Chapter 767 Luo's Modern Extra: Valentina's Study Abroad in Luo Country
My name is Valentina. I come from the icy and snowy country in the north. My aunt married into the country of Luo. I also yearn for the mysterious ancient Chinese culture. The country of Luo has the best universities in the world. My grades are very good, so I was able to study in the country of Luo.
01
After I arrived in Luo, my aunt came to pick me up in person, and I met my uncle again. Although he was already middle-aged, he was very elegant and completely different from those men who liked to drink in my hometown.
My uncle once traveled around the world and fell in love with my aunt at first sight in his homeland. The most passionate flowers bloom in the ice and snow, and the children of the Snow Country are naturally passionate. My aunt is very beautiful. Living in Luo Country, unlike the high-sugar and high-calorie diet of the Snow Country, she has not shown any signs of gaining weight and is still the flower of the north.
"Cousin, welcome to finally come to Luo Country."
My cousin smiled at me warmly. He was wearing the modified sleeve suit that I really liked. Half of my curiosity and yearning for Luo State was influenced by my cousin.
He seemed to have seen something, walked over, took off the red decoration on my collar, and whispered: "Cousin, today is Luoguo's solemn day, and the law prohibits wearing red."
Luo State Solemn Day, I have heard of this festival, which is a memorial day set up to commemorate the ancestors who sacrificed their lives for the country. In Luo State, there are many such invisible rules, so I have to be careful.
Because of the abundant per capita resources, most Luo people lead a relatively comfortable life. Apart from large-scale shopping malls, high-rise buildings are rare. Even residential buildings are mostly low-rise with a total height of six floors.
My uncle's family is even better off financially. They have their own yard in the city, a small building filled with the flavor of ancient China.
My cousin took my luggage to the attic on the second floor. My aunt had already arranged it very neatly. She smiled and said, "In ancient China, unmarried daughters were called unmarried. This is the attic. It's perfect for you to live in now."
My cousin may not have seen the sparkle in my eyes. This is another reason why I like Luo State. The majestic historical heritage makes their language sound poetic.
I come from the Snow Country, which is not an art desert. Whether it is sculpture, painting, writing, poetry, or even science, the people of the Snow Country have talents that amaze the world.
But that kind of talent is brought about by being born in a harsh and cold land, and by the worship of life and the lament for death. Looking through that background, all the art of the Snow Country is based on death.
I like the kind of uplifting hope in Luoguo culture. There is light in the hearts of the Luo people. My aunt said that the light is the King Su.
02
The school day of Qingsheng University has arrived. It is one of the top universities in Luoyang. It is said that its predecessor was the Imperial College in the Eastern Han Dynasty and has a long history.
I originally wanted to apply for Luoyang University, where my cousin studies, but ultimately missed the chance due to an accident. Looking at the two Chinese characters "Qingsheng" written in bold strokes and the quaint campus that looks like a garden, I have begun to imagine how happy I will be spending the four years here.
The chief priest of Qingsheng University did not come from an academic school. He was a pure mathematician, which was reflected in the opening ceremony. I still remember his most passionate words, "Qingsheng University has the largest and most comprehensive treasury in Luoyang. There are countless wisdoms there. As a student of Qingsheng, that should be your holy place."
What would a university look like under the leadership of a priest who encourages students to read more?
There are very few bureaucratic habits here. Of course, this habit is relatively rare in the entire Luo Kingdom. My cousin once told me this as a joke. In Luo Kingdom, there is a huge difference between officials and civilians. Once you become an official, even if you are the most basic clerk, you will be bound by the official law that overrides everything else. If the common people break the law, they need evidence from the three law courts to be arrested, but if the officials make mistakes, they can be arrested with just a list leaked from the royal family.
I don't understand how exaggerated this official law is, but from what I see, the customs that are everywhere in the Ice Country are not seen here, and I like this feeling.
In Bingguo, there is a college that specifically recruits international students, as well as majors specifically for international students, but in Luoguo, there is none. I am studying here like an ordinary Luoguo citizen.
