You Gou was a very interesting girl; Chen Ke had always thought so. If he saw You Gou slap a boy across the face, he would definitely think he had foresight. That boy was younger than You Gou, but he was a northern man. You Gou had learned combat from Chen Ke for a while. A human-shaped target had been set up in the workshop courtyard, and Chen Ke had taught You Gou some basic fighting techniques against the target. Chen Ke believed that rather than letting You Gou learn some combat skills, slapping was a simpler technique. After slapping, a kick to the solar plexus would follow, which was more effective than anything. Generally speaking, men were less defensive against women. This kind of move was easier to succeed with.

After the crisp slap, You Gou felt great. You Gou had also set up a similar human-shaped target at home. Every night, she would take out an hour to punch and kick the target wrapped in thick cotton. She practiced several basic routines quite familiarly. Just as she lifted her foot and was about to kick, she was suddenly pulled away. Turning her head, she saw it was Qi Huishen who had acted. Qi Huishen stepped forward, pointed at the person who was beaten, and shouted, "Is this how you talk to Teacher You? What do you mean by dog comprador? I, your father, also come from a comprador background!"

The person who was beaten was really stunned by this slap. He was just sarcastically mocking "dog compradors" as a group of people who had forgotten their ancestors with an extremely disdainful smile along with two classmates beside him. In between, there was vicious ridicule directed at You Gou personally. What they didn't expect was that in the room next door, You Gou and Qi Huishen were talking in low voices. The school dormitory building had just been repaired, and the Whampoa Book Club had made a big move, all moving into the dormitory. Probably used to places like workshops, the students spoke quite loudly, not noticing at all that the object of their ridicule was just a wall away.

Hearing the quarrel, curious people from other dormitories and offices had already appeared at the door. Seeing that this fight couldn't go on, You Gou simply shouted to the people outside, "Prepare for the meeting to discuss grouping issues."

Since the first resolution of democratic voting was reached at the Party meeting, Qi Huishen had to follow the resolution. Chen Ke gave repeated orders and instructions on Party discipline, demanding resolute obedience to organizational decisions. Qi Huishen dared not comply in public but oppose in private. After that, at the convened meetings, everyone began to recount Chen Ke's judgments on China's economic situation.

Regarding the cotton issue, You Gou narrated it personally. The number of professional cotton farmers in China was extremely low, even in Shanghai and Songjiang where the textile industry was developed. With the rapid development of China's textile industry, the demand for cotton grew day by day, directly leading to the rise in cotton prices. The rise in cotton prices, in turn, led the textile industry to start purchasing cheap foreign yarn. This purchase greatly affected the interests of landlords in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Landlords who originally expected to make a fortune through the rise in cotton were naturally extremely dissatisfied. Moreover, landlords operating some handicraft industries were also extremely dissatisfied with the impact of cheap foreign goods. Various movements to boycott foreign goods appeared in Shanghai.

This was not just in Shanghai. As China was forced to open its doors, landlords operating handicraft industries everywhere had the same dissatisfaction. In 1905, except for Guangdong, other trading areas all had movements by local merchants to boycott foreign goods.

Chen Ke's analysis of this problem was quite thorough. However, for 21st-century China, the benefits of free trade were enormous. After the US economic recession, China turned back without hesitation and carried the banner of globalization, becoming the first country to advocate and lead free trade. So Chen Ke himself didn't oppose free trade; he only opposed free trade that was detrimental to China. Therefore, when analyzing this problem, Chen Ke was quite fair.

You Gou and Qi Huishen both came from comprador families, so they could accept Chen Ke's attitude quite well. Unfortunately, the students of the Whampoa Book Club were mostly from landlord and official backgrounds. As landlords, they were naturally firmly opposed to the impact of industrialization. As for officials, the aggressive foreign devils were absolutely what they detested. Although these two types of people were dissatisfied, they dared not attack the foreign devils directly after all. Thus, the object of their anger became the compradors who relied on foreign devils.

What was even more ironic was that after You Gou, a woman who was a comprador, explained the cotton issue and the deep economic principles to everyone, these students hated compradors even more. Consequently, they were also very impolite to You Gou.

Hearing You Gou's order, the people peeking at the door ran away immediately. They called other students and ran towards the room serving as the conference room. After another moment, You Gou walked into the classroom in high spirits. Standing on the podium, You Gou wrote four big characters on the blackboard: "**Seek Truth from Facts**."

