The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

"Let's go, Niannu, let's go back and take a look first."

Wang Long's expression was solemn as he took Ye Niannu's hand and walked towards Old Li's house.

Ye Niannu nodded slightly and followed silently.

"I always felt that things wouldn't be so easy to resolve."

Wang Long was going to verify his hypothesis.

The two had just returned to Old Man Li's house.

Old Li was walking out of his courtyard gate, stretching and wearing the same warm smile as yesterday.

He saw Wang Long and Ye Niannu and waved from afar, his voice loud and friendly.

"You two are up very early! Did you sleep well last night?"

Wang Long looked at his smiling face, etched with wrinkles, at the auntie hanging out to dry bedding in the yard behind him, and at the children running past the alley entrance, their laughter ringing out.

The child, now only a head remaining in the kitchen, is playing freely, a naive smile on his face.

It sends chills down your spine.

Wang Long didn't expose anything, he just nodded slightly and spoke in a calm tone.

"I slept well, thank you for your hospitality, sir."

Old Li walked over with a smile and said warmly.

"That's good, that's good. Come on, I've had my wife cook some porridge for you to eat first. After you're done, I'll have one of the village lads take you along the easier path."

He paused, then added, his tone as familiar as if he were speaking to a younger family member.

"Although this road is easier to walk, it still takes most of the day to walk, so we can't go without eating our fill."

Ye Niannu stood beside Wang Long, a gentle smile on her face, and nodded slightly.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

Wang Long and Ye Niannu didn't ask any more questions and followed Old Li back to the courtyard.

Breakfast was just like yesterday: coarse tea, rice porridge, and a few dishes of pickled vegetables—simple and homey.

Old Li sat opposite them, peeling a boiled egg while chatting with them. The topics were similar to those of yesterday.

Ask them where they came from, whether they were tired from climbing the mountain, and whether they encountered any wild animals along the way.

Wang Long answered each question in a calm tone, showing no sign of anything amiss.

However, recalling the scene in the kitchen yesterday, neither Wang Long nor Ye Niannu had any appetite.

I made up some excuse and didn't eat a single bite; I just kept Old Man Li company and chatted.

They wanted to extract more information.

It wasn't until the meal was almost over that Wang Long casually mentioned it.

"By the way, old man, have any outsiders ever come to your Peach Blossom Spring? I mean, besides us?"

Old Li paused for a moment while peeling the eggs, then resumed his actions, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Outsiders? What outsiders? Our place is remote, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. We hardly see any unfamiliar faces all year round."

"You two are rare guests."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and took a bite of a boiled egg, seemingly not taking the issue to heart.

Wang Long did not ask any further questions.

Old Li put down the half-peeled hard-boiled egg in his hand, wiped his hands on his apron, and turned to shout into the yard.

"Dazhu! Dazhu! Stop dawdling, come out and take the guests to find the exit to the pipe!"

Not long after he finished speaking, a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old pushed open the door of the west wing and came out.

He was wearing a faded blue cotton short jacket, with the trouser legs rolled up to his calves, revealing his muscular calves.

He was wearing straw sandals and carrying a worn-out straw hat.

He looked honest and simple, and when he smiled, he showed a set of white teeth, looking seven or eight parts like Old Li.

"Father, I'm coming!"

Wang Long recognized Da Zhu in front of him; one of the heads that had been placed in the kitchen yesterday was his.

Now, however, he stands before Wang Long, full of life and energy.

Wang Long felt a little uncomfortable; he didn't feel like he had come to the place where some immortals lived.

It felt like we'd encountered something dirty.

Dazhu walked up to Wang Long and Ye Niannu, grinned, and spoke in a cheerful tone with a touch of the shyness typical of country folk.

"Please come with me, gentlemen. I know that road very well and I'll make sure to get you onto an easy road."

Wang Long nodded to him and thanked him with a smile.

Ye Niannu also slightly curved the corners of her lips, without saying anything more.

Without lingering, the three set off immediately.

The two followed Dazhu and walked out along the bluestone path at the entrance of the village.

The morning light was just right, and the houses of Peach Blossom Spring gradually became blurred in the background.

Dazhu walked ahead at a moderate pace, occasionally glancing back to see if the other two were keeping up. He would also casually comment on the wildflowers and weeds he encountered along the roadside.

His tone was familiar and natural, like an ordinary young man from a mountain village chatting with a guest.

Wang Long walked beside him, observing his words and actions for a while, and only spoke calmly when the atmosphere was right.

"Dazhu, have you lived in this paradise all your life?"

Dazhu nodded, smiling憨厚ly.

"Yes, I was born and raised here, and I've never been far from home."

"Never thought about going out to see the world?"

Ye Niannu chimed in casually.

Dazhu scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"What's so interesting outside? Peach Blossom Spring has everything: farming, fishing, raising chickens and ducks. Life is very comfortable. Besides, there's plenty of work to do in the fields, so I can't leave."

He spoke in a calm and natural tone, with an almost self-satisfied expression on his face.

The idea of ​​going out to see the world never truly existed in his mind, nor did he ever feel that there was anything wrong with staying in the village.

Wang Long and Ye Niannu exchanged a glance and neither of them asked any further questions.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the path under our feet gradually changed from bluestone slabs to dirt road, and the peach groves on both sides became sparse, replaced by a patch of low shrubs and scattered wild grass.

The morning light shone through the thin clouds, illuminating the mountain path ahead clearly. Dazhu pointed to the distant mountain valley, his tone relaxed.

"After you cross that slope, it will take another hour or so to reach the main road. There are many carriages and horses there, so you can hitch a ride to the town."

Wang Long followed his gaze and was about to respond when the mountain path ahead suddenly became blurry.

At first, I thought it was fog in the distance, but the layer of white-gray fog rose from the ground, as if it was slowly exhaled from the ground by something, spreading silently in all directions.

In just a few breaths, the path beneath their feet became indistinct.

Dazhu stopped and looked around. His tone wasn't particularly surprised, but he muttered something with a hint of annoyance.

"Tsk, it's getting foggy. This weather is so unpredictable."

He turned around and waved to Wang Long and Ye Niannu.

"This fog won't dissipate anytime soon, and the road is hard to see. If we continue walking, we might get lost. Why don't you two come back to the village with me and wait for the fog to clear before we continue?"

As he spoke, he added another sentence, his honest smile now appearing somewhat eerie.