After the four sat down, Aunt Zhang came out of the kitchen as well, bringing out the pot of rice. She smiled and said, "We usually like to cook extra. Whatever is left goes to the chickens, ducks, and dogs. There should be enough for the four of you, and I'll go cook some more."
As she spoke, she brought each of them a bowl and a pair of chopsticks.
There were five dishes and a soup on the table, the couple's usual spread: two meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and a soup, all fairly light.
"We didn't get any advance notice, so all we can offer is simple home cooking. I hope you don't mind. Let me know ahead of time next time, and I'll prepare a lavish feast."
Li Yongfa knew Lin Chen was the one who had provided the money, so he was extremely welcoming.
"Hehe, sure. But honestly, after getting used to city food, having some simple home cooking once in a while is quite nice too."
Lin Chen smiled.
Lin Chen had not come for the food, so he did not care much about it. Instead of serving himself rice, he poured a cup of rice wine, had a drink with Li Yongfa and Lei Zi, ate a few bites of food, then got straight to the point. "Village Chief, Lei Zi, I'd like to ask something. About five years ago, did a large number of people come to the back mountain? Tourists or something like that?"
Quite a few people came here for tourism. After all, the area had mountains and water, with pleasant scenery. Lijia Village made a little money from tourism by providing lodging and meals, so they welcomed anyone willing to come. "The largest group we ever had was a little