Turning her head, she said full of emotion, "Some people say women have long hair and short knowledge. I officially tell you now, let's compare hair; yours is longer than mine." In order to go to the countryside, You Gou had just cut her hair a few days ago. With short bangs and beautiful hair just reaching her shoulders, matching this suit, You Gou looked like a handsome boy.

"Seek truth from facts. So, I don't want to hear you say disrespectful words to women in the future," You Gou made a concluding remark.

The boys below looked at each other. This sounded funny, but there was no way to refute it. Not many people cut their queues in these times. Even if they cut their queues, most of them had the foreign style of parted hair, long hair, or many simply kept long ponytails. The biggest difference was that the front of the head no longer revealed a shiny gourd. But compared with You Gou's hair, this bunch of people really had long hair. In fact, many people didn't like this female teacher very much, but comparing learning, especially foreign learning, they knew they were far behind. This bunch of people "dared to resent but dared not speak." Seeing You Gou speak so arrogantly, the students looked left and right.

"The day after tomorrow, we are going to the countryside to conduct actual investigations. Is everyone ready?" You Gou asked.

"Teacher You is going with us too?" someone asked.

"That's right."

"Living together?" that fellow asked, not knowing death.

"Living separately." You Gou wasn't scared by such ridicule.

The people below were students after all; taking advantage verbally was their limit. Playing hooligans in public, these people couldn't do it. Hearing You Gou say this, no one dared to say more.

"Everyone has received the topic this time. What is our purpose?"

Xiong Mingyang answered in Sichuan dialect, "To investigate how foreign industrial products crushed the small peasant economy."

A month ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xiong Mingyang had an outburst at Chen Ke. Afterward, he even spread bad words about Chen Ke wantonly in Fudan Public School. A few days later, when he calmed down, he also felt he was a bit excessive. Wasn't the real reason for China's backwardness exactly what Chen Ke explained to everyone? Since Chen Ke could explain these clearly, there might not be more practical actions in the future.

Sure enough, continuing to attend lectures, he obtained a more profound analysis of China's current situation from You Gou. Now that they were going to do a social investigation, Xiong Mingyang wasn't as excited as before. After all, he came from a bureaucratic family and had traveled north and south these years, so he knew something of the world. If they wanted to reverse the impact of foreign textiles, the best way was for China to produce products cheaper than foreign textiles. Before listening to the class, Xiong Mingyang still felt this kind of thing should be very simple. After listening to the class, he didn't feel so anymore. The affairs of the world were not as simple as imagined.

"The objects of our investigation are the rural areas around Shanghai. These areas have been most impacted by industrial products. The time has also been relatively long, so the changes in rural structure are very different from other rural areas. We will divide into twelve groups according to the distance of water transportation routes for investigation."

"Why follow water routes?" An Rushan asked. He had been busy with his studies recently and missed quite a few Whampoa Book Club meetings. The reason he attended today's meeting was that Fudan Public School gave the green light for the social investigation. Mr. Ma Xiangbo was considered a relatively enlightened person. Many students in Fudan Public School who joined the Whampoa Book Club asked for leave from the school to participate in this social investigation. After learning about this investigation, Mr. Ma Xiangbo called Qi Huishen to ask about it, and later discussed it with Yan Fu. After discussion, they simply allowed students to ask for leave and also selected a group of students to join the investigation team. Although this bunch of people were not members of the Whampoa Book Club, they also went to listen to lectures and were very interested in social investigation. Rather than letting them talk about the students going out for investigation uneasily all day, it was better to let them participate in this matter.

Since the school agreed, An Rushan, who had been hesitant about whether to participate, naturally participated. Because he didn't attend the previous few meetings, he naturally didn't know the reason for this allocation.

"Water routes are the cheapest means of transportation around Shanghai. Most foreign goods coming from abroad are transferred and sold to other places via water routes. Therefore, by investigating the radiation range of water transportation, we can obtain a comparative result."

An Rushan didn't know what the word "radiation" meant. He simply asked directly. After You Gou explained the literal meaning of the word, seeing An Rushan still looking confused, she said, "To put it plainly, the farther it is transported, the more expensive the price. Do you understand this?"

An Rushan nodded.

