Chapter 82
◎ At Shanghai Railway Station, tourists carrying luggage of varying weights piled up in every corner. Long vertical...◎
At Shanghai Railway Station, tourists carrying luggage of varying weights piled up in every corner. Long vertical rails snaked out from beneath the platform roof, and from time to time, one after another roared, and green trains, with white smoke billowing from their front ends, emerged or drove in.
Bei Bitang, carrying a black travel bag, squeezed through the crowd, looking around from time to time, searching for the leader.
She once swore that she would never take a long-distance green-skinned train again in her life, but now she has to bow down for a few pieces of silver.
But fifteen days, five hundred dollars! She doesn't have to pay a cent for the trip!
She can do it! Bei Bitang thought so, and the moment she saw Zhou Qiuguang, she quickly raised her head with a sweet smile, waved at her, and shouted in a loud voice: "Teacher Zhou!"
Zhou Qiuguang was wearing a black and white long dress and had her hair tied up in a small bun. She looked elegant and intellectual. You couldn't tell at all that she was a tour guide. If you didn't know her, you would think she was a professor teaching Chinese at some university.
Zhou Qiuguang smiled and handed the train ticket and travel guide to Bei Bitang, saying kindly, "Bitang, right? This is your round-trip ticket. Keep it safe. Also, take a look at this booklet while you're on the train. There's nothing important to remember. Your teacher must have told you about the things you need to pay attention to. I trust her, my old classmate, who introduced her to me."
Bei Bitang nodded and responded continuously, and took the things with both hands.
Foreign tourists coming to China must first transfer to Hong Kong and fly to Shanghai, and then go to their travel destination from Shanghai.
Although Guilin is one of the cities that opens its tourist resources to foreigners during special years and has a small airport, foreign tourists cannot fly to Guilin and can only take the green train.
It was the same green train, but the treatment was different. Zhou Qiuguang, the tour leader and main translator, rode on a soft sleeper with the foreign tourists, while Bei Bitang only had a seat.
Bei Bitang held the train ticket with a corner cut off, found her seat, and placed her travel bag on the overhead rack.
Just a few minutes after sitting down, the train to Guilin departed on time without delay and slowly drove out of the big city.
Bei Bitang sat by the car window, took a look at the fertile fields, and thought there was nothing interesting to see, so she withdrew her gaze, took out the booklet from her bag, and looked at it carefully with her head down.
Bei Bitang read very quickly. Although Zhou Qiuguang said that the content of the booklet was not important, Bei Bitang still memorized the things that she thought were more important. Finally, she closed the booklet, muttered to herself, and recited it.
Bei Bitang was actually quite nervous. If something went wrong in her job of receiving foreign tourists, it would be recorded in her file. If it was more serious, she might even be expelled.
Thinking of the golden five hundred dollars, she could move out of home after graduation, rent a small house, buy all the necessities of life, invite friends to visit, and then live a simple life alone.
Bei Bitang's heart became more resolute. She breathed a sigh of relief, put the booklet back into her bag, and took out a book on automobile drawing to read.
After more than a dozen hours, the sun had moved from the east to the west, its last ray of sunset a farewell to the world. Outside the car window, people working in the fields returned home, carrying hoes and watering cans. They held vegetables from their own fields, perhaps not their own, but given by fellow villagers working in the fields.
On the green train, the dim lights all lit up. A conductor in a white chef's uniform pushed a small dining cart and called out, "We have food for sale! Any passenger wanting food?! Braised pork! Shredded pork with pickled mustard greens! Braised pork ribs with fermented bean curd!..."
Bei Bitang has a meal allowance of three dollars, but she wants to save the three dollars, accumulate them over time, and put them into her bank account.
She got up to get some hot water and ate the boiled eggs and two corns she brought with her.
The conductor who sold dinner came and went several times, but Bei Bitang was not moved at all. Her neighbor was a young girl with a round face.
After the conductor said that this was her last time selling dinner and she was about to finish work, I couldn't help but take out my wallet and bought a dinner of one meat and one vegetable to try.
After a while, the round-faced girl was stuffing her mouth with rice when the food cart came out again. She was stunned for a moment.
Bei Bitang watched this scene, trying not to smile but unable to hold back her eyes.
The car window was not tight enough, and the night breeze blew on Bei Bitang's beautiful cheeks. She was prepared and took out a thin shirt to cover herself.
As the morning light begins to appear, under the golden sunlight, Guilin's unique karst landform is revealed before people's eyes.
The blue sky, green mountains and green water are all integrated into the painting.
Before Bei Bitang could close the book, she raised her head from her professional book and looked at the breathtaking mountains and rivers outside the car window.
