Spring Thunder Chapter 0210 Spring City Gentleman
March 21, Spring Equinox.
Men San'er went back to the capital last time and then to Lijiaopo, and then came to the capital again to inform Nan Yichuncheng that Liuzi was ready to finish the work and he had to go over to keep an eye on it.
Nan Yi had nothing to do in the capital, and everything was being watched by Ueto Masami, so he followed Men Saner to Chuncheng.
There are some hotels with a long history in Chuncheng, such as Chunyi Hotel where Nan Yi and Men Saner are going, and Dingfengzhen, which the locals call the Si Hotel.
Chunyi Hotel, located in the radiation circle of Chuncheng Railway Station, was formerly the "Chuncheng Yamato Hotel" built in 1907. It was the first of the four Yamato hotels built by the Japanese in Northeast China.
It was the earliest building on what was then called "Central Avenue", which is now the northern section of Renmin Avenue. It has silently watched this not-so-old city go through decades of vicissitudes.
Most of the major buildings built by Japan in Chuncheng were in the "Xingya" style, implying the intention of Japanese militarist aggression and expansion. As the most advanced hotel at that time, the "Yamato Hotel" obviously could not give people too much oppression with this style.
It is not known whether it was an intentional competition with Tsarist Russia or a coincidence of design concept, but when designers Kikujiro Ichita and Gihei Hirasawa designed the building, they adopted the "Art Nouveau" style, which was the most popular in the European architectural world at the time, also known as the Vienna Secession style.
The Ice City, which was within the sphere of influence of Tsarist Russia at the time, was the base camp of "Art Nouveau" style architecture in the country.
Decades have passed, and Chunyi Hotel still retains the appearance of the then "Yamato Hotel".
Although the interior has undergone many modern upgrades, the high ceilings, narrow corridors, uniquely designed staircases, and glass murals that look as good as new after decades still allow people to get a glimpse of the thickness of history and cultural accumulation.
The layout of the hotel's guest rooms and conference halls has not changed, but the internal equipment and facilities are no longer what they used to be, and are more modern and luxurious.
More than a decade ago, this was a government reception hotel. After it was named Chunyi Hotel in 1975, this luxury hotel was opened to ordinary people and gradually realized its original function of market operation.
Nan Yi and Men Saner walked into the best room in Chunyi Hotel together. The heating in the room was turned on very high, and it was a bit hot with their coats on, so they took off their coats and sat on the sofa in their shirts.
"Have you told Liuzi yet? When will he come over?"
"It should be soon. I informed him in advance and he knows we will arrive today."
As Men San'er spoke, he rummaged around the room and soon found a bottle of drink from the TV cabinet. He opened the bottle cap, took a big gulp from it, and then spurted it out.
"What's that smell? It tastes like beer, so sour."
"Kvass is a very popular drink among the Soviet revisionists in Eastern Europe. It is made from fermented bread. The one in your hand should be Qiulin brand, produced in Ice City." Nan Yi said, glancing at the bottle in Men Saner's hand.
"I can't get used to the Russians' stuff . I've tried their vodka, and it's just like drinking swill."
Men Saner put the bottle aside in frustration, walked out of the room and asked the waiter for two bottles of boiled water, made two cups of tea and put them on the coffee table, then sat next to Nan Yi again and said to Nan Yi who was looking through the travel guide: "Is there anything interesting here?"
"Victory Park, do you want to go for a walk?"
"It's boring to visit parks. The parks in Spring City can't compare with those in Beijing."
"Then what are you asking?"
"If there is no place to play, then where is the place to eat?"
"The Dingfeng we just saw is really the most unique one here."
"That moment..."
Knock knock knock.
"It should be Liuzi who is here." Men Saner said.
Sure enough, the school beauty opened the door and it was Liuzi who came in. His full name was very nice, Gu Jingsheng.
"Master Nan, Master San."
"Jingsheng, don't be polite, please sit down." Nan Yi said, pointing to the chair opposite him.
"Why."
Liuzi agreed, moved the chair against the wall on the other side, and sat opposite Nan Yi and Men Saner.
"My two lords, you have come at the right time. There is also a capable person in Chuncheng, a woman named Guo Fengyi, who is holding a flower contest on Chuncheng Street. I want to take this opportunity to sell all the orchids in my hand."
"How much do you have?"
"Not many, there are about 200 pots left, all of them are top quality. According to the market conditions outside, they can be sold for 50,000 to 150,000 yuan. I was afraid that if I sold them too hastily, the price would go down, so I have been shipping them out slowly. Now that Guo Fengyi has caused such a commotion, I can sell the goods quickly."