"The higher the price of goods, the fewer people come to buy. The lower the price of goods, the more people come to buy. Can you understand this?"

An Rushan continued to nod.

"So, we have to investigate in segments, which means looking at sales volume in each region at different prices. And the different sales conditions of these foreign goods, regarding the changes in the local social structure."

This explanation was clear enough; An Rushan finally understood.

"Teacher You. I have a question." Lu Huitian raised his hand requesting to speak.

"Speak."

"Then regarding the investigation of changes in inland waterway ports and routes, what is this for?"

"Because of the influx of a large number of commodities, some places have become new distribution centers. There are more people specializing in commodity transportation and sales, and more people going there to work. Changes in ports and routes can directly indicate the activity of commodity transactions in these areas. If we encounter areas with great changes, we will conduct research on the changes in these areas. You will discover many interesting things."

You Gou believed these students would definitely discover many interesting things. You Gou's family started as compradors. Her grandfather started as a declining small landlord in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, selling iron nails and lamp oil, and built up the family fortune step by step. Just like everyone else in this era, You Gou didn't like to talk about her family background to others. But since she was born in a comprador family, she wasn't completely ignorant of business matters. Since starting a career with Chen Ke and the others, and after learning so many things herself, You Gou had a comprehensive understanding from theory to practice of principles she only vaguely understood before. Those "business sutras" that once annoyed You Gou now had theoretical explanations as clear as chemical equations. You Gou felt she had truly benefited greatly.

No matter what dissatisfaction the students below had with the female teacher, under such clear explanation and allocation, they also knew they absolutely didn't have such insight. After asking a few more questions, You Gou announced the start of free discussion time. She walked off the podium and out of the classroom door. She smiled and said to Qiu Jin, who had been standing outside the door for a while, "Sister Qiu, why didn't you come in just now?"

"It's meaningless to disturb you. I could hear very well outside too." Qiu Jin answered with a smile.

"Let's go sit in my office." As You Gou spoke, she pulled Qiu Jin towards the other end of the corridor.

Qiu Jin came to participate in the social investigation. As a teacher at Fudan Public School, Yu Youren was very clear about this social investigation. He had also been to Chen Ke and Qi Huishen's school and was quite envious seeing such a large campus. Qiu Jin and Yu Youren had always planned to run a school, but they lacked resources. After discussing, the two felt they might as well run a school with Chen Ke. Chen Ke was not in Shanghai now, so proposing this request directly to Qi Huishen, Qi Huishen would probably also look at Chen Ke's intention. So when Qiu Jin learned that You Gou, a girl, was also going to participate in this social investigation, she expressed her willingness to go with You Gou.

You Gou naturally wouldn't refuse. In order to go on the social investigation this time, she even bought a dagger and a pistol. Old Master You was already so angry that he ignored You Gou for practicing martial arts at home. These past few days, You Gou practiced with the dagger against the target, and her brother didn't dare to come over and talk to her anymore. You Gou really didn't have the courage to show the pistol. Practicing with a pistol at home, the Old Master would probably lock You Gou in the room and not let her out. Qiu Jin claimed to be proficient in martial arts, so You Gou and Qiu Jin made an appointment to practice pistol shooting in the open space of the school.

Carefully closing the door and bolting it, You Gou then opened the lock of the drawer and took out a pistol carefully wrapped in cloth. This was a Mauser Military Pistol. The Mauser factory obtained the patent on December 11, 1895, and officially produced it the following year. Because its holster was a wooden box, it was also called the "Box Cannon" (*Kezi Qiang*) in China; if equipped with a 20-round magazine, it was called the "Big Belly Box." Its gun body was wide, so it was also called "Big Mirror Face." Those with fully automatic functions were also called "Fast and Slow Machine" (*Kuaimanji*), and the Mauser factory called it the Rapid Fire Model (*Schnellfeuer*), mass-produced in May 1931.

The pistol on the table was naturally not the Rapid Fire Model mass-produced in 1931. But the blued gun body and the beautiful wooden handle were really ugly-cute. The pistol was bought by You Gou through Wang Bin. It cost 38 taels of silver. Upon seeing the gun, Qiu Jin immediately picked it up. The gun weighed more than two *jin* (approx. 1 kg+), feeling heavy in the hand, which unexpectedly gave Qiu Jin a sense of peace of mind. She carried the pistol and started aiming around randomly. This fierce action scared You Gou. She quickly held down Qiu Jin's arm. "Sister Qiu, Wenqing said the first essential of using a gun. Under any circumstances, absolutely do not let the muzzle point at your own people."

