At 20:32, the "Yucong" sailed! There were thousands of Chinese at the port, and they were all cheering. I knew they were all here to see off Xiaoqiang and me! Xiaoqiang was very moved, and so was I!
At 21:12, we sailed out of the Strait of Johor and reached the sea. The new course was 320 and the speed was 25 knots! Entering the Strait of Malacca! It was the Kuimulang that escorted us. It followed us 600 meters behind us, looking loyal, like
Like a guard! We ran to the stern of the ship and held the signal light, and I personally signaled to them: Thank you for your hard work! They responded and said: It's an honor! The Kuimulang will accompany us through the Strait of Malacca and will not separate until the Indian Ocean.
.I really can’t bear to leave them. Such a good captain and such a good sailor!
March 20:
Today I spent the entire day crossing the Strait of Malacca. The strait became wider and wider, and the land on both sides became farther and farther away, and later it was almost invisible. I know that usually everyone would be wary of this part of the voyage. But not this time!
We were followed by the Kuimu Lang. Xiaoqiang lay on the railing and watched the sea for another day. The sun here is so strong that it would hurt his eyes. However, he didn’t listen to me. I had no choice but to accompany him.
.
At 19:50, we finally left Nanyang! New heading: 268! New speed: 32 knots!
We took a beautiful large cruise ship and entered the Indian Ocean. The captain invited us to dinner tonight. He said that the "Yucong" was rushing to win the "Red Ribbon Award"! But the tropical sun was very strange. After we finished our meal
It was almost eight o'clock and we still didn't go down from the mountain. Because of the sunset, the sea to the west was very beautiful. There were a few dolphins on the bow of the boat jumping non-stop, and there were a large group of seagulls above our heads, screaming "quacking" until we were far into the ocean.
Yes, they are still following.
In the evening we watched a movie in the ship's cinema, "Grand Hotel". Greta Garbo is so beautiful. Among foreign actresses, I like Garbo the best. But Xiaoqiang said the movie was boring and really annoying. He wouldn't appreciate it at all.
He also asked me if the movies at this time were all so boring. I didn’t know what he meant. But, haha, after a while, I forgave him. Xiaoqiang, what would I do without you!
March 21:
9:00. I was so excited last night that I got up very late this morning. When we got to the deck, we found that the Kuimulang had disappeared. The captain said that it left at six in the morning. We have gone very far into the Indian Ocean.
There is no longer any danger of being hijacked by pirates. It’s a pity that I didn’t have time to say goodbye to it. But Xiaoqiang said that there might still be pirates in the Gulf of Aden. I don’t know if he was trying to scare me, but he said he had noses and eyes anyway.
By the way, Xiaoqiang stopped looking at the sea today. He got into the casino. Oh my God, what should I do?
March 22:
I missed my dad today. I sent a telegram back. I don’t have a radio station at home, so he had to go to the telegraph office to get it. I don’t know when he will be back. I sent a telegram to Xiuxiu on behalf of Xiaoqiang. It seems that he has forgotten about me.
It's clean.
Another note: Today we passed the southern tip of India and saw the island of Sri Lanka in the distance. The deck was crowded with people and everyone came out to take a look. At 12:25, we sailed past the southern tip of Sri Lanka. New heading: 280! We have crossed half of the Indian Ocean.
March 23:
Today, my father's telegram came back. He said that Xiaoqiang is a good husband and asked me to just stay with him outside and not be so overwhelmed with blessings that I miss my family all day long. He also asked me to think about Shangxiu. In fact,
I understand too, but, alas...
Another: Poor Xiuxiu, how should I compensate you?
March 24:
Today is very boring.
March 25:
Today is very boring.
March 26:
Getting more boring every day.
March 27:
The Indian Ocean turned out to be so big. In the past few days, there was nothing but the sea. I didn’t see even a ship or an island. No one fell in love with the deck anymore.
March 28:
Thank God, the Indian Ocean is finally over. 17:30, new course: 245! We entered the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden is wider than the Strait of Malacca, and there is no land on either side. But I know that there is the Arabian Desert to the north and the British Empire to the south.
somalia.
