Qing Yanci Chapter Ten

Page (1/3)

After the customer service staff and warehouse workers of Zhengxin Trading had eaten and drunk their fill, they packed up their backpacks and slung them over their shoulders.

Shen Ping glanced over and saw there was still plenty of bottled water, so he reminded everyone to take more.

“Manager, didn’t you say the boss would come too? Why haven’t I seen him?” Tang Xiao wanted to embarrass Shen Ping. Originally, Tang Xiao didn’t want to go, but because Shen Ping insisted the boss would be there, Tang Xiao had no choice but to go. Now seeing no sign of the boss, he wanted to see Shen Ping lose face.

“Don’t worry, the boss left early. He has his own matters to attend to,” Shen Ping said with a smile.

Shen Ping’s words made Tang Xiao quite uncomfortable.

Shen Ping checked his watch. It was about time. “Everyone, get ready to set off!” The tour bus had been waiting in front of the company for a while.

The graphic designers, customer service, pre-sales and after-sales teams, warehouse staff, promotion and operations, and finance all boarded the bus. Shen Ping counted everyone and loaded the remaining bottled water onto the bus.

Once Shen Ping was seated, the driver started the engine.

The bus drove steadily along the road. “Today, we’re visiting ‘Juwen Village Tourist Resort,’ a place with ancient architectural style. It has recently been renovated and rebuilt. It’s said that Juwen Village really existed long ago but fell into ruin due to its remote location and neglect. There’s also a story about Juwen Village that I’ll share with you later. According to legend, in ancient times—though no one knows exactly which dynasty—it was a gathering place for scholars and poets. Nowadays, it’s a popular online check-in destination, but not just anyone can go; you have to book in advance. Our boss, to thank everyone for your hard work, booked it a month ago. There’s even a chance we’ll stay there overnight,” Shen Ping explained, having done his homework beforehand to avoid any slip-ups.

“Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve wanted to come for a long time, but never had the money or time!” Little Lan from customer service said excitedly.

“I heard a lot of celebrities have been here too; maybe we’ll even spot one,” others chimed in, chatting animatedly.

“This place must be expensive, right?” Ye Jin asked A Mei.

“Probably! Scholars and poets, in ancient times, would be paired with elegant companions,” A Mei replied.

“You’re always lost in your fantasies—scholars and poets reciting poems, chatting with learned friends, mingling only with the refined, not the common folk, that’s the idea, right?” Ye Jin teased.

“Tsk tsk, you’re so cultured!” A Mei teased back playfully.

“So noisy…” Tang Xiao rolled his eyes at the chattering girls, pulled out his earphones, muttered something, and closed his eyes to listen to music.

“Quiet down and listen! First, we’re going to climb Phoenix Mountain behind Juwen Village. Legend has it that Phoenix Mountain is also legendary. Many tourists come here, and they can’t miss the mountain,” Shen Ping began his storytelling journey.

“Phoenix Mountain must have something to do with the phoenix, right? Now I’ll tell you the story. It’s said that in ancient times, a scholar preparing for the imperial exam had been studying hard for ten years. He was poor and lived in the mountains. He set off many days early on foot, carrying food his mother made. One night on his descent, heavy rain fell. The young man slipped and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a bed in a room at Juwen Village. The food his mother packed was still there, and his clothes were dry,” Shen Ping narrated vividly.

“Manager, that’s amazing! Was the scholar carried here by a phoenix?” A Mei interrupted eagerly.

“A Mei, stop messing around!” Ye Jin warned her.

“Yeah, yeah, be quiet and listen…” customer service Nini and Ah Hua chided.

“Don’t worry, I’m getting to it. The scholar was surprised and asked the innkeeper what happened. The innkeeper said it seemed your uncle carried you here and paid for two days’ stay. He said you had drunk a little and appeared to be from a respectable family, so you were allowed to stay. They sent some wine and dishes to your room. Enjoy your meal,” Shen Ping continued.

“The scholar asked, ‘What does my uncle look like? I can’t remember yesterday.’”

“The innkeeper said, ‘He looks like some wealthy gentleman; with so many guests daily, I can only remember roughly.’ Then he went off to attend to other guests.”

