Chapter Eleven A Meal's Memory

  The dinner party left Ou Yaoting deeply satisfied. Although he had to leave for a while to entertain, when he returned, An Wei was still waiting politely, and the exquisite dishes on the table hadn't been touched. He also behaved properly with his daughter. From these small details, Ou Yaoting could see An Wei's honesty and politeness.

  What made Ou Yaoting most satisfied was that when he asked An Yi and Hans, the deputy manager of the German "Lu Lin" trading company, about their interactions in a roundabout way, An Yi replied very frankly. He said that there were some problems with the design of German-made sewing machines worth discussing, and Hans was a very diligent person who listened to his opinions very seriously. After consulting with him several times, he took away the improved design drawings of the trial parts, nothing more. An Yi finally stated solemnly: Hans had never mentioned the "Lu Lin" foreign trading company to him, nor did he want to inquire about foreigners' affairs, and even less willing to work under foreigners, although the income might be higher than Chinese-owned businesses. However, working for his own people made him feel at ease and sleep soundly.

  An Yi's words made Ou Yaoting and Miss Ou feel deeply surprised, and they also heard a certain depth of meaning from An Yi's words and expression - An Yi had no good feelings towards the great powers, and even had some resistance. This result made Ou Yaoting feel much more at ease, and Miss Ou also added a lot of goodwill to An Yi in her heart.

  However, the father and daughter had no idea that An Yi's design was "improved" by Hans, which made the high-level executives of the "Lu Lin" trading company very excited. Two exquisite designs were deeply praised by the company: Firstly, the improved hand-cranked transmission and foot-powered transmission design freed up one hand of the worker, greatly improving labor efficiency. The "Lu Lin" commercial firm quickly responded and produced a new generation of foot-powered sewing machines in just four months, which they claimed was "revolutionary". Hans was also promoted to manager of the South China region for his contributions. Americans followed suit three months after the Germans launched their new product, but those precious three months allowed the Germans to take the lead. Secondly, An Yi made experimental improvements to the thickness of the sewing machine's cast iron base, redesigning the base to save a quarter of the original material. As a result, the weight of German "Bai Fu" sewing machines was significantly reduced after a year, and sales surged rapidly in India and the Far East, far exceeding twice that of American "Sheng Jia" sewing machines.

  Hans is an honest man, and his many ideas and rich experience have given Anyi a great deal of inspiration. It can be said that these improvements are the result of cooperation between two people. Only under Anyi's repeated requests did Hans sign his name on the design drawings, although he was deeply puzzled by Anyi's decision. Anyi also benefited greatly, and according to the secret agreement reached with Anyi, Hans deposited a "hardship fee" of 1,000 yuan in the British Chartered Bank in Shanghai under Anyi's account. Hans also gained fame and fortune from this design patent, and all of this was known only to Hans.

  The next morning, An Yi, who was on vacation, followed his truck for a trip to the eastern suburbs at Shui Sheng's request. The car ran normally and didn't have any more problems. Shui Sheng was very grateful and after listening to An Yi's unique views on driving skills, he finally let An Yi drive for a while. Fortunately, except for making some unpleasant "ga ga" sounds when shifting gears at the beginning due to unfamiliarity, An Yi became more skilled and stable afterwards. His choice of route and predictability were much better than Shui Sheng's, so much so that Shui Sheng couldn't help but suggest that An Yi change his profession to driving, which left An Yi deeply surprised.

  The reason why Shuisheng is so generous is that the Citroen sedan ordered by Dongjia Youting is about to arrive, and this dedicated car for Mrs. Ou still doesn't have a driver. Shuisheng really wants to go to Mrs. Ou's side to drive the new car. Firstly, driving a sedan is a hundred times more noble than driving a truck. Secondly, he won't have to work so hard running around Dongguan, Sanshui and other surrounding areas. Not only will his income be twice as high, but he'll also have more time to spend with his wife and children.

  Back at the store, it was already 12 o'clock noon. An Yi went to Yue Xiang Building and then sat down at Old Dao's fortune-telling stall, chatting with him in a low voice about recent news and exchanging views as usual. Old Dao also enjoyed talking with An Yi about current events and warlord affairs, feeling that some of the things An Yi occasionally said were very reasonable and had predictive power, so the old and young pair chatted tirelessly, from time to time making jokes about current events.

