Chapter 156: Your Value

Zhang Wenhao took Long Xiaoyue for dinner at the South Beauty restaurant in Guiyang. Deep down, however, he was preoccupied with the thought of buying some clothes for her. In his view, this girl who had once ventured out of the mountains only to plunge right back into them might have been born in the highlands, but her life should never be confined to the Miao village. While teaching in the Miao village was a noble endeavor, it was a waste of Long Xiaoyue's true potential. If possible, Zhang Wenhao dearly wanted her to showcase her true value. If the pharmaceutical factory matter could be successfully settled, it would present an opportunity both for himself and for Long Xiaoyue.

A person's vision is limited to a finite space, and night focuses one's sight on the shimmering streetlights. Thus, in the commercial street at the heart of Guiyang at night, the prosperity was no different from that of any major metropolis. Parking the car in the lot at the edge of the commercial district, Zhang Wenhao walked side by side with Long Xiaoyue. Unlike other women who would look this way and that while shopping, constantly searching for something eye-catching, Long Xiaoyue rarely glanced at the brightly lit shops or the dazzling window displays. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed only on her feet and the path ahead. Zhang Wenhao beside her, conversely, acted like a woman fond of shopping, his eyes constantly wandering across the surrounding storefronts.

In terms of economy, Guiyang ranked quite low among the provincial capitals nationwide, lagging far behind even Jiangcheng. Luxury brands were entirely absent here, though mass-market brands were abundant and comprehensive.

Zhang Wenhao spotted a boutique called Zara. This brand was wildly popular in Jiangcheng, considered one of the absolute favorites among white-collar professionals. Leading Long Xiaoyue inside, Zhang Wenhao found that the store was divided into three sections: men's wear, women's wear, and children's wear, with women's apparel taking center stage.

This brand was consistently sought after by young people, first because its prices were relatively low—falling well short of even second-tier international brands—and second because its styling was profoundly international, with novel designs that closely mirrored global fashion trends.

Thinking that Zhang Wenhao was shopping for clothes, Long Xiaoyue unconsciously followed him first into the men's section near the store entrance. To her surprise, Zhang Wenhao didn't even glance at it, instead walking straight into the women's area. Long Xiaoyue followed in bewilderment, only to find that Zhang Wenhao had already begun browsing the clothing racks on his own.

"Buying clothes for your girlfriend?" Long Xiaoyue stepped forward and asked out of curiosity.

Zhang Wenhao smiled, giving a noncommittal response.

Long Xiaoyue couldn't help wondering to herself what that faint smile of his meant. Was it a tacit confirmation of her question? If so, it meant he already had a girlfriend.

For some reason, a faint sense of loss welled up in the depths of Long Xiaoyue's heart. This feeling of disappointment came quickly and went just as fast. She mocked herself internally, thinking, *Long Xiaoyue, stop letting your imagination run wild. You and he are simply not people from the same world.*

Zhang Wenhao selected a small white blouse and a small black suit jacket. Although Long Xiaoyue possessed stunning looks, her presence was not particularly alluring; her beauty carried a touch of ethereal detachment. While peerless, it naturally inspired a sense of untouchable reverence. The tailored suit jacket was dignified yet slightly cold and alluring, suiting her far better than the attire of a girl next door or anything overly seductive.

Soon, four or five pieces of clothing were draped over Zhang Wenhao's arm. He then looked at Long Xiaoyue and asked, "Xiaoyue, would you mind trying these on for me?"

Having already concluded in her mind that Zhang Wenhao was buying clothes for his girlfriend, his request for her help with the fittings only solidified this conviction. Accordingly, she nodded graciously, took the garments from his hands, and walked toward the fitting rooms, selecting an unoccupied booth to step inside.

Before long, Long Xiaoyue emerged from the fitting room dressed in the black suit jacket.

"How is it? Does it fit well?" Long Xiaoyue spun around in front of Zhang Wenhao, asking with a touch of uncertainty.

Zhang Wenhao was somewhat astounded; this unpretentious outfit suited her frame impeccably, transforming her aura in an instant. Apart from the sneakers on her feet which looked somewhat incongruous, everything else was flawlessly perfect.

Shortly after, Zhang Wenhao said, "It lacks just one thing. Wait here a moment."

With that, he found a pair of black high-heeled leather shoes, selected a size that fit Long Xiaoyue, and walked over to her. "Try these."

Long Xiaoyue nodded, slipped off her sneakers right where she stood, and put on the high heels. Zhang Wenhao stepped back a few paces, appraised her up and down, and nodded with a smile. "Not bad. They fit quite well."

