Chapter 98 Ancient City
Above Erhai Lake, the sun shines through the clouds and casts a beam of light, the surface of the sea ripples with golden sparkles, and seagulls flutter and cry.

Chen Mo and Xu Hongdou finished their morning run and returned to the windy courtyard.

As soon as they entered the room, they were not surprised to see Master Ma meditating, but what was unexpected was that Chen Nanxing was also there.

Ma Ye and Chen Nanxing each closed their eyes and sat cross-legged, and Ma Ye taught Chen Nanxing how to meditate.

“You need to clear your mind of all distractions and focus on your breathing.”

"and then."

“It’s concentrated here.”

"Oh."

Chen Mo and Xu Hongdou looked at each other, shrugged and didn't disturb him.

But the noise of their walking still attracted Chen Nanxing's attention, and Chen Nanxing secretly opened one eye.

Seeing this, Xu Hongdou raised the bag in her hand and asked, "Are you still having breakfast?"

"Eat." Chen Nanxing responded immediately.

Master Ma shook his head and exhaled lightly, "The way to practice is to persist."

Chen Nanxing said seriously: "Master Ma, my kung fu is not good enough, and I can't absorb the essence of the sun and the moon. Let me eat my fill, and then I will try again."

Seeing this, Chen Mo also asked casually, "Master Ma, do you want to eat some too? We bought a lot."

Upon hearing this, Master Ma slowly opened his eyes, and in front of Chen Nanxing's surprised eyes, he stood up and said, "Then I won't be polite."

Chen Nanxing looked at Master Ma and blinked, his meaning was very clear: Where is your practice and persistence?
As if he understood Chen Nanxing's expression, Master Ma said calmly, "People need to eat grains. This is the way of harmony among people. I am just an ordinary person."

After breakfast, Chen Nanxing did not sit back and "persevere", but went out for a walk with Xu Hongdou, using the excuse that he needed to digest the food.

The sun is dappled, the breeze is gentle, and the shadows of the trees are swaying.

The two of them strolled on the quiet stone road, occasionally a few children ran by playing, and their childish voices echoed.

"I just finished running this morning, and now I have to go out for a walk with you."

"Oh, take a walk after dinner and live to be ninety-nine."

"Why do we need to live that long?" Xu Hongdou smiled.

"Isn't it nice to just daydream, watch the sunrise, and count the stars?" Chen Nanxing said.

“Life isn’t that good.”

"It's not that bad."

“It’s lonely when you’re old.”

"I'll accompany you."

"That can."

The two of them strolled to an ancient tree, under which there was an old lady setting up a stall selling some handicrafts.

"Thank you, grandma. Do you usually set up a stall here?" Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing came forward to greet her.

The two courtyards were adjacent to each other, so it was inevitable that they would bump into each other when coming in and out, and they also knew the grandma from the next courtyard.

Grandma Xie stopped what she was doing, looked up, and smiled kindly, "It's Hongdou and Nanxing."

"What are you doing?"

"We're fine, just hang out."

The two squatted in front of grandma's stall, which sold tiger-head shoes, hairbands, and various braided rope pendants.

"Grandma, what is this? It's so cute." Chen Nanxing picked up a woolen item that looked like both a tiger and a cat.

"This is a clay cat." Grandma said with a smile.

"Tile cat?"

Chen Nanxing looked closely at the exaggerated and unique tile cat in his hand.

The tile cat has its mouth wide open, its tongue sticking out, its mouth has sharp teeth, its eyes are wide open and bulging, its ears and tail are standing upright, and it looks very majestic.

Grandma smiled and nodded, "The tile cat is a lucky animal that protects the house here. It is placed on the lintel of the house or the ridge of the roof. It can protect the house from evil spirits and bring good luck."

The tile cat is also known as the ridge-stabilizing (lucky) tiger and the ridge-lowering (lucky) tiger.

The tile cats that guard the house are made of pottery and are mostly blue-gray in color, the same color as the tiles on the roof.

According to legend, the Inva cat has the ability to "swallow gold and silver", and its stomach is usually hollow.

"Then let's buy two."

"If you like it, grandma will give it to you."

"No, you worked so hard to weave it, how can we take it for free?"

Chen Nanxing and Xu Hongdou insisted on giving the money.

After saying goodbye to grandma, Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing walked back slowly.

Life in Yunmiao Village is peaceful and tranquil.

That night, Jiang Congwen's second episode of "I Am the King of Singers" was also broadcast.

Chen Nanxing still pulled Xu Hongdou in front of the screen on time to wait and watch.

Da Mai went downstairs in his slippers with a dejected look on his face.

