Clearly, this was a relatively isolated place. Our arrival immediately aroused the curiosity of a group of children near the bridge. From their clothing, I could tell that the area was still in extreme poverty. Some of the younger children wore only small bibs made of homespun cloth, while the older children wore worn-out, indistinguishable shades of gray. Most of them were barefoot, and the occasional slightly older child wore yellowish-green canvas shoes that had long since disappeared from the city…
After our group entered the village, it immediately aroused the curiosity of the local villagers towards us outsiders, as well as some wariness and vigilance.
I was carrying a jar in my arms. Inside were Uncle Qi's ashes. I was walking at the very back.
The driver stayed at the bridgehead to check the car. We had some gasoline on board, enough to get us out of the mountains and to the nearest gas station on our way back.
After some confirmation, we are certain that this place is the place where Uncle Seven and Uncle Eight lived back then!
After much effort, including with the help of the driver who had come with us (who was the only one who could barely understand the local dialect), we even managed to find one or two people who supposedly knew Uncle Qi. These people were probably around the same age as Uncle Qi, but because of the hard work in the mountains, they looked like they were in their sixties.
I was curious about everything in this mountain village because I was the only one who had heard Uncle Qi tell his story from back then.
The village is not large, with only a little over two hundred people.
We first found the village chief and then spoke with him. It was already dinnertime... To be honest, the poverty here far exceeded my expectations... This village is probably one of the poorest areas. Almost all the families in the village are farmers and mountain dwellers. There are no restaurants in the village, very few outsiders, and no shops. It is said that the villagers buy the goods they need by going to a town about 15 kilometers away every once in a while.
But to my surprise, there's actually a school here... if it can even be considered a school.
The dilapidated mud-brick house had at least four holes in its roof, and the blackboard on it was a substitute made of sediment from the bottom of a pot.
To my surprise, this classroom had one of the few electric lights in the whole village! The textbooks were old, the desks and chairs were broken, and the back was even made of stones that had been moved over.
What surprised me even more was that this primary school was organized by the only person among the group who went to the countryside with Uncle Qi and the others back then who did not return to the city. It's just a pity that the old gentleman passed away last year, and his grave is located at the end of the village.
I inquired about "A-Wang," the woman with whom Seventh Uncle had a past romantic entanglement. Of course, if she were still alive, she would be fifty years old by now.
We did find out about that; we even found Awang's house... a mud house that had long since collapsed, with only a few walls remaining, and most of it had been converted into a cowshed.
Upon inquiry, it was learned that back then, in order to protect her seventh uncle, Awang married into a neighboring village. After her seventh uncle and his group left and returned to the city, Awang's parents, who lived in the village, both died of illness. After marrying into the neighboring village, Awang reportedly disappeared without a trace. The neighboring village no longer exists; it was relocated entirely as part of a government development plan for the mountainous area.
Everything went cold, with no clues left to follow.
I originally came here hoping to find even a trace of what Uncle Seven or Uncle Eight left behind... but unfortunately, decades have passed, and everything has vanished. Even the two local villagers I found who might have known Uncle Seven or Uncle Eight could barely remember them.
I thought for a while, then walked to the end of the village. Beside the stream there stood an old tree, and not far away was a solitary grave. It was the grave of the old man who had gone to the countryside with Uncle Qi back then, the one who built the primary school here.
I hesitated for a moment and gave up my original plan... Originally, I wanted to find an auspicious burial site here and give Uncle Qi a grand funeral... But now it seems that the conditions here are too poor, and it is not suitable for a grand funeral, let alone a luxurious and high-end tomb or burial site.
I stood by the river, smoked a cigarette for a while, and then suddenly opened the urn of ashes I was holding...
I stood by the riverbank, scattering handfuls of Uncle Seven's ashes into the water. The white ashes rose and fell silently onto the river, quickly spreading out...
