TRYMBPIETM 10: The Ancient Tree’s Deep Shade(4)part 1

“What are you looking at?” Liang Ji, confused, took the initiative to speak before Chi Qingzhou could say anything.

He was the only one among the guests who didn’t bring a suitcase; all of his clothes and personal items were packed into a single backpack.

Earlier on the bus, he had noticed that the strap of his backpack had suddenly broken, and it took him some effort to rearrange things so that he could carry it. As a result, he had missed the conversation between Zhong Lingshu and the locals and had no idea why Chi Qingning had called on him.

Chi Qingning’s gaze flickered, and he glanced at Liang Ji subtly, lips curling slightly.

Zhong Lingshu gave him a casual look before explaining to Liang Ji and Chi Qingzhou about the tricycle driver.

Liang Ji followed Zhong Lingshu’s gaze and, seeing no problem, said, “Majority rules. I think it’s fine.”

Xu Xinxin, deeply disappointed, could only throw a silent look of expectation at Chi Qingzhou.

Chi Qingzhou, who had already observed the man for a while, turned back and flashed Chi Qingning a clean smile.

“What do you think, brother?”

Chi Qingning, acting the part of the older, more logical one, said, “To reach Yinping Village in two hours, we’ll definitely need to take a ride. The production team gave us 200 yuan for start-up fees, and his price is the lowest of all. Plus, the tricycle is big enough to fit six people comfortably.”

Chi Qingzhou nodded. “I see.”

Xu Xinxin, seeing that Chi Qingzhou was leaning toward agreeing, became anxious.

She hurriedly interjected, “That’s true. But I’m a little worried. If all six of us ride his tricycle, will he get too tired? And what about our luggage? Will it fit on the tricycle?”

This practical concern made the guests turn their heads to inspect the tricycle.

Chi Qingning clenched his fingers subtly, a brief flash of annoyance crossing his face. He paused for a moment before following them over.

Chi Qingzhou, propping up his elbow, found Chi Qingning quite amusing.

How did he manage to be unhappy all the time, and when he was unhappy, he directed all that negativity toward himself?

With that much bitterness, he could probably sustain the entire production team’s live stream.

Chi Qingzhou thought for a moment and quietly asked Xing Shuangzhan, “Is he a walking snow lotus from Tianshan?”¹

Upon hearing the question, the system, which had been playing dead, went silent: 【…】

Xing Shuangzhan: “…”

Although he knew his contractor sometimes thought in strange ways, even he couldn’t quite answer that question.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t seem bothered by the lack of a response. He was in high spirits, joining the others to study the tricycle.

It was a cargo-style human-powered tricycle, dark green in color. The cargo bed was 2 meters long and 0.8 meters wide, reinforced and thickened, with a load capacity of at least 800 jin (around 400 kg).

In Chi Qingzhou’s memory, when he was young, the sanitation worker who lived below his adoptive parents’ apartment had one of these tricycles, and he would carry quite a bit of stuff with it.

Given the guests’ combined weight, they were probably around 700 jin (350 kg). If they simplified their luggage a bit, they could stack their suitcases in the cargo bed, with their legs placed on top. It would fit.

The only concern now was whether the owner could manage to pull their weight.

The owner seemed truly desperate for money. He spoke in a low, somewhat resigned voice, “I can do it. I often transport goods. A few hundred jin is nothing for me.”

He silently glanced around the guests, and after a moment, his gaze landed on Tang Qichen. He stubbornly emphasized, “I can do it. I can pull it.”

Tang Qichen scratched the back of his head and turned to the others with a questioning look.

Chi Qingning smiled slightly and was the first to speak up. “Actually, the director didn’t specify that the locals had to drive the transport, right? If at that time—”

He looked toward the tricycle owner.

The owner paused, then quickly forced a smile. “My name is Zhu Yantong.”

Chi Qingning nodded amicably. “If Mr. Zhu gets tired later, we can take turns pedaling the tricycle.”

“This plan works!” Liang Ji looked at Chi Qingning in surprise, clearly impressed. “It’s cost-effective and convenient.”

Tang Qichen and Zhong Lingshu also praised the suggestion. Xu Xinxin, seeing that the decision had been made, reluctantly gave up on her objections.

Chi Qingning, with a composed smile, glanced at Chi Qingzhou, his eyes gleaming with a subtle sense of pride.

Xu Xinxin couldn’t help but mutter in her mind, wondering why Chi Qingzhou didn’t oppose the idea. She didn’t quite understand why she felt that way. Maybe it was because Chi Qingzhou and Chi Qingning didn’t seem to get along well?

Chi Qingzhou, however, didn’t explain or feel uncomfortable.

To him, what was there to oppose? It was clear from a glance what needed to be done.

Among the guests, Xu Xinxin had the highest intuition, but the one with the most unique fate was Tang Qichen.

Even if he spoke out now, urging the others to avoid Mr. Zhu, they would still face the same problem later, just perhaps a little later.

If that was the case, why bother stopping it?

Besides, none of the other guests had was a kind of friend he hadn’t already made. He was just too lazy to think.

Talking to living people was exhausting.

Talking to Xing Shuangzhan was much more fun.

Chi Qingzhou helped Zhong Lingshu place her suitcase in the tricycle’s cargo bed, his gaze lingering on Chi Qingning’s retreating figure. His tongue slid across his lips as he smiled meaningfully.

….

Zhu Yantong was a man of few words.

The guests squeezed onto the tricycle, with the live-streaming vehicle following closely behind. They couldn’t afford to stay silent the whole time, so they chatted aimlessly about all sorts of topics.

Liang Ji made it his mission to educate the newcomers, Xu Xinxin and Chi Qingzhou, on the “evil nature” of the production team, while Tang Qichen, his back tense, sat next to Chi Qingzhou, staring blankly ahead.

The tricycle was still too small.

Chi Qingzhou was sitting so close to him.

The bumpy dirt road caused the vehicle to sway, and Tang Qichen kept feeling his legs brushing against Chi Qingzhou’s.

Tang Qichen could feel the heat rising to his head.