Chapter 113 How much did they pay you? This…
These comments immediately sparked a small-scale debate:
Oh, here we go again... Can't we just enjoy the holiday without arguing?
Colorful silk threads are also used in Japan during Children's Day (Dango no Sekiku) to pray for good health. Many customs are common in East Asia, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact origin.
We in Vietnam also have a similar festival on the same day! We eat fermented rice and sour mangoes! It's not just Korean!
Five-colored ropes are a common East Asian custom for warding off evil spirits.
Several Chinese comments also quickly appeared:
[Are you kidding me? The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese poet, and it's been around for over two thousand years. Did Korea even exist back then?! The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and the Korean Gangneung Danoje Festival are listed separately on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; they are clearly different! If you don't understand, go look it up!]
[@Korean users, please do some research before commenting. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has a history of over 2000 years and commemorates the poet Qu Yuan. The Gangneung Danoje Festival in South Korea is different; it's a local religious ceremony.]
Justin raised an eyebrow. He didn't find the arguments in the comments section awkward or annoying. For self-media, controversy is a good thing.
Moreover... he's very familiar with the behavior of Korean IPs. He's been learning Chinese for the past two years, and he always sees Korean IPs accusing China of stealing Korean civilization in the comments sections of videos involving Chinese culture.
But Justin has been to South Korea.
When he goes to a new place, he always visits a museum first. To be frank, he says there's not much to see in Korean museums. But the Chinese museum he visited had incredibly rich artifacts, all with a clear lineage, showcasing a genuine ancient civilization with thousands of years of history.
Therefore, when Justin later saw these Korean IPs making comments, he felt a sense of amusement.
He glanced at Xiao Zhuang out of the corner of his eye, an idea popping into his head. He then feigned confusion and stirred up trouble: "Miss, in my comment section, some Korean viewers are saying that the Dragon Boat Festival and the five-colored rope are Korean culture, accusing China of stealing? What's going on? I remember the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the Chinese poet Qu Yuan, isn't it?"
Xiao Zhuang was already quite annoyed and frustrated when she first saw those comments, but she didn't want to directly confront people in the viewers' live stream. Now, hearing Justin's question, she was overjoyed.
We finally got our chance!
Xiao Zhuang's smile remained unchanged. Without the slightest hesitation, she spoke to Justin's camera with a steady yet unwavering tone, using fluent English throughout.
"Oh? You're saying we stole?" She chuckled softly, as if she'd heard something amusing. "There's a Chinese term called '倒反天罡' (dǎofǎn tiān gāng). Let me explain what it means... In what situations do we usually use this term?"
"For example, if an apprentice criticizes his master for not being skilled enough, a stream mocks the ocean for not being wide enough, or a firefly teaches the sun how to shine, we would say that this is simply going against the natural order."
A slight smile played on her lips, a sly glint in her eyes. "Or, a country with only a few hundred years of history accuses an ancient nation with five thousand years of civilization of stealing its culture. In that case, we would shake our heads and laugh, saying, 'That's utterly upside down!'"
Xiao Zhuang has a TEM-8 (Test for English Majors-Band 8) certificate, and although he hasn't used it much in recent years, he's particularly adept at roasting people. This veiled criticism is both elegant and sharp.
Justin and Benjamin were taken aback at first, but then they realized what was happening and burst into laughter.
Justin laughed as he said to the camera, "My God! Did you guys just hear that? That was brutal! I'm dying of laughter!"
How did this woman come up with these ingenious metaphors?
The comment section of the live stream instantly exploded, with comments in various languages scrolling by:
[Haha! "Fireflies teach the sun how to shine!" This woman is a legend! I'm going to use that phrase from now on!]
[This is ironic! Absolutely ironic! She didn't just criticize them; she elegantly cremated them!]
[As a history student, this is the most accurate and hilarious retort I've ever seen. A perfect finishing blow!]
That's too crude and inaccurate! Our South Korean culture is...
Quiet down...you started this whole thing.
