Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 250, Section 251: Xixi's New Dish

With the arrival of National Day, Chaobai Town has seen a surge in tourism.

In fact, signs of fervor had already begun to emerge on the last weekend before National Day.

That weekend, we only had Saturday off, and Sunday was a make-up day off.

Even so, it still couldn't stop tourists from flocking to Chaobai Town to explore the Chaoshui River.

After all, the video for "Love Like a Tide" had just been released a few days prior.

It's right when the hype is at its peak.

Fortunately, Chaobai Town has weathered the May Day tourism boom and is now quite worldly-wise.

In addition, there are supervisory teams at various levels overseeing the work.

The crowds in the days leading up to National Day were handled very smoothly and effortlessly.

Most of these tourists came from Ninghai and Yizhou. They were mostly students and stay-at-home parents with children, who had free time and low travel needs.

The existing tourism resources in Chaobai Town include mountain climbing, rafting, camping, chestnut picking, and traditional pottery making, which can perfectly meet the needs of students' youthful energy and mothers who want to "find a place for their children to play while they can rest."

Therefore, in the days leading up to the holiday, tourists had a very good experience and gave very positive feedback.

This reassured the task force members and gave them ample confidence to deal with the upcoming National Day tourist surge—that would be the real tough battle!

National Day has officially arrived.

Starting the previous night, tens of thousands of tourists flocked to Chaobai Town, and all the guesthouses, hotels, inns, and farmhouses were sold out.

Such a booming trend.

Even though all the town's officials had made thorough preparations, they were still taken aback.

At this point, no one had time to complain about the seven-day holiday being ruined. Instead, they were preparing for the arduous battles of the next few days with the feeling of facing a tribulation.

Fortunately, with the support of cultural and tourism bureaus at all levels.

A team of over 100 volunteers was stationed in Chaobai Town in advance, assigned to posts, given red vests, and arranged to provide service and support at various scenic spots.

The pressure on all the town's officials was somewhat relieved.

Even Lin Xiao, the key figure, has had a much lighter workload since then, unlike a few days ago when he was being bossed around by leaders at all levels... That's not quite accurate, though. The leaders' attitude towards him was both barbaric and sincere and humble. They had to ask for his opinion on everything, big or small, so he couldn't leave and had to grit his teeth and stick it out.

Now, the holidays have arrived.

All the preparations have been completed; the rest is up to fate.

Lin Xiao has no control over the number of tourists, nor can he guarantee that no accidents will happen. All he can do is to be an ordinary volunteer in his position and contribute his last bit of strength to the development of rural tourism in Chaobai Town.

National Day is approaching.

On the 1st, the entire Chaobai Town was packed with people, like dumplings in a pot.

Even before the holiday, the entire town had made ample preparations and formulated a comprehensive emergency response plan.

But faced with such a massive crowd, everyone still felt a bit short of breath.

It's a real lack of oxygen.

Chaobai Town has a total registered population of only 50,000. Most of them work outside the town, leaving only 20,000 to 30,000 at home.

But now, this small town seems to be crammed with hundreds of thousands of people.

Lin Xiao really felt that there wasn't enough oxygen.

Not only oxygen, but also toilets, restaurants, and roadside stalls are all in short supply.

This was all before the holiday, when the town had already built a large number of infrastructure projects in advance, and even the town's canteen and toilets were open to tourists free of charge.

But it still wasn't enough.

Every toilet and every restaurant entrance was packed with people.

Needless to say, there are also tourist attractions.

Laoyashan, the first tourist attraction to become popular in Chaobai Town, is a low hillside that is packed with people from top to bottom, making it even more lively than Mount Tai and Mount Huang.

Lin Xiao's post is located at the foot of Laoyashan Mountain.

Looking up, he saw that the newly built mountain road was packed with people, and the noisy din was almost deafening.

At this moment, he was really panicked.

With so many people, the consequences of a stampede would be unimaginable.

Let alone a stampede.

If someone on the mountain suddenly falls ill, rescuers won't be able to get up there because there are just too many people.

Then the scenic area has no way to implement visitor limits.

Starting from this National Day holiday, Laoyashan officially became a paid tourist attraction, with an entrance fee of 25 yuan per person.

Not expensive.

But for a remote mountain that was virtually unknown just six months ago, it was certainly not cheap.

