Zhang Lisheng smiled and refused the good intention of the dignified and charming vice president of the Sichuan University Student Union. "Thank you, Miss Li, but there's no need for that. After I've gone to Sichuan University to settle the formalities, I'd like to stroll around in Sichuan. I can prepare myself by then."
Upon hearing his words, Zheng Tianliang, who was by the side, secretly poked Li Mingjin's waist with his finger, implying that he had guessed correctly just now. The reason why this terrifyingly young doctor from Stanford University chose to come to Western Sichuan during the summer was indeed because he wanted to travel at public expense. The generosity of the Chinese University had long been known to the world.
Being poked by her companion, the girl instinctively twisted her waist violently and caught Zhang Lisheng's attention, causing him to notice that there was a young man by the side who seemed to be the one who had picked them up.
When the young man turned his gaze to Zheng Tianliang, his heart suddenly clenched inexplicably. He could not help but clench his fists and took a few steps back nervously. However, when the wizard power in his body surged and he looked at the single-eyelid man again, the strange vigilance disappeared without a trace.
"Zheng Tianliang, you're going to die!" Upon seeing the guest frowning and taking a few steps back because of her gaffe, Li Mingjin was so annoyed that her face flushed red as she scolded her companion in a whisper. Then, she pointed at Zheng Tianliang awkwardly and apologized to Zhang Lisheng, "I'm sorry, Dr. Zhang. He's my classmate, Zheng Tianliang, the secretary of the Sichuan University Student Union. He was just joking with me just now."
"How would I know that you'd have such a big reaction after being poked by a finger and that this guy is so timid?" Zheng Tianliang muttered with a wry smile and looked at Zhang Lisheng in a fawning manner as he apologized, "I'm sorry, Dr. Zhang. I just like to joke and don't pay attention to the occasion. Please criticize me more."
"Oh, oh, it's alright. I'm just too sensitive. It's the sequela of dealing with those dangerous creatures all day long. I should be the one apologizing." After studying Zheng Tianliang carefully, a speculation rose in Zhang Lisheng's heart. He could not help but touch the clown painting that only he could feel on his forehead and said with a smile.
"You're too polite." When Li Mingjin saw that the guest was not angry, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Then, let us bring you back to Sichuan University to settle the formalities and settle down so that you can have a good rest to get rid of the jet lag, okay?"
"Thank you very much." Zhang Lisheng replied politely.
"Please follow me." As the girl spoke, she walked quickly to the airport gate. First, she acted like a vice president and ordered her companions, "Zheng Tianliang, call Master Guo and tell him that we've received a guest and have already left the airport."
Then, he said to Zhang Lisheng who was behind him with a smile, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Welcome to China, welcome to Western Sichuan, doctor."
Upon hearing Li Mingjin, who spoke standard Mandarin without any Sichuan accent, welcoming him to Western Sichuan, Zhang Lisheng opened his mouth and said, "Thank you." However, a strange feeling rose in his heart.
In a trance, he seemed to see a skinny young man carrying a bamboo basket on his back, wearing rubber shoes, with a black embroidered cloth wrapped around his head, and dressed in an old Miao attire in the airport hall. The skinny young man was staring at the colorful world with his mouth agape, looking around as he walked towards him. He slowly brushed past his shoulder and disappeared without a trace.
"Time is really a strange thing. In just a few years, it can already change a person beyond recognition …" Zhang Lisheng muttered to himself as he walked out of the airport. He followed the girl who picked him up and got into a black Passat outside the parking lot. As a guest, he naturally sat in the back seat of the co-driver with Zheng Tianliang in front of him and Li Mingjin by his side.
"Master Guo, sorry to trouble you again. Let's go back to school." The moment the girl got into the car, she said to the driver with a smile.
"Miss Li, you're always so polite. You're the most polite one among all the cadres in the Student Union." The driver, who looked old and had white hair, turned the air conditioner to the maximum with a chuckle. "Look at how hot you are! In order to do a good job in school, you can't even go home after the exam. Quick, blow on the air conditioner and cool yourself down.
Oh, so this is Dr. Zhang. I can't see your face clearly from the rearview mirror, but you're still like this. Are you already 20 years old? Tsk tsk tsk. What a promising man! This person's brain is really different from the others since birth.
I can't help it … "Due to the reason that he was going to retire soon, he did not have too many scruples. The driver said whatever came to his mind and drove noisily on the streets of Chengdu.
Li Mingjin did not say much with a smile, but she secretly complained in her heart. She had sat in Master Guo's car several times before, but she had never seen him being so long-winded before. Now that they were carrying out a foreign reception mission, why did he suddenly become so talkative? It would not be good if the guests were dissatisfied.
In fact, some Westerners were very concerned about whether the driver could concentrate on driving and would regard it as one of the important standards to judge the quality of the crowd.
