My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 78 A Warm Welcome to Mr. Lu Yuan for His Guidance
The next morning, Lu Yuan drove to Huangya Village.

As the car drove away from the county town, the road surface began to become bumpy and uneven, until it was completely smooth again as we approached our destination.

The brand-new, four-lane asphalt road is as smooth as a mirror, and the streetlights on both sides are brand new and impressive. Red lanterns are hung every now and then, creating a festive atmosphere.

Chen Xiaomiao looked out the window and muttered softly, "Lu Yuan, why does this place look like it's almost New Year's?"

Lu Yuan gripped the steering wheel without saying a word, because there was an even more outrageous scene ahead.

At the entrance plaque of Huangya Village, crowds thronged and drums resounded.

A huge red banner was being held up by seven or eight people. It read "Warmly welcome Mr. Lu Yuan to visit and provide guidance" in large gold lettering, and it dazzled people in the winter sun.

The roadside was packed with people waving colorful flags; one might mistake them for high-ranking officials coming down to inspect the work.

Lu Yuan was both amused and exasperated, while Chen Xiaomiao looked completely bewildered.

"Little seedling".

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and spoke solemnly.

It's time to be honest about some things, otherwise it will be even more difficult to make up lies and explain things when we get to the village.

“My maternal grandfather, he actually…”

"Lu Yuan!"

Chen Xiaomiao suddenly interrupted loudly, pointing to an advertising billboard outside the window, her tone deliberate: "Look at that, the cow painted on it!"

Lu Yuan looked in the direction she pointed, and there was an advertising board with a picture of a plump and strong yellow ox on it, next to which was an introduction to the village's cattle farm.

The girl's ability to change the subject was really poor.

Her eyes darted away, and her cheeks flushed with nervousness; her thoughts were practically written all over her face.

Lu Yuan was startled.

Chen Xiaomiao actually found out?

How long did it take her to find out?

A week ago?

Was it a month ago?
Whatever...

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly.

Chen Xiaomiao's chosen approach was cowardly, yet effective.

I won't ask, you won't tell, and you'll bury your head in the sand like an ostrich.

As long as we don't break the ice, we can maintain the status quo and continue living our lives as usual.

In the TV series, Yang Guo insisted on acknowledging Xiaolongnü as his "master" in front of everyone, which put Guo Jing and Huang Rong in a difficult position and caused them to be criticized and condemned in the martial arts world...

Chen Xiaomiao wasn't as awkward as Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu; living a good life was more important than anything else!

The vehicle slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the village.

With a broad smile, Lü Lei strode forward and personally opened the car door.

In an instant, the sounds of gongs, drums, firecrackers, and cheers mingled together, creating a deafening roar.

A little girl, about seven or eight years old, wearing a brand-new red cotton-padded jacket, her face red from the cold, ran to the car with small, quick steps, holding a beautifully wrapped bouquet of flowers.

She tilted her head back and shouted loudly in a mechanical, stiff Mandarin, as if she had recited it countless times beforehand: "Welcome home, Brother Lu Yuan!"

This made Lu Yuan so angry that he almost dug a three-bedroom apartment out of his shoe with his toes.

Chen Xiaomiao, standing to the side, was completely at a loss. She got out of the car and stared blankly at everything in front of her.

The little girl handed her another bouquet of flowers. She took it instinctively, bowed her head and said "thank you." When she looked up again, she was instantly stunned.

Rows of beautiful three-story villas stand neatly in rows, and cars are parked in front of every household.

The wide cement road is clean and tidy, with green belts and solar streetlights on both sides. In the distance, you can even see the school's brand-new synthetic running track and basketball court...

Is this really Huangya Village?
While Chen Xiaomiao was still in a daze, Lu Yuan shoved the flowers into Lü Lei's hands, pulled him aside, and asked in a low voice, "What are you up to?"

"Boss, this really isn't my fault!"

Lu Lei said with a serious face and an extremely innocent expression: "This is all spontaneous from the villagers! When they heard you were coming, they were so excited that they didn't sleep all night and insisted on welcoming you with the highest level of courtesy!"
When Mr. Chen came back before, it was always the same scene. This...this is all because of the heartfelt love and respect from the villagers!

Lu Yuan was both angry and amused.