Hearing You Gou say this, and seeing You Gou's nervous expression, Qiu Jin laughed and put the pistol back on the table.

"Then what is the second essential?"

"The second essential: if you haven't learned to disassemble and assemble firearms, don't learn to shoot."

"Haha, you remember Wenqing's words clearly." Qiu Jin teased.

You Gou didn't think deeply about this. She took out a shiny yellow bullet and began to disassemble the firearm. Chen Ke repeatedly emphasized that firearm maintenance meant the first element of saving one's life in battle. Watching You Gou clumsily but effectively disassemble the pistol, and then wipe the barrel, spring, and other parts with a set of tools obviously made by herself, she helped and asked, "When will Wenqing return from Beijing?"

"He didn't say either. It's estimated to be the Spring Festival at any rate."

"Wenqing is from the north; he will probably go home to visit during the Spring Festival, right?"

"He said he wouldn't, so presumably he won't." You Gou lowered her head and concentrated on wiping the parts. After all, she came from a chemical engineering background; You Gou knew that the gun oil attached to the gun could prevent corrosion. Although the oil stains on her hands were not comfortable, she very carefully coated every part that needed corrosion protection with grease. Then she assembled the pistol very unskillfully. Just as it was assembled, she saw Qiu Jin still holding a part in her hand.

"Sister Qiu, you..." Snatching the part, You Gou disassembled the pistol again, took out the manual, and checked them one by one to ensure nothing was missing. Only then did You Gou continue to assemble the pistol.

"Wenqing has been gone for so long; I don't know how he is."

"En." You Gou said absently.

"He's been gone so long, don't you miss him?"

"Hmm? Why?" You Gou asked casually while concentrating on assembling the pistol.

"Some people say you two..."

"Hehe." You Gou laughed dryly and sarcastically on purpose, still concentrating on assembling the gun. "Let them say what they want. Wenqing and I are just comrades; there is no other relationship."

Qiu Jin was a bit surprised. When she met You Gou with Chen Ke, she felt that Chen Ke and You Gou seemed quite compatible. Later, she also heard some rumors. In these times, regarding such statements, everyone believed "better to believe it's true than to miss it." Even as a famous revolutionary, Qiu Jin couldn't be exempt from vulgarity. So she wanted to get some news about Chen Ke's recent situation from You Gou. Seeing You Gou behaving like this, Qiu Jin was a bit strange.

"Then why hasn't sister married at this age?" Qiu Jin prepared to attack indirectly.

"What's good about marrying someone?" You Gou finally assembled the pistol. "If I marry a hero, I won't be willing to be manipulated by him. If I marry a useless one, I can't be bothered to pay attention to him. Wenqing said, 'It's better to have it yourself than to have a father or mother who has it.' I just need to do my own thing well; where do I have the leisure to take care of a husband?"

As she spoke, You Gou raised the pistol and aimed at the wall in front. Qiu Jin looked at You Gou's posture of holding the gun, which was very alternative; the Mauser pistol was held horizontally flat. She asked quite curiously, "Why hold the gun like this?"

"Wenqing said this kind of gun has great recoil. When shooting, the muzzle will jump up violently. So it must be held like this to shoot accurately."

Qiu Jin was really puzzled. Although You Gou insisted that she had no relationship with Chen Ke, she always mentioned Chen Ke when speaking. Just as she was about to speak, she heard footsteps coming from outside. Soon someone knocked on the door. You Gou wasn't in a hurry; she carefully put away the pistol and bullets. She put the cloth bag back into the desk drawer and locked it. Only then did she get up to open the door.

Outside the door was Qi Huishen. It seemed he was waiting a bit anxiously. As soon as the door opened, Qi Huishen came in holding a piece of paper. Seeing Qiu Jin, he was stunned for a moment, then greeted her. Qi Huishen handed a letter to You Gou. The content of the letter was very simple, greeting everyone. And asking Xie Mingxian to bring medicine for four hundred people to Beijing. As for his own recent situation, Chen Ke only said he was recruiting Party members. She looked at Qi Huishen, then at Qiu Jin. You Gou decided to go practice shooting with Qiu Jin first.