"Oh, Jingsheng, you've been here for so long, have you noticed who is behind this?"
Liuzi lowered his voice and said, "I didn't know at first, but after a long time, I figured it out. It should be the person you think is in that situation. He is very wild and has a deep foundation. He is buried quite deep.
Master Nan, I'm sorry, I don't know the details, so I didn't dare to go on. "
"It's okay. It's right not to touch them. It doesn't matter to me whether I know who they are or not. I'm just curious. Is the Oiran Contest you mentioned going on now?"
"We are collecting flowers now. First we have to select and evaluate the grades of A, B, C, and D. We have to be at least Grade B to move on to the next step. It's quite formal."
"Then let's go and see what's going on. Liuzi, you can take us to the place and then go about your business."
"Okay, Master Nan."
Liuzi brought Nan Yi and Men Saner to Chuncheng Street, showed them the place, and then left.
When Nan Yi and Men San'er were walking towards the courtesan competition venue, Song Lao San was also wrapped in a cotton jacket, holding a box, and walking on the street following them closely.
Song Laosan is an ordinary worker in the county town under Chuncheng. His real name is not very nice to hear, but since he is the third child in the family, over time, people start calling him Song Laosan.
Two years ago, he responded to the call and raised two pots of orchids, which he took good care of. Recently, he heard that the flower market was booming, and his mother happened to be sick, so he thought of trying his luck in Spring City.
He asked along the way and finally found the Hongqi Street Flower Market. However, he did not see the legendary crowds and waving people. Instead, people all walked in one direction and left the flower market quickly.
"Brother, why is the flower market closed? Everyone is going outside." Song Laosan stopped a passerby and asked.
"There's an event going on over there, hey, get out of the way, stop pulling me!"
The other party pushed Song Laosan away and quickly left.
Song Laosan was turned away, but he was not annoyed. He looked into the flower market again and found it was not too deserted. He made up his mind and decided to follow the direction of the main group.
Soon, they arrived at Chuncheng Street.
Well, Song Laosan took a look and saw that there were huge crowds of people here, crowded together, like sparrows huddled together to keep warm.
After struggling to push a few people aside, he could no longer get in, so Song Laosan could only stand outside and watch.
There was a small empty space in front of the department store, and a person was standing there, holding something in his hand and talking: "My name is Guo Fengyi, and many people may know me.
I have been raising flowers for more than ten years. From being penniless to having some success, I now have my own flower company. It can be said that I have personally witnessed how the Clivia business has developed step by step to where it is today.
I heard that the city is considering designating Clivia as the city flower, and there will be special regulations. The transaction of orchids will be taxed and will also be protected.
I feel so excited when I think about the great development of orchid industry in Spring City. I can’t get where I am today without the help of many people…
In order to celebrate the prosperous times, give back to my hometown folks, and make some contribution to the Clivia business, I specially invited two orchid experts to hold a Flower King Competition.
Starting from today and for a period of five days, everyone can voluntarily sign up to participate and we will be the judges.
On the fifth day, we will put the higher quality Clivia selected earlier together for competition. Just like the imperial examination in ancient times, we will also select the top three.
The first place winner, the top flower, will be awarded 10,000 yuan by me personally; the second place winner, the second place winner, will be awarded 5,000 yuan; the third place winner, the third place winner, will be awarded 3,000 yuan..."
Buzz buzz buzz!
Song Laosan could no longer hear what Guo Fengyi was saying. His ears and surroundings were filled with overwhelming noise, and he felt a surge of blood rushing to his forehead.
Ten thousand yuan, fifty a month, six hundred a year, twenty years of not eating or drinking to save up. He felt a grayness in front of his eyes, the voice seemed to fall to the ground, the crowd seemed to be still for a while, and then the starting gun sounded, and everyone rushed forward.
Song Laosan was pushing the person in front of him, and was also pushed by the people behind him. Although he was not tall, he had been pushed off the ground and was being pushed forward by others.
Song Laosan was in a mess and his mind was blank for a moment. Suddenly, he felt a little hot, so he tore open the cotton buttons of his cotton monkey to let the "hot air" pour in.
Suddenly, my nose felt itchy for some reason, so I reached into it with my little finger and scratched the itch inside, then wiped it on the cotton monkey to make my nose feel refreshed again.
She stared ahead, watching people walk in one by one. Finally it was her turn to line up in front of the door. Just as she was about to go in, she was stopped by someone.