After getting off the train with her luggage, Bei Bitang felt a surge of energy. The air seemed fresh. On the platform, there were many local vendors carrying bamboo baskets covered with blue cloth. As soon as the train stopped, they gathered around.
Even a thrifty person like Bei Bitang couldn't resist the shrewd women. She took out two cents from her pocket and bought two pieces of taro cakes wrapped in banana leaves.
After settling the foreign tourists, Zhou Qiuguang pulled Bei Bitang out of the encirclement. Bei Bitang said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Teacher Zhou, I kept you waiting for so long."
Zhou Qiuguang smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's okay. I came here specifically to rescue you. You, a little girl, are no match for these little women."
Bei Bitang handed a piece of taro cake to Zhou Qiuguang and said shyly, "Teacher Zhou, do you want to try it? I bought two pieces."
Zhou Qiuguang did not refuse and took it with a smile, and the smile on Bei Bitang's face became even bigger.
As they walked and ate taro cakes, Zhou Qiuguang asked casually, "The seller's cooking skills are pretty good, and it's quite delicious. By the way, Bitang, how much did you pay for it?"
Bei Bitang swallowed the cake in her mouth and answered honestly, "It's not expensive, Teacher Zhou, one dime a piece."
Zhou Qiuguang looked at Bei Bitang calmly with pity in his eyes. She was just another poor child who had been deceived.
Youtiao is only three cents a piece. Ten cents is enough to buy a bunch of youtiao, but it’s a waste to use it to buy local specialty cakes the size of a child’s fist! It’s really a waste!
Bei Bitang didn't realize that the pastries she was eating were very expensive, and the old lady's words were still lingering in her ears.
This kind of food can only be eaten in this season of the year. It is made with taro freshly dug from the ground. One piece uses a pound of taro. Bei Bitang deeply feels that it is worth the money and not a loss at all.
Zhou Qiuguang introduced Bei Bitang to this group of foreign tourists, and Bei Bitang greeted them nervously.
Bei Bitang's English has a strong accent, but fortunately foreigners can understand her. They are also very friendly to Bei Bitang and share the snacks and fruits they bring with her.
In this harmonious atmosphere, Bei Bitang became more and more relaxed, and gradually began to treat them as ordinary people.
Apart from communicating in English, Bei Bitang almost forgot that they were foreigners, even though they had golden, dark brown, curly hair, and blue and green eyes.
The minibus that greeted us slowly drove into the mountains and arrived at the hotel not far from the city center.
Along the way, Bei Bitang learned that these dozen or so foreign tourists were not only very interested in Chinese culture, but also spoke a little Chinese. They were either students or young people who had just graduated and started working, and they came from Western Europe and the United States.
The owner of the hotel was an old acquaintance of Zhou Qiuguang. She greeted Bei Bitang and the others warmly, and said to the foreigners, "Hello, good afternoon, my friends."
The other waiters in the hotel were also used to seeing foreigners. They were polite and considerate, and took the foreigners to their rooms to store their luggage as usual.
The hotel is well located, nestled between lakes and mountains.
Bei Bitang's room is on the second floor, facing the lake.
From the gate, it looks like a three-story wooden house. Going upstairs and entering the room, I found a different world. The room is made of bamboo and is filled with the faint fragrance of bamboo.
Bei Bitang put the luggage bag on the bamboo rack, couldn't help but close her eyes and take a deep breath.
She looked at the chairs, stools, beds, cabinets, and baskets in the room that were all woven from bamboo... She opened her arms, spun a few steps, and all the fatigue from the journey disappeared in an instant.
Bei Bitang spun around to the bedside, reached out and gently pushed open the bamboo window. Outside the window was the emerald green lake with rippling blue waves. Occasionally, birds flew by and fish jumped out of the water.
Bordering the lake is an impenetrable bamboo forest, lush and green, with breeze blowing from the sea of bamboo.
How beautiful! Bei Bitang exclaimed.
Bei Bitang stood in front of the window for a short while before she was willing to go downstairs to drink a bowl of oil tea as a welcome treat.
Lunch had already been prepared in the kitchen. After lunch, we returned to the room to rest for an hour, and then Bei Bitang, the temporary translator and tour guide, took up his post.
The group boarded a minibus and headed to the first attraction, the famous Elephant Trunk Hill.
When she arrived at Elephant Trunk Hill, Bei Bitang discovered that foreigners were not uncommon in Guilin, and it could even be said that there were more of them than foreign tourists in the country.
In the next few days, Bei Bitang was very busy. She left home early and came back late every day, helping with taking photos, translating and explaining, and shopping...
