Chapter 226: Jiangzhi

Xin Zixing glanced at Lin Miaomiao's back with some confusion, then turned back to look at Lu Yan He.

"Does she have some kind of hostility toward me?"

Lu Yan He felt his head swell instantly and hurriedly said, "I don't think so."

Lu Yan He was truly too embarrassed to tell Xin Zixing what Lin Miaomiao had just said.

It was just too awkward.

Upon arriving in Baichuan, people from the Jiangzhi Culture and Tourism Department came to pick them up.

The other party had arranged a car to meet them directly at the airport and head to Jiangzhi.

After getting into the car, Lu Yan He felt a bit sleepy, so he put on his headphones, preparing to nap.

Seeing Lu Yan He close his eyes, Xin Zixing lowered her voice while talking to the person who had come to pick them up.

The person picking them up was a department head from the Jiangzhi Culture and Tourism Department, in his early thirties, with two pimples still erupting on his forehead.

His name was He Yunlan.

Xin Zixing chatted with him the entire way about the city of Jiangzhi.

Lu Yan He drifted in and out of sleep for a while; when he woke up halfway, not knowing how long he had slept, he heard He Yunlan explaining why he had come to Jiangzhi.

He Yunlan was not a Jiangzhi local; his wife was from Jiangzhi, so after graduating from university, he took the civil service exam and came to Jiangzhi to work.

Because he was a university student with high academic qualifications, he was highly valued in a place like Jiangzhi.

This time, inviting "City Travelogue" to film in Jiangzhi was something He Yunlan had personally spearheaded.

Lu Yan He looked out the car window; the golden sunlight was blinding.

He saw a vast expanse of rice paddies spreading out by the roadside; the road was currently winding through the mountains and fields.

This was a vast world rarely seen in the city; large stretches of rice paddies and houses occasionally dotted among them drifted with an aura of freedom and nature under the golden sunlight.

At this moment, Lu Yan He was momentarily lost in thought.

Xin Zixing said, "Before we came, we looked at the materials, which said Jiangzhi is a very ancient old 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. "Jiangzhi people are relatively attached to their homeland; most people will stay in Jiangzhi. My wife is the same; she insisted on returning to her hometown, so I followed her here. The people here are relatively warm and simple, and neighborly relations are very close, still retaining the kind of emotional bonds from the past. My parents have been here several times and love this place very much."

"How was the traditional activity of 'treading lanterns' passed down?" Xin Zixing asked. "We searched for information online, but we couldn't find it."

"We aren't very clear on that either. This activity has just been passed down from generation to generation. Every year at this time, young men and women gather together with lanterns, singing and dancing. If you have a good impression of someone, you propose exchanging the lanterns in your hands. If the other person also has a good impression of you, they will agree to exchange lanterns with you," He Yunlan said.

Lu Yan He asked in surprise, "So, does 'treading lanterns' mean exchanging lanterns?"

He had always understood the meaning of this activity literally, thinking it meant stepping on lanterns.

He Yunlan said, "'Treading' is a dialect pronunciation; the original meaning is actually about carrying a lantern. It's not 'exchanging'; it means 'carrying' by hand."

He turned his head to look at Lu Yan He and laughed, "You're awake."

"Yeah." Lu Yan He felt a bit embarrassed that he had fallen asleep as soon as he got in the car. "Sorry, I was a bit sleepy."

"It's fine. You must have had a hard time coming here," He Yunlan said.

Lu Yan He shook his head and said, "It's alright. Brother He, thank you for coming to pick us up."

"You're here to help us promote Jiangzhi, it's only right," He Yunlan said with a smile. "Although Jiangzhi is a relatively small city and the economy isn't very developed, it has preserved many traditional festivals and activities, and there are many things with local characteristics. We have always hoped to let more people know about Jiangzhi and come to Jiangzhi to play."

This was actually the idea of many city culture and tourism departments—to drive the local economy through the development of the tourism economy.

Lu Yan He looked at the scenery outside and said, "It's really beautiful here."

He Yunlan said, "The scenery is indeed quite good. Because this area is relatively remote and transportation is not developed, there is no heavy industry or anything like that, so there is no pollution, and it is mainly based on handicrafts and agriculture."

Lu Yan He nodded thoughtfully.

Xin Zixing said, "Then is it convenient for everyone to go to Jiangzhi?"

"It's convenient; the travel between Baichuan and Jiangzhi is still very convenient," He Yunlan said. "Of course, the time on the road is a bit long, taking almost four hours."