  "Xiao Yi, you're really enjoying yourself!" Hu Zongnan laughed loudly as he approached the stall, while Du Yuming and several others standing beside him also wore smiles on their faces.

  An Yi turned his head and saw that all the brothers had arrived, so he quickly stood up to greet them: "I thought you were all being warmly entertained by the female students."

  "We were detained, but these people are too proud, after the performance they ran away like deserters, if we didn't chase them out, I'm afraid we wouldn't even see their shadows." A round-faced girl with a short bob haircut said calmly. Recently, short hair has become popular among girls in Guangzhou, especially among so-called revolutionary young women, who are always at the forefront of fashion.

  "These two are..." An Yi turned to He Zhanchan.

  He Zonghan introduced with a smile: "This is Jin Huishu, this is Pan Huiqin, both are student union leaders from the Provincial Normal University, they have helped us a lot."

  "Xiao Yi, find a place to sit down and fill your belly first, let's talk later. One bowl of thin porridge in the morning has lasted till now, my legs are shaking." Du Yuming shouted without any politeness.

  Zeng Kuo added: "Right! This place is not far from Fang's rice distribution, and the braised beef there left a deep impression on me."

  Everyone looked at He Yunhan and smiled ambiguously. Two beautiful girls didn't know what was going on, looking at one another trying to figure it out. Now He Yunhan's face didn't look good, he glared at Zeng Kuangqing, grabbed An Yi and walked away: "I'm starving, lead the way! Today I want a revolution, I want to eat at a big house!"

  The crowd followed behind, listening to He Zhonghan's vicious words. They thought of him with a nose full of cotton balls and couldn't help but laugh, making the two girls feel depressed and embarrassed, yet they didn't dare ask questions.

  After walking thirty meters to the entrance of Yue Xiang Lou, a building with carved beams and painted rafters, An Yi stopped in his tracks: "Fellow seniors, how long has it been since you've had a taste of your hometown's white membrane pancake? Old Du, Old Guan, what do you two think, coming from Shaanxi?"

  Guān Zhēng Lín thought of the military school's rice porridge with a human shadow and the vegetable melon shreds without oil, and couldn't help but sigh: "Don't mention it, Xiao Yi, I dream of my hometown's big pancakes, but in the whole city of Guangzhou, except for a few steamed bun shops that have changed flavor, there are only Western-style bread. Those glittering yellow-orange bread cakes are all over the streets in Western-style bakeries, but we brothers can't afford to eat them! Forget it, let's just make do."

  Du Yiming and Chen Mingren were familiar with An Yi's character, knowing that he must have had a purpose for asking such a question. Unexpectedly, An Yi didn't say another word and dragged Guan Zhenglin and He Zhanchan into the Yue Xiang Building in big strides. Cai Juan and several others who had been waiting eagerly greeted them warmly. Zeng Kuang and several others saw that they were entering such a high-end place and hastily called out to An Yi, but he pretended not to hear and forcibly pulled Guan Zhenglin and He Zhanchan upstairs, chattering nonsense with a smile on his face.

  He Zonghan, Hu Zongnan, Jiang Xianyun and a few others who had escorted Mr. Liao here last night were naturally familiar with the place, but they couldn't figure out why An Yi had invited everyone to dinner at such a high-end location. Seeing their companions go up in twos and threes, Hu Zongnan and two hesitant girls who had fallen behind could only follow suit.

  At noon, there were not many guests, so Boss Qi arranged for An Yi and his friends to be seated in the larger Guantai Pavilion private room on the second floor. When everyone went inside, they saw the luxurious decorations and famous calligraphy on the walls, but nobody said a word. It seemed that this luxurious environment made everyone feel oppressed and out of place.

  An Yi whispered a few words to Cai Juan, took the teapot from her hand and invited everyone to sit down, pouring tea for each person: "Everyone, don't be polite, I'm familiar with the boss, Seventh Uncle, Chef Tan, and several younger sisters. When I first came to Guangzhou, I didn't even have a decent shirt. It was Seventh Uncle who took me in when I fainted at the door and gave me a bowl of water and two pieces of bread. So I'm very grateful to them, and they've taken good care of me ever since. Today, I invited everyone here not to show off, but to let you all have a meal together. I think other restaurants won't do it for us, only Seventh Uncle and Chef Tan will. It's just my small gesture, and I hope you don't mind. Don't think about going elsewhere, or I'll be speechless."

