Chapter 418 The Evening Breeze Brings News From South America (5K2)

Dear Arthur:

How have you been recently? By the way, I haven't written to you for a while. When Charles sent me a letter last time, I was still immersed in the massacre of Indians by Argentine butcher Rosas. Therefore, when Charles asked me if I wanted to write, I didn't ask him to give my letter to the merchant ship heading to Britain.

But this doesn't mean that I have forgotten you. Of course, I still remember you bad boys who were eating and drinking in London. Attending various banquets and salons of the upper class, hanging out with young and beautiful girls, tasting all kinds of exotic food from all over the world, and drinking a variety of high-end wines imported from France.

You must have been very happy, so I didn't intend to spoil your mood at that time. I, Elder Carter, am not a guy who doesn't understand romance. Although I live like a mouse in the cabin all day, I still have to act cheerful. This world is already fucked up. Do I have to stick my ass out to cater to it? Hahaha!

Arthur, you must understand my mood now. Yes, I have come out of my depressed mood. Fuck Rosas, fuck the Argentines. Of course, I don't want to insult all the Argentine people, but those who are willing to be his executioners.

Well... As for why I wrote this letter to you on a whim today... Haha, don't laugh at me when I tell you, Arthur. It's because Alexander told me in the letter that you were dead. You first asked someone to shoot you in Liverpool, and then someone shot you through the heart under the Tower of London.

I have to say that this fat guy who floated over from France didn't wish you well at all, and his character can't be brought to the table. I have to admit that his story is well written, and the scenes and details are very realistic, but it is an absurd novel without any basis after all, and I won't believe his nonsense.

However, from the fat man's words, I can still read that you may be in a low mood recently. Maybe it's because someone spilled beer on you when you were trying to pick up a girl? Come on, man, why do you take such a small thing to heart? Women are everywhere, and it won't take that long to start a sincere relationship.

But I think about it carefully, you don't seem like the guy who would worry about picking up girls. Is it because your work has not been going well recently? Are you suppressed by that old guy Rowan again? If so, Arthur, you have to blame yourself.

I told you a long time ago that you should come on the boat with me to see the beautiful scenery around the world, meet some exotic beauties, and see dolphins and sharks, cough... although these two species are not very good.

Of course, round-the-world sailing is not without its advantages. For example, our trip to Argentina this time, although we encountered many unpleasant things on the road, now looking back, the happy times still accounted for the majority.

The culture and people of South America are really crazy. Do you know the gauchos here? They are a kind of Indians, and they are all masters of horse training. No matter how wild a horse is, it will be tamed in less than a week.

Here, horses must learn to stop at full speed when encountering any unexpected situation, which is considered to be completely tamed. According to their standards, riding a horse to rush to the wall with all your strength, then tightening the reins and ordering the horse to raise its front legs to brake, the horse's hooves must just touch the wall at this time, which is considered to be completely trained.

I dare to guarantee you that if you randomly select one of these gauchos to participate in the Derby equestrian competition, they can easily win the first place. However, the people here have another quirk when training horses, that is, they think it is ridiculous to train and ride mares.

But in Europe, we usually think that male horses are not easy to control if they are not castrated, but after being castrated and becoming eunuchs, their running ability is not as good as before. So it is better to ride mares, because they are both docile and run fast.

But I have to admit that those famous people usually like to take risks to ride hot-tempered stallions, such as the stallion Copenhagen that carried the Duke of Wellington for 17 hours at Waterloo. Although the newspapers have reported on this famous horse with great military achievements, I heard from some people that this hot-tempered guy almost kicked the Duke's head off at the end of the battle. Fortunately, he didn't succeed in the end, otherwise, I suggest that the French should choose him as king.

Of course, as the Duke of Wellington's biggest opponent, Napoleon also likes this kind of hot-tempered horse, such as the gray purebred Arabian horse Virgil given to him by the Ottoman Sultan, and the chestnut British Limousin horse Wattley that he rode when he retreated from the defeat in Russia. But at the Battle of Waterloo, he still chose the most stable guy. He was riding a pure white mare named Desiree after his first love.

But no matter what Napoleon thought, in the minds of the gauchos, they would never ride a mare, but would only use it to harvest wheat and slaughter it for its skin. Here, a complete horsehide only costs five dollars, which is about half a crown, or a quarter of a pound.

A local butcher proudly told me that he could kill twenty-two horses in one day, and at most, fifty horses could be killed and skinned in one day. But I think he was bragging, because it was a lot of work, and generally speaking, skinning and drying fifteen or six horses would be considered a pretty good day.

