Heading west
It was already late outside the window. Qingcheng didn't want to argue with Gao Junxiao anymore, so she told him about the upgrade to a different carriage. Gao Junxiao suddenly realized what was going on, feeling embarrassed but also a little regretful. He immediately offered to help with the ticket purchase, but before he could even take out his wallet, a male train conductor approached them.
The train attendant gave Qingcheng a professional smile and handed her a newly printed first-class ticket. Her luggage had already been moved to her compartment by the attendant.
The train conductor was rather handsome, and his smile was exceptionally sunny. She thanked him profusely and pulled out a 10-yuan note from her wallet as a tip, clearly in a good mood. The conductor thanked her profusely as he left the carriage, and Qingcheng glanced at him a couple more times before departing.
The fact that such a large sum of money was used as a tip, even though paper money wasn't as valuable as silver dollars, still stunned Gao Junxiao. Should he say, "Sorry, rich lady, I'm sorry to bother you"?
However, the surprise was only momentary. How dare the little girl stare at other men right in front of him? Did she think he was dead?
Watching Qingcheng pack up her belongings on the table, preparing to move to another place, Gao Junxiao put on his usual serious and aloof expression, and sighed softly.
This move successfully attracted the beauty's attention for a moment. Qingcheng looked a little puzzled. He then clutched his stomach and sighed heavily, glancing at Qingcheng's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, she stopped what she was doing and asked him with concern what was wrong.
"Tsk, I'm fine, oh, really fine." Gao Junxiao tried hard to keep a straight face, not wanting to give himself away.
Under his girlfriend's persistent questioning, he reluctantly answered, "Actually, during the war, I ate irregularly, sometimes full and sometimes hungry. The doctor told me that because of the long-term irregular eating habits, my stomach isn't very good, and I can't eat hard food..."
"You have a stomachache too? Is it too cold in the carriage?" Qingcheng immediately blew her breath on her palms to warm them up before massaging Gao Junxiao's abdomen. Gao Junxiao closed his eyes and was enjoying the soft touch of her delicate hands, feeling a little lightheaded, when suddenly the blanket covered him and the sharp pain pulled him out of his reverie.
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me. Mind your image in public." Gao Junxiao pulled off the blanket covering his head and raised his hands in surrender.
Qingcheng, standing beside him, pinched his cheek and sneered, "Heh, you're a grown man with hands and feet, and you want to live off a woman?"
His face was tingling from being pulled, but Gao Junxiao remained taut and said in a slightly sour tone, "Is it because you thought that train conductor was handsome that you gave him such a generous tip? I can do what he can do too."
"Get lost. Did you see this thing? It's your cunning, that's all." Qingcheng rolled her eyes at him and gestured in front of Gao Junxiao, "You can't see it, can you? Because you need a magnifying glass to see it."
"You said I'm petty, so let's put this together. You're so generous, supporting me is just a piece of cake. It doesn't matter who you support, I'm much more useful than the train conductor." Gao Junxiao wasn't angry, but instead deliberately leaned against Qingcheng, becoming even more demanding.
Qingcheng said in surprise, "Oh my, Director Gao, you flatter me too much. My salary as a small newspaper editor is nowhere near as high as yours. I can barely keep up with the tips. As for someone as great as you, I can't afford to support you. You should be supported by the Nanjing government."
Seeing her adorable pout, Gao Junxiao couldn't hold back any longer and collapsed into his seat, laughing uncontrollably. Qingcheng knew she had fallen for his trap again, so she turned away, grabbed her bag, and left. Gao Junxiao immediately followed her, but he hadn't gotten anything out of her yet, and Qingcheng wouldn't let him in.
"Darling, don't you want your wallet anymore?" Gao Junxiao turned around outside the door, proudly holding up a brown women's wallet. Qingcheng touched her lower back and realized that her wallet was in someone else's hands.
"Damn it, give it back! How could a high-ranking military and political official like you be involved in such petty theft?" Qingcheng pretended to snatch it, but Gao Junxiao didn't hesitate and simply pulled a photo from his wallet, tossing the wallet to his girlfriend. The moment Qingcheng opened the wallet, Gao Junxiao had caught a glimpse of his photo inside.
