Daqi: "It's okay, it's okay. I still sleep in the workers' shed on the construction site! Your sofa is much more comfortable than my hard bed on the construction site."
Xiao Li: "This is also Lao Ma's fault. He was only willing to buy me a studio apartment in the Hot Spring Garden. But I live alone most of the time, so the place is big enough."
Daqi: "I've been to your place once. Oh, it's a studio apartment!"
Xiao Li smiled slightly and said, "Yes. In fact, more than half of the apartments in this community are studio apartments."
Daqi then realized that Xiaoli's studio apartment was quite large. It looked like a suite, with a living room, balcony, kitchen, and bathroom. The living room was really big, about the same size as Qianru's. He had always thought Xiaoli's place was a suite, not a studio apartment. Haha, how old-fashioned he was!
Xiao Li added, "I'm treating you to dinner today to apologize for the inconvenience of inviting you all the way from the construction site. Don't take it too personally, okay? Hehe!"
Daqi laughed and said, "Thank you, sister, but don't go to so much trouble!"
Xiao Li said, "It's nothing. You'll be working for me from now on, and the station will reimburse your food and lodging. I really have to treat you, because tonight is my treat, as a welcome to you joining Longhai TV Station. Hehe, but it won't be long, at most about 20 days. What would you like to eat?"
Daqi said he was fine with anything except Western food or McDonald's and KFC, as he preferred Chinese food. Xiaoli hailed a taxi, and she and Daqi both sat in the back seat. Xiaoli told the driver, "The Chongqing Hot Pot Restaurant on Zhongshan Road."
"Great! I really like hot pot," Daqi thought to himself. He was truly happy today for three reasons: first, he could dine alone with the beautiful woman; second, he could stay overnight at her house; and third, he could accompany her back to her hometown to see the local customs and scenery. As the saying goes, "A happy occasion makes one feel refreshed," and Daqi was exceptionally cheerful in the car!
The taxi driver kept turning his head to look at Zeng Xiaoli or glancing at her in the rearview mirror. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, are you Zeng Xiaoli, the one who broadcasts the news on TV?"
Daqi thought to himself, "That driver has sharp eyes!" Xiaoli smiled and nodded at the driver.
"It really is you!" the driver exclaimed excitedly. "I was wondering why you looked so familiar."
"Watch your car while driving, and don't keep looking back," Xiao Li said to him jokingly. "I'm just an ordinary employee at the TV station!"
"No, no, no!" the driver shook his head, saying as he drove, "It's my honor to have Miss Zeng ride in my car. Could you please sign your name for me later?"
Xiao Li smiled, as beautiful and charming as a blooming red chrysanthemum. She seemed to be asking Da Qi if she was really that popular. Da Qi smiled and nodded, giving her a thumbs-up. Xiao Li laughed, "Driver, as long as you drive carefully, I'll definitely grant your request!"
"Great, great, thank you, Ms. Zeng!" the driver replied, clearly delighted. At the same time, he pressed the accelerator a few times, and the car sped up considerably.
The car soon arrived at the parking lot of the "Chongqing Hot Pot City" on Zhongshan Road in Longhai. As soon as the car stopped, the driver immediately handed Xiao Li a notebook and a pen from inside the car, and said with a smile, "Please do me the honor, Miss Zeng!"
Xiao Li smiled generously and accepted the notebook and pen. She wrote the following in the notebook: "Beautiful Longhai is made even more charming by your safe driving! – Zeng Xiao Li." After writing, Xiao Li returned the notebook and pen to the driver. The driver was overjoyed to see it, said "Thank you," and quickly got out of the car to open the door for Xiao Li. Da Qi opened the door and got out himself. Xiao Li took out her wallet to pay the taxi fare, but he stopped her. He laughed, "Miss Zeng, it's my honor to ride in my car! You even signed your name for me; I'm so grateful. I won't take your fare; I'm just afraid you won't ride with me again." Xiao Li insisted on paying the driver. Unexpectedly, the driver quickly slipped back into the car and started the engine. Da Qi laughed and advised Xiao Li, "Sister Xiao Li, don't worry about it. He's a loyal fan of yours and won't take your money. Don't make things difficult for him!"
