Chapter 778: Five Thousand Years of Righteous Spirit

"Yesterday, when Jin Peng just came back, I chatted with him for a while, and he told me that many people in the Soviet Union now are actually already close to the West in their hearts..."

"And when I was in the Lighthouse, I also heard some rumors. Back in '58, after that batch of Soviet students arrived in the Lighthouse, someone suggested that they should be treated well."

"Let them sing the Lighthouse's songs, dance the Lighthouse's dances, identify with the Lighthouse's culture, make them believe that the concept of freedom is the only truth in the world, and make them think that the Lighthouse is the supreme beacon of light in this world..."

"..."

Li Ye wasn't sure how much overlap there was between the thoughts of someone at Teacher Ke's level and a small fry like himself, so he couldn't tell her "there's a student named Yeltsin." He could only reveal a glimpse of the heavenly secret in the way of "I heard."

In fact, the Lighthouse's cultural output had always been ongoing; it hoped to use its own strength to make everyone else agree with its point of view.

If you analyze it carefully, wasn't this the same path taken by the Great Tang and the Great Qing? Regardless of your lineage, we can all be included in one framework.

But in the end, who was the core of this framework? Was it the Hu people? Was it the Han people?

Think about when Li Shimin was playing polo in Chang'an back then—did those Hu players perform with all their might just to get a cup of reward wine?

While worshiping strength, they lost themselves.

After Li Ye finished speaking, Teacher Ke also looked at him calmly, until he felt a chill in his heart.

"I heard from Xiao Yu that you have quite a few good things in your study?"

"Oh, yes, I do like to tinker with little trinkets. Why don't you take a look, Mom?"

"..."

A moment later, in Li Ye's study, Teacher Ke was rummaging through Li Ye's collection of jade while "chatting" with Li Ye in a desultory manner.

"I used to find it a bit strange. Since you are earning money in the Lighthouse, why are you so resistant to studying abroad? Now, listening to you, do you think studying abroad... is wrong?"

"That's definitely not it," Li Ye said frankly. "Although the Lighthouse providing us with government-funded students and scholarships must have its ulterior motives..."

"But we now need to absorb advanced technology and advanced management ideas from overseas. Sending students abroad is a very correct method, it's just... I'm afraid that others will smuggle in private goods."

"Smuggle in private goods..."

Teacher Ke toyed with a small jade ruyi and raised an eyebrow to ask Li Ye: "How much do you know? Tell me about it."

Li Ye took a risk and observed Teacher Ke. He felt that she actually knew about this issue, but she certainly didn't know the consequences as clearly as Li Ye did.

"Actually, I don't know much either. It's just that I happen to have some business in the Lighthouse, Japan, and South Korea, so I often ask them to collect some information and have learned about some strange things..."

Li Ye carefully organized his thoughts, then said in a deep voice: "My friend in Japan is an old guy, and there's a saying of his that I'm not sure is right or not,

"He said that the Lighthouse used a method against Japan, which was 'pulling out the man's spine and taking away the woman's sense of shame'."

"After he arrived in Japan, he first watched old movies like 'Seven Samurai'. He felt that Japan really still had unextinguished ambitions, but looking at the new movies from these years, he felt the flavor had changed..."

"..."

Li Ye said a lot about social observations in Japan, explaining the Lighthouse's "de-masculinization plan" for Japan more bluntly to Teacher Ke.

Teacher Ke was in charge of education; letting her pay attention to this issue, at the very least, would do no harm.

In '87, Japan still had tough guys like Ken Takakura in charge, but in just a few years, it would be Takuya Kimura.

After Takuya Kimura started doing lipstick commercials, the bloodiness of the Showa men began to accelerate its loss. The country that gave birth to the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps actually became a base for beautiful boys, and even nurtured a new style of 'danmei' (boys' love) that had existed since the 30s and 40s.

But look at its godfather: does the Lighthouse's Hollywood have movies with that style?

Abnormal murderers can be protagonists, but sissies can't.

However, after Li Ye finished speaking, Teacher Ke looked at Li Ye strangely. A moment later, she said with amusement: "Li Ye, do you feel that you belong to the 'pretty' kind of boy? What you just said also scolded yourself in."

"..."

"Mom, I'm handsome, not pretty," Li Ye said helplessly. "And what I meant was that men shouldn't use too many cosmetics, shouldn't be too effeminate. I am a masculine man..."

