Rebirth Must Be Happy

Wow, this feels so good.

"It has a classic and antique feel."

The hotel they booked was located on the Southern Song Imperial Street, where vehicles were prohibited. Xu Jinhuan and his group called ahead and parked their car nearby before walking over.

The four girls were visiting for the first time. They walked along the street with their bags on their backs and were very satisfied and excited with the street scene.

Xu Jinhuan had seen this many times before, so he didn't take it to heart and naturally didn't spoil their fun. He helped them carry their things and let them take pictures.

Chen Xingruo and Xie Wanqing both had cameras, but neither of them brought them. Firstly, they weren't very good at taking pictures, and secondly, they didn't think that mobile phone photography was bad.

Based on Xu Jinhuan's own experience, the 800-megapixel camera on his iPhone 4S is tolerable in terms of resolution and focal length compared to the exaggerated flagship phones of more than a decade later. The most inconvenient thing is the shooting experience, as it is easy to take blurry photos.

Fortunately, whether they use a camera or a mobile phone, they always have to take many photos before they can get one that satisfies them, so there isn't much difference in that respect.

The most important reason is that everyone knows what the three elements of a portrait are, so taking photos of these people is not difficult; a mobile phone is enough.

The real inconvenience is having to keep charging it.

Before even entering the hotel, I spent half an hour taking photos on the street. Many pedestrians cast their gazes at me; some gave me kind smiles, while others looked on with envy.

This envy may not be directed at the four girls' appearances, but rather at the youthful energy they exude through their appearance and behavior.

Especially Song Zhiyu and Chen Xingruo, they were noticeably more lively than Xie Wanqing and Chen Xingzhu, even when taking photos.

"Hey, I've got a way to take this picture!"

Song Zhiyu had just stood by the roadside and had Xu Jinhuan take a picture of her. Before she could even look at it, she jumped up and ran to the side to call out to Chen Xingzhu and Chen Xingruo, gesturing and saying, "You two are standing face to face... no!"

She was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly became annoyed, "I wanted you two to take a picture facing each other, pretending there was a mirror, but you're wearing different clothes... Oh dear, how about you wear the same clothes tomorrow?"

"Why do you treat us like toys?"

Chen Xingruo rolled her eyes at her, "I'm not wearing it, just so you can be angry!"

"Hey, please put it on!"

The two younger sisters started making a fuss again, so Xie Wanqing and Chen Xingzhu stopped taking pictures and went to the hotel with their bags.

There are three rooms: Chen Xingzhu and Chen Xingruo share one room, Xie Wanqing and Song Zhiyu share one room, and Xu Jinhuan and himself share one room.

"Eat! Eat!"

After a short rest and informing their families of their itinerary, the five of them went downstairs for a stroll. At that time, the Southern Song Dynasty street ruins were still being displayed behind glass. They walked around for a while and found something to eat.

Both the Southern Song Imperial Street and Hefang Street are "tourist-only." The various snacks look lively and smell delicious, but the taste is just so-so.

"Unappetizing!"

They mostly bought roast chicken, beef patties, pastries, and other food based on online guides and by following the crowd. They took several photos of the food and arranged it all together. It looked very appetizing, but they weren't very satisfied with the taste. After each person tried a little, they didn't really want to eat anymore.

Xie Wanqing and Chen Xingzhu were more composed. Although they didn't particularly like it, it wasn't bad either, so they ate it anyway. Song Zhiyu and Chen Xingruo, however, couldn't sit still and went to buy other things.

"If you're not going to eat it, then give it to me."

The beef patty was a bit oily. Xu Jinhuan noticed that Chen Xingzhu had eaten half of it and was slowing down considerably. He smiled and said, "I think it's more fragrant when it's a bit oily."

Although Chen Xingruo and Song Zhiyu were not there, Xie Wanqing was still nearby. Chen Xingzhu hesitated for a moment, her cheeks slightly flushed, as she watched him take away the remaining half of her pancake.

"Sister, would you like to eat this?"

She was feeling a little embarrassed when she saw Xu Jinhuan take most of Xie Wanqing's roasted pig's trotter away.

Xie Wanqing was clearly a little uncomfortable, glancing at him and then at Chen Xingzhu.

Chen Xingzhu turned her head and looked around, then asked with a smile, "Sister, would you like to see what else we can eat?"

"Okay."

Xie Wanqing nodded and went with her to find other snacks.

"Brother, try this."

Xu Jinhuan had just finished eating the pancake and pig's trotter when Song Zhiyu and Chen Xingruo returned, smiling as they handed him a plate of scallion pancakes. "I only ate one bite, I didn't even have the heart to eat more... It's quite delicious."

"Believe it or not."

Xu Jinhuan pursed her lips, noticing a bite taken out of it, but didn't seem to mind. She tasted it and said, "It tastes alright..."

"Right? I didn't trick you, did I?"

Song Zhiyu also bought a pastry and sat down to eat it. Chen Xingruo shared a few bites with her and nodded, saying, "It's alright, the red bean paste is quite delicious, but it's a bit too sweet..."