"It would be great if a train station could be built in Jiangzhi," Lu Yan He said. "That way, it would be much more convenient for everyone to come over."

"There is a train station," Xin Zixing said. "It's just that if we take the train from Yuming, it takes almost eight or nine hours, so we decided to take a plane to Baichuan and change cars. This way, the time spent on the road is less. After all, the distance between Yuming and Jiangzhi spans more than half of China, a large span. People who are not that far away can take the train directly."

Lu Yan He suddenly realized and nodded, then he suddenly discovered the camera set up on the side.

"Whoa!" Lu Yan He turned his head in surprise to the left; Chen Liang was carrying a camera, sitting on his left, filming him.

"Wow, why have you started filming already?" Lu Yan He asked in surprise.

Chen Liang smiled.

Xin Zixing explained, "We'll film the whole way and then edit the footage later. The more material, the better. Everything on the road is worth commemorating."

"Oh."

Xin Zixing continued to ask He Yunlan, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Jiangguang, not very far from here," He Yunlan said with a smile.

"Then are you settled in Jiangzhi with your wife now? How often do you go back to Jiangguang?" Xin Zixing asked curiously.

"Generally, I go back to see my parents once every two months," He Yunlan said. "In the last two years, more and more people have come to know about Jiangzhi, and more people have come to Jiangzhi for tourism. There are many things to be busy with, so the time to go back has been a bit less. Many times, it's my parents who miss Xiaohu, so they come over to stay for a few days to see Xiaohu."

"Is Xiaohu your son?"

"Yes." When He Yunlan mentioned Xiaohu, a gentler smile appeared in his eyes.

"How old is he?"

"Six years old."

Lu Yan He was stunned. Six years old? Then He Yunlan became a father at twenty-four?

By the time they arrived in Jiangzhi, it was already evening.

The sunset fell, and twilight gathered.

The place where Lu Yan He and the others stayed was a detached inn; the inn was newly built and five stories high.

Lu Yan He's room was on the third floor.

Outside the window were low houses, and further away were bustling streets.

Most of the low houses had potted plants on them, and almost every family had clotheslines on the roof. At this time, many clotheslines were empty, but there were still a few families who hadn't taken them in; the clothes were dried and brushed by the breeze in the sunset.

This scene was very much like a scene in an anime, the kind of anime from the 1990s, arriving in a small city, with the most simple life scenes in sight.

Lu Yan He stood by the window in surprise, overlooking the city.

Although it was only three floors high, he could see very far.

There were no very tall buildings here, and he could see the streets and houses lined up in rows from afar.

Lu Yan He stretched, took a photo, and posted it on his social media: A new chapter of "City Travelogue," looking forward to the surprises hidden in this city!

Many people replied to him immediately, asking where he had gone.

Lu Yan He didn't reply, wanting to see if anyone could recognize it.

Lin Miaomiao, who was meeting friends in Baichuan, saw the post Lu Yan He made and knew that Lu Yan He had already arrived in Jiangzhi.

Lin Miaomiao asked her friend, "Have you ever been to Jiangzhi?"

"Never been there, that place is very far away, why?" the friend asked.

Lin Miaomiao said, "I saw it online, just asking."

The friend said, "You must have seen their traditional activity of treading lanterns, right? Sigh, so boring. In this day and age, there's still this kind of activity. If you really like someone, just confess directly. Why exchange lanterns with each other and make it so ambiguous?"

Lin Miaomiao didn't know what treading lanterns was, so she looked confused and asked, "What is treading lanterns?"

Only then did the friend realize that Lin Miaomiao didn't even know what it was, so she explained it.

Lin Miaomiao was stunned, "If you like the other person, you give the lantern to them?"

"Yeah." The friend showed an unbelievable smile, "Don't you think it's very tacky? I don't know why this kind of traditional activity still needs to be preserved, so boring."

Lin Miaomiao smiled noncommittally, "Oh."

In the evening, Lu Yan He and his group were invited by He Yunlan to eat at a restaurant in Jiangzhi.

The restaurant was called "Sister Jing's Private Kitchen."

The decoration design of the storefront was not high-end, even a bit tacky, and there were two fences at the entrance with various vegetables planted inside.

Lu Yan He met He Yunlan's wife, Liu Yiyi, and their son, Xiaohu, at the restaurant.

He Yunlan introduced, "This restaurant makes the most authentic Jiangzhi food with the best taste."

Chen Liang and Tian Baihe were both carrying cameras to film their group.

