Chapter 633: Chapter 604: The Treasure-Digging Duo
Xu Chunliang told his grandfather he was leaving and took the specialty products he bought for Mei Ru Xue.
Mei Ru Xue’s license plate had already been entered into the community computer, so she drove straight into the underground parking lot.
Xu Chunliang happily got into the car and handed her the package in his hands.
Mei Ru Xue smiled and said, "So thoughtful of you, thinking of me even while you were out for a meeting."
"Of course."
Mei Ru Xue looked over the items: "So many delicious things." She picked up a bag of kudzu powder and asked, "What’s this?"
"Kudzu powder, it’s for enhancing bust size."
Mei Ru Xue’s face turned red with embarrassment: "You’re awful!"
Xu Chunliang leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, saying with a mischievous look, "Actually, you’re not small at all."
Mei Ru Xue frowned in embarrassment and said, "Say one more nonsense word, and I’ll kick you out."
Xu Chunliang laughed heartily, buckled his seatbelt, and let her start driving.
The Shida University Pedestrian Street is a commercial street next to Shida University, with plenty of snacks. Mei Ru Xue didn’t eat much for dinner and bought some snacks for a quick meal, while Xu Chunliang had already eaten and was mainly there to accompany her for a walk.
Mei Ru Xue listened to his stories about the meeting and was happy for him. If Xu Chunliang were to work at the Culture and Tourism Bureau, it would mean they could see each other more often.
Xu Chunliang said, "For now, I still need to stay in Hu Shan Town. The national-level tourist resort district will be a primary focus for Dongzhou Culture and Tourism for a long time."
Mei Ru Xue said, "You even sound like an official now."
"Do I?"
Mei Ru Xue nodded with a smile.
Xu Chunliang said, "In front of Secretary Mei, I wouldn’t call myself an official; you’re the real deal."
Mei Ru Xue said, "How am I the real deal?"
Xu Chunliang said, "The word ’official’ has two mouths; the top mouth says one thing, and the bottom mouth does another."
Mei Ru Xue was so annoyed that she punched him twice on the arm, saying, "You rogue!"
Xu Chunliang happily pulled her into his arms, but Mei Ru Xue struggled a bit and whispered, "We’re on a public street; aren’t you worried about running into someone we know?"
Xu Chunliang said, "Why should we be afraid when we’re both single? It’s only natural for us to be dating."
As they were talking, they really did run into someone they knew: Cheng Xiaohong, an old colleague from the medical office of Changxing Hospital, who was also strolling around with her boyfriend. Seeing Xu Chunliang, she waved to greet him.
Mei Ru Xue quickly separated from Xu Chunliang, thinking they were far from the city center, yet they still ran into someone they knew.
Xu Chunliang said with a smile, "Oh, isn’t this Sister Hong? Is this my future brother-in-law?"
Cheng Xiaohong laughed and said, "Don’t talk nonsense, this is..."
Mei Ru Xue smiled calmly and said, "Hi, I’m Mei Ru Xue."
Cheng Xiaohong said, "Xu Chunliang, impressive, your girlfriend is really beautiful."
Xu Chunliang said, "Of course, didn’t you always say I was a lucky guy?"
Cheng Xiaohong said, "Now that you’re the town mayor, don’t forget about us old friends."
Xu Chunliang thought to himself, that’s old news; you’re not up-to-date. They exchanged a few pleasantries and waved goodbye.
Mei Ru Xue said, "A colleague from Changxing Hospital?"
Xu Chunliang nodded.
Mei Ru Xue said, "Her boyfriend seemed a bit unscrupulous; he kept staring at me."
Xu Chunliang also noticed that his girlfriend was too beautiful, always attracting attention wherever they went. Still, Cheng Xiaohong’s boyfriend was quite rude, as he didn’t even understand the principle of avoiding impropriety. Adding to this was a previous encounter; back when Xu Chunliang had brought a duck from Nanjiang for Cheng Xiaohong, her boyfriend didn’t even get out of the car to greet him.
Just a passing acquaintance; there was no need to let this incident ruin their mood.
Next week, Xu Chunliang would be going to the Capital City for a session at the Europe Business School. He asked Mei Ru Xue if she wanted to come home with him for a visit.
Mei Ru Xue smiled and said, "I have to attend a two-week young cadre training session in Gutian next week, so I probably can’t go to the Capital City with you."
"What does this mean? Are you getting another promotion?"
Xu Chunliang, having been in the system for a while, knew what this training implied. Mei Ru Xue’s career path was definitely promising.
Mei Ru Xue said, "Didn’t I tell you before? The High-Tech Zone Management Committee was just established, and I’ve been appointed as the deputy director."
Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "At this rate, I won’t be able to catch up with you for a while."
Mei Ru Xue giggled, "I didn’t ask you to chase me. I’m not that interested in the system, mainly to put my grandfather at ease. Maybe in a few years, I’ll go to a more laid-back place, and then I can have more time..." She paused here; between career and family, she would definitely choose family. What she actually wanted to say was that if she married Xu Chunliang in the future, she would be content to be a good wife and mother, and hadn’t thought about pursuing a career in politics long-term.
Xu Chunliang laughed, "Supporting your husband and raising kids, right?"
Mei Ru Xue blushed charmingly and said, "You’re overthinking it."
Xu Chunliang wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
Mei Ru Xue reminded him, "Public setting, mind your image."
Xu Chunliang said, "My image is pretty much set in stone."
