I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

"So," Edward looked at his younger sister who was disguised as a woman in surprise, and asked slowly, "Three years ago, you rescued a Mr., um, code-named G in the woods near our house. He In order to repay your life-saving grace, I taught you a lot of knowledge during the recovery period?"

Pei Xiang smiled and nodded:

"Mr. G is very knowledgeable. He taught me a lot of interesting things, such as how to pretend to be a boy and imitate a boy's voice. Well, listen, hi, Mr. Edward Hoffman, nice to meet you, the weather is nice today……"

Edward and Rhett's eyes widened in surprise.

In their ears, the originally gentle and soft voice suddenly turned into a clear and magnetic youthful voice. If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, they would have thought that two different people were talking.

At this time, Pei Xiang, Edward, and Rhett Butler were sitting in a cafe, talking about their experiences during these days.

Edward Hoffman had many questions to ask his sister, but after sitting down, looking at Pei Xiang who was dressed as a teenager, he suddenly didn't know where to ask.

——Why have you never heard Lucy mention the matter of saving lives?Oh, let's ask about this later, the timing is not right now.

——What kind of person is that mysterious G?Hey, I guess my sister has already promised to keep that person a secret, so it's useless to ask.

——What is the relationship between my sister and that G?Is it really a simple repayment of kindness?Come on, that's not a good question to ask in Mr. Butler's presence.

Edward's eyebrows were mixed with concern and hesitation, and he hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Pei Xiang took the initiative to fabricate the reason for his rescue.

At the same time, she doesn't want to be too restrained in the future, so she has to find a reasonable source for the skills and knowledge she has mastered.

"After I was cheated by Vera and Wood, I was locked in a dark room. There was nothing in it. They didn't give me food and wanted me to submit.

"They threatened me that two abducted girls starved to death in the room where I was imprisoned. If I don't want to be the third starving ghost in that room, I must obey."

Edward's expression darkened, and he raised his hand to stroke Pei Xiang's hair, comforting him silently.

Pei Xiang smiled lightly at Edward, there was no haze in his eyes.

"Lucy, everything is fine."

"Well, I know. Brother, don't worry about me too much, really."

Pei Xiang thought for a while, and decided to tell Edward Yuanchen's dying thoughts, and tell her family members whom she valued.

"One day, I felt that I couldn't hold on anymore. I seemed to see my parents. I thought, they must have come to take me to heaven. Brother, I felt very relaxed and happy at that time. I didn't Regret my choice.

"The only regret is that I couldn't see you again, and left you alone in this world. But I thought, you are so smart and capable, and you will definitely be able to marry a good girl. When the time comes , you will have a new family, and you will not be lonely. And I was reunited with my parents, and we will all be happy, so that little regret disappeared.

"Brother, if I died at that time, I would not resent the injustice and unpredictability of fate. On the contrary, I am grateful for all the arrangements of God, allowing me to have a happy life for 19 years."

This memory made Edward feel a pain in his heart. He covered his eyes with his hands to hide the faint tears.

"Silly girl, if you also go to heaven and leave me alone in this terrible world, how painful it will be for me. In the future... no matter what happens to you, don't give up life easily. If you are so young If you leave me, how can I live a life full of hope in the future? Lucy, fortunately, nothing happened to you..."

The always strong man suddenly choked up and was speechless. Pei Xiang held his elder brother's big hand, also a little lost in thought.

After a while, she saw that Edward was still in a very low mood, so in order not to let him continue to be immersed in fear and fear, she continued in a lighter tone:

"Brother, G is very powerful and mysterious. Just when I thought everything was over, G suddenly appeared in the dark room. He didn't explain how he found out that I was in danger, but he just took me away from that horrible place. The place.

"I was very weak at that time, and I kept recuperating in a daze. One day, G told me that brother, you were framed by Vera and they were in a critical situation. He asked me if I wanted to rescue you and take part in revenge. I Immediately agreed to G's suggestion.

"It was also then that it became clear to me that those interesting little tricks that G taught me before were not just for fun, but that I could do a lot with that knowledge.

"Brother, I used to be like a little fool holding a money pot but didn't know how to spend it. If G hadn't guided me and reminded me, I wouldn't have realized that Vera and the others are actually not very scary, as long as they are precise With planning and arrangement, I can definitely accomplish more things.”

These words made Edward think about it.

Rhett Butler on the side asked curiously:

"Could it be that you and G did the sudden disappearance of Wood together?"

"Well, G told me that Wood is also one of my murderers and Mrs. Villa's backer. If we attack him, it will definitely mess up Mrs. Villa's position. At that time, we can take the opportunity to rescue him. Edward."

