Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2963 Diwozi

Texas farms are becoming increasingly famous in the United States, not only as major producers of grain and cash crops, but also as one of the country's most renowned vacation destinations.

People come here for vacation not for the natural scenery, but to experience life in a foreign country.

You heard right. Due to the rapid development of tourism, the farm's development of the Chinese pastoral style has been expanding in scale.

There's no way around it; so many Americans, especially American kids, love rural China so much.
For this reason, Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong went to great lengths, and had to build various Chinese-style buildings, even arranging dugouts.

Even Ye Yuze was wondering, while they were digging the dugout, if people could actually live in such a "pit".

Unexpectedly, they underestimated the hardworking spirit of the American people. Upon hearing that these were the residences of early Chinese entrepreneurs, tourists rushed to buy them.

Even many Chinese people came to join in the fun. In a fit of anger, Yang Geyong set a rule that no Chinese people were allowed to live there, not even those of Chinese descent.

The American people enjoyed this privilege, and even more people flocked to it; after all, it was a privilege. Most people would eagerly seek out any privilege they could have.

Of course, it's inevitable that I'll be criticized by some fellow countrymen; everyone has their own personality, and there's no way to control that.

In particular, some children of privileged classes reported the matter back to the capital, and it quickly reached the ears of high-ranking officials.

Wang Honghua had no choice but to personally intervene in this matter. When she heard Ye Yuze recount the details, she was so angry she laughed, and ordered him:

"Why not let them stay? Open it up to them, and the price is twice that of Americans!"

Ye Yuze always obeyed his sister's words. As a result, the dugout was finally opened to Chinese people. However, it cost Americans $300 to stay there, while it cost Chinese people $1,000.

This price wasn't actually set by Ye Yuze; it was Yang Geyong who spearheaded it, thinking it would make accounting easier this way!
In fact, Ye Yuze has never made money from his own people since he started his business. Warrior Motors has long been a world-renowned brand.

However, most of the market is overseas, and even if there is some market in China, the prices are much lower than abroad, and most of them are manufactured and sold through joint ventures with other factories.

The main goal is to benefit ordinary people and allow competitors to survive with profits.

I initially thought Yang Geyong's strategy was just a joke, but to everyone's surprise, people actually moved in. It has to be said, some people are really rich! They spend money not for quality, but simply because they have money to burn.

When Wang Honghua's "instructions" were relayed to Yang Geyong through Ye Yuze, this straightforward man was squatting at the entrance of his dugout, eating a watermelon. Upon hearing this, he almost swallowed the watermelon seeds.

He stared wide-eyed: "What? My sister said we family members can stay too? And she'll charge double? This... this is unacceptable! Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Ye Yuze shrugged, his face bearing an expression that said, "My sister's words are law."

“My sister said, they want to experience the ‘authentic’ experience, right? Then let them experience it to their heart’s content. A thousand dollars a night, take it or leave it, it’ll be a good way to weed out those who just want to make a fuss but won’t pay.”

As expected, the policy caused a huge uproar within certain circles. Those second-generation individuals who had previously criticized Yang Geyong for "forgetting their ancestors" and "discriminating against their compatriots" were now filled with righteous indignation.

"What do you mean? Who are you looking down on? Do you think we're short of that little bit of money?"

"Exactly! The Americans pay 300, while we pay 1000? Are they treating us like suckers or cash cows?"

"We have to stay here! Not only do we have to stay here, but we also have to post it on WeChat Moments and Weibo, so that everyone can see how we broke this modern version of 'No Chinese or dogs allowed'!"

"Yes! We'll bury them in money! Let them know what real power is!"

As a result, the Texas farm welcomed a unique influx of Chinese tourists.

Most of them were well-dressed, drove luxury cars, and as soon as they got out of the car, they took pictures everywhere with the latest mobile phones, their tone carrying a subtle excitement mixed with a sense of superiority and resentment.

Scene 1: "Honor" certification at the entrance of the dugout

At the entrance to the dugout experience area, there is a brand-new sign in both Chinese and English that reads:

"The Immersive Experience Area on the Entrepreneurial History of the Chinese Ancestors is a special historical and cultural heritage with high maintenance costs, hence the cultural preservation fee charged to our fellow countrymen."

