Chapter 36: Lover

Wei Ming hadn’t been paid his salary, nor had he received his royalty from “Harvest”; luckily, he had 15 yuan from “Story Weekly” and a daily subsidy of two yuan, or else he’d have had to borrow money just to go shopping.

They first went to the Great World of Magu.

This place was once hailed as “the First Club of the Far East,” once glorious, where many old-era stories of vendettas, love, and betrayal unfolded.

Now it’s been renamed “People’s Amusement Park,” instantly losing all its edge—could Xu Wenhqiang really have fought Ding Li to the death in People’s Amusement Park?

It wouldn’t be restored until the late 1980s.

There’s food here, entertainment, and theaters for spoken drama or comic operas; crosstalk has little market here—better to listen to pingtan.

Of course, shopping is unavoidable; the mall’s goods are dazzling. Wei Ming carried his bag, ready to buy gifts for Xile here.

At noon, they left the Great World, bought some things, and filled their stomachs.

Many Magu-style snacks inside were new to Wei Ming—he’d only eaten at fancy restaurants during his past life in Magu, rarely encountering such local specialties.

Though the local cuisine leans sweet, Wei Ming could adapt—he was equally at home with salt or sugar.

Inside the Great World, Professor Qu took a solo photo of Wei Ming; they only had one group photo, since asking passersby was inconvenient.

Then they went to Yu Garden; though this Ming-dynasty garden hadn’t fully regained its former splendor, its classical design was still perfect for photos.

Wei Ming suggested taking a photo of Professor Qu and Chen Rong together; Professor Qu was initially hesitant.

“You know how to take photos?”

Know how? Call me Master Wei!

Wei Ming held up the classic Haiou 4A camera: “Wait till you see the developed photos—you’ll know how good I am. Too bad you didn’t bring scarves.”

Middle-aged women can’t take photos without scarves, just as Shijiazhuang can’t exist without authentic Anhui beef noodle soup.

Wei Ming professionally guided them to find angles and poses, even drawing attention from other passersby.

Though the actual results weren’t visible yet, Wei Ming looked convincingly like a pro—even a young couple specifically asked him to photograph them; Wei Ming had finally gotten to play the role of a master photographer.

When he had money someday, he’d definitely buy a camera!

Though Yu Garden was now open to the public, the neighboring City God Temple was still a mess, not worth seeing.

So next, they went straight to Magu’s most famous Bund.

Turning off Renmin Road, they saw the Bund; across the Huangpu River lay undeveloped Pudong.

Back then, there was no Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower, or Shanghai World Financial Center; in ancient times, this area was a salt field; now, there were a few small factories, but nothing close to bustling—it still felt like the countryside.

Wei Ming fantasized: if he could buy land in Pudong now, maybe someday there’d be a “Wei Ming Yi Pin.”

The three walked forward, passing Bund No. 5, Bund No. 12, all the way to Bund No. 18.

Because of that song, Wei Ming was curious—he’d visited in his past life and remembered many luxury boutiques inside.

Now, it’s called “Chunjiang Building,” housing Magu’s Bureau of Aquatic Products and other offices.

Next to Bund No. 18 stood the famed Peace Hotel, over seventy years old.

It’s still a hotel, but expensive—mainly frequented by foreign guests and overseas Chinese.

The architecture here was distinctive; they took many photos, mostly taken by Wei Ming.

The Bund also had a Lover’s Wall; Wei Ming had brought girls here in his past life—it wasn’t particularly scenic, but back then, dating spots were scarce; homes had no privacy, parks were occupied by old men and women, so the Bund’s floodwall became a favorite haunt for young couples. Over time, it earned the name “Lover’s Wall”—a reluctant necessity.

Gong Ying was curious about the Lover’s Wall: “I wonder if Big Brother and Big Sister ever came here when they were dating.”

She dragged her second sister over to watch. Gong Yu sighed: “It’s just men and women hanging around—what’s so interesting? Aren’t you going to sketch?”

“I need to pick a good spot—right here.” Gong Ying chose her position, stared at the river for a long time, felt nothing, then turned around, ready to sketch the old buildings across the street.

Gong Yu faced the river, letting the wind blow; she’d failed the audition for “Lushan Love,” and after returning to Yanjing, she didn’t know if Beiyingchang would offer her a chance—becoming famous at Beiyingchang, then being noticed and transferred back to Shangyingchang, might be a path.

Just then, Gong Ying nudged her.

“Sis, there’s a tall guy over there looking at you.”

“How do you know he’s not looking at you?” Gong Yu smiled, turned her head—and saw Wei Ming and the two aunts.

Wei Ming waved at her; he’d only thought she looked familiar, but it turned out she really was her!

Magu is big, yet small.

!

“Sis, you know him?” Gong Ying’s gaze darted between them, sensing something special.

Wei Ming strode over with his long legs.

“Oh, Xiao Ying, let me introduce you—this is Wei Ming, a writer I met on the train, from Yanjing. This is my sister, Gong Ying.”

Her calling Wei Ming a friend made Brother Ming happy.

“Writer?” Gong Ying studied the improbably young Wei Ming. “What have you written?”

Wei Ming: “The Toothless Tiger.”

“Ah, you wrote that fairy tale?” Gong Ying had told it to her nephew before—but her sister met the author of an article she’d bought in a magazine on the train?

Could he really not be a fraud? The odds were too slim!

Knowing what Gong Ying was thinking, Gong Yu added: “Wei Ming’s next story will be published in ‘Harvest.’”

“What! ‘Harvest’?” Gong Ying was stunned—was this the same “Harvest” her father, mother, and older brother revered as sacred?

The more she heard, the less believable it sounded—Sis, are you sure you didn’t meet a con artist? Be careful—you may be poor, but you’re beautiful!

At that moment, Professor Qu and Sister Chen Rong arrived; they hadn’t expected Wei Ming to have friends in Magu—and such beautiful ones at that.

Wei Ming briefly introduced the sisters: “This is Professor Qu Yude from Peking University, and this is Writer Chen Rong from Yanjing—we all stay at the Writers’ Association guesthouse, and today we had free time to stroll.”

The two women’s ages and demeanors were convincingly authentic; the sisters politely greeted them, and Gong Ying was mostly convinced.

Seeing Gong Ying sketching with her pad, Wei Ming didn’t intrude; after a brief chat, he left.

As soon as he was gone, Gong Ying asked: “Sis, how old is that writer?”

“I don’t know~”

“Really? He looks no older than twenty-one or twenty-two.”

“Who cares.”

“Where’s he from? What’s his family like? How much does he earn a month…”

(The second update today will be late.)

(End of Chapter)