Chapter 164

Chapter 164 The Kindest Man in the WorldXu Wei sighed, saying, "Little brother Lin, yesterday you unveiled the mystery of the Buddha statue's growth, and today you've clarified the secret of washing hands in the oil pot. I consider myself well-read and knowledgeable, yet when it comes to experience, I willingly admit my inferiority to you."

Lin Wanrong shook his head, "Mr. Xu, I believe you're mistaken. The understanding I possess comes from the wisdom of millions of citizens of our great nation, honed through thousands of years. I merely borrowed their insights. If anyone should be admired, it should be these countless clever and wise ancestors. True knowledge comes from the people."

"Aha, 'knowledge comes from the people'." Xu Wei echoed, "Little brother Lin, your words alone make you extraordinary."

The Eldest Miss laughed, "Master Xu, don't flatter him too much. The more you praise him, the more pleased with himself he'll become."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "It seems the Eldest Miss knows me well."

Blushing slightly, the Eldest Miss thought to herself, 'Know you? It's more like being tormented by you.'

The two westerners with a dejected demeanor were still tied up on the side. The one called Tavernier upon seeing Lin Wanrong, hastily called out, "Mister Lin, Mister Lin—"

'This Frenchman's English is really subpar. His pronunciation is even worse than mine,' Lin Wanrong thought, looking down on Tavernier. Despite being a Frenchman who moved between Europe and Asia, he was fluent in English, yet his pronunciation bore a thick French accent, making it less than perfect.

Xu Wei queried in surprise, "Little brother Lin, are they calling you?"

Lin Wanrong nodded, "Yes, but their Western tongue is not very authentic, and it's hard to understand."

The Eldest Miss added, "Indeed. Not only are these westerners less good-looking than our people of the Great Hua, but their speech is also unclear and hard to comprehend."

Lin Wanrong looked helplessly at the Eldest Miss, thinking that she had never seen real Western beauties. Those Western girls, with their unique charm and ardor, were quite enticing, bringing a different flavor than that of women from their homeland.

Xu Wei, however, didn't seem to despise the Western language, laughing, "In my youth, I also encountered a Westerner. I've always found their language difficult to understand. Little brother Lin, how did you manage to comprehend it?"

This question wasn't easy to answer. Lin Wanrong laughed, "Well, it's a long story. My great-grandfather saved a foreigner at sea and learned some English phrases from him. I'm a modest and eager learner, so I followed suit. I never expected that it would actually come in handy today."

"Ah," Xu Wei responded lightly. Yet, his expression suggested that he didn't believe it.

The Eldest Miss thought, 'You should at least come up with a better lie than that, otherwise, you'll be seen through immediately.'

"Little brother Lin, what are they saying?" Seeing the Westerner continue to babble on, Xu Wei asked. Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Lin Wanrong laughed, "He's asking when we will release them."

Xu Wei pondered for a moment, then said, "In fact, as early as the previous dynasty, Westerners who fell into misfortune came to our Great Huaxia, propagating their doctrines. As a heavenly kingdom, we hold no grudges or ill will against these Westerners and have never troubled them. Let's allow them to recuperate for a few days and then we can let them return home."

[TL: Huaxia, the historical concept representing the Chinese nation]

No grudges, no hatred? Lin Wanrong shook his head. It was easy to say such things now, but would this still hold true hundreds of years later? Would there still be an Opium War, the Eight-Nation Alliance? It was an entirely different world, and what was to happen in the future, no one could predict.

He sighed, "Mr. Xu, there's a question I've never been able to figure out. I'd like to ask for your enlightenment."

Xu Wei hastily replied, "Little brother Lin, please don't say 'enlightenment'. It would mortify me. If you have something to say, please speak directly." Despite being the most learned scholar in the land, he didn't dare claim the top spot before Lin Wanrong.

Lin Wanrong asked, "Earlier you said correctly that, since the era of the previous dynasty, Westerners have been stranded in our Great Huaxia. Have you, Master Xu, ever counted how many Westerners have come to our Huaxia till now?"

Xu Wei pondered for a while, then answered, "There's never been a detailed count. There are occasional rumors among the people, but I believe there have been no less than a hundred."

Taking slow steps, Lin Wanrong asked, "So, there have been at least a hundred Westerners coming to Huaxia, arriving in batches. What does this imply, Mr. Xu?"

Xu Wei shook his head, "I am not sure."

Lin Wanrong sighed, "It shows one thing: Westerners are continuously exploring the world. They drift ceaselessly at sea, searching constantly, which is why they keep getting stranded."

Though Xu Wei seemed to half-understand, Lin Wanrong continued, "May I ask Mr. Xu, has there ever been a warrior from our Huaxia who ventured to the West?"