The only difference is that I am more famous because I am really good-looking, and the pursuit and love of beauty transcends ethnicity and nationality.
I gained some fame in the school forum, and the college students gave me a nickname, a very familiar one - the Flower of the Snow Country.
Some people also call me the Snow Country Princess.
03
My cousin naturally knew my reputation among Qingsheng and Luoyang City college students. He said proudly, "She is worthy of being my cousin."
My understanding of Luo men comes from my uncle and cousin. They expressed their feelings passionately and sincerely. My aunt once said that she fell in love with my uncle on that snowy night. My uncle was like a flame in the snow, burning her heart, and she fell in love with him.
But what I saw was the extremely introverted Luo country man. My cousin knew what I was thinking and smiled softly, "Choosing one person to spend the rest of your life with is an ancient creed of the Luo country. We are passionate in our hearts, but we don't want to do things that we regret because of impulse. This is the principle of restraint.
In the laws of the State of Luo, being unfaithful and fickle are extremely serious moral accusations that can almost destroy a person's life.
If a spouse falls into crisis due to relationship problems, in serious cases they may even be charged with a criminal offense.
In Luoguo, moral issues are never moral issues, but legal issues. "
I was deeply shocked because in the education I received, the law is the bottom line of morality. As long as the law is not trampled upon, morality should only be criticized rather than dealt with by the law.
I like to get to the bottom of things, so I asked my cousin again. My cousin studied law. Facing my question, my cousin answered me like this, "This comes from your culture. In Luo State, morality and law have been coexisting since ancient times.
When we strictly abide by the law and allow morality to fall again and again, we do not realize that with the collapse of social morality, the moral bottom line will continue to decline. Then, as the moral bottom line, should the law be continuously relaxed as the moral bottom line declines?
When betrayal becomes the norm, the crime of adultery will be abolished. When cheating becomes the norm, marriage will disappear. Those who seek the best will get the middle, and those who seek the middle will get the worst. This is something we can never allow.
The purpose of the law is to make the whole society move forward.
There is a saying in ancient times that severe punishments should be used in troubled times, but in modern times, the new theory proposed by the legal community is that severe punishments should be used in prosperous times!
As the economy continues to grow, the law should become stricter and the quality requirements for people should become higher. As the bottom line of the law continues to rise, it will force people's morality to continue to rise. "
I was stunned by my cousin's theory, or rather, Luoguo's theory. I thought it made sense. My cousin seemed to see what I was thinking and said calmly, "This theory can only be used in Luoguo. To support this theory, it requires an extremely low rate of wrongful convictions and a highly developed social economy. Currently, only Luoguo can achieve this."
I was silent. Yes, the extremely low rate of false and wrongful convictions, this alone almost excludes all countries in the world.
04
It has been a year since I came to Luoguo to study. During this year, I have hardly felt any discomfort, as if I was born here. My aunt always dresses me up like a real princess. She looks at me as if she is missing something. I guess she is missing her glorious years.
In this year, I became an adult in Luo Country. According to the laws of Snow Country, one can get married at the age of sixteen, but in Luo Country, one has to be eighteen. On this day, I could finally handle the customs clearance documents in my own name, and the guardian column on the previous customs clearance documents disappeared.
Without waiting for me to ask if she could invite friends, my aunt had already prepared everything for my coming-of-age ceremony. What I lacked in the Snow Country was made up for by my aunt here. I love her.
My cousin made an intricate crown for me. He said it was the crown of the princess of Luo State. It was not allowed to be worn in ancient times, but the Luo family did not care about these things. Ordinary people could wear it at will. I love it.
When I turned 18, my cousin smiled and said to me, "Now I can take you to various occasions. I want everyone to know that I have a sister who is as beautiful as a fairy from heaven."
I knew there were many restrictions before the age of eighteen. My cousin soon began to take me to various gatherings. I could vaguely sense that he hoped I could stay in Luo Country in the future. He once said half-jokingly and half-formally: "You should live on this land. The ice lotus of the Snow Country will bloom forever in purity."