"Hey, when did you take this picture of me? Shouldn't you give me back a photo of yourself? Oh, there's writing on the back too. Let me see." Gao Junxiao noticed the writing on the back through the light. Just as he was about to turn it over, he felt a cool sensation on his cheek. The feeling was like a flower petal gently brushing against his cheek, but it was also indescribable, like being electrocuted.
In that moment of distraction, the photo was returned to its rightful owner. The loud slam of the door pulled Gao Junxiao back to reality. He took a deep breath, his hand trembling slightly as he touched his cheek, which was so hot it could cook an egg.
Chen Yao, who had been secretly observing, put his arm around Gao Junxiao's shoulder at some point and made a suggestive face at him. Gao Junxiao pushed Chen Yao away in disgust, and as he turned his head, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. He returned to his private room with a smug look on his face.
The next day, the red sun peeked out from behind the mountain clouds, and the lush mountain vegetation was gradually replaced by scattered low houses. Soon, the platform built of reinforced concrete gradually closed in front of us.
Xuzhou, being a major transportation hub, was bustling with people, including many blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners. As soon as they stepped off the train, a wave of dry heat hit them. They had been sheltered inside the train car, enjoying the air conditioning and oblivious to the outside temperature; this was truly a case of experiencing both extremes.
At this moment, Kiyosumi sensed something was amiss around her. She discreetly observed her surroundings out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to find that there were at least ten people in disguise on such a small platform. Some of them were clearly spies.
My goodness, what kind of place is Xuzhou City?
Suddenly, someone patted her on the back, startling Qingcheng. She turned around and saw a smiling Xiao Li. She touched her chest, blaming herself for overreacting. As an intelligence agent, her enemies were everywhere, so it was no big deal.
After reflecting on his actions, Qingcheng cheered up and flashed his signature smile. According to the plan before the business trip, they would first go to find lodging, and then go to the newspaper office or rest for half a day at the hotel, since the anti-bandit team would not be able to complete their encampment so quickly. Xiao Li could go to report to them tomorrow.
Before Qingcheng could explain, Gao Junxiao grabbed her and pushed her forward, asking, "Darling, where are we going to play today?"
Gao Junxiao didn't explain much about Qingcheng's inexplicable behavior, but simply whispered in her ear, "Can you do me a favor?"
Thinking that there might be bandits' spies among those disguised people, Qingcheng made a gesture to Chen Yao and the others. Chen Yao behind him probably understood the gesture, whispered a few words to the two adjutants, and then walked towards them without hesitation with the remaining two.
"Just focus on having fun. Let's find a place to stay first. Xiao Li, let's go." Qingcheng spoke softly, but her tone carried a hint of assertiveness.
As soon as she stepped off the platform, she saw a man holding up a simple wooden sign with Qingcheng's full name on it. Qingcheng was surprised that someone had come to pick her up and immediately distanced herself from Gao Junxiao.
The man was not tall, wearing a white suit and black and white leather shoes. He had thick eyebrows and round eyes that reminded people of an old ox in the field. His hair was parted in the middle, a style popular among men these days, especially scholars.
When the man saw the large group of people approaching, he was shocked and approached He Qingcheng with some uncertainty to ask about her identity. After receiving an affirmative answer, he introduced himself as Hu Yukun, the office director of the Xuzhou office, who was usually responsible for receiving guests and handling some miscellaneous logistical matters.
After Xiao Li introduced herself, Qingcheng introduced Gao Junxiao as her boyfriend. He and his friends happened to be in Xuzhou on business and wanted to take the opportunity to visit some beautiful scenic spots.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect so many people, so I only found a small car. We'll go and call another car right away." Hu Yukun set off to the car dealership to book a car.
Gao Junxiao immediately stopped the enthusiastic Hu Yukun: "No rush, no rush, let's find a place to eat first since there are so many of us."
With Qingcheng's nod of approval, Hu Yukun led the "heat wave" group who had just gotten off the train to the shop. The conversation along the way made them quite familiar with each other. Since they were all friends and of similar age, they were no longer reserved and chatted and laughed, making it a lively and fun time.
Several elderly men sat chatting by the door, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans. The proprietress was busy at the counter, and even the shop owner's teenage son was skillfully wiping the table. Hu Yukun, as the host, naturally went to order food, while Qingcheng rested her chin on her hand, enjoying a moment of coolness.