A young man wearing a trendy brand logo T-shirt took photos of the sign with his phone, focusing particularly on the "one thousand US dollars" figure, and then said to his companion with great pride:

"See that? That's what you call class! Americans wouldn't even have the right to spend that much money! This is called supporting the export of traditional culture!"

Upon check-in, a dark-skinned farm worker in a denim outfit (possibly a retired cowboy or a resident of a nearby town) routinely asked in accented English:
"Sir, 300 dollars per night."

The young man immediately straightened his back and corrected him in perfect Mandarin, with a hint of pride:
"No, no, no! I'm Chinese! One thousand! Understand?"

His expression suggested that he wasn't asking for more money, but rather receiving some special medal.

Scene 2: The "Survival" Challenge Inside the Dune

Once you actually enter the dugout, the scene changes completely.

The so-called "earthenhouse" is a square pit dug in the ground, with a roof made of wood and straw mats. Inside, there is a heated earthen bed and a stove, all in an effort to recreate the harsh environment of the Northwest Construction Corps decades ago.

Of course, for basic safety and hygiene, there was electricity secretly connected (with only a dim light bulb), and there were also hidden drainage and insect control measures, but on the surface it was absolutely "natural".

A girl wearing limited-edition sneakers stepped onto the soft ground and nearly twisted her ankle, screaming, "Ouch! My shoes!"

Her boyfriend quickly comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay, we'll buy it later. Quick, take a picture for me, I want to post a nine-grid photo of this 'pit' with the caption 'Remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present, following in the footsteps of our parents' generation'."

The real test came at night. The earthen bed was so hard it hurt, and even though clean bedding was laid out, the damp and cold feeling lingered.

Occasionally, an unknown little insect would rustle by, eliciting soft screams.

"How...how am I supposed to sleep here? There's not even WiFi!"

"Quick, check if my phone has a signal! I posted this on WeChat Moments half an hour ago, and it only has a dozen or so likes?"

"Stop talking, I think I heard a mouse..."

"Shut up!"

So, in the dead of night, the faint light of cell phone screens shone from many dugouts, illuminating the sleepless yet determined faces of people trying to stay awake.

Some people couldn't stand it anymore and secretly went to the parking lot, intending to spend the night in their cars. They found several "like-minded" people there, and they smiled bitterly at each other, tacitly not revealing their true intentions.

Scene 3: "Performance Art" in the Rural Labor Experience Area The farm has opened up a large "Chinese Rural Labor Experience Area", such as rice planting, wheat harvesting, stone mill pushing, pig feeding, etc.

American tourists, especially children, found it fascinating.

They frolicked barefoot in the mud, trying to plant rice seedlings, but their attempts were crooked and clumsy, their faces covered in mud yet they laughed with immense joy.

They pushed the stone mill until they were breathless, but they were eager to show off the pitiful amount of cornmeal they had ground, thinking it was the coolest handmade experience.

Meanwhile, the second-generation Chinese who came here with the mentality of "conquering the dugouts" presented a peculiar "performance art" style.

Several girls dressed in Chanel suits and carrying Hermès bags stood on the edge of the paddy field, looking at the murky water and hesitating.

Ultimately, driven by the mentality of "since we're already here" and "we must shoot a stunning blockbuster," they took off their high heels, cautiously tested the muddy water with their toes, and immediately withdrew, their facial expressions almost completely out of control.

"Babies, look! This is the most primitive farming life. We're going down to experience it now!"

A girl, holding a gimbal stabilizer, was live-streaming while speaking in a sickeningly sweet voice. Then, with the help of her friend, she tiptoed into the field in an almost ballet-like manner, striking various "hard-working" poses, but in reality, she couldn't even successfully plant a single rice seedling.

The American children next to them looked at them with confused expressions.

Another boy paid a high price to hire a farm worker (a kind-hearted Texas man) to teach him how to push a stone mill.

He would push the camera twice and then stop to pose for photos, adjusting the angle and lighting, and he also asked the older man to cooperate by making it look like they were having a "friendly conversation".

The older man was very cooperative, grinning and praising him in Texas slang as "Strong fella!"

Although the two did not speak the same language, the scene had an eerie harmony.

Finally, he successfully ground out a small handful of flour, which he treasured and put into a sealed bag, claiming he would take it back as a souvenir.

Scene 4: The "Versailles" and "So Delicious" at the Bonfire Party

In the evening, the farm hosted a bonfire party, grilling famous Texas barbecue and serving ice-cold beer.