Xiao Li could only smile helplessly and put away her wallet. At this moment, the driver leaned out of the car and said to Xiao Li, "Ms. Zeng, I hope you can ride in my car again in the future. I still won't charge you. Goodbye!" Xiao Li gave him a helpless smile and said, "Thank you, goodbye!" The driver happily drove away.
As Daqi and Xiaoli walked into the hot pot restaurant, Daqi jokingly said to her, "Sister Xiaoli, you're so charming that you don't even have to pay for a taxi."
Xiao Li said happily, "If you hadn't persuaded me, I definitely would have paid. Sometimes I'm really tired and a little afraid to go out. Last time I went to a flower shop to buy flowers, the girl selling them refused to take my money, sigh..."
I really don't know if "Sassy Fox" is complaining or showing off, haha. Anyway, the combination of her beauty and celebrity status makes her seem helpless, Daqi thought to himself. He then spoke up, picking up where Xiao Li left off, saying, "If you really insist on giving that driver money, you'll be hurting him too much."
"Why?" Xiao Li asked Da Qi, puzzled.
"Who told you to be so beautiful, Sister Li! Men are always willing to do things for beautiful women for free," Daqi replied humorously.
Xiao Li smiled slightly after hearing this and said nothing more. The two found a seat by the street and sat down. The restaurant waiter immediately came over and gave the menu to Xiao Li. Xiao Li handed the menu to Da Qi and said, "Today you are the guest, and I am the host. The host should follow the guest's lead, so you order first."
Xiao Li's demeanor and speech exuded a generous and elegant air, much like Wen. Da Qi couldn't help but compare the stunning beauty before him to his ideal "fairy," Qi Wen. He had to admit that Xiao Li was also a captivating beauty!
Daqi casually ordered a few meat and vegetable dishes and returned the menu to Xiaoli. She also ordered a few more dishes. Both of them asked the waiter for drinks. Daqi ordered Coca-Cola, which was the same for him everywhere, except when drinking alcohol. Xiaoli ordered a can of coconut juice.
Soon the hot pot was boiling, and the dishes were brought out one after another by the waiter. The two ate and chatted, and the topic was entirely about Daqi's hometown, Changqing County.
Xiao Li: "What are some of the specialties of your hometown?"
Daqi: "In which aspect?"
Xiao Li: "Regarding folk customs."
Daqi: "Simply put, start with clothing, food, housing, and transportation. My hometown is a concentrated area of Hakka culture, so you would need to spend a lot of time visiting it to explore these four aspects."
Xiao Li: "First, briefly share your thoughts and opinions."
Daqi: "The traditional clothing and attire that have been preserved to this day, especially the women's clothing, can be considered one of the highlights; food is a rich aspect of Hakka culture, and its eating habits are quite different from those in other coastal areas. You can start by looking at festivals, celebrations, weddings, and funerals, but this requires the right time; the dwellings are the biggest highlight of Hakka culture, with the world-famous Tulou being one of them, which is very distinctive. It's hard to explain in a short time. I'm going to draft an itinerary tonight, and you can take a look at it."
Xiao Li: "Okay, this time it really depends on you. I'm taking this interview very seriously, but I'm from the North and I don't know your local customs and culture, and I don't understand the dialect. Please put in your best effort!"
Daqi: "I have a preliminary idea that combining the folk culture we've recorded with the unique Communist Party red culture of Binxi will definitely surpass 'A Visit to the Folk Customs of Binbei.' The entire Binxi is known as the 'Hometown of Generals.' In the early days of the Communist Party of China, a large number of patriots emerged and devoted themselves to the red revolution. More than 20,000 Binxi sons and daughters, my predecessors, joined the Red Army. Let me tell you, there's a village in my area known as 'Nine Armies and Eighteen Villages.' Do you know why?"