Suddenly, he felt a cool touch on the back of his hand. Turning his head, he saw that Gao Junxiao had bought chilled plum juice. Chen Yao, sitting opposite him, immediately banged on the table and started teasing, "Hey, someone's obviously biased. I'll call you 'brother,' can you go buy me a bottle too?"
“Call me Dad, and I’ll think about it.” Gao Junxiao smiled as he looked down at Chen Yao, casually handing her the drink. Qingcheng looked at the reddish-brown liquid that had just been filled into the glass bottle, with a few golden osmanthus blossoms floating on top, and unconsciously revealed a sweet smile.
"No, no, everyone gets a share." Even Lu Xian and Xiao Li joined in the commotion, clamoring to have some cold drinks too. Only Zhang, the adjutant, looked on blankly as they egged him on, completely out of it.
Qingcheng was exasperated by their commotion. It was a sweltering day, and she didn't want her boyfriend to run the errand again. So she gave the shopkeeper's child a few cents as a tip, asking him to go out and run an errand. The clever child quickly stuffed the money into his pocket and happily skipped out the door.
"Look at Qingcheng, he's so magnanimous, and you're just like that." Chen Yao said disdainfully, raising his little finger.
"Being called stingy by a miser like that makes me feel so uncomfortable. I seriously suspect that you're having a long-distance relationship to save money," Gao Junxiao retorted, propping himself up on his arms.
"Oh! Brother Chen has someone he likes, and it's in a long-distance relationship." Qingcheng's smiling eyes were full of surprise.
"No, he's dating a pen pal. They've never met, but he keeps calling her 'my darling,' isn't that ridiculous?" Gao Junxiao explained to his girlfriend, suppressing a laugh.
“Pen pal, which magazine? Maybe I know someone who can help Brother Muqiu find out,” Xiao Li chimed in.
"That's great, Brother Chen, what do you think? There's a chance you could get a permanent position," Lu Xian encouraged from the side, eager to stir up trouble.
Feeling embarrassed by everyone's stares, Chen Yao cleared his throat and stammered, "Kuai...Kuaihuolin." Kuaihuolin was the literary supplement of the Xinwenbao newspaper, and also the most popular pen pal magazine at the time.
Upon hearing the words "Happy Forest," Xiao Li and Qingcheng exchanged a smile and simultaneously applauded Chen Yao, which drew the attention of Zhang, the adjutant who had been oblivious to the situation.
"Congratulations, Happy Forest, this is a good match for us. Little Li, have your precious daughter give Brother Chen Yao some special treatment." Qingcheng, like a matchmaker, was indulging in her gossip again.
"Hehe, no problem, Editor He. I'll call my darling right now. And Brother Mu Qiu, what's your pen pal's pen name?" Little Li's eyes weren't big to begin with, but now they looked like slits as he smiled.
Seeing that the others looked confused, Qingcheng patiently explained, "Xiao Li's fiancée is the editor of 'Happy Forest,' in charge of the pen pal section, so you've come to the right person."
"No... that's not a good idea. How about I write a letter first and ask if they'd like to meet?" Chen Yao pretended to be hesitant and took a sip of coarse tea to hide his excitement.
"It's up to you, we don't care, right, Xiao Li?" Qingcheng gave Xiao Li a look.
“Yes, Editor He, we’re just here to build the bridge. Whether the lovers cross it or not is their business.” After all, they were old partners, and Xiao Li immediately understood Qingcheng’s meaning, so he used a retreat-to-advance approach to cooperate with Qingcheng’s words.
"Whether you stick your neck out or not, you're still going to get stabbed. Can't you just be straightforward? What if it's a man? We can still be brothers, right?" Gao Junxiao, while cooperating with Qingcheng, didn't forget to tease Chen Yao's distant love interest.
Despite Gao Junxiao's jeering, he still whispered in Qingcheng's ear that Chen Yao had already gotten married back in his hometown. This made Qingcheng want to strangle the man in front of her. Damn it, why didn't he say so before? Wasn't she helping Chen Yao become a Chen Shimei (a notorious womanizer)?