"What's wrong, Barley?"

Xu Hongdou thought Damai was like a "walking corpse", with empty eyes and depressed expression.

"Kaven, I have no inspiration." Barley said in a low and depressed tone.

"Kevin, just take a break, clear your mind, and don't be too tense."

Barley shook his head numbly, "I don't have any manuscripts saved, so I can't stop updating."

"It's okay to skip one day, right? Even the 996 schedule requires one day off a week." Chen Nanxing was puzzled.

"If I update two hours late, I'll be called a eunuch, and not updating too often is even the bottom line." Damai said seriously.

"Then relax a little. Maybe you will have an idea later." Xu Hongdou comforted.

Chen Nanxing also said, "Yes, in your industry, people say inspiration is like diabetes insipidus, and when it comes, it can't be stopped."

Barley sighed, "But Kawenru is constipated, and he can't hold it in."

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing looked at each other, not knowing how to comfort each other.

"Well, if you can't hold it in, just listen to some music with us to change your mood." Chen Nanxing pulled Damai to sit down.

Da Mai glanced at the screen and asked, "Are you waiting for your friend to show up again?"

Chen Nanxing nodded, "Yeah, it's nothing anyway, we can support them as a group of relatives and friends and contribute to the ratings."

"Yo, he just appeared after I finished speaking."

During the show, Jiang Congwen walked to the center of the stage, and soon the melody sounded, and the song information appeared on the screen.

When Barley saw the songwriter's name, he blinked. Is it a duplicate?
After the short prelude, Jiang Congwen began to sing in a slightly low voice:

I told all the lies

You believe it all

Simple I love you

But you always don't believe it]

Hearing these words, Da Mai couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, thinking it was really interesting.

She remembered that the song sung by Jiang Congwen in the last episode seemed to be called "Lie", and the lyrics were all lies. This song now echoes the previous one.

Why do love songs have to rhyme?

Even if I am the king of karaoke

It doesn’t necessarily mean that love is sung perfectly.

"This song is really tailor-made for me." Chen Nanxing said with a smile.

"Yes, indeed." Xu Hongdou nodded.

The first song Chen Mo wrote for Jiang Congwen was called "King of Karaoke".

Xu Hongdou also complained about Chen Mo in her heart. You even asked people not to put themselves in the shoes of others. You almost wrote Jiang Congwen's name into the song.

I can only say that I lost

Maybe you're scared.
Our memories have no wrinkles

But you used leaving to put a period.

"By the way, why did Lao Jiang break up?" Chen Nanxing asked in a low voice.

Chen Nanxing remembered that when they first met and had dinner together, Jiang Congwen said self-deprecatingly that he had just broken up and wanted to move away to change his mood.

But Chen Nanxing really didn't know why they broke up.

"It's hard to say." Xu Hongdou didn't know how to describe it.

"Isn't it because of emotional incompatibility?"

Xu Hongdou shook her head. "Just like what the lyrics say, without any wrinkles."

Chen Nanxing nodded and only listened to Jiang Congwen singing the last line in the program:
【But I got your comforting elimination】

Jiang Congwen finished singing and the next singer continued.

Barley hesitated for a moment and asked:
"I seemed to see Chen Mo's name in the song information just now?"

Last time, she was eating noodles and sitting far away at the dining table, so she didn't pay attention to the message, and she didn't know Chen Mo at that time.

"The song was written by Chen Mo." Xu Hongdou nodded.

Xu Hongdou didn't expect Damai to be so attentive. Most people wouldn't pay attention to these things.

"Then the one from last time is also true?"

"Correct."

"No wonder the two songs are so close"

Da Mai suddenly thought of something and quickly got up and ran upstairs.

"What are you in such a hurry for, Damai?" Xu Hongdou asked, shouting.

"I've figured out how to connect the two plots."

When Barley's voice came, the person had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing looked at each other and shrugged.

The two continued to watch the show, and in the end Jiang Congwen came in third.

Jiang Congwen's abilities are already impressive, but because he has only been famous for a short time, his fame and popularity are slightly lower than those of other veteran singers on the show.

Now with two new songs in these two episodes, Jiang Congwen has finally established himself in this show.

The weather is clear and sunny, and it is another good day.

Chen Mo, Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing came to the ancient city at the repeated invitation of Hu Youyu, and planned to go to the bar where Hu Youyu performed in the evening.

The three of them arrived at the ancient city in the afternoon, so it was obviously still a little early.

Chen Nanxing wanted to come to the ancient city to check out some shops in advance because the video he posted a few days ago about Dali delicacies and snacks had a good number of views. Xu Hongdou was also dragged along by Chen Nanxing, saying that the two of them could order more food.

