Chapter 227 Jiang Zhi
Xin Zixing glanced at Lin Miaomiao's back with some confusion, then turned to look at Lu Yanhe.
"Does she harbor some kind of hostility towards me?"
Lu Yanhe was immediately at a loss and quickly said, "I don't think so."
Lu Yanhe was too embarrassed to tell Xin Zixing what Lin Miaomiao had just said.
It was really embarrassing.
Upon arriving in Baichuan, they were picked up by people from the Jiangzhi Culture and Tourism Department.
The other party arranged a car to pick them up directly from the airport and take them to Jiangzhi.
After getting on the bus, Lu Yanhe felt a little sleepy, so he put on his headphones and prepared to go to sleep.
When Xin Zixing saw that Lu Yanhe had closed his eyes, she lowered her voice when speaking to the people who came to pick them up.
They were picked up by a department head from Jiangzhi's cultural and tourism department, who was in his early thirties and had two pimples on his forehead.
The other person's name is He Yunlan.
Xin Zixing talked about the city of Jiangzhi the whole way.
Lu Yanhe dozed off for a while, then woke up halfway through the journey. He didn't know how long he had slept, but he heard He Yunlan talking about why he had come to Jiangzhi.
He Yunlan is not a native of Jiangzhi. His wife is from Jiangzhi, so after graduating from university, she took the civil service exam in Jiangzhi.
Because they are university students with high academic qualifications, they are highly regarded in Jiangzhi.
He Yunlan spearheaded the decision to bring "City Travelogue" to Jiangzhi for filming.
Lu Yanhe looked out the car window; the sunlight was dazzlingly golden.
He saw a vast expanse of rice paddies stretching out by the roadside, the road winding through the mountains and fields.
This is a vast expanse of land rarely seen in the city, with large rice paddies and occasional houses scattered among them, exuding an atmosphere of freedom and nature under the golden sunlight.
At that moment, Lu Yanhe was momentarily lost in thought.
Xin Zixing said, "Before we came here, we read that Jiangzhi is a very ancient city with a history of over a thousand years, and many ancient buildings are still preserved in the city."
“Yes.” He Yunlan nodded with a smile. “People in Jiangzhi are quite attached to their homeland. Most of them stay in Jiangzhi, like my wife. She insisted on coming back to her hometown, so I came with her. The people here are very warm and simple. The neighbors are very close and still retain the old-fashioned relationship. My parents have come several times and love it here.”
"How was the traditional activity of stepping on lanterns passed down?" Xin Zixing said, "We searched for information online, but we couldn't find any."
“We’re not entirely sure about that either. This activity has been passed down from generation to generation. Every year at this time, young men and women gather together with lanterns, singing and dancing. If they have a crush on someone, they ask to exchange lanterns with that person. If the other person also has a crush on you, they will agree to exchange lanterns with you,” He Yunlan said.
Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "So stepping on the lantern means changing the lantern?"
He had previously interpreted the meaning of the event literally, thinking it involved stepping on lanterns.
He Yunlan said, "Cai is a dialect pronunciation. It actually means to carry a lantern. It doesn't mean to exchange, but rather to carry by hand."
He turned and glanced at Lu Yanhe, then smiled, "You're awake."
"Mm." Lu Yanhe was a little embarrassed, as he had fallen asleep as soon as he got in the car. "Sorry, I'm a little sleepy."
"It's alright, you must have had a hard time coming here," He Yunlan said.
Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "It's alright, Brother He, thank you for coming to pick us up."
“It’s only right that you come to help promote Jiangzhi,” He Yunlan said with a smile. “Although Jiangzhi is a relatively small city and its economy is not very developed, it has preserved many traditional festivals and activities, as well as many things with local characteristics. We have always hoped to let more people know about Jiangzhi and come to Jiangzhi to visit.”
This is actually the idea of many city cultural and tourism departments—to boost the local economy by developing the tourism economy.
Looking at the scenery outside, Lu Yanhe said, "This place is really beautiful."
He Yunlan said, "The scenery is indeed very nice. Because this place is located in a remote area and the transportation is not well developed, there is no heavy industry or anything like that. There is little pollution. The main industries are handicrafts and agriculture."
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully.
Xin Zixing asked, "Is it convenient for everyone to go to Jiangzhi?"
“It’s convenient. Traveling between Baichuan and Jiangzhi is very convenient,” He Yunlan said. “Of course, the journey takes a bit long, about four hours.”