But anyway, in the past six months, I have had the opportunity to get a glimpse of the character of the local residents through my contact with them. Gauchos, or country people, are generally of much better character than those who live in towns.

Although they may sometimes make you feel uncomfortable, that is actually due to their helpful, polite and welcoming nature. Not once did I experience rudeness or indifference. They are gentle, respect themselves and their country, and are full of energy and courage.

But on the other hand, looting and bloodshed occur too often. The custom of carrying a knife is the main reason for the latter. Too many people have lost their lives due to trivial quarrels, and quarrels usually develop into fights. Every time they fight, they try to leave scars on each other's faces. The knife is always aimed at the nose and eyes. This has happened to many people's faces. You can see the deep and ugly scars all over his body.

Robbery was an inevitable consequence of widespread gambling, drunkenness and extreme laziness. When I was in Mercedes, I asked two poor guys why they didn't have jobs. One of the guys told me seriously that the days were too long for him, and another said there was no job because he was too poor.

The words of these two guys immediately amused me. Only then did I realize that it was difficult for people to be diligent in a situation with beautiful scenery, many horses, and abundant food. In addition, there are so many festivals here. Although I don’t hate this, because many festivals mean there are reasons to celebrate every day, but I have to say that this also leads to another one or two months of the year being wasted. .

In addition, the police and law enforcement efficiency here are at a very low level, not at all comparable to Scotland Yard, where you are the bad guy. I have no doubt that if you arrived at this place, you would immediately be appointed as the highest security officer in the area.

Here, if a poor man is caught killing someone, he will be locked up or even killed on the spot. But if it's a rich man, and he happens to have friends, then you know, he doesn't have to worry about the serious consequences of killing someone.

The strangest thing is that respected local residents will help the murderer escape. They seem to believe that crime is committed against the government, not against ordinary people. The traveler has no protection but his own weapons. Therefore, if you want to travel to South America one day, it is absolutely necessary to carry weapons with you.

The educated upper classes in the city may have moral qualities that are comparable to, or even slightly inferior to, those of the Gauchos, but I think they are also infected with many vices that the Gauchos definitely do not possess. Intemperate licentiousness, contempt for religion and gross corruption were far from isolated.

Before coming to South America, I once thought that Britain was bad enough, but compared with here, Britain seemed like a kingdom of heaven, and the moral standards of officialdom in Argentina and Chile were comparable to the sewage outlets of the Thames River.

From what I've seen, all public officials here can be bribed. Yes, I said all of them. Because I discovered that the person in charge of the post office here was peddling counterfeit legal tender of the government, and the provincial ministers and the prime minister were openly misappropriating the country's resources and land.

Every law enforcement process is mixed with more or less monetary transactions, so people here never expect justice and fairness. I met a British businessman in Montevideo, and he told me an interesting anecdote that happened when he first arrived here.

He had just arrived here and did not understand the local situation, so he was deceived when doing business. Following the usual British thinking, he consulted a lawyer, hoping to understand how he should sue the scammer, but the lawyer told him to just give the judge some money.

When he went to see the chief judge, he didn't understand the customs here. When he walked into the office, his legs were shaking with fear. He stammered and stated the case, and then said: "Sir, please accept these two hundred yuan. I hope you can catch the person who cheated on me before some time. I know it is illegal, but my lawyer XXX asked me to do it.”

The justice smiled and acquiesced to the request, and politely thanked him for the money. As a result, before the businessman returned home, someone came to inform him that the guy who deceived him had been thrown into prison.

Tsk tsk tsk, in a country, even those high-ranking leaders are so unprincipled, while those officials with lower positions than them receive extremely meager salaries and are as restless as their superiors. But under such an environment, people think that democratic government can succeed. This is simply ridiculous.

Of course, my impression of South America wasn't always so bad. When you meet the people of these countries for the first time, you will notice two or three characteristics that stand out in particular. People from all walks of life are polite and dignified. Ladies dress in a very tasteful way. People from all walks of life treat each other equally. They are not as hierarchical as Britain.

While we were resting on the banks of the Colorado River, several humble shopkeepers said that they often dined at the same table with General Rosas, who was stationed nearby. In Puerto Blanca, a major's son made a living by rolling cigars. He wanted to accompany us to Buenos Aires and said he could be a guide or a servant.

However, his father opposed his son's decision, but the reason was not that he felt ashamed to be a guide and servant, but he was worried that we would encounter many dangers along the way. Many officers here can neither read nor write, but they are all equal in social occasions, and there is no discrimination against illiterate people like in Britain.

