Chapter 146

Chen Meilan needed to go home, and as she went upstairs, she ran into Yuanyuan, Little Wang, John, and the others.The children were planning to go out to play and were waiting for Little Lang. It was perfect timing to meet up.

Little Lang had just, in a sense, met his birth mother for the first time. Chen Meilan was worried that the child might be hurt by Zhou Xueqin's erratic behavior - after all, a birth mother represents a child's face to the world.

She rushed after them, wanting to comfort the child, but as soon as she met the group of children, she saw Little Lang lifting his head, chattering away to his brother: "When I was little, Zhou Xueqin kicked me, and you pulled me out of the snow, right?"

Little Wang pinched his little brother's cheek but didn't say anything.

He and their father once had to feed Little Lang rice and flour porridge because they couldn't afford milk powder. The neighbors all said Little Lang wouldn't survive to grow up, but now he had not only grown up but was strong and tanned, with a face like an African's.

Little Wang didn't like talking about the past, especially in front of John, so he said: "Let's not talk about this. Come on, let's take our friend out to play."

Everyone cares about saving face.

As the children were heading out, Chen Meilan called after them: "Be careful outside, especially with cars. Yan Wangqi, I know you understand even without me saying it."

Little Wang certainly understood. Chen Meilan was worried that the loan sharks might try to take revenge on them.

"Don't worry, we won't go far. We're just taking John to see our Army Memorial Hall," Little Wang said.

Boys of fifteen or sixteen are at the age when they love to worry about national affairs, always engaged in grand discussions about big principles.

And John, unlike Jim, had his own understanding and views of China's wartime history. He immediately told Little Wang that the Nationalist Army was more admirable than the Communist Party because they won the anti-Japanese war with American help, and went on about how the Nationalist Army fought with American support while the Communist Party preserved their strength in the rear, which was why they eventually managed to drive out the Nationalist Army.

Little Wang was older now and didn't argue, but facts speak louder than words. Besides visiting the memorial hall, he had planned to spend his own money this holiday to take John to see the tunnel warfare sites, and they had even arranged to go to Guizhou, Sichuan, and Gansu to retrace the Long March route and see the Dadu River Bridge.

He had plenty of money and was treating, determined to show John the difficult journey their revolutionary ancestors had taken.

Waving goodbye, the children left.

As for Zhou Xueqin, Chen Meilan was in a difficult position. If they drove her away from the milk powder factory, the loan sharks and Lu Jingyu would immediately come after her. People die for wealth as birds die for food - who would willingly let go of millions?

But if they didn't drive her out, she showed no self-awareness and would continue harassing Little Lang. What then?

Although Yan Peiheng and Yan Zhao's background was strong enough that the loan sharks wouldn't dare touch Little Lang and Little Wang easily.

But there are always bigger fish in the sea - those who dared to run loan shark operations in the capital must have powerful backing.

And as Yan Zhao said, car accidents weren't criminal cases anymore. Even if the other party eventually backed down because of Yan Zhao's background, what if they sought private revenge? Hadn't Lu Dabao been hit by a car before?

This was the capital now, not like Xiping City where all the patrol officers knew Little Lang and Little Wang and would keep an eye out for them. The capital was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and the 1990s were the most chaotic times.

How could Chen Meilan not worry?

Opening the door to their home, it was quiet but harmonious inside.

Qi Songlu had bought some prepared dishes downstairs and was steaming rice and cooking.

Yan Peiheng had deliberately left work early today and was in the bedroom watching his little granddaughter sleep.

The other little girl who looked like Yan Xing - when she was awake, Yan Peiheng wouldn't deliberately play with her, but when the child was asleep, he loved to quietly watch her like this.

Chen Meilan still had to work overtime at the milk powder factory after dinner.

Even though she wore flat shoes, after sitting all day, her varicose veins made her feet swell, and they hurt when she took off her shoes.

Smelling the white fungus and lotus seed soup from the kitchen, she went in and saw the thick soup, ready to drink it straight away.

"Boss, leave some for our dad, don't drink it all," Qi Songlu said.

Chen Meilan pursed her lips: "My, you're calling him 'our dad' so intimately now, you've adapted to your daughter-in-law role quite quickly."