“What is ‘Nine Armies and Eighteen Villages’? Tell me about it!” Xiao Li was clearly intrigued.
"In a small village in Binxi, nine army commanders and eighteen division commanders emerged in the early Red Army. Of course, the village also became a veritable 'widow village' at that time, as most of the young and middle-aged men in the village died heroically in the revolution."
"Oh! Such a magical place! This will make interviewing vegetarians much easier!" Xiao Li said, her eyes wide as she stared at Da Qi.
Looking at the lovely and beautiful Zeng Xiaoli, Daqi was secretly delighted.
Chapter 47 Teasing Beautiful Women
Daqi continued, "Let me tell you, there are still a lot of Tang and Song dynasty buildings preserved in my hometown."
Clearly, Daqi has a good understanding of the cultural traditions of his hometown. He is happy to introduce or promote these traditions to outsiders, especially to people in the media industry such as television stations.
Xiao Li suddenly couldn't help but admire the young man in front of her. Although he was unremarkable in appearance and very young, his understanding of his hometown was truly profound and insightful, unlike most young men who had no idea where their roots lay. Too many people today are ashamed to mention their hometowns to outsiders because of their economic backwardness, but this young man, despite coming from a poor county in the province, genuinely loved his hometown. In short, he was truly different from ordinary people; he was special and had a unique personality!
Seeing Daqi talking animatedly, Xiaoli asked him, "Do you love your hometown? I know Changqing is one of the poorest counties in the province, and a large number of laborers migrate there every year. You don't mind if I ask you this directly, do you?"
Daqi smiled and said, “It’s nothing. I truly love this land that gave me birth and nurtured me. From the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China period, Changqing was quite prosperous. Its current decline is only temporary. Of course, we can’t rule out the extremely important human factor of too many corrupt local officials. But I believe that with the wisdom of the people of Changqing and its profound cultural heritage, Changqing will definitely regain its former glory one day! I believe it won’t be long before it becomes prosperous again. Take tourism resources, for example; my hometown is very rich. Tourism and leisure will definitely be one of the important selling points and powerful driving forces for future economic development. As long as it is developed properly, Changqing has great economic development potential. I hope that the officials sent here by the province can truly do some practical things for the people of Changqing, instead of sending big corrupt officials and embezzlers here as before. The people of Changqing can no longer withstand the torment of these corrupt officials…”
Xiao Li enjoyed her conversation with Da Qi, finding the young man before her to be more than just a teenager; he seemed mature beyond his years, perhaps even over forty in his mind. However, she noticed his excessive idealism. Having worked in television, she knew all too well how harsh reality could be, and that idealists often lived more exhausting lives than anyone else. Xiao Li gradually began to admire this younger man…
After finishing their hotpot, they took a taxi back to Xiao Li's home at Xingda Hot Spring Garden. At the news anchor's house, they watched television together for a while. While watching, Da Qi wrote down the detailed itinerary for his visits on a piece of paper, then briefly explained it to Xiao Li. Xiao Li was very happy because Da Qi was far more capable than she had expected. She believed that her program would be more exciting and insightful than Jiang Qingqing's.
In the evening
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Section Reading 32
Around 11 o'clock, Xiao Li urged Da Qi to get some rest. She brought him a blanket and a pillow so he could sleep better on the sofa in the living room. Xiao Li smiled and said, "Little brother, I'm sorry to trouble you! Just make do here for the night. My colleague, the cameraman Master Lai, will pick us up early tomorrow morning. We can't keep Master Lai waiting; he'll arrive a little earlier, so we need to get up early. These next ten days will take up a lot of your time."
Daqi said happily, "I'd love to work with you, sister! It's getting late, sister, you should go to sleep too. Goodnight!"
Xiao Li smiled and gently kissed Da Qi's cheek, saying, "You're really special. I really like you, my little brother. Goodnight!" After saying that, she went to the bathroom to wash up. Then, she went to her bedroom to rest alone.