“The scholar returned to his room, pacing back and forth, wondering how to repay such kindness.”

“At night, lying in bed, he debated whether to wait for his benefactor or set off early. Tossing and turning, he dreamed of a man calling him, ‘Chenxi, don’t wait for me. Hurry to the capital for your exam tomorrow.’ The scholar rubbed his eyes and saw the man resembled a wealthy gentleman.”

“‘Sir, who are you? Why help me? How can I repay you? Did you bring me here?’ he asked.”

“‘Repay me? If you pass the exam, contribute to our county and help keep it peaceful and prosperous—that’s repayment enough. Wealth should not corrupt, power should not intimidate, poverty should not move you. When I leave, you’ll see my true form. I live on the mountain you often pass. I’ve lived there many years and even knew your great-grandfather. If you don’t pass, forget it,’ the old man said, then disappeared in a golden light with wings.”

“The scholar woke up suddenly. It was a dream! Could the old man be a god, like a phoenix? Looks like I better set off early tomorrow,” Shen Ping finished.

The next morning, the scholar set off carrying his mother’s food. Strange as it sounds, he became the top scorer in the imperial exam. Though assigned to serve in the capital, he insisted on returning to our region—what we call ‘Shankaka’—to serve as a county magistrate. He helped the local people prosper and live peacefully. It is said that the name ‘Phoenix Mountain’ was given by this magistrate…”

The bus ride passed with Shen Ping’s storytelling. When he finished, everyone happily discussed the tale before settling down to rest.

“Everyone asleep? Wake up quickly! There’s one more thing to do!” Shen Ping called out.

“Manager, do phoenixes really exist? Are they really on that mountain? Now I want to ask the divine phoenix when I’ll strike it rich!” A Mei chattered.

“I’m just telling a folk story. Maybe you met the phoenix without realizing it. Depends on your luck! Ha ha ha,” Shen Ping joked.

“Back to business! I have two boxes here, each containing folded slips of paper with numbers. Since Phoenix Mountain is a bit high and we have many people with varying stamina—especially the girls—we decided after consulting the boss that two people will climb together, one male and one female. It’s just a matter of pace. There’s only one path up, so the guy will carry the girl’s backpack and look after her safety. Understand? We’re a team and must help each other. Any questions?”

“I…” Tang Xiao was about to speak but dozens of eyes turned to him, so he stayed silent, especially since his cousin, the boss, agreed to this plan.

“If there are no questions, let’s draw lots! Girls draw from the pink box, one slip each; boys from the blue box. Those with matching numbers form pairs. For example, if A Mei draws 2, and Sun Xu draws 2, they’re a team. Everyone clear?”

“Clear!” everyone answered in unison.

“Don’t draw the promotion and operations guys, keep away from them. Just looking at them at work annoys me. Phoenix god, please protect me,” Ye Jin silently prayed.

“Which number did you get?” Shen Ping eagerly asked A Mei, holding a notebook to record.

A Mei opened her slip: number 12.

“Manager, I’m number 12!” she said excitedly.

“Okay, I’ll jot that down. Next, Ye Jin, hurry up!” Shen Ping urged.

Ye Jin drew number 24.

“24, that’s a good number. Next, Tingting,” 20. Nini drew 6. Shen Ping recorded each number carefully.

Ye Jin felt strange about number 24 but couldn’t say why.

“Why don’t we team up, just the two of us, not with a guy?” Ye Jin whispered to A Mei.

“But maybe they’ll be done by the time we get down, and we’ll still be on the mountain…” A Mei hesitated.

“Are you really that slow?” Ye Jin teased.

“It’s all assigned. Besides, the manager probably won’t agree,” A Mei said, feeling a bit wronged.

“Everyone has drawn their numbers. I’ll call out the pairs now. After getting off, stick with your partner. No one gets left behind or abandoned.”

“Number 1, Zhang Xiaoli and Shi Le. Number 2, Wu Nan and Sun Xu... Number 12, Zhang Zimei and Xu Haoyang...”

Page (2/3)

“That’s Haoyang! He’s the warehouse manager, the acknowledged handsome guy in our company,” A Mei said, barely able to hide her joy.

“Don’t drool on me,” Ye Jin said with disgust.