“Seventh Uncle, perhaps you had your reasons for choosing this place.” I looked at the sky and the mountains, then looked back at the lonely grave in the distance. I sighed and murmured, “Seventh Uncle, I will scatter your ashes here. Along this stream, you can stay peacefully in this village… There is an old friend of yours here to keep you company. You must know him, right?”
After scattering the ashes, I gently clapped my hands and looked back at my companions standing behind me. When I scattered the ashes, they all stood a few meters behind me, their faces solemn. Even the little girl, though looking bewildered, didn't dare utter a word.
"Let's go. Let's go back." I made the decision quickly.
Yan Di didn't say anything, walked to my side, and gently took my arm.
Before we left, I asked everyone to take out all the cash they were carrying, leaving only the portion for the driver's payment, and donating the rest, totaling over 100,000 RMB, to the primary school in this village.
I carefully wrote down the donor's name: "Zhang Jianhua".
This is Uncle Qi's real name.
After another six hours of bumpy travel, our group finally returned to Lijiang City at 3 a.m. We checked into one of the best hotels in Lijiang on Shangri-La Street, the most bustling street in the city. Luckily, it was not the peak tourist season, otherwise we probably wouldn't have been able to book a room.
Seeing that I was in a bad mood, Yan Di was deliberately gentle with me that night.
The next day, I saw everyone speaking to me cautiously... After all, I was the leader of everyone, and if I was always in a bad mood, I was afraid everyone would feel very depressed.
Despite having rested for a night, everyone looked tired after the previous day's bumpy ride.
Looking at my woman beside me and the brothers who had followed me all this way, I suddenly smiled and said, "Alright, everyone, we've finished our business... You've all worked hard these past few days. Let's explore Lijiang Old Town today and stay here for another day before heading back tomorrow."
"Oh!!!" Although the adults were all very happy, none of them shouted it out, but the little girl couldn't help but dance with joy.
What I didn't expect was that staying in Lijiang for an extra day... this decision brought about some wonderful changes.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 125: Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land
Shangri-La Street in Lijiang City faces the distant Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and is the most bustling street in this small city.
At the same time, due to this special geographical environment and unique scenery, the land prices here have been driven up to a very high level... Who wouldn't want to live in a house where, every day when they open their window, they can see the majestic and beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance?
I know that many wealthy people in China like to buy a villa on Shangri-La Street as a vacation palace. Since we decided to stay in Lijiang for an extra day today, Yan Di and I came out of the hotel and stood on the street looking at the majestic snow-capped mountains in the distance...
"That snow-capped mountain must be over 5,000 meters high, right?" I thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Would you like to go see it?"
Yan Di thought for a moment, then smiled sweetly: "I'll just follow you."
I was also tempted, but considering the time constraints, I decided against it. Besides, Yan Di was a bit tired, and I was worried she might experience altitude sickness if I took her up the snow mountain at this time.
"Then let's buy a villa here." I looked at a newly built upscale villa area not far away, probably where wealthy people buy their own private residences. "That way we can come here for tourism in the future... Hmm, how about we come back for tourism when we have the chance?"
Yan Di thought for a moment, then looked at me gently and said, "I'll listen to you."
Since it was a casual trip anyway, we decided to split up and travel separately. I was alone with Yan Di, and only Hammer was by my side as my bodyguard, never leaving my side. The little girl originally wanted to come with me, but Lei Xiaohu tapped her on the head and whispered, "You little third wheel!" Then he forcibly dragged her away.
Lijiang Old Town truly lives up to its reputation.
The serene blue flagstone path, the houses—all perfectly reminiscent of a Jiangnan water town. Small bridges, flowing water…
Only here did I truly breathe a sigh of relief.
With Uncle Qi's business settled, the weight that had been pressing on my heart these past few days seemed to finally lift away from me the moment I left Xiaowanggou last night.
Along the way, I saw shops selling Naxi ethnic handicrafts. What interested me most was a Western fast food restaurant located at the north entrance of the ancient town. All the menus on one wall outside the restaurant were actually made in a version of ancient Naxi pictographs. It was quite interesting.
