The car got on the outer ring road while Dongzi chatted to himself. When it reached the expressway toll station, Lu Xiaohong pulled over and stopped.
There was a black SUV parked on the side of the road, and two people stood beside the car, talking quietly.
It's Shi Xian and Lian Ruowei.
Unexpectedly, they both came too.
But it's normal to think about it. As the venerable Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Office in Jiangzhou, Xiao Han will definitely not be handled by Lu Xiaohong alone if he has something to do.
"Hu Ling, look, isn't that girl over there very handsome?" Dongzi suddenly poked my arm with a finger and pointed out the car window.
I subconsciously followed the direction of his finger and looked out, and what I saw was Lian Ruowei.
She was still dressed in black, with a silk black shirt, black tight trousers, and black half-length Martin boots.
Lian Ruowei was leaning against the car door with her head lowered, holding a cigarette in one hand and scrolling through her cell phone in the other.
Her long, jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her delicate and soft facial features looked a little more sassy.
This is the first time I saw Lian Ruowei smoking.
Her smoking posture is very elegant, her hand is slightly raised, a slender cigarette is gently held between the tips of her slender ring finger and middle finger, her little finger is slightly raised, her eyes are slightly narrowed, and her face has no expression, giving people a strange feeling.
The feeling of not being close.
"Master Lian Tian!" I rolled down the window and greeted Lian Ruowei.
Lian Ruowei looked up at me, nodded slightly, raised the corners of her lips in a friendly arc, turned around, opened the door and got in the car.
"Hu Ling, do you know her?" Dongzi asked me.
"Lian Ruowei, the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion, is going to southern Yunnan with us this time!" I nodded and said softly, leaning my head on the back of the chair.
"Lu, is your car crowded? If so, come to our car!" Shi Xian walked over in a few steps and looked around.
Lu Xiaohong turned to look at the back seat. Sean was a bit big, and with Hao Jingde and Dongzi, it was indeed a bit crowded.
"Dongzi, please go over there. You can switch to Shitong and drive on the road. It will take about ten hours." Lu Xiaohong said.
"What about you, can you handle driving alone?" Shi Xian asked worriedly, "Why don't Uncle Hao come over and sit down, and I can switch driving with Ruowei on the way."
"Let this young man sit over, I can replace Xiao Lu!" Hao Jingde said.
"You can also drive?" Shi Xian asked Hao Jingde in surprise.
"In the early years, I took my wife out all the time, so it was easier to learn how to drive!" Hao Jingde nodded and said calmly.
"Okay, let me go over there!" Dongzi said quickly and looked at me with some worry, "Hu Ling, do you want me to stay here to talk to you?"
"No, please sit over there!" I shook my head gently, because I thought he was making a lot of noise.
"Okay, I'm coming!" Dongzi opened the car door and jumped out with some joy.
Official departure.
We didn't talk much along the way. Hao Jingde knew that I was worried and didn't ask me about Qian Zhiqi again.
Lu Xiaohong drove the car very fast, and occasionally reached out to hold my hand comfortingly.
Around eight o'clock in the morning the next day, we entered the boundary of Kuncheng.
Instead of entering Kuncheng, we went directly onto the highway leading to Jingyang.
I didn't ask Lu Xiaohong's specific location along the way, but Hao Jingde spoke first.
"Xiao Lu, are we going to Jingyang next?" Hao Jingde asked.
"Well, Qian Zhiqi said that they were in a place called Qingquan County in Jingyang, where Professor Zhang and his colleagues discovered an ancient underground city." Lu Xiaohong said.
"Let me drive. I have been to Jingyang Qingquan before and the road is familiar to me," Hao Jingde said.
"You have been driving for several hours at night. The navigation speed on the highway will not be much slower. You can drive again on the national highway." Lu Xiaohong said.
Hao Jingde nodded and did not persist.
At 12 o'clock at noon, we finally arrived at Qingquan County, which Lu Xiaohong mentioned. This is an ancient county with not many high-rise buildings, and many houses still maintain their original appearance of white walls and blue tiles.
"Let's stop and find a place to buy some dry food and water. It's best to find a local as a guide." Lu Xiaohong asked my opinion.
I nodded and said I had no objection.
Although I was extremely anxious and wanted to meet Qian Zhiqi right away and ask about my father's situation, I knew in my heart that there were many things that couldn't be rushed and preparations had to be done well.
Hao Jingde parked the car in front of a small restaurant.
"I didn't expect that after so many years, this restaurant is still there. The owner is a local know-it-all, and he happens to have some friendship with me." Hao Jingde said.
Shi Xian followed immediately and parked next to our car.
After we got off the bus, Hao Jingde led us towards the entrance of the restaurant.
A man in his thirties came out of the room and was stunned when he saw Hao Jingde.
But he soon came to his senses and said in surprise: "Hao, Uncle Hao? Are you Uncle Hao?"
Hao Jingde nodded and said with a smile: "Wenjie, you are Dong Wenjie!"
"Uncle Hao, it's me. When you left our Qingquan, I was still a teenager!" Dong Wenjie said with a smile: "Uncle Hao, I didn't expect to see you again. My father a few days ago
Still talking about you."
"How is Lao Dong doing now? I haven't seen him for several years!" Hao Jingde said.
"My father is in good health. You sit down first. I will ask my wife to call my father to have a drink with you!"
As he spoke, Dong Wenjie waved to a woman who was busy clearing the table: "Tian Meng, hurry up and call dad out and tell him that Uncle Hao is here!"
The woman named Tian Meng turned around, gave us a simple smile, said yes, and walked towards the door next to the cashier.
"Uncle Hao, why are you here with us? Are these all your friends?" Dong Wenjie smiled at us and asked Hao Jingde.
"We are here to find someone, and we will ask your father for a favor later!" Hao Jingde said.
"Tell us if you want to help us or not. If you have any instructions, just ask. We haven't had lunch yet. You sit down first and I'll let the kitchen cook some good dishes for you!" Dong Wenjie said.
"Just make a few quick dishes, we have to be on the road soon!" Hao Jingde said.
"Well, you have to eat well even if you're busy, so I'll ask the cook to cook it as quickly as possible!" Dong Wenjie said.
"You can do whatever Uncle Hao tells you to do. You still have to hurry and you don't hear me? Why is there so much nonsense!" A powerful voice sounded behind Dong Wenjie.
We followed the sound and saw an old man wearing slippers and a big white T-shirt walking out.
The old man looked to be in his sixties, energetic, with a very short crew cut and bright eyes.
"Old Dong!"
"Jingde!"
Hao Jingde and Lao Dong spoke at the same time, looked at each other, smiled, walked over and held hands tightly together.