Find Lao Li
Find that "Old Li" without attracting any unnecessary attention.
Zhao Wenxuan, carrying an ordinary backpack, walked slowly along the path towards the village.
The village seemed a little quiet in the afternoon. Occasionally, you could see a few old people sitting at the door basking in the sun, or villagers busy in the fields.
Zhao Wenxuan's appearance did not attract much attention. At most, someone looked at him curiously.
He didn't rush to ask for "Old Li" but wandered around the village entrance. He noticed that there seemed to be a new sign hanging at the entrance of the village committee and that the roads in the village were better than shown on the map.
"Young man, are you looking for someone?" An old man who was sorting farm tools at his doorstep saw Zhao Wenxuan wandering around for a long time and took the initiative to ask.
Zhao Wenxuan immediately showed a slightly shy smile on his face and walked forward: "Hello, uncle, yes, I'm here to look for a relative. My surname is Li, and my name is Li Jianguo. I heard that he lives nearby. I wonder if it is this village?" He made up a name casually.
The old man shook his head. "Li Jianguo? I've never heard of him. There are quite a few people with the last name Li in our village, but no one with that name. How old is your relative? What does he do?"
"Oh, probably in his sixties. I think he used to...seem to be a vegetable seller." Zhao Wenxuan pretended to reminisce.
"He's over sixty, surnamed Li, and sells vegetables..." The old man thought for a moment, his eyes suddenly brightening. "Oh! Are you talking about Old Li, Li Fugui? He's over sixty, and he sells vegetables. His son is studying at a university in the city and is very promising."
Zhao Wenxuan's heart moved.
"Oh? Really? That's amazing." Zhao Wenxuan continued, "Then where does this Mr. Li Fugui live? I'll go over and take a look. Maybe I remembered his name wrong."
"Look, just go in this direction and you'll find the house with a willow tree in front of the door." The old man pointed in a direction.
"Thank you, uncle!" Zhao Wenxuan thanked him and didn't ask any more questions. He followed the direction the old man pointed and walked slowly in that direction.
In the mustard seed space.
Zhong Ling slowly opened her eyes and let out a long sigh.
The state of foundation building has been completely stabilized, and the purity and energy of spiritual power have increased by several times.
The range of spiritual awareness has also expanded more than ten times. Now it can easily cover an area of several kilometers in radius, and the perception of the outside world is more acute.
She could clearly "see" the security personnel outside the yard at their respective posts, "hear" the sound of traffic coming from the distant streets, and even "sense" the sound of water deep underground.
This sense of control made her feel good.
As for the slight energy fluctuation that dissipated at the moment of breakthrough, she did not notice it.
The energy was too weak, almost negligible compared to the huge spiritual power in her body, and the laws of the mustard seed space itself were also spontaneously concealing it.
Zhong Ling stood up, stretched, and with a thought, she left the mustard seed space and returned to the bedroom.
Here, Zhao Wenxuan walked in the direction pointed by the old man.
The road under my feet was very flat, obviously it had just been repaired.
Soon he saw the willow tree, so this house should be Li Fugui's house.
Zhao Wenxuan stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and straightened his collar.
He had a perfect smile on his face, one that was curious yet harmless.
Then he raised his hand and knocked on the gate.
"Knock, knock, knock."
After waiting for a few seconds, there was a sound of dragging footsteps from inside, and then the door creaked open a crack.
An old face full of wrinkles and wary eyes appeared behind the door.
It was Li Fugui, Old Li.
He looked Zhao Wenxuan up and down, frowning slightly.
"Who are you looking for?"
The voice was hoarse with a thick local accent.
"Hello, sir."
Zhao Wenxuan immediately gave a standard "harmless" smile, his tone filled with the enthusiasm unique to young people.
"My name is Zhao Wenxuan. I'm... well, I'm kind of a foodie. I also like to research ingredients."
He turned slightly to the side so that Old Li could see him more clearly and appear more honest.
"I've been searching all the way and heard that our Yunxi Village once produced a particularly delicious vegetable, so I wanted to come and ask about it."
Old Li's eyes became more alert, and the gap in the door did not open any wider.
"What are some particularly good vegetables?"
He asked vaguely, his cloudy eyes rolling.
"We just have the same common goods here as those sold in the city."
Zhao Wenxuan knew that the other party was on guard.
This reaction actually confirmed what the restaurant owner said before.
"Oh? Really?"
Zhao Wenxuan pretended to be surprised, and then said with a hint of regret.
"That's strange. I heard people in the city talk about this amazing vegetable here with a special fragrance. I thought I could find the source here."
He carefully observed the changes in Lao Li's expression.
When mentioning the "fragrant smell", Lao Li's eyes flickered noticeably and he pursed his lips subconsciously.
But he still remained stubborn.
"It's just a rumor."
Old Li waved his hand, as if he wanted to close the door.
"There's no such thing as a mysterious vegetable. It's just grown in ordinary fields."
Zhao Wenxuan knew that if he didn't come up with something practical, he probably wouldn't get anything out of it.
He didn't press the issue any further, but changed the subject and pulled out his wallet from the side pocket of his backpack.
He pulled out five hundred-yuan bills and twisted them carelessly in his hand.
"Sir, I know I am disturbing you."
Zhao Wenxuan handed the money forward, his smile still sincere.
"I'm genuinely interested in finding that kind of high-quality ingredient; it's crucial to my research. Consider this as...compensation for your time, or, in other words, my consulting fee."
"If you know anything, even just a clue, just tell me. I'm just curious, that's all."
Five hundred yuan is not a small amount of money for the elderly in the village.
Old Li's eyes were immediately glued to the red banknotes, and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.
The vigilance on his face relaxed, and his eyes revealed a hint of hesitation and greed.
He remembered the price that girl Zhong Ling sold vegetables for, two hundred yuan per pound, and he couldn't bear to buy them.
Nowadays, this young man is given 500 yuan just for asking a few questions.
This money...would be a waste if you don't make it.
Besides, that girl Zhong Ling has gone to the capital, and the emperor is far away.
Those big leaders have all been here, but the limelight has long passed.
Telling this guy some old news shouldn't be a big deal...right?
He was calculating rapidly in his mind.
After hesitating for about ten seconds, Lao Li finally stretched out his rough and dry hand, took the five hundred yuan, quickly stuffed it into his shirt pocket, and patted it subconsciously.
His attitude immediately softened a lot, although his face still looked a little unnatural.
"Ahem...you're too polite, young man."
He cleared his throat and opened the door a little further.
"The kind of dish you're talking about... I do have it."
Zhao Wenxuan was delighted in his heart, but his face remained expressionless.
"Oh? Really? That's great! Please tell me about it, sir."
"Those vegetables were not grown by me."
Old Li curled his lips, his tone sounding a bit sour.
"It's at the east end of the village. It was planted by the granddaughter of the old Li family, whose name was... Zhong Ling. Yes, that girl Zhong Ling planted it after she came back."
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