The damp cave was icy and cold, with only the precious light from the entrance dimly illuminating this small world. It felt as if countless tiny insects lurked all around, their unsettling gnawing sounds echoing in the darkness.
I lay on my side, pulling my assault jacket tighter around me, shrinking into its ample folds. The constant pain in my right foot was a harsh reminder of how much of a luxury self-rescue was.
All I could do was pray my companions would find a way out soon and return quickly.
I felt both hot and cold. The cave floor had a faint dampness, making it incredibly uncomfortable to lie on. But I seemed to have a fever, and I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I’d eaten. All my strength was gone; I couldn’t even move.
In a daze, a tall figure appeared at the bright cave entrance. He stood against the light, and I could barely make out a slender silhouette.
Then came the “ding-dong” of jade pendants, a strangely pleasant sound amid the damp silence of the cave.
My heart began to pound violently, and my lips parted, trying to utter a cry for help, but the sound was so faint that I couldn’t even hear it myself.
The person walked into the cave, his footsteps light, quieter than the clinking of the silver ornaments on his body. He walked directly to me, stopped, and looked down at me with a condescending gaze.
Like looking down at an insignificant insect.
I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I could imagine the cold, indifferent expression on the handsome face of the pale youth.
“Save me… sa-save me…”
The vibrations in my vocal cords brought tearing pain. He finally took pity on me, leaned down, and pressed his ear to my mouth, listening to my humble plea.
Then, the youth moved his lips to my ear. Each time those soft lips parted and closed, they provocatively brushed against my cheek.
It stirred up waves of tingling, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly or the delicate crawl of insects.
He said, “You once told me that people out there value bartering, fair exchange. If you want me to save you, what can you offer in return?”
I slowly lifted my eyes, only then realizing that the way he looked at me was like a terrifying beast eyeing the prey it had long coveted.
—
The mountains stretched endlessly, one after another, and the air was warm and humid.
I glanced in the rearview mirror; the dense forest accompanying the road rapidly receded, and there were no other vehicles at the end of the road. This wasn’t a national highway, and the area was remote, so it was normal for there to be few vehicles.
“When you all get to the Miao village later, you can’t just run around freely!” The scruffy man sat in the passenger seat, his thick, dark eyebrows growing wild and unruly, clearly never having been well-groomed. He was actually quite good-looking, but his unkempt appearance made him seem a bit sloppy. In strongly accented Mandarin, he said, “There are many rules in the Miao village. Even though you guys are outsiders, you can’t break them. Otherwise, I… I can’t help you guys…”
I was getting a bit annoyed, especially by his strange intonation. If my professor hadn’t recommended him, I wouldn’t have hired him as a guide. My fingers tapped unconsciously on the steering wheel, my gaze fixed on the end of the road.
This mountain road was winding and had many sharp turns, making it quite perilous. I dared not relax, fearing that a slight mistake could send both the car and us tumbling off the road.
But my companions were very interested, listening intently to him from the back seat.
This man, named “An Pu,” was a local Miao person we hired as our guide. He was in his thirties, very strong, and his hands were full of calluses from farm work. When we found him and explained our purpose, hoping he’d be our guide, he was practically overwhelmed with gratitude, rubbing his hands together nervously as if a huge pie had fallen from the sky.
“When we enter the Miao village, the Miao people will offer you guys ‘Lanmen Wine[mfn]Door-blocking wine[/mfn]’ to drink. It’s delicious, but drink sparingly!” An Pu gestured with his hands, leaning halfway into the back seat, eager to be closer to his loyal audience.
I raised my eyes and glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Xu Zirong’s eyes were shining as he excitedly said, “There’s wine to drink!”
That alcoholic! He gets interested as soon as he hears the word “wine.” Someone like him, if not to accompany his girlfriend, would never choose a course like “Exploration of Ethnic Cultures.”
Qiu Lu, sitting next to him, poked his chest with her elbow, her voice soft and sweet, “You promised me, no drinking!”
Xu Zirong clutched his chest, pretending to be deeply hurt, exaggeratingly baring his teeth. “Lulu, my dear, who else but me will shoulder such an important task?”
Qiu Lu pouted and gestured with her eyes, “Let Li Yuze drink!”
They suddenly brought me into it, and I just responded with an unenthusiastic “En.”
An Pu, however, interjected, “Aiyo, this handsome young man, you have a pretty face, but you’re really too delicate. Our ‘Lanmen Wine’ is strong, it’s potent!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zirong immediately said, “Exactly! Ah Ze is a top student from the literature department; he’s so refined and cultured, how could he be good at drinking? Let us sports students handle these things!”
Indeed, Xu Zirong was a track and field athlete, he was tall and robust, having to curl his legs in the back seat of the small SUV.