Another note: There are no pirates at all. But Xiaoqiang’s mouth is very harsh. I have to say that there will be pirates in the future. It’s really bad.
March 29:
We entered the Red Sea. On the right was the Arabian Peninsula, and on the left was Egypt. There were large deserts on both sides, which were dry and hot. It was so dry and uncomfortable that it didn’t feel like we were at sea at all.
10:55, heavy cruisers were discovered! Two in total!
11:10, confirmed the other party’s nationality, it is British!
11:20, the distance between the two sides is 5,000 meters! I can almost confirm that it is a Queen Elizabeth class battleship! The two heavy cruisers should be both Norfolk class. There are only two Norfolk class ships, the Norfolk
and HMS Dorsetshire. Both of these ships are very new warships, built only a few years ago.
Everyone on the ship ran out to watch, but no one cheered. The big gun barrel of the Queen Elizabeth class was too scary. When they passed us, no one whistled and saluted, as if they were all embarrassed. We were heading towards
West, they are heading to the East.
Xiaoqiang's expression was very serious.
Only then did we remember that we had received a telegram from China a few days ago, saying that Britain had sent a battleship and two cruisers to the East, saying it was sent to India. But we all knew that this was to guard against the Ming Dynasty. Xiaoqiang said, this
This incident will be a watershed in the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Britain. I think so. But after all, Britain has not directly sent its fleet to Singapore. Although Singapore has a military port, it has never had a capital ship, which is an empty frame. If Britain directly sends its fleet to Singapore,
Then the Malacca area has become the most tense area in the world.
Fortunately, Britain only sent it to India. Alas, I hope the two countries will not go to war in the future!
In the evening, an auction was held on the ship, mainly jewelry, and a few sets of hand-cut fashions by French and Italian masters, but they were all second-hand. The jewelry was all commercial goods, and the most expensive one was less than 10,000 mingyang. But these things
In the eyes of those women, they are great treasures. There are three women, all young ladies of some company. We have played cards together these days and I have won a lot of money. I took out my "Autumn Water Rose" and showed it to them.
, their eyes are all green. Haha, so happy!
Well, I picked a pair of diamond earrings that were quite pleasing to my eye, and took them for 4100 Mingyang.
March 30:
We entered the Suez Canal. Because this canal is so famous, everyone came out to see it. I remember that I could see the pyramids on the Suez Canal, but I broke my neck and couldn't see it. Later, I heard someone tell me that I thought
I remembered wrongly. It can only be seen from the Nile River, not the Suez Canal. Oh, what a shame!
When I looked at the Suez Canal on a map before, I thought it was quite short. But now I realize that it is so long! It’s more than a hundred kilometers long! It also passes through a lake in the middle. We drove very slowly, and it took several hours to complete it.
At 11:20, we finally entered the Mediterranean! New heading: 275! New speed: 33 knots! The captain said we had to drive faster, otherwise we would not get the red ribbon award.
Entering the Mediterranean Sea, everyone's mood was high. I don't know why, maybe it was because we finally escaped from the desolate Indian Ocean and finally entered the civilized ocean! There were many people on the deck all day long, and we could often see other people in the sea.
The boat. Everyone was happy. The lonely voyage was finally over.
In the evening, we passed by the south of Crete. Further north is the Aegean Sea. For dinner, we cooked a lot of Greek food on the boat. Xiaoqiang was very puzzled. We only passed through Greece and never docked. Such Greek food was
Where did it come from? Haha, this is just Greek flavor, and they didn’t say it was purchased from Greece.
After dinner, everyone went to the deck to enjoy the breeze. Although the Mediterranean Sea is still a little dry and hot, it is much more comfortable than the Red Sea. There are dots of lights in the distance in the north, from coastal cities and other passenger ships. From time to time, small yachts come in and out.
Driving through. The Mediterranean Sea is really lively.
March 31:
In the morning, we passed Sicily, which is Italy to the north. At noon, we passed the Tunis Strait. There, we finally saw a corner of the African continent. In the afternoon, we passed Sardinia. At 2:30, new heading: 240!
Another note: As expected, we had pizza again in the evening and a lot of Italian food, even though we had never stopped in Italy. Xiaoqiang made a bet that we should eat Spanish food tomorrow.