Her heart pounded nervously. Who would be her partner? She wasn’t happy—more like terrified—actually, she was socially anxious.

“Number 23, Wang Yanni and Wang Dong. Finally, number 24, Ye Jin and Tang Xiao.” Ye Jin’s worst fears were realized. She was infuriated and felt a tightness in her chest, as if she couldn’t breathe.

She patted her chest, took deep breaths, and after a few minutes, felt a little better. A Mei hadn’t noticed her unusual expression at all.

“Looks like that girl is really unreliable, loves men more than friends,” Ye Jin thought, watching A Mei immersed in short videos with headphones on.

Ye Jin scanned the surroundings; no one seemed to notice her, which was a relief—at least no one would mistake her for sick.

But what surprised her was that a pair of eyes had watched her briefly with concern during her distress, then quietly looked away. So when she looked around, it seemed no one was paying attention.

“Boss, should I swap numbers with you?” Sun Xu, sitting next to Tang Xiao, asked.

“Why? Interested in the graphic designer?” Tang Xiao retorted.

“I have some things to talk about with the graphic designer, like editing work. We can chat while walking and improve our relationship. Then she might not give me attitude when editing later. Maybe I can even carry her bag. What do you think?” Sun Xu shared his straightforward, typical male thoughts.

“I think you should worry more about customer conversion rates. The higher the conversion, the higher your pay! Your operational thinking and social skills are linked. So who’s your partner?” Tang Xiao asked, though he already knew Sun Xu was paired with Wu Nan.

“Customer supervisor Wu Nan. You must have lots to talk about, right?” Sun Xu said.

“I don’t talk to her, but congrats on winning the lottery, being paired with the customer supervisor. Conversion rate issues are your focus. Being with Wu Nan is your good fortune. I won’t steal your luck. That’s it!” Tang Xiao put on his earphones and closed his eyes to rest.

Sun Xu sighed and did the same.

After an unknown time, “Everyone, wake up! We’re almost there. Pack up and get ready to get off. Don’t leave your stuff on the bus!” Shen Ping urged over and over.

As Shen Ping’s voice echoed, everyone began disembarking.

Right off the bus, they saw Boss Wan Shen standing at the foot of the mountain beside dozens of gift bags.

“Family, come here. One gift bag each, containing a custom baseball sun hat and some snacks,” Wan Shen said warmly, handing out gifts.

“Old Wan never treats us badly. Working here is really a blessing,” A Mei happily whispered to Ye Jin.

Indeed, as a boss, Old Wan was always attentive and generous with employee benefits, fair in rewards and punishments—mostly rewards—treating employees like family. The boss was born in the ’80s, his wife in the ’90s, though she rarely came to the company, running a clothing store. The couple was harmonious and loving.

A Mei and Ye Jin were the first off the bus, sitting at the front. A Mei took two gift bags and was about to hand one to Ye Jin when Shen Ping said,

“Take only your own. No proxy collecting. Limited quantities, first come, first served! Those who get off first, wait by your partner.”

A Mei quickly put the extra bag down and gestured for Ye Jin to take hers.

Ye Jin appeared flustered, accepted the gift box, thanked Shen Ping, and stood aside to wait for her partner—nervous about how to interact with someone like Tang Xiao.

Everyone received a purple baseball cap embroidered with “Zhengxin Trading.” The hats looked high-quality, almost like a luxury brand product. The company probably wanted to mark everyone to prevent getting separated.

“Make sure you find your partner. Ready to climb! The boss and I will go ahead to guide you. The team will follow behind, especially the last group—don’t get lost. Our finance colleague brought a camera; we’ll take a group photo at the summit.”

After Shen Ping finished, Wan Shen spoke, “This trip is for relaxation. No business talk on the way. Enjoy the scenery, the flowers and plants—a natural green spa for your eyes tired from staring at screens. After descending, we’ll stay overnight at Juwen Village. Rooms are arranged. At night, we can watch stars, the moonlight startling the magpies in the trees, the gentle midnight breeze, romantic music, and delicious food. It’ll be an unforgettable trip. Work hard, play hard.”

“So poetic and lovely!” Wu Nan said to Sun Xu.

