Chapter 37: Henglu Village

The next day, Wang Yan exercised and returned home.

Sometimes, when you think about something important for tomorrow, you naturally wake up on time the next day.

As soon as he opened the door, Wang Yan saw Xu Ziyan, unusually not lying in bed, full of energy and running around the house.

Yesterday he showed off to the other kids at kindergarten and really made an impression.

Seeing Wang Yan come in, Xu Ziyan bounced over: "Dad, I'm all ready—when do we leave?"

"We'll leave after breakfast."

Saying this, amid Xu Ziyan's loud laughter, Wang Yan scooped him up and tossed him gently: "Let's go—first, we'll wash up, you and me."

After playfully washing up and finishing Gu Jia's loving breakfast, they packed up again, checking for anything they might have forgotten.

After all the hustle, with Xu Ziyan's bouncy, nonstop laughter and Gu Jia's loud scolding, Wang Yan nervously drove off.

He'd practiced well yesterday, but he'd never driven on real roads. Now that there were so many cars, he said he didn't care—but he was still a little nervous.

But in fact, it went smoothly. Most people wouldn't pay special attention to an RV, but seeing something that wasn't quite a bus or a coach, they could tell it wasn't cheap, which gave Wang Yan some leeway.

No random honking, no one tried to bump into him for insurance fraud.

After getting past the initial discomfort, a couple of traffic jams helped him adapt, and he grew more confident.

It was rush hour, so there was some congestion—but all the traffic was heading into the city. He was heading out, so once he passed the CBD loop, it cleared up.

He didn't take the expressway, because then he wouldn't see anything.

Along the way, Wang Yan stuck to national and provincial roads, where there were plenty of all kinds of vehicles, e-bike riders, and pedestrians ignoring traffic rules; plus they kept stopping to admire the scenery, so they couldn't go fast.

Aside from the occasional big trucks and trailers roaring past him, honking mockingly as they went, the whole trip was quite pleasant.

They drove leisurely through Hecheng, Lin'an, Yuezhou, all the way to Henglu Village, Jianshan Town, Pan'an County, Wuzhou.

Along the way, it was all mountains and water—southern regions didn't have much else, just water everywhere—lakes, rivers, countless of them.

They passed Wuzhen, Xitang, Xihu, Thousand Island Lake, Liangzhu Ruins, Lanting, Lu Xun's Former Residence, and many other historical, cultural, and geographical sites.

At every stop, they paid for a guide, because what he could learn from books and videos simply couldn't compare to what a professional knew.

Wang Yan paid well, the guides delivered excellent service, carefully explaining historical anecdotes and stories of famous figures, patiently answering the three of them—especially Xu Ziyan's countless ignorant questions.

Professionals really were different; Wang Yan couldn't say he understood everything thoroughly, but he understood clearly.

Through these experiences, Wang Yan felt the richness of Jiang-Zhe's cultural heritage and the beauty of its scenery—truly a land of outstanding people and fertile soil.

During the day, they traveled slowly, stopping to play; Xu Ziyan ran wild, and since children sleep deeply, it didn't affect their rest at night. Wang Yan and Gu Jia, meanwhile, gave themselves fully to physical activity—it felt different out here.

Finally, after a week of slow, meandering travel, the three arrived at their destination: Henglu Village, Jianshan Town, Pan'an County, Wuzhou.

The village head had received word in advance and organized a grand welcome ceremony for the three.

Gu Jia was taken aback—she hadn't expected the villagers to go to such lengths.

Wang Yan remained calm—he understood the villagers' intentions.

They simply wanted to make a good impression and keep this source of income. After forty years of reform, our material resources are now extremely abundant, but only a few truly enjoy this abundance; many still live in worrying hardship.

The southern economy is developed; these people, frankly, have far better conditions than those in western mountain areas—yet now that they're better off, they want even better.

If this income stream is kept—and even expanded—their lives will improve, and everyone will have hope and motivation.

Wang Yan took Xu Ziyan's curious hand and, with Gu Jia, thanked the village head and these simple, warm-hearted villagers.

After meeting and getting acquainted, the village head hosted a feast for them, inviting several respected elders and a few capable younger men to join as companions.

They warmly welcomed the three, though mainly focused on Wang Yan—what could they do with a woman and a child? They could only target him.

Alcohol doesn't care about north or south—when you eat, do you drink tea?

Facing all the toasts, Wang Yan accepted every one—he drank when raised, and often returned the gesture. The appetizers on the table were surely the village's highest standard—all hearty dishes, some he'd never heard of; when he asked, he learned they were expensive on the market. Probably someone had saved them to sell, and now he got to enjoy them. It wasn't quite the communal potluck style, but the quality was sufficient—perhaps the village head had gathered specialty items hard to find in the city. He wouldn't act aloof and hurt their feelings.