This is a good thing for me, but Luoguo is not an immigration country and is not particularly enthusiastic about talents from all over the world. It is not easy for me to stay here unless through marriage.
But as my cousin said, the reason why I am suitable to stay here is because I have the thinking of a Luo person, and I have extremely high expectations for something as illusory as love.
Until, I met a man.
05
His name is Luo Chengye.
When I heard this surname, I looked at him with curiosity. For a foreigner, this is a very normal behavior. For example, if a Snow Country person with the surname Romanov appears in front of you, you will definitely be curious whether he is the last royal family of the Snow Country.
But I'm just a little curious. It's not like I know nothing about the Luo Kingdom. I know that the surname Luo has been spread among the people. This surname is still a symbol of nobility, but not everyone is noble.
I know that the person in front of me has a high status in the Luo family. This is what my cousin told me. Among the friends around him, he is the best one. The most important thing is that he is governed by the Luo family rules, so there must be no problem with his character.
In Luo State, everyone hopes to marry the Luo family, because the Luo family has such a good family tradition and strict family rules, especially the women of the Luo family, who are good matches.
Luo Chengye naturally has a good personality. He and my cousin are classmates. During the few months that I have known him, I gradually learned about his family situation.
The ancestor of Luo Chengye's lineage was a prince two hundred years ago, but he lost the inherited holy mark a long time ago, that mysterious thing that is said to be hereditary.
In the generation of Luo Chengye’s great grandfather, he gained the favor of a princess and was able to restore the holy scar.
This identity shocked me a little, it was much higher than I imagined. He was willing to contact me because he liked me, but what was there about me that was worthy of his love?
Is it beauty?
Although I have always been proud of my beauty, there are so many beautiful women in the Luo family.
There is a saying circulating in the world that the Luo family's genes are the most perfect in the world.
Although the Luo family has always advocated equality for all, the various characteristics they have shown, especially the fact that there are no ugly people in the royal family and the close relatives of the clan, but only men and women with top looks, are a huge difference from what they advocate, making people believe this even more.
Luo Chengye and I are not well matched.
Luo Chengye knew what I was thinking. He gently lifted my platinum-blonde hair, smiled softly and said, "Valena, you already look like a Luo countryman, but if you were a real Luo countryman, you wouldn't ask this question. But it doesn't matter. I will teach you slowly in the future."
This made me even more confused, but I didn't ask.
06
I asked this question at a family dinner.
My aunt stroked my long hair with a smile and explained to me: "Valena, in your opinion, what kind of match does it mean for a marriage to be a good match?"
I tried to explain my own thoughts using the traditional thinking of the Snow Country, the marriages between nobles, and the happy or unhappy marriages I had seen during my life in the Snow Country.
My aunt listened to me quietly, and when I finished, she said softly, "The huge gap in assets will create a gap, just like the ancient Western fable, the emperor's golden hoe.
Differences in knowledge will create barriers, just like a scholar cannot communicate with a drunkard.
My dear Valena, your wisdom and insight will make you shrink from anyone?"
I shook my head and said, of course not. I might have some misunderstandings due to my lack of experience, but I will never shrink back. I have enough talent and experience is the easiest thing to make up for.
My aunt smiled and asked again, "If that's the case, you are equal to him in personality, so why do you have such doubts?
Is it because of the huge gap in assets?
In a country like Luo with abundant per capita resources, the pressure of survival is almost non-existent, and all assets can bring is a better life.
The top family in Luo Kingdom never cared about these things. In Luo Kingdom, that kind of material show-off is a thing of the past.
Those grand theaters, those activities that only nobles in other countries can attend, are everywhere in Luo Country."
It dawned on me, and I recalled the magnificent theaters I had seen in Luoyang, where I had enjoyed traditional Luoyang opera with my friends.
You only need to make an appointment, and you don’t even need to buy a ticket. The performers for us are the highest-level artists in Luo State.
After hearing what my aunt said, I found that my surprise had gradually faded, and living in Luo State seemed to be a matter of course.
It turns out that these things are influencing me subtly around me like little bits and pieces.