When the girl thought of this, she could not help but quietly turn her gaze to Zhang Lisheng. However, she noticed that the young man beside her was staring at the street scene outside the car window in a daze, not paying any attention to the driver's words at all.
Zhang Lisheng had set off for the US from Chengdu a few years ago. The first real 'city' that this mountain village boy came into contact with was actually Chengdu. For this reason, even though he only lived in the capital of Western Sichuan for two to three days and followed his mother to some places, the impression he left behind was unforgettable.
One could say that Zhang Lisheng already had a general understanding of Chengdu. However, when he saw it again after such a long time, he realized that his impression was already very different. The more he looked at it, the more puzzled he became.
Li Mingjin, who was by the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After a while, she felt that it was a little rude not to talk to the guests, so she smiled and said, "Dr. Zhang, Chengdu is the first place in China's livable city selection this year. There are both modern skyscrapers and antique historical buildings here. It's a very unique city.
If you blend in, your academic exchange life will definitely be very pleasant. "
"This is indeed a beautiful and unique city, but there are some things that I don't understand. May I ask, Miss Li, what's with the 'Warm Welcome to Master Ni Jiangang's Meritorious Report Held in Guangyuan Building' hanging on the hotel 'sign? I've seen many banners with this kind of' Meritorious Report Held 'along the way, and there are also advertisements of Buddhist, Taoist, and Christian churches holding religious ceremonies.
The religious activities here are even more than the Vatican. The Chengdu in the past should not be like this, right? " Zhang Lisheng suddenly pointed at a magnificent hotel on the side of the wide street outside the car window and asked in confusion.
"Dr., you can actually read complex traditional Chinese characters?" Li Mingjin's eyes widened in astonishment.
The young man turned his head and smiled noncommittally. "Can't you tell? I'm a Chinese."
Li Mingjin thought that Zhang Lisheng's sentence meant something like 'I have a Chinese heart' or something like that. Her mind spun quickly for a few rounds before she smiled and said, "Of course, I can tell that you're a Chinese with black eyes and yellow skin, just like me." However, she vaguely evaded the question raised by Zhang Lisheng.
Actually, the answer to that question was very simple. Due to the emergence of the foreign world, various Taoist, Buddhist, and miscellaneous small sects that mastered mysterious power had appeared one after another. Due to the general trend, the government slowly relaxed its strict control over this aspect, causing the society to seem to have returned to the 1980s overnight, where there were 'experts' and 'masters' everywhere.
To the Chinese, who had a civilization of thousands of years and had always believed in ghosts and gods, it was easy to understand the emergence of such a situation. However, it was difficult to explain it to foreigners, especially when the wording was not easy to grasp.
When Zhang Lisheng saw that the girl was unwilling to answer, he also tactfully did not force an answer. He did not say another word until the car drove into the Sichuan University campus.
Even though Sichuan University was located in a remote place in Sichuan, its scale and teaching strength could be ranked among the top ten universities in China. Its predecessor, the Western Sichuan Chinese Academy, was built in the late 19th century and had a history of more than 100 years. As early as the middle of the last century, it was already known as one of the top ten national universities.
As the Passat drove on the lush green road of the huge campus, Li Mingjin began to proudly explain the famous cultural landscapes in her alma mater to the guests. "Dr. Zhang, this is the Rui Wen Building. The word 'Rui' in the name of this building comes from the word 'auspicious.'
Auspicious refers to the revelation given by God when a wise and just emperor ruled the country in ancient China. It's similar to the meaning of King Arthur of England being able to pull out the stone sword.
Since ancient times, China has always been governed by civil officials. Even in the troubled times of warlords, those generals would also entrust civil officials to manage their own territories … "
Zhang Lisheng looked at the students who were walking back and forth on the campus outside the car window, or those who did not forget to memorize while walking with a frown, making final preparations for the upcoming exam.
There were also students who had already completed all their exams and bought their train and plane tickets. They looked relaxed and were just waiting to go home. As they listened to the girl's introduction, they said half-truthfully, "Miss Li, you really have the eloquence of a professional tour guide. You can tell so many interesting stories.
Sichuan University is much bigger than I thought. May I know how long it will take for us to reach our destination? "
"It's right in front, Doctor. We'll be there after turning the corner." When the girl answered, the driver turned the steering wheel to the right and drove forward for another few hundred meters before slowly stopping in front of an antique red building.
"Master Guo, sorry to trouble you." Li Mingjin greeted the driver politely and opened the door to get out of the car. When she saw that Zhang Lisheng had also gotten out of the car from the other side and was looking around at the beautiful scenery around the red building, she said, "Dr. Zhang, this is the administrative building of our Sichuan University. It's called the Mingde Building.
It takes the meaning of 'people are virtuous and self-respecting'. The word 'virtue' has a very special meaning in our Chinese culture, representing the most beautiful sentiment.
Please come with me, the Academic Affairs Office is on the first floor. I'll bring you to complete the formalities. "
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