Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When going overseas, it was good to have a reliable guide who was familiar with the local conditions. They could understand the local customs and avoid causing trouble. This had a hundred benefits but not a single harmful effect. But Zhang Zian refused Jack.
One reason was that there were elfins present. The other was that there was still plenty of time. When he came to a new place, he could explore it by himself without knowing anything about it. It was similar to how when playing a game, one should not look at the strategies from the start, because that would reduce a lot of the enjoyment.
Since Famous had already put on glasses to protect its eyes, Zhang Zian could not fall behind. He took out a pair of big sunglasses from his shirt pocket, feeling like his handsomeness had increased by 20 times.
“What should we do? Where should we go to eat? Would you want to go and eat in a restaurant or buy something on the street?” He consulted the elfins.
Old Time Tea expressed its opinion first. “Based on what I’ve seen, it’s better to walk around on the streets to experience the local life. What do you all think?”
The other elfins did not have any opinions. After all, there would be a lot of restrictions in restaurants.
“Alright, then let’s go to Khan el-Khalili Market. There should be a lot of street snacks there.” Zhang Zian took out the necessary map for travelers and looked at it.
Starting from the Four Seasons Hotel, crossing the bridge eastward and not far northeast, Khan el-Khalili Market, Cairo’s largest market, was a good place for tourists to buy souvenirs and local products. Although Cairo also had luxury stores with international brands, it wasn’t necessary to buy things made in China when they traveled abroad.
Richard was standing on Zhang Zian’s right shoulder when it felt the strong sunshine. It jumped on his left shoulder and hid in the shadow of his head, crying, “Gah! My flesh… Where’s my jade cushion? Did you forget to bring it, you idiot?”
“I didn’t forget the birdcage. What are you in such a rush for? It’s not that hot now!” Zhang Zian said. “By the way, I haven’t settled accounts with you yet. What did you say about Czechoslovakia just now…”
“Gah! I just heard that that person was called Jack, so I was inspired.” Richard changed the topic and said, “Look at these people, they are too covered up!”
Indeed, the Egyptian natives who were walking towards him still wore many clothes in such hot weather, compared with Zhang Zian, who wore only a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. In particular, from time to time, they could see the local women wearing black robes that covered their entire bodies. Besides eyes and fingers, they could not see any part of the body. Even the eyes had a layer of gauze over them.
In this kind of hot sun, wearing long white gowns could be thought to be for preventing sunburn, but a long black gown was too able to absorb heat, and it was probably uncomfortable to wear it.
Of course, there were a lot of local women who did not dress so conservatively, and only wrapped a cloth around their head. The delicately designed head cloth was quite nice. There were even young girls who did not wear any cloth around their head.
Zhang Zian whispered, warning Richard to shut up at the suitable time, especially not to joke with these women wearing black burqa robes. Men could not have any physical contact with these women covered in black. Otherwise, it would cause a lot of trouble.
Before his departure, Wei Kang had also given orders emphasizing the need to respect the local customs, which was both for courtesy and safety.
Richard could speak Arabic and had no door on his mouth. It would be easy to get people upset and make trouble because of his jokes.
It saw his expression and tone was extremely serious when he was speaking and knew there was no way to bargain about this. He expressed that he understood, feeling like it was a pity.
Not only was he observing the locals, but the locals were also curiously looking at him.
The appearance of yellow skin and black hair was very rare in the region because Egypt was not a popular tourist destination for Chinese, Japanese, or Korean citizens. Most of the tourists here were Europeans and Americans. It was just like the feeling of Chinese people watching foreigners at the beginning of the reform and opening up in the last century. What’s more, this one had a cat and a dog with him.
“This place is so dirty.”
After passing the bridge, Famous carefully avoided some rubbish under its feet. These kinds of rubbish were increasing ahead of them.
Fina shook its ears. Obviously, it did not feel good listening to these words. Even though it had not been back here for many years, it was still its hometown. Being told by other people that your hometown was very dirty in front of your face, most people would not feel happy.
But the facts were all there, and they couldn’t be refuted, because they were the truth. It really was dirty, even dirtier than it had been two thousand years ago, and the air quality was poor. It was extremely dry and mixed with the choking odors of gasoline and exhaust.
It suddenly realized that, before it knew it, it had gradually become accustomed to the wet and slightly fishy atmosphere of the coastal city, to the four distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, to the clouds, wind, frost, rain, and snow, to the clean streets and the taste of the pet shop’s disinfected water…
In its heart, it also disliked the dirtiness and chaos here and felt ashamed because of this. It knew that it shouldn’t think that way, because no matter what, this was its home.
It practically laid its head on the ground.
“It’s really quite dirty. Everyone take notice of where you are stepping as you walk,” Zhang Zian said. “There is hardly anyone here to clean up the garbage, and it doesn’t rain all year round. There is no way to wash away the garbage by rainwater, and the garbage can only keep building up.”
Famous was speechless for a moment. “The people of Egypt are really too lazy. They’re willing to live in a garbage dump. Even in the past when I lived in a dog den in an American farm it was cleaner than here!”
“It’s the modern Egyptians who are lazy, not the ancient Egyptians,” Zhang Zian corrected. “Don’t forget that modern Egyptians and ancient Egyptians are completely different. Whether hard-working or intelligent, the ancient Egyptians were absolutely no less than the ancient Chinese, or any other ancient nation. Otherwise they would not rely on crude tools to build amazing pyramids, and a series of other miraculous buildings, while other civilizations were still eating dirt. The mystery of the method has not yet been thoroughly solved.”
Famous nodded. “I’ve heard of the pyramids for a long time. You are right. I’ve said the wrong thing.”
Fina was moved in its heart.
Right!
Why did it need to feel embarrassed?
This was indeed its hometown, but its hometown had been occupied by foreigners. What was the relationship between it and the foreigners who had made a mess of it?
Why did it need to take responsibility for the foreigners’ mistakes?
On the contrary, the more ruthlessly foreigners laid waste to this place, the more it could show the greatness and splendor of the Holy Black Land!
Thinking about that, its embarrassment and humiliation were totally gone.
It secretly took a glance at Zhang Zian. This useless servant was quite good at speaking sometimes.
So it proudly raised its chest and head, and instead looked at everything it could with a critical and compassionate eye.
“It is really dirty here,” it said in a rare show of agreement.
