The dried radish with the boxed lunch was pretty good. The braised pork ribs tasted much better than the meat at noon. Around 7 p.m., Jiang Yue handed in the boxed lunch. She was tired from sitting on the bus all day, so she climbed up to the top bunk and went to sleep around 8 or 9 p.m. She didn't have to worry about safety as she was wearing her religious robes.
Jiang Yue woke up around 5 a.m. the next morning. She hadn't slept well the night before, and had been woken up twice in the middle of the night because there were children in the carriage, and their crying was very loud. Although the robe could block out sound, she didn't dare to turn it on full power, in case someone called her. Besides, it wasn't intelligent noise reduction; it could just block out distant sounds. She would fix it when she had time.
They didn't sell meal tickets in advance for breakfast because there were only steamed buns and eggs, no soup. They figured if they couldn't finish it, they could sell it at noon and not worry about wasting it. Jiang Yue bought two eggs and drank some hot water to tide her over. She didn't plan to eat lunch because she would arrive in Hangzhou at 3 pm. She would eat something better after she settled in there.
The morning was incredibly boring and unbearable. Sitting or standing was uncomfortable, and even the men who were supposed to be talking didn't want to talk anymore. Everyone on the bus was listless. Fortunately, Jiang Yue only had three hours left before she was free. By 2 PM, Jiang Yue had packed her luggage, though she hadn't actually taken out much.
The dried radish and magazines that were on display were gone once they were put away. The snacks that were taken out yesterday were long gone. When we arrived in Hangzhou at 3:30, it was quite a coincidence that all six of us got off at the same station, but we had to go to different places and had to separate. After exiting the station, Jiang Yue took a photo with Hangzhou Station. It was taken with color film, which Jiang Yue didn't have much of on display.
When people come to Hangzhou, most would say West Lake. Jiang Yue was no exception. She had already found out the bus routes to West Lake, so she just needed to find the bus stop. Once she got to West Lake, she would find a place to stay. These days, it's not easy to find a place to stay. Some guesthouses have strict rules about the level of guests, and you can't get in if you're not high enough.
However, Jiang Yue had already considered this matter. She directly had the puppet buy a house here, and she only needed to follow the 'Bai Ze brand navigation'. Yes, she picked up Bai Ze in Hangzhou because she was afraid of encountering any unpleasant things. These days are still quite chaotic. Next year, 1983, will be the first crackdown.
Bai Ze had already cleaned the house, so Jiang Yue could just move in. After settling in, Jiang Yue went out for a walk. She didn't plan to go to West Lake today; she'd leave tomorrow morning. She wanted to find a restaurant to eat something now, too lazy to cook herself. Unfortunately, it was already too late, and the restaurants were closed when she arrived.
Having no other choice, I went to a nearby farmers market and found that they actually sold rice cakes. I bought some rice cakes and some side dishes. When I got home, I cut the rice cakes up. Since they were already soaking in water when I bought them, I didn't need to soak them anymore. I lit a fire, heated oil in a wok, added eggs, side dishes, and rice cakes, then added some seasonings and cooked it all. A fragrant plate of stir-fried rice cakes was ready.
After finishing her meal, she left the mess to the puppet to clean up. She was too tired from the two-day train journey and it was getting late, so she planned to go to bed early. She intended to go back to the wizard tower to sleep and take a shower, as she hadn't showered for several days.
The next day, after waking up and having a bite of breakfast, Jiang Yue changed her clothes, slung her small bag over her shoulder, hung her camera around her neck, and set off for West Lake. Her accommodation wasn't far from West Lake, so she decided not to take the bus and just walk. No one seemed surprised by Jiang Yue's attire; she even saw a few foreigners.
After walking for more than an hour, Jiang Yue arrived at the West Lake. She had just passed the Ma Yifu Memorial Hall, but she didn't rush to go in. She planned to take a boat to Xiaoyingzhou first. She bought a one-yuan boat ticket at the boat dock and kept the ticket as a souvenir.
I took some photos on the boat, but unfortunately it wasn't easy for Jiang Yue to take photos of herself alone. The weather was really nice today with a gentle breeze. The beautiful scenery and good weather made it a truly enjoyable trip. The first place we went after arriving on the island is probably familiar to everyone. Unfortunately, the RMB people are using now is the third set of RMB. The fifth set of RMB won't be released for another ten years or so.
After arriving at the location, she found an angle and took some photos. There were quite a few people on the island with cameras, and Jiang Yue asked someone to help her take some photos. In the end, she even had to give them a roll of color film. Mainly because they were also teachers, and they were nice to talk to, Jiang Yue couldn't resist giving them a roll of film. After taking the photos, Jiang Yue felt a little regretful. She heard that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, dozens of moons could be seen at Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, and she wouldn't be able to stay there at that time.
We walked along the road to the "My Heart Reflects Each Other" pavilion. There is one shrine, two pagodas, three towers, and four pavilions. We've already seen the three pagodas, so let's leave the others aside for now. The four pavilions are the Imperial Stele Pavilion we came from, the stone stele pavilion with Emperor Kangxi's calligraphy of "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon," and then there is the "My Heart Reflects Each Other" pavilion in front of us.
If you stand behind the pavilion and look out over the lake through the round doorway and two latticed windows, you can see the three stone pagodas of "Three Pools Reflecting the Moon". Together with the plaque "My Heart Reflects the Moon Pavilion" on the round doorway and the couplet "Three pagodas reflected on the waves, a round moon reflected in the lake", they form a very Zen-like scene.
The front of the Wo Xin Xiang Yin Pavilion also has a couplet: "The mountain light quietly faces the edge of the misty waves, the pagoda's shadow is clearly reflected between the water and the moon." This place has always been a good spot for moon viewing in West Lake. Every Mid-Autumn Festival night, when the bright moon hangs in the sky, people in the pavilion can see the moonlight, lake light, and lamplight reflecting each other, and feel a magical beauty.
After taking photos of the beautiful scenery, Jiang Yue rested for a while. It was better to travel now, at least there were fewer people. After resting for a while, she walked towards the center of the island. When she reached Tingtingting, she rested for a bit and then walked back. She walked down Xiaoyingzhou to the pier of Huagang Guanyu, because she regarded this as the starting point.
After disembarking, Jiang Yue walked along the Su Causeway towards Yue Fei Temple. This section of the road was quite long, stretching about three kilometers from north to south across West Lake. The scenery along the way was beautiful, and tourists helped each other take many photos. After walking halfway, Jiang Yue took a break, ate some beef jerky, and drank some water. Taking advantage of the absence of others, she quickly changed her shoes. It had been a long time since she had walked such a long distance, and Jiang Yue's feet were sore.
After taking a short break and briefly acting as a photographer, Jiang Yue continued her journey. She walked out of the Su Causeway and arrived at the Wind and Rain Pavilion. After taking photos and checking in, Jiang Yue faced a choice: should she go to Yue Fei Temple first or have a meal? She took out her brochure and decided to eat first. A full stomach and good spirits are essential for a pleasant trip.
After walking for a while, I was too tired to walk anymore, so I decided to find a rowboat to sit on. It was just the right spot to sit near the entrance of Lou Wai Lou restaurant. After eating, I would walk back to Yue Fei Temple. Besides, it's normal to miss out on food if you miss a mealtime these days. Before long, Jiang Yue arrived at Lou Wai Lou. I had eaten West Lake Vinegar Fish before, so let's see how it is in this era.
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