Daqi was ecstatic! The beautiful Xiaoli had actually kissed him! It was amazing; he was receiving such "presidential" treatment. Of course, Daqi knew that Xiaoli only saw him as a younger brother, not in the way he craved from a romantic relationship. But it was enough to excite him immensely, because this kiss proved how close they were emotionally! He had been worrying about how to truly get closer to this stunning news anchor. Now it seemed his chances were great. Daqi smiled as he drifted off to sleep, confident that good fortune would follow him. Before falling asleep, he prayed to God: "God, let Xiaoli—this incredibly beautiful woman—be my woman!"
The next morning, Daqi was woken up by Xiaoli. It turned out that cameraman Lai had driven to the entrance of the hot spring garden before 7:00 AM. He woke Xiaoli with his phone, and Xiaoli had no choice but to wake Daqi, who was still fast asleep on the sofa. After getting dressed and washing up, the two took the two file folders the TV station had compiled the day before, left their room, went downstairs, and headed straight for the entrance of the hot spring garden. Lai was already waiting for them.
Xiao Li and Da Qi greeted Master Lai and then got into his Mitsubishi Jeep. Xiao Li asked Master Lai to find a place to have breakfast first, and he readily agreed, since none of the three of them had eaten breakfast.
This Mr. Lai was a tall, burly man, about forty years old, with a full beard and a bald head. Daqi's first impression of him was that he was very quiet, but not unapproachable; he had a rather easygoing personality.
Mr. Lai parked the car in front of a breakfast shop, and the three of them got out and quickly ate breakfast. As soon as they finished, they returned to the jeep, and Mr. Lai started driving from Longhai towards Changqing.
Daqi and Xiaoli were both sitting in the back seat. Daqi happily admired the scenery through the car window. Xiaoli, perhaps having woken up too early and lacking sleep, had fallen asleep against the seat back without him noticing. It was late autumn, and with the overcast skies, the car felt slightly chilly as it drove. Daqi suddenly realized Xiaoli was asleep, her arms wrapped around her chest. Clearly, she felt a little cold.
Gazing at the serene face of the sleeping beauty and inhaling her fragrant scent, Daqi, without hesitation, took off his coat and draped it over her. He couldn't let the beautiful woman catch a cold; Daqi felt a pang of tenderness for the sleeping gem beside him.
The car was traveling smoothly along the national highway when a perfectly normal turn caused Xiao Li, who was sleeping, to slip her head from the seat back and rest it on Da Qi's shoulder. Da Qi didn't push Xiao Li away but let her rest her head quietly on his shoulder. The stunning news anchor he used to only see on TV was now sleeping on his shoulder—it was unbelievable! Da Qi thought to himself, life is truly amazing; this isn't a dream, it's real. Because he could deeply feel the woman's incredibly soft body. He felt the beautiful woman's body resting on his shoulder was like a cotton ball, a soft and warm cotton ball.
Xiao Li woke up after sleeping for about two hours. She found herself covered with a coat, her head resting on Da Qi's shoulder. She quickly sat up straight. Da Qi then noticed Xiao Li was awake. Xiao Li looked at Da Qi gratefully and said, "Thank you, little brother!" Da Qi smiled slightly but didn't say anything. Xiao Li returned the coat to Da Qi and said, "Put this on quickly, it's not warm." Da Qi smiled, took his own coat, and put it back on.
Along the way, Xiao Li chatted happily with Da Qi. He said that when they got back to his hometown, he would definitely treat Xiao Li and Master Lai to some authentic Hakka cuisine. Xiao Li said happily, "I love trying all kinds of food from different places. I suspect I must be the reincarnation of Pigsy (Zhu Bajie)." Upon hearing this, Da Qi laughed and replied, "Pigsy was really ugly. How could he be reincarnated and become so beautiful? I, Tong Da Qi, would never believe it!" Xiao Li laughed even harder and said, "Little brother, I didn't know you had such a good sense of humor!"