But this still couldn't stop tourists from coming to take photos.

Lin Xiao learned from online ticketing channels that more than 6 tickets for Laoyashan have been sold so far.

That is a total income of 150 million.

And these tickets are still being sold continuously.

Since the development of Laoyashan was not entrusted to a third-party organization but was entirely organized and operated by the town, this portion of the ticket revenue can belong entirely to the county's finances.

Since we've already collected the entrance fee, we can't just kick people out.

Volunteers at the foot of the mountain could only advise tourists, reminding them of the risks and asking them to cancel their tickets themselves.

But almost no one listened.

Chinese people have always followed the four-word principle: Since we're already here!

They traveled all the way here to ride the wave of popularity, even arriving at the foot of Laoyashan Mountain, but ended up not going up!

What's going on? !
So the volunteers talked themselves hoarse and their throats were hoarse from trying to persuade them, but only a handful of tourists gave up.

So Laoyashan was trampled by tens of thousands of people all day long.

You're practically stepping in duck droppings!

The scenic area closes at 6:00 PM.

Lin Xiao led his men up the mountain to patrol and ensure that no tourists were stranded on the mountain for any reason.

As he climbed the mountain, he watched garbage trucks come down one after another.

That's why they say there's strength in numbers!
On this one mountain, at least several tons of garbage were generated in one day. It's absolutely outrageous!

However, this also means that the vendors who set up stalls at the foot of the mountain had a very good day, and it was no problem for them to earn more than 10,000 yuan a day.

In addition, there are 16 administrative villages in the town, resulting in more than 200 farm-style restaurants, as well as more than 60 homestays and agritainment businesses opened with the encouragement of the town government.

Predictably so.

These villagers can earn a lot of money during the entire National Day holiday.

Of course, most villagers are too timid to take advantage of this trend and convert their homes into guesthouses or farmhouses.

After all, this requires costs, and the costs are not low.

Even so, the villages can generate considerable income by renting out hilltops and land for recreational activities such as rafting, fruit picking gardens, barbecue areas, and campsites.

After all, Chaobai Town was already well-known before these projects were introduced.

We couldn't attract investment before.

But later, Chaobai Town proved the saying with its own efforts: Yesterday you ignored me, today you can't afford to miss me!

The land rental fees for the tourism development companies that were introduced later were not cheap.

The villagers can receive a lot of money from the rent dividends alone!

It can be said that this surge in popularity during the National Day holiday has truly benefited all the villagers in the town.

There's even a song called "Love Like a Tide".

The rural tourism industry in Chaobai Town has secured a pension; as long as they don't do anything reckless, they can continue to make a living from it.

This is similar to the relationship between "Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu" and Mount Lu, and "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" and the Pavilion of Prince Teng.

After all, the mountains are majestic and the pavilions are magnificent.

There are many that far surpass Mount Lu and Tengwang Pavilion.

But the reason why they have become famous throughout the country and known to all is because they have the blessing of the ancients.

Today, Chaobai Town has also followed this path.

When Lin Xiao was planning the development of Laoyashan, he forcibly borrowed the line "Ducks are the first to know when the spring river warms up."

Today, this poem has been turned into road signs and is planted all over the mountains and fields.

At other tourist attractions, it's all about "I miss you so much in XX!"
Chaobai Town has come up with a new trend: people are now faking accidents to implicate ancient people, and there are groups of people taking photos and checking in in front of the signs.

Not to mention, Chaobai Town also benefits from the hugely popular song "Love Like a Tide".

Although it's just a pop song.

It is completely incomparable to timeless masterpieces such as "Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu" and "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng".

But as long as this song remains popular.

Its impact on the tourism economy is no less than that of timeless masterpieces, and in this trend-chasing era, it is even more effective!

At 7 p.m., Lin Xiao reached the top of Laoyashan Mountain.

The autumn heatwave is raging fiercely right now.

At this time, the sun was still high in the west, and the temperature was still scorching, showing no sign of cooling down.

Lin Xiao looked down over the entire Chaobai Town.

From this vantage point, one can still see the bustling crowds and vibrant fireworks in the town center, a scene reminiscent of a market day or the Lunar New Year celebrations, perhaps even more lively than the New Year itself.

The market day in Chaobai Town is on the 2nd, 5th, and 8th of the lunar calendar.