"It would be great if a train station could be built in Jiangzhi," Lu Yanhe said. "That would make it much more convenient for everyone to come here."
“There is a train station,” Xin Zixing said. “It’s just that we came from Yuming. If we take the train, it will take about eight or nine hours, so we decided to fly to Baichuan to change trains. This way, we will spend less time on the road. After all, the distance between Yuming and Jiangzhi is more than half of China, which is a huge distance. People from places that are not that far away can take the train directly.”
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized what was going on, nodded, and then he noticed the camera set up next to him.
"Wow!" Lu Yanhe turned his head in surprise to his left. Chen Liang was carrying a camera and sitting to his left, filming him.
"How did you start filming?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
Chen Liang smiled.
Xin Zixing explained, "Let's film everything along the way, and then edit the footage later. The more footage the better, and all of this along the way is worth commemorating."
"oh."
Xin Zixing continued to ask He Yunlan, "Where are you from?"
“I’m from Jiangguang, which isn’t too far from here,” He Yunlan said with a smile.
"So, are you and your wife living in Jiangzhi now? How often do you go back to Jiangguang?" Xin Zixing asked curiously.
“I usually go back to see my parents every two months,” He Yunlan said. “In the last two years, more and more people have come to know Jiangzhi and more tourists have come to Jiangzhi. I have a lot of things to do, so I go back less often. Most of the time, my parents come to stay for a few days to see Xiaohu when they miss him.”
"Is Xiaohu your son?"
“Yes.” He Yunlan’s eyes softened with a gentler smile when she spoke of Xiao Hu.
How old is he?
Six years old.
Lu Yanhe was stunned. Six years old? Then He Yunlan became a father at the age of twenty-four?
-
It was already evening when we arrived in Jiangzhi.
The sun sets, and twilight descends.
Lu Yanhe and his group stayed in a newly built, five-story detached inn.
Lu Yanhe's room is on the third floor.
Outside the window was a row of low-rise houses, and further away, a bustling street.
Most of the low houses have potted plants on their roofs, and almost every household has a clothesline on the roof. At this time of day, many clotheslines are empty, but there are still a few houses with clothes that have been brought in. The clothes are dry and are being gently swayed by the breeze in the setting sun.
This scene is just like something out of an anime, the kind from the 1990s, where you arrive in a small town and are surrounded by the most simple and unpretentious scenes of life.
Lu Yanhe stood by the window, looking down at the city with delight.
Despite being only three stories high, you can see very far.
There aren't many tall buildings here, and you can see rows of streets and houses in the distance.
Lu Yanhe stretched, snapped a photo, and posted it on his social media: "A new chapter in 'City Travelogue,' looking forward to the surprises hidden in this city!"
Many people responded to him immediately, asking where he had gone.
Lu Yanhe did not reply, wanting to see if anyone could recognize him.
-
Lin Miaomiao, who was meeting with friends in Baichuan, saw Lu Yanhe's post and knew that Lu Yanhe had already arrived in Jiangzhi.
Lin Miaomiao asked her friend, "Have you ever been to Jiangzhi?"
"I've never been there. It's a very far place. Why?" my friend asked.
Lin Miaomiao said, "I saw it online and wanted to ask about it."
My friend said, "You saw that video of their traditional lantern-stepping activity, right? Ugh, it's so boring. In this day and age, there are still these kinds of activities. If you really like someone, just confess directly. Why exchange lanterns? Why make it so ambiguous?"
Lin Miaomiao had no idea what "stepping on lanterns" meant, and asked with a puzzled look, "What is stepping on lanterns?"
Only then did her friend realize that Lin Miaomiao didn't even know what it was, so she explained it to her.
Lin Miaomiao was taken aback. "If you like the other person, you should give them the lantern?"
"Hmm." My friend gave me a bewildered smile. "Doesn't it seem old-fashioned? I don't know why they keep this kind of traditional activity. It's so boring."
Lin Miaomiao smiled noncommittally, "Oh."
-
That evening, Lu Yanhe and his group dined at a restaurant in Jiangzhi at the invitation of He Yunlan.
The restaurant is called "Jingjie's Private Kitchen".
The shop's decor is not high-end, and even a bit rustic. There are two fences around the entrance, with various vegetables growing inside.
Lu Yanhe met He Yunlan's wife, Liu Yiyi, and their son, Xiaohu, at the restaurant.
He Yunlan introduced, "This restaurant serves the most authentic and best-tasting Jiangzhi cuisine."
