Dali's strong local culture, natural and simple folk customs, and rich decorative craftsmanship make people linger and be reluctant to leave.
During the trip, Wen Xinya also designed many stunning jewelry pieces.
After a one-month trip to Dali, Si Yiyan brought her to the third stop of the trip - Ruili!
Si Yiyan smiled faintly and said, "Ruili City is a special management city that integrates travel, border trade, and agricultural development. It borders Myanmar on three sides, and is adjacent to the northwest, southwest, and southeast. It belongs to the border area of Country Z. There are many fun places here."
It was a rare trip, Xinya was in high spirits, and he also enjoyed the world of the two of them, so he planned to stay in Ruili for a while and let her have a good time there.
The originally planned three-month trip is also planned to be postponed.
Anyway, they don’t have to worry about the three little kids at home, as someone else is doing the work at hand.
“There seem to be a lot of Southeast Asians here!”
Along the way, Wen Xinya saw the majestic ancient banyan trees with drooping beards, the golden pagodas reflecting the sun, the dense rubber forests dripping with green, the graceful green bamboos swaying in the wind, the mysterious tropical rainforest, and the colorful exotic customs that were dazzling. Among the various people coming and going, the largest number were from Southeast Asia.
Si Yiyan nodded: "Because we live next to each other and trade with each other, many people from Southeast Asia like to come here to pan for gold. There are many cross-border marriages here, and almost all of them are from Southeast Asia."
Wen Xinya said with some emotion. "This place is indeed worthy of being called the golden gate of Country Z to Southeast Asia and South Asia."
Si Yiyan said: "Ruili has two national ports, one is Ruili and the other is Wanding. There is a huge distribution market here, and it also hides the largest underground black market in Southeast Asia. This is the largest black market in Asia, mainly engaged in arms, jade, precious wood, wild animals, gambling stones, casinos, and drug transactions."
Si Yiyan held her and slowly walked into a large wholesale market. Surprisingly, there were not many people in the market, but everyone coming in and out was either rich or noble.
Wen Xinya was inevitably surprised. She had never expected that such a small city like Ruili could hold such a hidden secret. "What role does Xia Sishi play in Ruili?"
Although Si Yiyan had slowly made her aware of the complex power of the Xia Si family over the years, her understanding of these forces was only one-sided. As far as she knew, the power of the Xia Si family in Yunnan was extremely large, almost to the point of being awe-inspiring.
Si Yiyan explained to her: "Everyone thinks that the Xia Si family's power is based in Country E, but that's not true. There is no Xia Si in Yunnan. There is only one surname that no one can touch, and that is the Si family. The Si family tree can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty. They took root in Yunnan and controlled the gateway to Myanmar, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The family heritage is ancient and mysterious. They are the real local emperors of Yunnan."
Then, he told Wen Xinya about the Si family genealogy and some historical figures in great detail.
The Si family has been hiding behind the scenes for generations, and outsiders know very little about them.
And because the Si family has always been a single-line inheritance, the Si family has become a mysterious existence in the eyes of everyone.
Wen Xinya then realized that Yunnan was the real home of the Xia Si family. "It is said that a cunning rabbit has three burrows. It is not without reason that the Si family has survived several dynasties and generations and is still standing firm."
Whether it is the Xia Si family, one of the top five chaebols in the world, or Lucifer, who has an extraordinary status and tremendous power in Country E, they are all just a trick of the Si family to paralyze the world. The real foundation of the Si family is actually the Yunnan Si family. As long as the foundation is not broken, the Si family will always stand firm.
At this point, Wen Xinya couldn't help but sigh that only a family with a truly long heritage could cultivate a stunning figure like Si Yiyan.
Even the Si family, there is no one left.
However, a family inheritance that is full of maneuvers should never be underestimated.
Grandpa's meticulous teaching is one thing, but family inheritance is probably Si Yiyan's true foundation for success.
Si Yiyan smiled and said, "Nearly 70% of the large and small scattered markets in Ruili and Wanding, as well as the black market trade, are controlled by the Si family. The Si family controls the entire Southeast Asian and South Asian trade, making it the well-deserved leader of the Seven Clans."
Wen Xinya asked curiously, "Seven surnames?"
Unlike foreigners who, when they get rich, convert their money into dollars and deposit them in banks, many people in Country Z stick to the principle of not showing off their wealth. When they get rich, they build private collections and turn their money into all kinds of priceless collections.
In their view, these collectibles will never depreciate and will continue to appreciate over time. They are the best way to accumulate wealth. This concept is indeed not wrong. This has led to the existence of many invisible wealthy people and long-standing famous families in Country Z.
They don't come into the world and their family background is low-key.
They have a lot of wealth, but no one knows about it.
It's like Si who is hiding in the dark.
Seeing her face full of curiosity, Si Yiyan explained to her seriously, "In Country Z, in addition to the wealthy families that everyone knows, there are seven surnames that cannot be touched. They all have one thing in common, that is, they are ancient, have survived through several dynasties and generations, and have dominated a region, becoming a taboo in the eyes of everyone."
Then, he told her in detail about the seven families that still exist today.
Wen Xinya took a deep breath. She was indeed ignorant. "Are there any contacts among the seven surnames?"
She had never heard him talk about the seven surnames before, so she guessed that the seven surnames probably did not have close contacts with each other.
Si Yiyan shook his head: "Very few. The more top-ranked people are, the better they are at abiding by the rules. Therefore, the seven families only maintain the most basic relationships with each other, and most of them keep to themselves."
Wen Xinya nodded to show that she understood.
Take Si Yiyan for example! Although he is adept at maneuvering between right and wrong, he is very principled, rarely gets involved in disputes and causality, and never hurts innocent people.
This is probably the rule for those who are truly at the top.
At this time, Wen Xinya suddenly asked: "There are so many cross-border marriages in Southeast Asia here. Are you of Southeast Asian descent? Are you also a mixed-race?"
As she spoke, she widened her eyes and stared at Si Yiyan's face.
This guy always thinks he is of Xuanyuan Xia Si's bloodline. Could he really be a mixed-blood
Si Yiyan was choked by her words: "No!"
He answered with certainty, but he didn't dare to guarantee it in his heart.
The Xia Si family history is too long, who knows if the ancestor ever married a woman from Southeast Asia? But what is certain is that even if he did, the bloodline has been passed down to this day, and it is almost gone!
Wen Xinya was really frightened by his affirmative words and didn't dwell on the topic anymore.