Chapter 1674 — Qiongzhou Prefecture City

"Because they got used to poverty! Old habits are hard to break." Yun Suji said. "Social civilization has prerequisites: only when granaries are full do people know rituals and etiquette. We cannot yet speak of full granaries; we just let everyone eat their fill. The road of civilization is still long."

"The whip and gallows remain the most reliable for promoting social progress."

They talked until they stopped outside Qiongzhou City. Dugu Qiuhun summarized: "Consumed so many motorcycle hours, and the Army still has not settled the bill."

He said only this puzzling sentence before naturalized cadres from the Qiongshan County Office came to welcome them at the courier station. Dugu Qiuhun did not enter the city; he took two carriages and drove straight to the Nandu River ferry to cross to Wenchang County.

The next morning, Yun Suji woke to thrush song. He stayed at the Qiongshan County Office Guesthouse. According to the Second Five-Year Administrative Plan, the future Hainan Regional Government would be located in Qiongshan County, so this place would soon become the Regional Guesthouse.

The Guesthouse was located in Renhe Ward inside the prefecture city. From outside, it appeared a grand residence with deep courtyards, but inside was a different world. The Class-A guest rooms where Yun Suji stayed were independent courtyards, renovated by Guangzhou Purple-label craftsmen according to Senator reception standards. Cooks serving in the canteen had trained in modern culinary arts at commercial hall restaurants in Lingao.

Since clean government regulations were issued, reception had shrunk. Last night, the Senator Director of Qiongshan County Office gave him a "welcome dinner," but it did not reach the "four dishes and one soup" standard; many famous local dishes were missing.

"Chief, you are awake?" Jin Xishan's voice came from the washroom. Splashing water sounds suggested she was washing clothes. Following the voice, she quickly came to the bedside, picked up his clothes from last night, and attended to him.

"There are attendants here. Just put clothes in the laundry basket."

"These are intimate garments; how can I let them wash them? Besides, there are your clothes, Chief. Their work is rough; it would be a waste to ruin them." Jin Xishan nimbly changed him into a cotton shirt.

Yun Suji stood still, enjoying her service—not only Jin Xishan, but his proper wife Liu Meilan also served his daily life decently. He felt this place was truly paradise for men—he wondered how Old Zhang had managed to mess things up.

After dressing, Yun Suji moved to the washroom. It was completely "Australian-style" decoration: basin, flush toilet, shower all available. Jin Xishan had prepared mouthwash, tooth powder, and water.

Yun Suji picked up the horsehair toothbrush with ivory handle, dipped it in tooth powder from a rhinoceros horn box, and brushed his teeth before the mirror. He sighed secretly: Where could one enjoy such a life in the old spacetime! Except for his mother, no woman would treat him, a petty clerk, so well.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Jin Xishan waiting respectfully with a towel and felt a little guilty.

Senator Yun had enjoyed a harmonious family these past few years. Although Liu Meilan had "self-awareness of a lady" and could be called virtuous, it was also thanks to Jin Xishan being submissive, always lowering her eyebrows and pleasing the eye before Liu Meilan.

Therefore, he always felt he owed her. Coming for this investigation, he conveniently brought her for sightseeing and relaxation. The newly formulated "Senator Discipline Regulations" clarified that Senators could bring Life Secretaries on Hainan business trips, so people would not gossip.

He spat out mouthwash, and a hot, wrung towel was handed over. Yun Suji glanced inadvertently and saw Jin Xishan with black hair combed into a ponytail, tips on her forehead curled into bangs, wearing a neatly ironed maid uniform. There was a unique sense of clean, efficient beauty.

Involuntarily, his heart stirred. Although "wife is not as good as concubine," he had cohabited with Jin Xishan for three or four years, and freshness was long gone. Liu Meilan never created conflict over which bedroom the man slept in, but Jin Xishan's looks and figure were inferior to Liu Meilan, and her opportunities to receive "favor" were fewer. This was one reason he felt he let Jin Xishan down.

However, today he found that this southern girl bought for carnal desire years ago had unknowingly grown into maturity and beauty. Her slightly dark skin highlighted healthy beauty. He could not help pulling her into his arms, one hand around her fragrant shoulder, the other lifting her skirt hem, groping inside, kissing her forehead, eyes, cheeks...

Jin Xishan was startled, instantly turning soft under his caress, whispering: "Chief... don't..."

"What Chief? Call me Master!" Jin Xishan was not used to calling him Chief when first receiving his favor; when lost in passion, she always called him "Master"—a boudoir secret between them.

"Master, under broad daylight, people will hear..."

"Hear what? It is only six o'clock. Besides, outsiders cannot enter this courtyard. Come, let Master love you properly."

...