These foreigners are particularly strong, and each of them is like a curious child, curious about everything, and has a hundred thousand questions waiting for Bei Bitang to answer.
Bei Bitang was so tired that she fell asleep immediately every night and never opened the textbooks she brought with her. Before going to bed, she only had time to write down the knowledge she would explain to foreigners the next day.
Bei Bitang, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, walked at the end of the group. As soon as she walked down the steps of the hotel, she heard someone excitedly shout, "Look! Is this the person you're looking for?"
Speaking authentic local Mandarin, Bei Bitang followed her gaze and saw Gu Wangxi, who was dressed casually, jump off the ox cart, clapped his hands, smiled at Bei Bitang from a distance, then turned around to thank the owner of the ox cart and took out two Great Unity banknotes from his pocket and handed them to him.
Sharp-eyed Bei Bitang wanted to go forward but stopped. She'd been ripped off! Even if Gu Wangxi had come from far away, it wouldn't have cost him more than 20 yuan. Bei Bitang bit her lip, thinking anxiously.
A huge shadow fell. Bei Bitang raised her head slightly and said, "Mr. Gu, are you traveling in Guilin too?"
With Gu Wangxi's connections, it was not difficult to find out the hotel where Bei Bitang's travel team was staying by asking around, so Gu Wangxi went over.
If he goes to a new place to get along with Bei Bitang, maybe there will be new progress in their relationship. The most important thing is that Gu Wangxi misses Bei Bitang. Yes, Gu Wangxi misses Bei Bitang day and night.
Gu Wangxi looked at Bei Bitang's slightly red face tenderly. He didn't answer him immediately. Instead, he tilted his head to look at the curious foreigner, smiled cheerfully and generously, and said, "I'm Bei's boyfriend."
This English sentence does not contain any difficult words and is simple and clear.
Bei Bitang's face suddenly turned red, and she looked at Gu Wangxi pleadingly, accusing him, "Don't talk nonsense."
Zhou Qiuguang interrupted at the right time and said, "Who is Bitang's boyfriend? We are about to leave for the Ten-Li Art Gallery. Since you came here specifically to see Bitang, why don't you come with us?"
Bei Bitang opened her mouth to explain, "Teacher Zhou, he... doesn't..."
Zhou Qiuguang blinked and jokingly said, "We happen to be short of labor, so we can use your partner. Bitang, you won't feel bad, right?"
Gu Wangxi quickly said, "Teacher Zhou, just tell me. I'll make one more and Bitang will make a little less."
Zhou Qiuguang gave Gu Wangxi an appreciative look, then said to Bei Bitang, "Don't worry, Bitang. I'm a very open-minded person. I've been around a lot of foreigners, so I'll keep everything that happens here a secret for you."
After saying this, Zhou Qiuguang smiled meaningfully, returned to the front of the team, and said, "Let's go."
Gu Wangxi naturally stood next to Bei Bitang, followed the team, and chatted with the foreign friends in front.
Bei Bitang is not good at speaking and is speechless. She watches Gu Wangxi blending in with the other people in the team, making everyone mistakenly think that they are a couple.
The ten-mile art gallery is full of bamboo rafts.
Gu Wangxi jumped onto a bamboo raft and turned his head towards Bei Bitang.
Bei Bitang stared at him silently for a few seconds. Gu Wangxi pursed his thin lips, his persistence as hard as his jaw.
Bei Bitang slowly stretched out her hand and placed it on Gu Wangxi's palm.
The moment the two hands touched, Gu Wangxi immediately grabbed Bei Bitang's hand and held it tightly in his palm.
After getting on the bamboo raft, they sat down tightly and sat side by side.
Bei Bitang struggled slightly, glanced at the old man rowing the boat, and whispered, "Let go."
Gu Wangxi hesitated for a few seconds, and only let go when he saw Bei Bitang's expression becoming more and more angry.
Bei Bitang was a little angry and said, "How can you say that?"
Gu Wangxi looked calm and composed, and said calmly, "Then what else should I say?"
Bei Bitang choked. Gu Wangxi came all the way to play with her. It was impossible to say that he was her brother or classmate. A boy and a girl, two young people, were enough to give people endless associations.
Bei Bitang turned her head away, not wanting to pay attention to Gu Wangxi.
Gu Wangxi was not in a hurry to coax people. He turned around and talked to the boatman.
Everywhere she looked was beautiful scenery, and the next scene was even more beautiful than the previous one. The knot in Bei Bitang's heart caused by Gu Wangxi was quickly relieved by the scenery of nature.
She saw the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river and thought some of them were particularly beautiful. She excitedly pointed them out to Gu Wangxi.
