Now that there's a free photo opportunity, not only do young people like them get excited, but even Chen Gangqiang and Zhou Haiqin frequently ask the fat man to take their pictures.
This made it impossible for the fat guy to even take a few pictures of the scenery by himself.
Chen Yan even complained to him: "There's no one in the photo, it's so ugly with all that bare skin! Hurry up and take a picture of me in front of there!"
The fat man could only resign himself to his fate and console himself. Anyway, the Summer Palace was right here and he couldn't run away. He would find another opportunity to come by himself and not bring them!
The corridor was really long. As soon as Xu Xiyue arrived, she ran around excitedly, shouting "Ahhh!"
The long corridor, known as the "World's First Corridor," is located south of the Tower of Buddhist Incense. It stretches along the mountain and water like a colorful ribbon, connecting the beautiful scenery from all directions.
Every rooftop is painted with colorful paintings, and in such a long corridor, no two paintings are the same!
At first, Fatty was just telling Chen Mengqi about these things: what was there to see in this place, what stories it had, how the emperor acted here, how the concubines acted here, and what other legends it had...
Chen Mengqi listened with rapt attention, completely absorbed in her father's story, and didn't find it boring at all.
Gradually, more and more people surrounded the fat man. He started to resemble the chubby, dark-skinned tour guide who later appeared on Douyin (TikTok)...
The fat man talked to himself while everyone listened, looking around curiously and occasionally letting out a few sighs.
For example, Sha Zhu rambled on to Xu Damao: "Good heavens, such a huge pagoda just for burning incense and worshipping Buddha for Empress Dowager Cixi!"
Xu Damao looked at him with disdain: "You're really uncultured. This is called a pavilion-style building, eight sides, three stories, four eaves, do you understand?"
Neither of them could convince the other, so they simply came to ask the fat man.
The fat man sighed wearily: "You two are both right and wrong. The Fragrant Buddha Pavilion was originally built to resemble the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou, but halfway through construction, it was found to be very inconsistent with the surrounding style, so it was changed to a pavilion-style building. That's why it looks like both a pagoda and a pavilion. Standing on it, you can have a panoramic view of Kunming Lake."
Well said! It's a pity I can't get in.
By this time, the Fragrant Buddha Pavilion had long been closed to the public due to years of disrepair. The entrance was blocked off and secured with several large locks.
The fat guy and his friends could only take a few photos outside, which was better than nothing.
Similarly, Kunming Lake is also inaccessible. There are no boats; a dilapidated pleasure boat floats alone on this lake, which covers an area of about 3,000 acres, and even the western causeway no longer boasts the magnificent scenery of peach and willow trees lining the shore.
We can't go to the island in the middle of the lake, and we can't even go up to the Qingyan Boat, which symbolizes peace and tranquility.
The fat man could only explain to everyone: "Qingyan Pavilion wasn't originally like this. Don't be fooled by its appearance as if it were made of marble; in fact, both the upper and lower floors were made of wood. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion. Later, the Chinese style was forcibly changed to a Western style. See that Western-style pavilion with stained glass windows? It became the only Western-style building in the garden."
Along the way, the fat man repeated "Back in the day, the Eight-Nation Alliance" countless times, which involuntarily reminded him of Old Mrs. Qi...
The fat man pointed to the four dragon heads around the hull and said to Chen Mengqi, "When it rains, these four dragon heads will start spraying water, which is quite spectacular."
Upon hearing this, the little girl looked up at the sky and said, "Then next time, let's wait for it to rain..."
She had intended to say, "Bring me here again," but seeing the threatening look in Yu Li's eyes, she immediately changed her mind and followed her heart.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge became the fat man's favorite place later on.
The saying "The poor play with cars, the rich play with watches, and a DSLR camera ruins your life" isn't just a saying. On a clear day, around 4 pm, go to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and see for yourself.
At the best vantage point, the row of long lenses and tripods is even more spectacular than the "sunset over the Seventeen Holes"!
As the sun sets, the orange-red afterglow shines through the seventeen arches of the bridge, instantly illuminating the once gray and weathered stone bridge!
The fat man saw it once and could never forget it. His biggest regret at the time was why he didn't bring a camera.
I did bring my camera today, but it's no use; it's black and white! Color cameras are still five or six years away.
Just wait a little longer, the 80s are almost here; the 80s, full of charm, endless possibilities, and memories, are almost here!
He was fortunate enough to have lived through the 1980s more than others…
※※※※※※
A flock of pigeons flew over the courtyard, their cooing not at all noisy, but rather possessing a unique rhythm.
Melodious music was playing on the radio. Yan Bugui sat in the middle of the front yard, watching three children—one boy and two girls—running around wildly.
Two little girls, one wearing a pink dress and the other a blue plaid dress, exude a strong sense of the era.
Yan Bugui glanced at his watch and muttered, "It's 10 o'clock."
The radio crackled with the hourly chime: "Good morning, listeners. Today is March 23, 1984. It is 10:00 AM. The next program we will be broadcasting is 'Overseas Music Scene'..."
Spring arrived in 1984. With the reform and opening up, the spring breeze swept across the country, bringing this courtyard to life.
Time flies so fast; in the blink of an eye, another six years have passed.
A girl of about sixteen or seventeen walked out of the courtyard with light steps.
She had her hair styled in the latest trendy bangs and tied back with a handkerchief; she wore the most fashionable turtleneck sweater, stretch pants, and small leather shoes, humming a song.
Upon seeing Yan Fugui, he politely greeted him, "Hello, Grandpa Yan."
When Yan Bugui saw her, a smile crept onto his face: "Oh, it's Qiqi! Why didn't you go to school today?"
So this girl is Chen Mengqi! Six years have passed in the blink of an eye, and she's already 16, the prime of her youth.
Chen Mengqi said sweetly, "The school is having a sports meet today, so I'll just stay home and study."
If she doesn't study, Chen Mengqi will be taking the high school entrance exam in the blink of an eye.
Chen Mengqi called out to the girl in the pink dress, "Xu Xiyue, your mother is looking for you all over the yard!"
Xu Xiyue, Xu Damao's adopted daughter, is now 8 years old and in the second grade of elementary school.
Upon hearing this, she made a face at her friend, then turned and hurriedly ran into the yard.
Chen Mengqi bought a glass bottle of Pepsi from the convenience store near the entrance and told the owner, "I'll bring the bottle to you this afternoon."
The proprietress waved her hand: "It's better if you don't deliver it to me, then I can ask your dad for the money!"
"..."
How dare she ask you for 15 cents for just a broken bottle! This bottle of soda only costs 45 cents.
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