In preparation for the National Day holiday, traditional customs and village rules that had been followed for countless years were directly cancelled at the suggestion of the town government.

What's even more touching is that all 5 villagers in the town agreed, and there were almost no dissenting voices.

Even the most ignorant old people and village women knew that the land where they had lived for many years had suddenly become "famous"!
They didn't really have a concept of "becoming popular".

After all, the impact of the short video era is that in rural areas, where there is an unstable 2G network, people also watch videos, live streams, and buy Pinduoduo products.

But apart from that, life is no different from ten years ago.

It's still the same routine: farming, working odd jobs, raising kids, and eating three meals a day.

But now, this way of life has undergone tremendous changes in just a few months.

Almost every day, trendy-looking outsiders come to the village, speaking fluent Mandarin and politely asking, "Where is Laoyashan?" or "How do I get to Chaoshui River?" or "Is this Xiaguan Village or Shangguan Village?"

In what isn't a completely isolated rural area, there's suddenly a surge in cars with various license plates, and they all look like high-end vehicles.

Many people can't even tell which province a license plate belongs to because of the first character on it.

It turns out that the children used to run around freely in the village.

Parents are now reminding their children: "Don't run around, be careful not to get hit by a car!"

The topics of daily discussion among villagers have shifted from who is over thirty and still unmarried to new and trendy topics.

"Ergen's son is back, saying he wants to spend over 200,000 yuan to convert his house into a hotel!"

"What hotel? That's a guesthouse!"

"What is a guesthouse? Isn't it just a place where people pay to sleep?"

"That's true!"

"That's a hotel!"

"..."

"Hey, the farmers' market on the south side of town is going to be re-leased. They say they're going to set up a night market. Guan Baoqiang's family has already reserved a stall!"

"Baoqiang has been a village cook for so many years. With such good skills, why doesn't he open a shop? How much money could he make by renting a stall!"

"You're so naive! City folks love these roadside stalls these days, saying they offer authentic rural flavors and are very profitable. My third uncle's stall is already open, and he says he can earn over 2000 yuan a night!"

"More than 2000?! Good heavens, that's all I make in a month!"

"However, this is the total revenue; we still need to deduct the costs!"

"That's quite a lot!"

"..."

"That vacant lot on the south side of our village's private hill is going to be rented out!"

"The Deng family's pomelo orchard has been sold! My goodness, it sold for over a million!"

"What's going on in our Chaobai Town lately? Did we run into a god of wealth?" "What god of wealth? It's a nephew of the Zhou family, who's now the deputy mayor of the town. He's the one who brought all this together!"

"Oh my, this young man is truly kind-hearted!"

"So no matter what era it is, it's still better to be an official. With power, you can easily make so much money!"

"That's true, but it also depends on the person's heart! A good official has to have the blood of his own people flowing through his veins to work for the benefit of the villagers. Look at things now, aren't they great..."

Lin Xiao's understanding of the villagers' discussions was not genuine.

He had heard it a few times, and it was very different from the criticism and ridicule he had received months ago. Most villagers spoke of him with gratitude and affirmation.

Lin Xiao is not someone who craves empty fame.

But since you've taken this position, you'll inevitably have to accept the judgment of the masses for what you do, so it's always better to hear praise than criticism.

Now, the first day of the National Day holiday is coming to an end.

Standing atop Laoyashan Mountain, overlooking the bustling town with its swirling smoke, he felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

At this moment, he had many feelings.

I finally understand that the fact that he didn't receive any awards for being an advanced individual in flood control really doesn't mean much.

The town's overall environment has been greatly improved, villagers' wallets have become noticeably fuller, and the public has expressed their gratitude and appreciation...

These are his unique medals!
……

October 4th was my mother-in-law Liu Liyun's 51st birthday.

Lin Xiao very unethically took the day off today.

I said I was taking leave, but actually I left Chaobai Town at 4 pm and took advantage of the free highway to go to Ninghai.

These past few days, he's either been staying at his workplace or sleeping at home.

It's not that he doesn't want to go back to Ninghai.

The highway was just too congested, and the town was too busy to handle everything, so he decided not to bother the traffic police officers.

By the 4th, the traffic congestion on the highway had eased somewhat.

However, Lin Xiao set off at 4 p.m. but did not arrive at Jili Garden until 5:30 p.m. Normally, his commute takes about 50 minutes.