"He's not bad, and he's fair to the children too. Without him, how could I afford a house in the capital? I've been to see it - three bedrooms, two living rooms. The building is old, but there's an elementary school right downstairs. It's a pity Yan Wei's household registration was transferred out and can't be transferred back. We probably won't be able to use it until Bei Bei goes to university," Qi Songlu said with a smile.

"You never thought that I bought that house?" Chen Meilan said rather indignantly.

Qi Songlu smiled: "That's why Yan Wei is especially grateful to you. Would an ordinary person, even with the old man's word, buy such a big place inside the Third Ring Road instead of buying in the suburbs or a farmhouse?"

Better than Chen Meilan, Yan Wei's family now had a house inside the Third Ring Road, not far from where you could see the Forbidden City.

Qi Songlu had gone to see the house today and felt very satisfied.

Chen Meilan poured herself a small bowl of lotus seed soup, thinking to herself that it was better to keep her contributions quiet as long as the family was harmonious.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, saying someone downstairs was looking for her.

Chen Meilan saw the person wearing a police uniform and her scalp tingled, thinking that Yan Xishan, who had just arrived in the capital, hadn't behaved himself and had gone out to visit prostitutes and cause trouble again. She wiped her mouth and went downstairs.

She had been running around all day, her hair disheveled.

Downstairs, because Yan Zhao had his back turned and was wearing almost exactly the same clothes as Yan Xishan, though Yan Zhao was more robust, but wrapped in a woolen coat, she really mistook him, and stepped forward asking angrily: "Yan Xishan, when will you ever stop? Had enough of your fooling around? Where did you get this Red Flag car..."

At that moment, Yan Zhao turned around, suddenly removing his sunglasses, his sharp eyes showing astonishment, his ears as red as pig's liver.

The driver was also frightened: "Let me explain, our Captain Yan just got off the plane."

It was too unexpected. Chen Meilan felt a bit disappointed because the Public Security Bureau had said they would meet on the 4th, and for the police wives who had been separated for two years, the department had organized a reunion meeting to take place in front of reporters at a press conference.

For this, she had planned to put on a face mask tomorrow, do her hair, striving to be the most beautiful among the police wives.

This man never followed the normal rules.

He wasn't supposed to be back yet, so why had he returned?

"Come on, let's go upstairs, let's go home," Chen Meilan said.

Yan Zhao's salary was sent back to China every three months. After going abroad, he was paid according to the minimum wage standard for international police, 5000 per month, plus annual bonuses. After saving for several years, he could now be considered wealthy. He said seriously: "Weren't we supposed to stay at a hotel?"

This man was so direct, not even being roundabout with the driver present.

Although during their two and a half years apart, they could occasionally make phone calls and write letters, before he left, they had agreed that on the day he returned, they would stay at a hotel, and yes, they needed to talk about her reincarnation.

Those things couldn't be discussed over phone or letter, only face to face.

Yan Zhao did things by the book, intending to continue where they left off, taking her to a hotel to talk.

Because the driver kept smiling, Chen Meilan had no choice but to get in the car.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man as the saddle makes the horse. Normally a very ordinary man, if he were in his usual clothes and not wearing sunglasses, Chen Meilan would certainly recognize him and immediately ask him to massage her feet.

But because Yan Zhao wore sunglasses and didn't speak, Chen Meilan felt too embarrassed to say anything.

The car drove toward the Third Ring Road, heading to the VIP Guest House today.

Although public security had been improving, in 1990s Beijing, Mercedes, BMWs, and Mazda sports cars were sprouting up like bamboo shoots after rain. They would run red lights freely, treating the roads as their private property. Most drivers were young people who didn't look impressive, but as soon as they mentioned their names, even the traffic police wouldn't dare to check them and would immediately let them pass.

Compared to them, the Red Flag car was an official vehicle, and with military plates, it drove steadily, like a snail.

Chen Meilan thought Yan Zhao wanted to spend some private time with her tonight. Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

But just as they arrived outside the VIP Guest House, they saw a group of police officers in olive green uniforms, including an elderly person in a wheelchair. Despite the cold winter, the elderly person wore a felt hat and a mask, dressed in many layers.

Chen Meilan didn't recognize him, but she recognized Yan Dongxue who was pushing the wheelchair.

So that must be Gu Xiao.

This was Gu Xiao's situation: after recovering at the 301 Hospital, he had moved to Hong Kong to live.

Though he still held shares in his company, the controlling power was currently in the hands of the shareholders.