"I feel so too."

Song Zhiyu placed the pastries in front of Xu Jinhuan again, "Try some... wait..."

She habitually handed it over, then suddenly realized that Chen Xingruo had just taken a bite of the pastry. Just as she was about to stop her, Xu Jinhuan had already taken it and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "It's pretty good... What's wrong?"

"You..." Chen Xingruo was munching on a grilled sausage when she saw Xu Jinhuan eat the pastry as well. She was a little dumbfounded and blushed as she said, "Then... I..."

Xu Jinhuan looked at her strangely.

"Um...I...I'm fine now!"

He had already eaten it, so there was no point in saying anything more. Chen Xingruo chose to remain silent, since it wasn't her who was at a disadvantage anyway.

Throughout the journey, the four girls drank water, shared fruit and snacks without much distinction, and were barely able to adapt and act like strangers. However, Xu Jinhuan was, after all, a boy, and this was still a bit too much for her.

Do you want some?

Chen Xingzhu and Xie Wanqing returned soon after, bringing two roast chickens, which this time were more to their liking.

Although the girls didn't eat much of anything, they ate a variety of things, so they weren't hungry. Xu Jinhuan didn't buy anything; she was almost full just from picking up what they left over.

After finishing their meal, the five of them each had a cup of milk tea and walked towards Liulang Wenying to reach the West Lake.

Just like in the painting!

As the setting sun cast its last rays, it outlined the undulating mountains along the lake, looking as if it had been pulled from a landscape painting. Song Zhiyu stood there with her arms outstretched, feeling the gentle breeze on the lake, then suddenly turned to Xu Jinhuan in surprise and asked, "No entrance fee?"

"It's been free for ten years."

Xu Jinhuan laughed and said, "Now only a few attractions such as Leifeng Pagoda and Yue Fei Temple charge admission fees; the rest are open to the public directly."

"so good?"

Before it got dark, the group took turns taking photos by the lake, initially grouping themselves randomly, with Xu Jinhuan remaining the main photographer.

"Let me take a picture for you."

After the girls took photos, Chen Xingzhu came over, took the phone from Xu Jinhuan, and took photos for him.

"This one is nice."

Song Zhiyu watched from the side. After Chen Xingzhu finished taking pictures of Xu Jinhuan, she walked to Xu Jinhuan's side and said to Chen Xingzhu, "Sister Xingzhu, can you take a picture of me and my brother together?"

"Ah."

Under the watchful eyes of Xie Wanqing and Chen Xingruo, Chen Xingzhu calmly nodded, carefully holding the phone's design, and reminded, "Xu Jinhuan, turn your face slightly towards me, look at the camera... Zhizhi, get closer to him..."

"Click"

She quickly took a picture, looked at it herself, and then took another one, "in a different pose."

"I'll help you take a picture with my brother."

Song Zhiyu came over to take a look and seemed quite satisfied with the photos. She then took the photos and asked Chen Xingzhu to take a picture with Xu Jinhuan, saying, "Don't worry, I'm also very good at taking pictures."

Chen Xingzhu walked over, and Xu Jinhuan smiled and gestured for her to stand next to him, with the lake, mountains and sunset as the background, smiling at the camera.

"Click"

"Click"

I don't know how good Song Zhiyu's photography skills are, but she takes pictures much faster than Chen Xingzhu, and she keeps taking pictures.

"This one is nice."

"This one doesn't have its eyes open, so funny... This one's alright though..."

Chen Xingruo and Xie Wanqing then commented on the photos.

Chen Xingzhu went over to look at the photos, and then said to Xie Wanqing, "Sister Wanqing, why don't you go and take some pictures with him?"

"..."

Xu Jinhuan felt strange and didn't know what to say. He was actually a little tired of standing, but at this point, even if his legs broke, he certainly couldn't say he wouldn't take the photo. So he roused himself and took a group photo with Xie Wanqing, even changing into different poses.

"Mom, what is that older brother?"

Xu Jinhuan was smiling in agreement when she suddenly noticed a little girl pointing at her and asking in a childish voice, "Is he a doll too? Why is everyone taking pictures with him..."

"..."

Xu Jinhuan was stunned for a moment before realizing what the girl meant. Seeing that Song Zhiyu and the others were taking turns taking pictures with him, she thought he was a tourist attraction in the West Lake scenic area.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Song Zhiyu was the first to understand what the little girl meant, so she stopped taking pictures and just laughed while clutching her stomach.

Chen Xingruo quickly understood what was going on, and laughed out loud while holding her sister's shoulder. Chen Xingzhu couldn't help but chuckle, but was too embarrassed to laugh too much, so she restrained herself.

Xie Wanqing was still completely confused, not understanding what they were laughing at. She even wondered if there was something wrong with her and Xu Jinhuan's pose for the photo. She looked at him, then at herself, and subconsciously stepped aside. (End of Chapter)