Chapter 196: Suddenly Want to Join Lin Xian Village

Inhaling the aroma wafting from the Medicinal Cuisine, Li Baihui and Yao Enlong felt like they finally understood why so many people online couldn’t forget it after tasting it.

If the ordinary dishes at the Restaurant were a Level higher than those outside, then the Medicinal Cuisine was probably five or six Levels higher.

They hadn’t even taken a bite yet. Just smelling the fragrance, they could feel their taste buds instinctively drawn in, their mouths watering.

“Here, you two, have a taste. You can’t get this Medicinal Cuisine anywhere but Lin Xian Village.”

Li Baihui took the bowl of soup Xue Xiaofeng handed her and scooped up a small spoonful.

“SLURP…”

After a few sips, she felt it wasn’t too hot anymore and drank it all down.

After that, not another word was spoken in the private room, only the sound of the three of them drinking soup.

The other dishes on the table remained untouched. The three of them finished the entire pot of soup, not leaving a single drop. Yao Enlong even poured out the very dregs for himself.

As a major celebrity, Yao Enlong wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. The flavor was just that good.

Besides, Yao Enlong knew very well that Xue Xiaofeng couldn’t possibly treat him to this kind of soup every day.

“Phew— how do you even make something that tastes this good?” Yao Enlong asked.

Li Baihui also looked at Xue Xiaofeng, wanting to know what the deal was with this matsutake and bamboo fungus chicken soup.

She had seen the ingredients earlier, and they didn’t look any different from what was sold outside. The difference in taste was just too immense.

Xue Xiaofeng spoke in a slightly mysterious tone, “There’s a legend in Lin Xian Village. Anything the boss provides will have a special effect.”

“The matsutake and bamboo fungus chicken soup we had today is a Medicinal Cuisine from the boss.”

“You’ve probably both heard of Lin Xian Village’s Clearing Heat and Stopping Cough Pills. This Medicinal Cuisine is the same kind of thing.”

Li Baihui asked, unwilling to give up, “Is there really no way to buy this Medicinal Cuisine?”

After having tasted it, the thought of never being able to drink this kind of Medicinal Cuisine again made her feel a little wistful.

“You can’t. Many big bosses from the outside can’t buy it either.”

“It’s only because Lin Xian Village has few employees right now that we get this kind of perk. Once there are more people, it’ll definitely be impossible to have Medicinal Cuisine every day.”

Yao Enlong said, “Even if it’s not every day, having it once a week would be amazing.”

“It’s a shame Lin Xian Village doesn’t have an entertainment company, or else I’d want to switch jobs and come work here.”

“Enlong, you’re mistaken about that. Lin Xian Village does have an entertainment company, it’s just that all the employees are the performers from the village.”

“Besides, the benefits in Lin Xian Village aren’t limited to Medicinal Cuisine. As employees, we can buy things that you can’t get on the outside.”

“Oh, right, Baihui, after I show you two around, you should check out the Clothing Workshop. The clothes made in Lin Xian Village are also very special.”

Li Baihui asked curiously, “What’s so special about the clothes?”

“You should go to the Clothing Workshop and try them on yourself. It would spoil the fun if I told you.”

Li Baihui didn’t ask any more questions. She planned to go take a look before she left. This meal had completely changed her impression of Lin Xian Village.

‘There really are a lot of good things here,’ she thought. ‘Thinking about those rumors online… it really is a magical place!’

Thinking of the Land God Temple, she decided she would also go pay her respects before leaving.

The meal was a delight for all. After leaving the Restaurant, Xue Xiaofeng led the two on a tour around Lin Xian Village.

The pair experienced the magic of the Arrow Towers, saw the Jade Grapes growing in winter, and also saw Mo Yu, Xiaohong, and the two Golden Eagles.

After Xue Xiaofeng and Yao Enlong went into the Barracks, she headed toward the Clothing Workshop.

When she arrived, she found the shop was crowded with tourists, all busy picking out clothes.

Other tourists were leaving with handfuls of shopping bags, looking like they had bought quite a lot.

She overheard a girl nearby say, “These clothes are just like people said online. They’re so comfortable to wear, but there just aren’t many styles.”

