Henglu Village

The next day, Wang Yan returned home after some exercise.

Sometimes, when you're thinking about more important things the next day, you naturally wake up on time.

As soon as Wang Yan entered the house, he saw Xu Ziyan, who rarely slept in, energetically playing around the room.

Yesterday, he had bragged to the other children at kindergarten, and he was quite pleased with himself.

Seeing Wang Yan enter, Xu Ziyan ran over excitedly, "Dad, I'm all ready! When are we leaving?"

"We'll leave after breakfast."

With Xu Ziyan's laughter, he picked him up and tossed him into the air, "Let's go, son. Let's go wash up first."

After a playful wash-up, they ate the loving breakfast prepared by Gu Jia. They then packed their things, mainly checking if anything was forgotten.

After a period of busyness, accompanied by Xu Ziyan's bouncing and restless laughter, and Gu Jia's loud scolding, Wang Yan nervously set off driving.

He had practiced quite a bit yesterday, but he had never driven on the road before. With so many cars around, while he said he didn't care, he felt a bit uneasy.

But in reality, it went quite smoothly. Most people might not know much about RVs, but seeing a vehicle that wasn't quite a bus and not quite a coach, they could tell it wasn't cheap, which gave Wang Yan some leeway.

No one honked unnecessarily, nor did he encounter any deliberate collisions.

After overcoming the initial discomfort and a couple of traffic jams, he adapted and became increasingly proficient.

It was rush hour, so it was a bit congested, but everyone was heading into the city. He was heading out, and once he passed the CBD area, it would be fine.

He didn't take the highway, because then he wouldn't see anything.

All the way, Wang Yan drove on national and provincial roads. There were quite a few various large and small vehicles, electric scooters, and pedestrians who didn't follow traffic rules. Plus, they wanted to see the scenery along the way, so they drove slowly, stopping and starting.

Apart from the occasional large trucks and semi-trailers that roared past him, honking mockingly as they passed, the overall experience was quite good.

He traveled through Hecheng, Lin'an, and Yuezhou, enjoying the mountains and water, all the way to Wuzhou, Pan'an Jianshan Town, and Henglu Village.

Along the way, there were mountains and rivers. If there's one thing the south has plenty of, it's water – countless lakes and rivers.

He passed through Wuzhen, Xitang, West Lake, Thousand Island Lake, Liangzhu Ruins, Lanting, Lu Xun's Former Residence, and many other historical, cultural, and geographical attractions.

Wherever they went, they hired a local guide. After all, what he could learn from books and videos couldn't compare to the knowledge of a professional.

Wang Yan paid generously, and the guides provided excellent service, meticulously explaining various historical anecdotes and famous stories along the thread of history, patiently answering the many ignorant questions from their family of three, especially Xu Ziyan.

The professionalism was evident. Wang Yan couldn't say he understood everything thoroughly, but he certainly understood it clearly.

Through these experiences, Wang Yan felt the prosperity of Jiangsu and Zhejiang's culture and the beauty of its scenery, truly a place where outstanding people emerge from a rich land.

During the day, they traveled and sight-sawed, stopping and starting. Xu Ziyan was full of energy, and since children sleep soundly, it didn't affect him at night. Wang Yan and Gu Jia, on the other hand, exercised with all their might. It truly felt different being out on the road.

Finally, after a week of leisurely travel, the family of three arrived at their destination: Henglu Village, Jianshan Town, Pan'an County, Wuzhou City.

The old village chief had received the news long ago and organized a grand welcoming ceremony for the three of them.

Gu Jia was a bit overwhelmed. She hadn't expected the villagers to make such a fuss.

Wang Yan, however, remained composed. He understood the villagers' intentions.

It was simply a way to make a good impression and secure this source of income. After forty years of reform, our material living standards are extremely abundant, but only a minority have truly benefited. Many people still live in worrying conditions.

The southern economy is developed, and the conditions here are much better than in the western mountainous areas. They just want to improve further.

If this source of income is maintained, or even expanded, their lives will get better and better, and everyone will have hope and drive.

Wang Yan, holding the curious Xu Ziyan, thanked the old village chief and the simple, enthusiastic villagers along with Gu Jia.

After introductions, the old village chief hosted a banquet for the three of them, inviting a few respected elders and some capable younger men to join them.

They warmly welcomed the three, primarily focusing on Wang Yan. How could they approach a woman and a child? They could only turn to him.

Alcohol knows no north or south; it's as essential as eating and drinking tea.

Facing various toasts, Wang Yan accepted them all, drinking whenever offered and occasionally returning the gesture. The accompanying dishes were certainly the highest standard in the village, all substantial dishes. Some he hadn't even heard of, and upon inquiry, he learned they were quite expensive in the market. Perhaps these were meant to be sold, and he was enjoying them. It wasn't a potluck situation; their conditions were sufficient. It was likely the old village chief had sourced some special delicacies that were hard to find in the city, and he couldn't snub them by being pretentious.

Even a strong tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves. Wang Yan drank too much this time, and he didn't even know how it ended.

The next day, his years of ingrained biological clock were useless. Wang Yan didn't wake up until late morning.