[Wow, impressive. Is this the leisurely pace of a great power? A truly effective irony.]
[Yes, when you have thousands of years of continuous history, you can have such a brilliant counterattack. Respect! PS, we in India are the same.]
[Queen's behavior! We admire a cultured and witty queen!]
Precise, elegant, and deadly. Perfect.
【Reversing the Heavenly Gang... I've learned this phrase!】
The comment section was completely ignited by Xiao Zhuang's witty and sharp response, turning into a sea of joy and praise in various languages. Those comments that originally tried to stir up trouble were instantly drowned out by cheers of "LOL," "SLAY QUEEN," and "MIC DROP."
Justin's live stream also saw a surge in viewership due to the popularity of the comments section, reaching its highest peak since the start of the broadcast today, and he couldn't stop smiling.
"Of course, I was just joking." Xiao Zhuang smiled, looking completely sincere and innocent.
She had originally wanted to say a few more words, but considering her role as an employee of Qinghe Ancient Town, she had to be mindful of her words. Of course, this didn't mean she would let it go; she still had to argue her point.
"To the Korean friends in the comments section, perhaps you need to update your historical knowledge," Xiao Zhuang said eloquently.
"First of all, as this guest said, even he knows that our Chinese Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan, the great poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States period, more than 2,200 years ago. The core customs of throwing oneself into the Miluo River, dragon boat racing, and throwing zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are all created to commemorate him. This is clearly recorded in our official history, the Records of the Grand Historian, as well as a large number of Han Dynasty documents. At that time, I remember that the regime on your peninsula was still in the period of ancient Korea or the Three Han tribes, and there was a break in cultural inheritance with the later Goryeo and the present-day South Korea."
Xiao Zhuang had something to rely on—after being selected as a guide for this Dragon Boat Festival event, she took some training courses on the Dragon Boat Festival, researched a lot of relevant information, and even witnessed the "Dragon Boat Festival Ceremony" incident that caused a great uproar back then.
Right now, she's like a high school senior, at the peak of her knowledge!
She's even starting to feel a little grateful to those Korean users for giving her the opportunity to shine.
"By the way, I want to clarify that many Koreans now believe that the Han state, one of the Seven Warring States, refers to your ancestors. I'm sorry, but this Han state is not that Han state. Our Han state is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, which is very far away from your Korean Peninsula and has absolutely no relation to it."
She almost said, "Don't randomly claim relatives," but after thinking about it, she held back.
The comments section remained buzzing, with a flood of comments in various languages, and the reaction to the word "tribe" was particularly enthusiastic:
English: [Well, it must be admitted, she does have historical basis. It's difficult to argue with ancient documents.]
Spanish: [She said what we've all been thinking! Don't mess with someone who knows history!]
Japanese: [The Three Kingdoms period... Come to think of it, that's how we learn it in our Japanese textbooks too.]
English: [This word "tribe" is so deadly! Hahahaha, but why do Koreans always like to steal other people's culture?]
[Hahaha, "tribal era"! This girl is really hitting the nail on the head! She's really struck a nerve!]
[For those foreign friends who might not know the full story: The Three Hans (Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan) were indeed a tribal alliance in the southern part of the peninsula, later annexed by Goguryeo. They were not directly descended from the Goryeo Dynasty. My history classmate here!]
German: [Accurate and based on facts. Respectfully.]
Korean: [This is disrespectful! We are a great country with a long history! You are distorting history!]
Korean: [Even during our tribal times, our Dano festival was a unique part of our culture!]
English: [But you first said they stole it from you? Now you say it's unique? So which one is it?]
Spanish: [This is even more exciting than football!]
Italian: [I'm just here for a history lesson and to watch the spectacle! Educate them, Your Majesty!]
The comments section was almost unanimously in favor of the discussion, with everyone seemingly enjoying the spectacle. Xiao Zhuang's reasoned, well-founded, and humorous response won the support and applause of the vast majority of viewers.
