"Come, good girl, call grandpa." He Ruming hugged his granddaughter and said with a smile.

The little guy looked at the old man holding him, smiled happily, and touched He Ruming's face with his hand. Although he was grabbed by his beard, He Ruming became even happier, "Call grandpa." ”

He Ying took her daughter from her father's arms, and let her sit on her lap while patiently teaching, "Yueyue, call grandma~ grandpa." Grandpa~Grandpa. ”

"Huh~, sir." Chen Ke's daughter tried to get off her mother's lap while she was a bit of a parody of coping with an errand.

"It's grandpa~grandpa, not grandpa." He Ying continued to say patiently.

"Grandma ~ Grandma ~ Grandpa." Seeing that she can't break free from her mother's arms, Yueyue's pronunciation this time is much more correct.

"Good." He Ruming happily took his granddaughter into his hand, kissed and hugged him.

A group of adults played around the one-and-a-half-year-old guy, and He Ying looked at his watch. He said to his father, "Dad, it's almost time for Yueyue to go to bed." Don't tease her so much. ”

"Oh." He Ruming replied in response, but still refused to put his granddaughter down.

Until He Ying semi-forcibly asked her daughter to come over, and then carried her into the back room. After a long while, He Ying came out gently.

"Why don't you invite a few nurses? Wen Qing just left your mother and daughter here, which is too much. He Ruming said with some dissatisfaction.

"Dad, it's good for me to take Yueyue alone. There's no need to ask someone else. He Ying said in a proud tone that only a mother has. After speaking, she hurriedly filled her parents with tea again, "Dad, mother, after having Yueyue, I realized how difficult it was for you to raise me before." You guys are so good to me. ”

"What stupid things to say, you are my daughter, can we treat you badly." He Ruming said with a smile. It was a genuine smile he had never had before. He Ying was moved, but felt a little strange on the other.

He Ruming took a sip of tea, pointed to one of several large boxes and said, "By the way, here are five thousand taels, which are for you and Yueyue." You were in a hurry when you got married, and our family didn't have time to buy you any decent dowry. I've come this time and brought it to you. ”

"Dad, this can't be helped." He Ying hurriedly persuaded.

"Your father can afford it now, and after I was released from prison this time, there were so many people who came to the door to give gifts. These five thousand taels were sent by Lord Yuan Xiangcheng. I know very well that this money was not given to me. I brought it to you. ”

He Ying has always been worried that her parents will be implicated. Although Chen Ke analyzed it to her many times, the Qing court did not dare to kill the He family. However, these reasons He Ying only used to comfort herself when she felt desperate. When he thinks of his parents, he feels worried. Hearing what his father said, He Ying got up and knelt down for his father, "Father, mother, let you and your younger brothers be wronged together." ”

He Ruming pulled his daughter up, "Girl, it's not me who says pretty things." This time, your father and I went to prison once, and I really wanted to open it. You don't know, after I went in, the dog minions served them one by one. According to them, they haven't seen an edict in many years. What a big identity is this? There are many ways to go in the edict. As soon as Cixi died, they changed us to a room, which was no worse than ours except that we couldn't go out. ”

Speaking of this, He Ruming looked at He Ying with kind eyes, "Yuan Xiangcheng is also going to arrange a position for me in the Ministry of Posts and Communications." I quit him. I am now in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Your father and I have today's scenery because you married Wenqing, and I know this very well. Girl, this has nothing to do with you, since I promised this family business, this is fate, I admit it for good and bad. ”

He Ying didn't know if his father really saw it, or learned to say beautiful things. Just in confusion, He Ruming pointed to several other boxes, "There is the medicine money owed to Wen Qing, and since the Wen Qing incident, I have not had a chance to take back the medicine money to him." This time I brought it to him. The bill is also in it, just give it to him when Wen Qing comes back. ”

The family talked for a while, and He Ying asked, "Auntie is doing well." ”

He Ruming's face didn't change, "It's okay." But it was not convenient for her to come. I was in a hurry when I came, so I didn't go to her. ”

He Qian knew that the Sun family was afraid that they would not treat Chen Ke as a relative, and when she heard her father say this, she had no choice but to sigh: "Dad, bring my letter to my aunt when you go back." I miss her so much. ”

