Chapter 430: Whispers by the Erhai Lake

In the ancient town.

Xu Chen picked up two full boxes of flower cakes, half a box of local small grain coffee, and a few cakes of Puer tea.

He sent part to the Shanghai company and the rest to the Tiancheng Morning Wind Park.

For instance, those few cakes of Puer tea went to Old Xu…

Xie Bingran didn’t have much to send—just for some folks on her team—so she got half a box of flower cakes and a few packs of coffee to ship to the Xin Zhuang Training Base.

Bing Ge rarely dealt with these social niceties, but sticking with Xu Chen, she picked up a few tricks.

Later, Xu Chen actually took Xie Bingran to the local market.

Xu Chen planned to cook at the guesthouse, and Xie Bingran found it all so fresh and exciting.

But when Xu Chen asked Bing Ge about her signature dishes, she looked a bit embarrassed.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t cook.

In fact, from a young age, Xie Bingran had been helping her grandmother with the fire and cooking.

Yet, limited by their living conditions, she never handled anything too complicated.

The only thing she was really good at was making noodles…

Xu Chen let Xie Bingran pick out her favorite foods at the market.

So, after a lot of effort, she grabbed a bunch of scallions and a pack of noodles.

Xu Chen came back with bags full of meat, veggies, and fish, only to find Xie Bingran with just scallions and noodles—he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Feeling annoyed by her embarrassment, Bing Ge stuffed the scallions and noodles into Xu Chen’s bags:

“I only know how to make noodles…”

“Back when I was a kid, meals were just about not starving.”

Xu Chen meant no tease; instead, it tugged at his heart.

“I’ll handle the cooking tonight, and Bing Ge, you do the noodles!”

“Okay.”

It worked out perfectly, saving Xu Chen from buying extra rice.

Both being from the north, they preferred noodles over other staples.

At the Xin Zhuang Base cafeteria, Xie Bingran often ate steamed buns as her main dish.

Xu Chen, used to southern living in his past life, adapted to rice, but deep down, he still loved noodles best.

Today’s buys were all local flavors.

He gathered various mushrooms, free-range chicken and eggs, plus silver fish and carp from Erhai.

With tomatoes and greens added, it was enough for a couple of meals…

…

…

By early afternoon, just before three, Xu Chen drove to the eastern side of Erhai, reaching Shuanglang Town.

They parked at the town’s entrance lot and walked in, carrying their luggage and food.

In 2006, Shuanglang Town hadn’t seen much commercial development—it felt raw and untouched.

The residents were mostly Bai people, with some Dai, Naxi, and Yi folks mixed in.

As Xu Chen and Xie Bingran wandered through, they spotted elderly women in traditional ethnic clothes, exuding a unique vibe.

Along the way, Xu Chen explained:

“This is Yang Liping’s hometown. Up ahead, she’s got a villa and hotel she built here.

They have great names—’Sun Palace’ and ‘Moon Palace’.

There’s also a famous artist’s studio…

We can check it out tomorrow during the day.”

…

Xie Bingran followed Xu Chen off the main street into a narrow alley.

The alley twisted ahead, looping like a maze with no end in sight.

The walls on both sides were weathered, like pages from history, and the stone path underfoot was smoothed by time.

Xie Bingran glanced up; the deep blue sky was sliced into a thin strip, framed by the mottled gray walls like a blue ribbon.

“The countryside here feels so different from back home…”

Xie Bingran murmured.

Xu Chen: “How so?”

Xie Bingran thought for a moment:

“The alleys at home aren’t this narrow, and they’re straight, not all twisty like a labyrinth.

Plus, the houses look totally different…”

Xu Chen:

“The north is all flat plains, so streets run straight north-south.

Here, by Erhai, buildings follow the terrain, so paths wind around.

And with it being a village of ethnic minorities, they have their own styles for homes…”

As he spoke.

The view suddenly opened up wide, like stepping into light.

They’d reached the alley’s end.

Erhai stretched out like a vast, clear mirror.

A gentle breeze rippled the surface, making the water sparkle like dancing diamonds.

