Foreigners who are also in a foreign country and in the Republic are treated differently.
They are far better than our compatriots who are alone.
This is not only determined by unequal economic levels, but also by our country's political attributes and foreign policy.
More importantly, it is because our nation naturally possesses such fine qualities as tolerance, generosity, hospitality, and kindness.
If any examples are needed to prove the above, well, just look at the letter Angelo wrote home to his wife Catalina on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to get a better understanding.
Because in addition to the sweet words to my wife, my longing for my family, and my concern for the lives of my children in the first half of the letter.
In the second half of the letter, Angelo also spent a lot of space describing how he spent New Year's Eve in 1983 in the capital.
Some of the insights and experiences are vivid and interesting, which can completely put her wife at ease and make her smile.
The specific content is as follows:
"My baby, dear Kaka (Kadelina's nickname), because I told you last time that I was admitted to the hospital on Christmas Eve, and your reply was very worried about my situation, so now I will give up.
All your concerns.
Because of my experiences these past few days, I am absolutely convinced that what happened last time was just an accident.
Why am I so sure?
That's because my boss very kindly and sincerely invited me to his home on February 12th to celebrate the most solemn traditional Chinese festival of the year - the Chinese New Year.
Did you know? It is said that during this day called "Chinese New Year", Chinese people only stay with their closest relatives and stay together until dawn.
So the fact that I can receive this kind of invitation is enough to prove that he regards me as a true friend.
And since I didn't really anger my boss, there was no embarrassment or danger.
By the way, I would like to mention that my boss’s nickname actually means ‘wife’ when translated.
But you can rest assured that although this nickname is more feminine, his sexual orientation is actually normal and he is already married to a wife.
His wife's nickname is much nicer than his: "Cheese."
Of course, I can't call my boss by his nickname, so I can only call him by his real last name. The "Zhou" written below is him.
All in all, this Chinese festival is quite special and interesting. There are many things that we cannot understand if we describe it.
For example, starting from the night of this day, for some reason, almost everyone in the city continued to set off fireworks.
The sound of their fireworks was very intense, almost like the sound of gunshots, but they were very lacking in variety and not very pretty.
The most intense moment is at midnight. Anyone who has never experienced it will definitely be scared to death.
I am afraid that I will think that the whole city has become a battlefield full of smoke, and I will worry about being hit by stray bullets flying from nowhere.
But in fact, guns are prohibited here, so it couldn't be safer.
The locals here, even the children, are happily taking the initiative to set off, and no one is afraid at all.
We have seen their fireworks in Chinatown in Los Angeles.
But that place is nothing compared to here. It’s just a pity that the lively Chinatown Dragon Dance Parade in Chinatown is not available here.
On the contrary, during these days of Chinese New Year, the streets are very deserted.
Apart from setting off fireworks, the Chinese just stayed at home and no one worked.
In addition, the most incomprehensible thing is that I don’t know why the Chinese New Year does not happen on the same day every year.
They have a unique way of counting days, which really baffles me.
Speaking of this, what's more interesting is that according to "Zhou", the Chinese also use animals to mark the year, which is about a twelve-year cycle. This year, in their mouths, is the Year of the Pig.
For this reason, "Zhou" unexpectedly asked me my age.
His method of asking questions was by no means straightforward and rude, but very subtle, asking me who I belonged to.
I was almost stunned by the question. When I figured out that he was asking about my birthday, I had no choice but to tell the truth.
As a result, according to the animal chronology, "Zhou" told me that I was born in the year of "Monkey".
No, this is no joke.
Dear, do you believe it? I never thought that I was actually destined to be a monkey.
Of course, just as we are strangers and curious about the Chinese, they are also curious about us.
"Zhou"'s wife "Cheese" has several younger brothers and sisters and lives with them.
Those little guys had so many questions. They knew a little English and were very interested in me.
They asked me why I was so tall and why my nose was so big. They were even surprised that my hair was not yellow.
Of course, these questions are embarrassing, but they are not malicious, just pure curiosity.
They imagine the United States to be very interesting. They think the United States is a paradise where everyone has money, cars and houses. Everyone drinks Coca-Cola and eats chocolate every day.
So when I tell them that there are a lot of poor people in America, that things are very expensive, that there are dangers of being shot at, and that there are all kinds of conspiracies that can empty a person's pocket, they are very surprised.
Just like me, I couldn’t believe it when I heard that I was a ‘monkey’.
By the way, there is another important theme during the Chinese New Year, and that is eating and drinking.
I haven't stopped talking since I arrived at "Zhou"'s house.
They were very enthusiastic and let me eat all kinds of interesting things.
For example, drinking tea, the tea here is different from the tea we like. There is no milk or sugar, but it has a strong floral aroma.