Long Xiaoyue asked tentatively, "How tall is your girlfriend? How much does she weigh?"

Zhang Wenhao gave a faint smile and casually replied, "About the same as you." Then he added, "Wait here a moment and help me try the others."

This outfit was well-suited for formal occasions such as the workplace, business settings, or meetings, but not for everyday casual wear. Zhang Wenhao had selected some more casual pieces as well, asking Long Xiaoyue to try them on one by one.

After trying on several sets of clothing, Zhang Wenhao was astonished by Long Xiaoyue's versatility. Her adaptability was remarkable—she could embody a corporate elite, a girl next door, or an aloof beauty. She was like a blank sheet of paper; whatever was painted upon her became her true form.

Following several rounds of fittings, Zhang Wenhao selected a few complete outfits that suited Long Xiaoyue exceptionally well, each representing a completely different style. Only then did he let Long Xiaoyue happily change back into her own clothes, gather all the apparel, shoes, and hats, and carry them to the front desk to settle the bill.

Having bought virtually everything they needed during this trip to Guiyang, the only items missing were candies for the children. Zhang Wenhao planned to wake up early the next morning to purchase a wholesale batch of sweets and snacks. Since the children in the village lacked sports equipment, he could also buy some supplies to haul back, thereby enhancing the children's physical education.

Emerging from the commercial street, Zhang Wenhao said to Long Xiaoyue, "Let's find a hotel so we can get some rest early. Then we'll wake up bright and early tomorrow morning; there are still a few other things to buy."

Long Xiaoyue nodded. Unlike worldly girls, she wasn't particularly sensitive to the word "hotel." In her view, hotels, guesthouses, and inns all served the same basic purpose: places for people to rest and sleep.

Driving up to the entrance of a star-rated hotel, Zhang Wenhao handed the keys to the valet and led Long Xiaoyue into the lobby. Heading straight to the front desk, he told a receptionist, "Please book two business standard rooms."

The receptionist glanced at the two of them and looked somewhat surprised that a man and a woman were requesting separate rooms. She asked, "Sir, you're asking for two rooms—how many guests will be staying?"

"Just the two of us."

The receptionist inquired further, "No other friends joining you?"

"None."

Even more perplexed and guessing that their relationship might be rather formal, the receptionist nodded and said, "Sir, could you and this lady please present your ID cards?"

Zhang Wenhao retrieved his ID from his wallet and handed it over, but Long Xiaoyue said to him with some embarrassment, "I didn't bring my ID. What should we do?"

Zhang Wenhao asked in surprise, "You didn't bring it when you left home?"

Long Xiaoyue's expression grew even more awkward. "I didn't expect that we'd be staying overnight in Guiyang..."

Zhang Wenhao understood instantly. He had originally told Long Xiaoyue that they could make the round trip in a single day. However, because of the traffic accident on the road which delayed them by two hours, and the fact that the purchased goods wouldn't be ready for pickup until tomorrow, they had made the impromptu decision to stay in Guiyang for the night. It was entirely natural that Long Xiaoyue hadn't thought to bring her identification.

Turning to the receptionist, Zhang Wenhao said, "My friend didn't bring her ID. Is there any way you could make an exception?"

The receptionist replied apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sir. Our guest registration system is networked with the Public Security Bureau. In principle, every guest checking in must provide an ID card so we can scan their information into the police system. If you only book one room, we could treat your friend as a visitor and make an exception, but if you want two rooms, we must have two ID cards."

Helpless, Zhang Wenhao glanced at Long Xiaoyue and noticed that her expression was even more awkward, tinged with a sense of self-blame. He quickly said to the receptionist, "Then please give me a suite instead."

"Very good." The receptionist nodded and asked, "Would a business suite be acceptable? The bedroom and the living room each have a bed—one large bed of 1.8 meters and one smaller bed of 1.5 meters."

"Fine," Zhang Wenhao said. "We'll take that one."

The receptionist processed their check-in. The rate of 1,888 yuan per night was a bit hard for Long Xiaoyue to accept, but since Zhang Wenhao had already completed the check-in procedures and charged the card, she didn't say anything further.

Guided by the bellhop, the two went upstairs. Upon entering the room, Zhang Wenhao took a brief look and found that the suite was at least a hundred square meters in size. Both the bedroom and the living room were over thirty square meters each, and there was also a walk-in closet and a very spacious bathroom. Although the bed in the living room was a bit smaller, a 1.5-meter bed was plenty for one person. Zhang Wenhao turned to Long Xiaoyue and said, "Xiaoyue, you sleep in the bedroom tonight; I'll sleep outside."