"Registered?"
"ah?"
Song Laosan was confused again.
"Pay the five-dollar registration fee first."
"Five dollars!"
Song Laosan's soul was leaving his body. He jumped three feet high and wished he could use an electric shock on the person who was trying to stop him. Five dollars was enough for him to live on for half a month.
He wanted to leave, but he saw that several people beside him had already paid in. He changed his mind and said, "My money is good. If I win the first prize, that's 10,000 yuan!"
I made up my mind and paid the money to enter.
After entering, there was another queue, but there were more railings, strung together with ropes, and artificially divided into three rows.
He followed the team in a daze, and when there were only a few people left in front, he saw a table inside with a young man sitting next to it. There was also a sign on the table with a person's name on it.
"Class C, eliminated."
"I've been raising flowers for half a year, and you only give me a C grade?" A bald man suddenly jumped out and shouted, "You little bastard, be careful or I'll cut you. What the hell is this? You're trying to cheat me, right? I don't want to play anymore. Give me back the five dollars."
The bald man looked ferocious and ready to fight at any time.
The young judge adjusted his glasses and smiled, "We didn't force you to sign up. You did it on your own accord. Since you're participating in the competition, I, as a judge, must be fair, just and open.
Flowers are good if they are good and bad if they are bad. Your flowers are not of good quality, but I gave you top grade ones. That is cheating you out of money and it is extremely unfair to others. "
The young man's words were recognized by others, and some people expressed their support.
"You're right. Why are you making a fuss when you can't spend your money yourself?"
"Get lost, others are still queuing up!"
"go out!"
"go out……"
Seemingly having angered everyone, the bald man became scared and left angrily holding his orchid.
After this little episode, the team disappeared faster and soon it was Song Laosan's turn.
"Hello, let me see your flowers." The young judge smiled at Song Laosan.
“Ah…oh…oh…”
Song Laosan quickly opened the box and took out a pot of Clivia.
"You've done a good job keeping it warm. You're a person who cherishes flowers." The young judge commented on the wooden box first, then observed it carefully, "This is a big victory for you. How many years have you kept it?"
"It's been more than two years. It didn't bloom in the first year, but it bloomed this year."
Song Laosan's voice was shaking.
"The leaves are medium-wide, short-pointed, glossy and waxy, smooth to the touch, with narrow veins and obvious protrusions, large, bright red flowers, and excellent appearance..." The young judge nodded and stuck a piece of red paper on the flower pot. "Grade A, you can participate in the next round, go over there to register."
Song Laosan was still confused. He took the flowers to the table pointed out by the young judge. An employee of Guo Fengyi Flower Company was responsible for registering them and measuring them with a ruler.
"Song Shaluo, Lane XX, XX Street, XX County, a plant of Dashengli, with a leaf length of 73cm and six flowers..."
"Keep this and come to participate in the finals in a few days." The staff handed a red card to Song Laosan.
"oh oh!"
Song Laosan only then realized that those who ranked first would be able to participate in the final selection. He looked at the card again and felt inexplicably moved. This was such a high-end and festive event.
He walked out of the hall and was sobered up by the cold wind, but was then frightened by several people who rushed up to him.
"How long...how long?"
"What grade was it rated?"
Song Lao San replied tremblingly: "A... A, etc."
"Do you have any red paper?"
"have."
When Song Laosan shook out the red card, the eyes of the people nearby lit up instantly and they started scrambling for it.
"Five thousand, sell it to me for five thousand!"
"Get lost, you only give 5,000 to a guy who's ranked first? I'll give you 10,000, 10,000!"
"If you are not sincere, I will give you 20,000."
Twenty thousand?
Song Laosan's body trembled again, and the word "sell" was about to come out of his mouth.
But I don't know why, my brain, which is usually not very smart, becomes unusually clear at this moment, as clear as when I made the decision to buy the leeks at the bottom halfway up the mountain, and I am also full of passion for the future.
"That's not right. If I got the top prize, no no, even if I got the third prize, it would be more than 20,000 yuan." After figuring it out, Song Lao San was full of pride and waved his hands domineeringly, "No, no, I want to choose Kao!"
At this moment, Song Laosan seemed to be possessed by Song Jiang. Looking at the people around him, he felt that either Wang Lun or Chao Gai were his stepping stones . There were only two words in his mind - recruit.
Haha, Kao!
He pushed aside the crowd surrounding him, and the cotton monkey coat on his body turned into a yellow robe. The image of the pretty widow whom he had been thinking about for many years gradually faded, but the every frown and smile of the female college student named Jinlian who was newly assigned to the factory office was always on his mind.