"Okay." He Ruming got up with a smile, "I'll go to the toilet." ”

After a while, He Ying saw He Ruming come back. What made her a little puzzled was that He Ruming not only washed his hands, but also his face. But this doubt was interrupted by a low voice from the daughter's room next door. He Ying quietly walked into the hut where her daughter slept to visit her daughter.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, He Ruming leaned into the ear of his wife, who had a different color on her face, and whispered: "This is the enmity of our He family and the Sun family." Never let Chen Ke get involved. I can't afford to lose that man. ”

He Ruming's wife looked at He Ruming with a complicated expression, she was just continuing, not only did she have no blood relationship with He Qian, but she was not He Ying's biological mother. If she has a deep hatred for the Sun family, she really can't talk about it. And before He Ruming's trip, he had warned her not to talk much. The only thing He Ruming's wife didn't understand was why He Ruming was so determined not to let Chen Ke intervene in this matter.

He Ruming not only came to visit his daughter, he also acted as a messenger. The representatives of the People's Party left after issuing a manifesto that they must bring down the Manchus. There was chaos in the council. The southern deputies all asked Yuan Shikai to give an explanation.

Yuan Shikai is cunning and cunning, so he won't be fooled. "Ladies and gentlemen, this matter is a matter of national system, and you are all parliamentarians. The votes that will decide the fate of the world are in your hands, can you propose to vote? ”

The parliamentarians are also cunning people, and they will not be fooled by this. Whoever proposes is the gravedigger of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. As long as it is not proposed by Yuan Shikai and Beiyang Councilors, but by other parliamentarians, then Yuan Shikai can get rid of the name of "traitor" once and for all. No one refused to give Yuan Shikai a job in vain. So the people in Beiyang did not propose, and the parliamentarians of the southern provinces did not propose, and the matter was actually dragged on.

The Beiyang army is strong, and the People's Party obviously will not regard Beiyang as the first choice for warfare. Persimmon pick soft pinch. The southern provinces surrounding the BJP will surely bear the brunt. The legislators of the southern provinces also engaged in several series of meetings in a decent manner, discussing the formation of a coalition of various provinces to jointly defeat the People's Party. But that's just a discussion. Not to mention whether the coalition forces can achieve a final victory, if the People's Party still fights only one route as in the previous battles, given the geographical location of Jiangxi, there will definitely be a few provinces before the People's Party is destroyed. The so-called coalition forces all hope that other troops will work hard. Hide behind and pick the fruit yourself. And the provinces know what the other provinces are thinking. In the end, this series of tandems only ended up in nothing.

Some young parliamentarians also proposed that Yuan Shikai take the lead in forming a crusade team. Such a childish idea was scoffed at by the old fritters. Everyone more or less saw some of the cattleness between Beiyang and the People's Party. If he was stupid enough to serve Yuan Shikai as the military leader, he wouldn't know how he would die at that time.

But this matter can't be dragged on like this, and finally an agreement was reached. Whether or not to continue the Qing court will be voted on when the formal parliament convenes two years later. The southern provinces also have the intention of delaying it for a while. Anyway, in any case, this matter has to be decided by Yuan Shikai himself. The southern provinces have no plans to come forward.

No matter how satisfied or dissatisfied the delegates may have been with this parliament, the Constituent Assembly has finally come to an end with a variety of ideas. Yuan Shikai chose the released He Ruming as his messenger. To Yuan Shikai's surprise, He Ruming was not only not frightened by the prison disaster, but seemed full of vitality and energy.

He Ruming himself was actually surprised by his own changes, and people said that mourning was greater than death. It's hard to get past prison with so much hope. He Ruming once hated Chen Ke deeply, but later he really wanted to open it. Even if Chen Ke really told He Ruming about the rebellion, He Ruming would never stand on Chen Ke's side. Everything is providential, a providence that He Ruming can't fight.

Until he was released, He Ruming was very happy. However, the death of his sister made all the emotions that He Ruming had once suppressed suddenly find an object. He Ying married Chen Ke, and no matter how Chen Ke rebelled, he also took He Ying with him and always protected He Ying. He Qian married the Sun family, but the Sun family killed He Qian.

