Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 316 Phoenix City (Jasonn+)

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "You two college students and one high school student are here testing me, who didn't even finish junior high school? Is that funny?"

Xiao Hong said, "You said you didn't know, so hurry up and tell me."

Xiao Wei said, "When Japan invaded Asia, the Koreans fled to Shanghai and established a government-in-exile. Chiang Kai-shek recognized them and continued to support them, helping to establish the Restoration Army. There's still a former headquarters of the Korean Provisional Government in Chongqing, in the Yuzhong District. Later, with the support of Chiang Kai-shek and the Americans, the Restoration Army returned to restore Korea."

Xiao Hong said, "Wait a minute, this is South Korea, so where's North Korea?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "The Americans and Chiang Kai-shek supported South Korea. We saw that things couldn't go on like this, so we joined the Soviet Union to help Kim Jong-un rise up and return to restore his country. Kim Jong-un was actually a member of our Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army and a Communist Party member. That's how Japan became two countries before its surrender, with the 38th parallel as the boundary. This boundary was agreed upon by the Americans and the Soviet Union."

Xiao Hong nodded and said, "I was wondering how the 38th parallel came about. So it makes sense that the Korean War fought all the way to the 38th parallel."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Yes, if we fought any further, it wouldn't be self-defense but aggression. In fact, we've already crossed the line, but the 38th parallel is an internationally recognized border, so we can only retreat."

Chen Hui said, "I heard a joke: An old man was traveling in South Korea. When his passport was checked, he was slow, and the passport officer looked down on Chinese people, mocking him, saying, 'Have you Chinese never been abroad? You don't know anything.' The old man said, 'No one has ever checked my passport when I came to Seoul before.' The passport officer then asked, 'When did you come from?' The old man replied, 'I came in 1953 in a tank, and your people were standing on the roadside waving little flags to welcome me.'"

Everyone in the car burst into laughter. Chen Xiao said, "Xiao Wei knows so much, he's amazing."

Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Wei with a hint of smugness. Xiao Wei smiled wryly and said, "I'm with you guys every day. You're either college students or high school students. I have to study more. Besides, my wife is a college student. I can't let her down in the future."

Xiao Hong's eyes narrowed with laughter, her face flushed pink. She reached out and touched Xiao Wei's face, saying, "It's not shameful at all, it's so inspiring!"

Chen Hui said, "How about we go to South Korea sometime and take a trip to Seoul?"

Xiao Wei glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "No way. I'm not going to South Korea or Japan, and I'm not going to Southeast Asia either. If I really have to go abroad, I'll go to Europe and America. After all, they're the center of the world, more advanced than us. Going there is like scouting enemy positions. What's the point of going to South Korea and Japan? Just to give them money? Wouldn't that make me an idiot? Knowing they look down on you and still shamelessly giving them money, what kind of spirit is that?"

Chen Xiao said, "It's the proletariat's fearless, patriotic, and foolish spirit, isn't it?" He glared at Chen Hui, who said, "I was just saying it offhand, why are you glaring and cursing at me like that?"

Chen Xiao said, "If we go to South Korea, we'll strangle them; if we go to Japan, we'll cut off their penises."

Xiao Hong suddenly collapsed onto the car seat, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. Chen Xiao's face turned red as she finished speaking, and she unleashed a flurry of bone-claw attacks on Chen Hui. Chen Hui resisted but was afraid of hurting her, so he endured it with gritted teeth.

After passing through the city center of Beixi, we officially entered the mountainous area. The road was all bends, big bends, small bends, slanted bends, elbow bends, and right-angle bends. Before long, Chen Xiao and Xiao Hong stopped laughing and leaned back in their seats to catch their breath.

