Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 170 - 167 Singing a Different Tune

Great Ocean Road, highway code B100, is definitely one of the must-visit attractions for those who love to travel in Australia.

This coastal road, with a total length of 243 kilometers, is considered one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world and is also the "treasure of the state" of Victoria where Melbourne is located.

Calm bays, magnificent beaches, lush rain forests, endless pastures, and tranquil towns—just a few short hours’ drive west from Melbourne allows one to see countless beautiful sights of the world.

Along the way, you can surf in the azure waters, take a helicopter ride to view the Twelve Apostles Island from above, or stroll among the treetops of the towering primeval forests.

If they say, when you go to Beijing, you must visit the Great Wall, then when you go to Melbourne, you must visit the Great Ocean Road.

Driving along the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles Island often makes one forget they’re in a car, and instead feel as if they’ve stepped into one painting after another.

Even a casual snapshot with a phone would capture a scene as beautiful as a postcard.

"The Great Ocean Road is a road that hasn’t experienced war, yet it originated from war. You see it as a road, but in reality, it’s a monument," Wei Fengsui would stop the car at scenic spots to let everyone take in the view and then he would provide some explanations, playing the role of a temporary tour guide.

"Such a long monument? Is that for real?" Yan Yan, who had been in Melbourne for several years, had never heard this statement and suddenly became as curious as a child.

Yan Yan hadn’t really spoken much with Wei Fengsui before, but now they were on a break during the journey, with everyone else off the bus to ’release their memory,’ leaving just Yan Yan and Wei Fengsui together.

"Do you know what World War I was called before World War II came?" tour guide Wei Fengsui asked the curious Yan Yan.

"The Great War." Yan Yan definitely still remembered this term, which is often used in English to specifically refer to World War I.

"The ’Great’ in ’Great Ocean Road’ comes from the Great in ’Great War,’" Wei Fengsui offered his explanation.

"Come on! The Great Wall is also ’The Great Wall’—so why don’t you say the Great Ocean Road was built in memory of the Great Wall?" Yan Yan suddenly felt that Wei Fengsui, as a temporary tour guide, was being too casual with his interpretation.

Wei Fengsui’s statement was indeed a little too casual, not fitting his character as someone who bursts with responsibility.

"World War I ended in 1918, and this road was started in 1919, only being completed in 1932.

During World War I, Australia was not a battlefield, but between 1914 and 1918, 330,000 Australians, as soldiers of a British colony, participated in the British wars in Europe and the Middle East.

World War I was definitely the war with the highest casualty rate in Australian history, with 160,000 wounded and 60,000 killed, leading to a casualty rate that exceeded 64%.

Australian soldiers paid a terrible price in World War I, and this figure of 64% was the highest among all the countries involved in the war.

However, upon returning home, the surviving soldiers encountered the Great Depression, when the unemployment rate was already very low.

The Returned and Services League of Victoria, with no other choice, arranged for 3,000 veterans who were still able to work to build the Great Ocean Road.

Along the Great Ocean Road, there are monuments commemorating its construction, but the entire road itself is a memorial to World War I.

Because World War I was called the Great War, so the road was named the Great Ocean Road," Wei Fengsui explained in detail to Yan Yan the connection between the Great Ocean Road and World War I.

"Oh, I see, so that’s how it is. Brother Fengsui knows everything about historical and current events. It seems that if Brother Fengsui ever changes careers to become a tour guide, he would definitely be a top-rate one," Yan Yan immediately retracted her previous skepticism.

"I’m just more familiar with the Great Ocean Road. My daughter’s favorite thing is a picture book about the history of the Great Ocean Road," Wei Fengsui said earnestly.

"What? Brother Fengsui, you’re married? Then how come I’ve never seen your wife or daughter?" Yan Yan felt a bit surprised.

Though they hadn’t known each other long, in the past two weeks Wei Fengsui had always been on call, ready to lend a hand, and he didn’t seem like someone with a family.

"Of course I’m married, my younger brother Pili is only 25 and my parents call him three to five times a day to urge him to find a partner.

If I still weren’t married by now, my parents probably wouldn’t even want to speak with me.

It’s just that the school’s on break recently, so my wife took the kids back to the country to visit relatives," Wei Fengsui answered with a smile.

"That’s the way it is, then when your kid comes back, bring her over and I’ll give her a makeover," Yan Yan had never tried designing children’s clothing.

.........

Lei Pili, Yan Yan, and Qi Yi, grouped together again in the car as it started moving once more.

As they resumed chatting, the topic shifted from Qi Yi’s interest in Yan Yan’s freshman year to how Qi Yi managed to win over Yan Yan, which Lei Pili was most concerned about.

Lei Pili realized that he had known Yan Yan for three whole years less than Qi Yi, with no advantage whatsoever.

What’s more, to his dismay, Lei Pili found out that Qi Yi hadn’t made much of an effort to pursue Yan Yan and was actually the reason why Yan Yan had rejected everyone else.

Qi Yi was at odds with Lei Pili throughout the trip.

Lei Pili said that many boys queued up to pursue Yan Yan in college.

Qi Yi said that in high school, Yan Yan wasn’t sought after at all and that he reluctantly took her under his wing.

Lei Pili said that Yan Yan was good at English and could attend class with fourth-year English majors as a freshman.

Qi Yi said that Yan Yan’s English scores in the college entrance and mock exams had never been perfect.

Lei Pili said Yan Yan was a stunning sight at Xiamen University, with a fashion style many girls wanted to imitate but couldn’t.

Qi Yi said Yan Yan was a weirdo in Wenzhou High School and when he met her, she wore nothing but school uniforms.

Lei Pili’s praise for Yan Yan starkly contrasted with Qi Yi’s "disparagement," perfectly highlighting the difference between their statuses.

The way Yan Yan leaned against Qi Yi had a charm that was both dazzling and delicate.

It was a beautiful picture, so beautiful that it hurt Lei Pili’s eyes.

Lei Pili suddenly understood much—none of the reasons like not being admitted to national ministries or not being taller than 178 centimeters matter as much as the simple truth of the two words "Qi Yi."