He Ruming also came to inquire about He Qian's cause of death, but the Sun family was closed. He Ruming did his best to investigate. The result of the investigation was that the Sun family cremated He Qian after the people who came to arrest He Qian from the imperial court saw He Qian's body. The Sun family saw that He Ruming's intentions were so firm, so they had to send a letter. The explanation in the letter was, "He Qian was seriously ill and died, and the Sun family handled He Qian's funeral in this way in order to facilitate the hiding of the ashes so that they could enter the ancestral grave of the Sun family in the future." ”

After reading this letter, He Ruming concluded that it must be the poisoner of the Sun family. There is no reason, He Ruming firmly believes in it. He also made an oath that he would let the entire Sun family die with his own hands. In order to get such power and opportunities, He Ruming began to work for Beiyang with a kind of determination and will to do everything before. Acting as an envoy to Beiyang to negotiate with Chen Ke was the first task, He Ruming brought his wife and two sons to Anhui together, and also wanted to reunite the flesh and blood. He never wanted to see Chen Ke again, and the opportunity to meet his daughter and granddaughter was probably just that.

After a five-day stop in Fengtai County, the People's Party finally informed He Ruming to leave. He Ruming asked his wife and sons to go back to Beijing first. I rushed to Wuhan with the reception staff alone. Wuhan in winter is extremely wet and cold. However, in Wuhan, where the fog is rolling, there are a large number of people working along the Yangtze River. They looked emaciated, but they started work early in the morning under the watchful eye of a heavily armed overseer.

"What do those people do?" He Ruming asked.

"Big Smoker." The accompanying receptionist said with a strong sense of disgust.

"Why did you start work so early?"

"There's only one way to get them to quit smoking, which is to let them work and do heavy work every day after they're full. Tired to the point where you don't even think about smoking a lot, this smoking addiction can be stopped. Nothing else works. There was not a hint of pity or tolerance in the voices of the receptionists.

He Ruming saw that the group of people were working a little slowly, and immediately an overseer stepped forward to scold him. They dug up a thick layer of dirt and carried it away with their burdens. Some of them were already shaky, and the overseers were still relentlessly urging them to hurry up. He Ruming didn't wait to see the big smoker, he smiled: "Look at them like this, what should I do if I am tired to death?" ”

"Can you be tired of this kind of work?" The reception staff sneered, "When Chairman Chen was in Fengtai County, he led us to do much heavier work than this, and the food was not as good as theirs, and we are not all living well now." If you quit smoking, you will either quit alive or you will be carried out after you die, and there is no third way to go. ”

Listening to these ruthless words, He Ruming was not disgusted at all, but because he felt the power in it, He Ruming couldn't help but laugh out loud with affection.

Weng and his son-in-law haven't seen each other for a long time, and they looked very enthusiastic when they met. But it's the kind of enthusiasm that is extremely polite and measured.

"Father-in-law, it's been a hard journey. I'm here to apologize for making you suffer so much. After Chen Ke finished speaking, he made a deep sigh.

"If it weren't for Wen Qing's victory in every battle, I would have died a long time ago. You tried to rebel, but you saved my life. He Ruming helped Chen Ke up and said with a hearty smile, "You take good care of my He Ying, she told me that I learned a lot of new cultural knowledge from you." My father's heart is very happy. But you have to go home often to see their mother and daughter. ”

As they spoke, the two of them had already sat down, "I'm here this time, Yuan Xiangcheng asked me to ask Wen Qing, you must already know the result of the council." I don't know what your plans are Wenqing? ”

"We can wait for more than a year. China's imperial system has been in place for thousands of years, and you say that it will be overthrown immediately, which is impossible. But please reply to Mr. Yuan, we don't take the initiative, it doesn't mean that others will do it to us, and we won't fight back. And we will not join any government until the monarchy is overthrown. ”

"Yuan Xiangcheng asked me to tell Wen Qing that he would not destroy the peace. But Sa Zhenbing's fleet has been cruising the Yangtze River, and the parade has ended in Nanjing. Please don't think too much about it. ”

"This is natural." Chen Ke said with a smile.