“Yeah, I want a set of historical-style clothing, but I hear they don’t have any yet.”

Li Baihui picked up an item of clothing, feeling a little puzzled. She checked the fabric and found it was no different from what was used in mid- to high-end clothes from outside.

The price tag on it was double that of similar clothes outside.

If this style were sold at this price outside, no one would buy it unless it was from a major brand.

Still skeptical, she picked out two styles that looked decent and headed for the fitting room.

When she came out of the fitting room, her expression was very strange as she looked quizzically at the clothes in her hands.

‘What’s going on? It’s the same fabric, so why are these clothes so incredibly comfortable to wear?’

She examined the clothes inside and out but still couldn’t see any difference between them and the ones sold elsewhere.

After putting the clothes down, she took out her phone and started searching online for related information.

She quickly found many explanations from netizens, but unfortunately, they were all just speculation. No one could explain the reason.

However, everyone who had bought the clothes gave them unanimously positive reviews.

After trying on five outfits, she sent a message to her best friend, a female celebrity.

“Lingling, I’m in Lin Xian Village and discovered the clothes here are incredibly comfortable. Do you want to buy any?”

“Send me a picture, let me see.”

Li Baihui took a few photos and sent them to Wang Lingling.

“The styles are too plain. Are there any nicer-looking ones?”

“No. I just asked the staff. They might have more in the future, but not right now.”

“However, they do accept custom orders here, but the price is a bit steep.”

She had just inquired, and the price for custom clothing wasn’t just “a bit steep”—it was extremely expensive.

The more complex the garment, the more expensive it was, with prices exceeding those of luxury brands.

“Then never mind. I’ll get something custom-made later if I need it.”

Since her friend didn’t want any, Li Baihui picked out a few outfits for her own family, buying over a dozen items in one go.

She now understood why she had seen people with armfuls of bags when she first entered the shop.

Most people who came in and tried on the clothes, as long as they had family, wouldn’t just buy clothes for themselves.

Moreover, she had a hunch that in the future, the clothes from Lin Xian Village, like its other products, would probably have to be fought over.

It was only because few people knew about it now. Otherwise, with ten thousand tourists visiting every day, there wouldn’t be nearly enough clothes to sell.

She had heard that these clothes were made using only old-fashioned sewing machines, making the production speed very slow.

‘It’s fine. Enlong is staying here for two months. I’ll just have him come by every day and buy any new items for me.’

In the Barracks, Yao Enlong, who was currently looking over his training schedule, had no idea he had just been assigned a daily clothes-scouting mission.

Yang Chengshu gathered everyone again and said, “In a moment, I’m taking you to pay respects to the Earth God. If anyone wants to back out, you can say so now.”

Seeing that no one below spoke up to quit, Yang Chengshu didn’t say anything more. It was all laid out in the contract, anyway.

If any bad apples had really managed to sneak in, paying respects to the Earth God would expose them.

Xue Xiaofeng walked over to Yao Enlong and asked, “You’re okay with this, right?”

Although he had already asked when they first contacted him, he was still a little worried.

The atmosphere in the entertainment industry wasn’t exactly great. Having been a Martial Arts Director on film sets himself, he knew very well how big the gap could be between a celebrity’s public persona and their private life.

“It’s fine. While I can’t say I’m a great saint, at least I have a clear conscience.”

“That’s good. There was a Feng Shui Master before who didn’t believe in it. He went in to pay his respects, and as soon as he left Lin Xian Village, he fell and broke his leg.”

“I heard the Earth God has become even more responsive lately. Worshipping him really grants you protection.”

This wasn’t him just bragging. There had been a car accident on the county road yesterday, and everyone in the car who had worshipped the Earth God was unharmed.

Because the incident was a bit unusual, it had only spread within a small circle.

Now, all the employees of Lin Xian Village would go and pay their respects to the Earth God after work.

Even if they didn’t need protection themselves, their families did. The Earth God was known to bless homes with peace and safety.

While paying his respects to the Earth God, Yao Enlong took a photo and posted it to his personal Weibo account.

“Attending training in Lin Xian Village to prepare for a movie in two months. Came to pay respects to the Earth God. Wishing everyone peace and safety.”

