Kanto Spirit

Author: Gao Qichang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Inside the southern gate of Shenyang City, there is a hotel called Fushengxing. Every autumn, the business of this hotel flourishes. It welcomes the old customers coming from east and south and the merchants traveling west and north. The three-story hotel with forty-eight rooms is usually fully occupied. Because the furs, ginseng, and other mountain products from the east road must pass through Shenyang to Yingkou for shipping or take the Fengshan railway line to enter the interior for distant sales; while the silk brocades from Suzhou and Hangzhou, the floral fabrics from the South Seas, and daily necessities also pass through here to enter the mountainous areas, so merchants come and go without interruption. However, in the autumn of the twenty-second year of the Republic of China, Shenyang City was somewhat depressed and chaotic, and the business of this hotel also suddenly declined. That year, the seasons were abnormal. Just after the White Dew, there was still more than half a month before the Frost Descent, but the weather changed. A sudden autumn wind rose, clouds covered the sky, and withered leaves were torn and scattered by the cold wind, drifting aimlessly. The autumn insects chirped in the brick crevices at the corners of the walls, seeking their. Perhaps because of the sudden chill, the pedestrians on the street shivered and hurried past, all seeming to carry heavy worries. The accountant of Fushengxing Hotel, Mr. Zhang, sighed and felt restless. That day was the seventh day of the eighth lunar month, and he was anxiously waiting downstairs for the waiter from Wanquan Restaurant to deliver the packed lunch. After arranging for the elderly guests in the upper rooms to finish their dinner, he could close the door and shut down the shop. The time was perfectly timed. As soon as the clock on the counter struck six, the waiter from the restaurant arrived. The accountant took the food box, sent the young boy away first, and then reached into the accountant's cabinet to take out a bottle of Laolongkou baijiu, carrying it upstairs. In the upper room of the second floor, there was an elderly customer from the east road who traded ginseng, accompanied by his wife and a one-year-old girl. They had arrived more than ten days ago but had not been able to head south because they learned that the Japanese Kwantung Army was frequently moving, and Yingkou was not peaceful. The day before yesterday, they had managed to sell their mountain products at a warehouse in the Beishijie area and planned to meet friends to learn about the current situation before deciding their next move. "Boss Wang, Madam, are you hungry? Please have your meal!" The accountant placed the food box on a chair, busy setting the table, and then handed the bottle of wine to them, making small talk: "Have a few more drinks tonight to ward off the cold." "Thank you for your trouble!" the guest replied, as usual, giving him two Feng. "Here, buy flowers for your wife and daughter!" This was the accountant's skill. The guest would only use a couple of two-handfuls of the wine at most, and the next day when the accountant came to deliver breakfast and collect the box, he would take the remaining wine along. The accountant was somewhat uneasy tonight and did not reply to the elderly customer's witty remarks, just saying, "Thank you!" He hurried away but then turned back just as he stepped out, lowering his voice and saying in a mysterious tone: "Boss Wang, rest early after dinner tonight. Don't go out in the evening, and be careful!" "Oh, is there something?" The guest knew the hotel had many ears and was well-informed and asked quickly, "Are there any rumors?" "Nothing,"