"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me! Her pen name is Manli, Man meaning graceful figure and Li meaning beautiful. My pen name is Junhao, and we started corresponding on March 25th this year. According to her, she is a local from Shanghai, and the vocabulary she uses is indeed from the Wu dialect area." Provoked by Gao Junxiao, Chen Yao spoke in great detail, even remembering the exact date of their first correspondence.
"This pen name is too common, but it's okay. I'll call my darling right now and tell her to keep an eye out for the Shanghai girl named Manli." Little Li was indeed the most capable; he dashed downstairs to find a phone booth.
Hmph! All crows are black. Qingcheng couldn't stop Xiao Li's lightning-fast legs, and feeling frustrated, she deliberately moved to sit opposite Gao Junxiao, unwilling to be next to him. Everyone assumed she was just hot and didn't pay any attention.
A short while later, Hu Yukun finished ordering and joined the conversation. When people asked about tourist attractions, Hu Yukun became like a dam releasing water, talking non-stop. He described the saying "a city of green hills and half a lake" to illustrate the geographical environment of Xuzhou, where green hills surround the city and lakes lie within. He then went on to talk about Pan'an Lake, Weishan Lake, and Pei County, introducing each one in turn.
Finally, Hu Yukun proudly stated that he doesn't charge admission fees when taking people there, although it's a bit far; it takes almost afternoon to get there now. However, they can go to Weishan Lake first and find a fisherman's house to eat lake delicacies. They can also see ten miles of lotus flowers this season.
Just then, several children playing downstairs began singing a strangely melodious children's song: "Go west on the first day of the lunar month, the seventh day is the seventh day after death. Go west on the second day, the eighth day you'll become a turtle. Go west on the third day, the ninth day you won't need to be saved. Go west on the fourth day, the tenth day you'll become bird food..."
Listening to the dark Tong Yao that seemed to come from afar and then near, images of swollen, floating corpses and circling crows kept flashing through Qingcheng's mind. Looking at the cold dishes on the table, she suddenly lost her appetite. She tried to tell herself not to think about it too much, not to think about it too much, because having too much of an imagination can be annoying sometimes.
"Director Hu, Tong Yao here is too scary." Xiao Li said with a bitter face. Qingcheng knew that he was timid to begin with, and he was even more frightened by Tong Yao. If it weren't for the interview, he would have run away long ago.
"You have no idea how rampant the bandits are in Xuzhou. They even dare to storm the county government! When things were chaotic before, there was even a curfew in Xuzhou city," Hu Yukun complained bitterly.
"Curfew? What era are we living in? There's still a curfew?" He Qingcheng asked in surprise.
“Once it gets dark, the people are all asleep. Anyone still wandering the streets is either a soldier or a thief. That makes it easier to catch them,” Gao Junxiao explained, a hint of worry in his eyes as he looked at Qingcheng.
“That makes sense! You just mentioned that the mining area is also to the west, right? That's because the foreigners specifically hired mercenaries to guard the area and gave the city defense troops a lot of benefits. Originally, several small bandit groups in the surrounding area were chased and beaten by our city defense troops, and they all fled west, saying they went to join some big mountain strongholds.” Hu Yukun unconsciously frowned when he mentioned that there were mercenaries in the mining area.
Qingcheng rubbed her temples, feeling a string throbbing in her head. Everything was just Old Wang's guess; she only had the mining area as a clue, and she was completely in the dark. To make matters worse, there were mercenaries in the mining area. How was she supposed to gather any information?
"Your city defense commander is quite something. Whose troops are they? They know their place, at least they know how to get things done for the money. Are they even better than those mercenaries?" Qingcheng continued, following his words, her eyes full of sarcasm.
"Taking money to solve problems for others, oh well, they're all the same, choosing the best among the worst. Besides, I have to protect my own territory. Otherwise, why would I dare to bring you guys out to play?" Hu Yukun shook his head helplessly and added, "This guy isn't famous. He used to be an instructor in Chairman Han's guard battalion in Shandong. He was just transferred from Jinan Prefecture at the end of last year."
"Being unknown doesn't mean being incompetent. Xuzhou is a fortress, and even if Nanjing is short of people, it wouldn't be comfortable leaving a good-for-nothing here. Why doesn't the city's defense commander manage the western part?" Judging from Gao Junxiao's tone, he seemed to know this person, but he was still trying to get information out of Hu Yukun, as if their relationship was somewhat complicated.
