and sympathy. The locals also gave the Chinese workers the title 'Son of Heaven' (French fils_du_Ciel, son of the sky), and I liked the name. But I don't like the other title, and some locals call us 'suffering war slaves' out of sympathy. ”

Zhou Hexuan said with a serious face: "You are not the sons of heaven, nor are you slaves, you are heroes." With your sacrifices, China can rightfully become the victor in the European war. Zhou Hexuan suddenly stood up and raised his glass, "To all the dead and living Chinese workers!" ”

Li Shizeng also stood up and said, "Respect Huagong! ”

The international students who listened to Chen Ying's story around them were either angry, sad, or sentimental, and they all stood up collectively at this time: "Respect for Huagong!" ”

Chen Ying's eyes suddenly turned red, and she wiped her tears and said, "Thank you, thank you." ”

Zhou Hexuan turned his head to Li Shizeng and said, "Mr. Shi Zeng, I want to build a cemetery and a monument for the Chinese workers who aid France, can you help contact the embassy in France and the French government?" ”

"No problem, this one is on me!" Li Shi once patted his chest and said.

Chen Ying suddenly pushed away the stool, knelt down with a puff and said, "Mr. Zhou, on behalf of the dead brothers, thank you for your great kindness!" After they died, many of them were buried outside the town, and there was not even a tombstone, not to mention the soul returning to their homeland, they could only be lonely ghosts in France! ”

"Hurry up." Zhou Hexuan hurriedly helped Chen Ying up.

In the afternoon of the same day, Zhou Hexuan didn't go anywhere, so he stayed in this restaurant and discussed the matter of repairing the Huagong Cemetery with Li Shizeng and Chen Ying.

Since many years have passed and there are no tombstones left, it is difficult to find out what happened to everyone.

What Zhou Hexuan could do was to build a cemetery at the camp of the Chinese workers that year, and bury the scattered bones in a centralized manner. Then I found the relevant structures in France and Britain, inquired about the list of Chinese workers who died in that year, and erected monuments to those Chinese workers whose bodies were not transported back to China. Build another monument and engrave the deeds of the Chinese workers.

Perhaps in the eyes of some people, Zhou Hexuan's move is purely superfluous. With that little spare money, it is better to use it to help the people in the country. But Zhou Hexuan believes that some people and certain things must be remembered by the world.

Zhou Hexuan asked: "Where can I find the most complete information about the Chinese workers who have aided France?" ”

Li Shi thought for a while and said: "I'm afraid I have to ask Li Jun about this, he used to be the secretary of the legation in France appointed by the Beiyang government, and at the same time served as the superintendent of Chinese workers in France. ”

"Where is this man now?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

Li Shi once said: "He is now the vice consul of the consulate in Canada (he has just been promoted to consul general, and Li Shi did not know about it due to the lack of information). ”

Zhou Hexuan asked again: "Who is the current minister to France?" ”

Li Shizeng said with a smile: "Gao Lu, he is an old friend with me, and he is definitely willing to help me with this." ”

Zhou Hexuan inquired carefully, and learned that Gao Lu, the current minister to France, was a pure academic bureaucrat.

You would never have guessed that such an important diplomatic position as a minister in France would be filled by an astronomer.

Gao Lu is one of the founders of modern astronomy in China, and he initiated the preparation of the Purple Mountain Observatory, participated in the selection of the site, and personally calculated the latitude and longitude of the observatory. Before the Purple Mountain Observatory was built, Gao Lu was sent to France as a minister to France.

By the way, Gao Lu is also an inventor. Just half a year ago, he invented the "Tianxuan-style Chinese typewriter", which improved a little Chinese typing efficiency.

The next morning.

Li Shi once took Zhou Hexuan to the French Legation and officially paid a visit to Gao Lu, the Minister in France.

Gao Lu's appearance is awkward, he has a clear face, wears a pair of black round-rimmed glasses, and has a long white goatee and neckline. If he changes into a long shirt, he will be alive and well, but he is wearing a suit at this time, which looks a little nondescript.

Li Shizeng smiled and said, "Brother Shuqing, I'm here to trouble you again." ”

"Brother Ishizeng!" Gao Lu shook hands with Li Shizeng, and looked at Zhou Hexuan again, "This is Mr. Zhou." ”

Zhou Hexuan greeted with a smile: "Hello Mr. Shuqin." ”

Gao Lu smiled and nodded: "Sure enough, you are a talent, young and promising, I often hear old friends mention you in China." ”

Gao Lu only came to France last year as a diplomat, and he is good friends with Cai Yuanpei, Li Shizeng and others. After the fall of the Qing government, Qin Tianjian was changed to the Central Meteorological Observatory, and Gao Lu served as the first director of the Central Meteorological Observatory under the recommendation of Cai Yuanpei.

Strictly speaking, Gao Lu belongs to the British and American faction, and it is Cai Yuanpei's gang. However, the factional struggle is a factional struggle, and it does not affect the personal friendship between Gao Lu and Li Shizeng.

Li Shi once explained his intention: "Mingcheng wants to build a cemetery and a monument for Chinese workers going to France, and hopes that the legation in France can help." ”

"That's a good thing, I'll do my best." Gao Lu Zhengse.

Zhou Hexuan said happily: "I'm tired." ”

The matter was settled, and with the help of Gao Lu, the French government was soon contacted.

However, the French government seems to be unconcerned about this, and although it is willing to help find information about Chinese workers, it has been grinding and has not taken it as a serious matter at all.

On December 15, the Nobel Prize in Literature began to be awarded, which has nothing to do with Zhou Hexuan. Associated with him is the Goncourt Literary Award, and after repeated discussions and discussions, the French finally decided to award the highest honor for French fiction to Zhou Hexuan.

Zhou Hexuan specially found someone to order a set of clothes, canvas labor uniforms, cheap boots, and a labor hat, carrying a shovel to receive the award.