I was approached by a cat-eared girl.

"Oh...would there be debt collectors?"

"How would I know? Even if it were true, they wouldn't tell you they were there to collect debts."

"That's true."

Bai Xiaoqi is fine for now.

After getting the tickets, Chen Shuo pulled her to sit down on a chair over there, opened his backpack to check what he was carrying. Flying is more strict; there are limits on the amount of liquids you can carry, such as drinks or water. If you exceed those limits, you have to check them in.

Or you could learn from Niu Geng in "Lost in Thailand," the character Little Miao mentioned earlier. He downed a whole tub of milk in one go.

"You didn't have much water in your bag, did you?"

"I didn't bring any water."

Bai Xiaoqi leaned close to Chen Shuo's ear and whispered mysteriously, "I searched online and found that there are free drinks on the plane, you can drink as much as you want."

"It's time for your favorite part: getting something for free, isn't it?"

"This isn't freebies. They provide this service, so it's only right that we enjoy it, especially since there are free snacks too."

The two whispered to each other in the waiting hall. Their flight was at 4 p.m., and they had to check in and board 45 minutes early.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, the boarding announcement came. After checking their tickets, the two finally took their boarding passes and followed the crowd to board the plane.

The two carried very little luggage, just two backpacks, and didn't need to check it in.

Looking through the huge transparent glass at the airport outside, Bai Xiaoqi excitedly asked like a fool, "Which of these planes is ours?"

"None of them."

He bought an economy class plane ticket and then asked which plane was his own; he's just dreaming.

Finding his seat according to his boarding pass, Chen Shuo took her phone and put both of them into airplane mode. Bai Xiaoqi looked around at him, sometimes leaning against the window, sometimes shaking Chen Shuo's arm to make him look too.

"It's flying! It's flying!"

She shook Chen Shuo's arm vigorously, suppressing her excitement, drawing stares from the surrounding passengers.

"I know, stop shaking me." Chen Shuo looked helpless, somewhat regretting bringing this country bumpkin out with him; his arm was about to fall apart.

Once the plane reached an altitude of 10,000 meters, the flight gradually became more stable. Bai Xiaoqi stopped clinging to Chen Shuo's arm and shaking it vigorously, and instead leaned out the window to look at the white clouds outside.

The sky is so high, the clouds are so white.

I've made something of myself; I'm even on a plane now.

After a while, the flight attendant came over with a trolley. Chen Shuo ordered two Cokes, handed one to her, and said, "Here, drink it quickly."

"Oh."

Bai Xiaoqi took the cup, took a small sip, and continued to peer out the porthole at the blue sky and white clouds.

This time, her initial excitement gradually faded after a short while. The white clouds outside the porthole were all the same, and after a while, she even got a little bored. She sat up straight and turned her head to look. Chen Shuo next to her had already closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.

She disliked this guy, saying he did nothing but sleep all day, almost like that lazy cat Walnut, unlike herself, who was always full of energy.

Hmm, I wonder how the walnuts are doing.

There are also the little flowers I grow on the rooftop.

Looking at the time, it was only 4:30, and there was still more than an hour to go. There was no way she could sleep. She pulled Chen Shuo's big hand over and played with it, pinching here and there.

Chen Shuo opened his eyes and looked at her, "Have you seen enough of the scenery?"

"You're not asleep?"

"Closing your eyes doesn't necessarily mean you're sleeping; you could be doing something else, like resting or thinking about something."

"It's also possible that they're thinking about something inappropriate."

"Only those who are bitter inside will think that others are thinking bitter things."

"You're the one..." Bai Xiaoqi was about to retort when Chen Shuo interrupted her, "Don't be in such a hurry to refute me, have you heard that story?"

"Which one?"

"It's the story of Su Dongpo and Foyin."

Chen Shuo grabbed her small hand and gently kneaded it in his palm, recounting: "One day, these two were meditating together. Foyin said that Su Dongpo looked like a Buddha when he meditated. Su Dongpo jokingly said that he looked like a pile of dung when he meditated. Foyin just smiled slightly and did not refute him."

Su Dongpo, thinking he had gotten the better deal, went home smugly. Later, he told his sister about it. His sister said, "The Buddhists say that all that we see and think arises from our own minds. Foyin has Buddha in his heart, so he sees you as Buddha. You said Foyin looks like a pile of excrement, so what's in your heart? This is what it means to see one's appearance as a reflection of one's mind. Do you understand?"

“…”

Bai Xiaoqi frowned as she looked at him, and after a moment asked, "Did you make this up?"

"How could that be? This is a widely circulated story."

"What is the relationship between Su Dongpo and Dongpo pork?"

"He invented Dongpo pork."

"That's amazing?"

Chen Shuo felt that her eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. It was clear that this girl really loved Dongpo pork; she had absolutely no resistance to this kind of sweet dish.

"Yes, he's impressive, isn't he? But his literary talent is even more remarkable. I even had you learn his poems, like that one called 'Prelude to Water Melody,' do you remember it?"

When will the moon be clear and bright?

"Yes, yes, that's it. Keep memorizing it and let's see if you can memorize it."

The man in the seat in front of me looked back, a little confused. He had flown many times and seen many couples, but this was the first time he had ever seen a girlfriend reciting poetry on a plane.

Is this guy a teacher? He seems to be really into it.

Chapter 253 The Country Bumpkin Enters the City

As the sun began to set, the plane landed smoothly. On the arrival floor, a large crowd poured out. The two of them, carrying bags, followed the crowd out. Bai Xiaoqi became excited again, holding Chen Shuo's hand as she looked around.

