Chapter 8: How did I meet so many awesome people?

  An Yi, who had been working continuously for eighteen days, finally got a two-day holiday. Before the holiday, Chen Zhanggui, who had received instructions from his master Ou Yaoting, stopped An Yi and handed him thirty dollars in prize money, and then repeatedly reminded him that after receiving the "huge bonus", he should be grateful and work harder.

  An Yi was indeed grateful and wanted to repay kindness, but the object of his repayment was not Chen Zhanggui.

  It wasn't long after three o'clock in the afternoon, An Yi came to Mr. Lao's stall with several paper bags and sat down with a plop, putting the bags under the square table and grabbing Mr. Lao's teacup to drink it all up in big gulps. Mr. Lao sent off a middle-aged woman after collecting three silver coins, turned around, and saw An Yi drinking his entire cup of tea, feeling very heartbroken: "You're so young, what are you drinking tea for? Isn't there a thermos of boiling water behind you? This is my hometown tea that I've been treasuring for a long time, what a waste, what a waste!"

  An Yi turned around as if no one was there, refilled the teacup with water, then reached into a paper bag and pulled out a package of tea leaves: "Here, I'm giving it back to you, stingy ghost! This is your favorite Pu'er, bought from Liu Xiang Zhai."

  "Have you become rich? You can't be so extravagant, it's time to start saving money to marry a wife." Mr. Lao happily picked up the tea leaves and closed his eyes to smell them: "Good tea! It should cost at least one dollar per catty!"

  "As long as you like it, finish drinking and I'll buy more for you." An Yi said with a smile.

  Mr. Lao was moved in his heart but his mouth was tight: "No wonder, with two coins, he's messing around, this is how a prodigal son is spoiled."

  An Yi didn't mind at all, and from under the table picked up a paper bag and pulled out the box inside: "I measured the rotten leather shoes under your bed this morning, I think they fit, try them on quickly."

  Mr. Lao opened the box and was stunned, looking at it for a long time before turning to An Yi: "These shoes are American-made rubber-soled soft leather shoes, which cost at least twenty big dollars. Tell me, where did you get so much money?"

  An Yi saw the reproachful look in Mr. Lao's eyes and immediately explained: "I repaired more than 20 sewing machines that the company couldn't fix, reducing losses of over 6,000 yuan for the company. The boss was so happy that he rewarded me with 30 silver dollars. I spent the whole day today to spend this money. Thinking about the cold weather coming, Guangzhou is particularly rainy in winter, your current pair of shoes will freeze your feet. I know you don't want to buy new shoes, now that I can take care of myself, there's nothing else I can give you as a gift, so I'll just buy you a pair of shoes. Don't think this is like cheating your customers or something, between us father and son, we don't need to be so formal."

  Mr. Lao's heart warmed up, but his face remained cold: "Take it back to the store immediately and return it. I'm not worthy of enjoying such expensive shoes."

  "Cut the act. Do you want me to go on and on about how grateful I am for saving my life? Mr. Labor, you've taken care of me for so long, making me feel like someone still cares about me. It's reassuring, to be honest. Don't look at how I joke around with you normally, but in my heart, you're like an elder to me. Now that I have a job and income, who else should I show filial piety to if not you? Take it, or I'll really go crazy."

  Mr. Lao heard the word "violent" again and couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, I'll accept it. But just this once, don't make a habit of it."

  "That's about right. A bit long-winded, though." An Yi joked again. He put away his shoes and pulled out a beautiful new pen to show Mr. Lao: "This is the Parker pen I gave to Dongzi. He uses it every day to write. And I also bought him two sets of autumn clothes. The weather will change soon. This coastal place gets cold and deadly. Even a gentle breeze makes you feel chilled to the bone."

  Mr. Lao nodded repeatedly: "Xiao Yi, from now on don't call me Mr. anymore. We're family!"

  "Then I'll call you Uncle. Uncle Lao!" An Yi thought for a moment and asked: "Uncle Lao, I still don't know your full name. Can you tell me?"