Gu Wangxi's eyes were filled with a gentle smile. He looked down at Bei Bitang's dark head, then her rosy face, and softly agreed, "Yes, she is very beautiful."
The raft was heading downstream, entering a turbulent section of the river. The boatman called out, "Hold on tight, my two guests! I'm going to speed up!"
While Bei Bitang was holding the armrest of the chair, she subconsciously looked at Gu Wangxi to see if he was holding the armrest.
The river water rose up and rushed towards her face. Bei Bitang subconsciously closed her eyes.
The next second she felt her whole body tilted and continued to fall.
This felt wrong, Bei Bitang opened her eyes, and with two splashes, they both fell into the river.
The bamboo chairs the two people were sitting on were tied to the bamboo raft with thick ropes. Perhaps the ropes had not been replaced for a long time, or the tightness of the ropes had not been checked, so the ropes of the chairs made by Bei Bitang and Gu Wangxi loosened under the impact of the rapids.
When she opened her eyes, all Bei Bitang saw was transparent water with bubbles in it.
Bei Bitang was a landlubber, but Gu Wangxi loved the sun, the sea, and the beach, so he naturally knew how to swim. He paddled his limbs and looked around, and then he saw Bei Bitang. As he looked at Bei Bitang, she was also looking at him.
Gu Wangxi swam to Bei Bitang immediately, grabbed her hand, put his hand on the back of Bei Bitang's neck, kissed her, and breathed in Bei Bitang.
Bei Bitang was dazed, looking like she was frightened and didn't struggle at all.
After a while, Gu Wangxi took Bei Bitang and swam towards the bamboo raft.
The two of them got ashore wet. Gu Wangxi let go of Bei Bitang and took out a dry towel and coat from his backpack.
He first put clothes on Bei Bitang, then gently wiped her face and hair.
"It's okay." Bei Bitang looked like she hadn't come to her senses yet, and Gu Wangxi couldn't help but feel distressed.
He looked at the apologetic fisherman and said, "We want to go ashore."
Bei Bitang grabbed Gu Wangxi's wrist, pushed his hand away in resistance, lowered her eyes, and whispered, "Don't go ashore yet, keep swimming."
The boatman looked at the two people at a loss. Gu Wangxi looked at Bei Bitang's stubborn face and compromised, saying, "Let's go as planned."
After that, Bei Bitang remained very quiet, hugging her coat, looking as if she was in a trance.
Even the boatman noticed something was wrong with her. When the boat reached the shore, the boatman whispered to Gu Wangxi in a low voice, "Find a fortune teller to look at your partner. It seems like your partner is possessed by a water ghost..."
Gu Wangxi didn't believe this, he quickly interrupted and said, "Thank you."
No matter how beautiful the Ten-Li Art Gallery was, Gu Wangxi was no longer in a good mood. He explained to Zhou Qiuguang and the others, and suggested that Bei Bitang take a rest and leave her next work to him.
Zhou Qiuguang took a look at the wet Bei Bitang and agreed without hesitation.
Bei Bitang didn't say a word the whole time.
On the low street, Bei Bitang sat in a rice noodle shop on the street to rest, while the others went shopping.
Bei Bitang took a sip of the hot rice soup, took a deep breath, and regained some of her composure.
She didn't dare to think about the underwater scene when she fell into the water. She was scared, but not afraid of death.
It wasn't because of Gu Wangxi's kiss. They had kissed countless times in bed. Besides, it was to give her oxygen. There was no need to blush or have a racing heart because of it.
Why was that? Bei Bitang felt a chill run down her spine, feeling like she had crossed a red line.
The moment she realized she fell into the water, she did not struggle or panic, but went looking for Gu Wangxi.
Bei Bitang put down the chicken bowl, covered her face with her hands, her palms were slightly warm, and she sighed for a long time.
When Gu Wangxi and the others came back, Bei Bitang's expression had returned to normal, and she treated Gu Wangxi the same as before.
Gu Wangxi was only concerned about Bei Bitang's health, and could not tell anything from Bei Bitang's quiet and lively face.
Back at the hotel, Zhou Qiuguang hesitated and said to the two of them, "Where does Comrade Gu live?"
Unexpectedly, Bei Bitang spoke before Gu Wangxi: "Teacher Zhou, he can sleep on the floor in my room."
Before he finished speaking, Gu Wangxi couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. He vaguely saw the dawn of victory.
Sleeping on the floor? This was simply an attempt to hide the truth. Zhou Qiuguang smiled and said, "Then I don't care, Bitang. Comrade Gu came here because of you, so you take care of him."
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