Xu Wei shook his head, "I have not heard of such a thing. The furthest we've sent ships is to the Ryukyu Islands and Korea, no one has ever gone to the West."

Taking a long breath, Lin Wanrong slowly said, "While Westerners are constantly exploring the world, their progress may be slow and clumsy, but this is not something we should mock. On the contrary, we should respect them. Their pioneering spirit and exploration are exactly what we, in Huaxia, should learn from. Westerners have come to our Huaxia dozens of times, yet we know nothing about the West. Mr. Xu, don't you see the danger in this? Perhaps one morning we'll wake up to find a fleet of Western ships at our doorstep—"

As Xu Wei sank into deep thought, Lin Wanrong also felt a bit annoyed. These should be concerns for the officials, so why was it bothering an ordinary man like him? However, having heard Xu Wei's words, he felt an urge to speak his mind. He decided to let it go, he was not here to save the world. Even if Martians were to invade, it had nothing to do with him. To eat well, drink well, sleep well, have a good time, that was enough for this life.

After calming himself, he said, "Mr. Xu, since you've agreed to release these two Westerners, I'd like to make a trade with them. When they return to the West, I'd like them to take along our Great Hua's silk, tea leaves, and other agricultural products, as well as the luxury items such as perfumes and soaps from the Xiao family."

‘Damn it,’ Lin Wanrong thought to himself, ‘I'm going to sell these perfumes and soaps in France, England, all across Europe, a huge sell-off. Especially those lingerie and bras, Western women will look even hotter wearing them, especially the French girls, famous worldwide. Next time, I must have Tavernier bring a few French beauties over. I've had designs for a number of adult toys tucked away in my heart, I must get a few made, I won't rest otherwise.’ Lin Wanrong's heart was filled with grand ambitions.

"Little brother Lin, what do you plan to trade with them?" Xu Wei asked.

"That depends on what Mr. Xu wants," Lin Wanrong answered with a meaningful smile. A flash of understanding seemed to cross Xu Wei's eyes.

‘Oh Xu Wenchang, Xu Wenchang, I've said all there is to say, the rest is up to you,’ Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. He hoped his words today would inspire Xu Wei, he'd done all he could. He wouldn't have time to guide Xu Wei in the future, he had to chase girls, he was busy enough as it was.

Xu Wei gave Lin Wanrong a mysterious smile, "Little brother Lin, please be our translator and tell this...So and so, to demonstrate the goodwill of our Great Hua Dynasty, we are sending skilled craftsmen to Hai'an to help these Westerners repair their ironclad ship. Ask them to cooperate fully, and explain the principles to us in detail, ideally with sketches. Once we understand, we'll definitely repair it for them. If we don't, they may have to stay in Great Hua forever—"

‘How shameless,’ thought Lin Wanrong, ‘so shameless, but I like it!’

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, translating Xu Wei's words with a twist. He said he had persuaded the Minister of Revenue of Great Hua to understand and tolerate the Westerners' intrusion. The agate diamond hidden in the boot that Tao Dongcheng failed to confiscate was worth it. He also expressed Great Hua's goodwill, promising to help them repair the ship, asking them to cooperate fully and to share their knowledge fully so that they could return as soon as possible.

Tavernier gratefully said, "Mister Lin, you are the kindest man in the world. To show my gratitude, I will recommend to King Louis that all future trade between France and Great Hua be conducted by you."

"Excellent, excellent." Lin Wanrong thought, ‘Damn it, I've accidentally become a bourgeois comprador.’ The phrase "the kindest man in the world" made Lin Wanrong suppress a laugh. He held back his laughter and said, "However, Mister Tavernier, you still need to practice your English more. You should try to catch up with me, ha-ha."

Lin Wanrong pulled the Eldest Miss aside and asked, "Eldest Miss, how many pieces of lingerie have been made now?"

Xiao Yuruo blushed, "Why are you asking this?"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "There are still quite a few diamonds hidden on this foreigner's ship. I've agreed with him, lingerie for diamonds, it's a fantastic deal."

Xiao Yuruo covered her mouth and giggled, a blush tinting her cheeks. "You're one to think of everything. As for the lingerie, we have made quite a lot. They were originally for Jinling and Hangzhou. You can take them if you need them."

‘Damn,’ Lin Wanrong thought, ‘I don't need those things, it's the beautiful French girls who do.’ He chuckled and said, "Get all the silk from our fabric shop ready and prepare some tea as well. Don't pick the finest quality, second grade is fine. These Westerners haven't tried it before, they'll consider it a treasure. We'll trade all of their diamonds, and in the future, when we have nothing to do, we can sleep on a bed of diamonds."

The Eldest Miss hummed in agreement, but then she spat out in disdain, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Who would want to share a bed of diamonds with you?"

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