In the courtyard, everyone is afraid of the little boy who is so smart!

Cheng Hai stood there, his posture upright, revealing an innate simplicity and honesty. He lowered his head slightly, rubbing the corners of his clothes unconsciously with his hands, with a shy smile on his face.

He was originally an honest country man. What he dealt with most on weekdays were the crops in the fields. What came out of his mouth were the rural dialect and slang with a smell of earth. He was really not good at using those flowery and elegant civilized words.

At this moment, he racked his brains to express his admiration for Master Hu's cooking skills. His simple words were like fresh radishes just dug out of the ground, with the simplicity and sincerity of the soil:

"Master Hu, the meal you cooked is truly the best I've ever had. It's delicious from the bottom of my heart. I... I don't know how to praise it. I just think your cooking skills are top-notch!"

Master Hu listened quietly, the smile on his face grew brighter, his eyes narrowed into slits, that smile contained the satisfaction of being recognized, as well as appreciation for Cheng Hai's simplicity.

To him, these straightforward and real words sounded more beautiful than any flowery rhetoric. They were like a warm current that flowed straight into his heart, making him extremely happy.

Wang Jianguo, who was standing next to him, had been watching this scene. He was a smart man, so how could he miss this warm atmosphere? He immediately joined in the conversation, with a bit of mischief on his face, patted Master Hu on the shoulder, and said jokingly with a smile:

"Master Hu, look, your cooking skills have conquered another person's taste buds! Director Cheng is usually a pragmatic person who doesn't praise others easily. This praise must mean that he is really impressed by your cooking skills."

Master Hu laughed even more heartily after being teased by Wang Jianguo. He straightened his chest, with undisguised pride on his face, and waved his hand, responding briskly:

"Jianguo, you hit the nail on the head! As a chef, we don't have any other pursuits. It's our greatest honor if others like the food we cook. It's better than anything else."

"Even if I don't get a salary increase, I feel happy just seeing the customers enjoying their meals. This sense of accomplishment cannot be bought with money!"

After that, everyone laughed, and the air was filled with a joyful and harmonious atmosphere.

Na Cuiping had been standing aside, with a gentle smile on her lips, quietly watching everyone talking to each other, as warm as boiling water.

But seeing that the topic was getting more and more exciting, and there was a momentum that could not be stopped, she moved lightly, inserted herself between the few people at the right time, gently raised her right hand, with her palm slightly facing outward, made a small blocking gesture, and interrupted them softly:

"Okay, you guys, every time you get together you always have endless things to talk about."

As she spoke, she cast her gaze towards Wang Jianguo and his group, her eyes full of concern, frowned slightly, and continued:

"Comrade Jianguo and his team came all the way here. They were exhausted from the long journey. After arriving here, they were busy all afternoon. They had one thing after another. They must be exhausted."

"We can't just chat and delay their rest. Let's take them to rest."

The tone was like that of a caring older sister, who both scolded everyone for getting carried away and took thorough care of the guests' feelings, making people feel warm inside.

When Wang Jianguo heard this, he shook his head like a rattle, with a sincere smile on his face, and quickly waved his hand to refuse:

"Well, sister, please don't bother. It's really not necessary. You see, every time we come here, we stay at the guesthouse. We are familiar with the place and I know how to get there. We can just go there now. It won't be a hassle at all."

He spoke sincerely and really didn't want to cause trouble for Sister Cuiping.

When Cuiping heard this, her beautiful eyebrows instantly wrinkled into the shape of the Chinese character "川". Her eyes were full of disapproval, and she said with a tone of unquestionable insistence:

"How can that be possible! You know what the conditions of the guesthouse are like. The rooms are small and simple, and the facilities are not complete. How can you live there? I have arranged everything. I will take you to stay in a hotel. The environment is comfortable and you can rest well. Don't refuse it."

In her opinion, there is no room for ambiguity in treating guests and everyone must feel comfortable staying there.

Seeing Sister Cuiping's firm attitude, Wang Jianguo quickly explained, still smiling, but speaking in a slightly anxious tone:

"Sister, let me tell you the truth. It's not that the hotel is too expensive. We appreciate your kindness. The problem is that this hotel is too far from the supply and marketing cooperative."

"We have important work to discuss tomorrow morning. If we stay at the hotel, it will take a lot of time just to get there and back. How inconvenient."

"The guesthouse is different. It's very close to the supply and marketing cooperative, and it only takes a short walk. Not only can we sleep longer in the morning, but we can also get back to work quickly. Isn't this the best of both worlds? So don't worry about the accommodation, really."

His words were clear and logical, which not only expressed his true intentions but also let Sister Cuiping understand the actual situation. After listening to them, everyone present felt that Wang Jianguo had considered everything very carefully.

After listening to Wang Jianguo's reasonable explanation, Na Cuiping paused slightly, bit her lower lip subconsciously, and thought about it in her mind, and felt that what he said was indeed reasonable.

Although I have good intentions and want everyone to live more comfortably, I cannot ignore the convenience of work.

Thinking of this, she sighed softly, a helpless smile appeared on her face, and she no longer insisted on her opinion.

The group walked out of the state-owned hotel. It was getting dark outside and the noise of the city was gradually dying down. Na Cuiping held her lover, Master Hu's arm affectionately, turned her head and said goodbye to everyone gently:

"Okay, be careful on the road and contact me if anything happens."

After saying that, the couple walked slowly towards home together, and their figures gradually disappeared into the twilight.

Wang Jianguo, He Yushui and Cheng Hai turned around and walked towards the guesthouse.

Not far away, they arrived at the entrance of the guesthouse. As soon as Cheng Hai stepped into the door of the guesthouse, his eyes widened with curiosity, just like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

He first stood in the middle of the hall, looking up at the old but still bright chandelier on the ceiling, muttering softly:

“This lamp is really magnificent.”

Then he walked to the wall and gently stroked the slightly mottled surface with his fingers, as if feeling its texture.

Then he walked to the table where the thermos and teacups were placed, carefully picked up the thermos, weighed it, and opened the cap.

He stuck his head and looked inside. Hot steam hit his face. He couldn't help but exclaim "Huh!" and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

In Cheng Hai's opinion, although this guesthouse cannot compare with the luxury hotels in big cities, it is extremely high-end compared with his rural hometown.

On weekdays in the village, we live in adobe houses and rely on dim kerosene lamps for lighting at night. We have never seen such a bright house with such complete facilities.

When he thought of this, Cheng Hai felt an inexplicable excitement in his heart and was looking forward to his future stay here.