Chapter Fifty: A Midnight Conversation

"Village Chief Tang Long, we've contacted one hundred and ninety-two people—isn't that a bit too many?" Late at night, nearly ten o'clock, Jiang Xue finally called Tang Long. The exact number had only just been tallied. Originally, she and her close friends thought that gathering fifty people would be quite an achievement. But the enthusiasm of their classmates far exceeded everyone's expectations. Luckily, Jiang Xue had the presence of mind to halt registrations when the crowd grew too large.

Even Tang Long was surprised by the sheer number.

"It's fine. Just confirm the number on your end, and leave the rest to us," Tang Long said with a smile. Though the turnout was higher than expected, it was still within manageable limits.

"All right, then let's set it for this Friday. We'll depart from the city at noon, head directly to Donghe Town, and skip stopping in Taoyuan County since there are too many people to arrange," Jiang Xue nodded.

Tang Long pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you figured out how you'll get from Donghe Town to Yutou Village? Will you ride or walk?"

Jiang Xue thought it over. "I prefer walking. That stretch is rough; even a bus ride would leave everyone dizzy. Besides, the bus drivers from the city might not want to go in."

"Good, let's walk then. It shouldn't take much more than an hour, and your classmates will get to experience the thrill of a 'long trek.'"

Tang Long paused briefly. "Yutou Village will have the 'camp' ready for you, with food prepared, so you can eat upon arrival. Also, I'll assign someone and a service vehicle to follow you from Donghe Town, just in case."

"That's wonderful. Then, Village Chief Tang Long, we'll see you on Friday!" Jiang Xue laughed happily.

Tang Long nodded with a smile. "See you Friday!"

After hanging up, Jiang Xue's roommates gathered around her.

Her cheeks flushed, Jiang Xue blinked, looking like a little princess wronged, shyly twisting her fingers. "Oh, why are you all looking at me like that? Last time we went to Taoyuan County, you were all busy dating or studying. If you missed it, it's not because I didn't bring you."

None of her closest dorm mates had joined the previous six-person trip, so they knew little about Yutou Village.

"Something's off, Jiang Xue. Be honest—is there something between you and that village chief Tang Long from Yutou Village?"

"Exactly! You're so eager, contacting classmates and arranging transport with your own money. Tell us, when did you fall for him?"

Jiang Xue was stunned, her face burning. "What are you talking about? Don't be so gossipy! I just want to help, to do something good—is that so wrong?"

"Do you believe her?" The eldest asked the sixth, who grinned and shook her head. "Seems a bit odd. Of course, nothing's clear yet. Anyway, we'll all go Friday. We'll see for ourselves then."

"True!"

Watching her roommates scatter, Jiang Xue patted her chest, blushing. She truly meant to do a good deed!

Her mind drifted to Tang Long. She lingered, unable to describe him. He had a subtle charm, drawing people in without their noticing.

"Xue'er?"

Her friends called several times before Jiang Xue snapped back. "Huh? What's up?"

Her roommates exchanged glances. Really, something was off.

"We're asking, what should we bring to Yutou Village? Is two sets of clothes enough?"

Jiang Xue considered it. "From the city to Taoyuan County and then to Donghe Town, it's all by bus. But from Donghe Town to Yutou Village, you'll have to walk. The more you carry, the more exhausting it’ll be."

"Walking? We have to walk there?"

Jiang Xue giggled. "Yes, I'm walking with you. Don't worry, no one will get lost."

Besides luggage, she advised everyone participating to bring a first-aid kit—better safe than sorry.

Though Tang Long assured her that Yutou Village would be ready for arrivals, Jiang Xue hadn't seen it herself and remained cautious. She organized this outing and didn’t want any mishaps among her classmates.

...

Tang Long noticed the lights were still on at Zhang Xiu'e's place—it was only ten, still early for sleep.

He walked over and knocked from outside.

"Who is it?"

Zhang Xiu'e, Shan Qiu, and Zhao Xiaoyue were chatting inside. Three women together—who knew what they were discussing, but laughter was plentiful.

"It's me. I'd like to talk," Tang Long said from the doorway.

The three women fell silent, looking at each other with flushed faces.

Zhang Xiu'e hesitated, calling from inside, "Is it urgent, this late at night?"

As a girl, she could hardly be too forward. Had she been alone, or just with Shan Qiu, she'd have opened the door at once. But Zhao Xiaoyue was there as well.

Though pretty, Zhao Xiaoyue had a loose tongue—whatever happened today, the whole village would know tomorrow. Born a gossip, she was privy to every secret in the village.

Zhao Xiaoyue winked at Zhang Xiu'e from the bed, whispering, "Why not let Brother Tang Long in so we can hear what he has to say? We haven't even undressed!"

