"The imperial court's decree has come down. The Chinese in America have their own destiny. We can no longer stay in San Francisco."
Liao Zhubin sighed and said helplessly, "I am going to apply to the US office of HSBC Bank and request to return to Hong Kong to work.
The anti-Chinese trend in the United States is getting worse day by day, and San Francisco is the area with the most rampant white riots. Brother Ho, why not sell off his properties in the United States as soon as possible, take his family and funds, and restart his business career in Hong Kong."
"What if we return to Hong Kong? The British colonial government and British businessmen control the lifeline of Hong Kong's economy. It is not easy to restart business."
"Brother He is unwilling to return to Hong Kong. Do you plan to stay in the United States?"
"Haha, even if I show off my old face and want to stay in the United States shamelessly, the foreigners won't allow it."
He Binghuan laughed at himself and said, "The San Francisco city government just sent someone to notify me that they said the Chinese medicine shop under my name is unsafe and ordered me to close all the properties under my name."
"If you want to impose a crime, there is no excuse. The "Chinese Exclusion Act" was only implemented for a few months, and the U.S. government successively levied the "Chinese fishermen tax", "Chinese police tax", and "laundry delivery tax" on the Chinese...
The amount of exorbitant levies and miscellaneous taxes was as high as that of the Manchu government.
Brother He, forget it, the U.S. government is determined to expel the Chinese, and the court has already compromised, we can’t fight them, we would rather lose some of our profits, sell off all our properties, and withdraw from the United States!"
"I am not willing to let ten years of hard work be ruined in one day!"
"So what if you don't want to give in? When we first arrived in San Francisco ten years ago, American foreigners often pointed at Chinese people with pigtails and laughed at them. Brother, why didn't you listen to Binghuan's advice and insisted on cutting them off?
The pigtails are not because I saw my wife walking into Chinatown and being laughed at and humiliated by a group of white women staring at her bound feet!"
Recalling the discriminatory treatment he and his family suffered when he first arrived in the United States, He Zhubin said excitedly, "Cut off your braids, wear suits like foreigners, and be called fake foreign devils by your compatriots. The world outside is undergoing earth-shaking changes."
, the imperial court and the Manchu and Han ministers are still clinging to the same things as they were hundreds of years ago without changing. How can such a imperial court resist foreign invasion, and how can it protect its citizens living abroad?"
After a pause, He Zhubin picked up the tea cup on the table and drank it in one gulp. He said solemnly, "Binghuan, I have always admired your achievements in business, but some of your ideas really need to be changed. Today's world is not the same."
Two hundred years ago, businessmen were not able to achieve success simply by relying on the business experience of the older generation. Without the support of an enlightened and powerful government, what if they made huge business achievements in the United States like today? The U.S. government arbitrarily promulgated
One bill and a lifetime of hard work is lost!
Only by forging ahead, taking the initiative to contact the outside world, quickly changing old ideas, keeping up with the changes in the world in a timely manner, and making efforts in many aspects can we win a good future for our family and career in this period of change that has not happened in five thousand years.
hope.
To be honest, in this aspect, I think Binghuan is not as good as Ah Zhen.
Although Ah Zhen is a woman, her temperament and ability are not inferior to ordinary men. When she was fifteen or sixteen, she helped you manage family finances and business affairs. She is only eighteen years old this year and will graduate from Halls High School.
Became the first female college student in mainland China.
In his prime years, he is full of heroic spirit. Although it seems that there is no clue now, I bet that twenty years from now, Ah Zhen’s achievements will definitely surpass that of your father."
He Binghuan was not angry when he heard that Liao Zhubin compared himself with his daughter. He knew his daughter's character best. Twenty years later, maybe she would not have done anything earth-shattering, but she would definitely not be a peaceful daughter.
An ordinary woman whose husband teaches her children.
And this is what worries him the most. His daughter is smart, courageous, and independent-minded. Although she often doesn't obey his own arrangements, among the twelve children, she is the one he loves the most.
It would be fine if she were a man, with a strong personality, and might be able to achieve some success if she went out to work. But how many families would be able to accept a girl who behaves like this?
“It’s not so easy to change the concepts you’ve developed throughout your life.”
He Binghuan shook his head, his face full of sorrow.
"As I get older, I no longer care about things like property and career as much as I did when I was young. Industries in the United States have been affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act, so losing some of it is not a big deal. I'm just worried that if I can't deal with it,
Good follow-up events, if there are some hidden dangers left, what should Ah Zhen and the other children do in the future?"
"Don't worry about the children's affairs. Liao, the He family has been friends for three generations, and Enbai likes Azhen very much. If you don't have any objection, just make Azhen and Enbai happy. Liao, the He family is married.
From now on, the affairs of the two families will be merged into one, and if something difficult happens to the He family, the Liao family will never let it go."
"Eun Baek likes Ah Jung?"