Long Xiaoyue hurriedly said, "No, I should sleep outside."

Zhang Wenhao laughed. "How could I possibly let a lady sleep in the living room? I can sleep anywhere. You go sleep in the bedroom; it'll be much more convenient. If I sleep outside, aren't you afraid I might start sleepwalking?"

Long Xiaoyue blushed furiously at Zhang Wenhao's teasing. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded with a shy expression.

Since there was only one bathroom, Zhang Wenhao told Long Xiaoyue to take a shower and rest first while he watched some television in the living room. After finishing her shower, Long Xiaoyue walked out wrapped in a bathrobe, cast a bashful glance at Zhang Wenhao, and said, "Wenhao, you should take a shower too, and get some rest early."

Zhang Wenhao nodded. "After running around all day, I am indeed a bit tired. I'll go right now."

Long Xiaoyue smiled softly. "Then I'll go back to the bedroom to sleep."

"All right," Zhang Wenhao acknowledged. He stood up, brushed past Long Xiaoyue, and walked down the hallway. Just as he pushed open the bathroom door, Long Xiaoyue's expression changed dramatically. With a sudden gasp, she cried out, "Wait!"

Zhang Wenhao had already pushed the door open, but hearing her cry, he turned back and asked in bewilderment, "What is it?"

"Hold on..." Her face as flushed as if it might drip blood, Long Xiaoyue pulled her loose bathrobe tighter and hurried a few steps forward, intercepting Zhang Wenhao at the bathroom door. In a rush, she reached up and snatched two items off the towel rack.

One of them Zhang Wenhao recognized as the white t-shirt Long Xiaoyue had been wearing earlier. As for the other, though he had never seen it before, he knew instantly what it was.

It was a pair of beige panties dotted with pink polka dots...

Having retrieved her two damp garments, Long Xiaoyue finally let out a sigh of relief. Turning around, however, she found Zhang Wenhao standing right in the doorway. Overwhelmed with embarrassment and panic, she hurriedly used the t-shirt to shield the undergarment, lowered her head, brushed past Zhang Wenhao, and bolted straight toward the bedroom.

As the sound of the door closing echoed, Zhang Wenhao couldn't help shaking his head with a smile. What on earth was Long Xiaoyue feeling so shy about? Was there anything wrong with hanging underwear out to dry right here? Many people hung brightly colored underwear and bras on their balconies outdoors; if it were Long Xiaoyue, wouldn't she simply die of embarrassment?

After taking a quick shower, Zhang Wenhao—having brought no change of clothes—washed his own short-sleeved shirt and underwear as well. Snagging two hangers, he hung them up in the bathroom, wrapped himself in a bath towel, and returned to the living room to watch TV for a little while before retiring to the bed in the corner of the room.

The next morning, when Zhang Wenhao woke up, it was already broad daylight. Glancing at the phone on the bedside table, he saw it was a little past seven o'clock. Wrapped in his bathrobe, Zhang Wenhao headed to the bathroom to wash up, coinciding precisely with Long Xiaoyue emerging from her bedroom. As the door opened, she was startled to encounter Zhang Wenhao bare-chested from the waist up and wearing only a bath towel around his lower half. Her face instantly flushed crimson once again.

Looking at her with a trace of embarrassment, Zhang Wenhao offered, "The bathrobe was too thick, so..."

Long Xiaoyue nodded repeatedly and whispered, "Then you go ahead and wash up first. I'll use it later." With that, she turned on her heel and scurried back into her room.

Zhang Wenhao hadn't expected Long Xiaoyue to be so easily flustered. He was merely shirtless, with everything below the waist fully covered. In summer, seeing a man without a shirt didn't seem like a strange occurrence at all.

What Zhang Wenhao had forgotten, however, was that the Miao village was nestled deep within the mountains and maintained a humid climate, meaning summer there felt much like autumn. Aside from going shirtless, even wearing short-sleeved shirts was a rare sight.

Once both of them were properly prepared, Zhang Wenhao and Long Xiaoyue checked out downstairs together. Seeing that Long Xiaoyue's expression still retained a hint of bashfulness and awkwardness, Zhang Wenhao sought out a topic of conversation. "Let's go look at sports equipment today."

"Sports equipment?" Long Xiaoyue asked in surprise. "What are you buying?"

Zhang Wenhao smiled and said, "To give the children more opportunities for physical exercise." As they spoke, the valet pulled the car up. Zhang Wenhao opened the door for Long Xiaoyue, let her get in, and then walked around to the driver's seat. Tipping the valet a hundred yuan, he asked, "Could you tell me where most of the sports goods stores are located in the city?"

