Chapter 715: The Realm of Showing Off

There are many realms to showing off, and when it comes from someone else's mouth, it is clearly considered top-tier.

Xie Xiaochun was able to attend university thanks to the financial support of her distant cousin, Xie Zhiyao. Since Xie Zhiyao himself was working hard for the development of their hometown, and she often had to trouble him with matters at home, she naturally became a staunch supporter, constantly singing his praises and acting as his firm vanguard.

Therefore, after Xie Zhiyao left, she diligently sang his praises behind his back. Of course, this also included the fact that Wang Yan was planning to invest in opening a shop, so she needed to give Wang Yan some confidence.

Thus, through Xie Xiaochun's chattering introduction, Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou learned that Xie Zhiyao had given up a promising career in Beijing to return home, where he took over a homestay, a horse farm, and a tie-dye workshop, opened the Wind-Blowing Restaurant, set up an online store, purchased various local agricultural products that were hard to sell at market prices, opened up sales channels online, provided jobs for villagers in difficult circumstances, and led the fellow villagers to earn money. At the same time, he used the money he earned to subsidize other money-losing ventures. In the village, he was a good young man whom people praised with a thumbs-up whenever they mentioned him, and he was the backbone of all the major and minor affairs in Yunmiao Village...

It was also during this process that Xie Xiaochun prepared two cups of freshly squeezed watermelon juice and refilled the thermos that Xu Hongdou had brought with her. Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou arrived at the Wind-Blowing Restaurant, sat down in the open-air dining area, and after resting for a while, prepared to go have lunch.

Seeing Wang Yan with his hands behind his head, leaning comfortably against the back of the chair, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, Xu Hongdou also looked up and smiled, "They are also strange for having an open-air area in the shop. It rains quite a bit here; it wouldn't be good to get rained on halfway through a meal."

"It's not entirely open-air, is it? They've given people a choice. If you eat and drink under the eaves, you lose the sky of this square well, but if you eat here, you have to endure the sun and the rain. If you think about it carefully, there's still a bit of a feeling to it."

"Life is full of philosophy everywhere." Xu Hongdou nodded as if it were true, then sighed and said, "That Manager Xie from just now was actually quite impressive, and he also has quite a lot of ambition."

"It depends on a person's choices. Rather than saying he has ambition, it's better to say he has ability. After all, not everyone can open up a situation in a village like this that is neither here nor there. But it's not bad. If you want to talk about impressive, it has to be those impoverished villages that have nothing to rely on—not much output from the fields, and no good scenery. The people who rise up in those places are the truly impressive ones."

"Have you met such people?" Xu Hongdou sipped the watermelon juice with her cherry lips, staring fixedly at the somewhat lazy man opposite her.

"That's for sure. Just in the Northwest region, where it's so poor that all that's left is loess. It was in such places that people managed to make things work. They set up some handicraft workshops and even artificially created tourist attractions to attract backpacking enthusiasts. There are many such people; it's just that their names aren't well-known. With China's population of 1.4 billion and so many years of poverty alleviation, it couldn't all just be for show by giving out money directly, right? There's always someone better than the best."

Wang Yan would absolutely not praise Xie Zhiyao. Of course, he didn't disparage him either; he just brought up some people who were more impressive than Xie Zhiyao to lower Xie Zhiyao's presence. As the saying goes, it's not that you're afraid of not knowing the goods, but that you're afraid of comparing them. In this drama, Xie Zhiyao is a capable person, but if you look at the whole country, he's just so-so.

"That's really great."

"What's really great?"

"Your extensive knowledge from traveling all over the world—that's really great."

"It's not necessarily great. Regarding the friend matter you asked about a couple of days ago, this is a lonely journey."

Xu Hongdou looked at Wang Yan suspiciously: "So you really want to invest here?"

"Perhaps. Didn't I say I still have to look around some more?" Wang Yan shook his head and said, "I told you about this before; I've been traveling for so many years and I'm too tired. It's true that I want to find a place to settle down, but whether it's here is another matter. However, I quite like it here. The air is good, the environment is good, the Bai friends are also enthusiastic, and there are mountains, water, and forests. It's a good place for retirement."

"And what about after you settle down?"

"Of course, it's just living one day at a time, taking one step at a time. It's not like I have to set a goal to complete. Moreover, many people's goals are money—living in big houses, driving luxury cars, and all kinds of high consumption. With my current economic strength, these things aren't much of a problem, but I don't really like them. I just think, drinking tea every day, reading books, writing, taking photos, eating my fill and sleeping—isn't this life good?"

Wang Yan lowered his arms, lay on the table drinking the freshly squeezed watermelon juice, looked at Xu Hongdou who was sitting opposite him in deep thought, and continued, "What about you? What is your future? I think it's probably going back to Beijing to struggle to find a job and earn money to make a living. With your conditions, it's very difficult and very tiring to stay in Beijing. Perhaps one day you will meet a man, and you will agree to work hard together and struggle together. But you are already thirty-two; what age is the man you find? How likely is it that he will be a late bloomer and that it will fall on both of you?"

