Chapter 39: The Three Islands
Neil laughed and said, "It's a shame to let the famous Si lead the way... If you don't want it, then give it to me. I won't mind."
Chu Wang smiled: "I never said no."
Si Yansang walked forward with his eyelids drooping. "I couldn't see clearly this morning, so I thought the rain wasn't very heavy."
She thought for a moment and said, "Let it bask in the sun, it won't be too ugly."
"Really?" He raised his eyelashes and looked at her. "I'm sorry."
Chu Wang smiled and was about to say something to comfort him when suddenly, a group of sailors outside the door, accompanied by several officers, entered the cabin. They rushed in with an arrogant and arrogant attitude, and then several of them retreated to a corner. The people who came in had British and American accents. Chu Wang exclaimed, "Huh?" "Why are there Americans?"
Neil said, "Since the last century, this has been a supply port for warships from many countries."
Si Yansang squinted his eyes for a moment and said, "Is it the Air Force?"
Neil laughed and said, "A student studying in the United States invited several Air Force colonels to give lectures. But of course the navy still depends on the British."
Chu Wang seemed to hear a familiar voice, and squinting his eyes for a while, he couldn't make out what it was. Suddenly, a few American women laughed loudly, and exaggeratedly shouted "oh my gosh—" to drown out the rest of the noise, and the group went upstairs.
Two people upstairs poked their heads out and called Neil upstairs. Neil smiled at them and said, "There's only one hotel on the island, and it's probably booked tonight. I wonder if there are any rooms available."
After he said this, he went upstairs with the two men. The bottom of the cabin was suddenly empty, and only the two men were left looking at each other.
"With no place to live, I had no choice but to wander around the island," Chu Wang blinked. "I heard there's a Wu family mansion and a coffin stone."
Si Yansang smiled and asked, "What story does Shanlin Dao Yuan Mei want to tell me this time?"
Chu Wang, hands behind his back, walked two steps formally with his back to him. Suddenly, he turned around, holding a lighter in his hand. The flame flickered across her face. She smiled and said, "A story about a ghost!"
While he was stunned, Chu Wang handed the mechanical lighter to him and said with a smile, "This is for you."
"Mine?" He opened his eyes slightly wide and stared at the delicate little thing in his palm for a while. Then he smiled, "I..."
Chu Wang stared at his expression and thought: Haven’t you learned to smoke yet?
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from upstairs: "Excuse me, could you lend me a light?"
They both looked up. A man in a gray-blue vest, white trousers, and brown boots came downstairs, an unlit cigarette between his lips. His brows furrowed slightly, perhaps driven by a craving for cigarettes. He removed the cigarette from his lips with two fingers and pointed at the newly acquired lighter in Si Yansang's hand. Seeing that he appeared to be Chinese, he repeated in Cantonese, "Can I borrow a light?"
This man was as pale as Xie Miya, perhaps even more bloodless. Chu Wang stared at his face and somehow blurted out in Cantonese, "Are you the... Watsons Coca-Cola?"
The man also stared at her for a while, then laughed and said, "I am."
He immediately stood up straight, thought for a moment, and said, "Your Cantonese is still very poor."
Chu Wang said: "Your Chinese is not very good either."
"Really?" The man curled his lips. "I thought I had made a lot of progress." He looked down at the lighter in Si Yansang's hand and praised, "Very beautiful."
Si Yansang narrowed his eyes slightly and said politely, "Thank you. But I just got it."
"Do you smoke too?" Xie Zeyi asked.
"Suck." Si Yansang said without hesitation.
Chu Wang couldn't help laughing. He wanted to tell him not to force himself, but he couldn't bear to expose him on the spot.
Si Yansang took a 555 cigarette and, holding it between his fingers, he unpracticedly lit it, but it didn't light up after several attempts. Chu Wang watched for a while, almost unable to resist the urge to step forward and give him some advice. Fortunately, Xie Zeyi couldn't bear to watch any longer and spoke up first, saying, "Light it while you smoke."
Si Yansang nodded, put the cigarette between his lips in a serious manner, lit it and took a deep drag - then his eyes turned red and he started coughing violently. Chu Wang hurried forward to pat him on the back, and couldn't help but complain in his heart: If you don't know how to smoke, don't force yourself to learn.
Xie Zeyi laughed and said, "That's a bit too hasty."
At that moment, the boat shook and docked. From upstairs came the sound of footsteps and applause, the clatter of high heels on the planks, and a brown-haired woman leaned against the railing, complaining in a pure American accent, "Zoe, hurry up and get ashore! I want to eat at the seafood stall."
Xie Zeyi raised his eyebrows to look at her and nodded, "I'm coming."
Then he asked Si Yansang, "Next time I borrow a light, could you tell me where this mechanical lighter was made?"
Before he could get a reply, he took two or three steps forward, put his arm around the American woman's waist and walked ashore.
Si Yansang finally recovered from his first vigorous puff of a cigarette and asked, "Who is it?"
"He is the brother of a classmate." Chu Wang didn't know whether he would tell Xie Miya that he had seen him in Putai, so he couldn't help feeling a little worried.
At this time, Neil also rushed down from upstairs, put an arm on Si Yansang's shoulder, and strode forward with him. As he walked, he said loudly: "Si, you have to thank me. I specially asked for a room for you. If you want to be more gentlemanly, you can squeeze in with me tonight and give the room to the lady -"
Si Yansang's eyes were still a little bloodshot, and he looked at her nervously. Chu Wang nodded, smiled, and followed the two of them.
The only larger restaurant in Putai was famous for its seafood stalls. The three of them, sandwiched between a group of noisy sailors, returned to their rooms. Chu Wang changed out of his rain-soaked, dirty clothes—into a white shirt and a suspender jumpsuit. When he wiped his hair and opened the door, Si Yansang was already waiting outside. Chu Wang poked his head out and asked, "Are your clothes, shoes, and socks dry?"
He shook his head.
Chu Wang brought out the three white shirts and handed them to him, "Go to the bathroom and change into your clothes. Take off your shoes and socks and give them to me."
He looked at his clothes, then looked up at Chu Wang with clear eyes.
Chu Wang smiled: "Why are you looking at me like that?" Then he pushed him into the house, "Hurry up and change while no one is around."
He held the clothes and asked, "What would happen if you saw it? Would it make you marry me sooner?"
Chu Wang glared at him, and he smiled and went into the bathroom and closed the door.
The hotel had a portable air dryer. While drying his shoes and pants, a voice came from the bathroom: "Two and a half years is too long. It would be nice if it were next year."
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