I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

A few days later, Pei Xiang and Mrs. West had afternoon tea together. Mrs. West's mood was not very clear, with gloomy eyebrows and sighs.

As a careful friend, Pei Xiang naturally wanted to show some care.

Facing her friend's earnest inquiries, Mrs. West hesitated for a while before slowly revealing her troubles.

"You know, Lucy, our family has been doing business with North America, shipping the things in our British factory to the United States, and then shipping the cotton, tobacco and grain back there for processing, earning the difference .

Thanks to my lord's blessing, the business of West's family has been going smoothly, but probably it was too smooth, which caused some people's jealousy.

During this period of time, some people have begun to cause troubles and make things difficult for our family's business. For this reason, Mr. West has been unable to sleep or eat for several days. "

Pei Xiang paused indistinctly while eating snacks, and she knew that the previous arrangements had begun to work.

"How come there are such despicable villains everywhere, how can you be jealous because other people's business is prosperous?

God bless, Mrs. West, I believe that those villains will surely suffer their karma, and good people will be rewarded, my dear, everything will be better. "

Mrs. West shook her head and sighed, deliberately describing the difficulties in business in a serious way:

"I'm worried that the West's family won't be able to survive, and we won't wait until those villains' plots are exposed.

Lucy, to tell you the truth, our family has been unlucky recently, and there are several shipments that need to be shipped out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to the obstruction and greed of those people, the permit documents have not been obtained.

You know, without permission, the cargo ship cannot leave the port smoothly, alas, every day, every hour, the West family is losing money. "

A very sympathetic expression immediately appeared on Pei Xiang's face. She gently patted Mrs. West's hand, and sincerely comforted her that all difficulties would be solved easily, and she had to believe in Mr. West's ability and connections.

However, such vague words of comfort did not reduce Mrs. West's distress. She needed concrete solutions to the problem.

Pei Xiang pretended not to notice that the other party was hesitating to speak, she quietly added milk and sugar to the black tea, with a quiet and elegant appearance.

Mrs. West glanced at Pei Xiang with some hesitation, and her eyes flickered slightly. She invited her to have afternoon tea today because she actually had something to discuss.

It's a long story, the reason why the West family's business encountered difficulties was actually affected by partisan disputes.

Mr. West's backer is an aristocrat of the House of Lords. He has not been getting along well with Mr. Marlborough recently, and there have been disputes among the family forces, which is not decent.

Therefore, in order to please Mr. Marlborough, someone blocked the business license of West's family.

The gods above fight, and the little devils below frequently move. The West family is an upstart, and their background is not deep enough, so they are the most affected.

Right now, the permission documents are not approved, and the next step may be to find ways to make the West family pay high taxes. In this way, the wealth of the West family will definitely be reduced by more than half.

If you want to solve the predicament encountered by the West family as soon as possible, you need to please Mr. Marlborough, but in that case, the backers behind the West family will definitely be unhappy, and they might think that West The family betrayed the faction, and the West family could not afford the consequences.

In fact, the Wests had discussed the issue in depth when the trouble first came.

"Honey, let's talk to Mr. Marlborough. If it doesn't work, we can give him some benefits."

"No, you can't get close to Mr. Marlborough, that will not be worth the loss. We can't lose our real backer."

Mr. West paced the bedroom with his hands behind his back, pacing up and down distractedly, explaining rapidly:

"Besides, I found out that Edward Bruce kept a hand. He didn't report his embarrassment to the West family. He wanted to ask for credit after we completely ruined our family."

Mrs. West has followed her husband through ups and downs for so many years, and she is also shrewd and capable, so she immediately understood Mr. West's concerns.

"Then what to do, the final payment for the goods has already been paid, and if we can't ship them out, even if it is overdue, we will pay three times the compensation, and our busy year will be in vain."

After discussing and discussing with the West couple, they found that the only way to turn things around was to quietly appease Bruce, who was directly stumbling him, and let him raise his hands and let West's house stand high.

However, since the man wanted to please Mr. Marlborough by embarrassing the West family, how could he let go easily? It's time to startle more powerful figures.

If that's the case, things will never turn around.

When the West family was at a loss, Mrs. West heard a rumor while communicating with the neighbor's family.

Rumor had it that her new friend Lucy had lied, that she was not really a young widow, but the mistress of a nobleman.

The nobleman is now taking her family to the country for vacation, so she lives here alone. Didn't you see that on the day she just moved here, there were well-trained housekeepers and servants around her to help her with the sundries.

Mrs. West was not too surprised when she first heard the rumor, because before that, Pei Xiang had already faintly revealed the meaning of this aspect.

Generally speaking, she believed the man's sweet words and went the wrong way. Now she regrets it but it's too late, so she moved out of the original residence and wanted to make a clean break with the past.

However, this rumor finally caught Mrs. West's attention, because she heard several familiar surnames.

"That Mrs. Lucy actually has a good relationship with Mr. Marlborough's mistress. They are the same kind of people."