"Of course, there is another choice. With your looks, it's not difficult to find a rich person. I think when you were a lobby manager at a hotel before, many people must have expressed this intention to you. The probability of marriage is too small; it's mainly about eating off your youth, but it's certain that you can get much more money than your job. In the end, it's nothing more than returning to your hometown to be by your parents' side. Whether you get married later or not, you'll be living the same life. So what is your future? Have you thought about this question yourself?"

Xu Hongdou was silent because she didn't know how to answer, and there was no need to answer. She must have thought about it, and even discussed it many times with Chen Nanxing, but she never came up with any result because there really was no result. This was a question she subconsciously avoided; she had never thought carefully about the long-term future.

"Stop!" After a while, seeing that Xu Hongdou was getting too deep into it, Wang Yan spoke up to wake her, shook his head, and said, "Don't think too much, otherwise the more you think, the sadder you'll be, and you won't have fun. Anyway, you're staying here for three months, so there's plenty of time. When you've had enough fun, there will be plenty of time to think about this major problem."

Letting out a dejected sigh, Xu Hongdou said with some disappointment: "I really don't know what to do in the future. In the past, I only looked at the little bit of money in front of me. Every day, just making a living took a lot of effort; how could I think about so much? It's better for rich people like you; only when material needs are met can there be spiritual pursuits."

"You can't say it like that. The main problem is whether you know what you want. Before considering this question, what you should think about more clearly is where your own upper limit actually is. After all, you are no longer a child who can loudly shout that when I grow up I want to be an inventor, a scientist, a teacher who educates people, or a doctor who saves lives. You can no longer have unrealistic fantasies."

"Knowing where your abilities lie is the only way to know what can be obtained and what cannot be obtained; this is very important. In short, you need to know what kind of life you want, and you also need to know what kind of life your abilities can allow you to live."

"Alright, alright, enough, I won't say any more. Listening to my nonsense will affect your own judgment. You definitely have to consider the long-term future, but more importantly, you must also grasp the present." Wang Yan raised his wrist to check the time, "It's about time, let's go, let's go have lunch. I've been thinking about it since yesterday. The most important thing in life is nothing more than eating and drinking; we can't be negligent, we must eat well and drink well."

Xu Hongdou took a deep breath, drank the remaining watermelon juice in the cup, braced herself against the table, and stood up: "Eat well and drink well!"

The two of them went out one after the other, greeted Xie Xiaochun and Nana who were busy at the bar, and walked happily toward the Gesang Flower Restaurant not far away...

Nana stole a moment of leisure, looked at the backs of Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou as they talked and laughed, and said without looking back: "I feel like they are quite a match."

"I also think they're quite a match. Wang Yan has such good conditions—he's knowledgeable, well-spoken, and not someone who doesn't fit in. The key is that he's not short of money. Oh, right, I haven't told you yet. Do you know how much that big pickup truck Wang Yan drives costs? Over two million. Well, all our hard work on this business isn't even worth the price of his car."

"As for Hongdou, she's beautiful. Didn't you say she was a manager at a five-star hotel before? She's also capable; after all, not everyone can be a manager. My head hurts just managing those few people every day. Hongdou manages many people, not to mention she also has to take care of greeting and sending off guests—she's really impressive."

"However, they are a match, but whether there can be a result is another matter."

Xie Xiaochun shook her head and sighed.

Nana wasn't a little girl who didn't understand anything. After a moment of thought, she understood what Xie Xiaochun was talking about. She shook her head and smiled: "Are you trying to say that Wang Yan isn't a good man, that his relationships with women are relatively promiscuous, and that he isn't long-lasting in his affections?"

"Hey, I didn't say that at all. I've only had contact with him twice in total—once when I picked them up, and once just now. He gives me a very good feeling; I don't know the specifics. But the possibility you mentioned might also exist."

"Tch, isn't that what you meant? They only just met, and we don't know about any specific developments. It's just us two being bored, talking about whether they're a match or not."

"Since you know we're gossiping, hurry up and get to work. If you don't do your work well, I'll deduct your wages."

Nana smiled and began to make various drinks again...

After Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou finished their Eight Great Bowls, they didn't stay in the village too long and went directly to the entrance of the village to drive to the ancient city.

First, they found a car wash to make the dirty car shine, and then the two went to the famous Fuxing Road in the ancient city. Of course, it wasn't just this street; there were several others. The snacks were relatively concentrated, with local specialties and even more famous snacks from all over the country. In this regard, snack streets all over the country are much the same.

This place is worthy of being a popular tourist attraction. Although it was afternoon, the flow of people was still very large. They spoke with different accents, and it was extremely lively with a buzzing sound. By the time night fell and the ancient city lit up, it was even more crowded.

The main force for eating was naturally Wang Yan, who basically ate from beginning to end, tasting a bit of everything messy. Xu Hongdou was far behind and couldn't eat much at all. She watched Wang Yan eat sweetly while she held her bloated stomach, feeling pitiful.

