GBP Chapter 400 Henan Province
Chapter 400 Henan Province
After taking the photos, the two returned their period costumes and changed back into their own clothes.
Shen Yuege bought a set of Hanfu at the store, saying that she could wear it when she got home.
Lu Ran didn't stop her; she'd already bought so many things, one more wouldn't make a difference.
It was almost dark when we came out of the costume shop.
The red lanterns in the ancient city lit up, illuminating the bluestone pavement with a bright red glow.
There were far fewer tourists on the street, and the shops had begun to close.
Several food vendors pushed their carts through the street, their shouts echoing in the alley.
The two found an inn in the ancient city and stayed there.
The inn is a converted courtyard house from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The courtyard is not large, with a pomegranate tree in the middle and a set of stone table and benches under the tree.
The room was in the east wing of the courtyard; it wasn't big, but it was very clean.
The windows were made of wood and covered with paper. When you opened the window, you could see the pomegranate tree in the yard.
Shen Yuege came out of the shower, her hair still wet, and sat on the bed looking through photos from the daytime.
She flipped to the photo taken on the city wall and paused to look at it for several seconds.
"This photo is really beautiful. What made you think of having me stand in that spot?"
"I didn't ask you to stand. That guy asked you to stand."
"So, do you think it looks good?"
"You look good. Every picture of you is beautiful. You even scolded me when I said you looked bad."
Shen Yuege smiled, placed her phone on the bedside table, and then burrowed under the covers.
"Lu Ran".
"Um?"
"Do you think we'll still be able to go out and have fun like this when we're old?"
"Yes."
How did you know?
"Because I'll pull you out. If you don't want to come out, I'll carry you out."
Shen Yuege chuckled in the darkness and then remained silent.
The next morning, the two of them had breakfast in the ancient city.
Breakfast in Pingyao is a local specialty – bowl-shaped rice cakes.
The bowl-shaped noodles are made from buckwheat flour. They are steamed, cut into strips, mixed with vinegar, minced garlic, chili oil, and sprinkled with cilantro.
Shen Yuege took two bites and said it was too sour, so she added a spoonful of chili oil to balance the sourness and spiciness, and finished the whole bowl in one go.
After breakfast, the two strolled around the ancient city for a while and bought some local specialties.
I bought some of each of the following: Pingyao beef, Changshan yam, Tuiguang lacquerware, and Shaoxing wine.
Lu Ran's backpack was already full, so he had to buy a woven bag to put everything in and carry it with him.
Around noon, Lu Ran's phone rang.
He took it out and saw that it was a video call from Shen Zhiwei.
"Dad, what's wrong?" he answered the phone.
"Xiao Lu, where are you guys playing?" Shen Zhiwei's voice came through the receiver, carrying the distinctive accent of a Shanghainese.
"Shanxi Province. Pingyao Ancient City."
"Shanxi Province? Why did you come all that way? Didn't you say you were just going to drive around the area around Shanghai?"
"Plans can't keep up with changes. We drove off and ended up far away."
Shen Zhiwei chuckled twice on the other end of the phone: "Alright. When are you guys coming back? The New Year is just around the corner, and your mom keeps talking about you guys, saying that the whole family should have a reunion dinner together this year."
Lu Ran glanced at Shen Yuege.
Shen Yuege leaned closer and said into the phone, "Dad, we'll go back in a couple of days. There's still a week until Chinese New Year, we have enough time."
"There's still time, but your mom can't wait. She already bought all the New Year's goods yesterday, and the refrigerator is packed full, just waiting for you to come back and eat."
Shen Yuege laughed: "Okay, okay, we'll hurry. Tell Mom not to rush, we'll definitely be home before the New Year's Eve dinner."
"Okay. Drive carefully on the road. Lu's leg is just healed, don't let him overwork himself."
"Okay, Dad. Let Mom answer the phone; I want to talk to her for a bit."
Priscilla Chan answered the phone and launched into another long-winded explanation, saying that Shen Yuege had lost weight and gotten darker, and that she must not have been eating or sleeping well to look so thin and dark.
Shen Yuege listened patiently to the end and said, "Mom, I'm fine, don't worry."
After hanging up the phone, she sighed.