Tong Daqi loved it when women praised him, especially beautiful women. Hearing this, he got even more excited and said with great enthusiasm, "I'm a comedian reincarnated, the god of joy! Of course I'm funny."
The two chatted and laughed all the way, discussing only trivial matters. This made what would have been a dull journey more lively. When the car arrived at Changqing County, Daqi's hometown, he was surprised to find that he had returned home.
Chapter Forty-Eight Binge Eating
Master Lai asked Daqi, "Which hotel in Changqing is comfortable to stay in?"
Daqi replied, "Changqing Hotel or Hakka Hotel, the highest-class is the three-star Tobacco Hotel. People who are on official business usually stay at Changqing Hotel. Even high-ranking officials from the central government usually stay at Changqing Hotel when they inspect Changqing. It is located in the center of the county town and is more convenient to get to."
Xiao Li said to Master Lai, "Let's stay at the Changqing Hotel!"
Mr. Lai replied "Okay" and, guided by Daqi, drove the car to the parking lot of Changqing Hotel. The three of them got out of the car and, led by the hotel doorman, went to the service desk to check in. They requested three adjacent single rooms, which would be more convenient for them to work together.
Tired from the journey, Xiao Li and Master Lai went to their respective rooms to rest. Da Qi asked Xiao Li for leave, saying he needed to go home to see his mother. He left his phone number with Xiao Li and went directly to find his mother.
Daqi arrived at the hotel where his mother worked. The old woman was very surprised to see her son suddenly appear before her, and she asked Daqi why he was home at this time.
Mother: "Weren't you interning at the construction site? Why are you back at this time?"
Daqi briefly explained that he was going to accompany the staff of Longhai TV station to collect materials. The elderly woman didn't understand these things, but she was a very simple and honest Hakka woman. Hakka people are very warm and hospitable, and Daqi's mother was no exception. She immediately said to Daqi, "Son, I'll cook a few extra dishes tonight. Go and invite the TV station staff home for dinner. Make sure to invite them; we're the hosts, we must show them hospitality!"
Daqi first helped his mother wash the dishes and then helped her clean the hotel kitchen. Afterwards, his mother asked the hotel owner for leave, saying that they had guests, and the owner granted permission. The old lady took Daqi to the market to buy chicken, fish, meat, and other meats, as well as some common vegetables. Daqi felt like it was New Year's Day for his mother, because many of the meat dishes were only bought for the New Year, as the family wasn't wealthy. But ever since he was old enough to understand, he knew that whenever guests came to the family, his mother would spend a lot of money to buy a lot of food to entertain them. From childhood to adulthood, his mother always taught him: "Even if we, the Tong family, are poor, we can't be poor in front of our guests!" Daqi knew very well that this was an ancestral rule left to the whole family by his great-grandfather. And his mother, as a granddaughter-in-law who married into the Tong family, had followed this rule her whole life, hardly considering that the Tong family was no longer the prosperous family it once was—it had fallen into extreme poverty!
The mother and son returned home carrying large and small bags of groceries. The mother asked Daqi to go to the hotel to invite Miss Zeng and Chef Lai over for dinner, while she busied herself washing vegetables and cooking. It was already evening.
Daqi returned to the hotel and knocked on Xiaoli's door. Luckily, she was already awake. She opened the door and welcomed Daqi into the room.
Daqi: "Sister, you're awake!"
Xiao Li: "I woke up after a while. Where are we going for the interview tomorrow?"
Daqi: "Everything's planned. I've already listed the most distinctive places in Binxi. These places are enough for us to interview for several days. Let's not talk about work for now, sister. Come to my house for dinner tonight. My mother invites you and Master Lai to our house. You'll get to eat authentic Hakka cuisine!" Daqi finished speaking with a sly smile.
