Chapter 43
By the Chinese Street pagoda.
Daisy got off the motorcycle and looked at the street in front of her, “Wow wow, this is Chinatown? I’ve heard about it often, but it’s my first time here.”
Luke parked his Harley and extended his right hand, “Ms. Daisy, can I be your guide?”
Daisy laughed, “I wouldn’t pay a tip.”
“My pleasure.”
Daisy hesitated for a moment and placed her left hand on Luke’s right hand.
As it was getting dark, Chinatown was lit up with red lanterns, looking more Chinese than during the day.
Many Chinese faces could be seen on the streets, and it was easy to tell the locals from the tourists by their demeanor, clothing, and mannerisms.
The street was bustling with people, and Daisy scanned the surroundings, finding everything new and exciting, but seemingly with no desire to learn more about it.
Not far away, a stage was set up, gathered a lot of spectators, from time to time came the sound of applause, there is no lack of some foreigners again shouted: “good, good.”
“Chinese Kung Fu.”
Luke led Daisy into a look, a big blue flower face stood on the stage, holding a red fan in his right hand, only to see the fan in his hand swung toward his face: “Pah!”
Blink of an eye, has turned into a big red flower face.
Another round of hoots and hollers rang out around them.
The red big flower face on the stage turned around, the fan swung, and turned into a yellow big flower face.
“Wow wow ……” Daisy also showed a surprised look, “Is this Chinese magic? It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”
Luke introduced, “This is a traditional Chinese opera, Sichuan Opera Face Changing, it is said that the performer can change fourteen faces in a flash.”
Daisy was curious, “How did he do that?”
“This kind of stunt has been listed as a second class state secret, with a strict master lineage, so it’s hard for outsiders to find out what’s going on.” Luke’s words made Daisy more interested.
Applauding and praising repeatedly, the two didn’t leave until the end of the performance.
People were both curious and somewhat resistant to the unknown.
The Sichuan Opera Face Changing made Daisy interested in Chinese culture and willing to learn more about it instead of just going through the motions.
Daisy walked up to the door of a store and pointed to the items inside, “Are these made of wood?”
“This is bamboo weaving, it’s all made from bamboo.”
“Made of bamboo? Are you sure?” Daisy pointed to a beautifully woven bamboo vase with an incredulous look on her face.
“Bamboo is more resilient, and the artists will split it into fine silk and thick branches, with the thick branches as bones and the fine silk as ropes, which are twisted around each other and compiled into various patterns and tools.”
Daisy went into the store to view them, turned around, and finally selected a vase.
Luke tried to check out and was refused by Daisy.
The two exited the point and walked a short distance to a candy cane store.
Luke instinctively gulped and bought two bunches.
Daisy looked at the red-hot sugarplums and blinked her big eyes, “What’s this?”
“Hawthorn, with a layer of syrup over the outside, a Chinese specialty snack.”
Daisy took it and took a bite, nodding slightly, “GOOD, sweet and sour, I like the flavor.”
The two of them ate the sugar gourd, truly feeling like a young couple shopping.
Passing by a cheongsam store, Luke stopped, “Daisy, do you want to go in and take a look?”
“This kind of dress style I so want to see somewhere ……”
Luke reminded, “A cheongsam.”
“Yeah, saw it on a movie.”
“Wanna go in and try it on?” Luke kinda wanted to see Daisy in a cheongsam.
“Right now?No, I’m not ready ……” Daisy reached out and touched the fabric, “Maybe I’d like to try it sometime later …… ”
“OK, let’s go get something to eat.” Luke, more than a little disappointed, pointed ahead to a restaurant called ‘Hua Yue Ju’.
Daisy nodded, “I like Chinese food.”
“Which dishes do you like?”
“Kung Pao Chicken, Zuo Zongtang Chicken, Goujou Pork, Fried Noodles, and Spring Rolls are all great.”
Luke smiled and held Daisy’s hand as he walked into the restaurant, “I’ll take you for some different Chinese food.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Once inside the restaurant, the two found a seat by the window with a view of the street outside.
An Asian woman in a cheongsam came over and handed the two a menu, and Daisy sized up the waitress and wondered if she regretted not trying out the cheongsam store.