"My mom always does this. Every time she calls, she says I've lost weight and gotten darker, as if I've suffered a lot just from going out."
"You've lost weight. And you're darker. She's right."
Shen Yuege glared at him: "Can't you speak up for me?"
"I'm just telling the truth. You've definitely lost weight and gotten darker. But being thinner looks good, and being darker looks healthy. I'm just complimenting you."
Shen Yuege was too lazy to argue with him and turned to walk towards the parking lot.
The two got into the RV, Lu Ran started the engine, and drove out of Pingyao Ancient City, heading east.
Heading east from Pingyao, passing through the Jinzhong Basin, the entire route is filled with the gullies and ravines of the Loess Plateau.
The road was difficult to travel, but the scenery was beautiful.
Shen Yuege was flipping through a map in the passenger seat when she suddenly said, "There's a place in Henan Province called Wansui Mountain, it's been really popular online lately. Did you know it?"
"I know. Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City. Recently, that 'Matchmaker' show has become quite popular, and many people watch it."
"I want to go," Shen Yuege said. "I've seen those videos on Kuaishou and Douyin, and I think they're quite interesting. An old lady stands on a stage, acting as a matchmaker for young people, pairing them up on the spot, and then they add each other on WeChat. Have you seen them?"
"I've seen it. It's quite funny."
"Let's go take a look. It's on the way anyway. We'll be passing through Henan Province on our way back to Shanghai from Shanxi Province."
Lu Ran glanced at the map; it was indeed on the way.
It takes a little over five hours to drive from Pingyao to Wansui Mountain, which isn't too far.
"Okay. Let's go take a look."
The two got on the highway and drove southeast.
After driving for more than four hours, we entered Henan Province.
The terrain of Henan Province is different from that of Shanxi Province.
Shanxi Province is located on the Loess Plateau, with gullies everywhere.
Henan Province is a plain, a vast plain with flat land and straight roads, making it much more comfortable to drive in than Shanxi Province.
On both sides of the road are vast fields of farmland planted with wheat and corn.
The wheat hasn't turned green yet this season, and the fields are a lush green, which is pleasing to the eye.
The villages are scattered across the fields, with houses made of gray bricks and tiles, similar in style to those in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, but shorter and more compact.
Lu Ran drove the car into the city of Kaifeng.
Wansui Mountain is located in the northwest of Kaifeng and is a scenic area themed around martial arts.
The parking lot was almost full, with cars parked all the way in front.
Lu Ran circled around twice before finding a parking space and carefully parked the RV inside.
The entrance fee to Wansui Mountain is very cheap, making it a great value for money.
Two people can spend just over a hundred yuan to have fun there for three days.
If they weren't so pressed for time, they would have planned to stay a few more days.
The two of them bought tickets and went inside.
The scenic area was packed with people, with staff and tourists dressed in ancient costumes everywhere.
The road is lined with antique-style buildings and various martial arts-themed signs, such as "Juxianzhuang", "Beggar Gang Headquarters", "Shaolin Temple" and "Wudang Mountain", making it look like a filming location for a TV series.
Shen Yuege pulled Lu Ran toward the stage where "Matchmaker Wang" was being set up.
The stage is located in a large square in the scenic area. It's not big; it's made of wooden planks and is about several dozen square meters in size.
Standing on the stage was an old woman dressed in ancient costume, with gray hair, heavy makeup, a red floral-patterned robe, and a palm-leaf fan in her hand.
This is the "Wang Po" who has recently become a viral sensation online.
The audience was packed with people, three or four deep, all holding up their phones.
Some people were filming videos, some were live streaming, and others couldn't squeeze in and were standing on tiptoe to look out.
Although Shen Yuege is not short, she still couldn't see anything when she was squeezed in the crowd, and she was so anxious that she stomped her feet.
Lu Ran pulled her forward and squeezed them into the third row.
Shen Yuege was overjoyed to finally be able to see the stage.
Standing on the stage, Granny Wang's voice was loud and clear, unlike that of an old woman: "Dear single friends, don't miss out! Granny Wang is here to play matchmaker again today! If you're looking for a partner, come up on stage! If you're not looking for a partner, you can watch from the audience; you never know, you might just find someone you like!"
The audience burst into laughter.
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