“Yeah, not bad,” Sun Xu agreed.

“Let’s go, family! Take care of your partners!” Wan Shen said, and he and Shen Ping headed up the mountain.

“Ye Jin, Haoyang and I will go ahead and wait for you,” A Mei said.

“By the way, who’s your partner? Why so slow?” A Mei asked.

“Tang Xiao,” Ye Jin replied listlessly.

“Ah? That’s our boss, the grim-faced Yan Wang. Don’t worry. If he bullies you, we’ll help. We’ll wait ahead,” A Mei comforted, though she was also afraid; if even Sun Xu cursed him, what chance did she have? She hoped Ye Jin could fend for herself.

“Yeah, Ye Jin, good luck!” Xu Haoyang and A Mei cheered.

“Such a gentle guy. No wonder A Mei’s so happy. He must be kind to everyone, right? No, what nonsense am I thinking?” Ye Jin was startled by her own thoughts as she stood watching A Mei and Xu Haoyang leave.

“Let’s go! What are you looking at?” Tang Xiao’s cold voice startled Ye Jin. Actually, he had overheard everything between A Mei and Ye Jin.

“Why do you walk so quietly? Why so loud now?” Ye Jin raised her voice, thinking, even if he is the boss’s cousin, now was not the time for work talk. If he later took personal revenge, she’d just quit, she thought.

“Did I scare you? Or you don’t want to walk with me? We can go our separate ways!” Tang Xiao’s voice lowered.

“Separate ways? Then I’d be blamed for everything. I can’t outtalk him!” Ye Jin thought silently.

“Let’s walk together. No work talk, remember what your cousin said!” Ye Jin reminded him.

“Oh, you’re worried about that? We don’t have work to discuss. Our jobs are different. Let’s go. We’re last anyway!” Tang Xiao scoffed and urged her on.

Ye Jin looked up at the summit and felt daunted. Climbing up might ruin her legs—it was so high!

“Hurry! Your friends are almost at the top. You don’t want to come last. I won’t wait if you fall behind,” Tang Xiao said, putting on his purple team hat and striding off.

“How can he walk so fast? So impatient. Well, I won’t be first, but definitely not last!” Ye Jin thought and hastened her pace.

The first two slopes were steep but the stairs manageable. After about half an hour, the company’s main group reached halfway up. The sea of little purple hats shone brightly.

Ye Jin was the slowest. Tang Xiao had gone far ahead; she hurried but saw no sign of him.

“Hey, young lady, walking alone? Want to join our group?” two middle-aged men tried to strike up a conversation.

Ye Jin panicked and ran uphill, finally rounding a bend to see a purple-hatted figure.

But he wore a black headscarf, wrapping everything below his eyes. If not for the “Zhengxin Trading” on the hat, she might have thought he was a stranger.

“Why are you so slow? I’ve waited ages. Are you happy being last?” Tang Xiao scolded, though he had been waiting for her all along, stopping whenever she disappeared from sight—something Ye Jin didn’t know.

Hearing his cold words and glancing back at the two creepy men still behind, Ye Jin felt angry and scared, tears streaming down her face.

“Uh… sorry… I…” Tang Xiao, usually sharp-tongued, was at a loss in front of her tears. Though he saw them talking briefly, he was too far to hear.

Ye Jin said nothing further, ignoring Tang Xiao, and ran uphill.

Page (3/3)

She was afraid of encountering bad people. The colleagues were nearly at the summit, but she and Tang Xiao were only halfway up. If Tang Xiao ran off, she’d be left vulnerable.

Those two men who approached her so boldly might be part of a group. The thought terrified her more, but she was exhausted. Tang Xiao caught up, took water from his bag, pulled off his headscarf, and drank deeply.

“I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wanted to lighten the mood. Didn’t expect you to...” Tang Xiao tried to explain.

“Let’s go. I waited long enough!” Ye Jin mimicked his tone and strode uphill.

Tang Xiao followed closely. They didn’t speak but he stayed nearby, quickening pace, waiting where she could see him to ease her fear.

Ye Jin’s lack of exercise meant she had to stop frequently, falling behind.

“Hey, young lady, we meet again! Young people do walk faster,” the two men caught up.

