Chapter 3 State Judgment

[3] State judgment

When he came to the back hall, Yao Fan saw that the living room-like square room was quite spacious. There were several wooden chairs in the room, and the overall feeling was a little dark and simple.

Yao Fan, who was still a little afraid of being on guard before, actually stretched out his hand to sign him to sit down after seeing the official sit down. He was overjoyed and boldly to sit down on the chair beside the official.

"Look at the tea." Lord Zhou actually ordered his servants to make tea for Yao Fan. This attitude was quite gentle, and Yao Fan was no longer as nervous as he began.

Yao Fan is a dazzling person, at least a modern man who has watched the overwhelming Qing Palace dramas on TV. At this moment, he quickly took out his pocket and wanted to find some gadgets to bribe him. These days, meeting gifts are a must.

Yao Fan touched his mobile phone and felt that it was not suitable, so he took out the signature pen he carried with him and offered it with his hands. He looked like a common corrupt official on TV and flattered him: "Due to the warm hospitality of my parents and officials, I didn't bring any gifts when I went out this time. This pen is my personal collection and brought back from the West. Come on, I don't respect it at all. Please accept it next time! Next time I will make up for this meeting gift.

This state is familiar with this trick, and it is not taboo to hear the words. He reached out to take the pen, but as soon as he got the heavy texture of the pen, it made him feel unusual. When he looked closely, he saw that the lid was engraved with the word hero. The word was as small as rice, but it was clearly engraved, so that the exquisite craftsmanship was enough to prove its value.

The two ends of the pen are also plated with gold, with plastic printed with wood grain in the middle. In the eyes of the state judge, it must be gold-plated and some kind of precious rare wood, otherwise how could it feel so good?

Yao Fan knew that he was satisfied when he looked at the state judgment, but he was afraid that he would underestimate the gift and quickly boasted: "The small words on this pen were carefully engraved by the best watchmaker in Europe, which is the word 'hero'. I think these two words are most suitable for the status of the parents and officials of the state judge. Today, the sword is given to the hero, and this Western pen has also found the best owner.

Yao Fan's nonsense made his face slightly hot, but he actually made the state judge's face happy and said to Yao Fan with a smile, "You can talk. Although this gift is not expensive, it is rare for you to have this intention, so I will accept it."

Yao Fan saw that the state judge was happy, like a good speaker, so he simply instructed him to use a pen.

Under the guidance of Yao Fan, Zhou Jian opened the lid of the pen and simply drew a few vertical and horizontal lines on the palm of his hand. Seeing that the ink of a pen was fine and even, it was indeed a Western pen, and it was also excellent workmanship, and he was even more happy.

After putting on the pen cap, the style is extraordinary. In addition, the hero is clearly engraved on the gold-plated pen holder of the metal pen cap, as if with magic, making the state judge's mood both Tao Tao and fluttering. After being happy, he felt that Yao Fan was closer.

Yao Fan is in the spirit of selling melons: "Your Excellency, as you know, the ordinary Western water pen is troublesome to use. You always have to press it to write a line and two lines of text, but my pen is used by the Western court, and you can flow ink without pressing it."

Yao Fan's words are right. Modern pens, which are really simple and easy to use, actually did not appear until 1910. Before that, pens were indeed troublesome to press while writing. If it were not because they could be carried on their bodies, they would be less convenient as pens.

The state judge nodded and thought that the ordinary pen was worth at least five taels of silver in the hands of foreign merchants. Although I had seen foreign merchants bring it, I had never used it in person. I heard that it was very difficult to use.

And he has never seen the golden pen given to him by Yao Fan before. It is indeed a new thing. Probably, as he said, it is the royal thing of the Western court. I'm afraid it's worth 180 taels of silver. Even if he doesn't use a pen to write, it's worth showing it to Tongji. Enjoy the envy of others.

The state judge in Qingdaokou looked happy and said to Yao Fan, "You don't have to be polite. I can't talk about a big parent official. It's just this Jiaozhou judgment. Qingdaokou belongs to Jiaozhou and is temporarily under the jurisdiction of Jimo County.

