Visitors Arrive

The girl seemed reluctant to let go and said: "I'll just watch you fish."

The young man didn't press the matter. They each bought a fishing rod from Tie Niu, and a patrolling man took them to the crayfish pond, showing them how to fish for crayfish safely.

Following the instructions, one of the youths caught a crayfish quickly. He jumped in surprise and asked: "Is this thing really called a small crayfish? With that hard shell, how do you even eat it?"

"Young master, don't be fooled by its fierce look. You don't eat the shell, it's the juicy meat inside that's delicious. You'll see how good it tastes once it's cooked. But be careful, don't touch it with your hands. You might get a pinch."

The youth replied: "Alright, I'll trust you on this."

"Hey! I caught one too, and it's bigger than yours!" another youth exclaimed.

"Don't get so smug. Let's see who catches the most!"

"You're on!"

The rest of the tourists were taken on a sightseeing tour by the village chief's wife.

After everyone had been taken care of and the group left, the village chief wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: "Brother, I was so nervous, I'm all sweaty."

The old man said: "This is just the beginning! But it's a good thing that more people are coming. More people will come later."

The village chief said: "Yes! Brother is right."

The old man said: "Eldest, Second, and Third, this place is your responsibility. If anything comes up, let me know at home."

The brothers thumped their chests and said: "Father, don't worry. Leave it to us."

When the old man returned home, Mrs. Wang asked: "How is the old man? Why are you back?"

Mrs. Wang had also been up before dawn, busy with work. Exhausted, she had come back to rest for a bit.

The old man replied: "Several wagons have arrived! More people are likely to come."

Mrs. Wang smiled at this news: "That's good, that's good. More people coming is always a good thing! We've been so busy we haven't even had breakfast yet. Let's eat something first."

The old man said: "I am hungry. Where did Wenwu go?"

Mrs. Wang replied: "He's in his room, probably reading again!"

The old man said: "I knew it! Among the newcomers, there was a young woman asking about Wenwu."

Madam Wen emerged from her room and entered the main hall, overhearing the old man's words. She said: "Uncle, Wenwu is such a bright young man. It's natural for girls to ask about him."

The old man replied: "I'm worried it might distract Wenwu!"

Madam Wen reassured him: "Don't worry, Wenwu is a determined child; that's how he's achieved so much."

Mrs. Wang asked: "Madam Wen, I haven't seen Magistrate Wen around. Where is he?"

"He went to the town office." Madam Wen answered. "From what I gather, he has things to take care of back in Qingyun City."

"When will Magistrate Wen be leaving?" Mrs. Wang inquired: "We can prepare some gifts for him to bring along."

"Probably tomorrow." Madam Wen replied: "I'll be going with him too, since I don't feel comfortable sending him alone. However, Yuan'er and Die'er love it here and want to stay a bit longer."

"Perfect!" Mrs. Wang assured her: "I'll look after the two children. Don't you worry, Madam Wen!"

Madam Wen bowed courteously: "Thank you so much, Auntie!"

Mrs. Wang gently supported Madam Wen's arm: "Don't be so formal. After all, our Juxiang Pavilion owes a lot to Magistrate Wen's care."

Xu Dabo dashed home and said: "Father, another big group has come. They're all from the Xingfu Home."

The old man said: "Don't panic. Show our guests what makes our village special. Tell the patrol team to be on high alert and ensure the tourists' safety."

"I will, Father!" Xu Dabo agreed and hurried out again.

Madam Wen smiled: "It looks like Xujia Village is getting livelier by the minute!"

As noon approached, more people arrived. Some were from Huamen Town itself, others from the neighboring county, and a few even came from Qingyun City.

Among them were many scholars. They had initially wanted to meet Xu Wenwu, but upon reaching Xujia Village, they were captivated by its beauty.

The first group of young boys and girls, having caught a basketful of crayfishs, were now approaching a house with their bounty.

The house belonged to Aunt Qin. Seeing the visitors, she greeted them with a smile: "Young masters and misses, what kind of flavor do you want for your little crayfishs?"

"I want spicy and numb."

"That won't work for me. I can't handle spicy food!" One girl said.

Aunt Qin suggested: "Why don't you split it? Half spicy and half garlic-flavored. How about that?"

No one had a problem with that idea.

Aunt Qin said: "Please wait here. I'll get started right away. If you want to try other snacks, just follow this path. You won't find them outside, and they're really delicious."

The teenagers headed off to explore the snack stalls.

One of them said: "Sure, let's check it out. The crayfish will take a while to cook anyway."

The others agreed and followed Aunt Qin's directions.

Seeing how interesting this was, the next group of people who arrived also bought fishing rods to catch their own crayfish.

Some families came with their kids. Whenever the children saw their parents catch a big, clawed crayfish, they clapped and giggled. The adults seemed to be having a great time, too.

At the fish and shrimp ponds, people were scattered about, fishing. The patrol team didn't let down their guard for a second, worried someone might accidentally fall into the water.

Even in her room, Qibao could hear the buzz of conversation outside. Kids ran and played, while adults discussed the sights around Xujia Village.

The patrol team's reminder echoed through the area: "That pretty girl, that flower is as beautiful as you. But please don't pick it."

When Qibao heard this, she almost burst out laughing. She wondered which man from the Xingfu Family had mustered such heavy local accent, barely holding back his homespun speech.

It wasn't just Qibao who couldn't hold back her laughter, even the nearby tourists were left chuckling at the sight.

"Delicious! This crayfish is so delicious! So fragrant!"

At first, some visitors didn't know how to eat them, but the villagers from Xujia Village were quick to show them the way.

"Hey, sister, I caught this fish." The middle-aged man said with a smile: "Would you mind cooking it for me?"

"How would you like it prepared? I see you have kids with you. How about we make a sour fish soup? It's perfect for them." Daniu's wife asked.

"Sounds good." The middle-aged man said: "Let's have the sour fish soup. I wonder what other dishes you could make?"

"We can manage that, too, though it'll cost a bit more. We have fresh veggies and meat at home. What else would you like?" Daniu's wife replied.

The man's appetite was whetted by the sight of the crisp vegetables on display. He picked two dishes at random—just enough for his family of three.

Daniu's wife smiled: "Great! Take a seat. It won't be long."

He nodded and returned to their table.

"Father! Mother, I went to play the ring toss game! It's so much fun! I even won a little wooden horse!" The boy said excitedly, proudly showing the wooden horse to the middle-aged man.

"Whoa! My son's a real winner!" It was just an ordinary wooden horse, but since the boy had won it himself, it felt special.

Praised, the boy beamed and asked: "Father, can you take me and mother picking fruits later? I saw others getting big, yummy-looking fruits. I've never eaten them before!"