Chen Mo planned to stroll around the ancient city by himself.

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing have been to the ancient city several times in recent days and have checked in and taken photos at some famous attractions nearby.

Such as the Chongsheng Three Pagodas, the March Street Site, the Wenxian Building, the Nanzhao Dehua Stele and so on.

Chen Mo just couldn't muster up any interest, so this was his first time here.

The streets in Dali Ancient City run from north to south and from east to west, crisscrossing each other in a typical chessboard layout.

The buildings all have green tile roofs and cobblestone walls, which are very quaint and unique.

Chen Mo wandered around aimlessly, sometimes following the crowd, and sometimes going to places with fewer people.

Following the flow of people, Chen Mo arrived at the Dali Confucian Temple. Next to the door stood a stone tablet that read "Civil and military officials dismount here."

Thinking that since he was already here, Chen Mo went in for a look around.

As soon as you enter the door, you will see a screen wall inlaid with four large characters "Wanren Palace Wall".

Walking around the screen wall, you can see a stone sculpture of a coiled dragon behind it, with a pen and a book in its claws.

Walk across the Zhuangyuan Bridge and pass through the Lingxing Gate, and you will see the Dacheng Hall.

The Dacheng Hall has a single-eaved hip roof, red walls and yellow tiles. It is grand in scale and solemn in appearance.

There are two coiled dragons carved on the middle pillar in front of the hall.

There are three plaques above the palace gate, namely "Teacher of All Ages", "Civility is Here" and "Heaven and Earth".

There are couplets on both sides of the palace gate:

The qi is prepared for the four seasons, and its virtues are in harmony with those of heaven, earth, ghosts, gods, the sun and the moon.

He passed down his teachings for all generations and became the teacher of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen and Wu.

Chen Mo took a quick tour, entered the hall, bowed to the statue of Confucius, and then left.

When you have children in the future and they are about to take exams, you can bring offerings and worship more often.

After leaving the Confucian Temple, Chen Mo randomly picked a direction and continued strolling.

Chen Mo walked into a narrow and quaint street in a quiet alley and saw a Catholic church standing in the sun.

The church is built in the Bai architectural style, with flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted buildings, and beautifully painted patterns, blending simplicity with splendor.

Chen Mo really likes this feeling of accidentally discovering a surprise.

After visiting the church, Chen Mo continued strolling in the ancient city and came to a pedestrian street.

The vendors on both sides of this pedestrian street set up stalls along the stream. The water flows gently, and the dense trees on both sides block the wanton invasion of the scorching sun.

The sudden coolness makes people feel comfortable.

Chen Mo was walking along the stream and unexpectedly saw an acquaintance.

Xie Xiaoxia was selling milk fans at a stall.

Chen Mo thought about it, walked over and greeted, "Xiao Xia."

Xie Xiaoxia was a little flustered when she saw an acquaintance, but she quickly reacted and replied with a smile, "Brother Mo."

"Brother Mo, why are you here?"

"I came to the ancient city for a stroll when I had nothing to do." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"But you, didn't you go to Shanghai? Why are you selling breast fans here?"

Chen Mo remembered that Hongdou had gone to make flower cakes and milk fans with Aunt Agui before. When Hongdou came back, she seemed to have said that it was because Xie Xiaoxia was going to Shanghai to visit her friends, so Aunt Baoping made them for Xie Xiaoxia to take to Shanghai.

"Ah, I..." Xie Xiaoxia stammered, with an unnatural expression.

“Didn’t you go to Shanghai?”

"I went there and came back again." Xie Xiaoxia said in a low voice.

"Then this is you."

Xie Xiaoxia was silent and didn't say anything.

Seeing that Xie Xiaoxia seemed to have some unspeakable addiction, Chen Mo stopped asking and said with a smile:

"It's okay, I just happened to be passing by, then you go ahead and do your work."

Chen Mo turned around and was about to leave, but was stopped by Xie Xiaoxia.

"Brother Mo."

"Ok?"

"Can you keep the fact that you saw me here a secret for me?" Xie Xiaoxia requested.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "It's possible, but you haven't encountered any problems, right?"

Xie Xiaoxia's words prove that his family didn't know he was in the ancient city.

If Xie Xiaoxia hadn't said this, according to Chen Mo's personality, he wouldn't meddle in other people's business, nor would he say anything to others.

But now that Xie Xiaoxia said this, Chen Mo has to take the initiative to help keep it secret.

Xie Xiaoxia is not very old and seems to be the type who seldom travels far, so Chen Mo had to ask a few more questions to avoid any accidents and make him feel guilty.