As I walked out of the airport, it was nearing dusk, the sky was getting a little dark, and the streetlights hadn't come on yet.

She looked back and saw that the airport was huge and strangely shaped, like a star.

"We arrived so quickly?"

“Yes.” Chen Shuo responded, looked around, and pulled her over there. “Come on, let’s go over there and take a car to the hotel first. We can go out and play again tomorrow.”

I booked a budget hotel near Chongwenmen on the Third Ring Road. Many of Beijing's attractions are concentrated around the Second Ring Road, and the Third Ring Road is right next to the Second Ring Road, making it relatively convenient for sightseeing. Plus, the hotel price wasn't too expensive.

The distance from the airport to there is about 40 kilometers. They first took a bus, then transferred to the subway, and finally arrived at the hotel around 8 p.m.

After getting the room key at the front desk, Bai Xiaoqi took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked through the doors. Seeing Chen Shuo stop, she looked up at the room number on the door and asked, "Is this the room?"

"Yes, this is the one. Are you tired?" Chen Shuo patted her head. Flying was fine, but the frequent transfers and changes afterward were boring and quite exhausting.

"If you're tired, let's go inside and rest for a while, and then come out to eat later."

"I'm not tired. Let's put our bags inside and then go out to eat."

Are you hungry?

"Yes, a little."

After putting their backpacks full of luggage into the room, the two of them came out of the hotel again to have dinner.

As dusk settled, the number of cars on the road did not decrease at all, and pedestrians thronged the streets. The neon lights of the high-rise buildings were flashing, and many ancient buildings could be seen. Even the restaurants along the roadside were in the style of ancient architecture, with double eaves and hipped roofs. The blend of modern and classical styles did not feel out of place at all.

Is this the capital city?

Bai Xiaoqi looked around and sighed.

"Where else could it be but the capital?"

Chen Shuo looked around and was quite impressed. As expected of the capital city, right under the emperor's nose, this was a truly great city.

Ah Miao, the country bumpkin, has come to the city.

"In comparison, our Yangcheng has suddenly become a small place." He shook his head and sighed. Yangcheng was once a capital city and was once prosperous, but now it has become such a pathetic place, an eighteenth-tier city.

"I think Yangcheng is pretty good too."

"Yes, at least the housing prices are cheaper. In Beijing, for example, there are properties that cost 70,000 to 80,000 yuan per square meter, or even more than 100,000 yuan per square meter."

"Over ten thousand?"

Bai Xiaoqi looked shocked, counting on her fingers. A hundred square meters would cost more than ten million. If it were their apartment here, it would cost more than twenty million. How terrifying.

"If we lived here, we might never be able to afford a house in our entire lives."

"Be confident, drop the possibility. Let's not even talk about a lifetime, we couldn't afford it even in eight lifetimes. Let's go, let's find a place to eat."

Without a doubt, the most famous delicacy in Beijing is Peking duck.

When Chen Shuo shared this idea with her, Bai Xiaoqi readily agreed. Roast duck is great, we have to try it.

The two are currently located on Xingfu Street in Chongwenmen. A quick online search reveals that there is a Bianyifang roast duck restaurant nearby, which is said to be an old brand from the Ming Dynasty. It is said to be the originator of the oven-roasted duck technique, unlike Depeng, which uses a hanging oven.

Following the navigation, I walked for about a hundred meters and then saw the shop. It was very eye-catching, a large building with an antique feel, and the signboard was lit up.

Bai Xiaoqi looked up at the shop sign and clearly liked the name, praising it repeatedly, "This is good, this is good, Bianyifang, it must be very cheap."

"This is called Bianyifang. It's Bianyifang, not Bianyifang. It's the Bianyifang of convenience."

"Oh... if it's not cheap, then it must be very expensive, right?" Bai Xiaoqi looked around. This restaurant was so big, and there was a sign at the entrance that said something like "Eight Hundred Years of Ancient Capital, Six Hundred Years of Oven-Roasted Duck".

In short, it looks very high-end. Besides, if housing prices are this terrible, then eating a meal must be terrible too.

"How expensive can it be? We can't afford a house in Beijing, but we can afford Peking duck, right? Besides, I've eaten it before when I came to Beijing, so I know the prices. It's not as expensive as I imagined."

"You've been to the capital before?" Bai Xiaoqi had always thought they were two country bumpkins coming to the city, but she didn't expect that this guy had actually been here before.

It turns out I'm the only country bumpkin out there.

“I’ve been here several times. I came with my parents when I was a child, and I also came with some classmates when I was in college.”

Chen Shuo pulled her inside. The storefront looked grand, but the interior decoration was rather ordinary. The two chose a clean corner to sit down, picked through the menu, and finally ordered a set meal, which included a roast duck, several specialty dishes, Kung Pao chicken, boiled duck, and duck meatballs.

The total price is 398 yuan. In Yangcheng, it would be outrageously expensive and would have to be reported to the price bureau. But in Beijing, this price is acceptable, and even feels quite worthwhile, at least cheaper than the Depengquan store next door.

Back when Chen Shuo and his classmates visited Beijing, they ate Peking duck at Debangquan Restaurant. It cost over a thousand yuan for the four of them.

First came the sweet bean sauce, duck pancakes, and side dishes like shredded scallions and cucumber. Then the chef pushed over a small cart and started slicing the duck for them. Bai Xiaoqi felt that the duck slices were... well, a bit...

Anyway, they only sliced ​​off a small amount of duck meat from the surface. There's still a lot of meat on the duck bones. Such a big duck only yielded two plates of meat. Who can eat that?