Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 577 News (Thank you for the donation)

The Forbidden City wasn't fully open to the public at that time, but it still broadened the horizons of several people. They shouted a few times from Tiananmen Square, visited the National Museum, paid homage to the great figures at the Memorial Hall, learned about modern history at the Military Museum, went boating at the Summer Palace, worshipped Buddha at the Reclining Buddha Temple in Fragrant Hills, and experienced the profound connection between heaven and earth at the Temple of Heaven.

Houhai, Prince Gong's Mansion, Wangfujing, Dongsi and Dongdan, Qianmen, turning alleys and climbing the Great Wall, Quanjude, Donglaishun, Chen Bianyifang, after four days, the group left their footprints and paw prints all over Beijing, but they were also exhausted.

"Comrade, we have news about your car purchase. Ferrari has an office in Hong Kong Island. You can contact them directly. The phone number is here. Would you like me to set up international calling for you?" The receptionist said to Xiaowei with a smile.

Xiao Wei asked, "Hong Kong Island? Do we have to buy it there?"

The staff member said, "We don't know the specific purchase process; you'll have to ask Ferrari. Do you need to set up a long-distance phone line?"

Xiao Wei took the phone number, glanced at it, and said, "No need. I have to go to Guangzhou in a few days. I'll contact you there. Thank you."

The staff member smiled and said, "You're welcome. It's my pleasure. Just call me anytime if you need anything." These days, people who can stay at a hotel in Beijing for several days are either foreigners, government officials, or genuinely wealthy individuals. The staff members know exactly who they are.

"The Tan Family Hall is closed to the public today. If you would like to dine there, you can go to the Western restaurant," the staff member told Xiaowei. "The banquet hall on the seventh floor is closed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

It has to be said that the service quality and the professionalism of the staff here are truly among the best in the country. These few words are quite comforting. To be honest, the attitude of state-owned service industries in the 90s was really disheartening; they were usually treated like true masters of their own destiny, spouting off about class struggle.

Gazi asked, "Why?" The staff member smiled but didn't say anything. Xiao Liu pulled Gazi toward the elevator and whispered, "A big leader is here. Don't ask questions."

There were many more people in black suits in the corridors upstairs and downstairs. This kind of outfit wouldn't be anything special in later generations, but in these days it was too conspicuous, not at all disguised. But it was very imposing.

They had originally planned to stroll around the yard, but they couldn't stand the constant, unwavering gazes on them, so they simply went back to their room and sat down on the sofa to talk.

After staying for a few days and having explored the capital city, Ga Zi has adapted and is no longer so reserved.

"Should we go to Tianjing or Beidaihe first?" Xiaowei asked Xiaohong and Xiaoliu while packing up the camera.

Xiao Liu turned to look at Xiao Hong, who was holding a map spread out on the coffee table. She said, "Tianjing is closer. Beidaihe is on the way back. Oh my god, if we go any further we'll reach Longcheng. Forget it, let's go to Tianjing to take care of business. We'll go to Beidaihe after we get back, and then we'll go home."

Xiao Wei said, "So that's Tianjing? Then it's Shanghai and Guangzhou. Should I take the train or a plane to Shanghai?"

Gazi said, "Let's take the train; airplanes are too scary."

Xiao Liu laughed, and Xiao Hong rolled her eyes at Gazi and said, "Then let's take the train. After that, we'll fly from Shanghai to Guangzhou, then fly from Guangzhou to Beidaihe on the way back, and finally take the train from Beidaihe back to Fengtian."

Xiao Liu said, "I think it's a good idea. This way it will be faster. We have a total of one month, and several days have already passed. If we take the train, all the time will be wasted on the tracks." Back then, the trains hadn't been upgraded, and it would take three or four days to travel.

Gazi scratched his head, swallowed, and said, "Then let's take a plane. It's not that I can't fly, it's just that I'm a little unsure."