Of course, she was the one paying. Perhaps she didn't want any trouble regarding money, so she spent quite a bit along the way.

Time flew by. The blue sky and white clouds were replaced by a sky full of stars, and the city on the ground lit up with neon lights. The ancient city with over six hundred years of history, combined with the lights of modern civilization, revealed traces of time that made people sigh at the power of time and the greatness of modern civilization. After all, in the past on this land, the local chieftains were in charge, and the Bai brothers and sisters didn't live much better than the Han people at that time. They were all exploited; where was there such a bustling clamor?

Watching Wang Yan eat the teppanyaki squid with his mouth full of oil, holding a handful of skewers in his hand, Xu Hongdou was full of resentment: "You said we were going out to stroll and eat, but you're the one who ate well. I'm watching and feeling so greedy, but I can't eat much at all."

Wang Yan smiled: "No need to pout. It's not like we're only coming here this one time; there are plenty of opportunities to eat. And these are snacks; if you eat all kinds of messy things, you're bound to get an upset stomach. What you've eaten is enough; there's no need to force yourself."

"Then aren't you afraid?"

"My digestion and absorption functions are relatively good, so it's not a big problem. Even if there is a problem, paying a price to satisfy one's appetite is as it should be; it's no big deal. You are a woman, your body structure is different, and the suffering you'll endure will be greater, so it's better to control it. Besides, you've eaten quite a bit today too. It's the same if you wait two days before eating again; there's no need to rush."

"You have so many reasons, you talk in sets..."

Xu Hongdou's voice stopped abruptly because her eyes blurred. She saw Wang Yan suddenly bite the squid skewer, turn around, grab the collar of a middle-sized man in a duck-billed cap behind her, then follow up with a step, hook his foot, and directly throw the man to the ground, stepping on the man's chest with one foot.

Wang Yan bent over, looking down from above, and used the sharp tip of the bamboo skewer to poke the man under his feet through his clothes: "If you struggle again, I'm going to use force."

"Big brother, I..."

"You can't talk either." Wang Yan said in a calm voice, and used the bamboo skewer to gently poke his face, "Behave and cooperate, we'll just go through the motions and it'll be over, understand? Don't struggle, and don't even think about pulling out the little dagger in your pocket; it's not worth it. There's surveillance over there. Do you know about infinite self-defense? Very good, let's keep this posture for now."

Xu Hongdou looked at this scene in confusion, and then looked at the onlookers who had formed a circle in an instant. Becoming the focus of so many people made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

She leaned in and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"

"A thief." Wang Yan put away the bamboo skewer, stood up, looked at the group of busybodies holding their mobile phones, shook his head and smiled, took out his mobile phone from his pocket, and called the police.

This is the modern world, or rather, the modern world after two thousand years. Only then would he go to the trouble of subduing someone and calling the police, acting like a monkey for a while. If it were in the past, when there weren't so many cameras, for this kind of able-bodied adult, he would definitely have broken an arm and then walked away directly; he must be given a painful lesson.

Xu Hongdou also reacted at this moment. The mobile phone she had in her pocket was gone, and she was about to ask the man on the ground for it.

"Catch a thief and catch the stolen goods. Let's wait until the police arrive. If he doesn't admit it, we can check for fingerprints or something." Wang Yan stopped her. The call went through, and he communicated with the police center, explained the location, and then hung up the phone and put it in his pocket.

Wang Yan looked at the busybodies around him and said loudly: "Friends, everyone can take videos, but don't talk nonsense. The scenery of the ancient city is very good, all kinds of food are delicious, and the friends here are enthusiastic. But this kind of petty theft and wanting to get something for nothing happens everywhere. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill, talk nonsense, maliciously smear, or even engage in regional discrimination."

He was telling the truth. When there are many people, things are prone to happen. This is a human problem, not a problem of where people are from. The country has been fighting pickpockets for decades, coupled with ubiquitous cameras, and the fact that cash is rarely used nowadays. Due to various reasons, thieves are almost gone and have all switched to fraud or something else.

It's just that this is a tourist area, and it's so crowded and lively that it gave the thief an opportunity. According to the current police enforcement efforts, especially in a tourist area, and under the lens of everyone holding a mobile phone and filming, even if he hadn't caught him in the act today, once the police station received the report, the thief probably wouldn't be able to hide for a few days before being caught.

But many people don't think so. There are always people who confuse right and wrong, have no brains for thinking, and treat occasional individual incidents as the norm. This is part of the root cause of many noises on the Internet.

As his voice fell, a burst of applause and cheers came from all around. That's what was said, but it's unclear what the specific video sent out would be like. The main problem is still the comment section...

The police arrived very quickly. In such a densely populated place, even if there is no police station, there will be police officers on patrol, all to ensure the safety of people's property.

In this short time, three layers inside and three layers outside had gathered a lot of people. When the police arrived, they didn't talk much nonsense, found Xu Hongdou's mobile phone on the thief, and then took him away directly. They also called Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou to leave together to cooperate, register, and record a statement...