Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

Township?

Shen Mingchao was surprised.

Did I unknowingly come to regard Yucun as my hometown?

Just as Shen Mingchao thought this, he felt that something was not right.

She clearly didn't stay in Yuchun for very long, so even if she had feelings for it, they wouldn't be this deep. Therefore, what caused her to have these feelings wasn't the place itself.

It is people.

In other words, the emotional bond she formed with them over a long period of time was what she relied on in this new world.

Thinking of this, Shen Mingchao gently tugged at the corners of his mouth, setting aside all inappropriate jokes, and simply said to everyone, "I'm back."

Even the wind softened at that moment.

Only when Shen Mingchao appeared before them did everyone finally feel relieved after being in a state of anxiety for so long.

Meow~~

The first to greet Shen Mingchao was San San. With a kick, it leaped off Wang Meng, its male mother, and pounced on Shen Mingchao like a small cannonball.

Shen Mingchao stepped forward and steadily caught the white dumpling, receiving a wave of fluffy face washing service.

During this period, the two sides held a friendly meeting.

The fat man warmly greeted everyone: "Everyone, don't just stand at the door, let's go inside and chat. I'm telling you, you've come at the perfect time, the stone pot chicken is just cooked, any later and the meat would have been overcooked."

Hearing what the fat man said, Shen Mingchao almost drooled; she had smelled the delicious aroma for a long time.

As Shen Mingchao followed the others into the house, he noticed that the three members of the Zhang family were standing still and hadn't moved.

Upon noticing her gaze, the three reacted differently: Zhang Haike nodded slightly to her, Zhang Qianjun waved to her, and Zhang Haiyan gave her a smirk.

She returned the smile politely.

Watching the three figures turn and leave, Shen Mingchao couldn't help but think.

She didn't know much about the Zhang family, nor did she know their relationship with the Nine Gates represented by Wu Xie. From what she had seen so far, they couldn't be considered close.

So, did these three come with the clan leader, or were they simply there to watch the fun?

Surely it's not to check on one's own safety?

This last thought was quickly dismissed by Shen Mingchao. Those were the powerful and mysterious Zhang family; if it weren't for Zhang Qilin as a link, how could they possibly have any connection? They must have come with the clan leader.

The three men's departure went unnoticed by the crowd.

Shen Mingchao also withdrew her gaze. After a day's journey, her most important thing now was to have a big meal.

This Medog stone pot chicken was Xilaimian's main dish. She had tasted it when she first came to Yuchun; it was delicious and truly wonderful. Especially in winter, a sip of the soup warmed her whole body. Heaven knows, in the cold Russian wind, all she could think about was this dish.

There was no time for further words; she ate first as a sign of respect, completely ignoring what the other nine people were saying, which were nothing more than polite remarks or probing questions laced with hidden meanings.

Until a green ticket was pushed towards me.

The moment she met Chairman Mao's gaze, Shen Mingchao stopped drinking her soup. She was very perceptive; she stretched out her finger, pressed the banknote with her fingertip, and silently moved it toward herself.

Halfway through moving it, someone next to me spoke.

"Didn't you say you'd give me 50 to hear my detailed rescue plan? I'll pay for it."

After Wu Xie and Xiao Hua reviewed the situation, only Shen Mingchao's experience from Yucun to Russia was completely blank.

Xiao Hua had privately asked Qi Qiu, but the other party remained tight-lipped, and she couldn't get any useful information out of him. He was used to being cautious and was afraid that there might be unknown dangers hidden in this gap, so he went to great lengths.

Shen Mingchao looked up.

She noticed that Wu Xiaogou's bright eyes were watching her with a smile, a sly glint in them.

So that's what they were waiting for her to do.

Holding the money was too hot to handle, so she silently pushed it back. Unexpectedly, Wu Xie uttered some outrageous words the next second.

"Is that not enough? I can add more. Just name your number?"

Good heavens, how could Wu Xie say something like "I'm not short of money"?

She clearly remembered that Wu Xie owed that hotel, oh, the New Moon Hotel, 260 million, and it was Xie Yuchen who took on the bill all by himself, otherwise Wu Shan Ju would have had to be sent to pay off the debt.

As the two were talking, the lively dinner table had already quieted down. Shen Mingchao secretly glanced around and found that even Zhang Qiyu had put down his chopsticks and looked over.

The others glanced at him discreetly.

Apart from Qi Qiu, another party involved, his gaze was filled with worry.

Shen Mingchao sighed, thinking that gossiping really is human nature.

Now that things have come to this point, if we don't say something to deflect the issue, it might plant a seed of doubt.

Since that's the case, then don't blame her for speaking without thinking.

She leaned closer and whispered.

"Young Master, let me tell you, that old Belyak is a scoundrel. He won't even give people clothes to wear in the dead of winter. Luckily, I arrived in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

These words were like a thunderbolt.

Wu Xie's expression gradually cracked, and he froze completely.

Shen Mingchao suppressed a laugh, thinking to himself, "Now no one should dare to ask for details anymore."

Hmph, as long as she's not embarrassed, it's everyone else who's embarrassed.

In the latter half of the dinner, everyone toasted and drank, and most were slightly tipsy. To celebrate the opening of Xilaimian, Xie Yuchen presented a gift he had prepared beforehand.

The fat man chuckled and took the box, eagerly tearing it open. He found it contained a complete set of Russian nesting dolls, which felt heavy in his hands and clearly had many layers.

Seeing this, the others also took out their gifts.

Hei Xiazi pulled out a packet of Russian red sausage, saying he had looked it up online and found it was a local specialty.

What Hordorf gave was a bottle of sake with "Juyondai" written on it, which is said to be a famous Japanese sake.

Qi Qiu said he knew that Fujian had a thriving tea culture, so he specially ordered a tea set, which was on its way to be mailed. He hoped they would continue to support him in the future.

A pile of gifts rained down from the sky, and the fat man was all smiles. In addition, he was under the influence of alcohol and could hardly speak. He still told everyone to have a good time and said intermittently that everyone was a brother and there was no need to be so polite.

If he hadn't been clutching the wine that Hordorf had given him, this statement would have been even more convincing.

Shen Mingchao sighed as she watched this scene. She didn't like getting involved in men's drinking parties, so she quietly slipped out and went to the entrance of Xilaimian. She lay down on a recliner and enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

She had only closed her eyes for a short while when she heard a steady, unhurried footstep.

Finally, the man stopped beside her.

Shen Mingchao opened her eyes, and in the hazy moonlight, the man's perfect profile gave her a visual shock. From her angle, the man's eyelashes looked ridiculously long.

She chuckled softly and spoke first: "Idol, it's been a long time."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiyu lowered his eyes, remained silent for a while, and then stretched out his slender fingers to firmly place them on the girl's wrist.

The pulse was strong and powerful.

The familiar heat washed over my entire body.

Just as he withdrew his hand, he suddenly heard a girl's teasing yet curious voice.

"Idol, you're blushing."

"So you can get drunk too."