Chapter 78 An Encounter with Wei Lai and Qi Sheng (First Update)...
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the number of tourists reached its peak. According to statistics on the number of people entering the park at the entrance of major scenic spots in Huai County, the number of tourists at each scenic spot reached more than 40,000.
Huai County has more than a dozen scenic spots of all sizes, which have attracted a total of one million tourists, and there is still a steady stream of tourists coming here.
Fengshi hurriedly dispatched volunteers and police officers to Huai County to provide support. Various units also selected some people to go there, since the increase in tourism revenue in Huai County would also enhance Fengshi's image.
At 1 p.m., the Huai County Culture and Tourism Bureau personally sent a car to pick up Jiang Mingyue and her grandson's family.
Jiang Mingyue parted ways with the Sun family at the entrance of the old street. Sun Aijun and the others went to explore on their own. They would meet up at the entrance of the old street at 9 p.m. and then go back together.
Jiang Mingyue dressed casually, wearing a baseball cap, a black mask, and a black windbreaker, and got out of the car with the staff.
She wore her work badge and blended in with the staff, so no one could tell that she was Sister Jiang.
Ginger powder is scattered at various scenic spots, hoping to bump into their real selves. While visiting and taking photos, they pay special attention to young women wearing hats and masks.
Everyone looks like one, but none of them are.
When Jiang Mingyue passed by the old bridge, she encountered more than a dozen of her fans and overheard them discussing something.
"Sister Jiang prefers to keep a low profile. She definitely won't wear brightly colored clothes. She mostly wears black and gray, and nine times out of ten she'll wear a hat and a mask."
"What if she does the opposite?"
"No, she doesn't like to show off. The only time she wore a nice sweater in the show was when she was on a beach vacation."
"Sister Jiang's eyes are easy to recognize; they're big and round like phoenix eyes. Let's keep a calm mind. It's better if we meet her, but it's okay if we don't."
Jiang Mingyue smiled slightly. The girls were like Sherlock Holmes, they had figured out her personality perfectly.
Jiang Mingyue glanced around. There were too many people, and it was on a narrow old bridge. She decided to avoid running into them.
However, that doesn't stop her from giving them some surprises.
A moment later, a dozen or so fans of Jiang crossed the old bridge. One of them sensed something was wrong and looked back at the tourists on the bridge from below. They weren't Sister Jiang; most of them were families of three.
"Huihui is gone, what are you looking at?"
"I think someone touched me just now..."
"What?! Who touched you? Where did they touch you? Was it a man?"
"No, you've misunderstood. I just felt someone touch my shoulder. It must have been because there were too many people and I bumped into them. It's okay, let's go."
The girl named Huihui was about to leave when her companion suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! How come there's a gourd bracelet in my canvas bag?! I don't remember buying one!"
The others gathered around to look. The gourd bracelet woven with five-colored ropes looked very familiar, and the group started discussing it animatedly.
"Is this the knock-off gourd bracelet from Sister Jiang that you bought online?"
"I've never bought it before, and I don't want a cheaper alternative."
A group of twelve female college students carried matching canvas bags with the character "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) that were distributed free of charge by Huai County Culture and Tourism Bureau. The "福" character was the same three words that Jiang Mingyue had handwritten for her online friends.
The cultural and tourism staff of Huai County personally supervised the factory's overtime work on New Year's Eve to rush out the production.
The remaining ten people also started rummaging through their canvas bags, and the next second they all pulled out gourd-shaped bracelets.
The twelve people looked at each other in surprise, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"It's Sister Jiang! It must be Sister Jiang! Someone touched me just now, it must have been Sister Jiang!"
"But how could she have slipped the gourd bracelet into our canvas bag without us noticing?!"
"The canvas bag has no pockets, and it's impossible for all twelve of us to be spacing out at the same time!"
"Sisters, that's not the point! The point is we ran into Sister Jiang! We have to post this on Weibo to brag! Hahaha!"
Huihui and her group of twelve posted updates on Weibo and Langyin, claiming that they had encountered Sister Jiang near the old bridge at the south gate entrance of the old street, but did not see her in person, only received gourd bracelets from Sister Jiang.
