Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

Cheng Mo got out of the car and walked a few steps forward.

There was road construction going on ahead, and there were quite a few construction workers operating various machines. Two of them were wearing reflective vests, and the warning line was very long, blocking both roads.

No wonder it's so congested.

He estimated that the road might not even be open to traffic today.

Looking around, I could see houses in the distance, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

It's either a village or a town, so we should be able to find a place to use the toilet, and we'll have somewhere to go at night.

He walked back to the car and stuck his head through the window: "There are houses over there. Are you coming with me, or should I let you know after I've asked around?"

Xia He immediately opened the car door and helped Duo Duo out, saying, "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up."

After getting off the bus, Duoduo reverted to being a somewhat shy little girl, curiously and cautiously observing her surroundings.

Cheng Mo closed the car window and locked the car door.

Duoduo suddenly remembered something: "Senior brother, our things are still in the car."

Cheng Mo looked at her: "What is it?"

Duoduo: "Just those things..."

Cheng Mo opened the car door.

Duoduo peeked inside—

The carriage was empty, there was nothing there.

She was dumbfounded.

"ah??"

Xia He patted Cheng Mo: "Don't scare the child."

She crouched down, leaned close to Duoduo's ear, and took out the little thing, waving it around: "We have a little treasure for hiding things, this is it, it can hold lots and lots of things."

Duo Duo's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Xia He nodded: "Of course it's true. I'll demonstrate for you when we're somewhere private."

Duo Duo nodded vigorously, her face full of anticipation: "Mmm!"

……

The three walked toward the house, the road overgrown with weeds and dotted with small hills.

Xia He was a little confused: "Is that area deserted? There's no road there."

Cheng Mo: "How would I know?"

Continuing forward, after crossing another small hill, we discovered a path leading to the main road.

However, the road was very narrow, barely wide enough for a small car to pass through.

At this moment, someone is carrying a large basket on their back and walking towards the main road.

Xia He exclaimed, "This road is really well hidden."

Cheng Mo: "We're blind."

Duo Duo: "...Senior brother, you'd better not curse yourself."

Xia He burst out laughing: "Hahaha! Duoduo is absolutely right!"

Cheng Mo said expressionlessly, "Aren't you afraid of laughing your own shit out?"

Xia He: "???"

……

We finally arrived at our destination.

The road sign reads two characters: Lanfeng.

Judging from its size, it's just an ordinary village.

There were houses on both sides, and many of them had snacks and treats set up in front of their doors, which looked like businesses.

Cheng Mo went to the first store and bought three bottles of mineral water and three packs of instant noodles.

The owner was a middle-aged man who handed him things with a smile.

Cheng Mo paid and asked, "Boss, can I use the restroom?"

The boss pointed inside: "Go in and turn left."

Xia He immediately took Duo Duo's hand and walked inside.

Cheng Mo stood at the door and chatted with the shop owner: "What are they going to do with that road outside?"

The boss chuckled and replied, "We need to widen the road here so that large trucks can get in, for the cement plant and quarry that's being built."

Cheng Mo responded with an "oh," which piqued the boss's interest in conversation.

"With the construction of roads and factories, there are more people, and the villagers have started to do these small businesses to earn some hard-earned money. For the past two weeks, the road has been closed from time to time, and cars are stuck on the road. Every day at mealtimes, the villagers carry food to the highway to sell, and they even provide hot water."

Cheng Mo smiled: "How's business?"

The boss laughed, "It's alright, better than farming."

Just then, Xia He and Duo Duo came out looking relaxed.

Xia He leaned close to Cheng Mo's ear and asked, "Have we traveled back to the 1990s?" She had just overheard their conversation.

Cheng Mo glanced at her: "Don't talk nonsense. You should take a look at the mountains and roads in our Southwest. How can they compare to the plains?"

Xia He thought for a moment, and the latest chapter is ready! Book lovers, hurry back. Building infrastructure in these mountains is indeed less convenient than on the plains.

Duoduo asked curiously, "Are there really no mountains on the plains?"

Cheng Mo thought for a moment: "After a while, your senior brother will show you what a vast plain looks like."

Duo Duo's eyes lit up: "I want to see the sea too."