Nan Yi, who was standing in the corner watching the fun, sang the background music of "The God of Gamblers Appears" for Song Lao San, "Dangdangdang, dangdangdang, dangdangdang, dangdangdang, dangdangdang..."
"Grandpa Nan, I see this grandson's temperament has changed suddenly. His waist has become straighter and his legs have become straighter."
"Money is the courage of a man. If he has 20,000 in his pocket, he can love anyone and be the most powerful person in the world." Nan Yi said while still keeping his eyes on Song Lao San. He had seen a man who should be a reporter walking towards him.
"Hello, I'm a reporter from the Clivia Newspaper. Did you just come out from the selection?"
Song Lao San nodded and said, "Yes, I just came out from inside."
The current Song Laosan is no longer the same Song Laosan as before. He no longer has a fever and he no longer coughs.
"Then can you tell me what you think, how do you feel?"
"I feel really good. The three judges are all very good, especially the young judge who is very capable and has a keen eye for pearls. He gave my flowers an A grade."
"Can I see your flowers?"
"Can."
Song Laosan took the flowers out of the box, and the people around him came up again, talking about it in a flurry.
"This Great Victory is only a short one, but it's in great condition. No wonder it's rated A."
"The judges were quite reliable. My flowers were given a B grade, but I was dissatisfied. They explained it to me in detail."
"The judge who showed me the video was a young one. He was really professional. I was impressed."
"Hey, he also reviewed mine. He's not pretentious at all and has a good attitude."
Snap!
The reporter took a photo and then invited Song Laosan to take a solo photo.
Song Laosan struck a pose, which Nan Yi thought looked a bit like "taking a photo of Mount Emei alone", so he guessed whether Song Laosan's surname was Jiang.
"If you're hungry, go to Ding Feng Zhen."
After seeing enough of the excitement, Nan Yi said to Men Saner.
"Walk."
As soon as the two entered Ding Feng Zhen, a fat waiter came to greet them.
"Come on, bro."
"I haven't seen my sister for a few days. She looks plump again. This is good. She looks round."
"Oh my god, little brother you are so good at talking. Please come in, please come in." The fat waiter laughed so hard that he was shaking with laughter.
Nan Yi and Men San'er walked into the store, chose a table and sat down, "Sister, I'll order the dishes we usually eat, roasted deer tail, three fresh vegetables, Zhen Bu Tong pickled vegetables, leek pancake, Emerald Ginseng Maotai chicken, and a portion of braised pork."
"Okay, I'll get to you guys right away."
"Hey, thank you, sister. I'll have to trouble you to go back to Baozhen and buy eight taels of dumplings for us. Do you think it's okay?"
"If there is anything wrong, it's up to me."
The fat waiter patted his chest, and as the floor shook up and down indescribably, it resonated and the sound of crackling and breaking tiles could be heard.
"Then I'll trouble you, sister."
Nan Yi took out money and food coupons from his pocket and handed them to the fat waitress, "Sister, this is all I'll give you. You don't need to return it if there's more. If there's less, come back and get more."
The fat waiter took the five yuan and five kilograms of national food coupons and started to giggle again. The wrinkles on his face were pressed one layer after another, just like dumpling skins.
"Shuangwu" pushed the fat waitress, making her legs and feet light. Not only did she quickly go to the kitchen to place the order, she also grabbed a handful of Lao Maosheng's ginseng candies for Nan Yi and the others to sweeten their mouths first.
Then, she used her core strength, without moving her upper body, but with her legs stepping out a shadow, and quickly went out to help buy dumplings.
"Master Nan, this fat girl is so attentive, do you think she cheated on you or your sweet talk made her crippled?"
"When Master Yinzong was giving a lecture, the wind blew a flag and fluttered it. One monk said it was the wind that was moving, and another monk said it was the flag that was moving. The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said, 'It's not the wind that is moving, nor is it the flag that is moving, it's your mind that is moving.'
I don’t have the great wisdom of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. I can only say: ‘When I slap you with my hand, is it your face that hurts, or my hand? ’”
"Of course it's Emma's heartache." Men Saner said with a smile.
"When you come to Spring City, you should not only see the local customs, but also understand the people. The information of the carriages, boats, inns and pedicures is the best. Later, I want this fat lady to introduce a guide."
"Why bother introducing her? I think she's the right one. She'll definitely be happy to do it."
Men San'er is still talkative.
