After getting off the plane, the booked business car was already waiting for them. On the way to the destination, they casually ate at a roadside restaurant before continuing their journey. Finally, the business car stopped in a small town. By this time, it was already past three in the afternoon.
"You should find a car here to take you in, just like that one. It will pass by the village you’re heading to." The driver pointed to a minivan parked on the side of the road, with a crooked cardboard sign on the back reading Wuli Town - Da Gou Town.
"Alright, thank you." Cui Wenyan expressed his thanks.
Everyone got out of the car, and Cui Wenyan prepared to approach the driver of the minivan. Wu Yihao followed, "I’ll go with you."
"Mister, how much would it cost for six of us to get to Huali Village? When can we depart?" Cui Wenyan walked up to the driver’s seat of the minivan and asked the driver inside.
"For six people, we can leave now. Six yuan per person, I’ll charge you thirty-five total." The driver, a man in his fifties, glanced at Cui Wenyan, quoted the price, and couldn’t help but curiously ask, "What are you going to that place for? It’s in the middle of nowhere. Judging by your attire, you aren’t locals, are you?"
"We’re visiting relatives." Cui Wenyan casually brushed off the question.
"Oh, alright. Get on quickly, or it won’t be safe when it gets dark." The driver pointed to the back and started the car.
Tianmiao and his group boarded the car, Cui Wenyan paid in cash, and the minivan wobbled as it set off.
Along the way, the minivan made creaky sounds, making one wonder if it might fall apart at any moment.
However, it was obvious that such concerns were unnecessary.
The minivan traveled on the bumpy road, although the body shook, it advanced at a steady pace.
"I think you city folks just like to have fun. Isn’t it better to enjoy good food and drinks in the city? Coming to such remote places for excitement. This place, it’s nothing but barren hills and treacherous waters, nothing much to see. You’d better head back soon." Clearly, the driver didn’t believe they were visiting relatives, and advised them while driving.
"Mister, we’re truly here to trace our lineage." Luo Peng spoke up.
"Alright, alright. Tracing lineage is fine. However, Huali Village, heh..." The driver sneered and then fell silent.
Cui Wenyan and Wu Yihao exchanged glances, perplexed by the driver’s strange tone when mentioning the village.
The minivan jostled for so long that Cui Wenyan and the others felt that the fare of six yuan per person was surprisingly cheap.
"Here we are, follow this road down for five or six miles, and you’ll reach Huali Village. But still, a word of advice, leave early." The driver pointed to a muddy side road.
"Thank you, mister." Cui Wenyan and his group all got out of the car, and the driver sighed before driving away.
"Is there something odd about Huali Village?" Wu Yihao couldn’t help but ask, "I got the feeling that driver had some hidden meaning in his words."
"Did you all used to live here, and something strange happened, so the driver reminded us?" Cui Wenyan asked Luo Peng.
"No, we all lived in the mountains, and never appeared in that village. When we left, we hadn’t heard of anything strange happening." Luo Peng looked puzzled.
"When did you leave here?" Cui Wenyan asked.