Untitled Chapter

Early the next morning, before the sky had brightened, the people of Xujia Village were already up. Xu Dabo gathered his fishing and crayfish-catching tools, all purchased from the nearby town.

They set up their stalls on a patch of open ground near the foot of the mountain.

Soon, residents of Xingfu Home arrived one after another. They quickly arranged their stalls, taking advantage of the quiet moment to help each other out.

A variety of flowers lining the road caught the eye. Beside them stood a wooden sign that read: "Don't pick me! Flowers feel pain too!" The quirky sign added a playful touch, making the scene even more charming.

The guest rooms' bedding was fresh and immaculate. The white bedsheets looked clean and tidy, with silver thread embroidered plum blossoms adding a decorative touch.

As dawn broke, villagers peered towards the village entrance from time to time, anticipating the arrival of their first visitors.

"Is someone coming?!" Xu Daniu rubbed his eyes and pointed ahead.

"Yes! I see someone. They're still far away, so I can't make out their face! It looks like they're in a horse-drawn carriage."

The village chief called out: "Everyone, spread out. Don't scare off our guests by crowding around the entrance!"

"The village chief is right. Let's all go back to our places!"

In a flash, the villagers dispersed.

The figure on the stone path approached closer, gradually becoming more distinct.

"It turns out to be Manager Hong from Leshan Pharmacy." Xu Chunsheng recognized.

Old Man Xu promptly stepped forward: "What brings you here, Shopkeeper Hong?"

Shopkeeper Hong smiled: "I'm here to cheer you on! It's barely dawn, and even if others come, they'll have to wait. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of people today. I saw quite a few strangers in town yesterday. They're either here for Wenwu or because of your promotions."

"Excellent." Old Man Xu said: "Please, Shopkeeper Hong, come have a seat at my place!"

Shopkeeper Hong waved his hand: "Not today. I'm here as a visitor too!"

Everyone in Xujia Village knew Shopkeeper Hong, and they were taken aback by his words.

Shopkeeper Hong laughed: "I'm here to go fishing. How much?"

"You're paying?" Old Man Xu asked: "Fish as much as you want. There's no charge."

"No way." Shopkeeper Hong replied: "Businesses always charge. Besides, I'm the first customer. Not charging wouldn't be right."

The old man replied: "Okay, a fishing rod costs 200 coins. As long as you have good skills, all the fish you catch are yours. You can choose any villager to process the fish you catch into a dish."

He handed over 200 coins to the man in charge of the fishing equipment. This man was also part of the Xingfu Home community. His main job was to watch over the fishing gear and baskets, and he had to record every payment he received.

Shopkeeper Hong took the fishing rod and basket, found a chair to sit in, and started putting bait on the hook, saying: "Go ahead with your work, everyone!"

It made everyone laugh.

Gradually, the sun came out.

"Village Chief, people are coming! Quite a few, too! All in horse-drawn carriages!" a sharp-eyed man said.

The people of Xujia Village looked excited. When the carriages reached the entrance, a youth jumped down from the first one.

"Benefactor Xu, I've brought tourists!" The youth said with a goofy grin as he walked up to the Xu family.

This youth was also a resident of the Xingfu Home. The old man asked: "Erwa, why have you brought so many people?"

Erwa said: "They're all from different towns, wanting to visit Xujia Village. I just brought them here."

The old man praised him: "Erwa, you've done well. We'll give you a reward at the end of the month."

"Benefactor." Erwa replied: "I don't want a reward. My mom taught us to repay kindness. I'll bring more people over in the next few days." With that, he ran off towards the village entrance.

The old man couldn't even hold him back. He just shook his head with a smile and said: "Eldest, remember to give Erwa and the others a reward at the end of the month. They're already doing a lot by telling others about our village. We can't let them work for free."

By this time, everyone from the horse-drawn carriages had gotten out. There were men and women, some with their families and children, and one carriage carried several young boys and girls all dressed neatly.

"Welcome to Xujia Village!" The village chief said: "Is it your first time here? Would you like me to show you around our village?"

The visitors stepped out of their carriages and looked around. Everything looked just as the boy had described—it was very pretty. The air smelled sweet like flowers, and the neat rows of wooden houses were arranged in an orderly fashion.

A young girl spoke up: "I heard there's a fifteen-year-old scholar named Xu from this village. Might I have the chance to meet him?"

"Um..." The village chief seemed a bit troubled.

Seeing the village chief's hesitation, the girl didn't push it: "If it's not convenient, forget it. Xujia Village is truly special, with such beautiful scenery. I wonder what fun things you have here?"

Just then, there was a splash.

Everyone turned to see Shopkeeper Hong standing up, pulling on his fishing rod. A carp, about three or four pounds, emerged from the water, its tail smacking the surface.

"Wow! That carp is a real beauty." the middle-aged man exclaimed.

The woman next to him said: "Isn't that why you came here, because you heard there were fish to catch? Go and have a go. I'll take our son and wander around."

"Fine, fine." The man replied: "Who's in charge? Get me a fishing rod, I want to see if I'm lucky."

The man in charge of the rods was called Tie Niu. He quickly handed one over: "Sir, one fishing rod is 200 copper coins. All the fish you catch are yours, no matter how many there are."

The middle-aged man said: "Great, I'll take one!" Without another word, he pulled out 200 copper coins, not even batting an eyelid.

After receiving the fishing rod, the middle-aged man found a chair and sat down to start fishing.

Mrs. Xu, the village chief's wife, said: "Madam, we also have crayfish fishing here. Kids love playing with them. You can also pick fruits, buy all kinds of tasty snacks, and play ring toss! If you want to see pretty flowers, there's a flower field behind our house."

The boy next to the madam chimed in: "Mom, I want all of that! I want to eat good food and play ring toss!"

The woman replied: "Okay, okay, okay. Let your father fish here. I'll go with you to buy food and play games."

The boy nodded happily.

So, a patrol guard took the mother and son to where the stalls were set up.

"You just mentioned crayfish fishing. What's that?" asked a youth who had come with the girl earlier.

"Young master, crayfish is a major specialty of our village. It can be made into a variety of flavors, including garlic flavor, spicy flavor, and soy sauce flavor. The taste is unique, but you need to catch it yourself to enjoy the fun!"

The young man's interest was piqued: "If it's that good, I have to try it. How do I buy in?"

 Xu Dabo explained: "It's the same price: 200 hundred coins for a fishing rod. Everything you catch is yours. Choose any flavor you want, any vendor here can cook them for you."

The young man turned to his companions: "I'll get one. Want to join me and catch some too? It'll be a fun outing."