Chapter 11

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

A Sunday in late August was a day off at Whampoa Military Academy.

High-intensity study and military training every day still required adjustment and rest; after all, they were military academy cadets, not yet troops in the true sense.

According to regulations, without drills or special arrangements, Sundays could still be spent resting.

Lv Muzhi felt under his pillow and pulled out a small cloth bag—his travel money carried since leaving Shanghai, totaling five silver dollars and some copper coins and a few paper notes, all wages saved from his days as an elementary school teacher.

Stuffing the money into his pocket, Lv Muzhi decided to take leave and visit Guangzhou City; he had been in Guangzhou for several months but had never once entered the city.

Seeing Lv Muzhi stuffing money into his pocket, Chen Geng and Song Xilian came over too.

"Muzi, are you preparing to enter the city?" Chen Geng came over and put a hand on Lv Muzhi's shoulder.

Song Xilian suggested: "Why don't we few go into the city together to take a look? It's been several months since we last entered the city!"

Lv Muzhi nodded; the three could look out for each other: "Let's go, we'll go together. Why don't I see Xiangyun and them?"

Chen Geng unwound his leg wraps from his leg: "Xiangyun and Li Zhilong, those two, have been assigned work by the school; I hear it's quite important. The three of us going will do."

The three traveled together; at a civilian small dock on the west side of the school, they hired a small boat and set off toward Guangzhou's urban district.

The closer they got to Guangzhou City, the more prosperous it seemed.

On the Pearl River, cargo ships and passenger ships came and went without cease—a fine scene of prosperity.

"Muzi, what should we do first after entering the city?" Song Xilian had decided to come at the last minute and didn't know where to go after entering the city.

"Well..." Lv Muzhi was also at a loss. Originally he had planned to go in alone and stroll around, to see the scenery of old Guangzhou; as long as he timed it and returned to the unit before dark, there was no plan.

"Why even ask! Of course, first find a place to eat! Try everything—braised chicken, braised goose—the food at the military academy is making my mouth tasteless as a bird!" Chen Geng immediately offered his idea.

Indeed a good idea!

Hearing of chicken and duck again, Song Xilian drooled at the thought.

Chen Geng thought of another good place: "After going ashore, listen to me. After eating, we'll go to the Women's Normal School once more; there are many female students there, and we'll go watch a basketball game."

Lv Muzhi pointed at Chen Geng: "Fine, Old Chen. Whether you're going to watch basketball or watch female students, you know in your own heart; I won't spell it out."

Song Xilian: "Brother Muzi, actually I want to go too!"

Lv Muzhi: "... Then the three of us will go together."

According to Chen Geng's request, the small boat moored at Tianzi Wharf. Lv Muzhi gave the boatman a few copper coins, then went ashore to find food.

As soon as his foot touched the wharf, Lv Muzhi sighed: Guangzhou was indeed prosperous!

Compared to Huangpu Island where Whampoa Military Academy was located, it was worlds apart!

Tianzi Wharf was located on the Pearl River Long Embankment; on the embankment was built Guangzhou's longest and widest street.

One side of the street bordered the broad Pearl River water surface, with boats on the water racing in thousands of sails; the other side had high-rise buildings and clock towers, somewhat similar to Shanghai's Bund.

Lv Muzhi and Song Xilian were like country bumpkins entering the city, looking left and right; Chen Geng, however, was familiar with the route and led the two to sightsee everywhere.

After winding through several turns, they entered another commercially active street. Restaurants, cloth shops, money shops, pharmacies, rice shops—all kinds of traditional street shops were available, as well as banks, foreign firms, clock shops, Western suit shops, and so on.

Chinese and blond, blue-eyed foreigners came and went on the street; Guangzhou truly deserved to be the coastal economic center of the Republic of China's south.

Passing a money shop, Chen Geng suddenly stopped: "Boss Lv, congratulations on striking it rich!"

Lv Muzhi felt utterly baffled: "What riches have I struck?"

Chen Geng pointed at the money shop: "I don't have any money on me. Eating costs money. You have silver dollars; we can't eat that much. Just exchange your silver dollars for some copper coins and it'll be enough."

Lv Muzhi looked at Song Xilian, who also shook his head.

Good fellow—so these two went out without bringing any money, treating him as a wallet.

