Liu Anshan didn't care how much money they offered. As the director of the Tongboshan Tourism Development and Management Committee, the money for meals could be reimbursed, and besides, his own leader was here, so how could he possibly sell the food to them.
The boss of the guesthouse also couldn't afford to offend Liu Anshan. No matter how high the young man's offer was, he didn't dare sell to them. After all, he was under Liu Anshan's jurisdiction, and if he offended Liu Anshan, there would be plenty of ways to deal with him.
"Hey, you guys can't eat that much cold food. I'll give you 500 yuan per piece, which is enough for you to make a profit."
"It's none of your business whether I can finish it or not. Even if I throw it away, it's my business. Who are you to boss me around!"
Liu Anshan's tone wasn't good either. As a director, he was always the one who said the final word in this area. These outsiders showing off their money in front of him was extremely annoying.
"Brother-in-law, Director Liu, is everything okay?"
Since Qin Yu had come out, he naturally greeted them. Not far away, Mo Yongxin frowned as she watched their argument. Seeing Qin Yu appear, a hint of something indescribable flashed across her face, and she called out:
"Brother, come back."
The young man was about to argue further, but hearing his sister's words, he reluctantly returned. In the younger generation of the Mo family, his sister had the most authority, and he didn't dare disobey her.
"What a lousy place, even a small director is so arrogant."
Although he turned to leave, Mo Yongxing still muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Mr. Qin, I didn't expect to see you again."
Mo Yongxin came to Qin Yu confidently, extending her white hand and looking at him.
"How do you know my surname is Qin? Have you investigated me?"
Qin Yu's brows furrowed, and he stared at Mo Yongxin, his tone questioning. Anyone would be unhappy if they knew they were being investigated.
"Mr. Qin, do you have any intention of selling your compass? The price is up to you."
Mo Yongxin didn't mind Qin Yu's questioning tone. Her words made Mo Yongxing behind her exclaim, "Sis, is this the lucky guy who bought the magical artifact?"
Mo Yongxing carefully examined Qin Yu for a while, then pouted. This guy had found the magical artifact and even refused his sister's offer. He didn't look particularly special, just ordinary.
"Sorry, I won't sell that thing. And I hope you won't investigate me anymore, or else..."
Qin Yu flatly refused. He wanted to say something harsh, but realized he had nothing to threaten them with. Plus, with such a beautiful woman staring at him, he couldn't bring himself to say anything dirty. He just turned and called for his uncle and Director Liu to leave.
"Sis, this guy is stubborn. Should we show him some means?"
After Qin Yu turned to leave, Mo Yongxing whispered in Mo Yongxin's ear.
"Don't act rashly. I have my own plans. And don't show me your spoiled ways, or I'll send you back home to stay with Grandpa."
"Staying with that old antique would be worse than being killed. Alright, I'll listen to you, Sis." Mo Yongxing reluctantly said. The old man at home had always looked down on him and would scold him every time he saw him, so he always had to avoid him when he went home.
Having dispelled his brother's thoughts, Mo Yongxin led everyone into the room. This trip to Tongboshan wasn't for eating and playing; there were more important things to do. Meeting Qin Yu was purely coincidental.
On the other side, Qin Yu and the others returned to their room without mentioning what happened outside. After drinking a pot of tea, the kitchen finally started serving the dishes.
The first dish was bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat. As soon as it was served, the aroma filled the air. The plate was a large bowl, and everyone's appetite was greatly stimulated by the smell.
"These bamboo shoots are picked from the mountain. The bamboo shoots in March are very tender, with a unique fragrance, making them sweet and delicious. The meat is wild boar from the mountain, stewed for an hour over a slow fire, making it tender and not tough to chew."
Liu Anshan introduced the dish to everyone. As the saying goes, "rely on the mountain for food." Many of the ingredients on the mountain people's tables come from the mountain, which city people generally can't get. This is why farm-to-table dining is so popular. Compared to the frequent food safety issues in the city, these rustic dishes are much loved.
Qin Yu took a piece of bamboo shoot and put it in his mouth. It was indeed exceptionally sweet. Unlike the bamboo shoots bought in the market, the mountain bamboo shoots grow naturally, and March is the season when they are the most tender. The fresh-picked bamboo shoots left a unique fragrance in his mouth.
The second dish was chili stir-fried yellow catfish. The yellow catfish, also known as the yellow bone fish, has a light yellow body and a slimy surface like an eel. It has spines on its back and two whiskers on its head. Though small, it is exceptionally delicious when eaten. The fish is usually eaten with the bones, and the fish's freshness flows into the mouth, combined with the spiciness of the chili, making it a great appetizer.
