Simpson shook his head helplessly, "Why bother? Why waste time and energy when you know you won't see them?"
"Tsk tsk... You are a foreigner who doesn't understand the ways of being an official in the Qing Dynasty! They actually know that the head of state will not see them, but they still have to go through this process!"
"They just want to use this humble attitude to flatter! Use this method to prove their piety to the head of state! Even if there is a one in ten thousand chance? There is nothing wrong in trying!"
"In addition, they also have to consider, what if they don't come out to deliver the notebook and let the head of state know about it and make them angry?"
"Hand over your notebook and kowtow a few times. Maybe the head of state doesn't care at all. What you are doing is basically useless work! But you must also do this useless work. What if you don't go through this formality and do this superficial thing and offend the superior officer? manage?"
"Sometimes, attitude does not necessarily lead to promotion and wealth. This attitude is often a necessary means for you to avoid disasters!"
"Do you understand? Hey...it seems like you, a foreigner, can't learn the profound official knowledge of our Qing Dynasty!"
"Let's go! I've also booked a guest room in Gaoyou... Let's sleep on a safe bed tonight!"
The Eastern philosophy of officialdom was an eye-opener for Simpson. He used to think that the responsible interpersonal relationships between the upper and lower houses of London were already the most sophisticated official operation system in the world!
But when he saw the huge and bloated bureaucracy of the entire Qing Empire operating according to its own inherent pattern, he had to admit that the Chinese were much more complicated and smarter than the British when it came to being an official!
In fact, each of these red tapes and stereotypes has its own origins, and contains very profound knowledge of human relations and psychology!
Just like today, Liu Peiqi opened his eyes. In fact, sometimes when people flatter and kowtow, they don't necessarily want to fantasize about promotion. He actually has more thoughts of causing trouble!
If I can’t offend you, can I still avoid you? This kind of thinking is absolutely unacceptable in China's officialdom. If you are not willing to flatter others and get involved in this muddy water, then you will end up with no way to escape!
You have no choice but to retreat. Where can you find a paradise in the world if you want to escape?
Once you fall into this mud pit, you must learn to adapt. Sometimes it is impossible for you to escape even if you want to. People don’t cause trouble, but they cause trouble for you!
When Simpson and his merchant ship continued to move forward and docked at Gaoyou Pier, they discovered that the three gunboats had aggressively occupied the pier with the deepest water level.
In the narrow Grand Canal, these three boats are as scary as Big Macs!
Even when Simpson disembarked, he saw with his own eyes that ignorant people in many places were secretly worshiping the three gunboats!
"Kowtow! This is the Zhiyuan that defeated France in Europa! This is the divine ship that is so famous overseas!"
"Quick, quick, quick, kowtow to keep you safe..."
"Mom... people said this is not, this is a gunboat..." The child wanted to say a few words, but his mother slapped him back!
"You know nothing! This is the battleship that wins the battle... You don't like studying but you like martial arts, so you have to give it up... take advantage of the joy of returning from victory and take the martial arts examination in the future!"
"The worst thing you can do is follow your uncle's example and work as a catcher in the county government. You know what a fat job! You have endless food and wine every year, so kowtow..."
These ordinary people who have never seen the world have seen a battleship made of pure steel for the first time. In their eyes, such a huge armored ship that is several times larger than the ships in the canal is already a divine ship!
Simpson looked at the distant people who were burning incense and kowtowing to the battleships, and couldn't help but sigh, "If such a small boat goes to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, I'm afraid it won't be able to withstand even a Category 10 hurricane. These are coastal defense gunboats!"
"How can such a ship defeat France... They really have never seen the Zhiyuan!"
He felt sorry for these foolish women, but his hands were not idle. He followed his entourage and translator and took several photos from a distance. These were all the exotic customs he wanted to bring back to Europe!
After returning to the inn, he washed up briefly and had dinner. Before he could go for a walk on the street, Liu Peiqi knocked on the door and came in. As soon as he came in, he smiled and said, "Look... I'm right! This is the handbook of all the officials of the head of state." There is no reward, not a single one!"
"The magistrate of Gaoyou County arranged for the head of state to live in the garden of the richest man here, but in exchange for a ten-minute conversation with the head of state, he only asked questions about the local economy and other issues!"
"It's all useless work...but you are the only exception!"
"Me?" Simpson suddenly became excited. "Does the president want to see me?"
"Of course I want to see you... But not now... Haha, look at how anxious you are. The adjutant sent by the Führer said that of course the Führer knows the name of the Illustrated London News, and he also thanks the newspaper for its support of the series of reports on the Chinese ethnic group! "
"When we get to Beijing, the head of state will give you some alone time to be interviewed, and will allow you to take photos and portraits! Well, I remind you that handing over your notebook is right!"
This is really good news. Simpson was ecstatic to get such a promise. "Oh, thank you Mr. Liu... To celebrate, I should treat you to a drink. Let's... have a late night snack, how about a late night snack..."
"Come on! I've already asked the inn to prepare the best rice wine, Jieshou dried tea, cattail meat, Lingtang old goose, and oily salted duck eggs!"
“Finally, let’s have Yangchun noodles or big crab roe buns…it’s so beautiful, just pay for it!”
Simpson has long been a die-hard fan of Chinese food. In the days since he landed in Shanghai, he has been stunned by the variety of local delicacies!
In particular, he also discovered a characteristic. The more an area expands along waterways and trade routes, the more diverse the food is!
From here we can see the benefits brought by business. If there were no businessmen to bring together the eating habits from all over the world, how could there be the development of gourmet food that draws on the strengths of many families?
Gaoyou is a place where the Grand Canal must pass through. It has many commercial ports and a dense population. As a result, there are many restaurants and famous chefs in the whole city!
Even if it was just an ordinary inn, the level of the chef was not to mention. After a few local specialties were served, the two of them had a great time eating!
Simpson knew he had found a treasure. Regardless of his identity or moral character, Liu Peiqi was definitely an old man in the officialdom. Finding some clues from him would definitely make his interview process easier!
Just like today, if he hadn't reminded him, Simpson would have almost forgotten this great opportunity to hand over his business card!
"Mr. Liu, I want to toast you with this glass of wine...Thank you for your guidance along the way. I hope you can give me more guidance in the future!"
Liu Peiqi quickly put down the oily duck eggs in her hands and raised her glass with both hands, smiling and saying, "I don't want to take advice seriously. I will have the opportunity to go to Europa in the future, and then I will have to trouble Mr. Simpson to guide me!"
"sure……"