I finally understood why the news in Luoguo always reports about the deeds of other countries. Everything in this world is afraid of comparison. When you see the dire situation in other countries, you will feel more deeply about our happy life today.
07
Luo Chengye noticed my change. I changed my Luo country clothes and put on the traditional clothes of the Snow Country. I was 1.75 meters tall, with long, straight and white legs. He smiled and praised me, saying: "The flowers of the Snow Country will bloom in the land of the South. On that day, they will surely be as fragrant as the sun."
I liked his compliment, it was like he was writing a poem for me, I kissed him back, I knew that my aunt would probably be my future, I would stay here, with this once restrained man.
That year I was a junior in college, and I followed him back home, where I met Luo Chengye’s grandfather, the one who rekindled the stigmata.
I have seen people with stigmata before, at Luoyang University, where a real princess was studying.
The stigmata are the most magical things in the world. The royal family says that they are a kind of hereditary birthmark, but people who have seen the stigmata with their own eyes don’t believe it.
There is no birthmark in this world that can be inherited in such a regular manner.
The most important thing is that every Luo countryman said that when he saw the stigmata, he had a feeling in his heart that the stigmata were real, and that it was something that completely transcended what science could explain.
I used to think that this was a group psychological phenomenon because I didn't have that feeling. The stigma was indeed extremely beautiful and was simply the most outstanding work of the Creator, but that was all.
But now I realize that I was wrong. Perhaps it was because I came here, or perhaps it was because I was already considered a Luo citizen. When I saw the stigmata, it seemed as if some mysterious will was telling me that this was the real stigmata.
So this is what it feels like. I felt more and more in awe.
The banquet at Luo Chengye's house was very enjoyable. Just as my aunt said, the Luo family had no objection to me as a foreigner. This is a country that truly practices equality for all.
When I told my parents about this, they were silent for a moment, and then congratulated me. In fact, since I came to Luoguo, they have been mentally prepared. I am so beautiful that there will definitely be boys from Luoguo pursuing me. The attractiveness of Luoguo is unquestionable.
08
I never thought that I would get married before I finished my college studies, but things in this world should be left to nature.
I never concealed the fact of my marriage, and my friends were not surprised that I stayed in Luo. I had the conditions, and if I didn't stay in Luo, I would have a mental problem.
This is not just a feeling for the homeland, but people always yearn to live in a peaceful environment.
My life has changed a lot since I got married to Luo Chengye. I first joined an alumni association of Qingsheng University. I thought Luo Chengye would let me join the campus association of Luoyang University.
I know that in Western countries there is this kind of alumni culture between schools. In the Snow Country, graduates from the same school can get more help, and even the school and those top families can unite to form a solidified culture.
Luo Chengye heard what I said and said with a smile: "Of course there is such a circle culture, but it is not as exaggerated as in foreign countries. In the land of Luo Country, no circle can be unbridled. It is simply a dream to try to achieve class solidification by relying solely on circles."
In Luo State, entrance to these top universities requires examinations. There is no other way. In this respect, it is quite similar to the ancient imperial examination system. If you are qualified, you are qualified, and if you are not, you are not qualified.
What the royal family of Luo State emphasized was educational equity, and they constantly adjusted educational resources in various places to make it as fair as possible.
However, there was an event that shocked the court and the public during the Song Dynasty, which forced the Song Dynasty to reform the imperial examination system for Luo.
The impact of this incident continues even into modern times.
Luo Chengye went to Luoyang University not because of his good grades, or in other words, he was not competing with ordinary people. It can only be said that he worked harder than my cousin to get into Luoyang University.
After joining the Alumni Association of Qingsheng University, Luo Chengye began to arrange for me to take over some work related to art exhibitions.
One of the great advantages of the Luo State was that it never rested on its laurels. They always held the idea that one could learn from other countries and that other countries must have something worth learning from.
Because Luo Guo believed that with so many people in foreign countries, there would always be geniuses emerging, and a genius would contribute much more to the world than 100 million ordinary people.
This kind of thinking is applied to real life by learning from foreign countries. From a thousand years ago to the present, we have learned countless things.