Afraid of death, he dared not return to Southeast Asia and could only stay in Hong Kong, hoping to regain control of his company through external help. The Chinese police had discussed cooperation with him, offering their assistance, but he refused. Not only did he trust the Commonwealth police more than the Chinese police, but mainly because the Commonwealth could provide him with a powerful team of lawyers to fight his legal battles.

However, a legal team meant exorbitant lawyer fees. At this time, just before Hong Kong's handover, property prices were soaring, and lawyer fees had also skyrocketed to astronomical levels.

Gu Xiao was running out of money, and with the lawsuit showing no signs of progress, he finally swallowed his pride and turned to the Chinese police for help.

So today was likely a meeting arranged between Gu Xiao and the Public Security Bureau, with Yan Zhao attending.

Still alive but out of money, owning a gold mine yet forced into a second exile - Gu Xiao had it rough.

Chen Meilan shouldn't have been present at such an occasion.

Sure enough, when Yan Zhao saw someone coming to open the door for him, he said, "Go upstairs first, I'll order food for you. There are things in the trunk - don't take the luggage yet, just bring up the other items."

This demonstrated the tacit understanding between husband and wife.

Yan Zhao had apparently been called back to China early, before the official return date, so he couldn't go home yet, and his luggage hadn't been through final inspection by the Public Security Bureau. But Chen Meilan spotted a brand new buckwheat pillow in the trunk.

At that moment, she nearly fainted.

The day before Yan Zhao left, he had insisted that the old man's pillow was worn out and needed replacing. He took away Old Master's pillow, causing Yan Peiheng to nearly turn the house upside down looking for it during his afternoon nap. As it turned out, the pillow was now on a bed at the August First Hotel.

Seeing that pillow, Chen Meilan immediately knew that Yan Zhao was trying to make a breakthrough in the new world she had created. The drivers always had keen eyes, and throughout the journey, they eagerly offered to carry the pillow, repeatedly asking, "Does Captain Yan have a habit of only sleeping on buckwheat pillows?"

"Yes, me too," Chen Meilan replied.

"You two must have such a good relationship, sharing the same pillow," the driver's thought process was quite amusing.

Chen Meilan went upstairs, and shortly after entering the room, food was delivered.

Though she wasn't at work, she needed to make several calls to the factory to arrange work matters. She ate while giving instructions, taking over an hour to finish her meal. After eating, she took a shower, and coming out, she saw the buckwheat pillow lying on the bed, looking as if it might burst. She tried lying down on it.

The pillow was too high, and the bed too soft - she was stretched like a fully drawn bow.

Hotels these days had switched from keys to card access, and the corridor carpet was so thick that you couldn't hear any sounds.

She only heard a beep from outside the door. Because the pillow was too high and under her bottom, Chen Meilan couldn't manage a proper flip, and due to insufficient blood flow, her head was dizzy. Just as she tried to turn over, Yan Zhao's head appeared above hers.

He was looking at her, and she was looking at him.

Reaching for his belt buckle, Yan Zhao seemed a bit flustered: "Should I... should I take a shower first?"

After not seeing each other for over two years, he hadn't expected his wife to be even more eager than him, with the pillow already placed under her bottom.

With the arrow on the bowstring, should it be released?

Maintaining her composure, Chen Meilan reached for Yan Zhao's belt: "I don't mind if you're dirty, come quickly."

Returning to China typically required a stopover in Hong Kong, with one flight on the hour and another delayed by eight hours. Everyone usually took this opportunity to tour Hong Kong for a while. Yan Zhao could have postponed the Gu Xiao matter for a day, but he rushed back because he knew there was a woman in this world who didn't mind his darkness, his dirt, or his difficult personality. No matter when or what, she not only satisfied him.

Moreover, what she gave him always exceeded his expectations!

[The intimate scene is tastefully omitted]

After being fully satisfied, the man was in bliss.

"Little Wang ranked first in his final exams?" he asked.

Chen Meilan made an affirmative sound. Children's potential was limitless. Though Little Wang wasn't particularly diligent in his studies and often crammed the night before exams, he now consistently outperformed Liu Jiaxuan, maintaining the top position in school.

"That movie Yuanyuan filmed, something about 'A Chinese Odyssey,' you probably haven't seen it yet, have you? I've watched it. Yuanyuan only appeared for a moment," Yan Zhao frowned. "Movies these days aren't good. Her songs are better though - people where we were all love listening to them."

