Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 46 Karaoke

Zhongshan Park has a long history. It was originally built in 1924 during the Manchukuo period as Chiyoda Park. It contained the tallest building in Fengtian at the time, as well as the first urban water supply tower, Chiyoda Water Tower, which supplied water to the entire city of Fengtian from 1915.

In 1946, the park was renamed Zhongshan Park in honor of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China.

Li Guangzhao said, "The ticket is not expensive, only one yuan, but you have to buy tickets for the small attractions inside. You have to pay extra for everything you want to do and see. There are food, things to do and things to see inside, which is quite nice. You can also stroll around without spending money. It's so big, with fountains, rockeries, flowers and scenery.

Xiao Wei looked up into the park. The Ferris wheel, illuminated with colorful lights, turned slowly in the night. He turned to Xiao Hong and asked, "Want to ride that one?"

Xiao Hong was also looking up. Hearing Xiao Wei's question, she thought for a moment and said, "I don't know, it looks so high. Will it be scary to go up?"

Xiao Wei asked Li Guangzhao, "How much does it cost to ride this big thing?"

Li Guangzhao turned to look at Xia Maosheng, who was startled. He then turned to look at Yang Tiebin, who was slightly drunk and leaning against Li Guangzhao, drowsy. Li Guangzhao shook his shoulders and said, "Hey, I'm asking you a question. What kind of ride is that big thing? How much does it cost per ride?" He then turned back to Xiao Wei and said, "I thought it was Lao Xia who bought the tickets that day, but it turns out it was Tiezi. If you hadn't asked him today, Lao Xia would have just admitted it. Damn, that's too cunning."

Xia Maosheng laughed and said to Xiao Wei, "The three of us came here to play for a day that day. Lao Li treated us to dinner, and I bought the tickets and park passes. Tiezi paid for everything else. But he was lazy and gave me the money to run errands. Hahaha, Lao Li thought I paid for everything."

Xiao Wei asked, "You went and didn't even know how much it cost?"

Xia Maosheng scratched his head and said, "I don't really remember this wheel. Did Tiezi buy it himself?"

Yang Tiebin groggily raised his head, strained to open his eyes, glanced at everyone, then turned his head to look into the park and asked, "Which one?"

Li Guangzhao pointed to the Ferris wheel and said, "That one, the tallest one, the one that spins in the sky."

Yang Tiebin looked up, following Li Guangzhao's finger, nodded, and said, "Oh, this? What's wrong?"

Li Guangzhao shook his shoulders vigorously and said, "I'm asking you how much it will cost to go up there."

Yang Tiebin looked at Xiaowei and said, "You want to ride? It's pointless. It's only three yuan, and you can just take a leisurely ride around. You have to pay more to ride again. Damn it, that's outrageous."

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, then asked, "Three yuan per person?"

Li Guangzhao shook his head and said, "No, it's a small house that costs three yuan. You can walk around in it and four people can sit there."

Chen Hui chimed in, "Are you planning to go inside or go sing? Can't you sing?"

Xia Maosheng nodded and said, "Singing is boring in the park at night. Let's walk across the road, is it over there? The one with the lights on?" He looked across the road and asked.

Chen Hui nodded and said, "Yes, that's it. Let's go, let's cross the road." He reached out and pushed Xiao Wei's back to move forward.

After crossing Nanjing Street, the group found themselves on the left side of the intersection at the Railway Building. A courtyard was enclosed by wrought iron railings and covered with a canopy, making it semi-open-air. The courtyard was brightly lit, with a dozen or so small tables set up, but only four were occupied; the rest were empty. A large crowd of onlookers stood outside the railings, packed together, seemingly unconcerned about the cold.

The group crossed the Second Road and arrived at the gate of the building. Chen Hui had been here before and knew the way well, leading everyone inside. The remaining five were all country bumpkins, looking like they had never seen the world before, nervously trailing behind Chen Hui.