He Binghuan is busy with business affairs and rarely stays at home. The few times he receives guests at home, he sees his daughter and Liao Enbai together. Almost every time, his daughter bullies each other. It is rare to see men and women living harmoniously during a relationship.
scene,
Therefore, when the words came out of Liao Zhubin's mouth, He Binghuan didn't quite believe in Tao.
"Haha, who can say clearly what happens between young people? Enbai and Ah Zhen both study in American schools and receive Western education. The two children have common topics and hobbies.
Although Ah-jung sometimes has a stronger personality, Eun-baek has a gentle temperament. When the two of them are together, their personalities complement each other, and they can be considered a well-matched couple."
"A-Zhen is a natural, will you, the Liao family, mind?"
"Brother Binghuan, why are you still clinging to the same old stubbornness as before? Footbinding is a bad feudal custom. Which country in South America, Han Dynasty, Japan, or other Western countries, advocates footbinding for women?
Foot-binding is a mutilation of a woman's body. In South America, the law stipulates that forcing a woman to bind her feet is an illegal act. Regardless of the relationship between the perpetrator and the woman, she must be punished by law."
Liao Zhubin felt that it was difficult to change his friend's concept in a short period of time, and patiently said, "Chinese women with bound feet and small feet are laughed at and humiliated by foreigners. When the next generation of young people comes, they cannot be allowed to experience the humiliation of the older generation. Enbai did not show it.
Before I fell in love with Ah Zhen, I liked the child Ah Zhen very much. Where can I find a child with natural talent in this world? Apart from South America and Han women, most women are born with natural child. In mainland China and Hong Kong, the families of Liao and He are of similar financial status.
In my family, it was difficult to find a talented girl, so I considered at the beginning that if Ah Zhen did not object, I would let Eun Bai marry Ah Zhen.
Now it's fine, the two children are in love, and we don't need to worry about the elders. As long as we two old brothers decide on the marriage of the children, everything will be settled in the future."
"Enbai is a good child, and I have always been very satisfied with him. However, she did not tell me, a father, what Ah Zhen was thinking. Brother Liao, please wait for a while until I find out what Ah Zhen is.
I’ll give you my opinion, and I’ll give you a reply, so please take a look!”
"Haha, it doesn't matter, Enbai and Ah Zhen are in the backyard, just call them over and ask."......
"Uncle Liao, Dad, Enbai and I have something to discuss with you."
Being called to the front by two elders, He Peizhen spoke up first without waiting for them to ask questions.
"Dad has something to ask you two. You need to discuss the matter with dad first. Okay, if you have something to do, tell us first and let us hear it."
"The foreigners in the United States are expelling and persecuting their compatriots, and the Qing government has stayed out of the matter. Enbai and I would like to ask Uncle Liao and Dad to come forward to summon company employees and fellow San Francisco compatriots to assist the Chinese diplomatic embassy in the United States and properly transfer the compatriots to South America..."
He Peizhen relayed the news he heard from Liao Enbai to the two.
"Your Uncle Liao and I were discussing this matter just now. Your Uncle Liao plans to leave the United States and return to Hong Kong."
He Binghuan mused, "The situation in the United States is turbulent. For safety reasons, dad is considering leaving the United States and returning to Hong Kong with your Uncle Liao. Before the matter is completely decided, dad wants to hear your opinion."
"The British are tyrannical in Hong Kong. Those local gangsters and gangs are under the protection of the British, and they are working as slaves to oppress the compatriots. Dad and Uncle Liao can't stand the anger of the American foreigners, so why should they go back and be angry with the British foreigners? According to my daughter,
, it is better to simply move to Han in South America. Based on the Han government’s open and fair attitude towards overseas Chinese and Chinese businessmen, as well as the strength of Uncle Liao and Dad, there may be no chance of doing a better and bigger business than in the United States.”
"Uncle He, Dad, and Azhen are right. Nearly half of the children studying in the United States who studied together in the school were recruited by the Han government and returned to Han China or European countries to continue their studies. Our school also has more than 20 children from the United States who studied together.
In South America, students studying abroad at their own expense also have relatives who are engaged in business and trade in South America.
The South American country of Han encourages business development and values all kinds of talents. Compared with Hong Kong, the younger generation thinks that going to South America and Han country is more suitable for Uncle He and Dad."
"You two are on the same page. You two have decided on the things that your Uncle Liao and I are still discussing."
A smile appeared on He Binghuan's face and he said, "Dad has been conservative and cautious all his life. Now that he is over forty, he has become more enlightened.
Brother Liao, I can’t go back to Hong Kong. I plan to follow Ah Zhen and Eun Bai’s advice and move my family to Han, South America. What do you think?”
"Eunbaek's thoughts are all about the little girl Ah Zhen. The He family is moving to South America. How can I be cruel enough to separate them?
"
Liao Zhubin smiled bitterly and agreed to move to South America with the He family.
After the decision was made to evacuate the He and Liao families from the United States, the marriage of He Peizhen and Liao Enbai was settled naturally.