The art of the Snow Country is grand in silence, and it is about death in vastness. Many people in the Luo Country like this kind of tragic death song, especially the Luo family. In the history of the Luo family, they have encountered major events related to death more than once, and they really love this kind of art.
And this is exactly what I am good at, so Luo Chengye asked me to try to combine the art of Snow Country with the art of Luo Country. If successful, it can be compiled into various dramas, etc., so that the people of Luo Country can receive more spiritual baptism.
When he asked me to do this, he smiled and said to me: "The artistic cells of a country and a nation are not created in one day. The love of art by the people of Luo State did not appear suddenly. It is the result of day-to-day cultivation at the national level. If you can push the art of Luo State a little bit forward, you will appear in the history of art.
Luoguo attaches great importance to the richness of the spiritual world, and we should work hard for it.
Dear Valena, you know that what we Luo people love most is to record history books. If you can be included in the history books, it will be the greatest honor for your husband and me. "
I knew that as a close relative of the Luo family, it would be very difficult for him to be included in history books, so he was looking forward to me.
09
Luo Guo’s pursuit of art is much deeper than I had imagined. Every time I get to know Luo Guo better, I find that what I have seen is just the tip of the iceberg.
The traditional culture of the Luo State has been passed down since three thousand years ago. The Luo family, a family that has never been extinct in these three thousand years, has preserved the essence of the entire nation and passed it down from generation to generation.
But if we say that the Luo culture today is the same as it was three thousand years ago, that is certainly wrong.
In the past, Luo State only had a small piece of land by the Yellow River, but now it has an area of 30 million square kilometers, and there are provinces and autonomous regions in almost every corner of the world.
The sun will always shine on one of the lands in Luo Kingdom, this is the real sun that never sets.
Luo Guo had seen many countries. Even those rather backward countries and tribes, Luo Guo was quite interested in studying them. The art history of Luo Guo that appeared in my hands was a thick stack of catalogues alone.
I know this is not an easy job, but I never thought it would be so difficult. The difficulties make me more excited.
In the preface of art history, that famous quote that resounds throughout humanity inspired me, and I devoted myself to it day and night.
It wasn't until I got pregnant that I finally put down the work at hand for a while.
Getting married, getting pregnant, and giving birth to a beautiful little princess is what the whole family hopes for.
Her eyebrows and eyes are very similar to mine, with a strong snow country style. Her blue eyes are as clear as the sky, but her skin is as delicate as snow.
She is such a beautiful girl like an elf.
Her name is Luo Ling, and I like this name.
After giving birth, I quickly returned to the study of art, drawing inspiration from my daughter.
Luo Chengye is a man who is very good at praising others. He always encourages me when I am feeling a little down.
I still often go back to my aunt's house and have long chats with her. She is really an outstanding person. She knows my current life and asks me with a smile how I feel about coming to Luoguo.
I said that it was fortunate that my aunt came to Luoguo, and I realized that there really is such a place in the world, better than what is described in books and better than the future promised by politicians.
My aunt knew what I was doing now, and she encouraged me, saying, "Luoguo's present situation is the result of everyone's hard work. Now you are at the stage of contributing to this country, so don't let this opportunity go to waste."
I nodded heavily. I knew that what I did was not only for Luo State, but also for everyone in the world. Every ray of light from Luo State would not only shine on Luo State itself, but all countries and lands as well as the people living on them.
When there really exists a country that is far superior to one's own country in all aspects, other countries will have to change for the better.
In the West, regimes that attempted to corrupt the regime were driven out of power by angry citizens, and only those governments that were determined to reform and progress were able to come to power.
Who can deny the role played by Luo State in this?
Why can Luoguo do it, but we can't?
People will not listen to politicians' sophistry, they vote with their feet. No matter what the reason is, the whole world is working hard to become a better place.
10
The most precious thing in a person's life is life, and the breadth of life lies in the career of struggle. When I look back on my life, I can proudly say that I was fighting for the spiritual world of all people. I have received a lot of praise and I am happy for it.
(End of this chapter)
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