After an exchange between the two, Yao Fan knew from the official that the mouth of Qingdao was only a small fishing village under the rule of Jimo County, Shandong Province. Because the convenient waterway made the port more and more prosperous, the Qing court set up Qingdaokou Customs. This official was the largest official in Qingdaokou, saying that Jiaozhou was sentenced, but in fact, it was with Najimo County. Jiaoxi County in the west has nothing to do with it, but only has jurisdiction over Jiaozhou. From the seven grades, the official office is located in Qingdao.

"I despise Sun, the word Maowen. It goes without saying that you are still young by looking at your brother's appearance. I'm a few years older than you. Brother Yao will call me Brother Sun in the future.

Yao Fan was a little flattered by the rapid change of Sun Zhou's attitude. So he hurriedly said, "Brother Sun raised his love and broke Yao Fan."

Sun Maowen has no discrimination against businessmen. These days, although businessmen are fat sheep, they are also divided into three or six. A decent two devils like Yao Fan are the highest-class merchants. Like the red-top official businessmen, they are all big backers. It's just that the red-top merchants are backed by the members of the court, and the two devil merchants are backed by foreigners. Everything else is no different and are not easy to mess with. Ordinary officials are not unable to provoke these businessmen, but their backers for fear of causing big trouble.

Sun Maowen saw that Yao Fan was flexible and spoke softly. As if he had read a book, he liked it more and more. He nodded with a smile and said, "How reckless it was before. Please don't mind that those idiots have always been so stupid to make a fuss."

Yao Fan saw that Sun Maowen's attitude was excellent and modest, and quickly said, "Those who don't know are not surprised, and those who don't know are not surprised."

Sun Maowen casually closed the horseshoe cuffs, stuffed the pen into the sleeve pocket, stared at Yao Fan and asked, "Brother Yao, I don't know which foreign cargo ship came to Jiaozhou?"

Yao Fanxin said that this was to investigate, so he had to continue to lie.

"If I go back to my eldest brother, I will take the cargo ship of the American Qichang Steamship Company to Yantai and disembark at the sea of Qingdao. The cargo ship of Qichang Company went to Yantai. When the ship returns, he will pick me up to Shanghai."

Sun Maowen tried a few more words, but did not ask Yao Fan how he got off the boat by the sea but did not enter the city, but walked out of the city. He just asked how many generations of the Yao Fan family and how many people they did to make a living in Europe.

It is normal to ask this question. After all, in feudal society, the standard for judging strength is not only on individuals, but also on the prosperity of the family.

In order to win the trust of Sun Maowen, Yao Fan lied and described the scene of Europe in detail according to his own impression, and turned upside down how the just- ended Franco-Prussian War and how Prussian prime minister Bismarck secretly manipulated Spain to choose King William I. His cousin intended to destroy the Franco-American alliance. How did Napoleon III decide to launch a crusade? Next, how did Prussia defeat Napoleon III with a new steel cannon that could bombard 3,500 meters of wires? How did a revolution break out in France after 100,000 French troops collapsed and surrendered in Sedang? How the Second French Empire was finished and how the Third Reich was established is generally talked about.

After rendering history, Yao Fan also talked about the European customs and customs, and also touted the Yao family as a multinational business group providing goods to various countries, which sounded as fascinating as a biography of wild history.

These historical stories are probably textbook knowledge that is not worth mentioning for a modern man, but these words immediately suppressed Sun Maowen!

"Western-style!" Sun Maowen immediately defined Yao Fan.

Sun Maowen doesn't know anything about Europe. It can be said that in the Qing Dynasty these days, there are few people who are really good at foreign affairs. Even the Haiguo map written by Wei Yuan in 1842, which was used by the Qing Dynasty to understand the West, was limited to the cognitive ability at that time and was full of mistakes.

Sun Maowen saw that Yao Fan talked about overseas treasures, and his tone was full of frustration. He talked about the great group of Western emperors and kings William I and Napoleon III of France. During this period, he was interspersed with various anecdotes of Napoleon III and his mistress, as well as how William I built industrial incentives. The story of Jingtuzhi is also rendered as if it had been seen with his own eyes.

