The Mysterious Old Gentleman

Ningbo, Beihai District, Upper River Town.

A young man stepped off a bus. Under the fierce sunlight, a wisp of cold air slowly rose from his body.

Once he no longer felt so hot, he set off toward Upper River Town.

When he arrived, the scene before him took him by surprise.

Unlike the deserted town he remembered from a year ago, Upper River Town was now bustling with people. The crowds were astonishing.

Several wooden houses had become shops with a distinctly Jiangnan style, and customers nearly lined up out the doors.

The little river where women used to wash clothes now ran clear, with several small boats drifting along it.

Boatmen steered the boats, taking tourists around to see the sights of Upper River Town.

"I've only been gone a year. How has it changed this much...?"

Mo Xie looked around and murmured to himself.

He usually kept up with news about Shanghe Street and had read online that Upper River Town had been renovated. Still, seeing it in person stunned him.

If Upper River Town looks like this, what must Shanghe Street be like...?

He tugged the brim of his hat lower and headed toward Shanghe Street.

"Well, I came here to count heads, apparently..."

The moment he entered Shanghe Street, he saw an endless sea of heads. Mo Xie's mouth twitched.

The stone-paved road had clearly been widened. The old road could never have held this many people.

People had moved into houses that used to stand empty, and every household had opened a storefront selling drinks or desserts.

Some elderly residents were also selling traditional snacks they had made themselves and giving them to children for free.

As the children kept calling out, "Thank you, Grandpa!" and "Thank you, Grandma!" the elderly residents beamed.

Looking