Yan Di seemed quite happy too, after all, I was taking the time to relax completely. The time I've spent traveling with her has been far too little… I thought about it, even in Canada, it's been over half a year, and I don't think I've taken her out even once… not to mention traveling. And this girl, silently by my side every day, warming me with her gentleness day after day.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and tenderness towards the girl beside me.
We arrived at the north entrance of the town. In the distance, we saw a large, distinctive-looking waterwheel, and we were eager to go take a look. However, as we approached, we found ourselves blocked off. There was a cordon, with people wearing name tags politely asking us not to come any closer. It seemed a company was filming an advertisement and had temporarily rented this small area, accompanied by staff from the ancient town scenic area.
They were very polite, so I naturally wouldn't make a fuss. I just stood at a distance and watched. I saw a camera crew member nervously adjusting the lens, lighting, and so on.
We watched for a while, and there seemed to be a model... because I heard other onlookers say that the company was shooting a female model... and everyone was praising how beautiful she was... She seems to have gone to the back to change her makeup. She must really be a beauty; those who had the chance to see her in person before lingered for a long time—mostly men, of course.
I was incredibly bored listening to this, and the legendary beautiful female model hadn't even appeared yet, so I had no interest in watching any longer. But Yan Di begged me to watch a little longer.
A thought flashed through my mind, and I immediately understood. Girls, especially beautiful ones, are always interested in other beautiful women; even a girl like Yan Di is no exception. If they hear about other beautiful women, they'll unconsciously compare themselves to them…
I didn't expose the girl's little secret, and just smiled and waited with her for a while.
Just as Yan Di craned his neck, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the beauty praised by others as if she were a celestial being, I suddenly heard a voice behind me, filled with surprise and delight, say, "Hey? Xiao Wu? Is that you?"
Looking back, I saw Aze standing not far behind me. He was wearing a strange printed T-shirt and his hair was a little messy, which only accentuated his slightly decadent temperament.
The words printed on the T-shirt left me speechless...
His chest had the words "Couples, go to hell" written on it! But when he came over and patted my shoulder, I saw a line of big words behind him that read "Go to hell, go to hell group".
"Xiao Wu? Is it really you? When I saw you from afar just now, I thought I was seeing things!" Aze stared at me with a look of surprise, then glanced at Yan Di and deliberately made a lecherous face: "Ah ha, beautiful lady, long time no see, come on, let's have a warm, purely friendly hug!" Yan Di had known Aze for a long time and naturally knew that he liked to make such jokes, so she just smiled.
I laughed and pulled him aside before looking at him curiously: "What are you doing in Lijiang?"
"That... well, shouldn't I be asking you that?" Aze chuckled. "So, you've had enough in Vancouver and want to come here to retire and live in seclusion?"
"Damn it!" I punched him in the chest, then glanced at him and, without a word, opened my arms for a warm hug. But this bastard deliberately yelled, "No! Don't hug me! A handsome guy like me doesn't want people to misunderstand me as gay!!"
"Alright, stop fooling around." I chuckled softly. "I'm here on business. I just finished and was planning to rest for a day before heading back tomorrow. What about you?"
"Me?" Aze smiled, but his smile was mysterious. "I'm here... well, to take care of some business. But you'll never guess what it is!"
I'm not particularly interested in his affairs; I figure he's probably just here to pick up girls again.
What I really want to know... is actually...
I hesitated for a moment, coughed, pulled Aze to the side, looked around, and said to cover up my embarrassment, "Um... are you the only one who came to Lijiang this time? The others... um, Mu Tou... and Qiao Qiao! Didn't they come?"
Aze smiled slyly. He squinted at me for a while before sighing and shaking his head: "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
I was a little dissatisfied and pressed further, "What do you mean by 'no'? Is it that Wood didn't come... or that Qiaoqiao didn't come?"
