Seventh Act "Three Whites" Set Meal

  Although the US Consulate was established in Haikou earlier than many other consulates, with a consul set up in 1872, it is interesting to note that perhaps due to insufficient attention being paid to Hainan, the Americans did not send several consuls here, and for most of the time, the position of American Consul was even held concurrently by the British Consul. Now, there is still no fixed person as Haikou Consul, and most of the time, it is handled by the Guangzhou Consul. The person currently handling the case of the murdered pastor is Tan Ni, the Guangzhou Consul who temporarily lives in the Haikou Consulate.

  Roger got off the rickshaw and walked straight to the guardhouse of the consulate, saying in English to the guard: "Sorry to disturb you, my name is Roger, I have something to discuss with your consul, Mr. Tan Ni, about compensation for Pastor Feng Zhuoxu, do you know if he has time?"

  The guard looked up and glanced at Roger with a lazy tone: "It's time for lunch break now, the consul is resting and has no time to see guests, you'd better leave."

  "Can you tell me when he's available? I'll make an appointment."

  The guard glared at Roger, as if annoyed by his persistence: "When the consul has time is his private business, I'm just a guard, how could I possibly know these things?"

  Although the guard was rude, Roger didn't give up. He pulled out a large bill from his pocket and stuffed it into the guard's hand: "This is a little something for you to help me make an appointment with the consul. I really do have important business to discuss with him."

  Although people may look down on others, they will never look down on money.

  As expected, the guard's attitude became much more friendly after accepting Roger's tip. He told the truth: "The consul really didn't have time this afternoon, but he should be free this afternoon. I can help you make an appointment, but whether the consul agrees to see you or not is not something I can decide."

  Roger didn't have to wait long for the result - the guard gave him an OK sign.

  ……

  Since they can only meet the consul in the afternoon, Roger doesn't want to wait here either. It's just right that he had a hasty breakfast and now his stomach is growling with hunger, so it's better to replenish his energy first.

  He casually spent two coppers on a newspaper at the newsboy's stand by the roadside, then Roger walked into the restaurant across from the consulate and ordered a basket of crab roe buns and half a Wenchang chicken before sitting down in a corner to read the paper.

  This is a copy of the Qiong Yao Daily, apart from the advertisements that take up nearly three-quarters of the space, the most reported content is the case of the American pastor being harmed. I don't know if this newspaper is run by Deng Benying's relatives or not, but it describes the pastor as being extremely virtuous and kind, while the bandits who harmed him are extremely cruel. The focus is on how quickly General Deng handled the situation, clearing out the bandits in just a few days and bringing peace to the people. However, there is no mention of the Americans demanding compensation, as if this matter never existed at all.

  However, the most interesting part of this newspaper is not these. Just below the report that praises Germany, there is an "advertisement" that suddenly appears with a "diatribe against America". The first two sentences still look like an advertisement, but after a few words, it changes tone and scolds Americans until they are covered in dog blood.

  Two articles with completely opposite views are put together, which is quite interesting.

  Apart from these two articles, there was nothing else in the newspaper. Just then, the dishes were served and Roger tossed the paper aside and began to eat with gusto.

  To say that this Republic is heart-wrenching in every way, one thing is certain: the dishes are absolutely purely green and genuine! What's with the melamine gutter oil? You think you can even get it? In these times, pesticides and fertilizers are more expensive than vegetables. Only high-ranking officials can afford to eat these poisonous dishes, but Luo Rui can't enjoy them.

  Just as they were eating, the shopkeeper suddenly brought over a man wearing a melon-shaped hat and a long gown.

  "Sorry about this, sir. As you can see, our shop is quite small and we're really full up. Would it be possible for you to share a table with this gentleman?"

  Roger looked around and indeed the place was packed with people, only his spot was empty, so he nodded: "Okay."

  That man was obviously a regular customer. As soon as he sat down, the shopkeeper smiled and said: "Mr. Xu, you still want to have your usual 'Three Whites'?"

  Xu nodded: "Yes, it's still those three whites."

  This conversation caught Roger's attention, who had also lived in Hainan for a period of time but had never heard of the term "three whites", so he paid attention to the middle-aged man opposite him.

  Noticing Roger's gaze, Xu Zhuanggui smiled slightly, which was a greeting.

  Rogers originally thought that the legendary "Three Whites" would take some time to prepare, but the result left him stunned - the shopkeeper had brought out the "Three Whites" in less than a minute.

  A bowl of white rice, a dish of peeled pickled peanuts and a cup of plain water...

  "This is what they call 'three whites'!?" Roger was directly stunned...

  Roger, who was taken aback, saw Xu's awkward smile and said in a low voice: "This... this meal can fill our stomachs, and the pickled peanuts here are particularly fragrant and crispy. The rice from Qiongya is also very nourishing..."

  Xu knew his words were baseless and by the end, he was practically talking to himself.

  Roger smiled slightly and said, "It seems that Mr. Xu is quite familiar with this store. I wonder if there's any signature dish here? As a newcomer, I really don't know anything about Haikou."

  "Haha, you've asked the right person! Although I haven't eaten most of the dishes here, I've been coming often enough to know what's usually ordered. The cooking skills in this restaurant are quite good, and all the dishes are pretty decent. But if we're talking about their signature dish... it's got to be the braised pork belly in a clay pot! It's almost a must-order for regulars, unfortunately... our medicine shop business has been slow, so I don't have enough money to buy it often."

  "Haha, speaking of braised pork belly, I also knew a great restaurant in my university days. Today, let's try this one and see what flavor it has! Mr. Xu, let's taste the braised pork belly together! Waiter, bring another serving of braised pork belly in casserole and a pot of wine."

  Xu Zhuang's intention was to refuse, but upon hearing that there was still a pot of wine left, he put on a thick face and forced a couple of smiles, acquiescing.

  Before long, the wine and meat were served, and the two of them didn't stand on ceremony, immediately digging in with gusto.

  After eating for a while, Xu the shopkeeper saw that Luo Jie only ate meat but didn't drink wine and found it strange: "Why doesn't this gentleman drink wine? The wine in our store is quite good, not drinking it would be a waste."

  "Just call me Roger, I still have to meet someone this afternoon and discuss some things, can't go with a mouth full of wine, this wine... is for you to drink." Roger smiled and wiped his hands, pushing the wine jug in front of Xu Zhuanggui, finally getting down to business.

  "I heard that Xu is running a pharmacy? Are you a doctor?"

  Xu the shopkeeper smiled awkwardly and said, "It's laughable to say it out loud, but as a doctor, my medical skills are not refined. The people who come to my shop for treatment are mostly poor laborers. Those with some wealth wouldn't dare come here. To be honest, the common people of Qiong Ridge are extremely impoverished. Even going into town to see a doctor is difficult. If you want to enter the city, aside from various taxes and fees, even wearing a hat requires payment! A headscarf costs 10 cents in tax, an umbrella is half a cent, and a straw hat is one cent. If someone dares not wear a hat, they'll get beaten up and won't be allowed into the city. You see, with these poor people, what can I possibly earn? If I encounter someone who's truly pitiful, I even have to give them free medicine. It's been tough until now, and I think my shop will soon close down."

  As soon as Luo heard Xu's words, he immediately thought of his own experience when he entered the city, and hearing Xu's words, this was probably just a small matter!

  This warlord must be overthrown, for heaven will not tolerate him!

  But for now, Roger can't quite get to that point, so he could only sigh and slightly calm down his emotions, shifting the topic to his own meaning.

  "I'd like to ask, on your side, how do you treat infections that become abscessed or diseases like tetanus?"