The room was empty. Rubbing his slightly aching head, he got dressed. On the table beside him were toiletries thoughtfully prepared by Gu Jia, along with breakfast. The breakfast didn't look like Gu Jia's cooking; it was simple, without any frills.

After eating the simple breakfast, which he treated as lunch, Wang Yan washed up and went outside.

The sun was high in the sky, but Henglu Village was at a higher elevation, surrounded by mountains, so it didn't feel hot, just very sunny.

Wang Yan strolled through the alleys. When they arrived yesterday, the whole village had come out to see them, and people passing by greeted him. After asking for the location of the tea factory, Wang Yan ambled over.

He hadn't paid close attention to the environment when he arrived yesterday; he had been dealt with quickly.

This time, he looked carefully, and the scenery was indeed beautiful. The bamboo buildings and stone houses on either side of the alley, covered in moss, the uneven stone steps worn by time, exuded a poetic charm. In the morning, combined with the distant mountains hidden in the mist, the sounds of children playing, the reading from the schoolhouse, and the greetings of old neighbors, it would be absolutely perfect.

Admiring the sights along the way, he unconsciously arrived at the tea factory.

Upon entering, he saw Gu Jia looking glum, listening to one of his previously dispatched subordinates speaking.

Seeing Wang Yan approach, the subordinate stopped talking and greeted him.

Wang Yan nodded to his subordinate.

"Are you feeling alright?" Gu Jia asked with concern. She had watched them drink and had been worried sick for him. Seeing Wang Yan drink so much, she didn't think of what happened with Xu Huanshan before. After all, he had drunk himself unconscious, and she just assumed Wang Yan was trying to save face and was in good spirits, so he had a few more rounds.

Wang Yan shook his head, signaling he was fine.

Seeing him shake his head, Gu Jia didn't say much more. They were all adults; they knew their own discomfort. A little concern was enough. She continued to ponder something with a worried frown.

If it was a serious matter, one would either bring it up directly or pretend nothing was wrong and bear it alone. Gu Jia's current behavior clearly indicated she was waiting for his concern. Wang Yan couldn't miss such obvious cues. Even though he knew what was going on, he still stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong? Why the long face?"

"You tell him," Gu Jia said to her subordinate beside her.

"It's like this, President Wang, the tea factory..."

The subordinate then recounted the story, just like in a drama. Issues of qualifications and deficits, essentially money matters, nothing major.

Wang Yan listened intently, then told his subordinate to go play. He turned to Gu Jia and said, "Just this little thing? I'll transfer five million to you later, won't that solve everything?"

"Oh, it's not because of that," Gu Jia said unhappily.

This time, Gu Jia didn't appear as distraught as she did in the drama. She had over ten million in liquid cash alone.

Wang Yan understood. She was thinking about her past actions and thoughts, feeling like a clown watching others spectate and laugh silently. Being toyed with didn't feel good, and she was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed by it.

"Is it Mrs. Li?" Wang Yan asked, feigning ignorance.

Gu Jia nodded affirmatively, her expression clearly indicating it was that old hag.

He smiled nonchalantly and took out his phone, opening a file and handing it to Gu Jia.

Accepting the phone without understanding, Gu Jia looked at it for two seconds before letting out a startled gasp and dropping it.

Wang Yan's reflexes were quick; he snatched it before it hit the ground, preventing the screen from shattering. His subordinates usually needed to seek his approval for things, and a broken phone would cause significant delays.

"You decide how to proceed. Don't they have a small manor? Everything else is fine, but it's too big. It's no fun for just the three of us," Wang Yan said, shaking his head with a hint of regret.

Gu Jia was still in shock. Such a big matter, she couldn't accept it for a moment. "Where did you get all this? And you just put it on your phone?"

It wasn't surprising she reacted so strongly. To someone with a little money like her, these things were beyond her imagination. Now, holding such a trump card, she was no better than a child playing with swords. This was the root of trouble, and she couldn't handle it.

When Wang Yan first arrived, he had spent a considerable amount of time and paid a hefty price to investigate everyone Gu Jia had interacted with, uncovering all sorts of dirt.

He showed Gu Jia the "glorious deeds" of Mrs. Li's family, including bribery, collusion, asset transfer, unfair competition, tax evasion, and even murder. It also involved her son's affairs, such as impregnating a girl he'd forced himself on, abusing his power, drug use, promiscuity, and a whole mess of other things.

The parties involved undoubtedly believed their actions were foolproof, but they left traces when they happened. Even if they handled things well, it was because no one usually investigated them. Those who did were rivals of the same caliber; they were all shady characters. If you have compromising material, don't I? Those with high "rank" knew better; they were always extremely respectful and never caused trouble. Those with lower "rank" didn't have the guts. Trying to swallow an elephant? Unless you're a child of destiny, an elephant's foot would likely crush you. How many lives would it take to be so reckless?

Only Wang Yan wasn't afraid. If people played by the rules, he could go along with it, seeing whose methods were tougher. But if they broke the rules, Wang Yan guaranteed their entire families would disappear.