Pei Xiang lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, skipping over some specific processes that are easy to reveal when making up, and summed up in general:

"G acted as a powerful nobleman and cheated Mrs. Vera's trust. I cooperated with G's performance, so that Mrs. Vera had to agree to a deal with me, and personally went to Sergeant Victor to rescue Edward from Released from the guard room. When Edward is cleared of all charges, G and I will have no worries..."

At this point, Pei Xiang's narration came to an abrupt end.She glanced hesitantly at Rhett Butler, whom she didn't know very well, and quickly looked away, with a slight guilty conscience and hesitation in her brows.

——Because Rhett Butler is also an insider, the existence of G and the matter of saving lives can be confessed.But the process of murder and arson should not be mentioned in front of this person.

Pei Xiang took a sip of coffee, and remained silent without continuing to explain.

But the other two men in the room knew what she kept silent.

——After rescuing Edward, it's time to find the enemy to settle the score.

When the two thought of the fire in Villa Garden this morning and the confession that was gradually spread, their eyes flashed at the same time.

Rhett smiled lazily, understanding Miss Hoffman's defense against him.Although he stood by the Hoffman brothers and sisters from the beginning to the end, he was a foreign friend who had not known each other for a long time.

—This Lucy girl has learned a lot from a fall.He was easily tricked into getting into the carriage by Mrs. Vera before, but now after this ordeal, he finally knows to be on guard against others.

——However, in the end, he hasn't fully grown up, and he can't lie without blinking.I'm not thick-skinned enough, I just looked at me with guilt...

——Oh, it's amazing for a 19-year-old girl to do this.She didn't cry after the accident, and she didn't feel terrified when she witnessed the mysterious G's murder and arson.

Captain Butler, who always likes to challenge the tradition, admires the brave and decisive girl very much.He stared at Lucy Hoffman, subconsciously comparing her to the ladies of his hometown of Charleston.

Edward first noticed his younger sister's increasingly uncomfortable expression, and then he noticed the undisguised curiosity of his friends around him, and his face darkened immediately.

"Well, Mr. Butler!"

"What, my friend?" Rhett came back to his senses and asked doubtfully.

"Let's talk about this today. Although Lucy is not injured, I still hope that she can go back to sleep comfortably and forget the bad days before."

Rhett raised his eyebrows slightly, noncommittal to this statement.

He felt that Miss Lucy, who was disguised as a man, had bright eyes and didn't need a break very much, but he knew that it was best not to refute a guilty brother at this time, so he readily agreed with Edward's proposal.

Soon, the three separated in front of the cafe.

The handsome and wealthy Captain Butler has his own gentle and unrestrained joy, while Pei Xiang followed his elder brother Edward to a small hotel with a good reputation to stay temporarily.

Opening the door, Edward first checked the status of the window. He was a little frightened now, always worried that his sister would be stolen again.

Pei Xiang walked around in the small room, and then sat down on the only old chair.

"Brother, let's talk. There was Captain Butler at the side before, and I didn't ask you a lot of questions."

Edward stood by the window, using the bright light outside the window to reconfirm that his sister's complexion is still good, and there is really no need to take a rest immediately.

"What do you want to ask?"

"Brother, why do we live in a hotel, why don't we go to Uncle Thomas's? As long as we pay the living expenses on time, uncle and aunt welcome us very much."

"Lucy, after I came to London... I had some conflicts with my uncle's family, so I didn't live there. Before, I stayed at a friend's house for a few nights, but it was full of bachelors and it was not suitable to bring you In the past. Let's settle in a hotel for a few days, and then we'll move when I find a suitable job."

Edward's words revealed a lot, Pei Xiang immediately asked:

"Have a conflict with Uncle Thomas? Brother, is it because of me?"

"No, it's not all because of your affairs." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and said with a wry smile, "The relationship between our two families was not considered close before, and it's not good to disturb others all the time. After your accident this time...forget it, Lucy, from now on, let's pretend that we brothers and sisters don't have this kind of relative. It's good that we don't interfere with each other's life."

"That's it," Pei Xiang nodded slowly, with a flash of understanding in his eyes, "Okay, brother, I'll listen to you."

Edward gave a faint "hmm", knowing that his sister probably guessed the alienated attitude of his uncle's family.

"Brother, what did you just say about finding a job? Are you not a crew member?"

Edward sighed:

"After this accident, how can I rest assured that I will leave you alone in Britain? Besides, the work of the crew is actually quite dangerous. If you don't mention the wind and waves and unpredictable weather at sea, let's just talk about pirates and wars. Sailors on merchant ships are the ones who are most likely to be involved. So, whether it is for my own safety or to take care of you, the job of crew is not very suitable."

"Then do you have any ideas?"

