Chapter 46

Since Chen Ke decided to head north, the comrades no longer said anything. The only issue was who would go north with him. This left everyone in a dilemma.

When Chen Ke went to inspect the progress of the school construction, it just happened to be mealtime. After lunch, Hua Xiongmou privately approached Chen Ke, hoping to go north with him. The school dormitory was almost topped out, the beams were in place, and the roof tiles were beginning to be laid. After lunch, everyone needed a rest, so the two found a spot on the top floor to sit. Hua Xiongmou looked somewhat uneasy, as if he knew his wish might not come true.

"Zhenglan, I know your good intentions, but do you really think you can go with me?" Chen Ke smiled.

"Do you still think my work here is more important?" Hua Xiongmou said.

"Of course, it's very important."

"Chen Qing, I always feel a bit lost when you're not in Shanghai. When I used to work with you, I never felt this way. Being responsible for a region on my own..." Hua Xiongmou frowned, not knowing what to say.

"What do you want to do by following me?" Chen Ke roughly understood Hua Xiongmou's meaning.

"Whatever you do, I'll do."

"Then if I start a revolution, what about you?" Chen Ke asked gently.

"I always feel that the revolution isn't what I imagined. These days, I've thought a lot about the work. There's always a feeling I can't describe. This is completely different from the revolution I imagined."

Hearing Hua Xiongmou's words, Chen Ke stood up. The dormitory building had three floors, and they were on the top floor. The windows were not yet installed, so from the window, they could see the distant fields, houses, and the city beyond. Chen Ke leaned on the windowsill, not saying anything for a moment.

Not only Hua Xiongmou was confused, but Chen Ke was also confused. This era seemed like a stagnant pool, no matter how much turmoil there was beneath the surface, it still looked good on the outside. This was an era before large-scale civil war and before the small peasant economy had collapsed. Social contradictions were still sharp, but overall, for the people, the world still operated according to the old rules. Life was tough, but compared to their predecessors, the current situation wasn't necessarily worse.

The social changes were still on paper, with intense debates within the Beijing court. The uprisings of the revolutionary parties were like moths to a flame, quickly suppressed, with no significant impact. Looking at the normal scenes outside, farmers carrying baskets and pushing carts walked in the fields, heading to the market in the city. They walked at a steady pace, even looking relaxed. To them, life was just a repetition of yesterday, and tomorrow would be a repetition of today.

Seeing these scenes, one didn't even need to talk about the intense movement of revolution. Even the intense social changes Chen Ke described to everyone seemed non-existent. What could be seen was just a repetitive, unchanging life. Even Chen Ke himself had somewhat gotten used to this life.

"Zhenglan, this time, you should participate more in the social survey. If you can't see the changes in society, you naturally won't believe that the revolution is inevitable," Chen Ke finally said.

"I understand." Hua Xiongmou's voice lacked enthusiasm, as if building houses all day had drained him. "Anyway, no matter what I say, you won't let me go, Chen Qing."

"That's right. You haven't completed the party's task. How can you go? Are you going to quit?"

"Chen Qing, who will you entrust with the party's work in Shanghai?" Hua Xiongmou's words carried a hint of frustration.

"Any issues can be discussed at the party meeting. You have a say too. Don't act like the comrades have something against you. Organizational discipline is paramount. You must remember this," Chen Ke said earnestly. At this moment, Chen Ke couldn't say more. The comrades had to overcome this hurdle themselves, not under Chen Ke's command from start to finish. This was one of the main reasons why Chen Ke had to leave for a while.

After comforting Hua Xiongmou, Chen Ke returned to the workshop. He and Qi Hui needed to discuss the social survey. The courtyard was still bustling. A temporary outdoor classroom made of wooden beams and thatch was set up in the courtyard, and a student was speaking in Wenzhou dialect at the blackboard, describing the local situation in Wenzhou. Since the start of the social survey, the first step was for everyone to discuss by region, summarize the conditions of their hometowns, and then present their observations on the podium. It was clear that this student was somewhat nervous, speaking hesitantly and even incoherently. Among the listeners was Chen Tianhua, who didn't say anything, but some of the other students were already laughing.

"How much grain does one mu of paddy field in Wenzhou produce? 300 catties or 500 catties?" someone asked.

"It depends on the year," the student on the podium answered fluently this time.

"How do you classify the years?" the person below persisted.

Hearing this, Chen Ke felt how important a good survey method was. Such unstandardized Q&A sessions would only result in a collection of idle chatter.

As Chen Ke expected, the person on the podium was stumped. He scratched his head, troubled by how to organize his thoughts.

Chen Ke didn't want to listen anymore and entered the office. Qi Hui was writing documents. "How's it going?" Chen Ke asked.

