The car drove smoothly on the road, its headlights casting two clear beams of light that dispelled the darkness and illuminated the road ahead. Grandpa finally began to explain to Xu An the reason he had been asked to go to Haishi.
They received a call from above around 6 PM, saying they were very optimistic about their village's business development plan, but some details needed further discussion before finalization, so they were invited to come and communicate. At the end of the call, they specifically mentioned that they should bring Xu An, the person who first proposed tidal flat aquaculture, so they could meet him.
When a leader requests a meeting, it's either good news or bad news. Good news is nothing to fear, but bad news is unavoidable. Without the slightest hesitation, Second Grandfather asked Uncle Dongliang to drive, and Xu An to join him, heading straight to Haishi without even bothering to find out more.
Xu An wanted to find out what was going on so he could calm himself down. He checked his phone repeatedly, but the only person he could think of as a high-ranking official was the elderly man he'd met at the Shanghai Machinery Equipment Expo. Lu Shengnan and Lin Xuyang were also somewhat well-connected. But none of these three were good sources for information. In the end, Xu An turned off his phone and, like his great-uncle, leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.
What's meant to be will be, and what's meant to be will be. Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll still get hurt. What's a real man afraid of?
About ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of a hotel that looked quite simple from the outside. How simple was the hotel? The three-story building with straight exterior walls had no decorations at all. The walls were just painted white, and the sign was the kind of black lettering on a red wood background that you often see on the roadside. However, a spotlight was installed above it, which added a touch of elegance.
Second Grandfather got out of the car first, striding confidently at the front. He pushed open the vermilion wooden door, revealing a foyer with another vermilion door in the center. A doorman in dark blue Hanfu stood before the door, stepping forward to greet Xu An and his companions. He maintained a straight back and a perfectly measured smile, giving off a very friendly impression.
"May I ask if you three gentlemen have come by invitation or made a reservation?" the doorman asked in a refined manner. When his gaze fell on the second grandfather's bandit-like physique and the old man's face, his expression remained unchanged, and he still smiled so kindly.
Whether it was because he hadn't recovered from the spiciness of the hellish braised food, or because his second grandfather had deliberately lowered his voice, Xu An didn't hear a single word his second grandfather said to the doorman. He only saw his second grandfather's lips move a few times, and the doorman respectfully opened the second vermilion door, revealing a deep and elegant corridor before the three of them.
Every few steps along the ceiling of the long corridor hangs an antique-style chandelier, resembling an ancient lantern covered with rice paper and painted with flowers, birds, and animals. The soft, diffused light from these lanterns creates a unique and enchanting atmosphere. To the right is a white wall adorned with Chinese landscape paintings. To the left, near the connecting corridor, is a bamboo grove. Through the gaps in the bamboo, a pond can be seen. At this time of year, the lotus leaves in the pond are lush and green, dotted with pink buds—a truly beautiful sight. In the center of the pond stands a rockery with a gently flowing stream.
With each step, the scenery changes, perfectly showcasing the unique characteristic of Chinese landscape gardens where every step reveals a new vista.
Xu An had visited many famous gardens in China in his previous life, and the scenery here was no less impressive than those famous gardens. Moreover, this was the first time Xu An had seen the landscape garden at night; most of the gardens open to the public closed at six o'clock in the evening.
But as they walked, Xu An sensed something was amiss. How could his second grandfather seem so familiar with this hotel, which clearly cost a lot? Xu An tugged at Xu Dongliang's clothes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Uncle Dongliang, why does it seem like my second grandfather is very familiar with this place? Does he come here often?"
Xu Dongliang glanced at his second grandfather walking ahead out of the corner of his eye, and after making sure that no one had noticed his little action, he whispered back, "I'll tell you later. If my second uncle hears me talking about him gossiping, I'll be in big trouble."
Just as Uncle Dongliang was speaking, Xu An saw his second grandfather suddenly turn around, raise his right hand, bend his index finger, and hit Uncle Dongliang hard on the head: "Walk properly and stop whispering!"
After saying that, Second Grandfather gave Xu An a look that said he'd settle the score with him later, before turning around and continuing to walk forward. Xu An innocently spread his hands at Uncle Dongliang, thinking, "Second Grandfather acted too quickly, it's not that I didn't want to warn you!"
Amidst their playful banter, the doorman led Xu An and his companions to a room called Xia He. The doorman gently knocked on the door, and only after receiving the room owner's approval did he open it, bowing slightly to indicate "please."
Grandpa stepped in first, followed by Uncle Dongliang, and finally Xu An. Before he could even take in the room's layout, Xu An saw someone he recognized: Professor Yu, whom Grandpa and Uncle Dongliang had "abducted." Next to Professor Yu sat a man wearing a striped polo shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, whose smile was somewhat憨憨 (simple and honest). He gave off the impression of that fair-skinned, good-natured, harmless chubby classmate from his school days.
"The old village chief is here, and Dongliang, you're here too." The simple-minded middle-aged man stood up and invited the three to sit down, greeting them one by one. Finally, his gaze fell on Xu An: "This must be the young man who first proposed tidal flat aquaculture, right? What's his name again?"
"This is my grand-nephew, Xu An." The second grandfather gave a brief introduction to Xu An, but did not introduce the identity of the person opposite him. Without delay, he casually grabbed a chair, pulled it out, and sat down. He turned to the somewhat awkward Xu An and his companion and said, "Sit."
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