April 1:
This afternoon, we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is indeed one of the narrowest straits in the world. The narrowest point is only 10,000 meters wide. We can clearly see the mountains on both sides. A few thousand meters to the north is Cape Europa.
, and the Bay of Algeciras. There is a British military port there. Xiaoqiang didn't know what happened, but suddenly asked me mysteriously, if we went to war with Britain, would I be able to sneak across the Strait of Gibraltar in a submarine?
I was frightened. A war with Britain? It was too scary. Could it be that another secret message was sent from China? But Xiaoqiang kept saying that he was just asking for fun.
Oh my God, how do you put it? I drive a submarine in the Yangtze River, and the Strait of Gibraltar is much wider than the Yangtze River. However, the British Navy is much stronger than the Qinglu Navy! Haha, fortunately I have a little strength, even if I fight, I can wear it.
The straits have nothing to do with me anymore.
1:50, new heading: 310! We entered the Atlantic Ocean.
According to common sense, the most punishing part of the voyage has arrived.
The damp and cold wind blew in the Atlantic Ocean. The sea conditions also began to become bumpy. The temperature dropped rapidly, and everyone on the boat was looking for clothes to wear. Everyone suddenly remembered that it was only the beginning of April! Haha, the earth is really strange.
It was scorching summer all the way, but after crossing a strait, it suddenly returned to early spring.
3:30, new heading: 000!
We followed the coast of Portugal and drove due north. Throughout the afternoon and evening, the sea conditions were very bumpy and the temperature was getting lower and lower. Many people were seasick and no one was on the deck. The air was very humid and heavy.
The salty smell.
Another note: We ate neither Spanish nor Portuguese food all day. Xiaoqiang lost the bet.
April 2:
Last night, we passed through the entire Bay of Biscay. At 6:00 this morning, we passed Cape Finisterre, which is the farthest piece of land in France extending into the Atlantic Ocean. New heading: 085!
We entered the English Channel.
Although the sea conditions are getting worse, everyone's mood is high because today we can end the long voyage!
Many people came to us at breakfast today and asked for autographs as souvenirs. Xiaoqiang couldn't sign, so they asked me to sign. I was very nervous. While signing autographs for those ladies and ladies, I thought, what qualifications do I have to sign autographs for them?
I'm just luckier than them. I didn't meet Xiaoqiang when I joined... But who said I would? Just thinking about it makes me happy to death.
At 10:20, the Yu Cong finally sailed into Southampton Harbor! Our captain was so happy that a small balloon was raised from our main mast, and a 31-foot-long red ribbon was hung below!
The average speed of our voyage was 31 knots! This was not easy. We traveled halfway around the world in only 13 days!
Many people in the port were watching us enter the port. In front of us was the pilot boat. On both sides were fire boats. They sprayed high water curtains to congratulate us. Everyone on the ship was cheering. Although we are not disembarking here.
, but also really happy.
Nearly half of the guests on the ship disembarked in England. The Jade Cong docked in the harbor for a whole day. During this day, many people came on board one after another. Those British ladies were all very tall and well-educated.
It's a pity that we don't have British passports and can't get off the ship. But the harbor is very calm and much more comfortable than in the English Channel.
At 21:00 in the evening, the Yu Cong set sail again and sailed out of Southampton Port. Heading: 090, and once again entered the English Channel with white waves.
The boat was very bumpy, everyone was seasick, and even I felt uncomfortable. We all went to bed very early. For the next ten hours or so, we would be bumping in the English Channel. Fortunately, we were in our sleep. It would have been a disaster during the day.
.It must be a thoughtful arrangement of the ship to stop until night.
April 3:
At 7:30, we finally entered Helgeland Bay. The pilot boat came to pick us up. A few kilometers to our right is Wilhelmshaven. This is the most important military port in Germany. We can see several small speedboats lined up.
Dragging white waves across the sea. Through the telescope, you can see that the German sailors are in high spirits and seem to be full of confidence. I wonder if they are training or patrolling?
At 7:45, we finally arrived at the destination of this voyage - Bremerhaven! So happy! Although I am a navy, I have never been out to sea so far! I really admire those of the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet.