"I've already written the part about the land survey. Chen Qing, take a look. The other parts are really difficult. I never paid attention to this before. What is a society really like? To write a social survey, I had to reread the social analysis reports in Chen Qing's books and the relevant parts in the party documents to know how to start writing these things," Qi Hui said, clearly frustrated. He patted the pile of books and materials on the table. "If I had to think about it myself, I wouldn't know what society looks like. Chen Qing, why don't you stay a bit longer and go to Beijing after the survey is on track?"

Chen Ke took out a few documents he had written late at night from the drawer. "Look at these documents, and discuss them with everyone at the party meeting. Many of my views are in here."

"Chen Qing, you even prepared a magic strategy. Great," Qi Hui joked, showing that writing the plan had indeed been beneficial.

"This time, what do you think about my trip to Beijing, Hui Shen?"

"Since you're going, what can I think? Besides, if I could stop you, I would. But if I could, I would definitely do it." As he spoke, Qi Hui looked at the manuscript. The articles analyzing Chinese society were much more insightful than his current understanding. Qi Hui read intently, not even noticing Wu Xingchen's arrival.

"Chen Qing, this time, I'll go north with you," Wu Xingchen said, his face cold but serious.

Chen Ke found this unexpected and quite interesting. Wu Xingchen had joined the party as a free rider. Chen Ke never thought Wu Xingchen would volunteer to go with him. What was this brother from the gang thinking? Chen Ke was curious.

Wu Xingchen didn't intend to let Chen Ke guess. He said straightforwardly, "A few of my northern friends are planning to cause some trouble, and I hope Chen Qing can go and help them with ideas."

"Cause some trouble?" Chen Ke's eyes widened. From Wu Xingchen's words, his friends were planning a rebellion! Chen Ke was truly impressed by Wu Xingchen. As a revolutionary, if his northern friends were planning a rebellion, the two sides would be a perfect match.

"No problem. I'll go with Brother Wu. How do you plan to introduce me to everyone?"

"If Chen Qing agrees to go, I'll set out first to contact my friends in Hebei. We'll meet in Beijing then," Wu Xingchen said.

"If you're going all the way to Hebei, who will take over your work?" Chen Ke asked.

"The hospital has already gained a reputation, and it doesn't matter whether I stay or not. Besides, I don't plan to stay in Hebei for long. After meeting everyone, I'll return to Shanghai," Wu Xingchen said calmly.

Since Wu Xingchen said this, Chen Ke didn't say anything more. They discussed and wrote down the meeting address. Wu Xingchen then got up and left.

At the party meeting that evening, Chen Ke assigned some tasks. After discussion, Chen Tianhua was chosen to go to Beijing with him. They also detailed how to contact each other in case of emergencies.

On October 1st, Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua boarded a ship to Tianjin. As the ship slowly left the dock, Chen Ke looked down from the deck. You Gou came to see them off, while the other comrades were busy, and Chen Ke ordered everyone to work hard. So the party sent You Gou to see them off. Chen Ke slowly waved to You Gou, who waved back.

The deck was crowded with people waving goodbye to their friends and family, and various farewells echoed in Chen Ke's ears. But the dock and You Gou on it were getting farther and farther away.

No matter how worried he was about the work in Shanghai, Chen Ke knew that revolution was never a one-man show. Without trustworthy comrades, the revolution would be a big joke. Early work determined the foundation for the future, and if mistakes were made, the losses would be significant. But the early stage also offered opportunities for adjustment. The more problems exposed at this stage, the more dangers could be avoided in the future. So Chen Ke had to entrust the work in Shanghai to everyone because he trusted them and had to trust them.

"Work hard, comrades," Chen Ke said softly.

"Everyone will do well, Chen Qing," Chen Tianhua smiled.

Standing next to Chen Ke, Chen Tianhua had no other acquaintances. He politely waved to You Gou and then stood quietly next to Chen Ke. Chen Ke said to Chen Tianhua, "Tianhua, let's go back to the cabin. I'll show you some documents."

Chen Ke had been to Tianjin in the 1980s, so after disembarking in 1905, the surroundings felt somewhat familiar, at least the roads were familiar.

According to the agreement, Chen Ke would take the train from Tianjin to Beijing and then the Jinghan line to Xingtai. With Wu Xingchen's letter, he would visit Pang Zi. Standing at the Tianjin port, Chen Ke's short hair, thick cotton shirt, denim pants, scuffed leather shoes, and backpack were quite eye-catching. Seeing the gazes of the people around him, Chen Ke took out a hard cardboard box of cigarettes he had hidden for a long time, took one, and lit it with a fake Zippo lighter. He then looked around at the people staring at him with a somewhat childish expression.

This demeanor clearly didn't make him look like a good guy, and the people with braids around him turned away. Chen Tianhua, dressed in a student uniform with long hair down to his shoulders, took a cigarette from Chen Ke after some thought. The two puffed on their cigarettes, walking arrogantly for a few steps. Suddenly, someone behind them shouted in Tianjin dialect, "Japanese devils."

