Huanren took her to a hotel in the county, but it was less than a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Beijing. It only had tables and chairs, a few banners and slogans, and a counter. However, the two-story building was much better than the surrounding houses.
"Boss, come and order."
As soon as he entered, he skillfully called over the owner and gave the order menu to Jiang Wanqing.
"Take a look and see what you want to eat. The countryside has some mountain produce and wild game, which may not be as delicious as those in Beijing, but they are authentic and original, so please don't mind."
He spoke to her with a slight awkwardness, perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and also because he needed her help, so he naturally adopted a humble attitude.
Jiang Wanqing smiled at him and handed him the order menu.
"You order, you're familiar with it."
"Then... I'll order a few of their signature dishes?"
"Okay, go ahead and order. I don't have any dietary restrictions."
The other members of the entourage kept their eyes downcast and communicated with their hands under the table.
[Comrade Huanren clearly has feelings for Comrade Wanqing.]
Yes, I can see that, but it's difficult.
[Outstanding people often marry young, sigh.]
Jiang Wanqing's focus was on the surrounding environment, not because she disliked it, but because she was thinking about whether it was possible to get involved in other industries besides running a factory.
After ordering the dishes, we had to wait for the kitchen to finish cooking and bring them to the table. While waiting, the owner served a pot of their local specialty tea, which Jiang Wanqing praised highly after taking a sip.
"Huanren, this tea is quite delicious. Is it made from your own ingredients?"
“Yes, the people in our county are all hardworking. They like to grow things. If you like, I can buy some from the locals when we go to the countryside for our inspection tomorrow and give it to you,” Huanren said warmly.
"Then you don't need to pay for it. I can buy it myself. It'll just be a small way to increase the income of my fellow villagers."
"Hahaha... Okay, if you have any other needs, just let me know."
"Um."
Soon the owner brought out the steaming hot dishes, including vegetables and soup, mountain delicacies, chicken, duck, fish and meat, as well as seasonal vegetables.
Several of the accompanying staff members swallowed hard, realizing they probably didn't usually have the chance to eat such good food, and their hands unconsciously reached for their chopsticks.
"Eat, everyone."
"Okay!"
In front of Jiang Wanqing, they were quite restrained, only taking a few dishes from the table and not having any other bad habits. She looked at Huanren and was even more restrained, making a simple home-cooked meal feel like a Western meal.
She quietly rearranged the dishes to accommodate everyone.
"I don't eat much, so please don't waste food."
“Wanqing, you…” Huanren understood her meaning and felt a little guilty.
"It's alright, it's just a waste if we can't finish it. You should eat more, so you'll have the energy to go to the countryside for inspection tomorrow."
Jiang Wanqing told them to eat heartily.
"Thanks."
After the meal, Huanren dismissed the other accompanying personnel and escorted her back to the guesthouse.
"If it's convenient, can I talk to you later? Don't misunderstand, I just want to give you a general overview of the county."
"Sure, you don't need to be so nervous. We used to be classmates, so why are you acting like I have some high position and you're afraid of me?" Jiang Wanqing said half-jokingly.
He scratched his head, a blush rising to his face, and dared not meet her gaze.
"Um... I've heard about what happened in your family. I'm afraid talking about the past will remind you of sad things."
"It's okay, it's all over now."
She looked out the window, her tone calm, but her fingers, hidden under her sleeve, twitched slightly.
"Are you doing well now? I mean..."
"That's good. I have my daughter and my parents with me, that's enough. Let's get down to business. Which village should we visit first tomorrow?"
"Okay, I've planned out the route. Take a look."
Huanren took out a notebook, opened it, and handed it to her. Sure enough, it contained detailed records of the situation in each village and the route for tomorrow's inspection. It was very detailed, so even though she had never been there before, she knew how to proceed.
"Is your area mainly inhabited by ethnic minorities, and most of them live in the mountains?"
“That’s right, so we’ll most likely be driving on a lot of mountain roads tomorrow, which the car can’t pass through. I’m sorry to trouble you.”
"Don't underestimate me. I've traveled to many places in the past two years, and I'm quite good at walking."
"Hahaha……"
The two broke the awkward silence with jokes, and the conversation flowed smoothly.
After discussing work, Huanren also told her about some fun places nearby, hoping that after she finished her business, her niece could stay a few more days so that he could be her guide and take good care of her. She only said she would see how things went.
Because they needed to rest early to conserve their energy for tomorrow's field trip, the two parted ways in the early evening.
Jiang Wanqing opened the window, looked at the mountains in the distance gradually being shrouded in night, and slowly exhaled.
People in the army said that Cheng Ran went missing while on a mission in the mountains, and it is very likely that she fell into the mouth of wild animals. So for the past two days, she has seen mountains not as mountains, but as huge beast mouths that swallow everything, including her lover.
This is the second year since Cheng Ran disappeared. If he's gone, he should have been reincarnated by now. After all, she has been reborn, which means there really are things beyond our comprehension in this world. So if... he's still alive, where is he? Why doesn't he go home? Is he seriously injured and unable to leave the mountains, or is there some other reason?
That night, Jiang Wanqing intended to go to bed early so she could get up early the next day, but for some reason, she felt uneasy and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. As a result, when she woke up the next day, her head felt heavy.
Huanren had already come to pick him up, accompanied by the same group of people as yesterday. Everyone had changed into clothes that were easy to wear in the mountains, both to keep warm and to make it easier to blend in with the villagers.
Fortunately, she had changed her clothes beforehand, and got in the car and left with them.
The car drove out of the county town and onto a dirt road. The ride was bumpy, and Huanren, worried that she might be uncomfortable, brought her a soft cushion to sit on.
“The ride in the mountains is much bumpier than in the city. You should wear something underneath to avoid getting hurt.”
"Okay, thank you."
She didn't refuse, after all, it would be bad if her back and legs started to hurt from the bumpy ride before they even arrived at their destination.
After driving for about two hours, the car stopped at the foot of the mountain, and Huanren pointed to the mountain road above.
“The car can’t go any further; we’ll have to walk up ourselves.”
Their trip to the countryside was for two reasons: to assess market potential and to see if the young people in the villages were willing to work and earn money in the county town. Therefore, it was essential to immerse themselves in the lives of the people.
Jiang Wanqing got out of the car, looked up at the winding mountains, and silently took a breath. In this kind of place, unless it was a large-scale infrastructure project in her previous life, it would be really difficult to develop.
"Let's go then, while there's still time."
"Okay, stay close to me."
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