"Really? This is a matter of reputation. Don't spread rumors. Mrs. Lucy is a good person and shouldn't be slandered."

"Hey, I didn't spread rumors. You know the little maid I hired, right? She told me about it secretly.

When she went out with the previous owner, she met that Jennifer Gray. It is said that Mrs. Lucy was standing beside Miss Gray at that time, and the two talked and laughed, and they had a good relationship. "

"Oh, do you believe what the maids say?

Besides, although Miss Gray is the mistress of Councilor Marlborough, she can speak in front of the Councilor. Therefore, there are quite a few wives who have made good friends with her. How can they become mistresses just by talking and laughing together? ?

Your guess is stupid. "

"I'm just talking, why do you..."

"Actually, I have also heard some gossip, but it is somewhat different from what you just said."

"Huh? What have you heard? In fact, I also heard it from hearsay. I don't know whether these rumors are true or not."

"The version I heard is that Mrs. Lucy had a close relationship with a Mr. Bruce."

"Which Mr. Bruce?"

"It's the immediate boss of my family. He looks like a very decent gentleman. I didn't expect there to be a confidante outside, tsk tsk."

"Oh, oh, I see, your husband works in the customs department, ah, it turned out to be that Mr. Bruce, I heard that he is quite powerful, many cargo ship owners in the port have to flatter him, he is in charge of licensing Approval, right?"

"Then I don't know. I'm not interested in their men."

"You have no temper. If you are so confused again, Mr. Rhett will not take you seriously."

"Why are you teaching me so well? Hey, you can ask Mrs. West, isn't their family in the ocean shipping business? Maybe they have to deal with some kind of permission application."

The center of the topic suddenly turned to Mrs. West, and Mrs. West also recovered from the daze. She suppressed the doubts in her heart, nodded without any change, and joined the chat with a smile.

"There is indeed a Mr. Edward Bruce at the customs. If my cargo ship wants to leave the port of Great Britain smoothly, it does need the permission of that gentleman, but I don't know about other things."

Because no one has seized tangible evidence, so.There was no result in discussing whether Pei Xiang was Mr. Bruce's mistress.

Everyone broke up after talking, and no one took it too seriously. Anyway, no matter what the facts are, young and beautiful single women will always attract criticism.

Mrs. West, however, had her heart set on it.

On the way home she pondered over the gossip she had heard, and after dinner in the evening she told the matter to Mr. West, and told him to inquire.

Mr. West quickly inquired about something. It is not clear whether Edward Bruce has a mistress, but Mr. Bruce is very keen to attend the party held by Jennifer Gray to please Mr. Marlborough.

"That is to say, Mr. Bruce has some friendship with Jennifer Gray? So, no matter which one of those people Lucy knows, it can be helpful."

"Can it really help? What if it's a misunderstanding? I don't want the neighbors in the neighborhood to see the West's joke."

The West couple hesitated. They couldn't decide whether to ask Pei Xiang for help. If they misunderstood the relationship between her and Mr. Bruce, the neighbors would be quite embarrassed.

Moreover, they are also unwilling to let outsiders know the real business difficulties of the West family, which will make the West couple feel ashamed.

However, the issue of approval documents has not been resolved for a long time. Seeing that the goods are about to be backlogged this time, the West and his wife had no choice but to test Pei Xiang.

So, there is an appointment for afternoon tea today.

"Lucy, I would venture to ask you, do you know Mr. Edward Bruce?"

Mrs. West thought of the gentle and generous character of the other party, and decided not to beat around the bush, but directly asked the questions in her heart.

With a sound of "ding dong", Pei Xiang lost her composure because of the name Edward Bruce. She subconsciously let go of the spoon in her hand and made a very impolite clinking sound of porcelain.

Pei Xiang quickly raised his eyelids, his long and thick eyelashes flickered a few times timidly like trembling butterfly wings.

"Mr. Edward Bruce?" She bent her lips pretending to be calm: "Yes, I know him."

Seeing Pei Xiang's reaction, Mrs. West was overjoyed, and immediately realized that those rumors were very likely to be true, and that this woman was indeed having an affair with Bruce.

When she thought of the vague past that Pei Xiang had revealed before, she felt even more determined.

"Lucy, although we have known each other for a short time, you are my favorite friend. I have always believed that you deserve a better life. Even if you have made a detour, you should be pitied and forgiven."

These words made Pei Xiang's suddenly pale complexion a little better, she lowered her head and let out a soft "um" before making any further noises.

Mrs. West didn't care too much about Pei Xiang's confusion, she continued:

"I just told you all about our troubles. Lucy, I thought, well, you guessed it all by now too.

Yes, that permission document needs to be personally approved by Mr. Edward Bruce. Unfortunately, there is some misunderstanding between the West family and Mr. Bruce. "

Pei Xiang finally raised his head and glanced at Mrs. West in confusion:

"Ma'am, what does that have to do with my acquaintance with Mr. Bruce?