Xie Xiaoxia hesitated for a moment, then realized she couldn't hide it anymore, so she said, "I was cheated out of money by a fraud website."

Chen Mo frowned, "Is it your friend from Shanghai?"

"He tricked me into buying fund stocks. I couldn't contact him after I went to Shanghai, so I came back and reported the case."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"I told Brother Yao."

Chen Mo nodded. Since he knew to ask someone for help, it proved that he didn't have any extreme thoughts and just wanted to hide it from his family.

"Has Xie Zhiyao been here?"

"I've been here." Xie Xiaoxia nodded.

"I will stay in the ancient city for two days, and then go home when the Shanghai specialties I bought online arrive."

After hearing what Xie Xiaoxia said, and Xie Zhiyao also knew it, Chen Mo felt relieved.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this."

Xie Xiaoxia breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Brother Mo."

"What are your plans after you return?" Chen Mo asked.

"I'd better go back to the woodcarving workshop and make up for it slowly with the money I earn. After all, I don't know how to do anything else."

"Is the woodcarving shop doing well now?"

Seeing that an honest child like Xie Xiaoxia was deceived, Chen Mo thought that the current situation was unsustainable, so he was anxious to find another way out.

"No, there are too few tourists." Xie Xiaoxia shook her head.

"Besides, there are more machine carvings now, and handmade wood carvings don't have much market."

Chen Mo understood after hearing this.

Machine carving can mass-produce standardized products to meet customers' batch needs.

A 3.4-meter-long door and window assembly costs only around 100 yuan.

But what if it’s a wood carving? How many days will it take and how much will it sell for?
The process of hand-carving wood is complicated, requiring nearly a dozen steps including blanking, beating, rough cutting, fine cutting, polishing, etc. The time and energy consumed are incomparable to machine carving.

Moreover, it takes at least two or three years for an apprentice to get started, and the income is very low.

"Don't worry, and don't be too anxious." Chen Mo said.

"Mr. Xie has laid out many industries. There will be more and more tourists, and the village will become better and better."

Xie Xiaoxia forced a smile, "What kind of plan is this? Tie-dye shop, homestay, e-commerce warehouse, they are all run by others who couldn't continue, so Brother Yao took over reluctantly."

"Brother Yao has invested a lot in the past few years, but he can barely keep this stall going."

"Everyone else went out to work, but Brother Yao came back and wanted to develop his hometown. Many people in the village laughed at him and thought he was stupid."

"Is your brother Yao considered an outstanding person in your village?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

"Of course, Brother Yao went to college in the capital. He was an investment manager in the capital before, and his salary and bonus were very high."

"Are those who laugh at him as good as he is?"

"Of course not. There are not many people in my village who can go to college."

"So, the return of such an outstanding person like your brother Yao proves that the village has the potential for development. Those who laugh at him don't have the long-term vision like him."

Xie Xiaoxia was also very happy to hear Chen Mo say this.

After all, Chen Mo was brought from the capital, and since he said so, it must be good.

Chen Mo smiled, there was something he didn't tell Xie Xiaoxia.

Spring is beautiful and winter is cruel. Many people cannot wait for spring and fall in winter.

On the way to meet Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, Chen Mo couldn't help but think.

If the village can develop, based on Xie Zhiyao's current industrial foundation, he will undoubtedly be the biggest winner.

This is as it should be, after all, Xie Zhiyao has made the greatest effort.

But before it developed, these were a burden on Xie Zhiyao.

It has been some time since Chen Mo came to Yunmiao Village, and he has learned about some of Xie Zhiyao's deeds.

In Chen Mo's opinion, if Xie Zhiyao did not obsess over the development of the village, unloaded some not-so-high-quality industries, lightened his load, and invested more money and energy in industries with bright prospects, he might have achieved good results now.

Of course, this is only for the sake of self-interest.

If Xie Zhiyao really wanted to do this, then there was no need for him to return to his hometown from the capital. After all, the capital was a vast world.

Chen Mo still admires Xie Zhiyao's feelings for his hometown.

It is because of these "stupid" people who do things that are not very self-interested that the world is getting better and better.

"Chen Mo."

Chen Mo looked up and saw Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing standing not far away.

Xu Hongdou waved at him with a bright smile.

Chen Mo smiled and walked quickly forward, taking Xu Hongdou's hand.

"Where have you been?"

"Just strolling around."

"Is it fun?"

"is acceptable."

"Let's go eat mushroom hotpot."

"it is good."

At sunset, the shadows of the two people holding hands were lengthened by the setting sun.

(End of this chapter)