Yuanyuan still only filmed with the Xi'an Film Studio. The movie Yan Zhao mentioned was a collaboration with Hong Kong superstars. Although it was a particularly classic film shot in Ningxia, and Chen Meilan had personally accompanied Yuanyuan there, what was originally several lines of dialogue had been edited down to just one shot.

That movie hadn't even been released in mainland China yet.

As for her folk songs, Chen Meilan had sent many to Yan Zhao.

Yuanyuan was now the leading performer of Northern Shaanxi folk songs, and naturally sang well.

Just as Chen Meilan was preparing to talk about Little Lang, she heard Yan Zhao say in a rather casual tone: "Zhou Xueqin and Lu Jingyu haven't divorced, right? When I was in Southeast Asia, I made at least four or five calls to the capital's police department on her behalf, asking them to help mediate and protect her. Because the loan sharks might have powerful backgrounds, and if she angered them, they might harm our children. She must have listened, right? Stayed married and paid back the loan shark money?"

Everything had been going well in their conversation until then, but Chen Meilan suddenly felt unhappy.

Yan Zhao and his colleagues used a temporary network with unstable signals, making it difficult to make phone calls.

The children were at crucial stages in their lives. For instance, regarding their school transfers, if Yan Zhao had been willing to make one call to the capital's police, given his position, the children's household registration could have been transferred to the capital. How could local college entrance exam admission scores compare with those in the capital?

In two more years, even for someone of Yan Zhao's status, household registration transfers to the capital would be completely restricted.

Of course, taking advantage of Yan Zhao's position to gain capital household registration wasn't honorable, and Chen Meilan only thought about it without intending to pursue such questionable methods.

She also knew that Yan Zhao had no feelings for Zhou Xueqin, and his calls to help her were only for the sake of their two children, fearing that if Zhou Xueqin divorced, she would come to harass the children.

And she knew that if Zhou Xueqin lived an unhappy life, she would definitely do something like that.

But she was still angry that Yan Zhao thought too highly of Zhou Xueqin.

Where did he get the confidence to believe that Zhou Xueqin would give up her obsession with money, stay married, and repay the loan sharks?

She couldn't be bothered to respond to him.

Yan Zhao rolled over and put the buckwheat pillow under his head.

During his two years abroad, he had never feared his missions, quickly learned Southeast Asian languages, and worked alongside international police. Chinese police capabilities and quality were now globally recognized.

This was why someone as proud and aloof as Gu Xiao would humble himself to cooperate with Chinese police.

Work prospects were excellent, and from now on, he would be responsible for investigation work at the Public Security Bureau, participating in various disorder management tasks across the national public security system.

As long as the home front remained stable, everything would be fine.

He should have gone to take a shower, but Yan Zhao didn't want to yet.

He continued to bask in his contentment.

There was still one urgent matter he wanted to know about, concerning Lu Jingyu.

While in Southeast Asia, Yan Zhao had visited Thailand and met a famous fortune teller known throughout the Malaysia-Thailand-Singapore region. It was said that Gu Xiao had spent a lot of money trying to meet this person but couldn't.

Yan Zhao had met this person while conducting an investigation into transnational criminal organizations as part of his duties.

Before this, Yan Zhao had never believed in superstition, but upon meeting, the fortune teller told him two things.

First, that Yan Zhao was born with a Buddhist destiny and had a true Buddha statue at home.

Second, that Yan Zhao's fate had been altered. He and his current wife had met twice before, and because of those two encounters, the Buddha had brought them together. Otherwise, his destiny would have been to live and die alone.

The Buddha was Su Wen, which resonated deeply with Yan Zhao.

And with Meilan, thinking carefully, their first meeting wasn't actually in Chen Family Village.

On the day when Chen Meilan married Yan Xishan and got their marriage certificate, Yan Zhao happened to be at home on his honeymoon leave. He didn't know that Yan Xishan was marrying Chen Meilan, but he had encountered them in the village. Since they couldn't afford a wedding banquet, Yan Xishan took Meilan around the village for a stroll, telling people they were having a "tourism wedding," something trendy people did.

At that time, Yan Zhao was also newly married and only saw Meilan's back.

The second time he saw her was when Meilan had a fight with Yan Xishan. She was carrying a chestnut cake and her child, walking and crying. Yan Zhao followed behind her all the way to the bus station, only leaving after she got on the bus.

