Chapter 325: Journey South Part 3: Boss Shu from Shangzhou?

Aside from the Chinese sign for the shop, the decor is quite exotic. There were many people sitting in the lobby, and everything was fine, with tour guides accompanying them.

Amidst the Mandarin that filled our ears, Hongzhi took us to the second floor.

The second floor was the VIP area, and the decor was naturally much more elegant. Hongzhi led us into an elegant room. This must have been Secretary Ma's request.

Although we are tourists, unlike ordinary people who spend thousands of dollars to travel to several countries, Mr. Chen has no shortage of money. Therefore, we must choose a quiet environment.

The restaurant's signature dish is "Homesickness," but the food's flavor has been compromised, not quite as Chinese. However, once you're abroad, you should be more tolerant.

There are seafood and improved Chinese dishes, the taste is so-so. The most important thing is that the waiter is enthusiastic and can explain the dishes to us in Chinese.

When the last dish was served, the waiter introduced that this was an authentic Chinese dish. We took a look and saw that it was a boiled live fish.

The waiter said: "This dish is called Shangzhou Yipin Fish."

"What? Shangzhou, which Shangzhou?" Everyone talked at once.

The waiter couldn't answer either, saying, "Shanghai, that 'Shangzhou'. I've never been to China."

Everyone was stunned. Hongyuan spoke to the waiter in fluent Vietnamese and told us that it was Shangzhou in our province.

Mr. Chen asked Hongzhi to ask again why a Shangzhou dish was served.

They spoke in Vietnamese. Hongzhi said, "The waiter said the boss is from Shangzhou."

We were all very curious about the business coming here from Shangzhou, so we asked if we could meet the boss. Mr. Chen said to Hongzhi, "You must translate it clearly. We're not asking for a discount, but for a meeting."

Hongzhi exchanged a few words with the waiter, who then left. Hongzhi said, "He'll go ask if the boss has time."

Everyone continued to eat and chat while eating, saying that after the reform and opening up, many people went abroad to develop in various parts of the world.

Ning Jing said her village is almost completely relocated to Myanmar. Secretary Ma said most people from her hometown have gone to Tibet, and their faces are now red with the "highland red."

However, the boss didn't come, and the waiter didn't come in either.

When everyone was almost done eating, a fat, tall man in his fifties came in led by a waiter.

He adjusted his glasses, glanced at everyone, and asked, "Who is the leader?"

Hongzhi explained that he was asking who was leading the team.

Mr. Chen stood up and looked hesitantly at the fat man with a reddish complexion. He also felt that he didn't look like an Upstate native. First, he couldn't speak Upstate dialect, and second, why did his skin color look very Central and South Asian?

The middle-aged man ran towards Mr. Chen excitedly, hugged him, patted Mr. Chen on the back, and murmured, "I meet my fellow countrymen, my fellow countrymen." After saying that, tears seeped out of the corners of his eyes.

He let go of Mr. Chen and asked us if we had finished eating and how it tasted.

We all said it was delicious and tasted authentic. Even though we didn't mean it, we all rushed to praise it to please him.

He waved his hand to the waiter, "Free. Go upstairs and get some tea." He then explained: He's a third-generation Chinese, his ancestors were from Zhuangyuan Lane in Shangzhou, and his surname is Shu. Everyone, please come up to the third floor.

After hearing what he said, I walked over and said, "Hug, hug. The fact that you can say Zhuangyuan Lane proves that you are a true Upstate person."

After hearing what I said, Mr. Chen asked Hongzhi, "Is there enough time?"

Hongzhi said, "No problem, you guys go up and sit down. I'll wait for you on the first floor."

Boss Shu took us upstairs and into a Vietnamese-style living room - there was a platform in the middle and tatami mats around it for people to sit on.

Everyone sat down and the waiter brought tea, candy and fruit.

Boss Shu then talked about his family's history:

His ancestors set out from Shangzhou and went to Southeast Asia to make a living. They first went to Malaysia and then moved to Thailand. He now lives in Thailand.

Because of the large number of tourists visiting the China-Vietnam border, he has been setting up shop in Mong Cai for over ten years. Therefore, he cannot speak the Shangzhou dialect, and even his Mandarin has a Guangxi accent.

However, he returned to Shangzhou two years ago and went to Zhuangyuan Lane to trace his roots.

I had to test him on what Zhuangyuan Alley was like. So I smiled and said, "Zhuangyuan Alley, you must be unfamiliar with it. After all, you've only been there once."

He shook his head, counted on his fingers, and talked about Zhuangyuan Lane. Upper Zhuangyuan Street, Lower Zhuangyuan Street, Fenghe Street...

I kind of believed it. After all, it was impossible to expect someone who had been away from home to make a living since their ancestors spoke Shangzhou dialect, nor could I expect him to get every point right.

What's more, Mr. Shu once told me that most of the original residents of Zhuangyuan Street had the surname Shu.

When you meet an old friend in a foreign land, you express your homesickness. This feeling is shared by everyone.

Over tea and conversation, Boss Shu asked Mr. Chen a question: Did Mr. Chen know any city officials? He'd heard Shangzhou was developing Nanli Township and was heavily involved in construction. He had some capital, owning a jade mine in Thailand, and was thinking of investing back home.

Ning Jing asked: "Then why don't you come over occasionally when you're not here?"

"Yes, yes, I'm checking the restaurant. There are several jade shops here that I own."

Mr. Chen said, "If Mr. Shu wants to invest, I can introduce him."

Boss Shu immediately exchanged business cards with Mr. Chen.

Ning Jing asked, "Then you know a lot about jade."

Boss Shu laughed coldly, "I advise you not to buy it. Nine out of ten of the jades on the market are fake. They're just made of glass. Let me show you the real jade."

After saying that, he stood up and took out a box, which was filled with jade bracelets, jade rings, and jade pendants.

Including Mr. Chen, no one knew how to identify real jade. At this time, Mr. Shu pulled out a hair and wrapped it around the jade. With his other hand, he lit a lighter and no matter how hard he burned, the hair kept coming out.

Mr. Chen slapped his thigh and said, "Yes, my friend once told me this method."

Ning Jing wanted to buy jade, so she plucked out a hair, wrapped it around the jade and burned it. Strangely, the flames were blazing, but the hair was not affected at all.

Boss Shu then taught everyone the second and third methods to distinguish real jade from fake jade... Everyone listened attentively.

As he spoke, he advised everyone not to buy jade easily, otherwise it would be like throwing money down the drain.

At this moment, I, Wan Shanhong, seemed to possess the golden eyes of Sun Wukong—reducing Mr. Shu to his original form. He was like a golden-haired lion, with a bloody mouth and a string of jade hanging from his claws.

The reason I could tell was that since he started talking about jade, he became like a street vendor selling quack medicine, shouting non-stop.

But in the eyes of Mr. Chen and others, this is a nostalgic sentiment. A true hometown person, devoting his heart and soul to prevent his fellow villagers from being deceived, tells everyone not to be deceived.

The next step, of course, is for everyone to pay.

Because, Boss Shu said: "If everyone wants to buy real jade, he has a few pieces of old jade and can give one to everyone."

The critical moment has arrived, and I must stop the bleeding in time.

I called Mr. Chen's cell phone.

(Chapters 325 and 326, released at 10:00 a.m.)