These five big silver dollars were his marriage savings from his days as an elementary school teacher; now he was going to have to bleed a bit.

Forget it, forget it. Rarely coming out once, bleeding a bit was acceptable.

Lv Muzhi waved his hand grandly: Forget exchanging copper coins; go straight to a grand restaurant and spend silver dollars!

It was only a little past ten in the morning; the few of them couldn't wait and went straight to find food.

Chen Geng pulled Lv Muzhi into a grand restaurant.

"Please, come in, the three of you!" Seeing the three enter, the shop attendant hurriedly and warmly greeted them.

"We want a second-floor elegant room by the window, and brew a pot of good tea." Chen Geng instructed the shop attendant.

The shop attendant led the three up to the elegant room and began serving them tea, while also taking their food orders.

"One white-cut chicken!"

"One braised goose!"

"One steamed grouper!"

"There's even char siu—bring a plate!"

"Yo, Brother Chen, there's also squab—one each!"

"No drinking; if we get drunk it'll delay things..."

Chen Geng and Song Xilian were truly impolite; as soon as they sat at the table they started ordering dishes, and specifically meat dishes.

"Eh, Muzi, why aren't you ordering anything?" Chen Geng asked Lv Muzhi with a laugh; the shop attendant also looked over expectantly.

"I... I'll have a plate of oiled green vegetables... to aid digestion..."

The shop attendant wouldn't let up and asked: "Sir, would you like another bowl of soup?"

Chen Geng slapped the table: "Serve it up. How can there be no soup on an old Guangzhou dining table?"

Seeing an opportunity, the shop attendant hurriedly promoted: "Our here has old mother hens over three years old; stewing a whole old mother hen for soup, sir, would you like a bowl?"

"Directly order a Dragon-Phoenix Soup, the whole house's consumption is on Boss Lv!" Chen Geng pointed at Lv Muzhi and laughed.

"Alright, please wait a moment, this shop offers a complimentary cold platter, tea and snacks, the three of you eat while you wait!" The shop assistant, carrying this big order, walked quickly downstairs into the back kitchen.

Lv Muzhi touched his own money pouch, afraid that five big yuan wouldn't be enough: "Old Chen, what is Dragon-Phoenix Soup? I only have five yuan in my pocket, it'll be terrible if I can't pay!"

Chen Geng poured a bowl of tea for Lv Muzhi: "It's old hen stewed with snake meat, fragrant!"

Lv Muzhi bent his waist, took out leg wraps from his pocket, and rewrapped them around his calves.

"Eh, Brother Muzi, what are you doing, tying leg wraps when coming out to play?" Song Xilian looked puzzled.

"Nothing, just in case I can't pay the bill later, it's convenient to run away." Lv Muzhi said faintly, adding more force, tying the leg wraps tightly.

Chen Geng laughed heartily: "Don't worry, none of us tied leg wraps, none of us run as fast as you, later I'll stay behind to cover the bill."

"That's not certain, no one at school can outrun your legs, Chen Geng..."

Dishes were served one after another, and everyone ate with oil all over their mouths.

After a meal devoured like wind sweeping away clouds, the three took a halftime break.

"This Dragon-Phoenix Soup is really great~"

"And the roasted goose too, lots of juice~"

"Brother Muzi, next time I'll still follow you!" Song Xilian wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth, deciding to cling tightly to Lv Muzhi's financial big thigh, not spending those five big yuan, he wouldn't let go.

Chen Geng smacked his lips, glanced at his field telephone, stood up directly, and pushed open the window.

"It's time, Muzi look, the basketball game has started, they're all female students."

It turned out that the winehouse Chen Geng carefully selected was separated from the Normal School's basketball court by only a lane; sitting by the window, one could just see the whole view.

Lv Muzhi looked down, indeed the female students were wearing basketball uniforms, very cool, exposing their arms and white big thighs.

Song Xilian gnawing on a roasted goose leg came over and said: "That one playing guard, that one is good-looking!"

"What kind of gaze, I think that forward is more pleasing to the eye!"

"Brother Chen, why don't we go check out the dance hall?"

"Sigh, fireworks are vulgar, what's there to see, it's better here..."

Lv Muzhi watched Song Xilian and Chen Geng the whole time, the corner of his mouth twitching: Is this right?