Xia He immediately chimed in, "It would be even better if we could see a desert too."

Cheng Mo: "..."

He looked at Xia He, then at Duo Duo: "You guys have so many demands."

Xia He ignored him and looked around, "Don't they sell food here? Why don't we eat here and then go back?"

Cheng Mo picked up the instant noodles in his hand: "I bought instant noodles."

Xia He looked disgusted: "Those are just emergency supplies. Duoduo is growing, she can't eat them all the time."

Duoduo swallowed hard and whispered, "Actually, it's quite delicious..."

Cheng Mo chuckled and looked at her, "If you eat too much, you'll feel like throwing up."

Duoduo asked curiously, "Senior brother, have you tried it?"

Xia He also looked at him.

Cheng Mo remained unfazed: "I've never eaten that much either."

Xia He patted him on the shoulder: "Stop joking around, let's hurry up and find a restaurant."

Cheng Mo turned to the shop owner and asked, "Boss, are there any restaurants around here?"

The owner pointed up the slope: "There are two restaurants up there; their food is quite good."

Cheng Mo thanked them and led Xia He and Duo Duo upstairs.

After walking a few steps, Cheng Mo suddenly remarked, "This guy is quite honest. He didn't try to force us to eat at his place, and he even recommended some good cooks."

Xia He nodded: "It's a pity he won't get to enjoy it, otherwise, little Taoist priest, why don't you show off your skills a bit?"

Cheng Mo waved his hand: "It's not that bad. They make a living from this, we can't ruin their reputation."

This village fits Xia He's impression of Southwest China quite well—just a small piece of land, divided into upper and lower levels along the hillside.

Going up the slope, there were a few scattered houses along the roadside, with some miscellaneous items piled up in front of the doors, and a few chickens pecking for food in the roadside grass.

After walking up this slope, there is a short stretch of flat road ahead. In front of two houses, there are several basins filled with seven or eight kinds of dishes.

Several low tables and stools were placed next to the basin, and two tables of people were already eating.

"Boss, how much is this?" Xia He pulled Duo Duo over and asked, pointing at the vegetables.

A middle-aged woman wearing an apron came out to greet us with a smile: "Six yuan per person, all you can eat, as much as you want. The vegetables are all homegrown, and the meat is from our own pigs and ducks, so eat with confidence."

"Three portions." Xia He took out twenty yuan and handed it over.

The woman took the money, gave him change, and handed him three bowls: "Help yourself. The rice is in that bucket over there."

Xia He took the bowl and pulled Duo Duo to serve the food.

Duoduo held her bowl, looking at the dishes, unsure of what to do.

Xia He demonstrated from the side: "Take whatever you want to eat, as much as you want, and you can have more after you finish eating."

Duoduo nodded, carefully picked up a piece of scrambled eggs with tomatoes with her chopsticks, and scooped out a spoonful of braised pork.

After serving the dishes, the two of them filled the bucket with rice, then took their bowls and sat down next to Cheng Mo.

Cheng Mo had already served himself and was now engrossed in eating.

Duo Duo took a bite of the braised pork, and her eyes immediately lit up: "Delicious!"

Xia He, her mouth glistening with oil, said, "Mmm, this meat is so delicious."

Seeing Duoduo eating so heartily, Cheng Mo felt quite gratified.

Those days in the hospital weren't wasted—if she hadn't gone through that period of being dominated by terrible food, Duoduo definitely wouldn't be able to eat so well now.

Thinking of this, Cheng Mo silently thanked Wang Zhenqiu and Xia He for their contributions.

The table next to us was occupied by several middle-aged men, who looked like long-haul truck drivers, and they were eating and chatting.

"Once that cement factory in front is repaired, this road is basically useless."

"The road is closed off all the time, but I heard it's going to be widened so that big trucks can come in, and we can make more trips."

Cheng Mo, holding a bowl, approached and asked, "Are you guys stuck here while hauling goods?"

A man with a scar on his face looked up at him: "The traffic jam has been going on since noon, and I don't know how long it will last."

Another, thinner man chimed in, "Traffic jams have become a daily occurrence these past few years, we're used to it. Are you here on vacation?"

Cheng Mo nodded: "Yes, I brought my family out for a stroll, but I didn't expect to run into this."