  "How can it not be? My name is Shou Dao. Guarding the way, the road... wait a minute. You just called me 'Lao Shu', how does that sound so awkward? Lao Shu... old mouse... no good. Can't call me that. Four pillars in conflict! Change to another one." Mr. Lao stroked his long beard and shook his head repeatedly.

  An Yi laughed: "Indeed, it's homophonous with 'mouse', but calling him Shou Shu isn't auspicious either. I don't understand why one would name someone who needs to undergo surgery... Let me think again, Dao Shu? That doesn't sound right either...... Ah! Old Uncle, how did you come up with this name?"

  Mr. Lao burst out laughing: "What kind of thing becomes distorted when it comes out of your mouth? What on earth is inside that brain of yours, full of all sorts of nonsense? Suit yourself, call me whatever you like, I'm a carefree old man!"

  "Hey... are you intentionally trying to annoy me? Alright, I won't call you uncle or grandfather either, just calling you Old Dao is fine. After all, you're also a fellow Daoist, so it's more intimate and fitting to call you that." An Yi said with a smile, seeing Mr. Lao not getting angry but instead seeming very pleased, he made up his mind to call him that, who knew this joking form of address would end up being used for the rest of their lives.

  The uncle and nephew were so close, joking with each other. The old man saw several young men in military uniforms walking from afar, and quickly put down the topic to tell An Yi in a low voice: "Look west, several soldiers are coming over, their momentum is extraordinary, such a heroic appearance is rarely seen, their future prospects are boundless!"

  An Yi looked up and gazed at them for a while, then exclaimed in surprise: "I've seen several of them before. The tall one is from Hunan, named Chen Mingren. It's strange, how did he become so familiar with Jiang Xianyun and He Zhonghan, who often come out to give speeches?"

  "Do you know him?" The old Daoist also found it strange.

  An Yi saw several people approaching and hastily said: "They're coming, I'll tell you slowly after they've passed by."

  Jiang Xianyun and He Zhanhan, dressed in military uniforms and walking steadily, were at the front. Chen Mingren and several people An Yi didn't know followed closely behind. As they passed by an old fortune-telling stall, they took a look with interest. Chen Mingren, who had sharp eyes, recognized An Yi and quickly stopped in his tracks, enthusiastically greeting him: "Brother An, I didn't expect to run into you here! What are you doing in this line of work?"

  An Yi stood up and laughed: "This is my uncle's stall. I'm on holiday today, so I came here to sit for a while."

  Jiang Xianyun and several others saw that An Yi had a bright and handsome personality, and they also had a good impression of him. Chen Mingren immediately introduced An Yi to his companions: "Everyone, this is the An Yi brother I mentioned with Zuo Quan, he was the one who reminded us to find Wu Shan (Jiang Xianyun) and Jun Shan (He Zhonghan) brothers that day in front of the preparation office. Everyone knows what happened afterwards, and I haven't had a chance to thank Brother An yet."

  Jiang Xianyun stretched out his hand to An Yi with a smile: "Brother An is a talented and extraordinary person, everyone has mentioned you several times, now that we meet in person, I feel that Brother An is refreshingly easy-going and not ordinary at all! I wonder where Brother An is currently working?"

  "What's the big deal? After we parted ways last time, I've been looking for a job to make ends meet. Half a month ago, I was lucky enough to be taken in by the 'Tai Chang' trading company, and now I'm working as a repair technician inside." An Yi Ren is very down-to-earth.

  He Zhonghan said in surprise: "It's not easy to get into 'Tai Chang'! This is a large business, and more than a dozen businesses such as 'Tai Chang', 'Hong Chang' are under the flag of 'Tai Chang'. The shops they operate include imported machinery, Western medicine, cloth, jewelry and so on. The 10,000 yuan worth of emergency medical supplies we obtained last time were donated by Mr. Ou Yaoting, the boss of 'Tai Chang'. I heard that Mr. Ou has a good relationship with several elders in the headquarters, he is an enlightened rich businessman, it's a rare thing for An brother to work under him."

