Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 519 Meeting Gift

At that time, the capital was still a "city on the edge of desertification," with sandstorms almost all year round, especially in spring.

Today is March 10th, the second day of the second lunar month, the day of the Dragon Raising its Head, which is right in the middle of spring.

Chen Fan sat in the taxi, looking out the window.

Actually, there's nothing much to see.

These days, only the area within Beijing is considered the urban area; most of the area outside Beijing is the suburbs, including the area near the airport.

The scenery along the way was mostly that of rural northern China: low-rise houses in the distance, vast but barren fields, and a few cars on the road, lacking the grandeur of a big city.

Frankly speaking, for most of the 20th century, Beijing was far less prosperous than Shanghai and Tianjin.

Especially during the Republican era, Shanghai in the south and Tianjin in the north accounted for almost half of the colors of cities across the country.

why?

It's somewhat sad to say, but because these two places had many concessions, compared to other parts of the country, the concessions had two advantages: "superior geographical location" and "relative social stability," attracting countless merchants to go there, which led to the creation of two prosperous cities in the south and north.

Beiping, on the other hand, lagged behind, experiencing almost no development for decades starting in the late Qing Dynasty.

At that time, even Shenyang and Harbin in Northeast China were no worse than Beiping.

It wasn't until the mid-to-late 80s that urban construction in the capital began to take off, starting from both sides of Chang'an Avenue and rapidly expanding in all directions from the Second Ring Road. Eventually, there wasn't enough space, so Xiong'an was created.

But right now, it's definitely not good enough.

Especially since a sandstorm was raging outside, covering everything, and under the sun's rays, it appeared an eerie red.

(Spring 78, dust storm in the capital city)

The taxi driver was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, wearing a liberation cap and a green work uniform, looking very much like a cadre.

Like the taxi drivers in the capital city in later generations, he was someone who couldn't stop talking.

Or is it a professional tradition?

The experienced mechanic gripped the steering wheel, glanced at Chen Fan sitting in the passenger seat, and said, "Young man, you look quite young. Where are you from? Are you on a business trip or visiting relatives?"

Chen Fan turned and glanced at him, then smiled and said, "Jiangnan. Visiting relatives."

The experienced driver turned to look at him. "Visiting relatives by plane? You're really something."

Chen Fan chuckled, "I'll reimburse your round-trip travel expenses, it's just something new to do."

The old man said, "Wow, that's impressive. Which part of Qianmen does your relative live in?"

Chen Fan, "Dashilan Hutong".

The old man said, "What a great place! That place is amazing. Tongrentang, Neiliansheng, Guangheyuan, Liubiju, Daguanlou Cinema... You don't have to go far to buy or play anything; it's right at the doorstep."

Moreover, the front gate is right outside, so you can stroll around the square and visit the memorial hall to pay your respects to the great man…

Chen Fan chatted casually with the old master, seemingly enjoying the conversation, but he didn't say much of the truth, though he did manage to glean quite a bit of information.

One of them is: the front gate is the Zhengyang Gate!
Glancing at the still-talking master craftsman, Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief. That was close; he almost embarrassed himself.

He also wanted to ask how far it was from Qianmen to Zhengyangmen.

The experienced driver was talking while holding the steering wheel when he suddenly honked the horn twice. Just as Chen Fan was wondering what was going on, a car coming from the opposite direction also honked twice.

Looking at Chen Fan, the old master explained with a smile, "That's also from our Shouqi Company."

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "Shouqi is quite big."

The old master craftsman laughed heartily, "Of course."

(The first motorcade in the 6s and 70s)
The old craftsman said a few proud words, then continued to chatter on, "This Zhengyangmen, we locals call it Qianmen, which is the place you're going to. So why not call it Zhengyangmen, but Qianmen?"

Zhengyangmen is the southernmost gate of Beijing's inner city, located at the southernmost end of the inner city. It was originally called Lizhengmen, and was later renamed Zhengyangmen. The "Zhengyang" in Zhengyangmen means the sun, the source of all yang, and the image of the emperor, symbolizing the supreme and the most yang place. In addition, the ancients regarded the south as yang and the south as the correct direction, hence the name "Zhengyangmen". In the past, most people entering the capital entered the inner city through Zhengyangmen.

For this reason, the locals called it Qianmen (Front Gate), Daqianmen (Great Front Gate), or Qianmenlouzi (Front Gate Tower), and that's how the name came about.

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "The Daqianmen cigarettes are actually named after that?"

The old master laughed heartily, "Yes, yes, yes, the young man is very clever."

Chen Fan chuckled dryly twice, "I'm still not very knowledgeable. I've learned a lot from you today."