The arguments of those South Korean netizens, who had initially been aggressive, appeared pale and powerless in the face of irrefutable historical facts and overwhelming ridicule, and were quickly drowned out by the torrent of comments.
Xiao Zhuang paused, then spoke with greater emphasis and clarity:
"Secondly, regarding the 'Dano Festival.' What South Korea successfully inscribed on its UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list is the 'Gangneung Dano Festival.' Please note the word 'festival.' It is essentially a regional folk custom in the Gangneung region of South Korea, which integrates shamanistic rituals, song and dance performances, and folk games. Its core is the worship of the local mountain god and city god, praying for a bountiful harvest and good health. This is completely different from the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates the historical figure Qu Yuan and has a unified national custom. In terms of origin, connotation, scale, and form of expression, they are two completely different cultural phenomena. The UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list clearly states that they are two parallel heritages, and neither originates from the other!"
Then, she talked about the five-colored rope:
"Furthermore, these five-colored silk threads are also known as longevity threads. In China, their history can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Our ancient books clearly record that on the Dragon Boat Festival, people would tie five-colored silk threads—green, red, white, black, and yellow—on their arms to ward off evil spirits and plagues, and to pray for good fortune. This originates from the philosophy of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. East Asia has historically been deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and many places have similar customs. This precisely proves the powerful radiation and influence of Chinese civilization, and is evidence of cultural sharing and dissemination, not evidence of 'theft'!"
Xiao Zhuang became more and more excited as he spoke, displaying the same spirit he had when he was competing in debates in college.
Finally, she looked directly into the camera, her tone confident and firm, even carrying a hint of sharp rhetoric:
“Cultural confidence stems from respect for and understanding of one’s own history, not from gaining a sense of existence by blurring concepts or even stealing the cultural origins of other countries. We greatly respect the unique Dano Festival customs preserved in Gangneung, South Korea, but we also ask certain people to respect the facts—the Dragon Boat Festival of China originated in China, belongs to China, and has a clear, long, and uninterrupted line of inheritance. No objective historian or cultural scholar would deny this.”
"So, where does the word 'theft' come from? Perhaps it's because some countries and people lack confidence in their own cultural origins that they need to be so eager to blur the boundaries of others?"
Xiao Zhuang's response, which was full of quotations, clear logic, and a humble yet assertive attitude, and went straight to the point, instantly caused an uproar in the live stream's comment section!
[My God! This lady has just delivered a stunning performance in history! This is practically a thesis! Your Majesty!]
This was a surgical strike of fact and logic. No one survived. Hahahaha.
[That was a satisfying rebuttal! The logic was clear, and the evidence was irrefutable!]
[A profound tribute from India! When knowledge speaks, ignorance should remain silent and listen.]
Say whatever you want! Our culture is superior! You're just jealous!
Brother, she cited UNESCO and historical records. Your rebuttal is "I won't listen." We all know who won.
Besides those watching the game, there were also those who were deeply impressed by Qinghe Ancient Town because of Xiao Zhuang's experience:
The staff at this scenic spot are incredibly knowledgeable! I'll remember Qinghe Ancient Town! I'll definitely visit it next time I'm in China.
There were also jokes about Justin:
Look at Justin's face! He's struggling to hold back his laughter! He knows he's struck gold in this live stream!
Justin, this was your best live stream ever, hahaha.
Justin and Benjamin didn't fully understand this cultural dispute about the Dragon Boat Festival before, but this time they do!
And they really wanted to applaud Xiao Zhuang's amazing performance. Justin knew he'd struck gold from the explosive reaction in the comments section! However, as the organizer of the live stream, he couldn't show his bias too obviously, or he'd be accused of "cultural discrimination."
So he suppressed his laughter and chose to smooth things over:
"Wow! Friends, this is amazing! Our lady just unleashed a ton of hardcore historical knowledge! In fact, this is the very reason my channel exists: to find and uncover the historical truths of different cultures!"
He paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, now let's get back to the main topic. Please continue to join us in experiencing the Dragon Boat Festival activities in this ancient town!"
Xiao Zhuang's sharp retort, coupled with the overwhelming support for her in the comments section, left her feeling refreshed. She maintained a polite smile and echoed Justin's words:
“Of course! I’ll take you there. The hands-on experience booths are under those little tents over there. You can choose to wrap zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) or braid colorful ropes, or both! It’s a lot of fun.” She added naturally, her voice clear and calm: “Many traditional Chinese customs have spread throughout East Asia throughout history, evolving and combining with local characteristics. This is beautiful proof of our shared cultural heritage and exchanges, just like our ancient Silk Road. In Qinghe Ancient Town, we are happy to share and celebrate the customs we have inherited and preserved.”
That was a very polite way of saying it.
Previously, some comments had emerged that her attitude was too domineering and that she habitually sympathized with so-called weak people without distinguishing right from wrong. However, after these comments, voices of support immediately took the lead in the comments section.
Justin was pleased to see the minor incident end peacefully, and he noticed that his live stream had reached 50,000 viewers, which was a pretty good number for his field.
He led Benjamin and followed Xiao Zhuang with great interest toward the handicraft experience area.
He asked Xiao Zhuang, "We have two days in the ancient town, do you have any recommendations?"
Xiao Zhuang recommended some must-see VR experiences, must-visit scenic spots, and must-see performances, including the evening's grand parade of immortals and fireworks.
Benjamin was intrigued: "VR?"
His main job is somewhat related to VR.
Xiao Zhuang said with a smile, "Yes, the VR in our Qinghe Ancient Town is arguably the best in the world. This is not just me bragging; almost every tourist who has experienced it says so."
Justin told Benjamin, "I did see this claim when I was looking up guides online. And I've seen some related videos, and they do look really well done."
He shrugged: "Although, I think maybe it's just that the video is good."
Benjamin didn't believe it either. He smiled tolerantly and said, "Maybe they haven't seen anything better yet?"
He shared the same thought as many other tourists: how could the world's best VR experience be in a tourist attraction in an obscure small city?
The comments section was filled with disbelief; the IPs of certain countries that had just been ridiculed were finally getting their due:
"The best in the world"? In a small town in China? Come on. Maybe it's the best in this town. Have they been to Disney's Galaxy's Edge or The Void?
[Excuse my bluntness... but I still think the quality of VR at teamLab in Tokyo and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is better. Calling it the best in the world is a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?]
[This sounds like typical boasting to rip off customers. "The best in the world" usually means "good enough for us."]
[Let's fight! Let's fight! Let's fight! The cultural war is over, now it's a technology war! I love this live stream!]
[Everyone's placed their bets! Who'll lose this time? I'm betting on the one who's questioning! I don't think the Queen is someone who talks nonsense!]
Justin, you have to try it and tell us the results! For the sake of science!
After reading it, Justin raised his hands: "Okay, guys, of course I'll go."
Xiao Zhuang suggested to him: "You can go to the VR experience center now, there aren't many people queuing yet. After you've finished the VR experience, come here to try making zongzi, and then go explore other places."
There will probably be queues here too, but it definitely won't be as long as the VR experience center, which is the number one queue king in Qinghe Ancient Town!
After discussing it, Justin and Benjamin thought it was a good idea, so they registered in advance with Xiao Zhuang, planning to come back and learn how to wrap zongzi after experiencing the VR experience.
Many commenters expressed their reluctance to part with Xiao Zhuang:
Goodbye, Queen of History!
[Excellent lady, Justin, you should invite her to join the live stream. "Reversed Heavenly Gang..." I'll remember that Chinese phrase.]
Justin: "Come on, I have to go to work today."
Given his status, it's impossible for Qinghe Ancient Town to specifically hire a staff member to accompany him throughout his live stream. Justin is very self-aware.
He and Benjamin arrived at the VR experience center together. They were among the first to enter, so the line at the entrance wasn't too long; they only had to wait about twenty minutes.
