Woke up, washed my face, went downstairs to the front desk, and paid for two more days of the room. I asked the young lady at the front desk where I could find a decent breakfast nearby. The hotel had a buffet, but at fifteen yuan per person, the quality was likely average.
Northeasterners are very hospitable, especially the pretty young ladies. The receptionist didn't mind that I was going out to eat elsewhere and recommended a place about three hundred meters from the hotel.
I strolled over. It was just past six o'clock, and the breakfast place wasn't crowded. I ordered a bowl of wontons and two boiled eggs. I was hesitant to try other Northern breakfast pastries, as they tended to be too greasy. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After breakfast, I sent Shen Xingyue a WeChat message: "Good morning, fiancee."
I added a playful emoji to tease her a bit.
Shen Xingyue replied: "I'm practicing, I'll talk to you later."
When I returned to my hotel room, Shen Xingyue finally replied: "When are you planning to go back to Jinling?"
She still wanted to get rid of me.
I thought for a moment and replied: "No rush, why don't you go back first?"
She lived in Jinling too. This trip to Fucheng was specifically to stop me from visiting Yaoyao.
Shen Xingyue wasn't fooled by me and guessed my intentions directly: "You contacted me first thing this morning, are you looking for my hairpin?"
I asked: "Are you willing to lend it to me?"
Shen Xingyue: "Dream on."
Me: "You think I can't get into the cave without a key? You underestimate me!"
Shen Xingyue: "Then try me?"
Me: "Trying will lead to death! Just you wait, I'll prepare today, and tomorrow noon, I'll go to Jiuxian Cave again!"
Shen Xingyue: "Alright, I'll wait for you at the temple tomorrow."
Me: "It's a deal!"
This was a delaying tactic, deliberately misleading her about going tomorrow.
In reality, I was going today!
This way, she would likely be unprepared today and might not even go to Hanyin Temple.
My talent as a "dormant dragon and phoenix chick" was wasted for thirty years, and I never expected to be able to display it in a place called "Wofenggou."
Sudden realization!
So that's how this town got its name, "Wo Feng." It was fine, but adding "gou" made it incredibly rustic.
It was a bit like an Indian summer today. I exercised in my room for half an hour, then took a shower. I figured most shops should be open by then, so I went out, grabbed a shared bicycle, and headed to the commercial district in the city center. I soon found an outdoor supplies store. As soon as I walked in, I smelled a familiar perfume – the same scent as the one I gave to Zheng Bingbing at the library.
Could it be such a coincidence?
The boss came forward. When I saw his face, my guess was further confirmed. This father and daughter looked so much alike!
"Boss Zheng, right?" I asked with a smile.
The boss was relatively young, handsome, and well-built, with the air of a trendy middle-aged uncle. If I could maintain this physique twenty years from now, I'd be content.
"Oh? Young man, you know me? Have you been here before?" the boss asked.
I shook my head: "I know your daughter, Bingbing. You two look so alike."
The boss smiled shyly: "Is that so? Are you looking for Bingbing? She's off today and still asleep."
The boss pointed upstairs. It was a two-story shop, not small, with nearly 200 square meters per floor. The first floor was the outdoor supplies store, with a staircase leading up. I assumed the family lived on the second floor.
"No, no, boss, I'm here to buy something," I said.
"Okay, young man, what do you want to buy? I'll show you."
I didn't know much about outdoor gear, and the store was filled with a dazzling array of products. I looked around and tentatively asked, "Boss, do you have that thing... that you use to climb down from high places? What's it called... a rope?"
I had only seen it on TV.
"Rappelling rope, is that it?"
"I think so. Let me see," I said. The boss took a coil of blue rope from the wall and showed me how to use it.
One end had to be secured to a stake or tree, and the other was a wearable loop. Your legs could go through it, allowing you to sit suspended, and the rope had a mechanism for free adjustment.
I understood the principle and nodded: "I'll take this. I also want a headlamp."
"We have those, a headlamp plus a safety helmet."
"Uh... do you also have those, like the SWAT team uses, hydraulic powered breaching pliers?" I didn't know the official name, but I had seen them used for violently breaking locks, and they were very effective!
Heh, little Xingyue, do you think I can't open a lock without a key?
Lord Shen, it's the twenty-first century!