American tourists and most ordinary Chinese tourists quickly blended in with the atmosphere, dancing and singing around the bonfire, eating large chunks of meat, drinking heartily, and laughing and chatting all the while.

Meanwhile, the few "honorary residents of the dugouts" gathered in a relatively quiet corner and began their "Versailles"-style conversation.

"Sigh, I didn't sleep well at all last night. That dugout was just... worse than when my dad was sent to the countryside in northern Shaanxi."

"You bet! I almost drove back to Dallas to stay in a hotel late at night. But then I thought, I can't let this thousand dollars go to waste, I have to stick it out and stay until the end!"

"What's that compared to what you've been through? I got bitten by mosquitoes several times last night! This experience is absolutely unique."

"By the way, Uncle Wang's son, when he heard we were here too, called yesterday and said we were getting special treatment. Humph, he doesn't deserve to be here!"

As they were talking, the aroma of roasted meat wafted over. One of them swallowed hard.

"I must say, this barbecue smells pretty good..."

Finally, someone couldn't resist and got up to get a large plate of barbecue.

At first, the group maintained their composure, tasting the food in small bites. However, they eventually succumbed to the temptation and, disregarding their image, began to feast.

"Mmm! It smells delicious!"

"This beer is good too, it's ice cold!"

After a hearty meal, the warmth of the campfire and the joyful atmosphere seemed to melt away some of the barriers they had been trying to maintain.

Some people started swaying gently to the rhythm of the music, and some were even pulled up by enthusiastic American aunties and awkwardly started dancing. Although their movements were stiff, they had genuine smiles on their faces.

At that moment, they seemed to temporarily forget the sense of superiority of "one thousand US dollars" and the resentment of "suffering and tormenting," and simply enjoyed this moment of pleasure.

Scene 5: Yang Geyong's Confusion and Ye Yuze's Insight

Yang Geyong looked at the group of young people around the campfire, sometimes complaining and sometimes saying "it smells so good!" from afar, scratched his head, and said to Ye Yuze, "Yuze, I really don't understand these kids. What's the point of spending so much money to suffer like this?"

Ye Yuze took a sip of beer and smiled:

"Brother, you don't understand. What they're after isn't suffering, but the 'experience' itself, and the conversation topics and sense of superiority that come with it."

“Look, they complain about how hard it is to live in a dugout, but then they’ll show off on social media that they’ve lived there; they complain about how dirty and tiring farm work is, but the photos they take are always glamorous.”

“They need this kind of ‘different’ experience to prove that they have seen, conquered, or even ‘sympathized with and understood’ a certain ‘underclass’ or ‘history’ that they imagine.”

"This thousand dollars is for the psychological satisfaction it brings."

Yang Geyong seemed to understand but not quite: "Then... does this count as us tricking them?"

"A rip-off?" Ye Yuze raised an eyebrow. "We have clearly marked prices, and consumption is voluntary. We provide an 'authentic' experience (although with some added ingredients), and we also conduct 'bitterness education' and promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States (albeit a distorted version)."

"Sister, that's brilliant! It satisfies their weird desires, increases the farm's revenue, and subtly slaps those guys who only know how to talk a big game in the face. It's a win-win situation."

A few days later, the "honorary residents" began to leave. Although they complained that they would "never come again" and that "their bones were about to fall apart," their social media was filled with carefully edited photos and reflective captions.

"In a dugout in Texas, I had a dialogue with history, spent a sleepless night, and was filled with countless thoughts."

"Only by grinding corn by hand can one truly understand the hard work involved in producing even a single grain of rice. A tribute to the youth of our parents!"

"Break down barriers and prove with your strength that some experiences are not about price, but about courage and passion." (The accompanying picture shows the entrance to the dugout and a receipt for one thousand US dollars.)

Having garnered numerous likes and amazed comments, they returned contentedly to their comfortable and affluent daily lives.

Therefore, people have different needs and pursue different things, especially for their social class. For them, enduring hardship is also a kind of adventure, although it is purely out of boredom.

Americans and Europeans, on the other hand, have a completely different mindset; they truly experience life that way...

Meanwhile, the "Chinese rural style" and "sky-high price dugout" of the Texas farm have become increasingly legendary in certain circles as they "promote" them, attracting more curious or unconvinced people to "challenge" and "verify" them.