Cangshan loomed behind, its peaks rolling into the blue sky.

Snow capped the mountains, tangled with wispy clouds, adding a veil of mystery…

Xie Bingran stared in silence.

Xu Chen breathed in the cool air from Erhai and felt refreshed.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Xu Chen asked.

“Yeah,” Xie Bingran replied.

Xu Chen continued:

“This place has the ‘wind, flowers, snow, and moon’ saying.

The snow and moon refer to ‘Cangshan snow’ and ‘Erhai moon’.

We’re lucky—right now, we have the ‘Cangshan snow’.”

He looked up at the clear blue sky and smiled:

“And tonight, we’ll get the ‘Erhai moon’.”

Xie Bingran, lost in thought, repeated:

“‘Cangshan snow, Erhai moon’…”

Xu Chen smiled and pointed beside her.

She turned to see a two-story courtyard.

The rustic wooden door had bundles of red and white flowers on either side—no idea what kind.

A wooden sign hung on one side, reading ‘Flower Sound’.

“We’ll stay here tonight.”

And ‘Flower Sound’ was the name of this little Erhai-side courtyard.

Xu Chen: “This guesthouse faces Erhai and Cangshan directly. The second floor has a terrace where we can build a fire and watch the moon at night.”

Xie Bingran paused, suddenly touched.

She turned and said softly:

“Xu Chen, thank you for bringing me to see all this…”

Xu Chen smiled warmly:

“What are you saying?”

Xie Bingran went quiet for a moment, then looked toward Cangshan and Erhai:

“Without you, I’d probably never come to a place like this or see these things in my whole life…”

She meant more than just the scenery.

The huge changes in her life, the world she’d experienced—it was all beyond her wildest dreams.

And all of it came from the guy in front of her.

…

…

They lingered at the ‘Flower Sound’ entrance.

Xu Chen made a quick call, and soon a woman with a long braid arrived, smiling.

She was the manager of the ‘Flower Sound’ guesthouse.

Her skin was dark, and she wore ethnic-style clothes—Xu Chen wasn’t sure which group, but it was likely Bai.

Anyway, most people here were Bai…

After a brief chat with Xu Chen, she handed him a brass key.

“Just call if you need anything—I’m in town, not far away.

If you want a driver or a guide, let me know.

Try not to hail random cabs; some drivers aren’t locals and it might not be safe…”

She was really helpful.

Xu Chen: “Thanks, we’ll be fine without a car or guide.”

The woman smiled politely and left.

Xu Chen went to the rustic wooden door, slid the brass key into the long lock, and turned it open.

The door swung inward.

Inside was the ‘Flower Courtyard’, alive with blooms.

Xie Bingran blinked in surprise:

“So many flowers—and it’s winter…”

They stepped in.

The semi-open courtyard was full of red and white flower bundles and a small pond.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, framed in rustic wood, created a natural picture.

And in that frame was Cangshan and Erhai…

Neither said a word, but both thought, ‘How beautiful’.

Xie Bingran quietly moved closer to Xu Chen.

He wrapped an arm around her.

…

…

…

‘Flower Sound’ was a charming two-story house.

The first floor had a viewing courtyard with flower pools, big windows, a wide lounge bed, and a tea table.

Behind that, a spacious kitchen was set up with stoves and seasonings—all arranged by Xu Chen ahead of time.

The town wasn’t very commercialized yet, so eating out wasn’t easy.

Cooking with Xie Bingran would make for a fun twist.

Xu Chen took Xie Bingran’s hand and climbed the wooden stairs to the second floor.

A cool breeze hit them, revealing a large terrace.

It faced Erhai and Cangshan, with the blue sky overhead.

The viewing area had outdoor sofas and a long table with flowers, scents, and full tea sets.

Overhead, blue-and-white tie-dye fabric blocked the sun, decorated with pretty ethnic patterns.

There was even a fire pit for chilly nights.

“Tonight, we’ll light a fire here, watch the moon, and sip tea!”

Xu Chen said with a grin.

“Sounds good.”

Xie Bingran liked the idea and snuggled into his arms again.

