Gu Cheng sat in the back seat, listening intently too.
He knew full well.
The tomb of the Liao empress dowager that Hu Bayi had mentioned really did exist.
But an official archaeological team had already placed it under protection.
His real target this time was the tomb of the Jin general.
For one thing, this was his first time entering a tomb, so he wanted something simple to practice on.
For another, the Jin general's tomb should have contained some good finds. Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang simply hadn't recognized their value and had ended up bringing out only a pair of jade pendants.
With him there, things would be different.
Even if they found no divine artifacts, they wouldn't come away empty-handed.
The roads across the grasslands were rough going.
They were uneven and full of bumps.
They couldn't drive fast, or the vehicle might roll over.
Bored out of his mind, Fatty Wang spotted Gu Cheng in the rearview mirror and said with a grin, "Young Master Gu, we've still got a ways to go. Why don't you get some rest? We'll wake you when we arrive."
Gu Cheng shook his head.
"No need. On roads like these, I couldn't rest properly even if I tried."
Fatty Wang looked irritated too. "Yeah, this isn't even a damn road. Old Hu, are you sure you haven't taken us the wrong way?"
Hu Bayi checked the compass in his hand, then compared it with the map. "No, this is the right direction."
"Fatty, you've spent all your time in Yanbei City. You don't know how hard life is out here."
"There are still plenty of desperately poor places in our country. Forget roads-people in many villages never leave the mountains their entire lives. Some places can't even get basic power lines run out to them."
"The village we're heading to is one example."
"Speaking of which, I have to thank Young Master Gu for buying so many everyday supplies for the villagers. I'm sure they'll be thrilled."
Gu Cheng smiled. "What's there to thank me for? We're brothers now. There's no need to draw lines between us."
Before long.
They finally reached a hollow in the mountains.
A village nestled inside it.
This was their destination, Ganggang Yingzi.
Following Hu Bayi's directions, Fatty Wang parked in a spacious grain-drying yard.
The large truck stopped behind them.
Before Gu Cheng and the others could get out, people along the edge of the drying yard were already pointing at them and talking.
Their village was remote, and outsiders rarely visited.
The sudden appearance of two vehicles driving through the village.
Had long since caught the villagers' attention.
Hu Bayi climbed out excitedly. Looking at faces that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, he waved eagerly. "Everyone, I'm back!"
The villagers studied Hu Bayi in surprise.
Suddenly, an old man said hesitantly, "Doesn't that young fellow look like Little Hu?"
A woman holding a child beside him exclaimed delightedly, "It is him! Hu Bayi!"
At once.
The villagers erupted into excited chatter.
They all surged forward, surrounding Hu Bayi and happily peppering him with questions.
"Little Hu, what brings you back?"
"Brother Hu, we've missed you so much since you left."
"That's right, Hu Bayi. It's been so many years, and you never came back to visit us."
Seeing the villagers again after so many years, Hu Bayi was just as overcome with excitement.
He hurried to answer their questions.
"The army had its rules. I couldn't get away."
"I only left the service recently."
"And here I am, back to see you right away!"
Gu Cheng and Fatty Wang stood beside the vehicle, watching the scene unfold.
Fatty Wang clicked his tongue, his face full of envy. "Man, why didn't I join the army back then? If I'd enlisted with Old Hu, would I be getting the same treatment today?"
Gu Cheng glanced at him. "Jealous?"
"Of course. Who wouldn't be jealous, seeing how popular Old Hu is?"
"Want to be just as popular?"
"Young Master Gu, have you got a way?"
Gu Cheng opened the car door.
He opened his backpack and rummaged around for a while before pulling out a bag of chocolates.
He tossed the chocolates to Fatty Wang.
Then he pointed at the children on the fringes of the crowd, watching with their fingers in their mouths.
"See them? You don't need me to explain, do you?"
Fatty Wang looked at the chocolates in his hand, then at the children.
A smile immediately spread across his face.
"You got it. I love kids."
As he spoke, he tore open the bag and walked toward the children.
"Hey, kids! Want some candy?"
Soon, Fatty Wang was surrounded by a crowd of little tykes.
He became the most popular person there after Hu Bayi.
By now, most of the village had gathered in the drying yard.
There were over two hundred people, men and women, young and old.
Hu Bayi waved a hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
"Everyone, let me introduce two good brothers of mine."
"This is Gu Cheng."
"And this is Wang Kaixuan."
"When they heard I was coming back to visit you, they wanted to come along. They also bought plenty of gifts for everyone. There's something for every household."
An old man leaning on a walking stick stepped forward. He was the village chief.
"Little Hu, we really can't thank you enough."
Hu Bayi stepped forward to support him. "Chief, if it hadn't been for you back then, my comrades and I might have died in the mountains. I'll never forget what you did for us."
Gu Cheng and Fatty Wang came over too.
They expressed their thanks to the village chief.
Hu Bayi had already told them about it during the drive.
While on patrol years ago, Hu Bayi had encountered a wolf pack. He and his comrades had been badly wounded. If the village chief hadn't saved them, they might have died in the mountains.
After they exchanged pleasantries.
The village chief assigned two people to distribute the supplies on the truck.
Gu Cheng also asked the driver to stay and help.
Then the three of them went to the village chief's home for a meal.
The moment they entered his courtyard.
Gu Cheng spotted several pickling jars beneath the eaves.
[Item name]: Glazed-Mouth Blue-and-White Jar [Item grade]: None [Item ability]: None [Item description]: A piece of porcelain with 1,327 years of history.
If you encounter ads asking things like "Are you a real person?", ignore them and close them. Do not scan any QR codes or send text messages!