Benjamin is a Bostonian from the New World. He lived in a small workshop owner's family since he was a child. He has many brothers and sisters. He has a total of seventeen children in the family. Benjamin is ranked fifteenth, and only two younger sisters are younger than him.

Benjamin is two years older than Zhu Bo, but compared to Zhu Bo, who has received a good education since childhood, Benjamin's journey to study is very bumpy.

Because there are too many poor children in the family, although Benjamin had excellent academic performance, his family could not afford his tuition when he was nine years old and had to abandon school and go home. He learned how to help his father make candles in a small workshop at home.

Boston, this is a harbour city. Benjamin, who lived in this city since childhood, often saw merchant ships and sailors coming and going, and heard stories of sailing from the seamen. After hearing and witnessing, Benjamin had a strong interest in sailing. At the age of twelve, he tried to become a sailor. Unfortunately, because of his father's opposition, Benjamin had no choice but to work in the printing factory run by his brother.

During his time working in the printing factory, Benjamin did not give up his studies. In fact, he did not give up his studies during the time he was working as a candle in his home workshop. He borrowed various books everywhere to study.

After he worked in the printing factory, the conditions in the printing factory were much better than those at home. Many printed materials and books became the source of knowledge Benjamin learned. He saved money on weekdays and bought him books for the money he saved. In addition, he was smart and skillful, and liked to fiddle with machinery while working in the printing factory, so he soon became a qualified worker in the printing factory.

If everything had not changed, Benjamin might have been working in his brother's printing factory, but because of the revival of the Ming Dynasty and its expansion in the New Ming Dynasty, the New World changed after the Ming power entered. The goods and news from the East quickly spread to Boston through trade routes and were also known to Benjamin.

Everything that brought about by the East was subtle, and Benjamin was also affected. More importantly, the mysterious East has always attracted the Western world extremely, and the discovery of the New World back then was like this. If it weren't for finding a new trade route to the East, how could the adventurers of the Great Navigation discover the New World back then?

All this made Benjamin's idea of ​​becoming a sailor again. Two years ago, Benjamin boarded a British merchant ship without telling his family, thus leaving Boston and becoming a real sailor.

In the past two years, Benjamin followed the merchant ship to Europe from the New World, then from Europe to India, and then from India to the distant and mysterious East...

After listening to Benjamin's story, Zhu Bo has to admire this young man who is not much older than him. In order to show his respect for him, Zhu Bo toasted the other party with tea instead of wine.

"What are your plans next?" Zhu Bo asked tentatively. It is not easy for such a young man to maintain such a passionate attitude towards learning in difficult situations and to apply what he has learned. Moreover, in his conversation with Benjamin, Zhu Bo felt Benjamin's idea of ​​being extremely eager for knowledge and independence.

Not only his studies, Benjamin also has his own unique insights into the world pattern. Although his views and ideas still have limitations, this is because of his perspective and pattern and cannot conceal Benjamin's own bright spots.

"When I return to Europe from the Far East this time, I plan to go to Paris to continue my studies." Benjamin said with a smile. He told Zhu Bo that he had saved up a sum of money in the past two years of being a sailor. Although the amount was not much, it was enough for him to live in Paris for a period of time.

Paris is the center of Europe, and the French Academy of Sciences is the dream of all European scientists. Benjamin wants to study in Paris through his own efforts, and then go to the Academy of Sciences to fulfill his wishes.

Of course, if he had the chance, he would go to the UK. As a British man born in the New World, he had never been to the UK. The University of Oxford in the UK also made him yearn for it. If he could study in Paris and Oxford, then Benjamin would have no regrets in his life.

"Don't you want to study in the Ming Dynasty? In fact, there are also excellent schools in the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Bo asked tentatively.

"I heard of this." Benjamin smiled and nodded: "The Royal Academy of Ming Dynasty is the best school in the Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, such a school is not something that people like me can enter. Maybe after I complete my studies in Paris and Oxford, I will come to the Ming Dynasty again. When I am a scholar, I will go to the Royal Academy of Ming Dynasty to see it."

Zhu Bo was about to say that if Benjamin was willing, he could recommend Benjamin to go to the Royal Academy of the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Bo didn't say that. Although he had just met Benjamin for a while, Zhu Bo had already felt from his conversation with each other that this young man was a person with a firm mind and strong self-esteem.

If Zhu Bo said this, it might be a show of flaunting and insult to Benjamin. Not only would it not help him, but it might also cause the friendship between the two sides to break down because of Benjamin's disgust. Zhu Bo didn't want to see this result, and he felt that a person like Benjamin was like gold in the sand, and could shine no matter where he was placed.

If Zhu Bo? The previous crown prince was just a title, then Zhu Bo? Now he has already looked at the problem from the perspective of a superior. Since he graduated from the academy and entered the army, Zhu Bo?'s growth is obvious. He gradually understood why his father set such a rule that seemed "rebellious" to the Ming Dynasty royal family.

Reading thousands of books is worse than traveling thousands of miles.

No matter how smart and wise the crown prince raised in the deep palace is, it is better to go to the people and the army to experience it personally. Moreover, no one can guarantee whether his descendants are a genius. Such a way of training and education can at least allow the kings of the Ming Dynasty to have an independent world view and a life outlook.

This is true for Zhu Bo?, and so is Benjamin. Although their status is very different, everything they do is for their own future and for their own growth.

In the end, Zhu Bo gave up the idea of ​​interfering in Benjamin's plan, and at the same time he also hoped that Benjamin could use his abilities to change his destiny and thus break a different path.

Time passed quickly, and it was afternoon in a blink of an eye. Although Zhu Bo and Benjamin met for the first time, they had a very speculative chat. Unfortunately, Benjamin told Zhu Bo that he was going back to the ship. The merchant ship he was in had completed his work in Guangzhou. He would leave Guangzhou early tomorrow morning to go to Batavia, stop in Batavia, then pass by Johor to India, and then return to Europe from India.

Although he was regretful, Zhu Bo still gave Benjamin sincere blessings and gave him a gift.

This is a pocket watch that looks ordinary, but this pocket watch is specially made by the Ming Academy of Sciences. Its accuracy, internal structure and durability are far superior to the best pocket watch in the West.

Especially the bottom of this pocket watch is also engraved with exquisite dragon patterns, with the identity mark representing Zhu Bo? on it. Of course, Benjamin did not know these. He only thought it was an ordinary pocket watch. Although the pocket watch was a valuable item, Benjamin did not refuse the gift from his friend and accepted it happily.

"This is what my mother gave me when I was a child when I was baptizing, my friend, I will give it to you, and I hope God can bring you good luck." After taking the pocket watch, Benjamin thought for a while and took a small cross from his neck. This cross was just an ordinary silver cross, but as he said it was the most precious thing in him.

He gave the cross to Bo Zhu, smiled and sent his blessings, and promised that if he had the chance to come to the Ming Dynasty, he would stay in the Ming Dynasty for more time and the two of them would get together again.

In the evening, Benjamin waved goodbye to Zhu Bo at the dock. Zhu Bo watched him board a British merchant ship until Benjamin disappeared on the ship.
Chapter completed!