As for keeping it on his phone being unsafe? He had handled his own situation simply. He didn't easily allow malicious software to access information. Not to mention that generally, no one would specifically try to steal data from someone's phone. Even if they did, upon seeing it, they would have to grovel. As for blackmailing for profit, that depended on individual choices. Human nature was too complex; no one could say for sure. If someone truly dared to provoke them, then they deserved it.

"You don't need to worry about these things. Just tell me what you want to do," Wang Yan said.

Gu Jia deliberated for a long time, finally finding peace. Firstly, she didn't want to cause trouble for Wang Yan; the information in the file was too terrifying. Secondly, she knew she had been too greedy and desperate to get rich, so she couldn't blame others.

Sighing, Gu Jia shook her head. "Let's leave it at that. I was blinded by greed. Let's forget it."

Wang Yan thought she was intimidated and scared. He stepped forward and hugged her. "It's okay, don't overthink it. There's absolutely no problem. The best outcome for that family is prison." He didn't mention the worse possibilities; they were too gruesome to tell Gu Jia, who had grown up in peace.

"It's true. I really don't want revenge. There's no need for such a big fuss. Let's forget it," Gu Jia said, nestling in Wang Yan's arms.

This time, Wang Yan was sure Gu Jia genuinely didn't want revenge. He didn't say anything more. This was the so-called "better to have one less thing than one more," the notion that "suffering a loss is a blessing." He genuinely didn't care; it all depended on Gu Jia's choice. If she said to do it, he would definitely do it. If she said to let it go, then they would drop it. There was no need to go out of his way to create trouble for himself; it was too tedious and pointless.

With her worries lifted, Gu Jia became livelier.

Children make friends easily. Xu Ziyan, having just arrived yesterday, was already playing with mud with the other kids. Gu Jia found him covered in mud and led him away by the ear. The carefree child was still smiling and waving goodbye to his playmates, promising to continue tomorrow.

Gu Jia felt embarrassed to scold him in front of the other children. Their upbringing and family environments were different. If she reprimanded Xu Ziyan openly, the fragile and sensitive hearts of the other children would be hurt.

She couldn't scold him when they got back either. Xu Ziyan ran behind Wang Yan for protection as soon as they arrived. Wang Yan didn't mind. He had been a silly kid who played with mud and pee when he was young; Xu Ziyan was much better than him.

After bathing Xu Ziyan and changing his clothes, the family of three was led by the old village chief to see how tea was made. It was also an opportunity for Xu Ziyan to see more, so he could brag to his kindergarten classmates later.

They spent the entire afternoon observing the entire process, from picking and pan-frying to the final drying and packaging, all done by hand.

After the tour, the old village chief wanted to drag Wang Yan out for drinks. Wang Yan refused this time, not out of fear, but because he couldn't spend every day like this. He was here to relax, not to become a drunkard.

The old village chief was a bit regretful but didn't insist. They had a few dishes and a small drink, and that was that.

After coaxing Xu Ziyan to sleep, Gu Jia lifted the covers and lay down in Wang Yan's arms.

Sensing Wang Yan's hand becoming a little restless, Gu Jia smiled slightly. "It's that time of the month for me." At the same time, she felt a sense of relief. Liking him was one thing, but she couldn't be constantly "liking" him; she couldn't handle it either.

Wang Yan helplessly withdrew his hand; there was nothing he could do about that. However, seeing Gu Jia's cherry-like lips so close, Wang Yan leaned in and kissed her. Then, he whispered softly in her ear.

Hearing what Wang Yan said, Gu Jia's face instantly turned red. This was something she had never experienced before.

Unable to resist the persistent pleas, she slowly slipped under the covers.

They stayed in Henglu Village for a week.

While Gu Jia was busy every day thinking about the future production and sales of the tea factory, the father and son had a truly comfortable time.

Xu Ziyan was happily climbing trees, fishing, and playing with mud all day with his little friends. Wang Yan, on the other hand, wandered around everywhere, looking at this and that, also very content.

It wasn't that Wang Yan didn't want to help Gu Jia. If he stepped in, what would Gu Jia do? Besides, with her capabilities, it was fine to let her handle it.

During their stay, Xu Huanshan called, asking where Gu Jia had taken Xu Ziyan.

He had apparently finished his honeymoon period with Lin You and only remembered he had a son after he had had his fill of comfort.

Coincidentally, the family of three was present when he called. Xu Ziyan happened to call out to Wang Yan, "Dad," which was truly jarring.

The memory of how he met Wang Yan surfaced in his mind. Xu Huanshan was almost driven mad on the phone. He cursed Gu Jia and Wang Yan, saying Gu Jia had wronged him first, and so on. In short, he said the most unpleasant things he could think of.

<Wang Yan> had sharp ears and keen eyes, hearing everything clearly. But he didn't care at all. Who knows, maybe in the future I could even spar with Old Cao. Who do you think you are?

<Gu Jia> stood tall and unafraid. She didn't care what <Xu Huanshan> thought either, remaining silent.

<Xu Huanshan> cursed for a while, but with no response, he stopped. He hung up the phone in a rage. After calming down, the deed was done. Nothing he said now would matter.

Just as <Wang Yan> predicted, the system notified him the next day that the mission was complete.

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