They also use sunflower seeds as snacks, which taste really good, but unfortunately they are all in shells, so I couldn’t eat a few of them in a long time.
But you would never imagine how fast the Chinese eat melon seeds with their teeth. It is like a machine for peeling melon seeds.
Even children can put melon seeds in their mouths, eat them and spit out the shells without the help of their hands. The whole process only takes a second or two.
By the way, I once complained to you that Chinese food tastes terrible, but now I want to correct that statement.
Indeed, it’s hard to find even edible bread here, it’s all sugary and hard to swallow.
But strangely, I unexpectedly fell in love with some local food.
"Cheese"'s cooking skills are very good, almost no MSG is used, and more soy sauce is used.
And the chicken, pork cubes, meatballs, diced pork, tofu, and pickles she made were all delicious, far superior to the Chinese restaurants we have been to.
For this reason, I praised her for being comparable to a Michelin chef, but "Cheese" smiled and said that she was not good at cooking.
At first, I thought this was the Chinese people's habit of denying praise, and I still insisted on it.
But this time it was obviously wrong, because "Zhou" also said that his wife's level was indeed average, and that it was the same in every household.
The real chef in the restaurant is of a higher standard and said he would take me to try it after the Chinese New Year.
I really can't believe it. If what he said is true, then doesn't everyone in China have the talent to be a chef?
Or maybe the Chinese restaurants in the United States are all fake Vietnamese and Filipinos, and the Chinese food we have eaten is all fake.
Don't think I'm exaggerating, because you have never tasted real "dumplings". They are absolutely delicious and you can't get enough of them.
So I decided to learn this dish from "Cheese" so that I can cook it for you and your children when I return to China.
Of course not everything is good here, there are at least three things I can't stand.
The first is that kind of "devil's egg". I have described how terrible and disgusting that thing is. It is simply the most terrifying punishment in the world.
But "Zhou"'s family actually eats that kind of food themselves, and seems to really like it. I really can't understand this.
The second is that the Chinese people's enthusiasm for entertaining guests can put a lot of pressure on people.
"Zhou" and his family kept picking up food for me, but I couldn't use chopsticks well. Sometimes I had to use my hands. Although it made them laugh, it made me look clumsy.
Also, "Zhou" was very aggressive in drinking. He kept drinking as if he wanted to get himself drunk, and he kept trying to persuade me to drink. I was forced to drink.
Fortunately, I know how terrible Chinese liquor is, so I only drink beer and wine. Otherwise, I would be like "Zhou" and get drunk before midnight.
Last but not least, the toilets here are terrible!
You will never believe how crude and dirty the toilets used by ordinary people here are.
The toilet pit here is actually open. Not to mention the flushing equipment, there is no cover. It seems that no one has ever cleaned it. With that pungent smell, hell will not be more terrifying than here.
But even in such a toilet, there were people squatting in it, chatting, and watching my every move with great interest.
So finally...I finally understand why some Chinese people choose to urinate in the corner.
Yes, even though it was embarrassing, I did it anyway.
I think this is probably the first problem this country should solve.
At this point, if my description of China brings you mixed feelings, good and bad, then I will finally break the balance for you.
Because the Chinese people have the most rare quality, which is loyalty and generosity to friends.
After spending the night at Zhou's house, they gave me many gifts the next day, which were far more than what I brought them.
It's like this in normal times, when "Zhou" and I eat out, he usually pays for it, unlike when I worked with some cheapskates in Los Angeles and always had to pay their coffee bills.
Just because their qualifications in the family are higher than mine.
Also, the day before yesterday, I told "Zhou" about my new way to make money. I thought he would agree to work with me and hide it from his superiors.
But I didn't expect that he was very principled. He said everything must be approved by the boss and handled according to the rules, so he immediately reported it to his superiors.
The feedback above turned out to be even more surprising.
Not only do we agree to work together, but we don’t ask for any profit sharing. We just need to be responsible for our own affairs.
It's impossible for something like this to happen in Los Angeles.
This makes me deeply moved. Chinese people like "Zhou" and the boss promise me a lot of money, and they will not default on my debts, nor will they break my bones and suck my marrow.
They are even more trustworthy than our past "friends."
Finally, besides telling you, I sent another thousand US dollars to my family.
I also enclose two brand new sets of RMB, which were given to our children by the boss. There is a tradition in China of giving coins to children during the Chinese New Year.
Having said this, I really have to say that my boss is a genius and actually thought of selling these things as tourist products. I think it is very attractive, isn't it?
I think, because of all the above, maybe China is really my lucky place.
Now that I have permission and "Zhou"'s help, as long as you cooperate with us to be more careful and don't let the money animals find out, our life will definitely get better and better.
My dear, please kiss our children for me and don't let them forget me.