  An Yi shook his head and smiled wryly: "To be honest with you all, until now I still don't know what my boss looks like. I've been squatting in the backyard warehouse repairing those sewing machines, grinding wheels and whatnot every day. Today is my first break, haha! Where are you all going?"

  Chen Mingren replied: "Many of our fellow villagers came to take the third exam at Huangpu, and as soon as we got permission, we all came out together. We helped our fellow villagers with their procedures and settled down to prepare for finding a place to eat. From morning till now, we haven't even had lunch yet. In an hour, we have to rush back to school on the steamboat to report back. But the restaurants around here are too expensive, we can't afford them. We were just thinking of going to that small stall at the front of Tianzi Wharf to have a bowl of rice noodles to fill our stomachs. Brother An, have you eaten lunch yet? If not, let's go together, I'll treat you, and I haven't thanked you yet."

  Several people who heard An Yi speak sincerely and kindly to him also had a good impression of him, and after hearing Chen Mingren say so, they all invited him to go together. Seeing everyone's enthusiastic gaze, the optimistic An Yi agreed, said goodbye to Lao Dao, and followed everyone with laughter and chatter. In fact, An Yi had already eaten lunch, he wanted to ask about the military life of these peers, after all, the Huangpu brand was too loud, understanding more was also a kind of fun and comfort.

  Walking down to the dam, just a few steps away is a small rice stall. The stall has four small square tables and over ten low stools. There aren't many customers but it's clean and tidy.

  After they sat down, Chen Mingren introduced his companions to An Yi one by one: "This is Du Guangting from Shaanxi; this is the famous Chen Geng, the pillar of our school's Blood Flower Drama Club; and this is the talented Zeng Muyi Zeng Kuqing, oh, and he's also a fellow Sichuan native... Brother An, what's wrong?"

  An Yi, who was stunned, came to his senses and thought to himself, "They're all amazing people, how can I not be surprised?" He chuckled and said with a smile, "Nothing, nothing, it's truly an honor to meet so many heroes... it's really a blessing from three lifetimes! Everyone, don't call me Brother An anymore, I'm not even 19 this year, I'm younger than all of you older brothers. If you're not disgusted, just call me Little Yi."

  "Alright! From now on, I'll call you Xiao Yi." Jiang Xianyun smiled and said, "Just now when I came in, I saw you greeting the boss and his wife, are you familiar with them?"

  An Yi smiled and said: "I come here from time to time for a meal at noon, by the way, the braised beef here tastes good."

  "The taste is really tempting, but unfortunately if we eat freely, we'll probably have to mortgage our pants." Zeng Kuoxin's words brought a burst of laughter.

  An Yi thought for a moment and turned to the boss with a smile: "Fang Auntie, is there still braised beef?"

  "Yes, there's still half a bowl left. How much do you want? I'll have it delivered to you." The quick-witted landlady smiled at An Yi.

  An Yi nodded: "Let's get it together, I got rich yesterday, and today I just happened to meet old friends and fellow villagers, it's rare to be together and have fun, trouble Fang Ni."

  "It's okay, I'll send it over with the rice noodles after they're done."

  Jiang Xianyun and others looked at An Yi in surprise, Chen Mingren, who was originally going to invite them out, said in a low voice: "Xiao Yi, this half pot of braised beef is worth at least three dollars, we don't want you to spend too much money, just make do with it... boss..."

  "Hey Lao Chen, no need to be so polite!" An Yi pushed down Chen Mingren's raised hand.

  "Old Chen? This nickname is interesting, sounds pretty good to the ear, haha! Xiao Yi, as long as friends are happy together, no need to be too extravagant."

  "I'm different from all of you, although I'm a bit younger. Now I'm part of the working class, with a minimum monthly income of 16 yuan, which is more than what most government officials make. Plus, I've fixed many machines at the store and the boss gave me a bonus that's even more than my monthly salary. So, let's not argue about this anymore. If you guys think I'm worthy, just accept it. I heard that Comrade Liao, the party representative from your military school, went to Commander Yang's residence three times to ask for help so his students could have a meal with meat, but he didn't succeed. You guys are really struggling! As a friend, inviting you all to have some beef is nothing. Even as an ordinary citizen, I know the principle of supporting the military and loving the country."