Chen Liang and Tian Baihe were both carrying cameras and filming them.
Lu Yanhe greeted Liu Yiyi and Xiao Hu.
"Hello, sister-in-law. Hello, Xiaohu."
Liu Yiyi looked at Lu Yanhe with sparkling eyes and said, "You're even more handsome in person than in photos."
"Thank you, thank you." Lu Yanhe waved his hand sheepishly.
Liu Yiyi turned to He Yunlan and said, "Honey, why don't you take everyone inside first? I've already ordered the food, but the wine hasn't arrived yet. I'll go check on it."
He Yunlan nodded.
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised, wondering if they were going to drink again tonight.
He Yunlan invited everyone inside, took Xiao Hu's hand, and said, "The wine is osmanthus wine brewed by my father-in-law. If you want to drink, you can try it. If you don't want to, we have prepared some drinks as well."
Tonight is not a government office.
He Yunlan, as their host, treated them to dinner.
From the very beginning, filming began.
Lu Yanhe consciously took on the role of a guest, aiming to provide more material for his reactions.
As he followed them into the restaurant, he looked around in surprise and said, "This place is doing very well."
Almost every table was occupied; the place was packed.
In fact, when they came in, there were two cameras filming them, which attracted a lot of attention. Many people looked over curiously, seemingly wondering what they were doing.
He Yunlan said, "We locals love to eat here. This restaurant has been open for many years. My wife and I have been eating here since we were kids."
Lu Yanhe's eyes widened in surprise. "This shop has been open for so many years?"
"right."
At this moment, Little Tiger suddenly turned his head and said to everyone in a childish voice, "It opened before I was born!"
Everyone was taken aback.
Lu Yanhe laughed first, "That's indeed a long time."
The hotel reserved a private room for them.
After they went inside and sat down, Tian Baihe continued filming, while Chen Liang, with Xu Chao's help, began setting up fixed camera positions.
How to sit has also become a problem.
He Yunlan invited Xin Zixing and Lu Yanhe to take their seats, and Lu Yanhe immediately stepped aside to let them sit down.
Under the camera's lens, Lu Yanhe's attempt to avoid the upper seat was particularly obvious.
He said, "I'm only nineteen years old, how can I possibly sit in the seat of honor?"
He turned around and picked up Xiaohu, saying, "Xiaohu, let's sit together since we're the two youngest."
Xiao Hu stared at Lu Yanhe with a puzzled look, his face clearly saying, "We're not the same age."
Finally, Xin Zixing was invited to take the seat of honor, with He Yunlan sitting beside her, while Lu Yanhe and Xiao Hu sat together.
Chen Liang told Tian Baihe to eat first, and that he would come to pick him up after Tian Baihe finished eating.
Xin Zixing's assistant, Xiao Mei, arrived late at this time.
"Sorry, I was delayed on the way." Xiao Mei walked in carrying a large bag.
Xin Zixing introduced Xiao Mei and He Yunlan.
“Xiao Mei is my assistant. She came a little earlier and has been helping us scout locations and plan routes all day,” Xin Zixing explained with a smile.
He Yunlan then understood why the little girl hadn't stayed with the rest of the group.
He said, "Thank you for your hard work. Please have a seat. The food will be served shortly."
Lu Yanhe greeted Xiao Mei and they got to know each other.
Xiao Mei, with her very straightforward and outgoing personality, exclaimed enthusiastically, "Wow, you're really handsome!"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "He's not as handsome as Brother He."
He Yunlan is indeed good-looking, but it's obvious that he doesn't take care of himself or style his appearance. His skin is a bit dark and rough, but that gives him a genuine handsomeness, and his eyes are bright and alert.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, He Yunlan was actually a little shy, and her ears turned red.
He shook his head and said no.
Xiao Hu said seriously, "My dad is really handsome. My mom said he was the most handsome guy at his university."
He Yunlan stopped his son with a helpless expression, "Don't talk nonsense."
Xiao Hu: "I'm not making this up. Mom said it was really hard for her to win over Dad back then."
Everyone in the room looked at each other for two seconds, and then burst into laughter at the same time.
He Yunlan's entire face turned red.
Just then, Liu Yiyi came in.
Holding two jars of wine, she saw everyone laughing heartily, while He Yunlan's face was as red as a monkey's bottom. Confused, she put the wine down on the table and asked in a rather hearty tone, "What are you all talking about that's so funny?"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, why don't you just ask Brother He directly?"
