Chapter 430: You Can Blow Anywhere
Xiao Peng leaned back on the sofa, looking nostalgic. "Why did I go abroad to Marseille? Ultimately, my mother and I were fooled. Back then, our country had countless myths about Western countries: 'free medical care,' 'high-quality medical care,' 'lifelong free education,' 'children have fun in school and can choose their own courses,' 'no academic pressure,' 'even the homeless receive a monthly government subsidy.'... I'm not exaggerating. The message we received back then was: foreign countries are paradise. It felt like washing dishes and mopping floors was an incredibly desirable job. As long as I could get out, it would be better than back home. So, before my mother died, she sent me out to France."
After hearing this, Fabian said, "Thank goodness you came to France, otherwise I might be living a different life now."
Xiao Peng waved his hand: "But how did I get through the first two years in Marseille? Our country's economy was indeed not good in the early years, and at that time, information was not well developed. Ordinary people had limited access to information sources and the information they accepted was also very narrow. For example, someone traveled to France for three days, ate a few slices of Western bread, and looked at the scenery. After returning, he told us what he saw and heard in France. For us country bumpkins who have never been out, it is everything about France. They can tell you that 'medical treatment is free' here, but they don't tell you that you have to wait in line for weeks or even months to go to a public hospital; they will tell you that the medical level here is high but... They won't tell you that getting an ambulance here costs hundreds of euros; they'll claim that human rights, freedom, and equality are protected here, but they won't mention the religious and racial tensions. The same is true for ordinary people: everyone only cares about what they believe. When they encounter something they don't believe, many will argue, turning into nitpickers. And you can't refute what these public intellectuals say. If you do, they'll just show you how broad their horizons are, and your rebuttal is a sign of poor moral character. They're best at standing on the moral high ground and freely criticizing everything without taking any concrete action.
"When I came out, I was full of longing, thinking that a better life was beckoning me. But when I got out, I realized, what a better life! Every day, there were endless dishes to wash and floors to mop. I was looked down upon and ignored. There was nothing I could do except to cuddle with a few Chinese compatriots. That's when I realized that the moon in foreign countries isn't always so round... Later, I was betrayed by my compatriots... It was a painful memory. There was a time when I even thought about suicide, but luckily I persevered. I remember around 2010, our Chinese portal websites started to become popular. Websites like Weibo started inviting all kinds of public intellectuals to join them to gain traffic. That period was definitely the most rampant period for public intellectuals. Anyway, the information you saw online at that time was all praising foreign countries, 'Britain praising', 'US praising', 'Europe praising', 'India praising'... Anyway, every country was better than China."
"Wait!" Walter got a little excited after hearing this: "India fan? Are you talking about India?"
Xiao Peng nodded.
Walter's eyes widened: "There are still people bragging about that country? Damn it, what is there to brag about in that country? I almost died there!"
"Ah?" Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this: "What's going on?"
Walter said: "I went there once. It was so hot that I bought a bottle of mineral water. I drank it and almost died! Later someone told me that it was Ganges water."
Xiao Peng laughed: "You're really awesome! You even dare to drink the water from the Ganges? One sip of that stuff contains almost all the elements in the periodic table! No one dares to drink it except those over there! We call them the 'Cheating Nation' for a reason!"
Walter smiled bitterly and said, "I'm really impressed by that country! Can you believe it? There are scammers imitating airport staff at their international airport! They wear the same clothes as the airport staff and help you exchange currency at a high exchange rate to make huge profits! This is their country's Capital International Airport! What's so good about them there?"
Xiao Peng shook his finger. "You really don't understand our country's public intellectuals. There's nothing they can't brag about. Back then, an associate professor even wrote a newspaper article praising Indian beggars, saying they 'smile all day long, never resentful, resigned to their fate, and find solace in life's unfairness through spiritual pursuits.' Another public intellectual who plays music with a fan all day long remarked that our country is beautiful with its tall buildings, but rarely sees anyone smiling on the streets. Everyone's tense and tense. But look at the beggars in India: they're all smiling and peaceful. This peace permeates society as a whole. For example, their slums are vast, but there are few police officers, and the crime rate is low."
"Bah!" Walter spat. "There are so many people who steal things while holding children! The last time the six of us went to India, three of us were robbed! And they were all trained bodyguards! Calling the police is useless! In Mumbai, there is a group of beggars in front of almost every restaurant. A group of people sit there neatly, waiting for leftovers every day. When Ivanka went to Hyderabad, India to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, India locked up the beggars on the street for two months! A total of more than 6,000 beggars were locked up! And this is the case when many beggars fled directly. Hyderabad is not even among the top five cities in India, and there are tens of thousands of beggars in those big cities!"
Diane blinked after hearing this: "Honey, there are more beggars there than on the streets of Cologne, Germany?"
Walter nodded. "Believe me, they're not on the same level. There are a lot of beggars in Cologne, but compared to India, it's like putting a tarsier and a gorilla together. Although they are both primates, the former is not even as big as the palm of the latter. Oh my God! They can even brag about beggars in India? These public intellectuals in your country are really impressive!"
Xiao Peng nodded. "At the time, a public intellectual summed it up, saying India is 'poor but not miserable, diverse but not chaotic, slow but not slow, corrupt but not defeated.'"
Walter opened his mouth and said nothing for a long time, and finally murmured: "Boss, are you sure you are not kidding me? Why do I feel like I have gone to a fake India?"
Xiao Peng laughed heartily. "Now you understand why we all had so many aspirations for foreign countries, right? Now, looking back, the smartest thing I've ever done in my life is to keep my Chinese citizenship and never even considered acquiring foreign citizenship."
Walter was about to speak when there was a knock on the RV door. Fabian was sitting close to the door and got up from the sofa to open it, but Walter grabbed him, took out a gun from his arms, and walked towards the door with a nervous look on his face.
Xiao Peng looked helpless when he saw this scene.
So what?
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The author has something to say:
It's the sixth update again, and the debt is paid off...
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