  Everyone suddenly understood and burst out laughing. Du Yuming asked with emotion: "Xiao Yi, you must have thought of this a long time ago, right?"

  "Right! I had someone buy a 50-kilogram bag of American flour a few days ago and put it here. The dough needs to be fermented, so I couldn't serve you guys dead bread or thousand-layer cake without preparing ahead of time. So when our boss invited me to dinner last night, I asked Seventh Uncle and Tan Uncle for their permission to start making them early this morning. Let's bring them out later and have a taste. They might not be perfect, but we'll just have to make do."

  Everyone was deeply moved, and Jiang Xianyun and He Zhanchan exchanged a glance, both seeing the genuine emotions in each other's eyes. At this moment, a fragrance wafted over, and Cai Juan brought up two large plates of steamed buns, three large platters of roasted flatbread, and three large platters of scallion oil pancakes. Next came two large pots of stewed chicken soup, several small dishes of boiled peanuts, cold mixed winter bamboo shoots, and a dish of stir-fried chili peppers. The eight big men ate with gusto, and An Yi also ate with relish, occasionally refilling the bowls of Du Yiming and Guan Zhenglin. Even the two women were infected by the lively and unrestrained atmosphere, picking up crispy pancakes and exclaiming in delight after taking a bite.

  When everyone was sweeping away the food on the table without hesitation, Cai Juan and another girl brought two steaming bowls of dumplings. The crowd was stunned for a moment, then evenly distributed them, with each person getting exactly ten. Everyone ate to their heart's content, feeling extremely satisfied.

  The desktop was cleared and a teacup was placed on it. Guan Zhenlin took the tea water handed over by An Yi, sighed and said: "Thank you, Little Yi, this meal is too delicious! I will never forget it in my life."

  Everyone chimed in unison, thanking An Yi one after another. An Yi waved his hand awkwardly: "It's just a meal, don't make it sound so serious. In the future, as long as you brothers want to eat, just let me know in advance and I'll be happy to oblige. I also like noodles, and was thinking of buying a stove and wok to cook for myself when I get back home. The only thing is that my place is too small to put them, so I haven't made up my mind yet. But just now, Cai Juan secretly told me that Qi Shu and the others also like layered pancakes and dumplings, and are planning to start selling takeout next, which will be much more convenient."

  "Xiao Yi, why did Mr. Ou Yaoting invite you to dinner here last night? Has that little fellow of yours been promoted?" asked Hu Zongnan.

  An Yi shook his head: "You invited me to dinner because I repaired dozens of imported sewing machines that couldn't be repaired, and also helped the company repair a small truck that broke down. There's no other reason, and I didn't get promoted either. However, my salary did increase, starting from this month, I'll receive 60 yuan per month, so, I'm richer than you guys now. It's not too much for me to treat my good brothers to a meal, is it?"

  Everyone was shocked, and the young An Yi possessed such profound skills. Especially An Yi's monthly salary was more than twice that of Huang Pu's instructors.

  "My goodness! No wonder you little brat didn't want to take our Huangpu exam, turns out you're living so comfortably, I was wondering...". Sichuan old fellow Zeng Kuoxin's thoughts were indeed meticulous, one sentence made everyone understand the reason why An Yi refused to take the Huangpu exam, and the two girls also changed their opinion of An Yi, thinking he didn't seem as handsome and lovely as before.

  In the midst of the uproar, An Wei waved his hand repeatedly and said something that made everyone think deeply: "Lao Zeng, you're talking nonsense! Don't listen to him, brothers! Lao Zeng, you're not being very considerate, are you? We're fellow villagers, but it's like they say - when fellow villagers meet, one of them stabs the other in the back!"

  Everyone listened with interest and burst out laughing, Zeng Kuocheng also felt embarrassed. An Yi sighed: "To be honest, I, An Yi, have become a high-ranking official with a monthly income of tens of dollars in just a few months from being a wandering vagabond. Apart from feeling some comfort for my efforts during this process, my heart is empty and has no direction. When I had no money, I thought desperately that I must make money and become rich. But now that I have some money, I feel that apart from when facing cold machines, my heart is full, but at other times, it's extremely empty. Maybe everyone will say that this is because I have no ideals or ambitions, no heroic spirit to save the country and its people. I understand all these principles, and since meeting you big brothers, I've felt a special connection, and I also want to become a hero like you who can save the country and its people. But now, I don't even have an ID card, and I'm still learning to write with a brush, how can I take the exam for Huangpu? How can I achieve my ideals through joining the army? It's difficult! Now, I can only think about mechanical things, see if I can find a way out in this area, and hope that you big brothers will forgive me."