Negotiations between Yuan Shikai and the People's Party have ended. The two were silent for a while, and then He Ruming asked, "Yuan Xiangcheng wants me to ask, what is Wenqing going to do to the southern provinces?" ”

Chen Ke replied frankly: "What if I attack the southern provinces? Should they vote or won't vote. However, please ask Mr. Yuan to convey my attitude to the southern provinces, and the non-governmental business still needs to be done. It cannot be said that the livelihood of the people has been hampered by the political barrier. Please be sure to inform Mr. Yuan of this. ”

"I'll bring it." He Ruming nodded.

The two were silent for a while, and Chen Ke suddenly said, "Father-in-law, aunt's matter ......"

"Wen Qing, don't talk about this." He Ruming raised his hand to stop Chen Ke from continuing, "You didn't tell my family He Ying about this, I thank you very much." They are called aunts and nephews, and they have a very good relationship. If He Ying knew about this, I was afraid that she wouldn't be able to stand it. ”

"Father-in-law, it's impossible to keep this matter a secret." Chen Ke sighed, "I can't tell Yuan Shikai about this now. Even if he said it, Beiyang would not attack the Sun family because of me. I'm afraid that Yuan Xiangcheng won't dare to go his own way. And I want to justify the murderer. ”

He Ruming's eyes no longer pretended to be gentle, and his sharp eyes stared at Chen Ke, "He Ying said that before my sister He Qian left, you also persuaded him in every possible way, why didn't you forcibly leave He Qian here." ”

"My aunt had to leave at that time, I was afraid that forcibly leaving my aunt would hurt my aunt's innocence. And I never expected that the Sun family could be so mad. Father-in-law, every time I think about this, I feel very uncomfortable. This is Chen Ke's heart, he must not agree with He Qian's unexplained death.

The anger on He Ruming's face swept by, and his calm voice contained this great resentment, "Wenqing, you have done your best. My sister has always had a strong personality and will not back down when she makes up her mind. Wen Qing, let me tell you, this is my He family's business. Since my sister doesn't want to stay with you, it means that she hasn't expected you to do anything. If you really feel sad, you will fulfill her to the end. Don't bother with it again. Can you promise me? ”

"It's all up to my father-in-law. If your father-in-law changes his mind in the future, please let me know. Chen Ke replied very simply.

Seeing off He Ruming, Chen Ke immediately went to meet with the British representatives. The British were very considerate and made a suggestion to Chen Ke, because the business cooperation between the two parties was very good, the British embassy was willing to endorse and provide Chen Ke with a credit line of 500,000 pounds in the British bank. However, this limit is only applicable to purchases of UK goods. Chen Ke naturally will not let go of such a good thing. At this time, every little extra money counts to the great significance.

As if because the Spring Festival in 1910 was approaching, good news came to Chen Ke in pairs. First, the equipment of the silk reeling factory ordered from the United Kingdom arrived at the base area. The next day, Chen Ke received a telegram from the delegation in the United States, and the trial operation was successful. The US side is willing to reach a cooperation agreement with the BJP. Wang Bin negotiated the contract with the U.S. side, and would send a telegram to Chen Ke after the signing.

Since the BJP sent a large delegation. The delegation included representatives of agriculture. Under the coordination of the United States, the People's Party agricultural delegation signed a contract for the purchase of American long-staple cotton seeds. The plan of the BJP delegation to send students to the United States has also been basically finalized. Beginning in 1911, the BJP could send a total of 500 students each year to American industrial colleges and universities or to science and engineering programs at comprehensive universities. The U.S. side said that these schools are definitely not pheasant universities, but a series of Ivy League universities in the United States.

Chen Ke's joy lasted only a short time, and he quickly thought about it. Whether it is an international student or a good equipment, it requires a large amount of money. There is not enough money in the base area at the moment. All the money must be accumulated bit by bit by the hard work of the masses in the base areas.

"Hurry up and let the industrial sector start imitating silk reeling equipment." Chen Ke issued an order to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

It was on Chinese New Year's Eve in 1910 that Chen Ke got a real piece of good news. Industrial sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid from the base area finally entered the Japanese market. Japan is not only interested in these in-demand goods, but they also want to be able to import iron farming tools from their base areas.

"It's a mixed blessing." This is Chen Ke's only evaluation.