Xiao Li was overjoyed. She laughed and said, "Great! I definitely want to try Auntie's cooking. I've heard that Hakka cuisine is delicious, but I've never tasted it myself!" Da Qi was very happy that Xiao Li agreed so readily to come to his house for dinner. He also invited Chef Lai, but Chef Lai said he had other plans for the evening. Chef Lai was going to have dinner at Chang Qing's relative's house and couldn't come to Da Qi's house.
Daqi led Xiaoli home. Along the way, they passed many people, including many of Daqi's acquaintances, who stared at him and the beautiful woman beside him with astonished looks. Many were probably thinking: "Could this woman be this young man's girlfriend? She's so beautiful and has such a great presence!"
As soon as they arrived home, Daqi called out, "Mom, we're back!" The old lady, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and hurriedly greeted the guests her son had brought home. The mother was almost stunned when she came out—or rather, stunned by Xiao Li's beauty!
"Hello, Auntie! I'm Xiao Li, a host from Longhai TV." Xiao Li greeted her mother proactively.
The mother stared at Xiao Li for a while before reacting, "Good, good, good... Where did such a beautiful young lady come from? You're even prettier than a movie star... Sit, sit, sit! Son, quickly serve the guest tea!" At this moment, the mother pulled Tong Daqi into the kitchen and whispered, "To be honest, is she your girlfriend? She's so beautiful, but she must be a few years older than you, right?" Daqi quickly covered his mother's mouth and made a "shh" gesture. He glanced outside the kitchen; thankfully, Xiao Li hadn't heard. He whispered to his mother, "Mom, don't say things like that!" "Oh, oh, oh!" The mother nodded several times and went out to greet Xiao Li. The mother invited Xiao Li to sit on the bench in the living room, and Xiao Li smiled slightly and sat down. The mother kept observing the beautiful female host. Daqi served Xiao Li a cup of hot tea. The mother immediately said to Xiaoli, "My dear daughter, you sit in the living room and watch TV. I'll go to the kitchen and get busy." As she went into the kitchen, the mother said to Daqi, "Qi'er, you keep the guests company. By the way, where's the other guest?" Daqi said that Chef Lai had gone to visit relatives in the area. The mother didn't say anything more and went to the kitchen to cook. Daqi also sat down on the bench in the living room to chat and drink tea with Xiaoli. The sizzling sounds of stir-frying could be heard from the kitchen.
Xiao Li kept looking around at Da Qi's dilapidated old house. She asked Da Qi, "This house must be quite old, right? It's very unique!"
Daqi smiled slightly and said, "This is my ancestral home. I grew up here! It was built by my ancestors during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. It's a bit old, please don't laugh at me!"
Xiao Li shook her head and said, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling of déjà vu, like I've come home. It's like the feeling I had when I went to my maternal grandfather's house when I was a child. It's strange, how come I have this feeling at your house too... It's really warm and welcoming, and your auntie is especially kind!"
Daqi laughed heartily and said, "As long as you, the great host, don't laugh at this shabby place, just make yourself at home here!"
Xiao Li nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "Is there anyone else living in such a big house? Where did your father go?"
Daqi never expected Xiaoli to ask him about this most sensitive topic. He had always been confident, but whenever someone asked about his father, he felt a little inferior… But since Xiaoli had asked, he had to answer… Daqi smiled helplessly, glanced at his mother busy in the kitchen, and quietly told Xiaoli about his family situation. He softly told her that his father and mother were divorced and he didn't know where his father was…
Xiao Li listened quietly without saying anything. Suddenly, she blinked and changed the subject. She said she was going to help her mother, and slipped into the kitchen. Her mother, seeing Xiao Li, quickly told her to leave, saying, "My dear daughter, you're a guest, please don't come in. Don't worry about this, this old woman can handle it. Come sit in the living room!" But Xiao Li ignored her. She insisted on rolling up her sleeves and helping her mother wash the vegetables, saying with a smile, "Auntie, I've come to see how you cook Hakka cuisine. I came here for this interview to see as much as possible, please don't mind me!"