Officers and soldiers. They often go to sea for a month or two, and they are warships, so it is much harder than us! Salute to them!
…
"Qiu Qiu, pack your things and don't miss anything. We'll get off the boat right away!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang, wearing a windbreaker and top hat, stood at the door urging Qiu Qiu. Behind him, four guards were already carrying six suitcases, and three old consultants were also packing.
Qiu Qiu happily came out with a small suitcase and a small Kun bag under her arms. She jumped into Xiang Xiaoqiang's arms, hugged him, kissed him twice, and laughed softly:
"That's great! I'm so happy!...I love you..."
"Hmm," Xiang Xiaoqiang glanced at the serious guard standing aside and stammered, "I...me too..."
Then he looked at Qiu Qiu. Xiao Nizi stood tall and graceful in front of him, dressed in noble woolen clothes, a cashmere shawl, and a wide-brimmed bonnet. She was as charming as those noble British ladies on the ship.
"Well, good," Xiang Xiaoqiang praised, "those Germans are going to be fascinated by you... Have you brought everything? Your Autumn Rose? Your precious diary?"
"Bring it with you," Qiu Qiu smiled like a flower and nodded, "Bring it all with me!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around, leaned over and whispered:
"Qiu Qiu, from now on, you have to be careful when you speak... We have now entered Nazi Germany. This is a police state, full of spies, secret agents, and secret police... Maybe when they were in the UK, they had already
The ship has arrived. We are their key target..."
After more than ten days floating on the sea, Xiang Xiaoqiang felt as soon as he stepped on land that he could hardly walk anymore. The stability under his feet made him extremely uncomfortable. Look at those guards and three old consultants.
Even Qiu Qiu, everyone's steps were a little weird. Several people looked at each other and laughed.
As soon as they set foot on land, several reporters immediately appeared in front of them. They stood around and took several "bang bang" photos of Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiang with their cameras. The crowd around them looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang in surprise.
and Qiu Qiu. Most of them are Europeans and they don’t know Xiang Xiaoqiang yet.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu smiled at the camera, and Qiu Qiu even imitated Zhu Yourong and waved. After more than ten days of living on the ship, they almost forgot that there is a kind of creature called "journalist" in the world.
After taking photos, the reporters immediately gathered around for interviews. These Europeans spoke broken Chinese:
"I am the correspondent of The Times in Germany. General Xiang, are you coming to Germany on a diplomatic mission from your government?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang has been prepared for this question for a long time. During this trip to Europe, this question will definitely be asked repeatedly by others.
"I have only one mission," Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled and looked at Qiu Qiu beside him, "that is to be happy with my wife and spend this time happily."
Qiu Qiu also looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang sweetly. This happy scene was immediately captured by several reporters.
The British reporter was unwilling to give in. He added another sentence:
"The three gentlemen behind you, as far as I know, one is a former diplomat stationed in Germany, one is a former diplomat stationed in Russia, and the other is a former senior official of the General Administration of Military Industry. Why did they come with you for your honeymoon?
'Woolen cloth?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang walked and said with a smile:
"Haha, the three old gentlemen were very good friends before they retired. They had long planned to travel together after retirement. The reason why they chose to come to Germany is because Mr. Song Ruhai has been working in Germany for a long time and is familiar with it, so he can be a good guide.
.It just so happened that our destination was also Germany, so naturally we met by chance on a ship. Haha, in China, we call this 'fate'. In these days, we have experienced things in East India together and have become very good friends.
.We decided to travel together. The three old gentlemen are very good people."
Without giving the British reporter a chance to ask another question, another reporter came over and said:
"I am a reporter from the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. General Xiang, what is your first impression of the new Germany?"
Well, there's a trick to this question. I've never even seen "old Germany", let alone "new Germany"? Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that "new Germany" here not only refers to Germany, but also refers to the Nazi regime. He had to say perfunctorily:
"It's very clean, very neat, very...beautiful."
"Excuse me, do you feel a sense of prosperity?"
"..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This kind of questioning mode was really comparable to that of a CCTV reporter. He smiled politely and said:
"Well, in my opinion, Germany is indeed a country full of vitality."
Well, I said "Germany", so there is no difference between old and new.