"Family members, when you're chatting as if no one else is around, you must keep your eyes open. Sister Jiang might be right next to you. None of the twelve of us could spot her. She's really good at disguising herself."
A host of netizens expressed envy and jealousy, while fans at other scenic spots in Huai County were anxiously waiting. Since Sister Jiang had not made an appearance, even if they went there now, they might not be able to run into her.
Anyway, there are folk activities in the old street at 7 pm, so they can make it there by 5 pm.
[A nostalgic trip down memory lane to the variety show "Brothers Who Go Forward"—Sister Jiang makes her first appearance on a live variety show, disguised as Teacher Wei Lai as the cameraman PD, who doesn't recognize her at all.]
[The director of Huai County Culture and Tourism Bureau wasn't lying to us; Sister Jiang really is here.]
[I can understand why Sister Jiang doesn't show up; she has too many fans, and if she were to appear, it would cause a disturbance.]
[That's right, the old street is crisscrossed by rivers and has many bridges. If Sister Jiang were to suddenly appear and tourists fell into the river, she would definitely be targeted by haters.]
【Yes, we Jiang fans don't care about chance encounters; just experiencing Jiang Jie's hometown is enough for us】
Not only were fans there today, but Wei Lai and Qi Sheng also came to join in the fun. The others were too busy; Don Juan was still filming a movie in the South Island, which was nearing completion, so he simply couldn't spare the time.
Wei Lai and Qi Sheng both signed with Shiliu TV for a variety show that will be filmed in Huai County in March, so they took this opportunity to get to know each other.
To avoid being recognized by fans, Wei Lai and Qi Sheng wore dark blue down jackets that belonged to their fathers, completely concealing their figures. They also wore fisherman's hats and black-rimmed glasses and blended into the crowd, remaining unrecognized for a while.
They wanted to surprise Jiang Mingyue and also wanted to try their luck to see if they could run into her.
Qi Sheng lifted his mask, took a sip of hot coffee, and asked, "Brother Wei, do you think we'll run into Mingyue?"
Standing next to a vendor selling double-sided embroidery, Wei Lai answered absentmindedly, "It's alright if we don't meet. We're not heading back until tomorrow afternoon. I'll contact Mingyue tomorrow morning and we can have lunch together."
"That's true. She must be very busy tonight. Let's not bother her."
Huai County Culture and Tourism Bureau rented an activity room with a courtyard in the old street, where all the actors participating in the folk performances put on makeup and rested.
The event didn't start until 7 o'clock, but the actors started getting their makeup done promptly at 5 o'clock.
Jiang Mingyue was taken to a private dressing room by staff to select her outfit.
Huai County is rich in folk culture, and the ancient county town has many strange and wonderful stories that have been passed down for thousands of years. Jiang Mingyue flipped through the album of folk figures and took an unconventional approach by choosing Lu Zhi, the top scholar in the imperial examination.
The story of Lu Zhi, the top scholar in the imperial examination, cutting off his own flesh to save his mother and being passed on the throne is a beautiful tale. He was also a master calligrapher, and the manuscript of his calligraphy is still preserved in the Huai County Museum.
The cultural and tourism staff's eyes lit up, and they gave Jiang Mingyue a thumbs up, saying, "Ms. Jiang has good taste. Your fans would never have imagined that you would dress up as the top scholar."
If someone wears women's clothing, even with heavy makeup and a wig, they will still be easily recognized.
The staff were overthinking it. In reality, the female character's costume was complicated and the hair accessories were cumbersome. Jiang Mingyue simply didn't want to be so tired.
It was only three o'clock. Jiang Mingyue glanced at the event schedule and memorized it all. She told the staff and went out, agreeing to return at four fifty.
The staff asked if she needed an escort, probably worried that she might not know the way.
Jiang Mingyue waved her hand to indicate that she didn't need it, "Don't worry, I know the old street very well. I lived here for a period of time when I was a child."
"We didn't know that." The staff member, not daring to pry into gossip, smiled and saw Jiang Mingyue out of the activity room.
Jiang Mingyue was not lying. When her parents were alive, she did live on the old street until she was three years old. Later, her parents died, and her father had gambling debts. The house on the old street was used to pay off the debts, and she was taken away by her uncle's family.
