Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing walked quickly to the entrance of the village, only to see a group of people in strange costumes busy unloading goods from a truck. Various musical instruments, costumes, and props piled up like a mountain, standing abruptly at the entrance of the village like a small hill.
There was an unfamiliar fragrance in the air, mixed with the smell of gasoline, which made Shen Qiqi feel a little uncomfortable.
She noticed that the villagers were watching from a distance, their faces full of curiosity and anxiety.
The foreign cultural communicator named Li was directing everyone. He was wearing exaggerated bell-bottom pants and a floral shirt today, looking like a peacock with its tail spread out, which was particularly eye-catching.
"Hey, you guys, lighten up!
This is a treasure!
"He shouted at the top of his lungs, speaking unstandard Mandarin with a thick accent that sounded a bit funny.
"Mr. Li," Shen Qiqi walked forward, trying to speak in a calm tone, "What's going on?"
When Li saw Shen Qiqi, a trace of disdain appeared on his face, "Hey, isn't this the Lu family's daughter-in-law? What, do you have any objections to our cultural exchange activities?"
Shen Qiqi took a deep breath and suppressed her displeasure. "Mr. Li, we welcome foreign cultures, but your approach seems a bit... excessive." She pointed at the pile of props. "These things don't match the actual situation of our village. If you do this, the villagers will not accept it at all."
Li laughed heartily. "Accept? What right do they have to refuse? I'm spreading advanced culture and leading them towards civilization! You country bumpkins, what do you know about art?"
Shen Qiqi's face darkened, and the air around them seemed to freeze.
The villagers were whispering to each other, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction in their eyes when they looked at Li.
"Mr. Li, you are too arrogant!" Shen Qiqi said firmly, "Cultural exchange is a two-way process, not a one-sided indoctrination! Your constant emphasis on how advanced your culture is will only cause resentment and resistance."
"Disgusted? Resistant?" Li chuckled contemptuously. "I don't care at all! You country bumpkins, it's an honor for you to be exposed to the high culture I bring you!"
Shen Qiqi knew that it was useless to reason with such a self-righteous person.
She turned to Lu Qing and said, "Go and call the village chief." Then, she walked with firm steps towards the "foreign cultural exhibition site" built by Li, and a cold aura spread around her.
Inside the venue, Li Zheng proudly showed off the "treasures" he brought to several villagers. Seeing Shen Qiqi walk in, he sneered: "Why, have you figured it out? Are you ready to accept my cultural baptism?"
Shen Qiqi ignored his ridicule and glanced around at the nervous villagers. She walked up to Li and said in a cold tone, "Mr. Li, I hope you can understand that cultural integration is not about conquest, but about mutual respect..."
Li interrupted her impatiently: "Stop talking nonsense! You..." Before he could finish his words, he was shocked by Shen Qiqi's sharp eyes.
Shen Qiqi's voice was low and powerful: "Your so-called cultural dissemination is nothing but a self-directed farce!"
"Farce? How dare you call my culture a farce?!" Li jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on, pointing at Shen Qiqi's nose and scolding, "You ignorant village woman, do you know what this is? This is..."
"I know." Shen Qiqi interrupted his roar and snatched the "treasure" from his hand - a strangely shaped musical instrument, "Isn't it just a suona? You play it worse than Liu Ergou in our village." As she spoke, she handed the suona to a curious villager next to her, "Come on, young man, play a piece." The villager took the suona flattered and blew it tentatively a few times. Although it was a little unfamiliar, the tune was still complete.
Li's face instantly became uglier than pig liver. He pointed at Shen Qiqi and said tremblingly: "You...you..."
"What do you mean by 'I'?" Shen Qiqi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say we wanted a cultural exchange? Isn't this exactly an exchange? Letting the villagers experience it firsthand is better than you just sitting there enjoying it by yourself, right?"
Li was so angry that his face turned green. He stiffened his neck and shouted, "I quit! You guys are a bunch of country bumpkins and you don't deserve to appreciate my art! I want to stop my cultural dissemination activities!" He began to pack up his things, as if he was going to quit.
Shen Qiqi held her forehead, feeling a headache.
What the hell is going on?
Why does it feel harder than coaxing a child?
A feeling of helplessness surged into her heart like a tide. She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm.
The air around them seemed to be stagnant, and an oppressive atmosphere spread between the two of them, making everyone around them feel a little uncomfortable.
At this moment, Shen Qiqi had an idea, and a sly smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
She clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention. "Everyone, I have good news to announce! I have invited cultural experts to our village to evaluate our cultural integration and provide recommendations!"
When Li heard this, his face suddenly changed, looking uglier than if he had eaten a fly.
Embarrassment spread across his face, as colorful as a palette.
The people around began to admire Shen Qiqi's method, and an atmosphere of admiration rose among the crowd.
"Expert? What expert?" Li's voice trembled slightly.
Shen Qiqi smiled mysteriously and didn't answer. She just gave him a meaningful look, then turned to the villagers and said, "Everyone, please be patient. The experts will arrive tomorrow. Then we will discuss how to better carry out cultural integration." She paused, glanced at Li, and said meaningfully, "I believe that under the guidance of experts, our cultural integration work will definitely make greater progress."
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