Pei Xiang looked up at his elder brother standing by the window, and said softly:

"You can read and write, you can keep accounts, you are proficient in navigation knowledge, and you have contacts in customs and shipping. By the way, I remember that you also learned some Spanish with the Hispanic sailors on the ship. Well, you have a good drinker, and your card playing skills are also good. Very good. Brother, the most important thing is that you are good-looking. With so many favorable conditions listed, it should not be difficult to find a good job, right?"

Edward raised his eyebrows, with a slight tease in his tone:

"Although in your heart, Lucy, good looks are the most important thing. But in other employers, everyone still values ​​ability and character. For example, Captain Butler, he will definitely not choose employees based on appearance and stature."

"How do you know Captain Butler so well? I think he is a typical playboy. Maybe he pays more attention to appearance."

Edward laughed but said nothing.

Seeing this, Pei Xiang's eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly asked:

"Brother, what do you mean, that Captain Butler, who is as dark as a pirate, wants to hire you? He will pay you?"

"Well, he briefly mentioned a few words to me, but I was so focused on finding you that I didn't agree to him right away. Now you are safe and sound. If that Captain Butler doesn't change his mind, I'm more than happy to help you. He works."

Pei Xiang recalled it for a while, recalled the scene when he met Rhett Butler in the guard room of the police station, and thought of the man pretending to be drunk to help Edward, he knew it clearly.

——It turns out that this person has been enthusiastically following the experiences of the Hoffman brothers and sisters, and one of his purposes is to win over his promising subordinates?

"Well, dear brother Edward, are you sure Captain Butler values ​​your ability and character?" Pei Xiang asked jokingly.

Edward rolled his eyes, too lazy to answer.

Pei Xiangyanran asked again:

"He claims to be the captain, hey, brother, don't you want to be a crew member? Then what does he want you to do?"

Edward recalled the conversation between the two, and said slowly:

"He wants me to be responsible for the ordering, expediting, inspection and transportation of the England factory, and to receive and store the sugar, cotton, grain and other bulk goods from the Americas and find suitable buyers by the way. In short, he doesn't need I sail away with the cargo ship, and I just need to arrange the trivial matters of trade on the mainland side of England."

"Are you responsible for so many things by yourself?"

"Of course not. I am a novice and I have known him not long ago. How can I entrust so many important tasks to me alone. It is said that there are several people. Everyone performs their duties and cooperates with each other to supervise each other."

"I see." Pei Xiang nodded and rubbed his eyes.

In fact, Edward has been paying attention to Pei Xiang's mental state. Seeing that she finally started to feel sleepy after the initial excitement of family reunion, he persuaded her in a low voice:

"Lucy, take a rest for a while, and then think about our future arrangements when you have enough energy, okay? You can also wait for your problems, we have a lot of time to discuss."

——Of course, I also have many questions I want to ask you, for example, your real relationship with that Mr. G...

Pei Xiang didn't sleep all night last night, and now he was bathed in the warm sunshine, feeling slightly sleepy, so he responded very obediently, preparing to catch up on sleep.

However, before resting, she had to clean up and wash up a little.

Three days later, Edward told Pei Xiang that he had formally agreed to Rhett Butler's employment and would start working for him next week.

"Lucy, we're leaving London tomorrow to live in a new place."

— stay away from everything here, and avoid the aftermath of the fire in Villa Garden.

"Where are we going?"

"To Liverpool. If nothing else happens, we'll be staying there forever."

"it is good."

The next day, Pei Xiang and Edward Hoffman got on the train to Liverpool.

"Brother, after arriving in Liverpool, I want to go out to work and make money."

"... work? If you go to work as a female worker in a factory, the environment there is too bad, and I will not allow you to exchange your health for money. Other jobs... tutors? No, both of us can only read and write, not at all. Know those profound talents and knowledge. Maid? Not to mention this, I don’t agree. Lucy, I can support you, you don’t have to worry about these things.”

"Brother, I want to open a shop."

Just as Edward was about to refuse, he suddenly remembered that his sister had learned a lot of strange things from that mysterious Mr. G, so he couldn't help but ponder.

After a while, Edward asked:

"Open a store, let's not talk about what kind of store you want to open, do you have the capital?"

"Yes, look!"

"God, where did you get such a large sum of pounds?"

"Well, you can think that G gave it to me. He entrusted me to use the money to open a store. He is responsible for the supply of goods, and I am responsible for the operation. The profit is [-]%."

"... Lucy, look into my eyes and answer my question solemnly."

"what?"

"What's the relationship between you and that Mr. G? Have you made a private decision for life? Is he going to marry you?"

"No, bro, you're thinking too much. G loves freedom like an unruly wind, he won't marry me."

"Then he's a bastard! Lucy, keep the money. If that man doesn't plan to marry you, don't use his money. Although the Hoffman family is poor, they will never let their daughter accept a Gifts of large sums of money from men."