"I am a reporter from the Berliner Zeitung," another reporter squeezed over and asked, "General Xiang, as we all know, the UK is the first choice for your country's upper class to travel to Europe, but why did you abandon the UK and choose our country this time?
What about socialist Germany?”
Damn it, when did I "abandon" Britain? Xiang Xiaoqiang was a little unhappy. The German reporter was too misleading. He thought for a while and said:
"Well...it's actually very simple. The weather in the UK is always very bad at this time. So, this time we chose continental Europe."
Immediately afterwards, another reporter came over:
"I am a reporter from the Frankfurter Zeitung. General Xiang, after your country signed a treaty with the Netherlands and received just compensation for the cession of Sumatra Island, the United Kingdom immediately dispatched a fleet to Asia. What do you think of this matter?
Do you see this as a threat?"
This is an obvious provocation. To be honest, Xiang Xiaoqiang's original intention of coming here was to get closer to Germany and alienate Britain. But now the German propaganda machine is so urgent, which makes him very unhappy.
Xiang Xiaoqiang said somewhat coldly:
"The Ming Empire and the British Empire have long-term friendship and deep trust. Moreover, India is the legal territory of the United Kingdom. Any sovereign country can send any warship to any of its territories, and His Majesty's Government is certainly no exception. For example
Said, Sumatra is now our legal territory of the Ming Dynasty, and if we send a fleet to Sumatra, I don’t think His Majesty’s government will consider this a threat.”
The reporter from the "Frankfurter Zeitung" was disappointed. The reporter from the "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" quickly took over and asked a harmless question:
"General Xiang, how long are you and your wife planning to stay in Germany this time, and what places are you likely to visit?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang breathed a sigh of relief and resumed his smile:
"That's right, our visa is for 20 days. The actual length of stay depends on... uh, ahem, it depends on the specific situation. If... we are satisfied with this, we may apply for an extension. If not, I'm sorry, we may just
We will leave early. We may go to Aachen to soak in the hot springs, go to Berchtesgaden for skiing, Berlin, we will definitely go, and we may also go to Munich.”
The German reporter then said:
"What happens next? Will you go to other countries in the future?"
He meant whether he would go to Russia. Xiang Xiaoqiang secretly smiled and said haha:
"Well... as I said, it depends on whether Germany is fun or not. If it's fun, we will only play with Germany... Oh no, no, we will only play in Germany... If it's not fun, definitely
I still have to go to other countries to play."
The British reporter had been left in the dark for a long time, unable to get a word in. Now he seized the opportunity and asked immediately:
"General Xiang, if Germany is not fun, is it possible for you to go to Russia?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang admired his cleverness, but still smiled and pointed at Qiu Qiu beside him:
"Ask my wife. This is the leader of our family. She came out for our honeymoon. She made the final decision before me."
Qiu Qiu hurriedly waved his hands and laughed continuously:
"Oh, don't ask me, I don't know anything..."
…
A few hundred meters of the port road was entangled by this group of reporters, and it took half an hour to get out. Then Xiang Xiaoqiang answered the reporter's last question, declined to continue the interview, found a few taxis, and hurried to the train.
stand.
When they arrived at the train station, the group got off the car. The guard in the last car came over quietly and whispered:
"Sir, there is always a car following you all the way."
He nodded to Xiaoqiang and said nothing. This was what he expected. On the train, there might be people wearing windbreakers who "went to the wrong box"!
Bremerhaven is just a port area, and it is two places apart from the city of Bremen. But even in the port area, the neatness and grandeur of the train station waiting hall here far exceeded Xiang Xiaoqiang's imagination.
The ground is spotless, and most of the passengers walking around in the waiting hall are well-dressed people. At one end of the hall, there are some restaurants and shops, which are the same as train stations in various countries. The only thing with "German characteristics" is that every shop,
There will be a sign at the door of the restaurant. Xiang Xiaoqiang has roughly guessed the content on the sign. He asked Song Ruhai. Song Ruhai glanced at the sign, shook his head and sighed:
"The translation is: Jews will not be welcomed. Alas, when I retired in 1932, Germany was not like this. In three or four years, this country became stronger, but it also became crazy."