Both North and South Have Their Own Charm

"Alright, in about forty minutes to an hour, go to the lobby over there and scan the code at the automatic machine to get your results," the female doctor waved her hand.

Lin Si Yue stood up, giving a soft hum. After politely saying goodbye to the doctor, she turned and opened the door to leave. She casually found a seat by the wall, took out her phone to check the time, and then opened a short video app to watch while waiting for the results.

[It turns out both the North and the South have their own unique charms to captivate people's hearts. The South admires the North's heavy, sky-covering snow. The North longs for the misty rain of the Jiangnan water towns.]

Everyone: Oh, is that really so?

The ancestors expressed: Sigh, they didn't long for heavy snow or misty rain; those were just games played by scholars and poets who didn't have to worry about food and clothing. Commoners like them didn't have high ambitions; they only hoped for favorable weather every day, a bountiful harvest of grains every year, granaries full of food, and enough clothes and food every year. At most, they would add: peace and safety, healthy family members, and no worries for the next generation.

[Southerners say that every time they see the heavy snow of the North drifting down, they feel it is truly beautiful. The newly fallen snow is soft and fine; just thinking about lying on it and rolling around makes them laugh out loud. Not to mention, they can build all kinds of snowmen and occasionally invite a few friends for a snowball fight, which is incredibly joyful. During the day, they can go skiing, and at night, they can view ice sculptures. Under the night sky, the lights of ten thousand homes flicker and shine upon the ice sculptures, making them both beautiful and mysterious.

The most crucial point is that the North reportedly has underfloor heating, so people can stay indoors wearing short sleeves while eating popsicles. Enjoying the sunset outside the window, the twilight casts pale orange rays of light, draping a dreamlike layer of thin silk over the pure white earth, reflecting all kinds of brilliant colors, beautiful beyond words.]

Everyone expressed their astonishment. The ancestors in the South were a bit bewildered. What was this? Was the North really that good? They wanted to go see it too.

Northerners, however, expressed: Nonsense, the North is a bitterly cold place where even birds don't want to land. How could it be that good? Anyone who comes will definitely regret it. They were regretting it right now, cold and hungry every day, cold to the bone. Every winter, many people froze to death by the roadside. Compared to the bitterly cold North, they longed for the Southern water towns more; at least it wasn't cold there. It could only be said that from ancient times to the present, although the ancestors' thoughts differed greatly, their pursuits seemed to be the same—just to be fed and warm.

[At the same time, Northerners also expressed: The ancient streets of the Jiangnan water towns, with green bricks and gray tiles, awning boats, arched stone bridges, and scenery as hazy as watery mist. Rowing a boat on the deep water, watching passersby come and go, listening to the sounds of the mortal world. Even if one just quietly sits in a corner of the ancient city, it is like placing oneself inside a wash painting. Jiangnan's misty rain is as hazy as if covered by a thin silk veil. Time flows slowly; sipping tea and listening to storytelling brings a sense of carefree freedom.

When the rainy season arrives, the drizzling rain pours down like a water curtain draping over Jiangnan. Rowing a boat on the lake, closing one's eyes to listen to the pattering of raindrops hitting the roof tiles. Watching the ripples on the water, small fish leaping out to play, splashing up water flowers. Watching passersby holding umbrellas crossing the small bridge, their laughter soft. The Jiangnan water town is truly beautiful beyond words, making people's hearts yearn for it.]

Northerners: Roar... what should we do if we want to go to the South even more now?

Southerners: Roar... is our South really that good? How come we didn't know? The Northern snow is still more beautiful!

Scholars: Ah, we don't want to miss either place, we want to see both, but unfortunately our pockets are empty.

The wealthy: Sigh, it's fine. The North and South are the same; we've seen both. Each has its own beauty, and both are great places, provided you have the money to enjoy them.

[This is great! Recently, Bing City seems to have been occupied by Southern "Little Potatoes." Looking around, their figures are everywhere!...]

Everyone: What? Potatoes? What are potatoes? And the South, does the South have this thing? The ancestors were completely baffled, demanding a clear explanation.

[In a season when even bears don't want to go out, the streets and alleys are filled with the figures of Southern "Little Potatoes." Perhaps the Northeastern "Lao Tie" never dreamed that they would become outsiders on their own land. Looking around, the airports, high-speed railways, and subway stations are all packed with long queues. Clad in light-colored down jackets and wearing cute warm hats, these "Little Potatoes" take photos of the sky, the ground, and the air as soon as they land. When there's nothing left to photograph, they go to conquer the Northeastern morning markets. Don't look at their small stature; their appetite is by no means simple. After eating stewed chicken, they eat stewed goose; after eating stewed goose, they go for barbecue. Pork stewed with vermicelli, chicken stewed with mushrooms, iron pot stewed goose, fish stewed with jasmine... Di San Xian, double-cooked pork slices, pig-slaughtering feast...]

The ancestors wiped their drool. Speaking of this made them hungry again, driving them crazy with cravings. Was the heavenly screen teasing them again? They really wanted to cry; they were so hungry, they wanted to eat...

[After eating and drinking their fill, the Southern "Little Potatoes" immediately appeared at Song Jiang to play ice-sliding. It is said this game was originally to coax children, but now it is used to "walk" a bunch of "Potatoes." Seeing the uncle driving the tractor laughing excitedly, wishing to go to the riverbank early every day to "walk Potatoes." It is said that three "Little Potatoes" were so cold they cried, hurriedly waving their hands saying they wouldn't ride anymore. But the elderly grandfather thought they were playing too enthusiastically, so out of warmth, he pulled them to spin three more rounds. When it ended, the grandfather even wondered why these kids were so emotional, crying from being moved just by playing.]

Everyone: Could they have been cried by the cold wind? Just looking at that wind makes it feel bone-chilling. The parties involved must have been very "refreshed"; they could only offer a three-second silence. The ancestors living in the freezing Northern wind expressed that at least those people had thick cotton jackets to keep warm, while they had nothing—how pitiful!

[It must be said that Bing City really dotes on the Southern babies. They said they wanted to take beautiful night photos at Sophia Church but there was no moon that day. Unexpectedly, the next night, the local government created an artificial moon to float in the sky. Talk about doting! The staff even declared that the "Little Potatoes" could ask for anything; as long as it could be satisfied, they would do their best to make it happen.

The locals expressed that they were just riding on their coattails. In the past, if they demanded to see the moon, they would definitely be scolded: "I think you look like the moon!" Last year, daring to set off fireworks would get you detained for fifteen days. This year, the Bingxue Great World arranged a New Year's Eve fireworks show and even let the "Little Potatoes" set off fireworks by the riverbank, with police uncles guarding to maintain order. The locals stood nearby, eyes red with envy, feeling like their own mother had dismantled their bed to make a sled for the neighbor's kid. What was even more exaggerated was that even the mysterious Shoulin clan was invited out. This mysterious clan was someone even the locals had only heard of but rarely seen, yet outsiders got to meet them as soon as they arrived...]

Ancestors: Pfft... ha ha ha... for some reason, they felt the future Northerners were a bit pitiful. This is just unfair, right? It definitely is...