The guest room was on the second floor, an open space of about 30 square meters.

The decor had a strong ethnic flair—tiles and tapestries with intricate Bai patterns.

Flowers twined like jade threads, birds chased golden needles.

Xie Bingran looked around and couldn’t help saying:

“This place is really lovely…”

Xu Chen hugged her from behind:

“Nothing here beats how lovely you are…”

Xie Bingran turned and burrowed into his embrace like a puppy.

…

“Don’t let your hands wander…”

“…”

…

As evening approached, they started preparing dinner.

Xu Chen was the master chef.

He suggested Xie Bingran rest, but she refused.

She filled two basins with water, washed the pots and dishes, then helped with the veggies.

Having helped her grandmother since childhood, Bing Ge was quick and efficient.

Xu Chen tied on an apron and handled the ingredients.

The free-range chicken needed cutting, and the big carp had to be prepped…

Xie Bingran watched Xu Chen’s skilled moves and felt curious.

“How did you learn all this?”

To her, he was still so young, and as the ‘young master’ at home, he wouldn’t have needed to do such chores.

Xu Chen’s cooking skills came from his past life living alone, but he couldn’t explain that, so he said casually:

“My dad loves cooking—I picked it up from him!”

And that was true; Old Xu enjoyed preparing food.

Back in elementary and middle school, Xu Chen’s meals were mostly made by his father, Xu Zhiquan.

That included the snacks he shared with his desk mate.

Later, when Old Xu got busier with the factory, Fourth Aunt and Paternal Aunt stepped in to help.

…

Xu Chen worked for over an hour.

He made crispy fried silver fish, northern-style stir-fried chicken, steamed eggs, and blanched greens.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Xu Chen set the last dish of stir-fried chicken on the table and called out.

Glancing back, he saw Xie Bingran still at the stove, boiling noodles.

He smiled, feeling anticipation.

He spotted the rice wine jar nearby and got tempted.

The wine was homemade by the guesthouse, its aroma hitting hard when opened.

Xu Chen poured a small bowl for himself and carried it to the table just as Xie Bingran finished.

She placed a bowl of soup noodles in front of him.

Xu Chen looked down and asked curiously: “What kind of noodles are these?”

Seeing the four hearty dishes on the table and her simple bowl, Xie Bingran felt a bit self-conscious.

“Scallion oil noodles…”

She said quietly.

The noodles looked plain, but when Xu Chen leaned in, a mouthwatering scent hit him.

“This smells amazing!

You only bought scallions and noodles—how did you get this flavor…?”

It wasn’t flattery; it was genuinely good.

Xie Bingran handed him clean chopsticks.

Xu Chen sat down.

He took the chopsticks, chuckled, and dug in.

Xie Bingran sat across, watching him eat the noodles, feeling a touch nervous.

“Hmm?”

“What’s wrong?” Xie Bingran asked.

“Emm…”

Xu Chen didn’t answer; he just slurped down the whole bowl.

“More? I want seconds!”

Xie Bingran paused, then smiled slightly.

“Coming right up!”

…

The secret to stir-fried chicken is plenty of ginger for that rich flavor.

And for scallion oil noodles, it’s all about sizzling the oil with scallions…

Xie Bingran had a small pile of chicken bones, munching away, showing her true foodie side.

Xu Chen devoured two bowls of the noodles and couldn’t stop.

They were incredible…

The silver fish, coated in egg and starch then fried, were crunchy and fresh.

The carp was steamed simply, with ginger to cut the fishiness and soy for taste…

Xu Chen watched Xie Bingran lost in the meal and felt content.

Around him, she was just a young girl, not the tough ‘Bing Ge’ she showed others.

Yet, even eating, she had that bold edge, which he found adorable and funny.

“Why are you staring at me?” Xie Bingran noticed and asked.

Xu Chen: “Feeding the Asian champion—I’ve earned some good karma!

The country ought to give me a bonus for this!”

Xie Bingran ignored him, grabbed a big clump of fried silver fish with her chopsticks, and stuffed it in, puffing out her cheeks.

…

…