Chapter 182: Afternoon Picnic

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned your sadness." Liang Yao said apologetically to Zuo Yin.

This Texas girl just laughed it off and said, "I'm stronger than you think."

As he spoke, Zuo Yin lifted up the cloth covering the basket and saw that the vegetable basket was filled with some cooked food dishes, including Mexican meat rolls, Burgundy beef patties, salt-baked salmon, lamb ridge meat, and American ham. Grilled passenger pigeons can be found everywhere in the area.

In addition to the food, which was enough to feed three people, there were two bottles of Bordeaux wine in the basket.

"Mr. Liang, let's go for a picnic. I know a place with beautiful scenery."

Zuo Yin said.

Liang Yao looked at Zuo Yin's slender waist and belly without a trace of fat, and asked doubtfully: "There is a dinner party tonight. You eat so much in the afternoon, what will you do in the evening?"

"I have a big appetite. Every time I attend a banquet, my father always asks me to fill myself up in the afternoon, so that I won't gorge myself during the banquet and leave a bad impression on the guests. "Zuo Yin said, "Would you like to have a picnic with me, Mr. Liang?"

Liang Yao nodded, feeling that what Zuo Yin said made sense, and he motioned to the guard to bring his horse over.

Unexpectedly, Zuo Yin actually rode directly on his horse.

"Your horse is strong enough to bear the weight of both of us. Come on, Mr. Liang, we don't have much time."

Liang Yao was just about to ask someone to bring another horse over, when Zuo Yin reached out and pulled Liang Yao onto the horse.

The Texas girl's enthusiastic and straightforward character caught Liang Yao off guard. He allowed Zuo Yin to ride on his mount, hugged Zuo Yin's slender waist and rode the horse away to a small hill behind Bell Manor.

The afternoon in Texas was very quiet. It seemed that all the creatures in Texas had fallen into sleep like other Texas elders in the manor.

Only the noisy insects that reached his ears from time to time reminded Liang Yao that it was summer when everything flourished.

Zuo Yin lowered his head and nestled in Liang Yao's arms. He turned his head frequently and stared blankly at Liang Yao without saying a word.

Liang Yao pulled the reins to stop the horse.

He lowered his head and stared at Zuo Yin's wheat-colored face with a faint blush. His delicate little face became more and more beautiful as he looked at it.

The two big eyes reflected the bright Texas afternoon light, shining like a pair of emeralds. Liang Yao had never seen such charming eyes at such a close distance.

The two people's eyes met. Zuo Yin closed his eyes, raised his head, and pursed his lips restlessly.

Liang Yao lowered his head, pressed close to him, and rolled Zuo Yin into the soft grass beside the road.

As the sun sets, Liang Yao snuffs out the phone in his hand, takes out his pocket watch and looks at the time. The hour hand is about to point to the Roman numeral 6 (6) at six o'clock. Unknowingly, three hours have passed, but Liang still has more to say. Mr. Yao felt that only three minutes had passed.

Time is really a wonderful thing. Sometimes it feels like time is very slow, but sometimes it feels like time passes very fast.

Zuo Yin pointed to his back and said, "Tie the lace on the back of my petticoat."

Liang Yao helped Zuo Yin tie the petticoat, and after tidying up their clothes, the two quietly returned to the rejuvenated manor.

People recharge their batteries in the afternoon just to leave enough energy for the carnival at the evening party.

But for some, the Texas party has ended early.

"Sir, we have been looking for you for a long time. Where have you been?"

Kony, who looked anxious, saw Liang Yao coming back and hurriedly greeted him and said.

Kony soon discovered that the usually well-dressed boss had two buttons missing from his shirt. He looked at Zuo Yin, who had returned with Liang Yao, with a malicious smile on his face, pointed at Liang Yao's chest and reminded: " Sir, your button is off."

Liang Yao lowered his head and looked at his chest. Sure enough, two buttons were missing. Then he subconsciously looked at Kony's shirt and smiled: "You are missing a button too."

"Oh, maybe I accidentally lost it when I had a picnic with Miss Yinzabella in the afternoon." Kony said without thinking.

It’s a picnic again. Is eating a picnic a unique local custom in Texas? Liang Yao secretly cursed.

Liang Yao put on a pair of intact clothes and attended the boring party at night.

Perhaps because he spent too much energy during the day, Liang Yao couldn't arouse much interest in the parties and dances at night.

Vanderbilt arrived late after sending the telegram to downtown Houston, but he still caught up with the party of Texas nobles.

The party was very boring. The chat content of these rough Texas men at the dinner was the same as during the day. It was nothing more than scolding the northerners for being shameless thieves and thieves. They wanted to teach the northerners a lesson. One southerner could beat up ten northerners. Such harsh words.

A slightly more structured discussion is about topics such as secession from the Union and greater state rights.

It can be seen that unity is not the main theme of America during this period, division is.

The country that was born with the gunfire of Lexington in 1775 seemed to have inevitably reached import.

In the eyes of southerners, northerners are selfish and arrogant, while in the eyes of northerners, southerners are cold and barbaric.

All kinds of prejudices and conflicts are tearing this already unstable American country apart.

Vanderbilt and his old pals were New Yorkers, that is, serious Northerners, and they acted as if they didn't hear anything when faced with the filthy words the Texans spoke against the Northerners.

They were selfish Northerners, but not arrogant Northerners.

Compared to the dirty words of the Texas elders, they are more concerned about how much money they can make in Texas.

The trade barriers between the states of the United States are very serious. It is not easy to open the market of another state. For the market and investment of Texas, what does some dirty words count for?

"Mr. Vanderbilt, I heard that you are notoriously vulgar in the banquets of the upper class, but you look particularly honest today, which seems to be inconsistent with your image in the rumors." Liang Yao teased Vanderbilt.

"Their vulgarity sets off my elegance."

Vanderbilt held the wine glass and pointed to the Texas dignitaries who were feasting and drinking.

"Besides, these Texas elders can beat up ten northern elders. I am also a northern elder, so I must be honest to avoid being beaten."

"Are you afraid of being beaten? You are a well-known boxer." Liang Yao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"These are all things when I was young."

Vanderbilt said.

"I rarely fight and kill now, and I am more focused on my business. Now the economy in the east has picked up, and I think the railway business will become better and better. Do you plan to build a railway in Texas or in the northern states with a larger population and better market prospects?"

According to the original historical trajectory, after the introduction of the Compromise Act of 1850, the American economy began to gradually recover from the trough and ushered in a new round of vigorous development.

It is just that due to the emergence of Liang Yao, the California and Texas issues are unresolved, and the recovery of the American economy is half a year later than in history.

In the next three years, before the bloody Kansas incident in 1854, that is, before the outbreak of the Kansas Civil War, there will be no large-scale armed conflict between the North and the South.

These short three years are also the three best years for the development of the American economy before the outbreak of the Civil War. Liang Yao must take advantage of this favorable wind to develop the economy of California and accumulate more powerful strength.

"The railway in Texas must be built. After the railway in Texas is built, when California and Texas are connected, it is only necessary to connect this railway from New Mexico to Texas." Liang Yao said.

"As for the railway in the north, I will make a decision after I have completed my inspection in the north."