Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Travel Route

“What did that Zhao fellow from the county say to you just now?” Zhang Xiu'e couldn’t hold back her curiosity until after the town leaders had driven off.

Tang Long smiled. “He wanted to introduce his brother-in-law’s construction team, hoping to take over the renovation project in Yutou Village.”

Zhang Xiu’e gave a wry smile. “Yutou Village is already so poor, yet outsiders still eye it hoping to snatch a piece. I wonder what they’re thinking.”

“How did you respond?” she asked.

Tang Long grinned. “I told him, sure, as long as his brother-in-law is willing to advance the project funds, I’ll personally guarantee the renovation contract to him!”

Zhang Xiu’e gave him a big thumbs up.

“It’s almost noon. Why don’t we invite those university students to the village for a meal?” she suggested, smiling at the thought.

Tang Long leaned in close, grinning mischievously. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll run off with me?”

Zhang Xiu’e blushed, rolling her eyes at him playfully. “Don’t flatter yourself. Acting like you’re some hot commodity—only someone blind would take a fancy to you.”

Tang Long deliberately stared at her face for a while before saying, “But you’re not blind, are you?”

This made Zhang Xiu’e blush even deeper.

When no one was around, they’d sometimes secretly hold hands and share little intimacies.

At noon, Jiang Xue and her classmates were called over to the village.

“It’s just simple fare—don’t mind it!” Zhang Xiu’e said with a warm smile.

There was fish and meat: not exactly lavish, but not shabby either. The fish had been caught fresh from the creek, and the wild rabbit was snared the previous night by Liansheng and the others while guarding the mountain.

They hadn’t entertained Zhao Huangfeng and his entourage—there was simply no need. Besides, county officials like them wouldn’t care for such humble offerings anyway.

Jiang Xue and her classmates were different. Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e genuinely wanted to treat them well, not because they were wealthy, but because they were the first official tourists to set foot in Yutou Village—and that alone was enough.

Zhang Xiu’e had Jiang Xue’s friends help take some photos, and they exchanged contact information.

Jiang Xue and her classmates were delighted, feeling truly welcomed by Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e.

They kept saying the trip was worth every penny!

“The scenery here really is beautiful,” Jiang Xue remarked over lunch. “I have a few suggestions, though I’m not sure if they’re any good.”

“Let’s hear them!” Tang Long was eager to listen to the students’ opinions.

Jiang Xue said, “I can’t advise much about the Ghost King Cave—it’s a big project—but I actually think the Lian Gou Hollow is even more fun. Summer’s coming, and it’s the perfect season for water activities. The water there is crystal clear. If you could develop some underwater activities, I bet lots of people would come. For lunch, people could barbecue by the shore, or you could set up some grass huts—maybe even a farmhouse restaurant.”

Her suggestions all came from a tourist’s perspective, focusing mostly on activities and food.

Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e nodded from time to time in agreement.

“But the road outside is in terrible shape—even regular cars would have trouble making it in!” one of Jiang Xue’s classmates complained.

Zhang Xiu’e and Tang Long exchanged a helpless glance. Of course they knew how bad the road was, but knowing didn’t help. The town wouldn’t pay to fix it, and Yutou Village had no money of its own, so it just had to stay that way.

“There might be a solution for the road situation,” Jiang Xue continued, looking at the two of them. “Nowadays, lots of hiking enthusiasts love trekking and fitness walks. The distance from Donghe Town to Yutou Village isn’t short—by car it takes at least half an hour, and walking at a brisk pace takes about an hour. If you avoid the main road and take a roundabout path, it could take two hours or more on foot. Maybe you could try promoting hiking, and combine it with the Ghost King Cave and Lian Gou Hollow as a package.”

Her words made Zhang Xiu’e’s eyes light up—this was truly an inspiration.

Taoyuan County was remote, Donghe Town boasted mountains and rivers, but its economy lagged and heavy industry was almost nonexistent. In other words, Taoyuan County had few sources of pollution, beautiful scenery, and clean air—perfect draws for health-conscious visitors from elsewhere.

As long as Yutou Village made enough preparations!

Of course, if outsiders came to Taoyuan County, then Donghe Town, and finally Yutou Village, one day wouldn’t be enough—they’d need at least two or three days, with three to four being ideal.

“If you want tourists to hike from Donghe Town to Yutou Village, you’ll need a reception point in Donghe Town,” Jiang Xue continued. “You could also set up outlets for Yutou Village in both Taoyuan County and Donghe Town. People coming from outside, since there’s no train to Taoyuan County, would likely need to stay overnight.”

She blinked as she spoke.

Taoyuan County, then Donghe Town, and finally the destination—Yutou Village. If you plan it this way, Yutou Village’s vision would extend beyond Taoyuan County, targeting people from nearby cities, even the provincial capital and more developed areas.

The benefits were obvious: there would be far more visitors from outside than locals wanting to visit Yutou Village, and they’d be more willing to spend.

The challenge was how to publicize this route to the outside world.

Put simply, Yutou Village was currently dirt poor, with nothing to offer but its villagers.

“How about this!” Jiang Xue suddenly exclaimed. “You plan the route, I’ll go to the city and help you find tourists—we’ll split up the work and give it a try!”

Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e were both taken aback, as were Jiang Xue’s friends. No one expected her to take on so much!

Jiang Xue smiled. “Don’t look at me like that. Even though we haven’t known each other long, I can tell Sister Xiu’e and Village Chief Tang Long are good people, and the villagers of Yutou aren’t bad either. I have some influence at school, and Taoyuan County is my hometown. The scenery near Yutou Village is so beautiful—I’m sure my classmates would love to visit. But don’t set the prices too high—we’re students, after all, and money’s tight.”

Tang Long replied without hesitation, “No problem. If you can organize fifty people to come, we’ll cover all meals, lodging, and activities. Leave the city on Friday, head back Sunday afternoon—three days, two nights, all for eighty-eight yuan per person. Is that acceptable?”

“Eighty-eight? Can you even make a profit?” Jiang Xue asked in disbelief.

Tang Long shrugged and smiled. “You’re helping us out of kindness. If we tried to squeeze money out of you, what kind of people would that make us? You said you’d organize classmates to help us test the route. We actually need ‘trial tourists’ like you. If conditions were better in Yutou Village, we’d invite you all for free and wouldn’t even charge the eighty-eight.”

“Does that include entry to the Ghost King Cave?” one of Jiang Xue’s classmates interjected.

Tang Long grinned. “As long as you follow Yutou Village’s rules, you can go anywhere—food, drink, fun, lodging, it’s all included in those eighty-eight yuan for three days and two nights!”

“No wonder you’re the village chief—you’re generous!” Jiang Xue’s classmate cheered for Tang Long.