Justin: "It looks pretty good."
Benjamin ignored him and looked up to admire the exterior of the experience center and its beautiful dougong brackets. He was surprised to find that the building itself was an ancient structure, incredibly beautiful. To be honest, he was more interested in the building itself than in the VR experience he would later have.
Twenty minutes later, it was their turn.
......
Xiao Zhuang returned to the main street to help greet other tourists. The main street was already quite lively, especially with many parents with young children who were very interested in the rice dumpling wrapping and treasure hunt games.
Is it a paid service?
"No, it's all free. You just need to register. If it's full, you'll have to wait a little while," Xiao Zhuang said with a smile.
In the words of her boss, Ms. Lu, buying some bamboo leaves, glutinous rice, and silk threads doesn't cost much, so why charge them? No, no, let's give the tourists a little surprise.
Sure enough, many tourists were pleasantly surprised to hear that it was free: "Then let's try it out!"
Soon, the dozen or so small tents were full of tourists. Other tourists either waited or walked around after registering. Thanks to the constant maintenance by staff, the overall order was excellent.
Qinghe Ancient Town specially invited more than a dozen people from the kitchen of the canteen who knew how to wrap zongzi to be teachers, while the teacher who taught everyone to weave longevity threads was invited from the textile workshop.
"Watch closely, the two bamboo leaves should be folded like this, making a corner, like a funnel, that's right! Don't put the rice in too full, otherwise it will expand when cooking..." Du Fang was invited to supervise because she knew how to wrap zongzi.
A young father was frantically trying to make rice, which kept leaking from the bottom of the "funnel," making his four- or five-year-old daughter giggle and say, "Daddy's so clumsy!"
He wasn't annoyed; he tried to salvage the situation, feeling both amused and exasperated.
On the other side, a mother and daughter from the north were having a friendly debate about the "sweet vs. savory" taste. The daughter wanted to try the pork and salted egg yolk filling, but the mother insisted on making red bean and jujube paste.
"Those salty meat dumplings can't possibly taste good."
"I love to eat, let's each wrap our own."
Du Fang smiled and said, "Yes, wrap one of each flavor so we can try them out."
The air was filled with the fragrance of glutinous rice and bamboo leaves.
Many parents also brought their children to sign up for the treasure hunt game, excitedly taking maps to the ancient town to find the marked shops and workshops, determined to win today's big prize.
There were many people in the tent where the professor was editing longevity threads, but the atmosphere was much quieter.
The female workers hired from the textile workshop had a calm demeanor and exceptionally nimble fingers.
"The red one presses down on the green one, passes underneath, yes, gently tighten it..."
Most of the students were completely focused, heads down, carefully following the teacher's steps. There were young couples, the girl weaving diligently while the boy seemed a little clumsy, but they worked together seamlessly, seemingly wanting to use the longevity thread they wove together as a token of their love; there were also quiet children who could sit still and were very focused under the teacher's guidance.
"Mom, I've finished braiding!"
The longevity threads, once braided, are worn directly on the wrists, their colorful silk threads reflecting smiling faces—this is the festive atmosphere of Qinghe Ancient Town.
Xiao Zhuang was waiting for Justin and Benjamin an hour later.
She greeted them with a smile: "Gentlemen, how was the VR experience in Qinghe Ancient Town? Wasn't it really amazing?"
She had clearly noticed their dismissive attitude towards her explanation, but she didn't say anything. Some things you only understand after experiencing them yourself. So she added jokingly:
"Could it be considered the number one in the world?"
Justin and Benjamin exchanged a glance, their expressions still showing shock, especially Benjamin, who was completely dazed, his lips dry and his throat hoarse.
"It's truly amazing... It deserves to be called the best in the world!"
At this point, the comment section was flooded with boos:
[Oh my god Justin, how much did they pay you? This is obviously scripted! "The best in the world" my ass.]
[This is truly disappointing. Justin, I thought you were more authentic. This is clearly an advertisement.]
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