Chapter 519: The Top Scholar Tour Group

Chapter 519: The Honor Students' Tour Group

Fu Yuanhang was suddenly pulled into a tight hug, staggering back a step before he managed to steady himself.

"Uncle Mu, can't you act a bit more mature?" He was already an eighteen-year-old adult, yet he was even more immature than Chenchen!

Chenchen and Chen Zigui were still happy to see Uncle Mu, even though they had been constantly getting his calls and letters throughout the year. After all, it had been nearly two years since they last met, so seeing him in person was really exciting.

"Little Uncle, haven’t you noticed that Uncle Mu hasn’t grown taller at all? How can he be mature?"

"Whoa!!" Uncle Mu took two steps back, staring wide-eyed at Chenchen and Chen Zigui. "Unbelievable! The capital’s climate really helps people grow! It’s only been a year or two, and you two have grown so tall already!"

Uncle Mu patted Chen Zigui’s head. "Zigui, you’ve grown a lot too!"

"Yes, mainly because Uncle He’s food is amazing. I eat two bowls of rice every day." The fifteen-year-old Chen Zigui was still a shy boy, but he’d become much more outgoing.

When Chenchen wrote letters to Dongdong and Chubby, he usually mentioned Chen Zigui too, naturally mentioning Uncle Mu and the others as well.

Plus, Chen Zigui occasionally sent them snacks, toys, and even clothes he had outgrown, so he was quite familiar with them too.

"Ah, I miss Uncle He’s cooking too," Uncle Mu sighed exaggeratedly before turning to wave at Xiao Meizi. "Xiao Meizi, come over here! This is Chen Zigui—the one who sent those tasty cookies you liked!"

Uncle Mu’s loud voice scared off the birds resting in the trees within a kilometer radius, sending them fluttering away in panic.

People nearby couldn’t help but glance in their direction.

Xiao Meizi blushed. "Uncle Mu, lower your voice."

"Hello, Sister Meizi," Chenchen greeted politely.

Bai Hua had the presence of a tall, confident woman, standing beside Su Taotao without being overshadowed. Chenchen had no trouble calling her "Auntie."

But when it came to Xiao Meizi, who was shorter, paler, and gentler than him, calling her "Sister" felt awkward.

"Hello, Sister Meizi. I’m Chen Zigui." Chen Zigui followed Chenchen’s lead in addressing her.

Basically, whoever Chenchen called by a certain title, he would too.

Uncle Mu disagreed. "Chenchen, you’re mixing up the family titles! Xiao Meizi is the same age as me and Ah Hang—you should call her 'Auntie'!"

Xiao Meizi murmured softly, "Chenchen, don’t mind him. Call me whatever you like. I’d be happier if you called me 'Sister.'"

"Uncle Mu," Chenchen said earnestly, "with that short haircut of yours, you really do look like you’re from a different generation than Sister Meizi."

Uncle Mu made a grab for Chenchen. "Chenchen, the older you get, the less cute you become! You’ve even started talking back to your Uncle Mu now. You were so much cuter when you were little."

Chenchen laughed and darted off.

Xiao Meizi moved to help pick up the packages Uncle Mu had thrown aside, but Fu Yuanhang stopped her. "I’ll handle it. Uncle Mu, are you really planning to keep catching up under the blazing sun?"

Uncle Mu hurried to grab his own bags. "No way I’d make our Ah Hang do such rough work! I’ll take care of it, I’ll take care of it..."

...

The rooms had already been booked—one for the boys and one for the girls. They could go up after registering.

Su Taotao was surprised they got here so fast.

It was the first time in three years that she had seen Xiao Meizi, and she couldn't help but feel the sentiment of "my girl has all grown up."

The once dark and skinny scrawny kid had blossomed into a lovely young woman. Su Taotao hugged her tightly, reluctant to let go.

"Our Xiao Meizi has become such a beautiful young lady."

Xiao Meizi hugged her back, so moved she nearly cried. "But Aunt Taozi, you're still as young and even more beautiful than before."

"Well said! Look how well-spoken our Xiao Meizi has become," Su Taotao said, taking her hand and looking her over with pride.

Before the college entrance exams, they had spoken on the phone, and Xiao Meizi had asked for Su Taotao's advice.

After the exams, they had talked again. Xiao Meizi said she had performed normally, and Su Taotao knew then that she was sure to get into Foreign Languages University, soon becoming Bai Hua's junior.

Uncle Mu knew they still had to return to the factory, so aside from bringing some dried shrimp as snacks and Su Taotao's favorite grilled fish, they hadn't packed much else.

At the time, private enterprise was still in its trial phase. The communication between big cities and small towns, as well as local leaders' interpretations of policies, all affected the process.

No matter the era, as they say, fortune favors the bold—the bold ones who take the first step are the ones who strike gold.

Even small towns were no exception.

Though private enterprise hadn't yet been fully liberalized on a large scale, some brave souls had already opened their doors for business, no longer operating in the shadows.

They stopped at a small shop near the hotel for a quick noodle meal.

The broth, made with pork organs and pickled vegetables, paired with rice noodles as thin as cicada wings and a dash of the owner's secret chili sauce, was deliciously tangy and won rave reviews.

The boys with bigger appetites each polished off two bowls in one go.

Chenchen ate with particular satisfaction. "Mom, these noodles are so good! Let’s get Uncle He to put these on the menu when we get back. I want to eat them again!"

Su Taotao shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid that’s not really doable. The ingredients in the north and south are too different. First, you'd need a large stone mill to grind rice into batter. Every household has its own secret recipe—the tiniest tweak changes everything. The ratio of new to old rice, soaking time, temperature—all of it affects the texture of the noodles. Every family's version tastes unique."