The experienced driver glanced back at him and said, "Wow, young man, your Mandarin is pretty good. You even know how to use the retroflex endings. I've met quite a few out-of-town customers, especially those from the south, and I can't understand a lot of their dialects."

Chen Fan nodded in deep agreement, "When we have guests from the South, it's the same."

The experienced craftsman was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized that Jiangnan Province is located in central China. Coming to the capital would make one a southerner, but compared to those further south, wouldn't one be considered a northerner?

He couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Interesting, you're an interesting person too."

The two chatted and laughed, and in less than an hour, the car drove onto Chang'an Avenue. After arriving at Tiananmen Square, they passed by the Memorial Hall and entered Qianmen Street.

Then they plunged into the alleyways, finally turning into a small alleyway crowded with people.

(Dashilan Hutong in 78)
Amidst the incessant honking of horns, the car slowly advanced through the crowd, finally stopping at the entrance of an alley.

The old man pointed into the alley and said, "Go in from here to find where you want to go. If you can't find it, just ask someone. You'll definitely find it."

The money had already been paid. Chen Fan tilted his head and looked at it, then handed over a cigarette, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, sir."

The experienced driver politely accepted the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and waved goodbye warmly, saying, "Thank you, take care, and don't forget your luggage."

Chen Fan waved, pushed open the door, got out of the car, took his suitcase from the trunk, and stood there for a while after the car drove away.

Unlike other quiet hutongs, even in the 70s, Dashilan Hutong was bustling with traffic and people, finally allowing him to experience the prosperity of the capital.

Although the shops along the street are very simple, they are never short of customers. Customers come and go in an endless stream, and many shops even set up stalls on the street. The sounds of asking and answering questions about prices and shopping can be heard all the time.

No wonder this place was later developed into a commercial street; it has a traditional foundation.

Does Old Man Lin live here?

This location is absolutely amazing!
He looked around twice, then picked it up and walked into the alley the old man had pointed out.

Without asking anyone, I simply followed the house number and walked less than 50 meters through the winding path until I found the place.

Looking at the wide-open Ruyi Gate, Chen Fan glanced to both sides. "Is this where Old Man Lin lives? Isn't it a bit too small?"

Even if we don't talk about the gate of a prince's mansion, at the very least we should have a courtyard with a wide and bright gate!

The result was a Ruyi Gate that was even worse than the Golden Pillar Gate and the Barbarian Gate. Tsk tsk.

The door was open, not closed, so there was no need to knock.

Before he could even enter, an old man, who looked to be around 60 years old and wearing a faded, old-fashioned grass-green military uniform with his right trousers tied in a knot and supported by a cane under each arm, limped out. He looked him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

A smile immediately appeared on Chen Fan's face. He took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped.

His intuition told him that the old man was in danger.

However, he remained outwardly calm and asked with a smile, "Hello, does Lin Yuanxiang live here?"

"Lin Yuanxiang?"

The old man's face immediately turned strange, and he looked him up and down again. "Who are you to him? Do you have a letter of introduction?"

Chen Fan immediately put his suitcase on the ground, took out the letter of introduction from Lu Jiawan from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and said with a smile, "I am his student, I came from Jiangnan, this is my letter of introduction."

The old man took the letter of introduction in his hand and glanced at it twice. Then he looked up, his eyes changing again. "Your name is Chen Fan, and you're from Lujiawan?"

As he spoke, he leaned on his cane, swaying as if he couldn't stand steadily. Chen Fan blinked, his gaze following the man's movements. His free hand trembled slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. "Yes, I am Chen Fan."

The next second, the old man suddenly stood firm, like a stubborn rock on a mountaintop, unmoved by the raging wind and rain.

Her face beamed with a smile, "You just said you were Old Lin's student, so you haven't formally become his apprentice?"

Chen Fan's expression finally changed, "Uh..."

But before he could even finish stammering, the old man leaned closer and chuckled, "How about this, you become my apprentice, and I'll pass on all my skills to you. You'll definitely be better than that old man. I'll even arrange a job for you and help you find a wife—a cadre-level job and a virtuous and beautiful wife. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. What do you say?!"

Chen Fan blinked rapidly, somewhat unsure of what was going on.
The next second, a voice boomed like thunder, "Hey, Old Zhang, you've gone too far!"

As soon as the voice was heard, a figure flashed out from the moon gate on the right and pounced on the old man.

Chen Fan lightly kicked with his toes, picked up the suitcase, and decisively took three steps back, standing in the middle of the alley a few meters away.

