CHAPTER 671: CHAPTER 54: REVISITING CHERRY VALLEY (PART 2)

Xiao Xian had full confidence in Mei Nian; as Mei Nian said, since she was young, she had participated in numerous training sessions deep in the remote mountains and forests. She had mastered the method of using Spiritual Energy to find her way, so much so that she could walk out of Big Snow Mountain without a scratch.

Moreover, according to what Pharmacist Huang had mentioned about the drugstore’s ginseng supply channels, most were bought from ginseng collectors in Changbai Mountain. Before Mei Nian entered the mountains, she would at least find a guide, so there should be no possibility of her getting lost and missing.

"I originally thought so too, but before the boss lady left, she calculated that she might not be able to return home for the New Year this year and would be unable to pay homage to her ancestors in the Meijia Village ancestral hall, so she specifically took a fragment of the Cold Ice Sword Blade and offered it in the Mei Family’s ancestral hall. That piece of the blade is a part of the boss lady’s own spiritual element. This evening, the village chief of Meijia Village was cleaning the ancestral hall, preparing the offerings for the New Year, when he discovered that the Ice Blade had formed a layer of ice." The fragment of the Cold Ice Sword Blade is equivalent to Mei Nian’s spiritual element avatar; when not in use, it is normally at a temperature almost the same as that of the human body, and it even has breath-like warmth.

The formation of ice on the Ice Blade signifies the loss of life signs, which is very unusual.

Upon hearing Huang Yaoshi’s words, Xiao Xian realized the severity of the situation. She lost her appetite and immediately took a taxi to the 411 Hospital.

Earlier, she had not made arrangements to dine with Zhou Ziang, agreeing instead to meet at the hospital, where she could also take the chance to visit Zhuo Feng.

After arriving at the hospital, Xiao Xian saw Zhuo Feng for a brief moment, saying only that Mei Nian had encountered some issues, and that she would be busy helping out in the drugstore for the next few days, unable to visit Zhuo Feng.

Though Zhuo Feng felt a bit displeased upon hearing this—his first meeting with Mei Nian ended in an argument, and the second time they met they went straight to fighting—the relationship between them remained prickly even after Xiao Xian’s mediation.

But seeing Xiao Xian’s unusually flustered expression, as her aunt, she could only bury her complaints in her heart.

At this point, Zhou Ziang had already arrived at the ward. Just as he was about to mention the place he had in mind for dinner, Xiao Xian interrupted him with a wave of her hand in agitation, "Stop thinking, I’ll take you to the best farmhouse restaurant in Beijing."

Where was the best farmhouse restaurant in Beijing? If asked, Xiao Xian wouldn’t hesitate to say, Meijia Village.

If people like Wang Shuai and Zhang Yiyi were to hear this, they’d scoff. Setting aside the establishments Wang Shuai was recommending at Xingguang Square tonight—whether it be Chinese styles ranging from hotpot to noodles and stir-fry, or Korean bibimbap, Japanese ramen and sushi, or Western steak, fries and roast chicken—you could have it all, as long as you could count them on your fingers.

But Xiao Xian would insist, among all the food she had tried in Beijing, the tastiest was neither the greasy Peking duck nor the various local dishes Zhuo Feng had taken her to. The best was from only two places: Grandma Zeng’s cooking and Meijia Village.

Grandma Zeng’s culinary skills had been perfected for decades, featuring dishes from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions with light flavors emphasizing freshness and sweetness.

The dishes made by Sister-in-law Hua in Meijia Village had incredibly fresh ingredients. Any green vegetable or spring onion from Meijia Village could bring out a unique taste. To get to the heart of it, it was about making the most out of the ingredients’ natural essence.

When Zhuo Feng heard Xiao Xian was going out late at night to look for someone, he was somewhat reluctant, and seeing that she was going out with Zhou Ziang made him even more at a loss for words. Feng Xing, worried she might get upset, volunteered to drive them both to Meijia Village.

What was supposed to be an outing for two turned into three, naturally leaving Zhou Ziang feeling a bit displeased. However, he didn’t show it and merely cast a meaningful glance at Xiao Xian before getting into Feng Xing’s car.

Once in the car, Feng Xing focused entirely on driving while Xiao Xian sat in the passenger seat. A sound as fine as a mosquito’s buzz reached her ears. She turned slightly and caught a glimpse of Zhou Ziang’s lips moving. The voice that arose from the special spiritual connection between the two became clearer: "Sorry, something came up in between."

Xiao Xian apologized with a sense of guilt, then wondered why she was apologizing, as if she was a little wife caught in the wrong.

"Where are we going now? Which part of the Mei Family?" When Xiao Xian got into the car, she told Feng Xing where they were headed: a place in Mentougou District called Mentougou. They would pass through a stretch of mountain road on the way, and Feng Xing needed to be particularly careful when driving.

Hearing that they were heading to the vicinity of Mentougou, Feng Xing also felt it was quite mystical. Although the mountain road there was decently built, the lighting was poor, and even experienced drivers would have to be cautious.

Therefore, once they drove out of the city district, Feng Xing’s eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, indifferent to the specific actions of Xiao Xian in the passenger seat and Zhou Ziang in the back seat.

"Did something happen to the owner of Plum Rice Ball?" Meijia Village was not shown on the map of Beijing, which suggested it might be a private estate of the Mei Family. Upon hearing that Xiao Xian intended to take him to the Mei Family’s private estate, Zhou Ziang’s face showed a hint of pleasure. This meant that Xiao Xian no longer regarded him as an outsider.

"It’s still unclear for now; we need to hurry over. Later when we arrive at Meijia Village, I might need your help. And about tonight’s events and Mei Nian’s situation, you must not mention them to anyone else, including my family and Wang Shuai," Xiao Xian earnestly fixed her gaze on Zhou Ziang, and he nodded.

"Finally, we’ve arrived. Wow, who would have thought that there’s such a paradise-like place on the outskirts of Beijing. Xiao Xian, how did you manage to find such a place?" Feng Xing, who had been driving with intense concentration, couldn’t help but marvel as they reached the entrance to Cherry Valley. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)