Chapter 53: A Shameless Couple

Setting up camp, conducting on-site measurements, and establishing signposts—almost every task, Zhang Xiue personally took part in.

“Can you really catch big fish with this kind of fishing rod?” Zhang Xiue asked Tang Long in surprise, her gaze fixed on him. She wasn’t exactly an expert in fishing, but she wasn’t completely ignorant either. Her father was quite fond of fishing, so she knew that fishing rods came in many varieties. The ones Tang Long had bought were the cheapest hand rods, the longest at 4.6 meters, inexpensive at fifteen yuan apiece, and came with a set of floats, lines, and hooks.

Tang Long smiled and replied, “Does it really matter if we catch fish or not?”

“It doesn’t?” Zhang Xiue blinked at him.

Fishing was actually an idea suggested by Shan Xiu when they were planning activities for Liangou Hollow—a kind of “entertainment project.” Fishing was free, but if you wanted to keep the fish you caught, you had to pay for them. Of course, this rule didn’t apply to Jiang Xue and her group of guests, who were here for a tailored “experience” and couldn’t be treated like ordinary tourists. There were fewer than two hundred people in total—not everyone would go fishing. Some would prefer swimming or other water activities, of which there were plenty to choose from. So, fifty fishing rods were more than enough! If anyone managed to catch a fish, it would be added to their meals, made into soup, or, if they wished, they could take it home with them.

“I’m still a bit worried about the Ghost King’s Cave,” Zhang Xiue said.

It was Thursday night. Over the past three days, she had thought through every possible detail, including what Jiang Xue and her group would do and eat on the first evening after arrival, the activities for the second day, the meals, the entertainment, and plans for the third morning.

“Don’t worry. I’ll personally oversee things at the Ghost King’s Cave,” Tang Long said, knowing that Zhang Xiue simply didn’t want anything to go wrong. In his eyes, she and the villagers of Yutou Village had already done their utmost.

There’s a saying: do everything in your power and leave the rest to fate.

After all this preparation, whether they would satisfy their guests would be clear by tomorrow. Once this weekend was over, Yutou Village would have hosted its very first group—an experience with nearly two hundred visitors.

“Stop worrying, get a good rest, and save your energy for tomorrow. Let those university students see just how beautiful our Yutou Village’s ‘spokesperson’ really is,” Tang Long teased with a smile.

Everything was ready—only waiting for the final push. He truly wasn’t nervous. Success or failure, it would all be valuable experience!

Any experience gained was a good thing for Yutou Village. They weren’t afraid of failure; if something went wrong, they’d just improve next time.

The following morning, Tang Long distributed red vests to the village “service staff.” There wasn’t time to order custom uniforms, and the cost would have been too high anyway, so they made do with red vests and security armbands for now.

“Why didn’t you buy bottled water?” Zhang Xiue frowned. The water Tang Long had purchased was all in large jugs, not individual bottles.

“It’s cheaper, environmentally friendly, and perfectly safe,” Tang Long replied with a smile.

Zhang Xiue had dark circles under her eyes, barely concealed by makeup. Tang Long could tell she hadn’t slept well the night before.

She frowned again. “I still think we should prepare some bottled water. It’s more convenient.”

“Alright,” Tang Long agreed without protest.

She nodded. “Let’s go.”

Together with Tang Long and the others, she headed for the town. Although Jiang Xue and her group wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon, they had to set up the “supply points” and assign staff ahead of time.

There were twelve supply points along the route from Donghe Town to Yutou Village, each stocked with drinking water, simple food, and candy. If someone couldn’t go on, they could wait at any supply point for a service vehicle to pick them up later. The villagers of Yutou Village would close up the rear, with someone accompanying the group at every stage, just in case.

“I think, if this route becomes permanent, we could build a few wooden huts by the roadside and sell food to passersby!” Zhang Xiue said with a sudden smile as the idea struck her.

The road didn’t belong exclusively to Yutou Village, but putting up a few huts was no problem. They’d just need to make sure no one broke in when the place was unattended.

“That’s a great idea. We could also rent a place in town and open a guesthouse. That way, visitors arriving in Donghe Town would have somewhere to stay and wouldn’t need to rush straight to Yutou Village. In normal weather, it’s fine, but if it’s windy or rainy and the road is slippery, hiking wouldn’t be practical. And when we have more money, we should buy a few buses so guests can have the option to ride directly from town to Yutou Village—much more convenient!”

Zhang Xiue’s eyes lit up. Buying buses for the village was a plan for the future, but renting a place in Donghe Town and opening a guesthouse was something that could be done right away.

“Not only should we open a guesthouse in town, but also one in Taoyuan County. That way, visitors from out of town could go straight to our own guesthouse to rest.”

Setting up a guesthouse in Donghe Town probably wouldn’t cost much, but one in Taoyuan County would require a much larger investment.

Tang Long hadn’t yet mentioned to Zhang Xiue the matter of Yao Handong wanting to invest in Yutou Village. Even if he did come, that would be after Jiang Xue’s group—too distant to solve their immediate problems. This “tour group” was their most pressing concern at the moment.

...

“Is everyone on board?” Jiang Xue asked her roommates and close friends. She was the organizer and overall manager of this “excursion.”

“We’re all on. One hundred and twenty-one boys, eighty-six girls, two hundred and seven people in total,” replied the eldest in her dormitory.

Jiang Xue frowned. That was fifteen more than she’d told Tang Long—people she simply couldn’t refuse, friends of friends, or someone’s boyfriend.

They filled two coaches!

“Okay, thank you, everyone. I’ll ride in bus one, and you take bus two. Use the walkie-talkies if anything comes up,” Jiang Xue ordered with a wave of her hand. “All aboard—let’s go!”

Once the coaches set off, Jiang Xue called Tang Long to let him know they were on their way to Taoyuan County.

“Travel safely!”

“See you soon!”

After hanging up, Tang Long turned to Zhang Xiue with a smile. “Jiang Xue and her group have set off. They’ll arrive around three or four in the afternoon. You should eat something first.”

It was only noon. On the road from Donghe Town to Yutou Village, Tang Long had set up a large tent so everyone could rest inside. When Jiang Xue’s group arrived, they could take a break there and store their bags.

“I’m not hungry,” Zhang Xiue shook her head. She was a bit agitated and had no appetite.

Tang Long gently pulled her over and sat her on his lap, looking at her with concern. “This is just a trial run for us, to gain experience. We’ve done our best. Now we just need to follow the plan and take things step by step. You understand?”

Zhang Xiue blushed, struggling to break free. “Let me go—don’t pull me around like this!”

There were still villagers outside. She felt embarrassed to be seen.

Tang Long laughed. “Promise me you’ll eat, and I’ll let you go.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll eat!” Zhang Xiue replied, her cheeks flushed.

Outside, Shan Xiu rolled his eyes in exasperation. Back to back, a pair of lovebirds…