Tang Xiao saw this and understood her fear. He grabbed her hand and said, “Why so slow? Let’s go faster!”

Ye Jin no longer cared about propriety. She only remembered Tang Xiao’s hand pulling her along quickly. Her mind was blank except for a faint citrus scent—orange and lemon—and a feeling of safety.

Near the top, Tang Xiao let go.

“Almost there. You go ahead. I’ll come behind. If colleagues see us together, they might misunderstand,” Tang Xiao smiled warmly, seeming to apologize for earlier harsh words.

Ye Jin felt comforted but still feared those men might bother her.

Picking up speed, she almost tripped on a rock and twisted her ankle but endured the pain and pressed on. Tang Xiao, seeing her disappear ahead, hurried after her.

At the summit, Ye Jin had a strange feeling, as if she had been there before—especially recalling Tang Xiao’s smile, familiar yet unplaceable.

“Ye Jin, come see! Look how beautiful this is!” A Mei’s voice brought her back to reality.

Ye Jin, nursing her sore ankle, tried not to limp noticeably as she walked over.

A Mei hurried to link arms and led her toward the stunning view. Ye Jin said nothing.

Soon, many colleagues gathered there.

“Look, a sea of clouds! The clouds are beneath our feet! So beautiful,” A Mei said.

Following her finger, Ye Jin stood at the summit, feeling one with the clouds, enveloped in mist, as if she could reach out and scoop the clouds into her arms. For the first time, she truly appreciated nature’s marvels and forgot her pain.

“It really feels like looking down on all other mountains,” Ye Jin said, sitting on a rock to snack and enjoy the view with A Mei.

“Everyone, come over! Let’s take a group photo,” Finance Lingzhi called out after a while.

“Let’s go, I’ll find a good spot to wait,” A Mei said eagerly and dashed off. Ye Jin, limping, slowly stood and followed.

“Girls in the front two rows, boys in the back two rows. Boss and manager in the middle. Say ‘Cheese!’” the photographer instructed.

“Lingzhi, get someone else to help shoot. You can’t be alone,” Wan Shen said.

“Okay, I’ll find someone,” Lingzhi replied.

Soon, Lingzhi found a young woman, gave instructions, and the woman nodded.

Lingzhi stood next to A Mei. Ye Jin ended up at the edge of the second row.

“Ah!” A Mei sighed quietly.

“Ready? Three, two, one, say cheese!” the photographer said.

“Cheese!” everyone shouted in unison.

“Two more shots, okay? You can choose. The photographer will help,” Shen Ping called out.

Unbeknownst to Ye Jin at the edge, Tang Xiao was standing behind her.

After five minutes, the photos were done. Ye Jin’s face twisted in pain from her sore foot.

Everyone sat on the ground, eating, drinking, and admiring the view.

“Look at the scenery. Eat and drink well so you’ll have energy to go down. When you get home, write a little essay,” Shen Ping joked.

“Ugh, I hate writing essays,” someone groaned.

“Me too. The teacher says mine are just boring diaries,” everyone joked.

“Did Tang Xiao carry your bag? How was it? Did you talk?” A Mei asked, gossiping.

Mentioning Tang Xiao, Ye Jin came back to herself. “He didn’t carry my bag, but he was considerate. At first, he walked ahead. When two middle-aged men bothered me, he pulled me away and told me to walk ahead. Overall, he’s somewhat responsible.”

“Hey! You missed the hero saving the beauty scene! Looks like you have a crush on our boss,” A Mei teased.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just normal coworkers,” Ye Jin blushed, unable to explain.

“But seriously, if Tang Xiao didn’t lose his temper, he’d be a handsome guy with a strong aura. Not as tall as Haoyang, maybe 178 cm. He’d make a good boyfriend!” A Mei said.

“Stop talking nonsense, okay? The company hates gossip, especially since he’s related to the boss,” Ye Jin scolded.

“Mr. Wang, Mr. Liu, you have time to climb the mountain too?” Wan Shen greeted two middle-aged men.

“Ah, Mr. Wan, young and successful. Are those purple hats from your company?” one man asked.

“It’s just a company team-building event,” Wan Shen said modestly.