樂倫

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我三爺爺的第一次出國做生意

作者：樂倫於 2019-4-25 13:08 發表於最熱鬧的華人社交網路--貝殼村

作者分類:走過母親所走的路|通用分類:原創文學|已有2評論

我三爺爺的第一次出國做生意

那一年，可能是1924年，我三爺爺19歲，他在英文館學成出道了，學得一口流利的英語和一些國際貿易知識。他第一次被派出國做生意，他們一共有六、七個人，跟著一個領隊的頭頭，帶著貨物從煙台出發。這一趟旅程的目的地，是到東非，他們先要坐船到東印度。我三爺爺是他們中間年紀最小的一位，可以說是一個小學徒，也是全隊的翻譯。他充滿了好奇心與學習精神，準備好好地幹它一番。

我三爺爺告訴我說，他們當時住在樹上的房子裡。後來我查考了一番，發現我三爺爺他們去的地方，最有可能的就是肯尼亞。直到今天，肯尼亞還有許多樹頂旅館。

那時候的東非，一切都非常落後，而且還流行著各種疾病，其中有一種病叫做瘧疾，又叫打擺子。。我三爺爺才去了沒有多久，就染上了這種病。他在間歇性的發熱與發冷與頭疼暈眩之際，聽到領頭的和其他人的談話，話裡的意思是說曾經也有人得了這個病，其他人就先走了，那人就被留在後頭等死。我三爺爺又懼又疑，真怕這種情況會落到他身上。

有一晚，他迷迷糊糊的爬下樹屋，循著火車道走去，好像覺得火車道的那頭有一個城市，可以得到救助。不知走了多遠，他就不醒人事了。

等他恢復了意識，他發現自己竟然躺在一艘輪船的甲板上，完全不記得曾經發生過的事。不知是什麼人幫他買了船票，把他送上了船，還給他一套褥子，好讓他睡在甲板上。原來許多買廉價船票的人，都睡在甲板上。（我猜想我三爺爺還是被他的同伴所救，把他交給當地的領事館或是同鄉會，大家出錢幫他買的船票。本來也不知他的死活，，死了，或者就把屍體投入大海。沒想到我三爺爺的生命力還是很強，居然熬過了可能致死的瘧疾，而復甦過來。）

船行在大海上，時而大風大雨，下雨的時候，睡甲板的人就把睡褥收起來避雨。但是我三爺爺卻迷迷糊糊，也不知道下雨時收睡褥，以至後來他一直睡在被雨打濕的褥子上，有一天他發現自己癱瘓了，兩腿都麻木了。

他半躺半靠在船上的甲板上，淚水不斷的流下他的臉頰，真是萬念俱灰。還好船上有幾位他的同鄉，吃飯時都幫他打飯來，也會扶著他上廁所或走動走動。

也不知船行了多久，最後在東印度靠岸了。對我三爺爺來說，這是如何漫長的旅程啊！雖然他是應該繼續坐船回到家鄉的，但是我三爺爺卻決定就在東印度下船。

他找到同鄉會館，對在那兒的同鄉們說：「你們看，我現在落難到如此，本來想衣錦還鄉的，現在怎麼好就這個樣子回去？假如有人能收留我，並且治好我的癱瘓，我就為他打工賣命。」

當地有一位姓王的同鄉，不但做生意略有成就，而且還懂得一些跌打損傷的治療。他看我那時年輕的三爺爺可憐，就把他接回家中，每天用熱水和中藥給他按摩。沒想到居然把我三爺爺的風癱給治好了。後來我三爺爺幫他做生意，還發了一筆財。

My Third Grandunckle』s first time to go abroad for business

That year, it may be 1924, my Third granduncle was 19 years old, he studied in the English school, learned fluent English and some international trade knowledge. He was sent abroad for the first time to do business. They had a total of six or seven people, followed a team leader and took the goods from Yantai. The destination of this trip was East Africa, where they first sailed to East India. My Third Granduncle was the youngest of them. He was not just an apprentice but also a translator for the team. He was full of curiosity and learning spirit, ready to do a good job.

My grandfather told me that they were living in a tree house. Later, I searched and found that the place where my grandfather went, most likely is Kenya. To this day, there are still many treetop hotels in Kenya.

At that time, in East Africa, everything was very backward, and various diseases were also prevalent. One of the terrible disease was malaria. It didn't take long for my Third Granduncle to get infected with this terrible disease. During his intermittently feverish and coldness and dizzy, he heard the conversation between the leader and others. Their words meant that some people had this disease before, the others abandoned him and kept on going to do their business, and left that person behind to die. My Third Granduncle was scared and suspicious that this fate would fall on him also.

One night, he stumbled down the tree house and walked alone the railway. He seemed to think that there was a city at the end of the railway where he could get help. He did not get too far and was fallen unconsciously.

When he regained his consciousness, he found himself lying on the deck of a ship and couldn't remember what had happened. He did not know who had helped him and bought the ship ticket, sent him on the boat, and gave him a set of cotton-padded mattress, so that he could sleep on the deck. Many people who bought cheap tickets were all slept on the deck. (I guess my granduncle was rescued by his team members, and was handed over to the local consulate or fellowship, they donated money for the ship ticket. After sent him on board, they would not know whether he would live or die. If he died, his corpse would just be thrown into the sea and he would be disappeared since. Nobody expected that my Third Granduncle's vitality was so strong that he survived the deadly malaria and recovered.)

While the ship was sailing on the sea, sometimes there was heavy winds and rains. When it rained, people sleeping on the deck take their mattresses away from the rain. But my Third Granduncle was not yet fully recovered with his senses, and he didn't know the need to shed the mattress from the rain. He kept sleeping on the wet mattress. One day he found himself paralyzed, both of his legs were numb.

He was half-lying on the deck of the ship, the tears ran down his cheeks, it seemed that that wa. s the end of his life, and he was still so young. Fortunately, there were several of his fellow townsmen on the boat. They brought him meals, and helped him to go to the toilet or helped him to go around.

My Third Granduncle had no knowledge about how long the ship had been sailing, it seemed forever to him. Finally it landed in East India. Although he should continue to return home by the same ship, my Third Granduncle decided to disembark in East India.

He found the fellowship hall and said to the fellows there: "Look, I am now in such a difficult situation. I wanted to return to my hometown with fame and glory. But how can I go back like this now? If someone can take me and cure my illness, I will work hard for him."

There was this fellow countryman named Mr. Wang, who had not only done a successful business locally, but also knew some Chinese way to treat wounds and small illness. He had pity on my Third Granduncle and he took him home. He massaged my Third Granduncle』s legs with hot water and Chinese medicine every day. His methods cured my Third Granduncle within a short time.

My Third Granduncle kept his promise and helped Mr. Wang to do international business and made a good fortune.