It has been extended by almost double.

After getting out of the car, I first went to the flower shop outside the community to pick up a bouquet of flowers, and then took out a set of skincare products that I had prepared in advance from the trunk before going upstairs.

The person who opened the door was his wife, Han Xixi.

"Huh? You're back so early~"

Xi Xi smiled with delight, her cheeks puffed out, and she instinctively hid her hands behind her back.

"What are you sneaking to eat?"

"Um...no!"

Xi Xi panicked.

Lin Xiao almost burst out laughing. Could this girl be any more blatantly lying? Her cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel's, and there was cream stuck to the corner of her mouth...

She actually dared to shamelessly claim that she didn't steal any food!
"That's good! The doctor said you've gained weight too quickly recently and need to control your salt and sugar intake!" Lin Xiao instructed.

"Yes, I'll try a few!"

Squirrel Xixi nodded earnestly.

Lin Xiao patted her forehead and laughed, "My wife is so good!"

"Hehe~"

Have you gone out these past two days?

"No, it's too hot, and there are too many people outside..."

"Yeah, there are people everywhere right now, so it's better not to go out."

Lin Xiao said with a grin, "After the National Day holiday, your husband will take you out to play!"

Xi Xi's eyes lit up.

"May I?"

"Of course you can! You're five months along, which is quite stable. Going out for a few days is no problem, as long as you don't do strenuous exercise or get too tired!"

Lin Xiao explained earnestly.

Xi Xi shook her head, blinked her big eyes, and asked, "I mean, can you go out and play without having to go to work?"

Lin Xiao then realized that this was what his wife was worried about.

He immediately laughed and said, "Can I take my annual leave? I haven't taken it yet!"

Xi Xi frowned, her feelings about annual leave were like those about ghosts—she had only heard of them, but never seen them!

After all, my parents are cadres, and they haven't had a proper New Year's holiday in all these years.

In Xixi's view.

Annual leave is completely useless; it's not allowed at all!

"Really?" She was hesitant to believe it.

"Of course!"

Lin Xiao patted his chest and smiled frankly, "No matter how busy you are at work, you have to pay attention to the balance between work and rest! Besides, the most important thing in Chaobai Town recently is the National Day holiday. After the National Day holiday, there won't be so much to do. What's left are just some odds and ends to finish up. It doesn't matter whether I'm there or not!"
"Besides, I've been working overtime all seven days of the National Day holiday. If they don't let me take a few days off after the holiday, that would be a huge disregard for the Labor Law. So don't worry, I'll definitely get a holiday after the holiday. I can't say how long, but I can guarantee four or five days!"

Hearing her husband say that, Han Xixi finally felt relieved.

She tilted her head back, squinted her eyes, and smiled brightly, nodding sweetly, "Mmm~"

Lin Xiao was truly charmed by his wife's cuteness, and reached out to ruffle her hair; it felt wonderful.

At this moment, Liu Liyun came out of the kitchen.

"Oh, you're back so early today? Hasn't your town been very busy these past few days?"

"No matter how busy I am, I can't miss celebrating Mom's birthday!"

As Lin Xiao spoke, he handed over the brightly colored bouquet and said sincerely, "Mom, happy birthday!"

The bouquet was ordered in advance and carefully arranged by the shop staff.

Instead of choosing a whole bunch of carnations in the conventional way, this bouquet is made up of several kinds of flowers such as lilies, roses, and daisies, which looks fresh and elegant and is very suitable for giving to elders.

Liu Liyun took it, and was indeed in a good mood.

"Thank you, Xiaolin... I'm getting old, it doesn't matter whether I celebrate my birthday or not, your work is more important!"

Liu Liyun smiled calmly.

Lin Xiao smiled but didn't reply, because there was no need to.

He knew his mother-in-law wasn't just being polite.

However, elders can politely decline, but younger people must do their part; otherwise, it would be a great breach of etiquette.

In addition, Liu Liyun never had time to celebrate her fiftieth birthday.

At this time last year, Han Xixi and her father were trending on social media because of "sugar baby photos," and the family of three was thrown into a panic by the sudden photos and rumors.

Facing a barrage of negative comments online.

The father and daughter were caught in a tug-of-war between clarifying and not clarifying, leaving Liu Liyun caught in the middle, unable to side with either of them, making her feel like she was in a lose-lose situation.