Chen Ke was deflated. He turned to look at the person who had cursed him, but no one paid him any attention. Chen Ke said to Chen Tianhua, "Tianhua, have you ever seen such a handsome Japanese person?"

Chen Tianhua, who had been discussing revolution and ideals with Chen Ke, thought Chen Ke was a very steady person. Hearing this question, he almost choked. "Brother Chen Qing, I don't think you've ever cared about not having a braid, right?" Chen Tianhua asked.

"I've always had this short hair and never knew what it was like to have a braid," Chen Ke said angrily.

"I see," Chen Tianhua said, not knowing what to say after hearing such a straightforward answer.

By the time they reached the Tianjin train station, it was already afternoon. The tickets to Beijing at the ticket window were sold out. It was already late in the afternoon, and other modes of transportation were unreliable. Chen Ke tried to book tickets for the next day, but they were also sold out. Chen Ke left the ticket window in frustration.

"Tianhua, let's hire a carriage to Beijing tomorrow," Chen Ke said.

Chen Tianhua didn't care much about how to get to Beijing, as long as he followed Chen Ke, who would arrange the journey. What interested Chen Tianhua was Chen Ke's attitude. "Brother Chen Qing, why do you look so happy?"

"Returning to a familiar place, of course, I'm happy," Chen Ke said casually.

Chen Tianhua was a bit puzzled. "But I don't think you're very familiar with the roads."

"The last time I came, I took a car. Who would walk for no reason?" Chen Ke looked around and said honestly.

Chen Tianhua had seen cars in Japan and knew who could afford to ride in them. Hearing Chen Ke's words, Chen Tianhua didn't say anything. Chen Ke didn't pay much attention either and started looking for a carriage service.

After asking a few people, they all looked at Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua's attire and said they didn't know where to find a carriage service. This obviously dismissive answer made Chen Ke quite frustrated. The two walked on, looking around. Suddenly, Chen Ke saw a banner outside a cloth shop that read, "This shop does not sell foreign goods." There were quite a few people entering and leaving the shop.

"I see," Chen Ke said to himself.

Chen Ke's voice was low, and Chen Tianhua didn't hear clearly. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Just as he was about to answer, a cool autumn breeze blew, refreshing the spirit. Chen Ke's intended explanation turned into something else. "I know where the carriage service is." He turned left and headed upwind.

Every so often, Chen Ke would slightly raise his head and sniff the air. This unusual behavior made Chen Tianhua feel something was off. But after not too long, Chen Tianhua understood what was happening. He also smelled the distinctive odor in the air.

The two stopped in front of a courtyard with a large sign that read, "Shunfeng Carriage Service." Inside the gate, the courtyard was large, with stables built along the east and west walls. The scale of the stables was quite impressive. In front of the stables were feeding and watering troughs. A few mules and horses were resting or eating and drinking. The ground was relatively clean, with the manure piled in a corner, and the air was filled with the smell of herbivores, unpleasant but not disgusting.

Seeing guests, the owner hurried out. Upon seeing Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua's attire, the owner's smile became even more insincere.

"Boss, how much for a carriage to Beijing?" Chen Ke asked.

The owner, dressed in a long robe, looked at Chen Ke's short hair and unusual clothes and replied enthusiastically, "Fifty taels of silver."

"Why don't you just go out and rob people?" Chen Ke asked seriously.

"Sir," the owner replied seriously, "I am robbing you, aren't I?"

Faced with the owner's unassailable answer, Chen Ke couldn't think of a way to respond. He could only say, "It's too expensive."

"The price for renting a carriage to the Japanese is this high. If you think it's too expensive, find another place," the owner's face showed a cunning merchant's smile.

Hearing this, Chen Ke quickly explained, "Have you ever seen a Japanese person who can speak Chinese so well?"

"I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about the one behind you," the owner explained to Chen Ke.

Hearing this, Chen Tianhua, who had been silent, spoke up, "I'm not Japanese, I'm from Hunan." Chen Tianhua's Hunan dialect was very authentic, and Chen Ke could barely understand him.

The owner of the carriage service was well-versed in various dialects. Hearing Chen Tianhua's words, he quickly smiled and said, "I made a mistake. Apologies, gentlemen. Since you're not Japanese, let's make it thirty taels of silver."

"Thirty taels is still too expensive," Chen Ke was reluctant to part with the silver.

"Sir, come and see," the owner led Chen Ke to the stables and pointed to the mules and horses. "Look at these animals. How many places in Tianjin can you find such large animals? And our carriages," the owner pointed to the parked carriages, "how many places in Tianjin can you find such good carriages?"

After saying this, the owner smiled in a way that only a businessman could. "Our stables are so large, but there are not many mules and horses because they are all rented out. The best carriages are also rented out. The people who rent our carriages are all officials in Tianjin. Even if you've never been here before, you've come to the right place."

---

End of the chapter.