Does Lü Lei treat him like a three-year-old?

Uniform attire, uniform flags, uniform slogans—everyone shouted themselves hoarse.

Did he come to Huangya Village or Cao County?
"Let's be honest." Lu Yuan was too lazy to beat around the bush with him: "How many barrels of oil and how many kilograms of flour did each family receive?" Lu Lei's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. He awkwardly rubbed his hands and changed the subject: "Ahem... Boss, you and Miss Chen have had a hard time traveling all this way."

Let's get in the car first, and I'll show you both around the village.

This way, please!

……

The rest of the trip was long and boring.

Lu Yuan and Chen Xiaomiao boarded the sightseeing bus, and Lü Lei acted as their tour guide, enthusiastically introducing the "glorious achievements" of Huangya Village.

"Boss, look, this is our village's livestock farm. We raise 3,000 head of cattle alone every year!"

"That's our village's primary school. Its facilities and resources are top-notch in the county... no, in the whole city!"

"The senior activity center is up ahead. Villagers over seventy years old receive a monthly pension subsidy of 1,200 yuan..."

Lu Yuan listened expressionlessly, occasionally nodding and offering a few words of agreement.

Chen Xiaomiao remained silent, staring blankly at the scenery rushing past the window, lost in thought.

The welcome banquet at noon pushed this extravagant atmosphere to its peak.

Inside the luxurious private room of the village canteen, village officials and several old men took turns holding wine glasses and spouting flattering remarks.

Lu Yuan used tea instead of wine to deal with the enthusiastic smiles on everyone's faces.

Chen Xiaomiao kept her head down and ate the whole time, hardly saying a word.

After finally getting through the lunch, the two were taken to a vacant villa in the village for a rest.

The villa is decorated with great care, and the second-floor balcony offers an excellent view, overlooking most of the village.

Chen Xiaomiao stood alone on the balcony, holding onto the railing, quietly gazing into the distance.

The winter wind ruffled her hair, making her appear somewhat frail from behind.

Lu Yuan carried a plate of crystal grapes over, stood beside her, picked one up, and fed it to her lips.

Chen Xiaomiao subconsciously opened her mouth, and the cool, sweet juice melted in her mouth.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Yuan asked softly.

"I didn't think about anything. I'm just happy that the village has become so much better."

Chen Xiaomiao chewed on a grape, her voice muffled.

"Really?" Lu Yuan handed over another one: "You look rather sullen."

Chen Xiaomiao sighed, "Back when the famine was at its worst, 70% of the villagers went out to escape the famine, and of those 70%, I'm afraid 70% died on the way..."

I was thinking... if they hadn't left back then and had stayed in the village to survive, would they have been able to live on?
Today, their descendants live in nice houses and enjoy good lives.

"There aren't that many 'what ifs'."

Lu Yuan comforted him, saying, "If even someone like you who knows fortune telling can't figure it out, how much more so for ordinary people who have no idea what tomorrow will bring?"

Staying might mean starving to death or being killed by the Japanese; leaving might mean dying on the way.

Whichever choice you make, you're gambling with your life.

He paused, then added.

"Besides, more than 80 years have passed, and the villagers have changed several times over. It's hard to say whether the current group of people are descendants of the villagers from back then."

"But if people change, then why did Brother Little Tree..."

Chen Xiaomiao instinctively retorted, only realizing what she had said as soon as the words left her mouth.
When "Chen Xiaoshu" was mentioned, her voice suddenly became softer, as if she had violated a taboo, and she swallowed the rest of her words.

Lu Yuan, however, didn't seem to care at all, and his expression remained unchanged.

“For my grandfather, it didn’t matter who lived in the village. What mattered was that the village was still called Huangya Village. He grew up here, and there were things he cared about here, things he cherished all his life.”

What are you thinking?

"I asked Lü Lei about it when I was eating earlier."

Lu Yuan turned his gaze to the west of the village, where there was a stretch of rolling hills.

"My maternal grandfather contracted out that hillside at the west end of the village many years ago. He said he was going to develop it for tourism, but it's been empty all these years, and he doesn't usually let outsiders in..."

The hill behind the west end of the village!
Upon hearing the familiar place name, Chen Xiaomiao's eyes lit up instantly, like a spark ignited in the darkness...

(End of this chapter)