Sunken Fish - Chapter 22
"What's lost?"
“His arm,” the voice on the other end of the phone said, “he’s missing an arm.”
Benny couldn't hide his disappointment: "Oh, what a shame. What about the other one?"
"Ah, the other arm is fine."
“I asked another tour guide.”
Then the voice introduced a young woman who had been assigned from the big city of Chengdu and used to be a teacher. Being new to the area, she wasn't as experienced as the old man, but she studied very hard and was quite outstanding.
"What kind of teacher are you?" Benny asked.
"English."
“Then let’s choose her,” Benny said to everyone. “They wanted to push some unwanted old man onto us. But I managed to get this English teacher; she sounds more modern and will get along better with us.”
A minute later, the former English teacher arrived.
She wore oversized glasses, the lenses so bright you could barely see her eyes. Her hair looked like it'd undergone a magic experiment: her sister-in-law, who always wanted to be a hairdresser, had styled her hair one day, and no matter how she pulled it, the curls would never come back. She wore a plain, wide-necked white-buttoned blue blouse paired with baggy pants. I never judge a book by its cover, but her impression was truly unappealing.
She walked in cautiously and said in a barely audible voice, "It's a pleasure to meet you all in Lijiang."
That's how the tour group got to know Miss Rong. From beginning to end, everyone pronounced her surname as "Wrong".
If I could come back to life and stop them, I definitely would. Miss Rong isn't a local, or even from Yunnan. She doesn't speak minority dialects and hasn't received any training in arts or culture. The one-armed old man, on the other hand, is an excellent tour guide, the most knowledgeable of all.
Ms. Rong couldn't describe the beautiful mountains and grasslands, nor could she recount Lijiang's history, the many ancient families, or the customs of the Naxi and other ethnic groups. She did, however, memorize some information: mileage, population, and the percentage of economic growth in the main industrial and agricultural areas. She said, "This ancient city is protected by UNESCO. Therefore, Lijiang will remain ancient as its economy grows, and you will be able to see historical sites."
So what are we doing today?
Benny asked in a tense tone, hoping the tour guide would make progress if he paused for a moment.
So Miss Rong began to talk about today's activities. But the more she spoke, the more her English seemed unnatural. Everyone struggled to understand her. Benny pretended to understand easily. Meanwhile, a few others, led by Mr. Marseille, were quietly discussing changing the plans—replacing the temple visit with a bicycle trip, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site visit with a mountain hike.
Ms. Rong remained expressionless upon hearing this. Mr. Massey continued, "We also need to cancel this 'Taste Winter Delicacies' event. I don't want to sit in a tourist hotel and eat the kind of boring food that ordinary tourists eat."
He mentioned the local snacks he had for breakfast, explaining how they integrated themselves into the community—it wasn't just a tourist activity, but a genuine life experience; even the noodle soup tasted delicious! My friends responded, "Sounds good!"
Mr. Marseille turned to the silent Miss Rong and uttered a few words in very fast English. Miss Rong only heard: "No buffets...no tourist restaurants...no strict itineraries."
Miss Rong sensed that his attitude was very firm, with many "no's"—no to this, no to that. But which one exactly? She couldn't hear clearly, so Miss Rong could only answer, "No problem."
Benny was helpless; he had wanted to please everyone, but he had chosen an unqualified guide.
"Great! Let's begin!"
He supported the new plan, but in his heart he thought: It's a real pity that I didn't get to taste the winter delicacy of stir-fried ferns.