The valet smiled. "You can just head straight to the Sports Commission. The areas around the Sports Commission and the old gymnasium are full of sports goods shops."

"Thank you." Zhang Wenhao nodded. With an exceptionally detailed map of the country already imprinted in his mind, he quickly calculated the route to the Sports Commission and drove off.

The sports equipment of this era had changed dramatically since Zhang Wenhao's own primary school days. The items sold in these shops were far superior even to the sports equipment provided by Jiangcheng No. 1 High School. Zhang Wenhao purchased a number of soccer balls and basketballs, along with dozens of pairs of badminton rackets. In addition, he ordered five sets of folding Double Happiness brand table tennis tables. Just these purchases alone left the store owner grinning from ear to ear.

Probing further, Zhang Wenhao asked, "Do you have basketball hoops here?"

"Yes," the owner immediately nodded. "Though the basketball hoops aren't displayed here; there isn't enough space. They're unassembled parts kept in the warehouse out back."

Remembering that there was an open space larger than a basketball court right in front of the Miao village primary school, Zhang Wenhao thought it would make an ideal playground. Buying a couple of basketball hoops would suffice, and the remaining space could be used to set up the table tennis tables.

Realizing that the children also lacked sportswear, Zhang Wenhao ordered three hundred complete sets of athletic wear ranging in sizes from 1.1 meters to 1.6 meters from the owner. Since this shop regularly partnered with multiple schools in the city, its inventory was well-stocked, and the owner quickly assembled the order for him.

Bulky items like basketball hoops and table tennis tables did not take up too much space once disassembled. The owner eagerly offered, "After you make the payment, just leave an address. As long as it's within Guiyang city limits, we provide free delivery and installation."

Zhang Wenhao asked, "Can you deliver to Miao Village?"

"Miao Village?" The owner pondered for a long time before finally recalling where Miao Village was located, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. "Sir, that place is simply too far. There's no way we can deliver there." Fearing that Zhang Wenhao might back out and cancel the purchase, he quickly added, "If you can arrange the transportation yourself, I'll knock a thousand yuan off the total price."

Zhang Wenhao waved a hand dismissively. "No need for the discount. I'll arrange a truck to take us back, and at noon you can send some installation personnel with us to put up the basketball hoops."

The owner nodded immediately. "That's no problem at all. I'll arrange for two people to go along with the truck and install and test everything for you."

The two basketball hoops alone exceeded thirty thousand yuan, and the three hundred sets of sportswear cost another thirty-odd thousand. Combined with all the other miscellaneous items, his spending in this single shop approached one hundred thousand yuan. Long Xiaoyue found that she had become numb—numb to watching Zhang Wenhao spend money so lavishly. Furthermore, from the moment they arrived until now, despite buying so many things, he hadn't spent a single penny on himself. Apart from the clothes bought for his girlfriend, every remaining cent was being spent on Miao Village.

Though she was too numb to repeatedly try and dissuade Zhang Wenhao anymore, the emotion swelling within Long Xiaoyue's heart had not dulled; if anything, it had reached an unsurpassed peak. Zhang Wenhao's appearance was truly a blessing for Miao Village—or rather, a stroke of good fortune for its people. Among the tourists who visited that year, there was no shortage of wealthy individuals driving luxury cars and wearing extravagant clothes, yet those people would routinely haggle over five or ten yuan for a meal in Miao village, and none of them had ever thought of doing even the slightest thing for the village. But the moment Zhang Wenhao arrived, he treated the affairs of Miao village as if they were his own. Even though she didn't know whether this sum of money was a large amount to him, his gesture alone was enough to earn her deepest admiration.

Swiping his card to pay and agreeing to return at noon to load the cargo, Zhang Wenhao took Long Xiaoyue and headed straight out, announcing, "Come on, let's go buy some snacks for the children."

Long Xiaoyue blurted out, "Wenhao, why are you being so good to the villagers of Miao Village?"

The sudden question caught Zhang Wenhao off guard for a moment. Recovering his composure, he said earnestly, "Treating the illnesses of the villagers in Miao Village stems from the spirit of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying. Doing these things for the children of Miao Village is so that one day, they can walk proudly out of the mountains just like you did. If more and more children walk out and carve out a world for themselves outside, they will have the capability to completely transform Miao Village."

Looking intently at Long Xiaoyue, Zhang Wenhao added with utter sincerity, "Xiaoyue, one day you will discover your true value. What you can do for Miao Village goes far beyond simply teaching the children how to read."