The owner, overhearing Su Taotao, chuckled.

"That's right, that's right! This lady here knows what she’s talking about. Many customers say our noodles are especially smooth. Even if you follow my recipe, you won't get the same texture because the rice we use is grown from our own home-saved seeds. Even if we gave the seeds to someone else, unless they're planted in our fields, the quality wouldn't be the same, and the noodles would turn out completely different!"

Su Taotao smiled. "And the pickled vegetables—in the north, they're made from cabbage, but here in the south, most are made from mustard greens."

She pointed at Chenchen's bowl, which he had emptied down to the last drop of broth.

"The pickled vegetables you just ate were made from mustard greens. You won't find them in northern markets. Even if we tried growing them ourselves, the climate wouldn't be right.

"And even if we could grow them, every household has its own pickling method. Some families' brine might have been passed down for decades, topped up each year, giving their pickles a unique flavor."

The owner gave Su Taotao a thumbs-up. "Now that’s what I call expertise! The mustard greens are grown in our own fields, and the pickles were made by my grandmother, following a tradition started by my great-grandmother. Every year, we save a bit of the old brine to start the next batch. Even my mother's pickles don't taste the same!"

Chenchen scrunched up his nose. "That's so complicated! So if I want to eat this again, I have to come back here?"

Su Taotao took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

"Mom always says that traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books. These are things you can't learn from books—only by experiencing them firsthand.

"Our country is vast and full of surprises. Every region has its own customs, every landscape its own charm. Even the same season brings different sights. That’s the meaning of traveling."

Chenchen nodded. "I understand, Mom. I could already tell how different things were between north and south when we were in the capital."

He clenched his fists. "Mom, I’ve made up my mind—once I’m in college, I’ll travel every summer. I want to see all the beauty our country has to offer!"

Chen Zigui nodded, "I'm in, Chenchen. I'll go with you."

Su Taotao shook her head, "Before you turn sixteen, you’ll need Uncle Mu with you. After sixteen, it's up to you."

Chenchen slumped like a deflated balloon, "But Uncle Mu is so busy! Ah Hang’s always calling him for help. He didn’t even want to come this time.

Zigui will be sixteen next year when he starts university. Can’t he come with me?"

Su Taotao shook her head, "No, Zigui is still green. He’s got some growing up to do."

Chenchen never forgot a thing and immediately wanted to argue that Uncle Mu had gone out to gain experience at fifteen.

Su Taotao said, "I know what you’re thinking. Ah Hang is steady, and Uncle Mu’s quick-witted—that’s why I let them go out at fifteen.

But Chenchen, you and Zigui have been too sheltered. You two aren’t ready yet."

Su Taotao’s reasoning was subtle. Chen Zigui was clueless about the real world, like a blank sheet of paper, while Chenchen, despite being tall and clever, still such a kid—sometimes still begging Fu for piggyback rides.

No way was she letting them go alone.

Fu Yuanhang patted Chenchen’s head, "No big deal. If you want to go, I’ll take you.

You’ll be sixteen before you know it. You couldn’t even go to school alone before, but after ten, you handled it no problem, didn’t you?"

Uncle Mu added, "I’ll hustle to save money for trips. If your uncle can’t go, I’ll take you!"

Chenchen finally cheered up, "Alright then! We’ll see the country together someday!"

……

Su Taotao and the others chatted in the shop for a while longer, confirming the owner’s business hours and promising to return for more meals before leaving.

The owner was delighted. Hearing they were heading to Qinglian Village, he enthusiastically recommended,

"You’re going to the Champion Village to get some academic mojo for next year’s college entrance exams, right?"

Su Taotao’s group: "……?"

Good exam vibes? Two of them had already aced the exams—why would they need that?

"Let me tell you," the owner continued, "Qinglian Village has produced several top scholars, so it’s now called Champion Village! They even built a temple for the God of Literature. Many people go there to pray for good exam results!"

Su Taotao’s group: "……"

The owner went on and on—this was the whole county’s pride, after all:

"The county arranges tractor shuttles every market day for just two yuan round-trip, including lunch!

If you bring your own food or go in the afternoon, it’s only one yuan for transport and a guide.

I suggest going tomorrow morning—their canteen serves a special ‘Champion Meal’!"

Su Taotao’s group: "……"

They were floored!

Uncle Mu rubbed his face, "Wow, who’s the mastermind behind this? What a racket! A top scholar is just—"

Fu Yuanhang quickly covered his mouth and pulled him out the door.

Once outside, Su Taotao raised her hand to block the sun and said, "How about we skip Qinglian Village? Unless Xiao Meizi wants to go back to visit her grandmother's grave?"

Strictly speaking, Qinglian Village wasn’t Su Taotao’s hometown, and there was no one she particularly needed to visit. She really didn’t want to be gawked at like some circus attraction.

Xiao Meizi hesitated. She wasn’t keen on facing the villagers either—they’d surely pester her with questions about the factory. But she did feel she ought to visit her grandmother and parents’ graves.

Mumu said, "If you want to go back, I’ll accompany you."

Chenchen raised his hand eagerly. "I want to go see it! Zigui wants to go too!"

Ah Hang thought for a moment. "I won’t go back."

As last year’s "recent top graduate," he’d undoubtedly be swarmed by people asking endless questions or even trying to "absorb" his academic aura. The mere thought made his skin crawl.

In the end, it was decided: Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang, both past honorees, would stay behind.

Mumu, Xiao Meizi, Chenchen, and Chen Zigui would sign on for the "Top Scholar Sightseeing Tour."

Today happened to be a village market day, and since they didn’t want to wait till next time, the four of them quickly went ahead and signed up right away for the tour.

...