In the courtyard gate, Lin Yuanxiang used a dragon claw in one hand and an eagle claw in the other, attacking like an eagle hunting a rabbit, with gusts of wind carrying him several times. But before he could finish using his moves, the dragon claw turned into a tiger claw and the eagle claw into a fist and finger, which went straight into the center of his body.

The old man was not afraid either. One leg was neither loose nor tight, as if a green bamboo was nailed to the ground. His two T-shaped canes transformed into strange weapons. With one attack and one defense, he blocked all the attacks.

Chen Fan?

Chen Fan placed his suitcase upright on the ground, plopped down on it, and pulled a flat, portable silver wine flask from the left pocket of his jacket. He opened the lid and took a satisfying sip. ...There was plenty of Moutai on the plane, so he asked the flight attendant to fill this flask; he never expected to use it now.

He took a sip of wine and then pulled out the meat he had packed on the plane from his right pocket. It contained dried ham, Peking duck, roast lamb leg, beef jerky, etc. It tasted good, so he asked the flight attendant for a paper package to pack some of it up.

Judging from the flight attendant's demeanor, she seemed to have a rather strong sense of illicit activity.

But he didn't care. Anyway, no one saw it, and it was his own once it was in his pocket.

A bite of meat, a sip of wine, and two martial arts masters sparring in front of you—it's truly an amazing experience!

The two men, whose combined age was over a hundred, one of whom was missing a leg, managed to create the feeling of a massive army fighting in the narrow doorway.

Lin Yuanxiang's moves are incredibly diverse, including Xingyi, Bagua, Bajiquan, Taijiquan, Tongbeiquan, Piguazhang, Fanzi Chuojiao, Tan Tui, Lianhuan Tui, Mantis, Eagle Claw, Zhuangquan... he can use all sorts of boxing styles with ease.

The old man over there moved like a green bamboo swaying in the wind, his two canes like two dragons, incorporating countless weapons such as knives, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks, whips, maces, hammers, daggers, tridents, clubs, lances, sticks, spears, rakes, etc. His canes flew, and he fought Lin Yuanxiang to a standstill.

Moreover, they didn't just stop at a point like they were acting; instead, they fought each other mercilessly like mortal enemies.

Looks like you're quite skilled at it?
This fierce battle captivated Chen Fan, who couldn't help but cheer at the most exciting parts!
Well, this call had a significant effect, directly stopping the two old men from their reverie.

Lin Yuanxiang shook his sleeves, his face darkening as he looked at Chen Fan, "Does it look good?"

Another old man sniffed, "To have good wine and then hoard it all is unbecoming of a son!"

Chen Fan hesitated for two seconds, then handed over a wine pot in one hand and meat and vegetables in the other, "Want to try them all?"

The two exchanged a glance. Lin Yuanxiang looked up at the sky speechlessly, while the old man grinned and laughed heartily, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Seeing the two turn around and walk inside together, Chen Fan shrugged, put the wine and meat back in his pocket, picked up his suitcase, and followed.

He already knew the layout of a courtyard house, including the rear building, the hanging flower gate, the covered corridor, the main house, the side rooms, and so on—a whole host of rules.

But now that I'm here, all I see is a bunch of haphazardly built, nonsensical things.

The once spacious front yard has been squeezed into a narrow passageway, barely wide enough for one person to push a bicycle, by a row of low red brick houses with only skylights.

Chen Fan didn't know what it looked like inside, because he followed Lin Yuanxiang and turned right into a very small courtyard.

This small courtyard house is almost comparable to a safe Shikumen house... I mean "small" of course.

The courtyard is only about ten square meters, connected to the entrance by a moon gate. When the gate is closed, it becomes its own private space.

To the north is a "main house," which appears to be divided into east and west rooms based on the windows. To the east of the courtyard are two smaller side rooms, both single rooms. To the south are two very small rooms, which may or may not be kitchen, toilet, or storage room.
Chen Fan sniffed. "Hmm, it's the kitchen and the toilet."

(It's the courtyard at the very bottom corner. The standard three-courtyard siheyuan layout is pretty much the same, with only slight differences in architecture and use. This space is generally used for private schools or carriage rooms. If it's a private school, it will be slightly larger and can be used for living.)

They followed the two men into the main house, where an old man was already inside.

He only had one eye left, and the other eyeball was also dim, probably only able to see a faint light. His left arm was gone, with only the sleeve swinging empty. His legs were intact, and he was even sitting with his legs crossed, shaking them as if mocking another old man who had lost his legs.

He sat on the daybed, holding a rough porcelain teapot to his lips and drinking tea. Next to him was a small table with a dish of salted soybeans on it.

Chen Fan sniffed again. It was tea, not wine. Soybeans with tea?
What kind of new way of eating is this?

