Today is their last day in Beijing.
Everyone was exhausted after climbing the Great Wall yesterday, and unsurprisingly, everyone woke up late today.
Xia Minmin and Li Qing were huddled under the covers talking, their voices muffled.
"Sister Qing, why didn't I hear the alarm clock?"
"I heard it! You turned off the alarm as soon as it went off!"
Xia Minmin lifted the blanket covering her eyes and looked at the head of the bed. It was 8:45!
"Sister Qing, it's already 8:45! Why hasn't anyone woken us up?"
"I guess everyone was exhausted from yesterday's journey, especially the grandparents who climbed all the way up with us. Everyone woke up late today without prior arrangement."
"I knew it! Why didn't Grandpa come to wake us up today? Should we get up now?"
Li Qing turned over and said, "Let's sleep a little longer. They'll come and wake us up later."
Xia Minmin's thighs were very sore and it hurt even when she was lying down. Although she usually practiced Sanda (Chinese kickboxing), climbing the Great Wall was a completely different experience.
...
The room of Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei.
"Jianguo, the alarm clock is ringing! Should we get up now, or wait a bit? My legs feel like they don't belong to me anymore. I used to be able to walk for four or five hours without any problem."
“There’s a difference between walking on flat ground and climbing stairs. My parents will probably sleep in late today. Even we young people can’t handle it, let alone them.”
"Okay, then I'll sleep a little longer."
...
The room of Li Zhonghua and Sun Erni.
"Erni, don't rush, we'll get up later."
"Aren't you afraid that Mom and Dad will come knocking on our bedroom door?"
"What's there to be afraid of? According to the old man's habit, he usually comes to knock on the door before the alarm rings. The alarm has been ringing for so long today and he still hasn't come, which proves that they haven't gotten up yet! Let's rest assured and get some rest!"
"Should we tell Xiao Qingchunmei?"
"Don't worry, they're very clever! They definitely won't get up without you reminding them."
It has to be said that Li Zhonghua really understands his family members; their level of understanding is amazing.
...
The room of Xia's maternal grandparents.
"Old man, when are we getting up? I never expected climbing the Great Wall to have such a lasting effect!"
"Sleep a little longer. I heard from Jianguo and the others that they've already visited most of the major attractions, so it's fine for them to rest a bit more today."
"I wonder if the children are awake yet?"
"Old woman, you don't need to worry about that. They absolutely won't get up unless we knock on the door."
"This trip was really worthwhile. I'll have a lot to talk about when I get back to my hometown, and I can chat with my old girlfriends."
“When we go back for the Qingming Festival after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, let’s go back with them! Now that Zhonghua’s family has bought a house and settled down, and their business is on track, we can go back to our hometown too.”
"Yeah, I've wanted to go back to my hometown for a long time. I'm not used to staying in Shenzhen. It's much more comfortable in my hometown."
"Me too. The houses in Shenzhen are like birdcages. It's nothing like being at home. You can have a drink or two with your old buddies and play cards when you have nothing to do. It's so much more enjoyable!"
"Then I'll talk to the boss about it after we get back from the capital."
"Um."
...
Around 10 a.m., everyone gradually got up, and by the time they finished washing up it was almost 11 a.m.
"Do you want to visit other attractions this afternoon?" Li Zhonghua asked.
Li Chunmei asked, "Mom and Dad, how are you?"
Xia Waigong said, "My wife and I will rest in the room. Why don't you young people go and visit some sights?"
Li Qing said, "Then we'll stay with you, okay? Otherwise, you'll get bored staying in your room all the time."
Xia Minmin thought for a moment and said, "How about we go to a teahouse to listen to crosstalk?"
Everyone turned to look at Xia Minmin and exclaimed in unison, "Crosstalk?"
“Yes, there’s a teahouse in the alley next to our hotel. We passed by there the day before yesterday, and I saw a sign on the blackboard saying that there would be performances starting today,” Xia Minmin added.
Li Chunmei said, "That's great too. The teahouse is a unique feature, and we don't have to walk around. These past few days have been exhausting, not to mention my parents, even we young people are tired."
Sun Erni nodded in agreement with Li Chunmei's words.
Li Zhonghua said, "Mom and Dad, what do you think? Should we go and listen to some crosstalk?"
"Was it a crosstalk performance that was on the Spring Festival Gala?" Grandma Xia asked.
"Yes, that's it." Xia Minmin nodded quickly.
Grandpa Xia immediately made the decision, "Alright, let's go over there this afternoon."
I found a steamed bun shop for lunch. I had promised Xia Minmin that I would make up for it with steamed buns, but the steamed bun shops around here only offered takeout and not dine-in, so I had to settle for a steamed bun shop instead.
"This tastes a little worse than the one I had yesterday."
As everyone left the steamed bun shop, they didn't forget to give their comments.
"It's a little bit off but not bad either. I just don't feel full without eating some rice noodles."
"Me too, rice tastes better."
"I guess only Xiaomin could stomach this!"
"At home, she wants to eat noodles for every meal, whether it's steamed buns, mantou, or noodles."
"Xiaomin, you should find a husband from the North and have him make you noodles every day."
Faced with her family's teasing, Xia Minmin remained calm and composed, saying generously, "Okay!"
When the elders in the family heard Xia Minmin's answer, they were at a loss for words.
Indeed, when faced with teasing from elders, the key is to respond openly and directly to stop the teasing from continuing.
Nowadays, you don't need to make a reservation to listen to crosstalk in a teahouse. You can just walk in and there will be a seat. Eight people can sit at one table.
A pot of flower tea, a plate of melon seeds, a plate of snacks—listening to crosstalk is incredibly pleasant.
This is the retirement life that Xia Minmin has always dreamed of.
Let's go!
"Check your belongings to make sure you haven't lost anything."
"Xiaomin, wake up, we should go." Li Qing patted Xia Minmin's shoulder.
Xia Minmin drifted off to sleep during the second half of the story, remaining in a semi-conscious state. When she left the teahouse, she was still not fully awake; the temperature inside was so comfortable, perfect for sleeping.
The moment the door was opened, a gust of cold wind swept in, and Xia Minmin's drowsiness vanished instantly.
Li Chunmei said, "Sister-in-law, let's go buy some souvenirs later to take back with us!"
"I do want to buy some snacks, roast duck, and the like to take back with me."
"Mom, my steamed buns!" Xia Minmin immediately remembered her steamed buns.
"Okay, I'll buy you some when we pass by the steamed bun shop!" Li Chunmei said helplessly, she really had never seen anyone carry a bunch of steamed buns back from such a long distance.
Everyone else except Xia Minmin was trying not to laugh.
"Brother, we have train tickets for tomorrow morning, right?" Xia Jianguo asked.
"Yes, I booked my return train tickets before I left. You should pack your bags tonight, and also buy the souvenirs you need in advance."
For dinner, we went to another roast duck restaurant. Although the flavor and sauce were different from the previous one, the taste was still quite good.
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