On the rewards for successfully defeating a boss

The plane landed in your city at three o'clock in the afternoon.

It took quite some time to get from the airport to the city.

After checking into the hotel, Chen Qian and Zhong Yi started strolling on the streets.

Having prepared a travel guide before departure, Chen Qian did not plan to waste time in the beautiful restaurants in the hotel, but instead started by tasting the city's flavors.

A little past the hotel is an old residential area with a special atmosphere.

The paint on the exterior of the building, which had been beaten by wind and rain, was peeling off. The mottled walls were repainted by the setting sun. The golden light and shadows passed through the leaves, casting uneven spots of light on the ground.

The scenery was almost the same as what I had seen in other cities before.

But on both sides of the narrow roads between communities, there are snack stalls densely packed with decorated boards with red background and yellow letters, which are very different.

The word "yangyu" (potato) was mostly written on the board.

Chen Qian's eyes swept across a row of red boards. The word "potato" followed by the same word was not repeated even after passing seven or eight small vendors.

It is here that the local customs and practices first emerge.

Chen Qian was walking on this not very long street, holding Zhong Yi, a foreign boy who was always being stared at.

Occasionally, when he would stop and ask Zhongyi if he wanted to try something, the boss would also ask what country he was from.

If the boss asked later and Zhong Yi spoke first, they would change their words and say that people from Xinjiang are just handsome.

Chen Qian had a premonition that if a friend named Yu came here, he would have a good life of drunkenness and dreams.

But it's such a pity that he's not here now.

Chen Qian took a picture of the hot and fragrant egg-wrapped potatoes that he had just received from the old lady at the stall.

The sauce with chopped green onions, chili peppers and minced garlic makes it look even more tempting on the picture.

Pursing the corners of his mouth, Chen Qian sent this photo, along with all the other photos he had taken from eating on the street until now, to the chat group without missing a single one, and @ed Yu Wangxi.

He clicked the voice button and said, "Gui City is really delicious. You wouldn't even know someone died nearby!"

Looking at the green voice bar popping up at the bottom of the screen, he curled the corners of his mouth happily, feeling a little smug.

If nothing unexpected happens, Sun Cheng will have to take annual leave next week.

"You like it very much?" Zhong Yi frowned slightly, his expression a little difficult.

"This is delicious, why don't you like it?" Chen Qian looked at him strangely, pinched the bamboo stick and put another bite into his mouth.

“It smells fishy.”

"Fishy smell? Where does that come from..." Chen Qian looked at the disposable paper bowl in his hand in confusion, then looked at Zhong Yi's. Then, he said with a sudden realization, "Ah!" "That white rhizome plant is called Zhe Er Gen. We forgot to ask the boss not to put it in. Let's just pick it up and put it aside."

"Houttuynia cordata, Houttuynia cordata?"

"Yes, that's it. Finally, besides your face, you look like a foreigner in other places. Otherwise, when you go out and speak, everyone will think you are from Xinjiang." Chen Qian laughed and helped him pick up all the white particles dyed with red oil to one place, revealing the egg-wrapped potatoes underneath.

……

"Where did they go to work?" The man who answered the phone sounded shocked.

The person on the other end of the phone was very impatient, repeating the place name word by word, "Huang, Guo, Shu, Pu, Bu. If you can hear it clearly, hang up. If you can't hear it clearly, go to the hospital and see the ENT department."

"He went to that kind of place with that foreign guy with dyed orange hair?"

"Let me correct you. It's natural, and it's their job. Can you please stop making it sound like they have an improper relationship?"

"I don't care if he was born in heaven or on earth, I want to book a plane ticket now!"

The man scoffed and spoke through gritted teeth in annoyance, "Stop it, you have to keep your distance from him, remember? And you have to go to Hua Man Lou to have tea with the police chief this afternoon, remember not to be late."

"You, the one with the surname Wu..."

"Dududu-"

The call was suddenly cut off, leaving only the tail end of the sound in my ears.

The cell phone was thrown out like a hit baseball, hitting the table with a loud bang, and dragging the vase on the table to the ground.

After a long time, the man sitting beside the large mahogany table slowly raised his head. He stared at a European-style wooden clock about the size of an A4 paper placed on the cabinet next to the bookshelf. The time was just about to point to eight o'clock.

After a while, the clock's striking mechanism was activated.

Ding-ding-ding.

The man's plan took shape with the sound of the bell.

He picked up the landline phone on the table and quickly made a call according to his memory.

His voice lightened with his growing cheerfulness. "Hey, sister-in-law. How about taking the kids and spending the morning looking at the waterfall?"

"I usually want to hear this name, but you don't call it. Do you want to play with other kids, or do you want to catch someone?"

"The flight route application can be expedited in half an hour. Let's go shopping in your city and then come back at 3:30. Let's go to Hua Man Lou for a cup of tea together."

"Tsk—alright, I just happen to have nothing to do today."

"Then I'll wait for you at the airport."

……

The next day after having a great meal near the hotel, it was time to go back to work.

The two stood at a viewing point called the Great Falls and looked up into the distance.

The world-famous waterfall cascades down the cliff face like a galloping white silk ribbon, a majestic sight. The water crashes against the rocks, stirring up countless mists that transform into a seven-colored rainbow bridge in the sunlight, creating a dreamlike scene. The roar of the waterfall is deafening, reminiscent of galloping horses and the roar of thousands of troops.

The water splashed everywhere, and the surrounding green trees were hidden in the hazy water vapor, making them look even greener.

Standing on the mountain path surrounded by lush and verdant branches and leaves, the heat of Linxia was completely blown away by the cool breeze.

When they reached the mountainside, Chen Qian once again raised the Canon R5 and aimed it at the location where the mist was rising.

"The scenery here is beautiful." After taking the photo, Chen Qian leaned on the railing and covered his forehead with one hand to block the overly glaring sunlight.

"Sunglasses." Zhong Yi took out a glasses bag from his pocket and handed it to Chen Qian.

"No need, we have to take it off after taking pictures." Chen Qian waved his hand and took two more steps forward.

There are fewer people in the scenic area on weekdays than on holidays, but they still gather in groups on the road and walk slowly forward.

Chen Qian found several viewing spots but it was difficult to avoid tourists, so he had to follow the crowd and continue to climb slowly.

"You know, in China, almost every educated person knows this place." Chen Qian looked at the source of the waterfall and wiped the water splashed on his face.

"Educated people?" Zhong Yi looked at the person beside him with a slightly satisfied expression on his face. He didn't quite understand the connection between this place and those people.

"Because I learned an article in elementary school, and the content was a description of this place." Chen Qian said softly.

I can no longer remember the content of the text, and I don’t know when was the last time I read it.

Now when I recall this, I suddenly feel like I’m getting old and things are happening all the time.

"Really?" Zhong Yi thought for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the waterfall crashing against the rocks. "Then the author must have been very good at it."

"You can write very well too, and it will be even better with the photos I took." Chen Qian chuckled, holding the camera, took a few quick steps and walked away.