Lin Yuanxiang sat down on the other side of the bedside table, pointed to the chair against the wall, and asked, "Sit. Didn't you say you were going to settle down in Lujiawan? Why did you suddenly come here? You didn't even give me a heads-up."

He then patted the armrest of the daybed and said, "There are only three rooms here, so you'll have to sleep here tonight."

Chen Fan quickly shook his head, "I just came to take a look, I have somewhere to go later."

Lin Yuanxiang glanced at him and said, "You've come all the way to the capital, where else can you stay if you don't stay here with me?"

Before Chen Fan could speak, the old man Zhang sat down opposite him and said loudly, "Hmph, he only learned boxing from you for a few days, he's not your disciple, why do you care where he lives?"

After saying that, he turned to look at Chen Fan, his smile exceptionally warm, "Little Chen, don't want to sleep on the daybed? No problem, I have a courtyard house not far from here, and there are guest rooms too, you can stay there..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yuanxiang glared at him angrily, "You're causing trouble again! Since you have a house, why don't you go back and live there?!"

The old man snorted twice, "Don't you also have a high-ranking cadre dormitory, which is better than my courtyard, and you have people serving you all day long? Why do you want to live here?"

The two were like fighting cocks, neither willing to concede to the other, their gazes practically sparking lightning.

After several seconds, the one-eyed old man ate a soybean and then slowly said, "Young man, come here and let me take a look."

Chen Fan quickly stood up. "Hey, hello sir."

When he got closer, I suddenly felt like I'd been chosen by a fortune teller. Why was it so strange?

The old man sat up straight, craned his neck to examine him closely for a few moments, and then nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad at all, truly a handsome man."

He then took out three gold coins from his pocket and handed them to him, saying, "Here, take these and play with them."

Chen Fan's eyes widened when he saw it, and he waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, this is too precious, I can't accept it."

One side of this gold coin depicts a goddess holding an olive branch in her left hand and a torch in her right, symbolizing peace; the other side features an eagle with outstretched wings, symbolizing freedom. Beside the goddess's legs is the date of its manufacture: 1933.

This is the American Double Eagle gold coin, known as the most expensive gold coin ever made. A single coin would be worth hundreds of millions in later years. How could he dare to accept it?!
Like the Qing Dynasty Dragon Dollar and Yuan Shikai Dollar, the American Double Eagle gold coin is extremely rare. Although it has collectible value, it is not particularly high.

The 1933 Double Eagle gold coin is different. Because this batch of coins had only been in circulation for a short time when Roosevelt implemented the New Deal, he recalled and destroyed these coins and minted them into gold bars, so the number of surviving coins is extremely small.

Surprisingly, this old man had as many as three in his hand, as if it were nothing.

Without a doubt, it was spoils of war captured on the northern battlefield.

Sure enough, Lin Yuanxiang laughed and said, "Just take it. This is a spoil of war captured in the north back then. It was originally going to be handed over, but Old Li wanted to keep it as a souvenir, so he used a month's allowance to exchange it with the leader. Now that you're here, he'll definitely give you a gift since it's our first meeting. Besides this, he can't offer anything else. Just keep it safe and don't lose it."

Chen Fan hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Old Master Li, who was still holding out his hand, as if he wouldn't take it back unless Chen Fan accepted it.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to accept it with both hands, bow respectfully and thank him, "Thank you, Mr. Li, I will definitely keep it safe."

Grandpa Li chuckled twice and waved his hand, "It's just a little gadget, you can play with it, it's okay if you lose it."

Chen Fan held the three gold coins, thinking he couldn't afford to lose them.

It's not because it's valuable, but because it's a spoil of war captured by Old Master Li, and its value is immeasurable.

At this moment, Old Master Zhang suddenly coughed, rummaged in his pocket a couple of times, and finally pulled out a sheathed dagger, which he handed to Chen Fan, saying, "Here, take this."

Having already accepted the Twin Eagle Gold Coins, why would he hesitate over a mere dagger?
He immediately went over and accepted it with both hands, bowing again, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang."

Grandpa Zhang chuckled and said, “Don’t underestimate this dagger. It has an extraordinary origin. I seized it from an Italian general (Italy had not yet joined the United Nations at the time and did not send troops, but sent a medical team of more than 100 people and a small number of observers mixed in with the medical team). I heard that it was used by an ancient emperor of their country, or that the blade was made from some kind of meteorite. Anyway, I tried it out, and it is indeed quite useful. You can use it to peel fruit and cut mutton.”

Chen Fan's gaze sharpened as he looked at the dagger again. Sure enough, there was a string of letters on the hilt. If he wasn't mistaken, it should be "Augustus".
(End of this chapter)