Chapter 833: Looking at Beishan

So we left He Family Village and drove toward Beishan.

Soon we arrived at the junction leading to Beishan.

At the junction, I saw construction workers redesigning the mountain path, preparing to change the single lane into a double lane.

In that case, this road would become impassable.

We could only detour and take another route.

We detour via Xue County, entering the mountain from that side.

Thus, Li Jia drove the car up a slope and stopped.

I got out first, opened the door, and then let He Zuming out.

Xiao Yan, following behind, also got out.

At that moment Li Jia said, "Mr. He, heading east from here is One Line Sky.

Going north leads to the Beishan mountain area."

He Zuming stood at the foot of the slope, looking around,

"One Line Sky, I've been there; that place has great tourism development value.

Mainly because the road here is hard to travel,

You see, the car can only get this far.

And there are no tourist facilities either."

"Mr. He, I've already thought about it; I'm having Xixi find experts to redesign, connecting this whole area with the Ancient City of Xue County for development.

From here we also need to build a road all the way to One Line Sky." I pointed it out to He Zuming.

He Zuming nodded,

"This is the poorest part of the whole Zaocheng; sigh, Jianqiang, you truly understand—it's where you grew up.

Let's go inside."

So we followed He Zuming's steps, slowly walking into the mountains.

"Jianqiang, later we'll build a pavilion on this slope. Tourists can rest here." He Zuming pointed at the spot where I stopped.

I said to Li Jia, "Li Jia, write down what Mr. He said."

"Okay, Mr. Zhao." Li Jia quickly took out a notebook and recorded He Zuming's words.

After passing this slope,

there was another small hill, and we climbed to its summit.

He Zuming was a bit out of breath,

pointing at the distant mountains, he said, "Jianqiang, this is what I think,

Starting from Xue County we ascend the mountain, then at the parking area the road splits: one path goes to One Line Sky, the other races to Beishan; the two meet at Yingzui Mountain, forming a circular mountain‑circling road.

The circle represents completeness.

It also represents Heaven, the Qian trigram.

Thus the Ancient City of Xue County could be built in a square shape.

A square represents Earth, the Kun trigram.

Combined, this forms the Tai trigram.

Heaven and Earth in harmony, all matters auspicious."

Li Jia wrote down quickly.

I hurriedly said, "Mr. He, we'll build according to your plan.

This tourism development project isn't something to rush; we'll build it slowly.

One year won't do, two years, even ten years will do. We must open up the entire Beishan.

"Right, it should benefit all directions; this place is too poor. Make them rich.

The significance is huge." He Zuming sighed.

We took a few more steps forward.

He Zuming pointed at the distant hill and said,

"Xiao Yan, what does that mountain look like? Which trigram position is it in?"

Xiao Yan immediately took out a compass and began to use it.

"Master, that mountain is in the Xun position. I see it as a stone pedestal."

"Xiao Yan, you must see that the mountain is not merely a mountain.

Does that mountain look like a horse's hoof?

When practicing Feng Shui, you must broaden your mind and include the four directions.

Don't limit yourself to a single point.

Since there's a hoof, there must be a horse; where is the horse?

The horse is in the sky,

Do you understand? This is the hoof of a celestial horse." He Zuming said to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan nodded seriously.

"Jianqiang, let's go over there and look, see how many hooves there are." He Zuming said.

With He Zuming's hint, I truly saw it—it really looked like a horse's hoof.

One can imagine the celestial horse's prancing.

That mountain wasn't far; we reached it quickly.

After arriving, I suddenly recalled that a temple had once been built here,

It's called Mantousi.

When I was young, I once stayed there for a night.

When Shi Yong and I came, the temple had already collapsed; only a pile of broken stones remained.

I went up the mountain and saw that pile of broken stones still there, with only the endless mountain wind blowing.

He Zuming also came up, looking around,

After looking, he pointed at Xiao Yan with his hand and then said something.

Xiao Yan kept nodding.

It seemed he was imparting feng shui knowledge to Xiao Yan.

Li Jia and I didn't feel comfortable interrupting,

so we stood together and watched the scenery.

"Li Jia, you know, what did I ask He Zuming to come see?" I asked Li Jia.

"What to see? Isn't it just to look at the planning of our future Xue County tourism project?" Li Jia said.

I shook my head and said: "That's a small matter; we mainly came this time for our future place of belonging."

"What do you mean?" Li Jia asked, not understanding.

"It means the place where we will bury ourselves in the future." I said.

Those words made Li Jia suddenly very nervous.

"Mr. Zhao, what's wrong with you? Are you hiding something from me?

You're so young, how could you think like this?

Is it... about your health...?"

I laughed and took out a cigarette,

"Li Jia, don't overthink it; my health is fine. I want to take advantage of He Zuming's current good health to plan everything for the future.

Back then, Shi Jinhe suggested finding a plot of land so that Shi Yong, Shi Jinhe, and I, the three brothers, could be buried together.

His suggestion was good, so I made preparations in advance.

In the future, a tourist area will be developed here. We will first occupy a piece of land and forever guard it.

"Li Jia, you all work hard; we will forever protect you."

"Mr. Zhao, don't say that; it's scary. Our career hasn't even started yet—why are you so pessimistic?" Li Jia said.

"Everyone experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death; this isn't pessimism, it's equanimity. When you no longer fear life and death, you can bravely face everything.

"Li Jia, as the company's legal representative, I have thought,

let Xiao Shitou take over. Afterwards, all management authority of the company will be handed to you.

"You are a very capable person, and I also believe in you." I said to Li Jia sincerely.

"Don't say that; if you keep saying it, I'll almost cry, Mr. Zhao. I'm too worried about you." Li Jia's eyes turned red.

Li Jia became emotional.

I laughed and said: "Li Jia, really don't overthink it. This matter must be kept secret."

At this moment, He Zuming and Xiao Yan came over,

"Jianqiang, come over and look,

this place is really good.

I have also found the other three horse-hoof sites.

"Look at those three mountain peaks." He Zuming pointed them out to me with his finger.

I looked at the distant mountain peaks and nodded.

"I used a compass and found this mountain peak to be the best spot, because it is in the Xun position, and Xun represents wind.

that is, a place with favorable wind and water, and it is the first hoof of the celestial horse.

From here, we can set the entire Beishan in motion."

"He Zuming, do you know? There is also a temple here called Mantousi.

Unfortunately, it has already collapsed,

you see that pile of broken stones; that was the former stone temple." I pointed it out to He Zuming.

He Zuming stroked his beard and went over, examined Mantousi carefully, then had Xiao Yan use a compass to take bearings.

After a moment, he said: "This place, it seems the ancients had surveyed it; otherwise they wouldn't have built a temple here.

Temples are always built on the best feng shui under heaven.

Only Mantousi's orientation is a bit forward, right in the middle of the road; that way the incense offerings won't flourish.

Jianqiang, in the future we should also build a temple here.

Without a temple on the mountain, there are no immortals; without immortals, there is no fame.

With a temple, we can invite immortals." He Zuming sighed.

"Good, He Zuming, we must definitely build a temple here. By the way, what should we name the temple?" I said.

"Still Mantousi—born for a mantou bun, died for a mantou grave." He Zuming said.

"Li Jia, have you noted it all down?" I asked.

"I've noted it all." Li Jia said.