Mei Ru Xue said, "Town Mayor Xu, how is the preparation for your hospital going?"
Xu Chunliang said, "We’re planning to have a trial opening on May 1st."
"So soon?"
Xu Chunliang laughed, "Ding Si owns ten percent of the shares, and he’s been pushing to speed things up. The hospital renovations have turned out quite well. You’re welcome to visit and give guidance when you have time, Secretary Mei."
Mei Ru Xue said, "Your hospital is in the Bell Tower District, and I’m responsible for the High-Tech Zone. I wouldn’t dare overstep to guide work in another district."
Xu Chunliang said, "What do you mean ’your’? It’s ’ours.’ Our Old Xu Family holds fifty percent of the shares. What’s mine is yours."
Mei Ru Xue said she didn’t want it, but her heart felt sweet and delighted.
Xu Chunliang remembered the matter at Changxing and asked about the progress of the joint-stock hospital.
Mei Ru Xue told him that she had arranged for someone to keep an eye on the joint-stock hospital project, given the Huayuan Group’s current poor situation. She must ensure that the High-Tech Zone project is completed on schedule.
Mei Ru Xue believed that Hua Nian’s decision to abandon the Weishan Island Hospital project was wise since the Huayuan Group currently can’t handle fighting on three fronts.
Unknowingly, they had reached the end of the Pedestrian Street. Heading east led to Dongzhou Normal University, while going west was a mountain park named Gui Mountain.
Xu Chunliang glanced at the introduction of the mountain park and found that the stele said Gui Mountain was also known as Gui Tou Mountain, the place where Zhou Renhe had buried dragon bones in the past.
Xu Chunliang had planned to excavate that box of dragon bones after returning from Jizhou last time but later worried that Mo Han had someone follow him, so he decided to wait until things calmed down.
Today, he somehow ended up at Gui Mountain inadvertently, and since he was there, he figured there was no reason not to go and take a look.
He went ahead and did it. He bought a shovel, a spade, and a few burlap sacks at a nearby hardware store.
Mei Ru Xue didn’t know why he bought these things. Xu Chunliang quietly told her that, according to his grandfather, something had been buried in the mountain in the early seventies, and he wanted to see if it was still there, so he could dig it up if it was.
Mei Ru Xue knew he was never one to follow the rules and didn’t stop him, as long as it wasn’t grave robbing.
According to Xu Chunliang, it was uncertain whether they would find it.
Following the map given to him by Zhou Renhe, they came to the mountain, found the stone pavilion, and walked down the slope from the southeast corner of the pavilion. They hadn’t walked far when they saw a cluster of tombs.
The Gui Mountain Park was not yet fully constructed, and the nearby graves hadn’t been relocated yet.
Mei Ru Xue was startled, grabbing Xu Chunliang’s arm, "You’re not planning to rob graves, are you?"
Xu Chunliang shook his head with a smile, telling Mei Ru Xue not to worry; the item was buried under a tree and certainly wouldn’t involve grave robbing.
On this dark, windy night, amidst the quiet of the mountain forest, Mei Ru Xue followed him through the tombs, feeling slightly on edge. She held onto Xu Chunliang’s arm tightly, afraid of being left behind. It was just like Xu Chunliang to do something as absurd as turning a date into a visit to a graveyard.
However, Mei Ru Xue also found it somewhat novel and exciting, something no one else could offer her.
Using the tombstones as his guide, Xu Chunliang found another signpost: a large locust tree near a grave, with a stone on its western side, everything matching Zhou Renhe’s map.
Xu Chunliang asked Mei Ru Xue to keep watch. With a bit of strength, he moved the large stone away. It weighed at least two hundred pounds, placed there by Zhou Renhe back in the day, proving young Zhou Renhe must have been quite strong.
Xu Chunliang raised the spade and got to work. Mei Ru Xue felt a bit anxious; if they attracted the mountain security, it would be quite embarrassing. Both of them were in positions: one as the deputy director of the High-Tech Zone Management Committee and the other as the deputy town mayor of Hu Shan Town. They were digging around in a graveyard in the dead of night.
What would they say if caught? Dating? Who goes to a graveyard to date? Although Mei Ru Xue believed Xu Chunliang wouldn’t lie to her, she couldn’t help feeling this was a bit reckless.
But then she thought, if they didn’t choose a quiet time to come, they couldn’t very well come digging in broad daylight, where explanations would be even harder. Even if it was their own property, it might be considered state property.
Watching Xu Chunliang work tirelessly, Mei Ru Xue found herself, unknowingly, empathizing with the Xu Family.
Xu Chunliang looked back at her and smiled. Mei Ru Xue gestured, asking if he wanted to take a break.
Xu Chunliang shook his head. His shovel seemed to hit something, so he switched to the spade to avoid damaging the dragon bones.
Mei Ru Xue noticed that Xu Chunliang was quite handy for someone of their generation, not many their age handy with such heavy manual labor. She herself couldn’t even use a shovel.
It didn’t take Xu Chunliang long to unearth a jar. Back in the day, after Zhou Renhe had gathered the scattered dragon bones, he placed them in a pickle jar and buried them in the mountain. Everything matched his description.
Seeing that he had actually found something, Mei Ru Xue came over curiously, just as she bent down, her phone rang, startling her. She forgot to silence it.
She pulled out her phone, seeing it was her brother, Qiao Rulong. It was late at night, and she didn’t know why he was calling. Mei Ru Xue didn’t answer but put her phone on silent.