Just from these two dishes, Qin Yu had already eaten a bowl of rice. These rustic dishes were no less delicious than those in high-end hotels, especially since the ingredients were all wild, making the taste even better.
The third dish was cured meat stewed with cold food. A large bowl was filled with the stew. The cured meat, homemade by the mountain people, was already fragrant, and the cold food was fresh and not greasy. Despite the large pieces of meat, it wasn't at all greasy, and everyone enjoyed it. Qin Yu didn't hold back and finished two pieces of cold food by himself.
In the other room, Mo Yongxing finished a piece of cold food and found the plate empty. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn, those people eat so much, they're not afraid of getting stuffed."
Mo Yongxin gave her brother a cold glance, and he quickly shut up. However, looking at the empty plate, his resentment towards Qin Yu and his group grew even more.
"Mr. Mo, don't complain. We'll probably stay in the mountains for more than a week. We can ask the boss to buy more cold food from the locals."
He Ping took a sip of the rich rice wine and smiled. The rice wine from Tongboshan was a specialty, mostly brewed by the mountain people. After brewing, it was stored in jars and buried underground for over a decade. When dug up, it was heated over a slow fire and poured into a wine pot, emitting a fragrant aroma. A sip was sweet and rich, without the spiciness of white wine, but the alcohol content was no less.
Qin Yu finished his meal, having eaten four bowls of rice, which was quite a lot for him recently. After the meal, everyone drank another pot of tea before getting up to head to Jiuxian Lake.
Leaving the room, Qin Yu found that Mo Yongxin and her group had already left. Liu Anshan had also brought a car. Qin Yu and the others got into the SUV as they did in the morning, with Liu Anshan driving behind them.
The two cars drove one after the other. Soon, the road ahead widened, and a vast lake came into view. The water was vast and the distant mountains stood tall, the sky and water merging into one, making the heart feel refreshed. This was Jiuxian Lake.
The cars stopped at a fork in the road, which was the Rock Peak that Hao Jianguo had mentioned. His grandfather's grave was on this mountain by Jiuxian Lake.
"Green water surrounds, and green mountains stretch. This is indeed a feng shui treasure land."
Qin Yu got out of the car and looked at the terrain, sighing.
The path up the mountain wasn't easy. It was the season for grass and trees to grow, with dense thorns and lush grass. Liu Anshan took out a machete from the car and led the way, cutting through the thorns.
However, it seemed that Director Liu hadn't done this kind of work in a long time, and he soon became out of breath. Secretary Wang took over the machete and continued to clear the way.
The group took turns, and Qin Yu, being young, lasted the longest. Unconsciously, they had climbed to the middle of the mountain.
"Master Qin, my grandfather's grave is over there. We don't need to go further."
Just as Qin Yu was still struggling with the thorns, Hao Jianguo pointed to the left and said.
Qin Yu followed Hao Jianguo's finger and indeed saw a tombstone and a raised mound. Everyone's spirits lifted, and they quickly walked over.
Upon reaching the tomb, Qin Yu put down the machete and began to observe the grave. The tomb was small, about ten feet high from the top to the bottom. The tombstone was ordinary granite, covered in moss, which had completely obscured the inscriptions.
Qin Yu walked around the tomb, but apart from the overgrown weeds, he found nothing unusual.
"According to the sand spots and ancestral qi, there should be a problem with this ancestral grave. Why is there nothing unusual?"
Qin Yu shook his head and began to search more carefully.
"Master Qin, have you found anything?"
Seeing Qin Yu shake his head, Hao Jianguo's heart sank. Since discovering the sand spots on his daughter, he had become very convinced of Qin Yu.
"Nothing yet."
Qin Yu searched carefully but still found nothing. He then took out a compass from his burlap bag and used the Bagua directions to search.
Among the group, only Liu Anshan, who had been watching for a while, seemed a bit bored and turned to look at the opposite mountain.
"The development of the tourist site on the right mountain is quite fast. The giant stone carved on the top of the mountain has a certain grandeur."
Liu Anshan muttered.
"Isn't that all thanks to you, Director Liu?"
Qin Yu's uncle flattered him, saying, "But you're right, the giant stone does have a grand presence. It faces this side, and from here, it really gives a sense of ethereal beauty."
Qin Yu's curiosity was piqued by their conversation, and he turned to look at the mountain on the right. His expression changed, and he nodded, muttering to himself:
"No wonder I couldn't find anything unusual. The reason is on the mountain on the right."