However, he still hadn't seen Chen Meilan's face directly.

Nevertheless, these could be counted as two encounters.

In this vast world, many things cannot be explained by conventional logic.

But at that moment, Yan Zhao suddenly realized that perhaps he and Chen Meilan weren't meant to have a relationship at all. The reason they did was likely his mother's persistence, and Su Wen couldn't bear to see him living in misery, so she guided Chen Meilan to him.

Therefore, Yan Zhao deduced, feeling somewhat smug at this moment.

With a smile on his face, the senior police officer said contentedly, "Let's talk about our previous topic, Meilan. If you had been married to Lu Jingyu, would he be like he is now - staying in luxury hotels, running big businesses, appearing prosperous on the surface but actually being supported by high-interest loans?"

He believed that in another possible life, Lu Jingyu had deceived Chen Meilan with superficial glamour, living a seemingly luxurious life.

It was this superficial glamour that had attracted Zhou Xueqin, causing her to rush towards him like a moth to a flame.

Yan Zhao felt quite pleased and secretly proud, believing he was not only better than Yan Xishan but also no worse than Lu Jingyu.

He believed he was the best choice for Chen Meilan.

However, Chen Meilan disappointed Yan Zhao: "If it weren't for Zhou Xueqin, Lu Jingyu would have remained the richest man in Xiping City for life."

If it weren't for Zhou Xueqin, Lu Jingyu could have maintained his wealth for life.

Now, because of one debt, he would never be able to recover.

Yan Zhao was stunned, his smile slowly fading.

Still most concerned about his two sons, he asked, "Since Little Wang loves doing business so much, was he very wealthy?"

"He was doing alright. Though he sold pirated films and small goods, he had some money. But Little Lang's leukemia was very severe. The year I died, I was about 55, and Little Lang was still in the hospital. I never saw him, but I heard he was only alive because Little Wang kept paying his expensive medical bills," Chen Meilan said calmly.

The senior police officer slowly turned around. The buckwheat pillow was too high, making him look down as he stared at his wife for a long time.

That cruel truth was suddenly revealed just like that.

"Lu Jingyu's eldest son would have been especially good at business, and his daughter, with his financial support, would have held various concerts, appeared on TV, and become a very famous female singer," Chen Meilan added.

Without saying it explicitly, he understood.

Before fate was rewritten, his ex-wife had abandoned their sick child to raise future tycoons.

And his children weren't just less exceptional than he had imagined - they were everything he had hoped they wouldn't become.

This reality was a hundred times more cruel than what Yan Zhao could have imagined.

This explained why Chen Meilan repeatedly took the children for medical check-ups, why she would worry endlessly and couldn't sleep when a child got even a small bump on the head - because once he developed leukemia, he would be bedridden for life.

This was why she constantly encouraged Little Wang to study hard - because otherwise, he would end up selling pirated films and doing small business deals, dropping out of school at a young age.

Far from being like today, where he consistently ranked first in every assessment at Dongfang Middle School.

He didn't need his father's connections to get Beijing household registration - Little Wang's scores were good enough to stand out from Xiping City and earn that Beijing hukou on his own.

Still smiling? Still feeling pleased?

The pillow was too high and uncomfortable. Yan Zhao reached out to hold Chen Meilan's hand.

But Chen Meilan pulled away and said frankly, "Zhou Xueqin won't change. Not only did she get divorced, but she also successfully obtained Lu Jingyu's property. She's currently hiding in my milk powder factory, and today she even went to the shooting range to find Little Lang. You know her intentions better than I do."

...

Patting Yan Zhao's pillow, she added, "You handle this matter. If you don't handle it well, I'll throw away this worn-out pillow of yours."

The dog of a man perked up his ears and widened his eyes at this moment.

Good dog!

...

Little Wang and Yuanyuan had agreed with the others to stay within the military district, just walking around and playing there.

But going out for some barbecue should be fine.

Little Wang had money, so of course he would treat everyone.

Even in the cold winter with the north wind howling, as Chinese people, who doesn't love some night market barbecue?

So the barbecue restaurant was particularly crowded, with some people even arriving in BMWs and Ferraris. They were eating skewers and drinking beer - ice-cold beer, of course, as room temperature would be about minus fourteen or fifteen degrees in this weather.

