There Really Is a Story

Xu Hongdou packed quickly. In just a few minutes, she changed clothes, slipped on her slippers, and came clattering downstairs.

She saw Wang Yan deftly slicing deli meats with a cleaver. At the long solid-wood dining table nearby, Nana rested her chin on her hands, smiling brightly. Xu Hongdou walked over and asked, "What are you talking about? You seem so happy."

"Nana asked where we went today. I was just telling her."

"We weren't familiar with the area, so we just wandered around without any real destination. As for what we did, we really didn't do much—just rode horses for half an hour at the ranch to the south. What impressed me most was that everyone we met was so nice and welcoming. Especially when we came back and bought barbecue just now—the owner, Yang Guanjun, even wanted to give us some pickles."

Just as Xu Hongdou had said, they had met quite a few people along the way, and all of them had been polite. Even when Wang Yan shoved his camera right in their faces for pictures, they had been very cooperative. It was genuinely nice. As for Yang Guanjun, that went without saying. He was Xie Zhiyao's childhood friend, one of his most loyal supporters, and an absolute backer of Xie Zhiyao's efforts to develop his hometown. He was especially enthusiastic toward tourists like Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou who were willing to visit such an out-of-the-way place, all in the hopes of leaving outsiders with a good impression.

After telling Nana about her feelings, Xu Hongdou turned to Wang Yan and asked, "Do you need any help?"

"No, it'll be ready soon. Just wait to eat. Oh, right—I added Nana as a friend earlier, and she pulled me into the Windy Courtyard group. I added