The old house of the Jiang family was mortgaged for 100,000 yuan, but it wasn't enough. Her father's relatives avoided her like the plague, and her uncle took out all his assets to cover the deficit.
After that, she severed all ties with her father's relatives.
Jiang Mingyue wandered through the streets and alleys to No. 65 Beidajie Street, a two-story building built along the river. The traces of the past have long since disappeared, and it has now been developed into a coffee shop. The owner is unknown.
The second-floor exterior wall is right next to the alleyway, covered with ivy; things have changed, and everything is over.
In the past few years, housing prices soared because the Jiang family's small building was located right across from the main street of the old town of Huai County, a prime location. Its market value had long exceeded one million yuan. Even though housing prices have fallen in the last two years, it would still cost 800,000 yuan.
Jiang Mingyue didn't have any obsession with buying it back. It was too far from Huai County High School, which had moved to the new city area last year. The commute from the old city area to the new city area was half an hour.
High school studies are demanding, so getting an extra half hour of sleep is definitely a good thing.
Jiang Mingyue plans to buy two apartments near Huai County High School in the new urban area, one for Sun Aijun and one for Sun Aimin. She will give either one to Sun Aimei for her studies first. Once her cousin has a job, she will give her some money to buy an apartment in the city where she works.
Qi Sheng felt uneasy under the girl's gaze from outside the window. She was wearing a mask, so he couldn't see her face, but her eyes were cold and ruthless, staring straight at him.
Qi Sheng thought he had encountered a sasaeng fan who recognized him. "Brother Wei, stop playing games and look at this girl outside. She's scary. I suspect she's a sasaeng fan of mine!"
Wei Lai and Qi Sheng got tired of shopping and found a coffee shop to rest, planning to go out again at five o'clock.
Wei Lai turned her head to look out the window, following the direction Qi Sheng was pointing. At first, she frowned deeply, but the next second her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Xiao Qi, are you stupid?!"
Wei Lai didn't even bother to log out of the game; she excitedly got up and ran towards the door.
Qi Sheng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and immediately ran after him.
No way! What a coincidence!
Wei Lai didn't dare to shout. He crossed the one-way street in front of the coffee shop and made sure that no one was around for the time being before he dared to shout.
"Bright moon!"
Jiang Mingyue snapped back to reality and was shocked to see Wei Lai standing in front of her, wearing a down jacket in the style of Sun Aijun, her image completely changed.
She was stunned for a moment, then saw Qi Sheng following behind, and she suddenly smiled.
"Brother Wei! Brother Qi! You actually came to Huai County!"
Wei Lai laughed heartily and stepped forward to give Jiang Mingyue a hug.
He released her, his hand still on her shoulder. "I was going to surprise you, but now you've surprised us instead. How did you even find us?!"
"Let go, I want a hug too!" Qi Sheng pushed Wei Lai away and gave Jiang Mingyue a hug in a very open manner.
“Mingyue, do you know that I just mistook you for a stalker fan? I even told Brother Wei about it, and he called me stupid.”
Jiang Mingyue was both amused and exasperated, and felt genuinely happy to see the two people she hadn't seen in so long.
I met an old friend in my hometown.
"To be honest, it's quite a coincidence. This coffee shop used to be my home. I just came to take a look around when I had nothing else to do."
Qi Sheng suddenly realized, "What a coincidence! So you were spacing out just now."
Wei Lai caught another hidden meaning in Jiang Mingyue's words, "So, do you want to buy it back?"
It was inconvenient for the three of them to talk while standing on the street, so Jiang Mingyue asked them if they wanted to go into a coffee shop and she would treat them to another drink.
"I have an event to attend tonight, which will end around 8 p.m., so dinner will be a little late. I'd like to treat you two to a cup of coffee first."
Wei Laiqisheng said he didn't mind, "Contact us when you're done with your work. We're just here for a short visit and we're leaving tomorrow afternoon."
So the three of them returned to the cafe and went back to their previous seats.
With so many tourists lately, the café should have been packed, but this particular café is pricey and caters to high-end customers, so business was relatively slow. The few customers scattered in the corners provided the three of them with just enough space to chat.