Lu Yan He greeted Liu Yiyi and Xiaohu.

"Hello, Sister-in-law, hello, Xiaohu."

Liu Yiyi looked at Lu Yan He with sparkling eyes and said, "You are even more handsome in person than in the photos."

"Thank you, thank you." Lu Yan He waved his hands in embarrassment.

Liu Yiyi turned to look at He Yunlan and said, "Honey, you take everyone in first. I've already ordered the dishes, but the wine hasn't been delivered yet, so I'll go check."

He Yunlan nodded.

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised, thinking, do we have to drink alcohol tonight?

He Yunlan greeted everyone to go in, took Xiaohu's hand with one hand, and said, "The wine is osmanthus wine brewed by my father-in-law himself. If you drink, you can try it. If not, we have also prepared drinks."

Tonight was not some official bureau.

It was just He Yunlan, as the local host, treating them to dinner.

From the beginning, the filming had been filming.

Lu Yan He consciously took on the role of a guest, needing to provide more reaction material.

While walking into the restaurant, he looked around and was a bit surprised, saying, "The business here is very good."

Almost every table was occupied, crowded with people.

In fact, when their group came in, there were two cameras filming on the side, which was also very eye-catching. Many people looked over curiously, seemingly wondering what they were doing.

He Yunlan said, "We locals love to come here to eat. This shop has been open for many years, like my wife, who has eaten it since she was a child."

Lu Yan He opened his eyes wide in surprise, "This shop has been open for so many years?"

"Yes."

At this time, Xiaohu suddenly turned his head and said to everyone in a milky voice, "It was open before I was born!"

Everyone was stunned.

Lu Yan He laughed first, "That's indeed a long time."

The restaurant had reserved a private room for them.

After they went in and sat down, Tian Baihe continued filming, while Chen Liang began to set up fixed camera positions with Xu Chao's help.

How to sit also became a problem.

He Yunlan invited Xin Zixing and Lu Yan He to take the seats of honor, but Lu Yan He immediately stepped aside and invited them to sit.

Under the lens, Lu Yan He's avoidance of the seat of honor was particularly obvious.

He said, "I'm only nineteen, how can I sit in the seat of honor."

He turned around and picked up Xiaohu, "Xiaohu, let's sit together, the two youngest."

Xiaohu stared at Lu Yan He with a confused look, his face full of the expression "I'm not the same age as you."

Finally, Xin Zixing was invited to the seat of honor, He Yunlan accompanied her on the side, and Lu Yan He and Xiaohu sat together.

Chen Liang asked Tian Baihe to eat first, and wait for Tian Baihe to finish before coming to take over for him.

Xin Zixing's assistant, Xiao Mei, arrived late at this time.

"Sorry, I was delayed on the road for a while." Xiao Mei walked in carrying a large bag.

Xin Zixing introduced Xiao Mei and He Yunlan.

"Xiao Mei is my assistant. She came over earlier and has been helping us scout locations and design routes today," Xin Zixing explained with a smile.

Only then did He Yunlan understand why this young girl hadn't been with the main group.

He said, "Thank you for your hard work, please sit down, the dishes will be served immediately."

Lu Yan He greeted Xiao Mei and got to know her.

Xiao Mei had a very straightforward personality and said with particular extroversion and enthusiasm, "Wow, you are really handsome!"

Lu Yan He said with a smile, "Not as handsome as Brother He."

He Yunlan was indeed good-looking, but he looked like someone who didn't usually take care of himself and never styled his hair. His skin was a bit dark and rough, but because of this, he had a kind of real handsomeness, and his eyes were spirited.

To Lu Yan He's surprise, He Yunlan actually had thin skin, and his earlobes turned red directly.

He waved his hands and said no.

Xiaohu said seriously, "My dad is indeed very handsome. Mom said that when Dad was in college, he was the school heartthrob."

He Yunlan stopped his son helplessly, "Don't talk nonsense."

Xiaohu: "I'm not talking nonsense, Mom said it, she spent a lot of effort chasing Dad back then."

Everyone in the room looked at each other for two seconds, and then burst into laughter.

He Yunlan's whole face turned red.

Just at this time, Liu Yiyi came in.

She was holding two jars of wine, and seeing everyone laughing uncontrollably, while He Yunlan's face was as red as a monkey's butt, she didn't understand why, so she put the wine on the table and said in a bold tone, "What are you all talking about that's so happy?"