"Mm-hmm, don't be anxious. I knew you were a man back in Qingshui County; you are very good at fighting..."

"..."

Li Ye sighed, truly speechless.

Teacher Ke, you are a high-level cadre after all, how can you make fun of people like this?

However, after Teacher Ke laughed, she said seriously: "Alright, alright, I will pay attention to what you said later. Now tell me about the second half of the sentence: what is your view on taking away a woman's sense of shame?"

Li Ye thought for a moment and said: "For this, I only understand a part of it. To summarize, it is... encouraging women to get something for nothing, or to obtain more benefits through easier ways."

"..."

Teacher Ke was clearly stunned, then asked: "Are you talking about... improper relationships between men and women?"

"Not entirely."

Li Ye hurriedly explained: "When I went to participate in the Tokyo Film Festival, I heard locals talk about the 'four wallets' of Japanese women. They started seeking ways to profit outside of work..."

"..."

"Li Ye, the issue you mentioned is a bit one-sided. Housewives also have their own self-esteem and rights. Otherwise, wouldn't female comrades without jobs be inferior?"

Teacher Ke clearly hadn't realized the issue Li Ye mentioned, and even seemed somewhat disapproving.

Because in the 80s, the ability of mainland women to create wealth and be self-reliant was very strong. The female labor participation rate exceeded 80%, ranking among the top in the world. "Women hold up half the sky" was really not just empty talk.

But in the decades that followed, this proportion showed a declining trend. According to data from the International Labour Organization, the labor participation rate of mainland women aged 15-64 dropped from 11th in 2000 to 51st in 2022.

By 2019, the female labor participation rate had dropped to 68.57%. Among the top 15 countries in global GDP, it had the largest decline in labor participation rate. In other words, the phenomenon of "not engaging in production" was gradually invading the mainland female group.

Marrying a rich man, being well-provided for, and spending money until one's hands went soft was becoming the mainstream consciousness for some people.

"Being inferior is definitely wrong, it's just that I don't understand either..."

Li Ye had originally wanted to elaborate, but looking at Teacher Ke's expression, he felt that saying it would be in vain.

In this day and age, there were still many men who beat their wives! As a woman, Teacher Ke might be striving for equal status for women; how could she realize the result of 'things turn into their opposites'?

A few decades later, you beat your wife?

Who beats whom is not even certain!

Li Ye didn't reject housewives, but what about housewives who wait for their husbands to come home to do all the work?

And the strange thing is, their consumption power is extremely strong.

Not creating wealth, yet having extremely strong consumption power... besides others transferring payments, what other explanation could there be?

Look at the events of later generations, then look at that 'Wang Po' program. The moral level of a certain group is on the verge of dropping to the level of scammers. Isn't this phenomenon worth alerting people?

You have to know that the Lighthouse used this trick to kill South Korea.

Look at how a certain JD invited 'Hat Sister' to endorse, and then incited a fierce reaction from a group of straight men. Shouldn't that also be thought-provoking?

Teacher Ke chatted with Li Ye for a while longer, then seriously asked Li Ye: "You told me so much, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Li Ye straightened his back and said seriously: "Mom, I think we should strengthen historical and cultural education for children from a young age, so that the five thousand years of righteous spirit of our Zhonghua family can become the strongest shield against foreign aggression."

"..."

Teacher Ke was stunned for several seconds before smiling and saying: "Is that really what you think?"

Li Ye said in surprise: "Mom, not only do I think so, but I'm also doing it! Fancy cars, horses, and disco are indeed addictive, but aren't the 'Four Sentences of Hengqu' thought-provoking?"

"..."

Teacher Ke was silent. She remembered Li Ye's many works and understood that Li Ye seemed to have been doing some things a long time ago.

In his previous life, Li Ye had also been confused. Looking at the popular golf, baseball, rap, Latin dance, etc., he asked himself in a daze: "Zhonghua has five thousand years of history; what sports have been passed down?"

At least before the 2000s, in front of Western noble sports, the traditions of the Zhonghua family seemed to have no power to fight back.

But later, Li Ye saw lion dancing, heard new singing of operas, and saw the White Snake carrying the Green Snake, only then did he know how much family wealth the ancestors had left for their unworthy descendants.

Some things can destroy Japan and South Korea, but in front of the Zhonghua family, they don't seem to be enough.

Because those two were both apprentices of the Zhonghua family, half-bottles of vinegar, who hadn't received the true teachings. ===== CHAPTER 779 =====