Even a strong tiger can't hold off a pack of wolves—Wang Yan drank far too much this time, and he didn't even remember how it ended.

The next day, his long-honed biological clock was useless—he didn't wake until the sun was high.

The room was empty; he rubbed his aching head, got dressed, and found toiletries and breakfast neatly prepared by Gu Jia on the table. The breakfast didn't look like hers—it was simple, no fancy touches.

He ate the simple breakfast as lunch, washed up, then stepped outside.

Outside, the sun blazed high, but Henglu Village sat at a higher elevation, surrounded by big mountains, so it didn't feel hot—just intensely sunny.

Wang Yan strolled through the alleyways; everyone had seen them yesterday, and passersby kept greeting him. After asking about the tea factory's location, he wandered over.

He hadn't properly observed the surroundings when he arrived yesterday—he'd been overwhelmed.

Now he looked closely—the scenery was truly excellent. Bamboo houses and stone cottages on either side of the alley, moss-covered, uneven stone steps worn by time, all poetic. If paired with morning mist veiling distant mountains, children's laughter, schoolchildren's chanting, and neighbors' calls, it would be perfect.

As he admired the scenery along the way, he arrived at the tea factory without noticing.

Inside, he saw Gu Jia frowning, listening to one of the staff members who had been sent ahead.

Seeing Wang Yan arrive, the staff member stopped speaking and greeted him.

Wang Yan nodded to the staff member.

"You feeling okay?" Gu Jia asked, concerned. She'd watched them drink—it pained her to see him consume so much. She didn't think back to his past with Xu Huanshan; after all, he'd passed out, so she assumed he was just putting on a good face and drinking extra rounds.

Wang Yan shook his head, signaling he was fine.

Seeing him shake his head, Gu Jia said no more. Adults knew their own limits—just showing concern was enough. She continued frowning, lost in thought.

If something serious was happening, one either spoke up directly or pretended nothing was wrong and bore it alone. Gu Jia's behavior clearly signaled she wanted his attention—he couldn't miss the signs. Though he knew exactly what was going on, he still stepped forward and asked: "What's wrong? Why so gloomy?"

"Tell him," Gu Jia said to the staff member beside her.

"This is the situation, Manager Wang—the tea factory..."

Then the staff member went on to explain everything—just as in the story: issues of quality, deficits—all about money, nothing major.

Wang Yan listened carefully, then told the staff member to go relax, and turned to Gu Jia: "That's it? I'll transfer you five million yuan—won't that solve everything?"

"Oh, it's not because of that," Gu Jia said, annoyed.

This time, Gu Jia didn't act as if she'd been shattered, like in the story—she had over ten million yuan in liquid assets under her name.

Wang Yan understood: she was thinking back on her past actions and thoughts, feeling like a fool, watched silently by others who laughed without speaking. Being made a fool of felt terrible—and she was ashamed and irritated by it.

"That Mrs. Li?" Wang Yan asked, feigning ignorance.

Gu Jia nodded firmly, her expression unmistakably that of "that old hag."

Wang Yan smiled indifferently, pulled out his phone, opened a file, and handed it to Gu Jia.

Gu Jia took the phone, confused, glanced at it twice, then recoiled in shock—the phone slipped from her hand.

Wang Yan's eyes flashed, snatching it mid-air. He didn't let it shatter; he had daily duties requiring phone use—this thing breaking would delay too much.

"You decide how to handle it. They've got a small estate, right? Everything else is fine, but it's too big—three of us living there would be pointless." Wang Yan shook his head, slightly regretful.

Gu Jia remained stunned—this was too huge, she couldn't process it: "Where did you get all this? Just stored in your phone?"

It wasn't surprising she reacted so violently; for someone with a bit of money like her, these things were purely imaginary. Now she held the ultimate trump card—no better than a child waving a sword. This was trouble waiting to happen; she couldn't control it.

When Wang Yan first arrived, he spent considerable time and paid a heavy price, investigating everyone connected to Gu Jia—every dirty secret laid bare.

What he showed Gu Jia was the glorious record of Mrs. Li's family: bribery, collusion, asset transfer, unfair competition, tax evasion, murder—and details about her son: seducing women, forcing sex leading to pregnancy, abusing power, drug use, promiscuity, a whole mess of filth.

The perpetrators surely believed they were safe, but anything done leaves traces. Even though they cleaned up well, no one normally investigated them. Those who could investigate were peers—none of them clean. You have dirt? Do I have none? Those of high rank knew their place, always respectful, never stirred trouble. Those of low rank didn't dare—wanting to swallow an elephant? Unless you're the chosen one, an elephant's foot crushes you instantly. How many lives does one man have to waste like this?

Only Wang Yan wasn't afraid. If you play by the rules, fine—we play, see who's tougher. But if you break the rules, Wang Yan guaranteed their entire family would vanish.

