Chapter 104: A Person Cannot Take It With Them

Tang Long did not go to the Ghost King Cave Scenic Area, nor did he send Zhang Xiue there. At this moment, whether the two of them went or not didn’t matter much. He trusted Liansheng could handle things well.

“I suddenly feel that having Yutou Village become so lively all at once might not be such a good thing after all,” Zhang Xiue sighed softly.

Tang Long smiled and said, “You’re only realizing that now?”

The world was always bustling and noisy—there was nothing purely good or purely bad, and extremes often reversed themselves.

“Why don’t we limit the number of visitors, focusing mainly on the university tours brought by Jiang Xue’s group?” Zhang Xiue said through gritted teeth.

It was clear that Secretary Xiue was summoning the courage to make a tough decision.

“How exactly would we limit the flow?” Tang Long shook his head. The idea of limiting visitors wasn’t very practical. Sure, they could control numbers at the Ghost King Cave area, but how could they restrict access to Yutou Village itself? People had come, and they couldn’t just block them—after all, it wasn’t a paid attraction.

“Xiaoyue was bullied by tourists this morning until she cried!” Zhang Xiue glanced at Tang Long and whispered.

Tang Long was stunned, his brow furrowing instantly. “Who bullied her? Didn’t I tell you all? At Yutou Village, right at our doorstep, we don’t bully others, but likewise, we won’t tolerate being bullied just for money!”

Zhang Xiue smiled bitterly. “We know all that, but many things are just unpredictable.”

That morning, a few young people insisted on dragging Zhao Xiaoyue into taking photos with them. Xiaoyue wasn’t the most diligent girl; she had gone to bed late the night before and was already tired and listless that morning, so she didn’t want to pose for pictures.

Such a small matter escalated into an argument. The tourists came as a group, quite a few in number.

There were also several women in their forties and fifties who cursed rudely and spoke harshly.

They ended up scolding Xiaoyue until she cried. In the end, Li Ergou had to step in and send the tour group away.

Who would want to be bullied right outside their own home? But at the same time, not every dispute could be settled by fighting.

These minor conflicts and quarrels—no matter whose fault—had to be de-escalated. Everyone was busy enough; nobody wanted to cause trouble for the village because of themselves.

“Where is Xiaoyue?” Tang Long frowned when Zhang Xiue finished speaking.

He didn’t care where the outsiders came from, but Zhao Xiaoyue was a girl who had followed him around since childhood. She was like a sister to him. Hearing that she had been bullied made Tang Long, as her older brother, feel heartbroken.

“She’s fine now,” Zhang Xiue said with a bitter smile. She felt that there were simply too many tourists, too much chaos. Yutou Village couldn’t handle it all anyway, so it might as well limit the flow.

Tang Long thought for a moment, then said sternly, “Tell Xiaoyue not to entertain tourists anymore. No more photo ops or group pictures—flat out refuse. Tell the visitors this is a rule in Yutou Village: she’s not allowed to take photos with anyone.”

He paused before continuing, “She doesn’t need to entertain anyone else either. From now on, Zhao Xiaoyue will only receive the university tours brought by Jiang Xue and her group.”

Zhang Xiue nodded but said nothing further. This arrangement was better anyway, since the people from outside were too complicated, and Xiaoyue didn’t like dealing with them.

Changing the subject, Zhang Xiue asked curiously, “You left early yesterday morning and didn’t come back all night. Where did you go?”

Tang Long’s eyes twinkled as he smiled, “I went to the county seat to take care of some business. Oh, and I’ve reached an agreement with the owner of Baofeng Carving Factory—going forward, all the crafts and souvenirs we need will be custom-ordered from Baofeng.”

He didn’t tell her that he had bought the Baofeng Carving Factory, nor did he mention his relationship with Gou Yuniang. That was definitely not something to talk about; he wasn’t crazy.

“Besides stone carvings, we’ll also add jade products in the future. We’ll form a joint venture with Baofeng Carving Factory to see if we can create our own brand and unique style,” Tang Long said seriously.

Zhang Xiue didn’t suspect anything. She would never have thought that in just one night, he not only acquired the carving factory but also won over the owner’s wife.

Saying he “won her over” wasn’t quite accurate, since from beginning to end Tang Long had never been the active party—it was all passive on his part.

Anyway, it wasn’t the right time to reveal Gou Yuniang’s story.

In this internet age, whatever happened spread rapidly. Yutou Village, being a popular village led by a famous village head, was under a spotlight. The incident at the Ghost King Cave had spread wildly online, as if it had grown wings.

Some praised Yutou Village, while others felt the village was too domineering and shouldn’t have taken the law into their own hands.

Videos circulated online in various versions, but most were similar, describing why the villagers beat someone and how the incident unfolded.

Around noon, Xing Jun called Tang Long.

“The higher-ups have ordered me to lead a team to arrest the person who assaulted someone in public.”

Old Xing wasted no words. Once the call connected, he got straight to the point. He was calling to keep Tang Long informed and see how to proceed. If Tang Long didn’t speak up, even if they came down from the county with a team, they probably wouldn’t be able to take anyone away and might only make things worse.

Tang Long asked calmly, “Is the pressure coming from above?”

Xing Jun hesitated, then said, “The city authorities issued the order. Someone is definitely stirring things up.”

After a pause, he added, “But don’t worry. If we bring the person back, I promise they won’t be mistreated.”

The Yutou Village beating wasn’t an ordinary case. It involved not only Tang Long but the collective anger of the entire village. If mishandled, it could escalate into a mass incident.

There’s an old saying: “In remote and poor places, people tend to be unruly.” The villagers of Yutou couldn’t be called unruly, but they were certainly unusually united.

“Old Xing, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. You know that now I represent not just myself, but the interests of all the villagers. We’re friends, yes, but I’m also the village head. Do you think I can just let you take him away?” Tang Long asked calmly.

Zhang Guang’s actions weren’t for personal reasons; he was enforcing the village’s rules. If Tang Long let the authorities take him so easily, it would be like poking a stick in the village’s back.

The man must not be taken away—at least not before the proper explanations are given. No one should be removed from Yutou Village lightly.

Zhang Guang did break that man’s leg, no doubt, but it was all clearly documented: the others broke the rules first.

Was Zhang Guang in the wrong?

He represented the entire village. So, was Yutou Village at fault? Did they fail to inform visitors properly before entering the Ghost King Cave?

They had said everything that needed to be said, warned everyone repeatedly, yet people still broke the rules. Who else could be blamed?