"Nonsense." Aze said with a mocking laugh, "If you were just worried about Mu Tou, would you look so eager? And you even pulled me aside to avoid Yan Di, the little beauty... Hmph, I say, Xiao Wu, you're pretty quick, aren't you... But, my god, I was just joking with you guys back in Nanjing, I never thought you'd actually be with her??"
My face flushed red: "What do you mean, 'with her'..."
"Relax!" Aze grinned broadly, "We've been friends for so many years, do you really think we're blind? We could see how Qiaoqiao felt about you back in Vietnam... Sigh, but you're disappointed. This time in Lijiang, it's just me. Mutou and Qiaoqiao didn't come. Mutou, well, he's always been lazy and doesn't like to go out. And Qiaoqiao..." He paused, then frowned slightly, "But things are a bit complicated this time. I've only seen Miss Qiao a few times in the last few months. She said her old man forcibly dragged her back from Canada, and she was locked up for a week after returning home. And Qiaoqiao said she tried countless ways to escape from home, but her old man is too watchful. This time, he even arranged four bodyguards, two men and two women, who are following her almost around the clock! When she sleeps at night, two stand outside the window and two stand at the door! It's terrifying! Sigh, I heard all this from Qiaoqiao when I met her last time, and when we met, those four bodyguards were still watching her from a distance!"
Unfortunately, this guy only said a couple of things seriously before his lecherous nature came out. He seemed to recall something, then clicked his tongue and chuckled, "Well, one of her female bodyguards has a really great figure."
I ignored his lewd expression and frowned upon hearing his words: "How could this be?"
"Sigh, it's not that serious. The bodyguards didn't restrict her freedom. Miss Qiao can still go out freely and meet with us, but she can't run away. It's said that Miss Qiao was so eager to escape that she even considered crawling into the ventilation duct, but she's gained a little weight recently. She tried it once and got stuck inside. The bodyguards had to rescue her... She was so angry that our Miss Qiao didn't eat meat for a month afterward and announced she was on a diet... Hahahaha..."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 126: Better to Remember Than to Meet Again
Imagining Miss Qiao being caught climbing through the window right under her father's nose last time, and this time being forced to crawl through the ventilation duct but getting stuck because she's too fat... I immediately pictured Miss Qiao's furious and frantic state.
Uh…it should be a pretty “interesting” scene. But looking at Aze laughing so carefree, I said, annoyed, “Damn, aren’t you worried at all?”
"What are you worried about?" Aze glared at me. "Qiaoqiao is fine. Her old man is actually quite nice. I've met him twice, and I think that old guy is pretty smart. Qiaoqiao definitely can't outsmart him. Right now, it's just a stalemate. She's eating and drinking well at home, and she even has bodyguards with her. She's very powerful. As for you, when are you going to see her? I've guessed what her old man is thinking, and it seems like he doesn't object to you and Qiaoqiao. In fact, when I met with her old man and we talked about you, he didn't say anything bad about you."
However, he quickly added, deliberately sighing, "Well, that's normal. Any family with such a troublesome daughter would want to get rid of her as soon as possible..."
"But... can't she even make a phone call? She hasn't even called me once." I frowned.
"This...you should ask Miss Qiao. I don't know." Aze spread his hands. "You two are monsters, heaven knows what you two are up to." But then he glanced at Yan Di not far away: "As for you, you must be in a very helpless situation right now. Having a beauty like Yan Di by your side, sigh, this is what happens when you're two-timing..."
He deliberately made a malicious joke at me. I punched him hard on the back of the neck.
However, I still haven't figured out a solution to this troublesome problem, and I don't want to dwell on it any longer, so I casually asked, "Hmm. And what about you? What exactly are you doing here?"
"To pick up girls," Aze answered me very directly.
……really.
He had a mysterious look on his face, then pointed to the group of people not far away who were preparing to film some kind of outdoor scene.
"Did you see those people? They're preparing to film a poster... And did you notice anything unusual about them?"
special?
I glanced at it twice, but I didn't think there was anything special about it.
Um... wait a minute...