In the parliament of Entre Rios, there are only six members, one of whom is not doing any big business, just opening a small grocery store that can be seen everywhere. But he does not seem to be looked down upon by other members because of his small property. Perhaps these situations look strange to us British, but this is the wonderful commonality of emerging countries. They lack a gentleman class with professional knowledge, so there is no deep-rooted concept of class.

Yes, I don't actually hate these South American countries, and I even envy them in some places. Most of them have just won independence from the hands of their master Spain, so extreme liberalism prevails here, tolerance of foreign religions, emphasis on education, freedom of the press, and convenience for all foreigners, especially for those of us who have something to do with science, their enthusiasm often moves us.

Old people naturally have their advantages, because they usually have a lot of experience, and have eaten more salt than we have seen sand, so they are usually very steady when doing things. But young people also have the spirit of young people. We really don't know anything, but so what? We do whatever we want. Maybe some things are really dangerous, but if there are many people trying, there will always be one or two lucky ones who will succeed.

This description is also very appropriate for countries. People who have spent their whole lives in Britain certainly can't imagine how the people of South America live. Everything here is simply too crazy for them, the endless prairie, countless cattle and sheep, and large pieces of barbecue, the gauchos who treat you as a friend when they meet, the legal system that is in name only, and the robbers and bandits who may jump out from anywhere at any time.

Alas! This is the wonderful South America, the crazy people and wild animals. British gentlemen who come here will have their fashionable breeches torn by wild horses in just one day, and the ladies will faint a hundred or eighty times a day when they come here. Of course, my favorite things are not only these, but also... Haha, I mean the charming local girls, I love them.

Of course, the premise of love is that they had better not have provoked skunks recently. Arthur, believe me, even the most loyal hound will lose its courage immediately when it smells a few drops of skunk oil when it is called to chase it, and it will be followed by severe nausea, vomiting, and tears. The smell can be smelled even a mile away. Therefore, I can say with certainty that all animals in South America are happy to give way to skunks.

Arthur, you see, even if you are very knowledgeable and you are the most outstanding history graduate of our University of London, there are still many things in this world that you don’t know. You should get out of this shit pot of Britain and travel around the world, otherwise even I, an uneducated guy, will surpass you.

Haha, I’m kidding, don’t take it seriously. I can never surpass you in erudition and talent, because I have devoted my lifelong talent to the study of women. By the way, Arthur, have you ever had an in-depth conversation with any lady you love?

Uh... I don't want to pry into your privacy. I don't have that hobby. You know, I'm an open and aboveboard guy. But... people are always curious, aren't they?

And, and... if you don't even have any conversation and just leave so lightly, then... isn't it a pity?

Damn! What stupid things am I talking about? It's all the fucking blame of that fat guy Alexander! This bastard's story is so fucking real! Can he be so capable just by being able to write some novels and scripts?

When I return to London, I will definitely shoot him twice and make a few holes in his crotch, because only in this way can I let him know that making up stories will cost him a fucking price!

...

Arthur, will you write back to me? I know you may be in a bad mood, but if you have time, just take the time to write me a few words. You can write anything, about the bed, under the bed, Scotland Yard, or the editorial office of "The Brit".

If you don't want to write any of this, just draw a bald head of Charles and send it to me. That's the easiest. You only need to draw an arc. There's no need to decorate it with messy hair. He'll lose all his hair sooner or later anyway.

But if... I mean if... if you don't even want to send this to me, Arthur, I'll have to really think you're dead. But... but I know that's impossible, because you're definitely still alive. Maybe you're sitting in your office at Scotland Yard right now, patting your belly and laughing as you read my letter to your subordinates.

You think to yourself: "Ha! Elder is such a naive guy. I'm ashamed that I went to the same university as him. He believes such obvious lies. He would rather believe a Frenchman than believe that I'm alive. No wonder this guy was cheated out of every penny by a prostitute in Rio de Janeiro."

You think I'll be angry about this?

Ha! Then you're wrong!

Arthur, your friend, the noble and brave Mr. Elder Carter, is not such a narrow-minded guy.

If you want to laugh at me, you'd better let me know that I'm like a clown. That way, you can have more fun.

Your London University classmate, a companion who has enjoyed elegant dramas with you, and also insulted the decadent darkness of Britain with you, the tenant who owes you two weeks' rent, the best friend in this life and the next, who has borrowed twenty pounds from you and has not yet repaid you, and will not consider repaying you unless you come to collect the debt from me, Elder Carter, in person.