They all assumed Tang Long had come under cover of night to apologize to Zhang Xiu'e.

Zhang Xiu'e stayed silent.

Tang Long, outside, rubbed his nose and gave a dry laugh. "Jiang Xue just called—she confirmed the number of classmates visiting Yutou Village on Friday."

"Wait a moment!"

Zhang Xiu'e grabbed her coat and put it on, knowing Tang Long had come for business and not to flirt.

"Come in," she said, opening the door.

"Brother Tang Long!"

Zhao Xiaoyue greeted him eagerly, her big eyes sparkling with unknown thoughts.

Shan Qiu said nothing, leaning against the makeshift wooden bed, unmoved. Compared to Zhang Xiu'e and Zhao Xiaoyue, she was the calmest, since Tang Long had nothing to do with her.

"How many people?" Zhang Xiu'e handed Tang Long a stool to sit.

"One hundred ninety-two!"

"So many?" Zhang Xiu'e was surprised. She hadn’t expected Jiang Xue to organize such a large group.

Originally, they anticipated fifty, and at most doubled that—never imagining the turnout would exceed a hundred.

Now it was far beyond expectation.

A group of a hundred tourists was manageable for Yutou Village, but doubling that number made Zhang Xiu'e anxious.

She looked at Tang Long. "Can we accommodate so many?"

Tang Long had sourced supplies from the provincial capital, so he should know whether nearly two hundred people could be hosted.

"No problem," Tang Long replied. "I had three hundred tents custom-made at a factory—each tent can house four people. Plus, I ordered twenty military tents, each capable of sleeping thirty. Tables, chairs, utensils—everything is well prepared. As for food and water, we’ll procure those over the next few days. So, don’t worry too much on this front."

Tang Long paused, then continued, "What worries me more is Yutou Village’s infrastructure. Nearly two hundred people going into Ghost King Cave isn’t a small matter. We'll need escorts and precautions. The more people, the messier it gets, and mistakes happen easily. We need a solid plan. Besides Ghost King Cave, there's the area around Yutou Village and Liangou Hollow—safety must be our top priority. We're responsible for their well-being; not a single mishap can be allowed."

Zhang Xiu'e nodded. She understood the gravity of safety concerns—both inside Ghost King Cave and for the visitors themselves.

"At Ghost King Cave, we should get everyone inside once in a day, but not all at once—that would be chaos. Twenty people at a time, with thirty villagers accompanying each group. We'll aim for one-to-one monitoring—preventing accidents and being prepared. As for Liangou Hollow, construction is underway; it should handle two hundred people."

"Good," Tang Long nodded. He trusted Zhang Xiu'e's confidence.

"Night gets cold here—even in tents, we don't have enough bedding. Jiang Xue and her classmates won’t bring their own," Zhang Xiu'e suddenly realized.

She looked up at Tang Long. "Did you purchase bedding?"

Bedding? Quilts?

Tang Long frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. The mountain’s temperature swings were sharp. Locals could endure it, but Jiang Xue’s classmates might catch cold.

"I'll handle that," Tang Long assured her.

"Good," Zhang Xiu'e said, trusting him completely.

"How about the itinerary?"

"Friday at noon, Jiang Xue leads the group from the city, arriving at Donghe Town around four. Because there are so many, they’ll skip Taoyuan County and walk from Donghe Town to Yutou Village. We’ll have Liansheng drive their luggage ahead, so they travel light. Ten villagers will follow behind, setting up supply points along the route. If all goes well, they should reach Yutou Village by six, before sunset. For students unaccustomed to exercise, it'll be a real challenge, and they’ll likely be exhausted on arrival. So, we must have tents set up and dinner ready. The first night should go smoothly. We need to decide on the dinner menu and where to camp. For the second day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner are pending. The main activities will be visiting Ghost King Cave and playing at Liangou Hollow. After spending the night, they'll stroll around in the morning. I doubt the students will want to walk back to Donghe Town, so I'll arrange two buses to take them. Finally, we’ll prepare some souvenirs to distribute at Donghe Town, and our task will be complete."

Zhang Xiu'e looked at Tang Long. "So the main jobs are the trek, the Ghost King Cave visit, and water safety at Liangou Hollow?"

"Exactly," Tang Long smiled and nodded.

These tasks seemed simple but required dedicated personnel. Whether on the road or in the village, Jiang Xue and her classmates' safety was paramount. They might not be completely satisfied, but they mustn't have a poor experience.

"All right, note everything down. Tomorrow, let’s inspect the site, calculate timings, choose supply points, and tent placements. For the meal plans, you and Old Liu need to discuss it in detail."