Chapter 8: The Land of Feng Shui

Alright, I will come right away. After taking one last glance at the British warship that passed by, Yan Guang followed suit

After casually finding a restaurant to have a meal, the two did not linger outside and returned to the hotel. After resting for a day, the next day, Zhang Xingfeng bid farewell to Yan Guang and left Shanghai

"Let's take care of that braid first. After we're done, we can go out for a meal," Yan Guang said as he forced himself to get up. Although he hadn't done much along the way, the long journey still left his body feeling quite fatigued. When he had just laid down on the bed, Yan Guang even had the thought of not wanting to get up again.

After disembarking from the passenger ferry, Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng hired two rickshaws

Thank you. Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng, with their wallets considerably bulging, smiled broadly as they addressed the two Americans

"It should be..." In front of them, there were two dejected Americans

Is this Shanghai?" Standing on the deck and gazing at the distant city, Yan Guang asked

According to Zhang Xingfeng, many students studying in the United States often buy a fake braid here when they return to their home country. Of course, there are also those like Zhang Xingfeng who prepare it in the United States. However, in the past, when returning to the country, Zhang Xingfeng accompanied a classmate here, so he is quite familiar with this.

"Let's go, I will treat you to a meal." After adjusting his fake braid and handing the money to the attendant, Yan Guang took Zhang Xingfeng's hand and walked out of the barbershop

Although both getting a haircut and buying braids are important matters, it is not feasible to go for a haircut while carrying large and small bundles.

Yan Guang, on the other hand, exchanged all of his more than 60,000 US dollars into silver dollars to facilitate the tasks he was about to undertake. However, before that, Yan Guang first purchased a map of China

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Selling braids is absolutely a capital offense in other provinces, but here in the British concession, even the Qing court has no means to intervene. Moreover, in recent years, the authority of the court has significantly declined, and Shanghai is a place where all sorts of people intermingle, so over time, the officials of the Shanghai circuit have chosen to turn a blind eye to it.

"Brother Yan, let's go," said Zhang Xingfeng, who had already put on a fake braid.

Having disembarked, Yan Guang felt that if the current temperature of Earth were like that of the future, the Titanic might not have sunk after colliding with an iceberg, because he simply could not find any icebergs.

Yes, Shanghai

Carrying their several suitcases filled with cash, Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng disembarked from the passenger ship

Long-distance travel by boat can be quite tedious, especially when crossing oceans. Initially, there may be a sense of novelty, but after a few days, it can become unbearable

After receiving the keys, two attendants came over to help Yan Guang and the others with their luggage. Of course, the most important items were still carried by Yan Guang himself

Fifteen minutes later, sitting in a chair and touching his completely bald head, Yan Guang glanced at the set of fake hairpieces in his hand, truly struggling with psychological barriers

The coachman pulled Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng towards the direction of the restaurant, and soon they arrived at the entrance of a restaurant

In Zhang Xingfeng's luggage, there was indeed a set of Mahjong, but apart from Zhang Xingfeng himself, the only other person on the entire passenger ship was Yan Guang, who was also of Asian descent. The rest were either black-skinned with white teeth or white-skinned with blonde hair and blue eyes.

It is essential to choose a site with good feng shui

Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng were in a similar situation. At first, they could play chess together and read books, but it wasn't long before both of them began to feel restless, as playing chess every day was simply not feasible. They were seated on a regular passenger ship, unlike those luxurious cruise liners that feature open-air swimming pools and various other entertainment facilities.

At that moment, an employee approached, and Zhang Xingfeng merely mentioned a couple of points, after which the employee took Yan Guang down.

After completing the registration, the receptionist handed two keys to Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng. "Rooms 3018 and 3019 on the third floor"

"Miss, please give us two rooms." After arriving at the front desk, Yan Guang addressed the uniformed receptionist.

"Ah, you'll get used to it in time. When I first returned from the United States, I also found it quite uncomfortable to wear braids, but I adapted soon after, having worn them for over ten years now..." As he said this, Zhang Xingfeng wore a look of nostalgia, while Yan Guang's face was filled with bitterness, as he had never worn such a thing in the first twenty years of his life.

"Strange, why does it seem that Shanghai is much cooler now than in the past?" As the passenger ship just entered the port, Yan Guang felt that the temperature in Shanghai was not as high as he remembered. "It must be because there is no greenhouse effect at this time..." Yan Guang explained to himself as the passenger ship docked at the pier.

"Do you think we should go eat first, or should we help you solve the issue with your braids first?" Zhang Xingfeng smiled as he looked at Yan Guang, who was lying on the bed. It had been a long journey, and to be honest, both of them were quite exhausted.

"Enough, enough. The reason I put on this broken braid at this moment is precisely to avoid wearing this thing in the future?" With a final gritting of his teeth, Yan Guang still placed the braid on his head, yet no matter what, he felt very uncomfortable. A glance in the mirror only made him feel even more awkward, to the point that he was unwilling to look at it even once more.

Speaking softly, Zhang Xingfeng continued, "In fact, many people in the southern provinces have cut their braids, and the court just turns a blind eye to it. However, in the northern, southwestern, and northwestern regions, wearing a braid is still mandatory"

"We have arrived, this is the place." After paying the fare to the driver, Zhang Xingfeng and Yan Guang got off the vehicle with their luggage. "First, let's secure a room, and then I will take you to the barber shop to get your hair done. You can buy braids at the barber shop; once you shave your head here, you can wear the braids over there."

Perhaps due to frequently seeing Chinese individuals without braids, the coachman did not find Yan Guang's short hair surprising. However, Yan Guang still felt the need to put on a hat for himself

Originally, Zhang Xingfeng intended to return directly to his hometown, but seeing Yan Guang's completely clueless expression, he could only help him sort things out first. Fortunately, at this time, he had already graduated, so there was not much urgency in terms of time

To the Datong Restaurant," Zhang Xingfeng mentioned a restaurant name he was familiar with

Along the way, Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng had won the last penny from these two Americans, while Yan Guang also fully experienced what it meant to seek defeat in solitude through these two Americans

Shanghai, the financial center of the Far East, is also the most prosperous city in the region. In this era, Tokyo in Japan cannot even be compared to Shanghai. However, the prosperity of Shanghai brings endless humiliation to the Chinese, as evidenced by the countless concessions and ports where ships flying the Union Jack are anchored.

In the end, with no other options, Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng had to find two white men they had met on the ship, each of them personally teaching them how to play Mahjong. They learned while playing, and by the time these two Americans were about to grasp the game, the passenger ship was also nearing its arrival in Shanghai

After forcing himself to get up, Yan Guang and Zhang Xingfeng left the restaurant together and took a rickshaw to the front of a barbershop