Leaving Beixi, passing Nanfen, Xiamatang, Caohekou, Tongyuanbao, and Liujiahe, you arrive at Fenghuangcheng. All the place names along this route are from the Tang Dynasty's expedition against Goguryeo. Nanfen is because a princess died here and was buried in Xishan. Xiamatang is because the Tang emperor's saddle was bitten off by a grasshopper and the entire army dismounted here. Caohekou is because the naval ships could reach as far as this place from the sea. Tongyuanbao was a fortress built at that time. Then comes Fenghuangcheng. There is a scenic spot on Fenghuang Mountain called Arrow Eye Peak, which is said to have been shot by the Tang general Guo Ziyi with an arrow.

The car stopped in Phoenix City, and Han San got out and said, "Are you hungry? Let's eat here before we go. The mountains ahead are even bigger, and it will take us a while to get around them."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Okay, let's eat. Where and what do we want to eat?"

Han San said, "I'll take you to try the local specialties, like the skinless pork."

Xiao Wei asked, "What does 'skinned pork' mean?"

Han San said, "The people here don't shave the pigs when they slaughter them; they skin them. They peel off the whole skin, leaving no meat. Isn't that just skinned pig?"

Xiao Hong asked, "What good food is available here?"

Han San scratched his head and said, "It's delicious! The food here in Phoenix City includes (rice cakes), silkworm pupae, pork stew, chestnuts, and what else? Open-faced dumplings, and the pig's trotters here are really good." (rice cakes are a single character, pronounced "cha".)

Chen Xiao poked his head out and asked, "Third Brother, is Phoenix Mountain easy to climb?"

Han San paused for a moment and said, "Why climb it? It's so tiring. The slope is all straight, you know? You can't turn back halfway. If you want to go up, you have to keep climbing all the way up. I climbed it once, and I never want to go up it again in my life. It costs ten yuan to drink water at the top. It's all carried up by people."

Chen Xiao blinked for a long time with his mouth open, then shrank back and remained silent.

Chen Hui said, "Is the Third Brother as scary as you described?"

Han San said, "I'm telling the truth. There's a section in the middle that's completely straight. A person's feet are right up to the face of the person behind them. You can only pass one person at a time. How are you supposed to get down there? At Tiger's Mouth, there's a rock that's suspended in mid-air on all sides. You have to step on it and jump over it. It's dizzying just looking at it. But the view from the top is pretty good. It's nice for taking pictures. It's most interesting when it's raining. The mountain peak is right above the rain, and you can see it raining heavily below."

Chen Hui turned to Chen Xiao and asked, "Honey, are we still going hiking?"

Chen Xiao: "Get lost."

Han San said, "When you come back, you can go and have a look around. You don't have to climb the mountain, you can just play around down there. There are temples and stuff down there."

Chen Xiao asked, "Can you watch for a little while?"

Han San looked up into the distance and thought for a moment before saying, "I can't remember exactly, but we'll be walking downhill from here and we'll be able to see uphill."

Chen Xiao asked, "If it was so tiring, why did you still go climbing?"

Han San said, "A man's job is to conquer. Climbing up and down that path, I didn't even need to hold onto the chain when I crossed the old ox's back. It felt so exhilarating, really, I'm not kidding you. The terrain here is really treacherous, and everything looks quite scary, but once you get through it, it feels amazing. I remember the Koreans had some kind of city here. The Tang Dynasty was powerful, right? They fought for so many years but couldn't conquer it, precisely because this place is so dangerous, with only one path leading up and down. You guys are young, you can climb it."

Xiao Wei said, "Third Brother, don't listen to their nonsense. Chen Xiao is already more than four months pregnant."

Han San shook his head and said, "That's terrible! You absolutely mustn't go up there. That's like risking your life, and you'll lose two lives. Just stay at the foot of the mountain and wander around. Get in the car, let's go eat." He turned and went back to the truck.

At this time, there were no tall buildings in Phoenix City; it was all ancient-style architecture. Historically, this was the capital of the Protectorate and an important town, so it was well-built.

In the old town, on the old streets, in the old houses, two cars were parked on the side of the road. We found a restaurant that served pork stew and went inside.

(End of this chapter)