Jiang Mingyue first briefly explained the history of her house, and Wei Lai and Qi Sheng expressed their deep regret after hearing it.
Wei Lai: "Mingyue, your idea is right. Buying it back would just be an asset, and moving back in would only add to the sadness."
Qi Sheng: "How about I pay for it back for you and you can continue running the coffee shop? That way, you'll have a place to stay when you occasionally come to the old street."
Jiang Mingyue smiled helplessly, "Brother Qi, I can afford this money, why would you need to spend it? By the way, why did you two come to Huai County?"
When the topic came up, Wei Lai said that he and Qi Sheng had both signed contracts with Shiliu TV for a new variety show in March, which would be filmed in Huai County.
"This is a documentary variety show about the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. We will visit masters of intangible cultural heritage across the country. We will stay in Huai County for a week and learn double-sided embroidery, Huai Opera and other skills from the masters."
Double-sided embroidery.
Jiang Mingyue's eyes flickered slightly. What a coincidence.
It was all just speculation. Jiang Mingyue didn't reveal anything, only saying that it was all good and that she looked forward to their visit in March, when she would invite them to visit Dahuai Village.
By then, the Sun family's house had already been renovated and was perfectly capable of hosting Wei Lai and the others for a meal cooked over a wood-fired stove. The stewed chicken and stewed goose were incredibly delicious.
Jiang Mingyue chatted with them until 4:30, and then drew the route map on paper, the route map for the folk activities that started at 7 pm that night.
"I'll keep you in suspense for now. You two brothers should get there early to secure your spots so you can see clearly who I'm playing."
Wei Lai smiled and nodded, "I'm fine. Your brother Qi has poor eyesight, so you'll have to rely on me when it matters."
Qi Sheng scratched his head and smiled, "Brother Wei, what's past is past. You mustn't mention it in front of others, or I'll be laughed at six times."
Jiang Mingyue smiled slyly, "Your brother Wei might not recognize me this time."
After saying that, Jiang Mingyue took her leave.
Wei Lai and Qi Sheng exchanged a smile. Whether they recognized her or not, there were still her fans nearby, and someone with sharp eyes would always spot her.
Author's Note: I'm recommending my friend's new novel. If you like it, please add it to your favorites. Thanks!
Did you gossip today? [Metaphysical]
Liu Liuliu is destined to be a lone star; her master said she wouldn't live past 22 and would bring trouble to her family.
In order to save her life, her family sent her to Yunxiu Mountain to learn martial arts.
After completing her studies and descending the mountain, her family was embroiled in scandals and was on the verge of ruin due to her influence.
Seeing that the situation was urgent,
She quickly started a live fortune telling session to accumulate merit.
Her popularity soared as soon as she started broadcasting, and she immediately became a trending topic. However, she didn't become famous; instead, she was criticized!
"Get out of the entertainment industry, you ugly thing! May your whole family die for promoting feudal superstition!"
"Get lost!"
Liu Liuliu calmly started her live stream, and even thanked the haters for the attention they brought her.
Then, everyone shouted, "Something's not right..."
The ghost hunt at the scene of a series of murders unexpectedly led to the arrest of a corrupt official.
A star fell from a high platform during a concert, and surprisingly, high-ranking officials in society were implicated?
A group of thugs were terrified and screamed during a hot pot and barbecue meal.
No, what happened to the claim that feudal superstition kills people and was universally condemned online?
How can this charlatan be acting so righteously yet so evilly?
So, when Liu Liuliu was struggling with whether or not to participate in a variety show...
The haters almost unanimously shouted: Sister 6, be brave and calculate! Sister 6 fans will always be with you!
--
The career of award-winning actor Wei Mingjing has collapsed.
Something even more terrifying than the brother being associated with a female celebrity with a scandalous past has happened.
The woman in my brother's short video is actually a charlatan internet celebrity!
These internet celebrities have more scandals than their brothers have won awards!
A blond, brainless brother, a sister embroiled in scandals, a cheating father, and a bullying mother—none of them could rival her fortune-telling abilities.
Fans cheered happily, only to discover that there was more to the post.
After clicking, it says below:
"They're chasing us!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