As if remembering something, Hu Yukun clicked his tongue: "Tsk, all the way west from Xuzhou City, the mountains are full of bandit dens. They've been trying to eradicate them since the Beiyang period, but they've never been able to. Later, they even formed some kind of mountain stronghold alliance, trying to play the old trick of using beacon fires. Now, even the Heavenly King himself can't control them."
"You just said bandits stormed into the county government. Are you that arrogant?" Chen Yao asked in a soft voice.
"Yes, it's true. My master happened to be at the county government office at the time when the thief broke in on horseback. I've even seen the photos," Hu Yukun said confidently.
"What happened to your master later?" Xiao Li asked curiously.
“What could they do? Their families paid the ransom and they were released. This is a big county, which is considered good. I heard from my master that several smaller counties nearby were massacred, and the county magistrates were killed. He wrote a report about it, but the Beiyang government wouldn't allow it to be published.” Hu Yukun’s face was full of anger.
"The Beiyang period, that's at least several years ago, right?" Kiyosumi continued to ask.
"Not only that, I saw the photos were dated 1920 and 1928. There might be other photos I haven't seen yet," Hu Yukun said after thinking for a while.
"Your master is really unlucky, getting robbed twice while out of town on business," Gao Junxiao remarked.
"Twice is considered few. Some villages are robbed every day, as punctual as a rooster crowing. The villagers have become numb to it." The group was chatting happily when the cook interrupted them with scrambled eggs and pancakes.
Perhaps she was really hungry, Qingcheng followed Hu Yukun's example and rolled up some scrambled eggs and cucumber in a pancake, then sprinkled some dried chili on top and took a bite. It was actually a bit softer than she had imagined, so she decided to treat it as a workout for her teeth: "Director Hu, the hot dishes are here, when will the rice be served?"
Hu Yukun handed the steamed bun to Qingcheng, and asked in bewilderment, "Editor He, aren't you eating right now? There's food all over the table. If you don't have enough bread, have another bun."
Seeing that Hu Yukun didn't understand, Qingcheng was compared to a bowl shape, so he explained again that it was a staple food, rice. However, Hu Yukun still scratched his head and didn't understand.
"Boss lady, give her another bowl of rice." Gao Junxiao shouted as he added the dish, and Chen Yao, Lu Xian, and Xiao Li immediately followed suit, all saying they wanted more rice.
“There are differences between the North and the South. In the South, rice is what people call ‘rice’ and ‘staple food.’ In Jiangnan, steamed buns are called ‘mantou’ and are usually eaten for breakfast,” Gao Junxiao patiently explained to Hu Yukun, who looked enlightened.
Fresh fish and shrimp were served one after another. The restaurant was really generous, with river shrimp piled up like small mountains and crabs even bigger than the plates. Each dish was served to the brim, and the portions were excellent value for money.
But... watching the large bowl of rice being filled and emptied several times, the proprietress eventually moved the wooden bucket used for steaming rice over. Qingcheng took a sip of plum juice and secretly looked around, trying to mentally prepare herself. Men have big appetites, that's normal. She shouldn't feel like she was surrounded by hungry wolves.
Qingcheng's gaze unconsciously shifted to Gao Junxiao. She was more concerned about Gao Junxiao's actual appetite. Last time she went to her aunt's house, after asking for a third bowl of rice, he said he was full, but he wasn't. He was silly and not being realistic at all. The bowls at home are small, so her aunt wouldn't blame him for eating a few more bowls.
After the meal, to make up for his poor hospitality, Hu Yukun went to the fruit stand next door and bought a big watermelon. Sure enough, summer is best enjoyed with watermelon.
With a crisp cracking sound, it was cut open, revealing tender red flesh wrapped around black seeds, looking incredibly sweet. To show his sincerity, Hu Yukun picked out the largest piece and handed it to He Qingcheng.
However, Gao Junxiao immediately took it for her, explaining with a smile, "She can't eat that much, let's not waste such good melons."
After saying that, Gao Junxiao immediately "finished the job" by cutting a slice of watermelon into cubes, sticking toothpicks in them, and then placing it in front of Qingcheng.
