Yesterday, Wang Fangfang was excited, and Zhou You was too.
The next morning, they woke up and couldn't resist another round of practice.
They initially planned to stay in the capital for two to three days, checking out what fun things and good food there were.
With a different mindset, the way you see things changes. Before, when rushing on business trips to the capital, even wanting to go out and have fun felt tight and rushed, with no leisurely vacation vibe at all.
Now, it didn't matter. No one was chasing them, no one was hurrying them—everything was up to them.
First, they went to the Forbidden City.
Also known as the Purple Forbidden City, it is the most complete and largest ancient wooden structure complex in China and the world, hailed as the "Number One of the World's Five Great Palaces." The inner court centers on the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Hall, and Kunning Palace—the three rear palaces—along with the six eastern and six western palaces on either side, which were the residences of feudal emperors and their consorts, commonly called the "Three Palaces and Six Courtyards." The Forbidden City houses a vast collection of precious artifacts, with millions of pieces, accounting for one-sixth of the nation's total cultural relics.
They toured the Forbidden City from south to north, with the Meridian Gate as the only entrance and the East Glorious Gate and Divine Might Gate as exits. There weren't many tourists yet, since most people were still at work.
At the Forbidden City, Zhou You thought of Puyi and the movie *The Last Emperor*.
He recalled the scene where Puyi, in his later years, pulled a cricket jar from behind the dragon throne. He wondered what Puyi was thinking at that moment—maybe reflecting on his own life, full of ups and downs.
From birth, his fate was never his own; every choice was made for him by others. If he hadn't been emperor, his life might have been completely different—perhaps he could have been a carefree rich man, roaming the world, not wasting his time on earth.
But how many people can truly control their own destiny? Most are like a drop of water, colliding with others in the river of fate, occasionally splashing a wave, only to vanish in an instant.
Wang Fangfang saw Zhou You looking down and took his hand. "Are you tired lately? If not, let's go back."
Zhou You pinched her cheek and looked at her with affection.
"I'm not tired, just a bit emotional. I feel lucky to be able to fulfill my ideals and live according to my own will, at least for now."
"Look at this Forbidden City—how many emperors lived here, how many high officials came through. Yet how many of them ended well? How many were truly happy? They were all swept along by the tide of the times, stumbling forward."
Wang Fangfang's eyes widened, her face full of smiles. "A college professor is really different. Even though I don't understand what you're saying, I think it's impressive. You're awesome, bro!"
"You know best whether I'm awesome or not."
Looking at the lively, radiant Wang Fangfang,
He realized that taking care of his health was urgent. There were still many years ahead, and without a good body, who would save them?
For lunch, they had Beijing roast duck. They went to Quanjude first—no matter what its reputation would be later, he'd never been there in this life. If it wasn't good, they could just switch to another place.
Everything was pre-ordered, so it came as soon as they arrived. They also ordered a few side dishes, and the duck was sliced fresh at the table.
Each slice was golden, shiny, dry, and crispy. To eat, you spread sweet bean sauce on a mint leaf pancake, add sliced scallions, lay on the duck slices, and roll it into a cylinder. One bite, and the crisp, tender, and savory flavors burst in your mouth.
Whether it was hunger or a placebo effect, it was actually pretty tasty.
Roast duck is famous partly because of its association with the capital.
Another reason is that in the past, when resources were scarce, who wouldn't love something so rich in oil?
If you ate it every day, you'd be sick of it in less than half a month.
So, no matter how good something is, you have to be moderate. Otherwise, once you've had your fill or played enough, that enjoyment is gone, and finding a new hobby becomes harder.
"You're not a true man until you've climbed the Great Wall; counting the journey, it's twenty thousand li."
After his knee injury, mountain climbing was basically off-limits for Zhou You.
Now, jumping two meters high, the Great Wall was no big deal.
Tired, really tired.
His energy had been lacking lately.
On the way down, Zhou You had people carry him down, which counted as stimulating the economy.
Wang Fangfang was too embarrassed to sit and walked alongside him. Luckily, there weren't many people, or she'd be too ashamed to show her face.
Zhou You didn't care—his body was his own, and he couldn't wear it out.
Building this Great Wall among the rugged mountains must have involved countless blood and tears, almost every step burying bones. Add in the deaths during wars, and it might not be much less than a mass grave.
It was only because of the many tourists and the lively atmosphere that it didn't feel oppressive.
In the evening, they went to Wangfujing.
Wang Fangfang was completely excited—what girl doesn't love shopping?
Even though it's similar everywhere in the country, it didn't matter; the point was just to stroll around.
Beijing candied hawthorns, zhajiangmian, lǘdagunr, pea cakes—they bought a bit of each snack, just to try them. How much could they really eat? To have more, they only took a small taste of anything that didn't suit their palate.
Over the next two days, they also visited the Temple of Heaven, the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace, and Houhai, with its small alleys and courtyard houses.
Zhou You originally wanted to buy a courtyard house, but after asking around, he found the cheapest ones were tens of millions. He could afford it, but if he didn't live there long-term and added renovation costs, his liquid assets would probably be gone.
After thinking it over, it didn't seem worth it. There were many great things in the world, and seeing something good and rare made him want to buy it, but his resources were limited. He had to control his desires.
Besides, buying a house for appreciation wasn't as good as his other investments, and it had poor liquidity.
Finally, they went to the Temple of Earth, which Zhou You deliberately saved for last.
He knew about the Temple of Earth because of Shi Tiesheng.
Shi Tiesheng's life was full of hardships, but he was also very resilient. Reading his books was like reading a story of life's suffering, yet with a glimmer of hope within that suffering.
Back then, Zhou You had read many of Shi Tiesheng's books, and the words and emotions were very sincere.
They moved people with honesty.
His favorite was *Fragments of Illness*, which was full of reflections and hope he gave himself.
In those low points, Zhou You drew strength from Shi Tiesheng's words.
To use Shi Tiesheng's own words: He would rather be an ordinary person with a healthy body. Though outsiders saw him as a symbol of inspiration and a celebrity, how many truly envied him?
When sick, everyone fantasizes about being healthy and misses the days when they were well.
With his own health intact, what more could Zhou You be dissatisfied with?
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