After eliminating the fear caused by the strangeness, Sun Maowen relaxed all over. He sighed in his heart, "Fortunately, there was no reckless execution just now. Otherwise, listening to his tone and insight, it seems that his family is called brothers and brothers in Europe and the emperors of foreign devils. Son."

Although Sun Maowen is still a little strange in his heart why such a two devil came to such a small port in Qingdaokou, Jiaozhou Bay, for a seven-grade official these days, he can hear these fresh world current events, but it is also some major events of the Western military and the king's room, which is really worth him Yao Fan. Treat yourself as a distinguished guest of equal status.

Sun Maowen sat on a chair and thought that the so-called man relies on clothes and horses and saddles. This person is white and clean, and his appearance is decent. If he is a bandit, it is neither reasonable nor incomprehensible.

Sun Maowen, the remnants of those bandits and twisting thieves, have never been seen before. They are all vulgar farmers. There is no such a clean and neat Western style and white and delicate skin like Yao Fan.

When Yao Fan was in a coma, the soldiers also turned over his pockets. Sun Maowen checked and found that there were no weapons and letters in his pocket, not even money! Instead, it is stuffed with a bunch of Western things that I can't understand. Seeing that these things were strange, Sun Maowen was afraid of getting involved in the witchcraft and evil methods of foreigners, so he ordered the soldiers not to touch these objects and only continued to put them in Yao Fan's pocket.

Moreover, before Yao Fan woke up, Sun Maowen came forward and looked carefully at his scalp and saw that the skin under his forehead was white, which was actually whiter than his forehead. It could not be the hair he had just accumulated.

You should know that this Qing people are all pigtailed with money rat tails. After a long time, their scalp is as black as their foreheads, and they will never grow so white. Although Sun Maowen is afraid of and hate foreigners, he is a little envious and admired by those who have been abroad. What's more, Yao Fan, the best two ghosts who live overseas are not comparable to those fake foreign devils who have entered foreign religion in the current ports open to foreigners in the Qing Dynasty.

Sun Maowen said sincerely: "Brother Yao is really unwise to come to Shandong alone to find his ancestors. Although Shandong has been flattened with bandits in the past few years, the countryside is not peaceful, and there are often horse bandits and mountain thieves. These thieves come and go like the wind, plunder merchants, and kill people like numbness. But whenever they go out, they always have to bring some family members and hire some fist-foot nurse's companions, so that many people can walk together.

Yao Fan saw that Sun Maowen actually cared about himself and quickly climbed up the pole: "Brother Sun said yes, I really didn't think well."

Sun Maowen became more and more happy when he saw that Yao Fan was modest and did not have the pretentiousness of those two devils in the church.

These days, if you can meet a person who has gone abroad and passed through the world, it will be an excellent conversation both in officialdom and the people. Just Yao Fan's previous boasting, Sun Maowen believes that if he takes it out as a talk and shows off as it is, he may be able to hang the aura of "foreign affairs" on his head.

Thinking that the governor of Shandong is currently running a machine bureau in Jinan, Sun Maowen's political ** suddenly rose.

Sun Maowen said enthusiastically, "In this case, Brother Yao simply stayed at the mouth of Qingdao and waited for the ship of Qichang Company to turn back and send you back to Shanghai. If you plan to continue to look for your ancestors, go to Jiaozhou County in the west and hire some companions before leaving.

Also, since Brother Yao has returned to the Qing Dynasty, this dress is too shocking and invulgar. It's not far from my government office to persuade Ye Street. It's appropriate for you to change your clothes and buy a braided hat.

Yao Fan quickly got up and hugged his fist and thanked him, "Thank you Lord Sun for your advice."

After a conversation, he agreed to have a drink with Sun Maowen in the evening. Yao Fanmeng passed this test and left the government office in Qingdao.

Sun Maowen was left alone in the government and said to himself in the back hall with the pen in his hand: "Looking at this person's speech and knowledgeable, he is unfamiliar with his hands and bowing. In this way, he really came from the West. But since he has been to Shanghai, he doesn't even bring any money with him. What's going on? You have to knock it up at night to see what kind of oil he has. Even if he is just an ordinary foreign banker who comes to Qingdao to make a living, it can be used in the future..."