Simultaneously under construction are two TongCheng Travelers Inn, called Same City Roadside Lodge as well, invested and built by Xiangbei.
One is located by the official road leading out from the south gate of Dongbin City, ten miles away from the city, at the farewell pavilion. The other is situated by the carriageway on the eastern bank of the waterway newly built by the dock, near the foot of the mountain. Although not within the scope of the commercial new city in the dock square, they are connected to the central axis of the square by two stone bridges.
When the Pegasus logo of the Same City Roadside Lodge stands tall at the intersection, crowds from all directions surge like a tide. This is, of course, related to Xiangbei's previous mysterious tactics, storytelling in the form of songs, arranging gossip-related topics in various social zones, and various overwhelming modern advertising campaigns. However, the majority of people coming here are here to see—the toilet gossip.
Yes, it's the restroom. The TongCheng Travelers Inn has built a long row of public toilets by the roadside, with squatting pit toilets and sitting flush toilets, public showers, and a public area for cow and horse stable at the back.
An integrated sewage pipe network design is adopted, with continuously flowing bamboo buckets tilting to balance and pour water out once exceeding the equilibrium level to flush away filth.
Visitors hear that all human and animal waste supposedly goes into an unseen sewer and is discharged into a place called the biogas tank. Although no one knows what biogas is, the entire Lodge is lit up by biogas lamps brighter than the sun and moon, and it is said that these lamps are made from filth.
The crowd swells from day to night, but shows no signs of diminishing. People from all around are flocking here, as hearsay goes, that these lamps can burn all night without needing refueling or trimming. After all, no matter how many exciting curiosities there are, they cannot suppress the rumbling stomachs and tired eyes. It's only now, under the cover of darkness, that people notice a wave of rich fragrance wafting from the roadside.
Not far away in the bamboo sheds, illuminated brightly by dozens of biogas lamps, are more than a dozen steaming hot foods laid out uniformly on long tables. Smiling attendants lead you into the long queue, where you first pay fifty coins and then receive a large bamboo plate. As the line moves forward to the food table, you can select four items from the array of ingredients, and the aunties behind the table will scoop a generous portion of each onto your plate. You can then move forward to take two pancakes or two spoonfuls of fragrant rice before leaving the queue.
Finding a seat at any of the long tables, you'll find bamboo chopsticks, cups, and spoons provided for easy access. Despite the long queue, from paying for the food to sitting down to enjoy it, it takes only about fifteen minutes per person. Various foods and their names are painted on the walls, so guests seated at each table compare their four chosen dishes, exchanging their taste experiences based on the names in the paintings. Eventually, unable to resist, they rise again to join the queue for another meal. Oh, the attendant calls it a fast-food combo.
The construction of the dock is in full swing, with every merchant pushing to meet the deadline of opening simultaneously with the unveiling ceremony in three months. With ample funds provided, the workers are toiling day and night, and they don't mind spending a few dozen or even a hundred coins a day to eat two meals at the local fast-food restaurant. The round-the-clock bright lights and hot food at the Lodge make people feel at ease. For an additional twenty coins, those who arrive early or leave late can take a hot shower and rest in a single-person tent. Craftsmen from afar also discover that they can leave letters or gifts here to be delivered back home, which is both fast and reliable. When people return home after finishing their work, the topic they discuss most about the new dock and commercial city is undoubtedly the Travelers Inn.
As more and more people come here, some mountain dwellers who are too lazy to spend time entering the city or reluctant to pay the entrance fee have set up stalls near the inn to sell the products they have obtained from the mountains and their own farm produce. Slowly, this has evolved into a local specialty market.
In the mountains of Dongbin, there are many mountain dwellers who gather bamboo shoots and wild vegetables in spring, pick fruits in autumn, and hunt wild game. The women also dye cloth with plants from the mountains, producing a shiny black fabric that is cool and comfortable to wear in summer. Now, as long as they descend from the mountains and set up these items by the roadside, they are easily sold.
At the foot of the mountain, the farms mainly consist of rice paddies, but every household also grows vegetables and fruits. Besides consuming them themselves, they put any surplus produce by the roadside, emphasizing freshness. Some farmers also produce homemade pickles, sour vegetables, snacks, and dried vegetables, setting up small stalls to sell them here for an extended period. With travelers passing by from all directions, it's convenient for them to pick up something to taste along the way.
The Lodge is located here, originally intended to serve as an information and traveler service center. Now, it seems to have taken on the role of leading the economic development of the surrounding area.