“Daisy, what would you like to eat?”
Daisy smiled, “Weren’t you going to take me for something different and Chinese?”
Luke looked over the menu roughly, “Roasted squab, moo shu pork, ants on a tree, chopped fish head, shiitake mushrooms and greens, Buddha jumping over the wall, and a pot of dragon well.”
The service sense of this restaurant was good and the food was served quickly.
The first course was roasted squab.
Daisy said, “I like to eat roast duck, but isn t this …… one a little small.”
“It’s pigeon.”
“WHAT? pigeon! I don’t know, you’re actually eating pigeon.”
“It’s delicious.”
“NoNoNo……” Daisy looked resistant.
“Delicious.” Luke skimmed a pigeon leg and nibbled on it.
“Oh……,” Daisy frowned, seemingly having trouble accepting it.
Luke skimmed another pigeon leg, “Taste it, trust me.”
Daisy hesitated for a moment, seeing Luke eating it before trying a small bite, savoring it, chewing and eating it slowly.
Luke laughed, “How is it?”
“It’s still …… okay, right?”
Luke handed her another piece of pigeon wings, Daisy did not refuse, and ate again.
The other dishes were brought up one after another.
There were Daisy’s favorites and those she couldn’t accept.
For example, chopped pepper fish head, Luke persuaded several times, lifted God out, Daisy is not willing to try.
Another surprise to Luke is that Daisy’s favorite food is actually ants on a tree, but also ate out the feeling of spaghetti.
The second would be the roasted squab, although she didn’t explicitly say so, but Luke asked for another roasted squab, and she ate most of it.
All in all, it was a pretty good dinner.
After dinner, the two were ready to go back.
On the roadside, Luke saw a paper-cutting store.
The owner was a Chinese man in his forties, with deft hands and quick paper cuts.
Luke asked him to make a photo cutout for the two of them.
Only to see, the boss held a piece of red paper in his left hand and scissors in his right hand, his eyes looked at Luke and Daisy, as the scissors closed one by one, the paper scraps fell on the table.
Within a few moments, there was the beginnings of a photo of the two together, some trimming, the paper cutting was done.
Afterward, the boss set the paper cutout in a glass frame.
Daisy received the paper cutouts, looked at the lifelike character modeling, a little surprised: “It’s too good, it’s almost catching up with the sketch portrait.”
“Daisy, this is my gift to you, you won’t refuse it this time.”
“Thank you for the gift, I love it.” Daisy picked it up and looked at it again before putting the paper cutout in her bag.
The paper cutouts showed the two of them holding hands and shopping like a couple, bringing this date to a successful conclusion ……
Luke dropped Daisy off in front of her house.
Daisy got out of the car and returned the helmet to Luke, “Thanks for dinner, I had a great time tonight.”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of coffee?”
“I’ll buy you a big dinner some other time, BYE,” Daisy smiled and waved goodbye.
Luke nodded slightly and watched her walk to her door.
Starting the Harley, he prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Daisy turned and ran over, her voice slightly panicked, “Luke, don’t go yet.”
“You regret it?”
There was drama.
“Stop it, I realized that something is wrong with the situation.” Daisy was a little nervous and hid at Luke’s side.
“What’s wrong?”
Daisy took a deep breath, “I just got to the house and noticed something unusual about the door to the room.
Before I left the house, I clipped a thin wire to the door using the method you taught me, and now that wire is gone.”
“Are you sure you clipped the thin wire to the door when you went out?”
“Yes, I pulled it by hand before I left the house, and the thin wire wouldn’t have fallen off at all if the door hadn’t been opened.”
Luke scanned the area, not noticing anyone suspicious, parked his Harley and walked into the yard.
Luke walked over to the steps and shined his cell phone light at the door and found a thin white thread, about palm length, on the right side of the door, which was indeed hard to spot without a closer look.
“Is this the thread?”
“Yes, this is the thread.”
Luke put his right hand on the butt of his gun and with his left hand signaled Daisy to back off, the thin thread that was clipped to the door fell off, indicating a possible break-in ……