As soon as I entered the iron gate, someone greeted me: "Hey bro, come on in, have a seat, what would you like to drink?"

Chen Hui looked at everyone and said to the young man who was in charge of greeting people, "Make five cups of tea, one cup of white fungus soup, and two plates of snacks as you see fit." The young man agreed and turned to get the things.

Before the six people could even sit down, they heard someone call out from the doorway: "Xia Maosheng, Li Guangzhao."

Several people turned around and saw two classmates from the culinary class: one named Wang Zhilong, who was very reserved, and the other named Yang Changjiu, from Beixi City. Xia Maosheng turned to look at Xiao Wei and the other two and asked, "What do we do?"

Xiao Wei pulled Xiao Hong down to sit and said, "We've run into them. They've already called out. Oh well, let them come over. Or a few more will come later and we'll be fine."

Xia Maosheng nodded, stood up, and waved to Wang Zhilong and Yang Changjiu. The two men, who had been watching them closely, immediately ran in when they saw the wave. Yang Changjiu smiled and sat down next to them, greeting them, "I recognized you guys from afar. It really is you. What brings you here? I heard it's really expensive."

Wang Zhilong followed behind, walking slowly towards them. He staggered along the ten-meter distance. He was thin, with a slightly gritty face, small eyes, and a silver earring. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the feeling of entering the venue surrounded by onlookers, as if he had his own background music.

Wang Zhilong walked over, maintaining a reserved smile as he nodded to everyone. He raised his hands to smooth his hair, which was sprayed with hairspray, sat down, looked around, and said, "What are you all drinking? This tea isn't good; I prefer coffee. Waiter, give me a coffee, with sugar, please." The young man on the other end responded.

Xiao Hong nuzzled her head against Xiao Wei's and whispered, "Who's this guy? Are you two close?"

Xiao Wei shook his head and whispered, "They're classmates, they all live here."

Xiao Hong said, "How could he be so shameless as to order the most expensive dish?"

A cup of tea costs five yuan, and a cup of coffee costs twenty yuan.

Xia Maosheng frowned, a little annoyed. Xiao Wei pulled him back; there were dozens of eyes watching, and it wouldn't look good if things got out of hand.

Just as Xia Maosheng was stopped, Yang Tiebin looked at Wang Zhilong and said, "Wow, Wang Zhilong, you've got style. What's up? Is a big shot treating you today?"

Wang Zhilong glanced at Yang Tiebin, smiled, and said, "It's nothing. I come here every day, sit down, have a drink, and listen to music. This is life."

Yang Tiebin asked, "So, are you treating everyone today?"

Wang Zhilong glanced at the table. The waiter was bringing everyone's tea, placing each cup in front of them, along with three small plates containing sunflower seeds, peanuts, and the like. He then placed a thick song list on the table and said, "Take your time with the white fungus soup. You can drink first. Here's the song list; order whatever you want. This guy wants coffee, right? And this guy, what would you like to drink?" He then asked Yang Changjiu.

Yang Changjiu smiled, but you could still tell he was a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Tea, tea is the cheapest, isn't it?"

Xiao Wei didn't have any problem with this fellow villager, saying, "We just had some drinks, so we're having tea to sober up. Don't worry about us, just drink whatever you want."

Yang Changjiu took out cigarettes and offered them to everyone, saying, "How about some tea? It'll warm you up. Where did you drink it?"

Wang Zhilong said from the side, "I've looked at all the restaurants in this area, but they're no good. The food is too mediocre and boring. It's better to just eat instant noodles than spend money there. I've been eating instant noodles for the past few days. Danxia."

Instant noodles were already on the market in the 1990s, but back then they were considered a luxury food. They only contained a seasoning packet, and ordinary people couldn't afford to spend that much. They usually only bought one pack occasionally for their children as a treat. In Liaodong, the Danxia brand was quite famous, costing 1.5 yuan a pack. There were other cheaper brands, but none tasted as good as Danxia.