"Hello, my name is Tie Zhu. I'm the village chief's son from Dongpu Village. My dad is busy with something, so he sent me to host you."
As Qing Muye was staring blankly at Meng Jingwei, a sun-tanned, tall, and slender young man walked towards them.
Tie Zhu looked to be in his early twenties. He spoke fluent Mandarin and had a sincere and approachable demeanor.
He extended his hand friendly, and Qing Muye reciprocated, shaking his hand. "Qing Muye."
After Meng Jingwei distributed the snacks, the children happily ran off, and the villagers gathered around.
"Hi, hello, my name is Meng Jingwei."
Meng Jingwei walked forward and waved at Tie Zhu.
"Welcome to Dongpu Village."
Tie Zhu, with his honest and simple smile, greeted Meng Jingwei.
"I'm representing Junlin Company to do charity work in Liangchuan County. I've also brought a lot of things for the children, which are coming later. They'll arrive soon."
She explained.
"Thank you, thank you. On behalf of Dongpu Village, I thank you for coming. Come, my family has prepared lunch, please join us."
Tie Zhu said to the two of them.
Some of the surrounding villagers didn't speak Mandarin very well, so they just watched from the side. Although they didn't say anything, everyone had a smile on their face, appearing very friendly.
Meng Jingwei and Qing Muye followed Tie Zhu to his house.
Along the way, Tie Zhu enthusiastically introduced the situation in Dongpu Village, giving them some understanding.
Upon arriving at Tie Zhu's home, Meng Jingwei met Chen Kui, and Qing Muye's two... bodyguards?
Meng Jingwei was unsure of the identities of the two men, but judging by their agile physiques and muscular chests, they were no ordinary people.
Dongpu Village was nestled at the foot of a mountain. Although Tie Zhu's house was the most affluent in Dongpu Village, it was still only five mud-brick rooms, with rows of grey tiles on the roof. Behind the house was a large bamboo grove, and at the entrance, there was a pond.
Standing at the entrance, listening to the barking of dogs, the crowing of roosters, and the gurgling of the nearby spring, it felt like stepping into a paradise, with picturesque scenery and a pleasant temperature.
If it weren't for the distance from the outside world, separated by several large mountains, perhaps tourism could have been developed here.
Entering Tie Zhu's house, they sat together to chat, and soon the old village chief returned.
The old village chief had dark skin, his forehead covered in wrinkles, and he was not tall, slightly stooped. He wore a sleeveless white thin vest, a pair of trousers with banded cuffs, loose black pants, and… straw sandals. On his head, he wore a dark blue headscarf cap and held a pipe.
"Welcome! I was busy with something just now, so I'm late. Please forgive my neglect."
The old village chief's Mandarin wasn't very good, and his speech was tinged with local dialect, but they could still vaguely understand what he was saying.
After greeting the old village chief, they sat together to eat and drink.
The lunch was very generous. The village chief killed a chicken and a goose to entertain them heartily.
After the meal, the village chief said, "Meng Jingwei, since you're a girl, you'll stay at our house. My room is spacious and has a door, which will be more convenient for you. The other men can stay at Aunt Li's house next door or at Zhang Lao San's house."
"Alright, thank you, Village Chief. I'll follow your arrangements."
Meng Jingwei expressed her gratitude.
Taking her luggage, she pushed open the door and entered the room.
The room had a window, but it wasn't very large, and the lighting was poor, making it somewhat dim. However, the room was undeniably very clean.
After putting down her things, she turned around and saw Qing Muye standing at the doorway, looking at her with a meaningful gaze.
"What, are you envious of me? Qing Muye, you wouldn't try to snatch a room from me, would you?"
She glanced at him, chuckled, and said, "Come on, I'll go see your rooms."
With that, she pulled Qing Muye along and they walked out.
Together with Tie Zhu, they went to Aunt Li's house. Aunt Li's house had only three rooms: a bedroom, a main hall, and a kitchen.
The hospitable Aunt Li said, "You've arrived, hahahaha! Come in quickly, the rooms are ready for you. You can stay in the houses."
In the countryside, the main hall served as the living room, and the houses were the bedrooms.
Chen Kui asked confusedly, "We'll stay in the houses, so where will you sleep?"
"It's fine, we've set up a bed in the cowshed, so we can sleep there," Aunt Li replied.
Hearing her words, everyone fell silent.
They wanted to refuse, but they couldn't withstand the villagers' enthusiasm and ended up staying.
After a brief rest, another group of people arrived in the afternoon.
Meng Jingwei found out that the newcomers were from the Xiao family, specifically Xiao Qingtian, Xiao Cheng's father, and Xiao Meiyan, Xiao Cheng's sister.
"Hey, Tie Zhu said no one had ever come to Dongpu Village before. How come so many people have arrived all of a sudden?" Meng Jingwei tugged at Qing Muye's sleeve and asked.
Qing Muye glanced at her with cold eyes. "I don't know."
After speaking, he turned and left.
Meng Jingwei was bewildered, finding his anger inexplicable. She chased after him and blocked his path. "Are you crazy? Why are you angry for no reason? What did I do to offend you?"
The man stopped, his handsome face showing a hint of coldness. "I told you to stay away from Xiao Cheng. Are you ignoring everything I say?"
With that sentence, Meng Jingwei finally understood why he was angry.
It turned out to be because she worked at Junlin Company, and Junlin Company was Xiao Cheng's company, which was why Qing Muye was angry.
She immediately flared up. "You're just my adoptive brother, not my mother! You didn't give birth to me, you didn't raise me, and you're not my man. Why should I listen to everything you say!"
Meng Jingwei glared at him, snorted, stamped her foot, and cursed, "You're sick!"
Then she walked around him and left.
In the afternoon, more and more people flocked to Dongpu Village, with many even bringing reporters.
Although there was no signal here, as long as they left Dongpu Village, the news could still be published.
The donation items, driven out of the mountains, were gradually being transported to Dongpu Village, and the enthusiastic villagers joined the transport team to move the goods into the mountains.
Meng Jingwei finally found out that this charity event was organized by the government, requiring prominent companies from Lancheng to do charity work in Liangchuan County.
The Xiao family happened to be assigned to Dongpu Village, and the people dispatched from Xiao Cheng's company were also assigned there.
Everyone worked busily all afternoon, transporting goods. Meng Jingwei also joined in.
They worked until past ten o'clock at night.
When she, exhausted, returned to the village chief's house, opened the door to her room, and turned on the light, she was shocked to find someone sleeping on the bed.
"Oh my, I just turned on the light, who... Meng Jingwei?"
The woman in pajamas on the bed sat up and glared at Meng Jingwei.
Meng Jingwei then realized that this person was none other than Xiao Cheng's sister, Xiao Meiyan.
"Why are you here?"
Meng Jingwei asked her.
"There was no place to sleep in the village. The village chief said my identity was precious, so he let me sleep here with you." After speaking, Xiao Meiyan simply lay down on the bed and fell asleep.