Compared to Gao Junxiao's refined manner, everyone else suddenly felt like a barbarian just eating watermelon, and the watermelon in their hands no longer tasted so good.
Gao Junxiao's sincerity finally moved Qingcheng, and her anger subsided considerably. An arranged marriage is like Pigsy looking in the mirror – you're caught in the middle and no one is happy. She shouldn't have taken her anger out on Gao Junxiao.
When you're calm, your thinking gradually opens up. You can't just barge into the mine because there are mercenaries there. There are two mines in the Copper District, one owned by Germans and the other by Japanese. They're essentially competitors, so the Germans are the ones most eager to see the Japanese mine fail. Perhaps a more subtle approach would be to strike from the sidelines.
The group hadn't even left the store yet when they came down the stairs and caught a glimpse of a young man standing in the lobby. He was dressed in casual clothes and was about to salute, but then, probably remembering that they were still outside, he silently lowered his hand.
Before she could finish the sentence, He Qingcheng appeared and stared in surprise at the newcomer.
Staff Officer Xu!!!
The atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward. Xu Xun, who had been recognized, probably hadn't expected that Gao Junxiao would bring his woman with him when he went to war. He stood there awkwardly, caught in a dilemma.
"Oh, Xu Xun, is everything settled over there? This is Miss He, you know her." Of the people present, only Gao Junxiao acted as if the kidnapping had never happened, proudly saying to his girlfriend, "Darling, this is our strategist Xu Xun, he's under my command now."
Standing behind Gao Junxiao, Qingcheng didn't know what had happened between them, but she wanted to applaud Gao Junxiao. As expected of him! Whether it was bandits or political enemies, they would all eventually fall under his control. She was impressed!
After waving goodbye to Gao Junxiao and the others, Hu Yukun kindly took Qingcheng and the others to the "Longquan Pavilion" owned by the Suzhou boss. After helping them find rooms, he informed Qingcheng that the interview with the German mine owner was scheduled for 10 a.m. the next day, to be held in two sessions, and that he would come to pick Qingcheng up the next morning.
After nightfall, while everyone was resting indoors, Qingcheng walked through the lobby with a copy of "Xuzhou Tourism Guide" in her hand and knocked on the door of the shopkeeper on duty.
"Shopkeeper, do you know how to get to Fanghe Pavilion?"
“Go east from Fanghe Pavilion, it’s in the tourist guide, I’ll point it out to you.”
The shopkeeper led the man into the inner room, took out an identical travel guide from a drawer, and rolled the two together. A red-crowned crane with its head raised appeared on the margin. Seeing the complete red clasp, the shopkeeper smiled and extended his hand to shake hands with Qingcheng: "Comrade, what do you need?"
“I’m looking for Hu Yukun,” Qingcheng replied calmly.
A hearty laugh came from behind the screen. Hu Yukun, who had already left, slowly stepped out and shook hands with Qingcheng: "Comrade He, how did you recognize me? Wang Renyong said you've never been to Xuzhou."
“Our Shenbao newspaper only has three reporters and one support staff member stationed in Xuzhou. I’m their chief writer, and they don’t even know my specific train number. Don’t be offended, Wang Renyong likes to only say half of what he means, leaving the other half for you to guess.” Qingcheng sat down in a grand chair to the side with an air of familiarity.
Hu Yukun awkwardly wiped his face, probably inwardly greeting Wang Renyong in his hometown dialect. After a moment, he sat down and said, "Okay, I am actually a real reporter, but I am a reporter for the Southern News."
“What a coincidence, me too. I have a pen name, Bai Xiao,” Qingcheng replied happily.
Upon hearing the name, Hu Yukun jumped to his feet, looking at Qingcheng in disbelief and exclaiming, "My God, I always thought Bai Xiao was an uncle like Mr. Shouchang, how could she be a beautiful girl?"
"You flatter me. My understanding is far inferior to Mr. Shouchang's. By the way, why did you come a day later? This mission has very few clues." Qingcheng expressed his doubts.
"Because we're going to meet a very important person tomorrow." Hu Yukun smiled mysteriously at Qingcheng. They needed to discuss their "exploration" of the mining area tonight.
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