Liu Liyun certainly didn't have a good 50th birthday. Even though her husband gave her a designer bag for the first time ever, she never used it.

Actually, although the bag is from a luxury brand, it's not that expensive.

A budget of just over ten thousand yuan is something their family can easily afford, and it's not unusual for Liu Liyun to carry it to work.

But because of the trending topic.

Liu Liyun felt disgusted whenever she saw that bag, so it had been gathering dust in her closet ever since she received it, and she had never taken it out.

My last birthday was so unpleasant.

Both out of courtesy and reason, this time it should be a proper celebration, especially since Han Xixi accomplished the feat of getting married and pregnant in just one year, a double celebration that deserves even more joy.

Lin Xiao proposed the plan half a month ago.

But Liu Liyun said that she and her husband would definitely be busy with work during the National Day holiday, so there was no need for a big celebration. It would be enough for the family to sit down and have a proper meal together.

Lin Xiao brought it up several times, but his mother-in-law always politely declined.

He also knew that she genuinely cared about the family and truly disliked those flashy displays.

So we had no choice but to comply.

So today when he came home, a bouquet of flowers and a set of cosmetics, simple and easy, were enough to make Liu Liyun happy.

She placed the bouquet neatly on the dining table, then went to the kitchen to busy herself.

Lin Xiao quickly grabbed the apron from her: "Mom, it's your birthday today, how can I let you cook! Let me do it!"

Liu Liyun laughed and said, "We're family, why bother with all this? You're so busy with work, and you finally get home early, so sit down and rest. I can manage this little bit of work..."

Lin Xiao insisted, "It's not that you can't do it, it's about your birthday. If the neighbors hear this and say that you have to take care of the whole family's food and drink on your birthday, wouldn't they secretly curse me and Xixi for being unfilial? That would be so unfair to us!"

The exaggerated tone made Liu Liyun burst into laughter.

After arguing twice more, seeing that Lin Xiao was really insistent, they finally gave him the apron.

Liu Liyun went out to do other things.

A short while later, Han Xixi came in with a shy smile on her face.

"elder brother……"

"Huh? How did you get in here? Get out of here, the kitchen is smoky!"

"Um……"

Xi Xi hesitated, but did not move.

Lin Xiao glanced at his wife and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Xixi said shyly, "Didn't you say that it's unfilial of me not to do anything on my mother's birthday... so I came to see what I can do!"

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter in a rather unkind way.

"What are you laughing at?!" Xixi stomped her foot angrily.

"They're laughing at me for marrying a silly wife! She can't even tell when I'm joking!"

Lin Xiao teased, "I said that so Mom could rest peacefully, not to make fun of your own daughter! But you, on the contrary, are eager to take it personally. Who else should I laugh at but you?"

As he spoke, he laughed even harder, bending over backwards without any restraint.

Xi Xi was initially a little unhappy about being mocked, but she was quickly infected by her husband's laughter and started laughing foolishly along with him.

"Let's get out of here, the kitchen is smoky!" Lin Xiao said again.

"Um...no!" Xixi shook her head.

"What?"

"I want to stay and help..."

Xi Xi said.

Lin Xiao was about to say no, but she quickly added, "I just want to stay by your side... I haven't seen you for days!"

The voice was so pitiful that it made Lin Xiao's heart tremble.

Turning my head, I saw the little girl standing by the stove, her chubby little face showing a hint of grievance.

His heart melted, and he immediately forgot all his principles.

"Then you can help me chop the vegetables?" Lin Xiao suggested.

Upon hearing this, Xixi knew that her shamelessness had worked, and she was overjoyed, beaming with delight.

"Um!!"

She nodded emphatically, picked up a tomato, and said, "I've recently been working on a new dish called 'White Snow and Red Plum Blossoms,' and I'll make it for you to try today!"

Xi Xi looked smug and full of confidence.

Lin Xiao was completely bewildered: "White snow and red plum blossoms?!"

After pondering for a long time, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, and his face was full of disbelief.

"It's not going to be tomatoes with sugar, is it?"

"Uh...yeah!"

Xi Xi nodded, but this time she wasn't as confident.

Seeing his wife's guilty look, Lin Xiao found it incredibly cute and immediately burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha..."

(End of this chapter)