Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

"Next stop, Shanghai Station. Passengers getting off, hurry up and don't leave your luggage behind."

"Beer, liquor, soft drinks, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, ham sausages, come on, tuck your legs in."

The train vendor's drawn-out calls echoed through the carriage; it's normal to be hawking your wares at this hour. Going to bed early and waking up early is still quite normal in this day and age.

Li Feng sat up from his bunk. He slept on the lower bunk, while Liu Guangtian, on the opposite bunk, was still sprawled out, snoring loudly. Liu Guangfu, on the upper bunk, was awake and peering down from the edge of his bed.

"Section Chief Li, have we arrived?" Liu Guangfu asked in a low voice, his eyes sparkling.

"Almost there." Li Feng glanced at his watch; it was a little past five.

He kicked the bunk opposite him, "Liu Guangtian, wake up."

Liu Guangtian grunted, turned over, hugged his pillow, and continued to sleep. Li Feng kicked him again with more force.

"Ouch!" Liu Guangtian was now truly awake. He sat up abruptly, looking around groggily. "Have we...arrived at the station?"

"Hurry up and pack." Li Feng had already stood up. "We should be getting into the station in ten minutes."

Liu Guangtian was fully awake and hurriedly climbed down from his bunk. Liu Guangfu also slid down. It was the first time for both of them to ride in a sleeper car, and they had been enjoying the journey immensely. Now that they were getting off the train, they were a little reluctant to leave.

"This bed is so soft," Liu Guangtian muttered as he stuffed things into his bag, "It's even more comfortable than the kang (heated brick bed) at home."

"Of course," Liu Guangfu replied, "I slept soundly until dawn last night, without even turning over."

Li Feng listened to their murmurs. He bought sleeper tickets so that they could have some peace and quiet on the way and be well-rested so that they would be in the energy to study when they arrived at their destination. Money was not a problem for him.

The train gave a long whistle and slowly came to a stop.

The three of them got off the bus with their luggage. A wave of heat hit them. It was only a little past five o'clock in the morning in Shanghai at the end of July, but the sweltering heat was already there.

"Wow!" Liu Guangfu exclaimed as soon as he got out of the car, "It's so hot!"

Liu Guangtian wiped the sweat from his forehead: "It's much hotter here than in Beijing."

The platform was brightly lit and bustling with people.

The three followed the crowd out. Liu Guangfu's eyes couldn't take it all in; he looked left and right, up and down, realizing that every building was something special. (From: The Girl Across the Way)

The Shanghai train station is huge, with a very high ceiling and pillars so thick that it takes two people to hug them. The floor is terrazzo, polished to a shine so bright you can see your reflection.

Stepping out of the ticket gate, the view suddenly opened up before them. Liu Guangfu tugged at his brother's sleeve, his voice low, "Brother, look... why is this building so tall?"

He was pointing in the direction of several buildings across the square, each over thirty stories high, with granite facades and arched windows, looking quite impressive.

Liu Guangtian was actually shocked, but as the older brother, he had to save face. He cleared his throat and put on an air of being knowledgeable: "You don't understand, do you? Shanghai has been a trading port for a long time. It was probably built when the foreigners came. It just looks fancy."

"Oh," Liu Guangfu nodded, seemingly understanding, his eyes still fixed on the buildings. "Then... then why are the buildings in Beijing, the capital, not as tall as these?"

"This..." Liu Guangtian stammered, having no idea why. He forced a guess and made something up, "It's the capital, after all, it's all about solemnity and grandeur! Don't you understand? Why build such tall buildings? It's impractical!"

Li Feng, who was walking in front, turned around and slapped Liu Guangtian on the back of the head. It wasn't hard, but it was quite loud.

"Don't spout nonsense if you don't understand." Li Feng glared at him. "If you were to pretend to know everything when you were studying, believe me, I'll go to the ticket office right now, buy you both standing tickets, and stuff you back into Beijing, making you stand all the way back."

Liu Guangtian covered the back of his head, his face flushed with embarrassment: "I was wrong, Section Chief Li, I won't do it again..."

Liu Guangfu shrank back in fright and muttered softly, "Section Chief Li, could you please explain? Why does Shanghai look... look so different?"

Li Feng glanced at them and continued walking forward. "Want to know why?"

Seeing that the two brothers were listening intently, he continued, "There are many intricacies to the development of Shanghai. Geographical location, historical opportunities, policy support, industrial base, and even some strategic considerations. This time, you're not just here to learn how to operate a sewing machine and how to cut fabric, but also how to analyze a city's development trajectory so you can identify styles more suitable for the local market."

These words were rather profound, and the Liu brothers only half understood them.

Li Feng didn't expect them to fully understand, and continued, "To give a simple example, Shanghai is located near the mouth of the Yangtze River, making waterway transportation convenient, which is a natural advantage. In the early years, foreigners opened ports here, built docks and factories, laying the foundation. After liberation, the country needed to develop and had to select key areas. Shanghai had the foundation, a port, and skilled workers, so it naturally became one of the key cities for development."

"Then... what about Beijing?" Liu Guangtian couldn't help but ask.

Li Feng glanced at him: "Beijing is the capital, the political center. The development priorities are different, and," he lowered his voice.

"Some things can't be judged by appearances alone. The importance of Beijing isn't about how tall the buildings are or how wide the streets are. You don't need to know the reasons behind this yet, but you should keep it in mind."

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu exchanged a glance, both sensing a hidden meaning in Section Chief Li's words, though they couldn't quite grasp it. However, they remembered the words "keep it in mind."

Actually, Li Feng didn't explain everything clearly.

Shanghai in 1965 was indeed more prosperous than Beijing, at least in terms of its stronger commercial atmosphere, more skyscrapers, and busier streets. But there were complex reasons behind this: historical legacy, the strategy of developing coastal cities first, and even some considerations of the international situation.

However, Beijing, as the capital, served a different function. Being a political and military command center were not things that could be openly flaunted.

Some important factories and research units are completely hidden from outsiders; these are the real trump cards that cannot be easily revealed.

More broadly, the current global situation is turbulent. China's performance in crushing the world's coalition forces during the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was too conspicuous and did not conform to our country's philosophy of low-key development. It is best to keep a low profile and not attract attention, otherwise the US will find fault again.

But Li Feng couldn't explain these things too clearly to the Liu brothers, as they weren't at a high enough level.