Since there is a misunderstanding between the two of you, it is enough to explain it clearly. Edward, he... No, Mr. Bruce is an amiable and respectable gentleman, and he is very sensible. "

Mrs. West rolled her eyes inwardly, but the smile on her face was very kind.

"Didn't I just say that there were despicable villains who provoked it, which deepened the misunderstanding between us.

Lucy, my friend, when I asked you out today, I also wanted to ask you for a favor, that is, to help us persuade Mr. Bruce to approve the permission application of the West family. "

Pei Xiang suddenly showed a embarrassed and embarrassed expression.

The living room became quiet, and time passed bit by bit. After a while, Pei Xiang sighed, and she looked up at Mrs. West:

"Ma'am, I know, you probably found out about my relationship with Mr. Bruce, so you think I can persuade him.

But you are wrong, I have separated from him, his wife... I am now... very soft-spoken, sorry, I may not be able to help you and Mr. West. "

Mrs. West did not give up immediately, she stared at Pei Xiang closely, and continued to ask:

"Lucy, I can only count on you now, please help me, as long as you can help the West family get the permission documents, we will definitely not let you do favors in vain, the West family must have a serious relationship." Thanks."

"Thank you so much?"

"Yes, as long as the West family can do it."

These words made Pei Xiang's eyes light up, and he seemed to be shaken.

She twisted her fingers tightly, bit her lower lip and hesitated for a while, finally, she made up her mind.

"Mrs. West, since you know the relationship between me and Mr. Bruce, you should also guess that I left home secretly. Once, I broke the marriage contract arranged by my parents for the sake of love."

Mrs. West raised her eyebrows, thinking to herself that she really didn't know, but if the silly girl wanted to talk, she just listened.

"In the beginning, Edward and I were very sweet, until I found out that Edward already had a wife! And...his wife is very domineering and cannot tolerate the intimacy between me and Edward."

Mrs. West raised her eyebrows calmly. She had heard of Edward Bruce's wife. She was indeed a formidable lady.

This is also one of the reasons why Edward Bruce is so keen on clinging to Mr. Marlborough. Only when he gains more power and a higher status can he get rid of the "oppression" of his wife and his in-laws.

Facing Mrs. West, the blonde girl took a deep breath and showed a wry smile:

"Afterwards, we broke up, but my life was completely changed and I am now homeless.

Mrs. West, I don't want to go on like this anymore, living like an invisible person, always worried that I will be found at home, and I will be captured and sent to the monastery.

Or, suddenly my disgraceful past is exposed and everyone laughs at me, Mrs. West, I will leave England if I can! "

This time, it was Mrs. West's turn to be surprised. She looked at Pei Xiang suspiciously, as if she wanted to see through this girl.

"You're leaving England?"

"Yes, Mrs. West." Pei Xiang nodded carefully, his gaze firm.

Mrs. West pondered for a moment, looked at Pei Xiang with a little more seriousness and solemnity, and suddenly realized that this friendly friend who was always easy to talk to was not so simple and without a city.

——Listen, this request of hers is just above the bottom line that I can accept. The West family really does not lack connections in this regard.

——After the business grows bigger, the crew members we hire are not all with clean backgrounds. Occasionally, in order to retain special navigating talents and sailors who are familiar with the route, the West family really needs to apply for brand new sailors for some people. identity.

——Thinking about it, Lucy was able to live alone in London and live a relatively moist life, which in itself represented that she was not a simple and harmless woman.

This sudden new cognition not only did not make Mrs. West feel conflicted and guarded, but excited her instead.

Because she knew that the more powerful Pei Xiang was, the more likely she would get things done.

In the final analysis, she also wants something from the West family, and this will be a win-win deal.

Pei Xiang ignored Mrs. West's rapidly changing expression, still maintaining a gentle and peaceful look, and said slowly:

"I know that the West family has contacts in this area, who can help me get a new identity and entry and exit permits from the customs, and most importantly, it will not alarm any unrelated people, anyone!

Mrs. West, let's make a deal. I'll go to Mr. Bruce and persuade him to reach a settlement with the West family.

Then, you can apply for a new legal status for me, and then send me to the United States, is that okay?I want to start a new life. "

Mrs. West calmed down a little. She quickly calculated the gains and losses in her mind, and she still kept bargaining:

"Lucy, you know, a set of identity background certificates and entry and exit permits needs to use a lot of contacts..."

Pei Xiang raised his hand slightly, interrupting Mrs. West's bargaining:

"Ma'am, if I reconnect with Mr Bruce, I'll piss his wife off so badly that I won't be able to stay in London any longer.

You see, in order to help the West family get out of the predicament, I will pay a big price. Dear Mrs. West, you and I are sincere friends, shouldn't we take care of each other? "

After the words were finished, Pei Xiang didn't say any more, she just quietly stared at the always shrewd Mrs. West, her eyes were warm and transparent.

In the silence, Mrs. West's momentum gradually weakened. Finally, she gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I promise you."