Lu Yan He said with a smile, "Sister-in-law should ask Brother He directly."

Liu Yiyi looked at He Yunlan.

He Yunlan walked up to Liu Yiyi, kissed her on the face, and said, "It's nothing, everyone is joking, sit down."

This scene happened so naturally.

Lu Yan He looked at them with envy.

Everyone took their seats one after another.

Liu Yiyi poured wine for everyone.

Several cameramen shook their heads and said they wouldn't drink, they still had to film.

Lu Yan He thought to himself, he was here to discover the city of Jiangzhi, how could he not drink? He held up the cup with both hands, put it over, and said, "Sister-in-law, my alcohol tolerance is average, just pour me one cup."

Liu Yiyi nodded and said, "Yan He, are you an adult?"

"Nineteen years old."

"Oh, so did you start school a year later than others?" Liu Yiyi asked.

"Ah?" Lu Yan He was stunned.

He Yunlan immediately said, "No, in the north, people generally start school a year later than in the south. Here, most high school seniors are not yet eighteen, and many people haven't turned eighteen even after finishing the college entrance examination."

"So that's how it is." Lu Yan He understood, "Brother He, you are from Jiangguang, so were you not eighteen when you went to college?"

"I just turned eighteen the year I went to college," He Yunlan said. "At that time, I was considered one of the youngest in the class."

"Did you go to college in the north?" Xin Zixing asked curiously.

"Yes." He Yunlan nodded.

Liu Yiyi said, "He is a top student from Zhenhua."

"Wow!" Xiao Mei heard this and looked with admiration, "Then Director He is Lu Yan He's senior."

Lu Yan He also looked at He Yunlan in surprise, "Why didn't Brother He tell me before?"

He Yunlan smiled embarrassedly.

Liu Yiyi said, "He is always too embarrassed to mention that he is from Zhenhua."

"If I were admitted to Zhenhua, I would let everyone know that I am a student at Zhenhua," Xiao Mei said.

Lu Yan He asked, "Sister-in-law, are you also from Zhenhua?"

"I'm not, my grades weren't as good as his, I graduated from Yuming University of Technology," Liu Yiyi said.

"Yuming University of Technology is also very powerful," Xiao Mei said, "They are all key universities."

Xin Zixing nodded and said with a smile, "So you both 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 both graduated from Yuming University, I was also curious why you didn't stay in Yuming."

He Yunlan said, "On one hand, it's because neither of us is from the north, and on the other hand, neither of us is the type of person who likes to live in a big city, feeling that the pressure is too great, so after discussing it, we decided to return to Jiangzhi."

"He accommodated me," Liu Yiyi said, "If he hadn't accompanied me back, he studied computer science, and staying in Yuming, an annual salary of one million would be easy."

Xiao Mei supported her face with one hand and said, "So envious, I also want a boyfriend like this."

She looked at Liu Yiyi and asked, "Sister Yiyi, how did you handle Director He? I think I need to learn from you."

Xiao Mei's words made everyone laugh and cry.

Liu Yiyi also laughed.

"That's my secret, I can't tell you."

At the dinner table, everyone was meeting for the first time, and Lu Yan He was worried about being a bit reserved, but to Lu Yan He's surprise, there was Xiao Mei, a typical social butterfly, who completely enlivened the atmosphere at the dinner table.

He Yunlan and Liu Yiyi, the couple, were also people who were very good at communicating with others, telling the story of their love and the story of their coming to live in Jiangzhi.

Lu Yan He didn't say much, just kept listening.

The state of He Yunlan and Liu Yiyi made Lu Yan He yearn for it—there was a kind of frank and loving intimacy between them.

After dinner, Xin Zixing said, "Then we will go back to the inn for a meeting, Director He, thank you for your hospitality."

He Yunlan nodded and said, "If you have any questions in the next two days, contact me at any time."

They did not participate in the specific filming process.

This was also Xin Zixing's requirement.

They decided to walk back directly, take a walk to digest, and see the night view of the city with their own eyes.

He Yunlan hugged Liu Yiyi's waist, took Xiaohu's hand with the other hand, and watched them leave.

Chen Liang filmed this scene.

Although Xin Zixing didn't give instructions, Chen Liang intuitively felt that this young couple would become the focus of this episode.

The city and the people are always closely linked. No city's story can be separated from people.

Lu Yan He also looked back at them, seeing that they were still watching them leave, Lu Yan He waved at them, "Bye-bye, you guys go back and rest early too!" ===== CHAPTER 227 =====