  Everyone fell silent after hearing An Yi's words, but Jiang Xianyun thought a lot. He knew that An Yi was absolutely a genius with mechanical repair skills, otherwise he wouldn't have gained the favor of the famous Ou Yaoting, nor would he have received such a high salary. After a moment of silence, he asked anxiously:

  "Xiao Yi, identification isn't a problem. In this era of warlords and frequent battles, many people don't have identification. This can be understood, as long as you find someone to vouch for you, it can be handled. But there's one thing I don't understand: if you can repair foreign machines and cars, why can't you write with a brush? Where did you go to school?"

  "Alas! When I was young, my family was poor and had no chance to read books. As I grew up, I wandered to several factories in Chongqing for a period of time. Everyone knows that the continuous warlord wars made the factories not very prosperous, and the younger brother also had to run around to find food. However, the younger brother was particularly diligent in learning machine repair techniques, so he mastered some skills. For some reason, I offended the underworld and couldn't stay in Sichuan anymore. After drifting to Guangzhou, fortunately, I was taken in by Mr. Ou, and the younger brother also worked hard to study and made some achievements by chance. It's true that I didn't attend any school, and my limited knowledge is still thanks to the education of the factory masters." An Yi glossed over the important points and skipped them lightly.

  He Zhonghan furrowed his brow: "You young whippersnapper haven't read any books, how can you have such good eloquence and thinking?"

  "Old He, aren't you nitpicking?"

  An Yi glared at He Zhonghan: "Those few old singers from the Lingnan Yue Opera Troupe are quite famous, aren't they? Even General Sun has praised them highly. But as far as I know, three of them can barely recognize the character for 'one', yet they sing so well! From the Han Dynasty to now, they can rattle off historical figures at will. Why haven't you gone to ask them why they're illiterate?"

  Everyone burst out laughing, and He Zhonghan thought about it and indeed, what bird doesn't exist in this big forest? Some people are geniuses in certain aspects but idiots in others; such examples are not uncommon.

  The atmosphere suddenly became lively with a smile, and the crowd no longer dwelled on this matter, but instead had a hearty conversation, until Chen Mingren reminded them to go back, and everyone got up reluctantly.

  He walked to the first floor and stopped: "Old Du, Old Guan, and several brothers, today you have the opportunity to come out, but there are still many younger brothers in school who can't come out and can't even eat a meal of noodles. Here is a special request from me to Chef Tan Shu to make more beef-filled buns, made according to my memory of Northwestern flavor, take them back with you, such opportunities won't be common in the future."

  It wasn't until then that everyone noticed the three bamboo baskets on the table, covered with white cloth and filled to the brim. Du Yuming went up to open them and found that each basket contained at least fifty or sixty golden-brown pancakes that were fragrant and steaming hot. He was so moved that he stood there speechless, not knowing what to say.

  Hu Zongnan rubbed his nose, took big strides to pick up a blue one: "Guangting, Junshan, you two don't idle around either, each take one share. Revolutionary soldiers shouldn't be like some old auntie!"

  Du Yuming and He Zonghan followed the order, picked up the basket and left with Hu Zongnan in big strides. Jiang Xianyun and others bid farewell to An Yi and also left quickly, the excitement in their hearts was hard to express.

  The two girls were deeply moved by the deep friendship between An Yi and a group of Huangpu soldiers, and they enthusiastically asked about An Yi's workplace. They invited An Yi to attend their revolutionary activities held in the park every Sunday when he was free, and after chatting for a while, they bid farewell with a wave of their hands.

  Watching his brothers board the ship and leave from afar, An Yi felt extremely satisfied, thinking that he had money to help such brothers and was very proud of it. The comfort and nourishment of friendship also made him feel that he was no longer lonely. He never thought that a meal of noodles and several blue pancakes would make dozens of generals and comrades-in-arms in Huangpu remember for the rest of their lives.