  Chiang exclaimed loudly: "Well said! The eight words 'support the army, love the government and the people' have thoroughly explained the relationship between the military and civilians! Xiao Yi, you're amazing, with such high awareness and progressive thinking of a revolutionary youth! By the way, are you interested in enrolling in our Whampoa Academy? With your good physique and mechanical repair skills, it's hard to come by. If you're willing, I can recommend you. The third enrollment period is just about to start."

  An Yi was stunned again, seeing everyone encouraging him with seven mouths and eight tongues. Chen Gang and Zeng Kuo were particularly enthusiastic, while Chen Mingren also stared at him with hopeful eyes. An Yi secretly lamented in his heart, thinking that he could just talk about it, but if he really went to take the exam, he would probably make a fool of himself.

  Just then, the young boss and his wife brought up a steaming bowl of rice noodles and a fragrant stewed beef that attracted many people's attention. An Yi took the opportunity to laugh and grab a large spoon to serve everyone: "I've just started my business not long ago, if I were to leave like this, it would be unfair to Mr. Ou, who didn't mind that I didn't have a diploma when he hired me. So I need to ask for his consent first, haha... come on! Eat more, my 'Tai Chang' is just a short walk from the dam, very convenient, haha!"

  Everyone saw An Yi being so enthusiastic and generous, so they no longer mentioned letting him take the Huangpu exam. Only clever He Zhenhan and Jiang Xianyun seemed to have seen that An Yi had other ideas, and the two of them quietly buried their heads and ate fiercely. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and Sichuan old fellow Zeng Kuoxin told a joke that made everyone laugh uncontrollably.

  An Yi saw that everyone was so happy and relaxed, thinking that the Huangpu Military Academy would soon go on an expedition to the east. The National Government had already begun to accuse Chen Jiongming of sinister intentions in the newspapers. An Yi's interest came and he also told a joke, thinking that it wouldn't be a waste to gather everyone together for some fun.

  An Yi wiped his mouth with a smile and said: "Just now, Lao Zeng's joke was interesting. I also have one, it might be a bit rough, if everyone is willing to listen, I'll say it too."

  "Come on, what's wrong?" Chen Mingren, who was usually cautious and taciturn, obviously regarded An Yi as a friend.

  An Yi didn't want to think too much, and Zhang opened his mouth: "I heard that Commander Chen Jiongming's first time in Beijing, he walked into a dumpling shop and was attracted by the aroma. It was cold at the time, and the dumplings were steaming hot, so Commander Chen sat down and ordered some. The waitress was a pretty Beijing girl who couldn't understand Cantonese, and our Commander Chen could only speak a few words of Mandarin. So he asked: 'Miss, how much is the water dumpling per bowl?' Maybe it was because our Commander Chen's accent was too heavy, and the Beijing girl heard it as 'Miss, how much do you charge for sleeping per night?' The girl was a decent person and didn't want to, so she suddenly became angry and scolded loudly. Who knew that our Commander Chen wasn't a fool? He stood up angrily and shouted: 'You're not young anymore, what's wrong with asking you how much you charge for sleeping per night? If you don't want to sleep with me, I'll go find someone else to sleep with. How can you be so ill-mannered?' The misunderstanding got even bigger..."

  The last sentence was learned by An Yi with great skill and everyone laughed so hard that they held their bellies.

  He Jiahan had just taken a bite of the rice noodles and suddenly burst out laughing, "Hahaha!" One of the noodles actually came out of his nostril, with a piece of green scallion dangling from his chin, swaying back and forth. Everyone else saw this and laughed so hard they almost fell to the ground...

  PS: Altruistic enough? Another 4,500 words! Please collect and recommend! Tomorrow night at 12 o'clock, rush to the new book list, friends who can come and help out! Thank you!