Liu Yiyi looked at He Yunlan.
He Yunlan walked up to Liu Yiyi, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "It's nothing, everyone was just joking. Sit down."
This scene unfolded so naturally.
Lu Yanhe looked at them with admiration.
Everyone took their seats.
Liu Yiyi poured drinks for everyone.
Several photographers shook their heads and said they wouldn't drink anymore; they still had to take photos.
Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "I came here to discover the city of Jiangzhi, so how can I not drink?" He picked up the glass with both hands, put it down, and said, "Sister-in-law, I can't hold my liquor very well, just pour me one glass."
Liu Yiyi nodded and said, "Yan He, are you an adult?"
"I'm nineteen."
"Oh, so you started school a year later than usual?" Liu Yiyi asked.
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
He Yunlan immediately said, "No, people in the north generally start school a year later than those in the south. Here, most high school seniors are not even 18 years old yet, and many of them are still not 18 years old after the college entrance examination."
"I see." Lu Yanhe understood. "Brother He, you're from Jiangguang, so you weren't even eighteen when you went to university?"
“I only turned 18 when I went to university,” He Yunlan said. “At that time, I was one of the youngest in my class.”
"Did you go to university in the north?" Xin Zixing asked curiously.
“Yes.” He Yunlan nodded.
Liu Yiyi said, "He is a top student from Zhenhua University."
"Wow!" Xiao Mei exclaimed with admiration. "Then Director He is Lu Yanhe's senior."
Lu Yanhe looked at He Yunlan with surprise and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before, Brother He?"
He Yunlan smiled sheepishly.
Liu Yiyi said, "He was always embarrassed to mention that he was from Zhenhua."
“If I get into Zhenhua, I will let everyone know that I am a student of Zhenhua,” Xiao Mei said.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Sister-in-law, are you also from Zhenhua?"
“No, I didn’t. My grades weren’t as good as his. I graduated from Yuming University of Science and Technology,” Liu Yiyi said.
“Yuming University of Science and Technology is also very impressive,” Xiao Mei said. “It’s a key university.”
Xin Zixing nodded and said with a smile, "So you all lived in Yuming."
“Yes,” Liu Yiyi said. “When we decided to come back, many people didn’t understand.”
Xin Zixing asked, "However, when I first heard that you two graduated from Yuming University, I was also curious as to why you didn't stay at Yuming."
He Yunlan said, "On the one hand, neither of us are from the north, and on the other hand, neither of us likes living in big cities because we feel the pressure is too great. So, after discussing it, we decided to go back to Jiangzhi."
“He accommodated me,” Liu Yiyi said. “If he hadn’t come back with me, he studied computer science and could have easily made a million-dollar annual salary by staying in Yuming.”
Xiao Mei rested her chin on her hand and said, "I'm so envious. I want a boyfriend like that too."
She looked at Liu Yiyi and asked, "Sister Yiyi, how did you manage to win over Director He? I think I need to learn from you."
Xiao Mei's words left everyone speechless, both amused and exasperated.
Liu Yiyi smiled too.
"That's my secret, I can't tell you."
At the dinner table, everyone was meeting for the first time. Lu Yanhe was worried that he would be a little reserved, but to his surprise, there was Xiao Mei, a typical social butterfly, who completely enlivened the atmosphere at the dinner table.
He Yunlan and Liu Yiyi are a couple who are very good at communicating with others. They told the story of how they fell in love and how they came to live in Jiangzhi.
Lu Yanhe didn't say much; he just listened.
Lu Yanhe admired the relationship between He Yunlan and Liu Yiyi—they shared a natural and intimate love.
After dinner, Xin Zixing said, "Then we'll head back to the inn for the meeting. Director He, thank you for your hospitality."
He Yunlan nodded and said, "If you have any questions in the next two days, please contact me anytime."
They are not involved in the actual filming process.
This was also Xin Zixing's request.
They decided to walk back to digest their food and also to see the city's night view.
He Yunlan put his arm around Liu Yiyi's waist and held Xiao Hu's hand with his other hand, watching them leave.
Chen Liang captured this scene on camera.
Although Xin Zixing didn't explain, Chen Liang had a gut feeling that this young couple would be the focus of this episode.
Cities and people are always inextricably linked. No city's story can be separated from its people.
Lu Yanhe glanced back at them and saw that they were still watching them leave. He waved to them and said, "Bye-bye, you should go back and rest early too!"
(End of this chapter)
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