Eating breakfast an hour later than scheduled, Yun Suji took people out to visit the prefecture city. Before getting into the sedan chair, he saw an old well with rope-worn grooves at the mouth, named "Danye Well." The accompanying cadre said that since ancient times, the city had a saying of "Seven Wells, Eight Alleys, Thirteen Streets"—this was one of the "Seven Wells."

Yun Suji's first stop was the Five Lords Temple, also known as "First Tower of Hainan." Built in the Wanli period to commemorate five famous officials banished to Hainan during Tang and Song: Li Deyu, Li Gang, Zhao Ding, Li Guang, and Hu Quan. Nearby were Xuepu Hall, Five Lords Vihara, Guanjia Hall, Sugong Temple, arch bridges, lotus ponds, wind pavilions, and Qiongyuan Garden—a group of Lingnan-style ancient buildings.

Wherever Yun Suji went in the Five Lords Temple, it was quiet. Those managing the ancestral hall waited respectfully. He was a Senator; for natives who realized Qiongzhou Prefecture had changed dynasties, his weight was understood. Someone immediately led and introduced.

However, the Temple was merely a courtyard with no magnificent scenery. It was in disrepair, with dilapidated parts everywhere. Yun Suji felt uninterested.

Walking out, the cadre said that among "Seven Wells, Eight Alleys, Thirteen Streets," every street and alley had history and legend. Many neighborhoods were famous because people lived there: Dashi Alley was named after famous gentry like Zheng Tinghu, a Ming dynasty Ministry of Works director, and Zhong Fang, the "Great Confucian of Lingnan"; Jinhua Village and Zhujuli attracted mainland tourists because Qiu Jun and Hai Rui came from there.

Yun Suji toured the Prefecture City cursorily throughout the morning. Originally a county seat, Qiongzhou was upgraded to a prefecture in the second year of Hongwu when Vice Minister of War Sun An led soldiers to station on the island. The prefecture governance was located in the city, with jurisdiction over all Hainan. The city expanded its enclosure and built walls again. Nine years later, it took shape: circumference 1253 zhang, height 2.7 zhang, thickness 2.8 zhang, 1843 battlements, 57 storehouses, three gates in east, south, and west. The East Gate was originally Chaoyang Gate, later Yongtai; the South Gate was Jingnan; the West was Shunhua. Like Lingao County City, there was no North Gate—instead a wall tower called Wanghai. In the 17th year of Hongwu, Commander of Hainan Guard Sang Zhao added an earthen sub-city of 380 zhang outside the West Gate.

He walked to the Drum Tower on Gulou Street between the South Gate and Prefecture Yamen. The cadre spoke briefly to the gatekeeper, and he swaggered up the stone steps, touching the moss-covered, scarred walls and dilapidated house on top.

Seeing the sea of roofs before his eyes, he found it hard to imagine this used to be where local literati climbed high and recited poetry.

The cadre reported: Calculated in the new system, the wall was more than 4,100 meters long, more than 9 meters high, more than 6 meters wide, with three gates in east, west, and south, four corner towers, sub-cities, barbicans, and moats. He pointed out small alleys and streets: East Gate Street, West Gate Street, South Gate Street, and so on.

Yun Suji noticed that the Eastern District gathered institutions like Prefecture Yamen, County Governance, and Prefecture School—its functions were political, cultural, religious—so there were Beidi Alley, Shangshu Street, Renhe Ward, Xianqian Street, Xianhou Street. There were also uniquely named roads like Ma'an Street, Datie Street, Xiuyi Ward.

"Where is Qiongtai Academy?" Yun Suji asked.

As Hainan's cultural center for a thousand years, the Prefecture City's refined atmosphere nurtured countless literati and heroes. "Three worthies in one Li, three Jinshi in five Li" aptly described talent emerging during Ming and Qing dynasties. Famous figures enthusiastically promoted education. The city had Prefecture Schools, County Schools, Charity Schools, and Private Schools. Qiongtai Academy was established in the Kangxi period as the highest institution. Last year, the Senate supported the Moli Studio model in Haikou and built it in advance.

"Chief, in the north. Outside the city wall." The cadre handed him a telescope.

In the lens, he saw white walls and red tiles by the sea, appearing to occupy an area even larger than Fangcaodi. What Yun Suji did not know was that Mei Wan originally wanted to build at the Haidian Campus of Hainan University's original location, but Qiongshan cadres planned an industrial zone for Haidian, so it was changed to the south of Haidian, facing it across the river. Built and enrolling now, it could accommodate over five hundred boarding students.

The cadre emphasized: "Construction standards are the same as Fangcaodi."

"Where is Xiuying Port?"

"Where is Baishashuizhai?"

He looked around, ordered someone to take out the map for comparison, and could not help planning the future farm location.

"This farm—let us call it Evergreen Park."

(End of Chapter)