Not long after he posted it, countless fans reposted it, as did some celebrity and director friends.

Many people asked why he had gone all the way to Lin Xian Village to train.

Yao Enlong answered them one by one, telling his friends some of what Xue Xiaofeng had told him.

At this point, no one paid much attention to his answers, simply assuming he was only there to train because of his friendship with Xue Xiaofeng.

However, some major brands did take notice after seeing him worship the Earth God and began contacting his management agency to seek collaborations.

Li Qian and Chen Yi had been raking in endorsement deals because they worshipped the Earth God.

Now, another celebrity dared to pay respects—and a famous movie star at that. His traffic and fame were much greater than the other two.

Li Baihui was sitting in her car when she received a call from the company. She hadn’t expected there to be such benefits, even with two other celebrities already having done it.

‘I can’t believe these big brands value this condition so highly when choosing their spokespeople.’

Because, according to the company, to sign the endorsement deal, the celebrity had to guarantee they would come to Lin Xian Village twice a year to pay respects to the Earth God.

She called Yao Enlong directly. “I sent you the endorsement information. Take a look and see if you want to sign.”

“Okay, Sister Li, I’ll look now.”

On WeChat, Yao Enlong looked at the endorsement information Sister Li had sent him. The most important clause was the twice-yearly pilgrimage to Lin Xian Village to worship the Earth God.

According to the contract terms, if any problems arose after worshipping, he would have to pay a hefty penalty for breach of contract.

“Sister Li, I have no problem with it.”

“Alright, then. Pick which of these endorsements you want, and I’ll start negotiations for you when I get back.”

“Okay.”

Yao Enlong truly hadn’t expected such a huge benefit from a single trip to Lin Xian Village.

He remembered what Xue Xiaofeng had said during the meal—that Lin Xian Village had an entertainment company.

It was just that Lin Xian Village’s entertainment company only signed performers from the village itself.

‘If only I could sign with Lin Xian Village,’ he thought. ‘With their backing, it would be a breeze for me in the entertainment industry.’

Even though Lin Xian Village wasn’t involved in the entertainment industry, they were powerful. With a backer like that, he wouldn’t have to fear being pushed around at all.

On the contrary, the investors in the entertainment world might even offer him resources just because he was associated with Lin Xian Village.

It was just like with some of the major tycoons; even if their own industries weren’t related to entertainment, it was incredibly easy for them to promote someone within it.

Unfortunately, it was just a thought. Lin Xian Village had no need for someone in his profession.

If he could sing or dance, he might have a small chance. At least those two Skills could be performed within Lin Xian Village.

Li Baihui returned to the Imperial Capital and rushed straight to the company offices without even having time to drop the clothes off at home.

After seeing the prices for custom-made clothes in Lin Xian Village, she was motivated to make more money. At the very least, the next time she went to Lin Xian Village, she wanted to order a high-end formal gown for herself.

“Baihui, you’re back! Are all these the clothes you bought? Why did you get so many?” Wang Lingling asked, looking at her in surprise.

Li Baihui put the bags down and asked, “Why are you still at the office? Haven’t you gone home?”

“The manager asked me to stay. Said there was something to discuss.”

Hearing that the manager had asked her to stay, Li Baihui thought of Yao Enlong and figured it was probably related to brand endorsements.

She asked in a low voice, “Would you have any problem going to Lin Xian Village to pay respects to the Earth God?”

Wang Lingling thought for a moment and said, “It should be fine. I haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, I’ve sponsored more than a hundred children from the mountains to go to school.”

“That’s great. Enlong went to worship the Earth God in Lin Xian Village, and not long after he posted about it on Weibo, the company received several endorsement offers from different brands.”

“The manager must have asked you to stay because he wants you to go and pay respects too. That way, you two can do some endorsements together.”

Wang Lingling asked in astonishment, “Does worshipping that Earth God really bring such great benefits?”

“I didn’t use to believe it either, but now the companies are coming to us.”

“Oh, and look at Li Qian and Chen Yi. They’ve gotten a lot of endorsements lately and have been on many shows.”

Wang Lingling’s interest was piqued. Her career was actually already on a downswing, and she was in a state of semi-retirement.