Qiu Lu, however, giggled and said, “It’s okay if you get drunk; it’ll just give our Xiao Yu a chance to take care of you, right, Lingyu?”
Here we go again.
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up into the rearview mirror, meeting Wen Lingyu’s gaze. She hadn’t expected me to look at her; her face immediately flushed, and her eyes darted away towards the window as she stammered, “Lulu, stop joking.”
Qiu Lu giggled and leaned on Wen Lingyu, half-jokingly saying, “Our Xiao Yu is the belle of our history department; she’s more than enough for anyone.”
They were roommates from the same department and usually close. I’d heard comments like this countless times and could calmly pretend not to have heard them.
Speaking of this road trip, with them being a couple and roommates, I was the only “outsider.”
The few of us were classmates who had jointly chosen the “Exploration of Ethnic Cultures” elective. This year, our advisor, Professor Ye Wensheng, happened to have a postgraduate recommendation project that required an on-site investigation of Miao ethnic customs and culture. So, the four of us formed an investigation team, heading to the Miao village to conduct fieldwork and compile information for our advisor.
Seeing the atmosphere cool down a bit, An Pu spoke again, “Once you guys enter the Miao village, there are a few other things to be aware of. Recently, it’s peak tourist season, so there are many people, and it coincides with our festival as well. If you want to enter someone’s house in the Miao village, you must be careful not to step on their threshold! This is a taboo!”
Qiu Lu tilted her head and asked, “Why can’t we step on it? What if I do?”
“In the eyes of our Miao people, if you step on someone’s threshold, you will stomp away all their wealth for the entire year. Miao people are unrestrained and direct; if you step on someone’s threshold, you might be kicked out of their house. Even more so, you might be kicked out of the Miao village!”
“Is it that serious?” Wen Lingyu exclaimed softly.
Xu Zirong took Qiu Lu’s hand. “Lulu, don’t run around recklessly or step on anything. Otherwise, we’ll have to pitch a tent and sleep outside.”
“Xu Zirong! Am I that careless of a person?!” Qiu Lu bristled.
I chuckled to myself. This couple really couldn’t go a moment without finding something to bicker about.
Seeing the situation, An Pu changed the subject. “Also, during this time, our eligible young men and women will be participating in ‘Wandering and Making Friends’, which will be very lively, and you guys should like it as well, but you guys also need to be careful. I noticed that all of you young people are very good; if you don’t want to spend your whole lives in the Miao village, you’d better watch out!”
Qiu Lu ignored Xu Zirong, sat up straight, and asked curiously, “What is ‘Wandering and Making Friends’?”
An Pu explained, “It’s when our eligible men and women court each other for marriage. A bold man will step on the instep of the girl he fancies. If the girl steps back, it means both have feelings, and they can prepare to sing love songs, offer betrothal gifts, and have children!”
“Wow!” Qiu Lu listened, cupping her face in admiration. “You Miao people are so romantic!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zirong immediately pretended to be angry. “What, you want to find another boyfriend?”
Qiu Lu shrank her neck, stuck out her tongue, and secretly rolled her eyes.
Wen Lingyu, in her soft voice, smoothed things over, “We’re just here to explore folk culture, so it’s perfect that we came at the right time!”
An Pu burst into hearty laughter.
The SUV was immediately filled with cheerful air again.
“During this time, if you guys need anything or want to understand something, you can always ask me. I don’t live far, and I definitely know more than you guys do. If you guys run into trouble, you guys can also mention my name.”
Wen Lingyu smiled and said, “Thank you so much, Brother An Pu.”
“No problem! You guys are Professor Ye’s students, so of course, I have to take extra care of you.”
It seemed An Pu and Professor Ye had a good relationship; he must be a reliable person, otherwise Professor Ye wouldn’t have told us to find him.
“Oh, and also…” An Pu was about to say something else, but as the vehicle rounded a corner, the scenery ahead abruptly changed.
The greenery faded, the dense forest gradually receded, and the paved road became wider and smoother. A wooden, ethnically charming village gate appeared in my sight.
The gate had the four large characters “Dongjiang Miao Village” written on it in red with gold outlines, looking quite distinctive.
I definitely needed to take good photos after getting out; these were all folk customs worth documenting. As I watched, I thought about the content for my upcoming exploration notes.
“You can’t park inside; you have to leave the car outside.” An Pu reminded us.
“What else were you just saying?” I asked, suddenly remembering An Pu’s unfinished sentence as I turned off the engine and parked the car by the roadside.
“Nothing,” An Pu shook his head, then mumbled softly, “Anyway, you probably won’t encounter…”
His last words were very low and faint, and I wasn’t sure if I’d misheard. But before I could ponder it further, Qiu Lu impatiently urged us to get out, her high-pitched voice constantly chattering.
We had arrived at our destination.