Xiao Hong said, "I don't know if you ate five boxed lunches, and I don't know if you drank so many drinks." Xiao Wei and Xiao Liu laughed.

The next day, the four of them took a train to Tianjing.

Tianjing is a famous historical city, named after Emperor Yongle. It was founded in the second year of Yongle's reign and is one of the few cities in China with a clear record of its founding date.

Historically, Tianjing (Nanjing) served as the garrison town of Beijing and a vital strategic location in Zhili (present-day Hebei Province). In modern times, it also acted as a gateway for foreign colonial invasions. As one of the earliest treaty ports, Tianjing boasts numerous Western-style buildings. However, due to military needs, there were virtually no tall buildings in Tianjing during this era. The entire city appears somewhat dilapidated due to its antiquity.

In modern history, the capital of Hebei Province was initially Beiping, which is today's Beijing. Later, it was moved to Tianjing, and then from Tianjing to Baoding. Due to historical and geographical reasons, Tianjing has many exclaves. Six subdistricts and towns of Beijing and Tangshan are located within the jurisdiction of Tianjing, while Tianjing also has a subdistrict located in Shexian County of Hebei Province, more than 400 kilometers away from Tianjing, which is quite an interesting place.

Xiao Hong, holding Xiao Wei's hand, said, "Why do Beijing and Tianjing look so dilapidated? They're nothing like what I imagined. They're not even as good as Fengtian."

Xiao Wei said, "In fact, whether in history or in modern times, Fengtian is no worse than this place. Especially in modern times, industry, science and technology, and education all started in Fengtian. Do you think Fengtian is inferior? For hundreds of years during the Qing Dynasty, Fengtian and Beijing were always the two capitals, and it was also the country's heavy industry center after the founding of the People's Republic of China. How could it be inferior?"

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "I once heard a joke told by someone from Tianjing. It said that when foreigners came to bomb the city, their planes circled over Tianjing and the leader said, 'Haven't they bombed everything yet?' and then they went back."

Gazi was stunned, Xiaowei was savoring the moment, and Xiaohong burst into laughter while hugging Xiaowei's arm.

They went to the legendary Goubuli restaurant for a meal of steamed buns, and then the group stayed at the Tianjing Hotel. Xiao Hong took a map and looked for the Xiali factory.

"Liulu Road? Runyang Road? Zeyang Road? Jinjing Road? The road names in Tianjing are so strange, don't they make your mouths?" In northern cities, streets are usually located east-west and roads are located north-south. In Tianjing, there are no streets, but roads. Back then, the urban area of ​​Tianjing was not as large as it is now, and most of the area was still farmland.

"Goubuli isn't as delicious as people say. I think it's not as good as soup dumplings," Xiao Hongba said while looking at the map.

Xiao Liu said, "When you come to Tianjing, you have to eat jianbing guozi and mahua (fried dough twists). Goubuli is for foreigners."

Xiao Hong looked up and asked Xiao Liu, "How did you know?"

Xiao Liu said, "I've been to Tianjing. According to the locals, locals don't eat Goubuli. It's all tourists and foreigners who eat it."

Xiao Hong said, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Pay up, this meal is on you."

Xiao Liu laughed, and Gazi said, "Is it not tasty? I think it's quite delicious."

Xiao Hong glared at Ga Zi and said, "What's not tasty to you? Is there anything that doesn't taste good in your mouth?"

Gazi nodded with a smile: "As long as there's meat, it'll taste good."

Xiao Wei asked, "Did you find out?"

Xiao Hong said, "I found it. I'm looking for fun places to go."

Xiao Liu said, "Nanjing used to have many concessions. It was occupied several times in history. It had the most concessions in the country. It's nice to see Western sights, but there's not much else to do. Does the Grand Canal count? It's the southern canal and the northern canal."

Xiao Hong said, "A place so famous in history can't be as simple as you make it out to be."

(End of this chapter)