As for safety storing this on a phone? He'd handled it simply—preventing rogue software from accessing the data. No one normally snoops on others' phones anyway; even if someone did, they'd kneel after seeing it. As for blackmail or profit? That's up to personal choice—human nature is too complex to predict. If someone truly reckless tried to use it, they deserved it.

"Don't worry about that," Wang Yan said. "Just tell me what you want to do."

After much hesitation, Gu Jia finally let go. First, she didn't want to drag Wang Yan into trouble—what was in those files was terrifying. Second, she knew her own low level; she'd been obsessed with wealth, couldn't blame anyone else.

Sighing, Gu Jia shook her head: "Let it go. I was just greedy. Forget it."

Wang Yan thought she was afraid, terrified—he pulled her close: "It's fine. Don't overthink. Absolutely no problem. The best outcome for that family is prison." He didn't mention the worse possibilities—too bloody, unsuitable for Gu Jia, raised in peace.

"It's true—I really don't want revenge. No need for such a spectacle. Let it go," Gu Jia murmured, nestled in Wang Yan's arms.

Wang Yan now knew: Gu Jia truly didn't want revenge. He said nothing more. This was the old saying: better to avoid trouble than invite it; misfortune brings fortune. He truly didn't care—he'd follow her choice. Say "do it," and he'd crush them. Say "forget it," and he'd drop it. No need to go out of your way to create trouble—too tedious, pointless.

With her worries lifted, Gu Jia grew lively again.

Children make friends easily. Yesterday they arrived; today Xu Ziyan was already playing in the mud with the others. Gu Jia found Xu Ziyan, face and body caked in mud, pinched his ear, and dragged him off. The oblivious boy still waved cheerfully to his friends: "See you tomorrow!"

Gu Jia didn't scold him in front of the other kids—different upbringing, different family backgrounds. If she berated Xu Ziyan publicly, it would hurt the other children's fragile, sensitive hearts.

Back home, scolding wouldn't work either—Xu Ziyan ran straight behind Wang Yan for protection. Wang Yan didn't care; he'd played in mud and urine as a child too. Xu Ziyan was far better than he'd been.

After bathing Xu Ziyan and changing his clothes, the three of them, led by the old village chief, went to watch how tea was made—so Xu Ziyan could gain experience and brag to his kindergarten classmates.

For the entire afternoon, they observed the entire process: picking, pan-firing, drying—all handcrafted.

Afterward, the old village chief wanted to drag Wang Yan for drinks. Wang Yan refused—not because he was afraid, but he couldn't spend half his day drinking every day. He was here to relax, not to become a drunkard.

The old village chief felt a bit disappointed but didn't press. He prepared a few dishes, they had a small drink, and that was it.

After putting Xu Ziyan to sleep, Gu Jia slipped under the covers and lay against Wang Yan.

Feeling Wang Yan's hand grow restless, Gu Jia smiled faintly: "I'm on my period." She also felt relieved—liking him was one thing, but she couldn't be constantly aroused; even she couldn't take it.

Wang Yan helplessly withdrew his hand—he had no control over this. But seeing Gu Jia's cherry lips so close, he leaned in and kissed her. Then, whispering softly into her ear.

After hearing Wang Yan, Gu Jia's face flushed crimson—she'd never experienced this.

Unable to resist Wang Yan's soft persistence, she slowly slipped beneath the covers.

They stayed in Henglu Village for a week.

While Gu Jia busied herself with thoughts of future tea factory production and sales, the two men were truly relaxed.

Xu Ziyan spent his days climbing trees, catching fish, and playing in mud—ecstatic. Wang Yan wandered everywhere, looking here and there—equally content.

It wasn't that Wang Yan didn't want to help Gu Jia—he'd just be taking over. Besides, that little business? Let her tinker with it.

During this time, Xu Huanshan called, asking where Gu Jia had taken Xu Ziyan.

He'd finished his honeymoon with Lin Youyou, gotten his fill of comfort, and now remembered he had a son.

Coincidentally, he called while the whole family was together. Xu Ziyan happened to call out to Wang Yan—"Dad!"—the word pierced the air.

The memory of how he met Wang Yan flashed through Xu Huanshan's mind—he nearly went mad on the phone. He cursed Gu Jia and Wang Yan, claiming Gu Jia had betrayed him first, hurling every vile insult he could think of.

Wang Yan, with sharp hearing, heard every word clearly. But he didn't care—soon he might spar with Old Cao himself; who the hell are you?

Gu Jia, with a clear conscience, didn't care what Xu Huanshan thought—she remained silent.

After cursing awhile with no response, Xu Huanshan stopped, furious, and hung up. Calmly, he realized: the deed was done. No more words would change it.

As Wang Yan had predicted, the system notified him the next day that the quest was complete.