Little Wang and his brother didn't dare to touch alcohol, only eating skewers.

John had toured the Army Memorial Hall, and although he still didn't want to believe the proportion and merit of the Communist army in the Anti-Japanese War, he didn't dare say anything about it anymore.

At this moment, he was debating another matter with Little Wang. He believed that China had no cultural heritage, no authors like Shakespeare, Hugo, or Gorky, and no cultural masterpieces like "Les Misérables" or "Wuthering Heights."

In fact, he claimed there wasn't a single work that could be called a timeless classic. For instance, John could quote from "King Lear" or "Romeo and Juliet" at any time, but were there any Chinese literary works that people could readily quote from?

He believed that although China had a long history, it was a cultural desert.

Poor Little Wang, who had only focused on business since childhood and hadn't read much, knew there were many famous works, but if you asked him to find one and pick out a quote, he really couldn't do it. He didn't want to let the younger ones speak, so he was scratching his head in frustration.

Chinese people love those who are cultured, and the barbecue shop owner, watching these well-dressed children speaking so politely, couldn't help but like them. Hearing them talk about Hugo and "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," he genuinely thought they were good kids, so he grilled an extra portion of chicken gizzards and brought it over, saying, "Take your time eating. Our skewers are all clean, and we use good oil. After you're full, go home and study hard."

It seemed like a ordinary thing, but at the next table were four or five boys with several girls, who had arrived in BMW sports cars.

They were all wearing gold chains and watches, their hair dyed in various colors, clearly looking like street-smart kids. They weren't happy about this.

One of them with yellow-dyed hair said, "Boss, why do you give them free skewers but not us? Do you know who my uncle is?"

"Your uncle? I know everyone who does business in this area," the barbecue shop owner asked.

The young man sneered, "You'll be scared when I tell you - he's Director Wang from the capital's police bureau."

A high official! The owner was frightened and quickly said, "My apologies, my apologies. How about I send you a plate too?"

What bad luck, running into officials' children.

Seeing the owner's fear, these 'officials' children' started showing off. Another one said, "You should send me a plate too. My uncle is a leader in the Public Security Department, and my grandfather is Commander Chao from the military district. Know him?"

Oh my, this was terrifying!

"Of course, of course, another plate coming," the owner felt truly unfortunate.

Another one jumped in: "Send another plate for me too, my grandfather works in the Military Commission."

"Oh, and who might that be?" the owner asked.

"Know Yan Peiheng? That's my grandfather," this young man said brazenly.

Little Wang and Little Lang exchanged glances - who was this nobody?

Since when did Yan Peiheng have another grandson that they didn't know about?

This kid's boasting became more and more outrageous, going completely over the top: "Know Yan Zhao? The captain of the International Peacekeeping Police? That's my uncle, my real uncle."

Little Wang couldn't stand it anymore and turned around to ask, "Brothers, what are your respected names? Hearing about your connections, you must not just walk sideways in the capital, you must be able to fly in the sky. I really admire you all, let's get to know each other and become friends?"

Commander Chao and Yan Peiheng were old friends, and while Little Wang hadn't met their grandchildren, Yan Peiheng would certainly know them.

As for Yan Peiheng's grandchildren, who else could they be besides Little Wang and Little Lang?

"Who the hell is this guy, bragging about himself like that?"

Aliali: 6754d302bd5e46c308a67379

John, confused about the situation, asked Little Lang, "Is this another brother? Why don't I know him?"

Little Lang explained to him, "This is like the story of fake Li Gui meeting the real Li Kui. It's from the classic novel 'Water Margin.'"

The young privileged kids were quite hospitable, waving Little Wang over: "Want to get to know us? Sure, bring your table over, let's eat together."

Little Wang swiveled around, carrying his plate of chicken gizzards, and really did move to the next table.

Little Lang added, "Looks like we're following another 'Water Margin' tradition - friendship through fighting."

Yuanyuan interjected, "No, no, this is more like 'Guan Yu meeting Lu Su' - the famous single sword meeting from 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms.'"

John asked, "What are you all talking about? I don't understand."

"These are classics, our Chinese classics," Little Lang asked. "Have you read 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'? 'Water Margin'? Have you heard of 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"

John shook his head, "They're not internationally recognized classics. They don't appear in Western rankings of great literature."

"Our culture is for us to appreciate," Little Lang replied calmly. "We don't need Western validation."