Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

Chapter 373 Arrival at Guangcheng

"Oh? What help? Tell me." Lou Bancheng asked in surprise. He didn't expect that He Lai would need his help. After all, apart from having a little money, he really couldn't do anything else.

"I also want to go to Hong Kong City to play for a few days. Can you take me with you then?"

He Lai said.

"Ah, you are going to Gangcheng too, what are you going to do?" Lou Bancheng asked puzzledly.

After all, Gangcheng is a paradise for the rich, but also a hell for the poor. For Helai, a child from an ordinary family, there is almost nothing fun to do there. After all, every item is not something that a small worker like Helai can afford.

"I'm a little curious and want to go there for a look. After all, everyone says Hong Kong is good, and I want to broaden my horizons."

He Lai said with a smile.

"Is that so? That's fine, but how are you going to explain this to the steel mill? Your uncle Lou can't make the decision."

Lou Bancheng also agreed. After all, it was not difficult for him to go to the port city.

"It's okay. I'm very familiar with Director Li. I'll tell him when the time comes and he'll agree. I'll just change my appearance and there won't be any problem."

"Oh, it seems that you have already made plans. Even without your Uncle Lou, you still want to go to Gangcheng to take a look. Well, then Uncle Lou will take you there to take a look, but you have to stay by my side, otherwise if something happens, I won't be able to explain to your parents."

After some thought, Lou Bancheng gave the answer.

"Then I would like to thank Uncle Lou." He Lai bowed to express his gratitude.

"Hey, don't be polite with Uncle Lou!"

Lou Bancheng waved his hand and smiled.

"Uncle Lou, you can take a rest. I'll go back first."

"Okay, I'll let you know when I go after the first phase of the Canton Fair is over."

"Okay, goodbye Uncle Lou."

After He finished speaking, he left Lou Bancheng's room and returned to his own room.

"Xiao Laizi, where have you been? Why can't I find you?"

When Sha Zhu saw He Lai coming back, he immediately asked.

"I met a friend and chatted with him for a while. I'm so sleepy. I'm going to sleep for a while. Brother Zhuzi, you should sleep too."

He said this, then climbed to the upper bunk and lay down.

Seeing this, Sha Zhu had no choice but to lie down.

During the next few days, the train stopped and started frequently. Fortunately, He Lai had prepared braised meat and steamed buns, otherwise it would have been very difficult. The food on the train was extremely bad. The dishes were half-cooked, and the steamed buns and corn-soaked corn bread were all hard.

At 5:30 that evening, the train finally arrived in Guangcheng. When everyone got off the train, there were already people waiting to pick them up at the train station. So, everyone took a bus to the Guangcheng Guesthouse.

This guesthouse was built specifically for Chinese people who come to attend the Canton Fair. It is very close to the Canton Fair, making it convenient for Chinese people to enter and exit.

Generally, foreign businessmen would stay in the Aiqun Building, which was the most imposing hotel in Guangzhou at that time. Hotels like the White Swan had to stand aside. The Aiqun Building was 15 stories high and its exterior was modeled after the skyscrapers of the United States. It had 300 guest rooms with facilities including fans, heaters, elevators, Chinese and Western restaurants, bars, etc., which could provide foreign businessmen with a comfortable accommodation and entertainment environment.

At that time, foreign businessmen were basically from Hong Kong and the gambling city, and of course there were also some Southeast Asian businessmen from Singapore and Malaysia.

Of course, our big brother sl also participated. After all, in that era, even the new Canton Fair building in 1959 was designed and built with the help of big brother.

It is said that the big pillars at the Canton Fair have not changed to this day, which also shows the contribution of Big Brother to the design and construction of the Canton Fair.

As soon as He Lai and his two companions arrived at the guesthouse, they couldn't wait to ask the front desk for a phone call.

"Hello, comrade. Can I make a long distance call?"

"Sure, the phone is there, one dollar a minute, just be careful and don't call for too long, okay?"

The front desk of this guesthouse is quite polite. After all, this is a place specially prepared for people from the Canton Fair.

"I understand, thank you."

After expressing his gratitude, He Lai started to dial the number of Nanluoguxiang in the old city.

"Hey?"

"Hello, Aunt Wang, I'm He Lai. I'm in Guangcheng. Is my mother there?"

"Yes, yes, wait a moment, I'll give her the phone."

"Hello, hello, Xiao Laizi, is that you?" Wu Juan asked anxiously.

"Mom, it's me. I'm at the guesthouse now. Don't worry."

"Okay, okay, don't worry, Mom."

……

He Lai and his mother chatted for a long time, then Sha Zhu and Xu Damao took the phone and chatted for a while. Finally, He Lai took the phone and said a few more words before reluctantly hanging up.

The receptionist looked at He Lai and the other two speechlessly. It took so long to make a phone call! I told him that it was one dollar a minute, but he was still chatting on the phone.

"How much, comrade?"

"15 bucks, you played for minutes."

"Oh, here you go, thank you." He Lai took out fifteen dollars and put it on the counter.

The receptionist stared at He Lai in amazement. Are people in this capital so rich? Fifteen yuan, more than half a month's salary, he gave it without blinking an eye.

She was ready to argue with He Lai about the phone bill at any time, but she never expected that He Lai would just give her the money directly.

"Comrade, we are workers of the Red Star Steel Mill in Sijiucheng. Here are our work permits. May I ask where our rooms are?"

He Lai handed over Sha Zhu, Xu Damao and his own work ID cards.

The receptionist took the work ID and looked at it, then checked and found the names of the three people.

"You are all assigned to Room 303. Go up the stairs to the third floor. It's the second room on the left."

The receptionist returned the work ID to He Lai and spoke slowly.

"Comrade, can I ask how many people live here?"

He Lai was afraid that it was a crowded room, and he didn't want to squeeze on the bunk bed with others.

"Your room is for six people, all of whom are from your factory."

The front desk clerk answered directly.

"Comrade, I want to ask, can I live in a room by myself?"

"Ah? Of course you can, but you have to pay for the accommodation yourself, and it costs one dollar a night. Do you want to stay?"

The receptionist told the truth. After all, she had encountered this kind of thing before. But she basically gave up after hearing the price. After all, if she stayed in a six-person room, it would be free and the government would reimburse her. If she lived alone, she would have to pay for it herself.

"Okay, give me a single room for ten days first."

He Lai gave his work ID and ten dollars to the front desk.

The receptionist was speechless. She had money to burn! But she still checked He Lai in, to Room 505 on the fifth floor.

He Lai took the house number and his work ID, and left with Sha Zhu.

The receptionist was still looking at He Lai's back. She didn't expect that this young handsome guy was so rich. She spent twenty-five yuan a day and didn't feel sorry at all.

"Xiao Laizi, you are such a fool. It would be great if you could live with us. Why waste this money?"

Sha Zhu muttered something, obviously unhappy because he couldn't live with He Lai.

"Yeah, it would be so nice to live with Xiao Laizi! Why spend this money?" Xu Damao also interjected.

"Alright, Brother Zhuzi, Brother Damao, you two have a small quarrel every day and a big quarrel every three days. You're driving me crazy. I'd better spend money to buy some peace and quiet."

He Lai was speechless.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were silent immediately and could only follow He Lai silently.