Welcome?
All records and rumors told me that the Unassimilated Miao people do not welcome outsiders. But Shen Jianqing was so enthusiastic towards us, so I thought the village that raised him surely wouldn’t be too cold either. It only proves that blindly trusting what’s written is worse than not reading at all, seeing the world for yourself is far more valuable than relying solely on books.
Wen Linyu put down her rice bowl and said, “I thought our visit wouldn’t be welcomed. Hearing you say that makes us feel much better.”
After eating, we followed Shen Jianqing’s lead to the village where the Unassimilated Miao people lived.
From the cliff, we saw their cooking smoke and assumed they were nearby. But they were actually on the far side of the mountain, and we ended up having to take a long detour around the mountain’s base to get there.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, we rounded a bend, and the view suddenly opened up.
The dense layers of forest receded, revealing a bend of emerald-green water hidden among the lofty mountains. The river was extremely wide, with a stone arch bridge suspended over it like a rainbow. Both banks were covered in vast green grass and dense reeds, all bowing in unison when the wind blew.
Across the water, misty green mountains loomed in the distance. Nestled between the mountains and waterways, stretches of fertile land lay open. The fields were neatly partitioned by gray ridges, with vibrant green crops thriving in each plot.
Looking further, beneath a lush forest and elegant bamboo groves, stood rows of stilt houses. These stilt houses were built haphazardly along the mountain slopes, but each household wasn’t far from the next.
It was truly a fairyland scene, like a hidden paradise.
“Wow—” Qiu Lu’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “There’s actually such a beautiful place in here!”
Unlike the cities we had grown up in, the beauty here carried no sense of steel or technological advancement. It was a return to simplicity after profound understanding.
Shen Jianqing proudly lifted the corner of his mouth and said, “How does it compare to where you guys live?”
Qiu Lu waved her hands repeatedly, “It’s not the same! This place is completely different!”
Shen Jianqing tilted his head, his narrow eyes bright and clear, giving a unique sense of focus when he looked at people. “Then if you had to choose, would you stay here?”
As he spoke, his gaze remained on my face, as if he were asking me alone. Connecting this to the question he’d asked me in the kitchen earlier, I felt a bit uncomfortable.
This youth was straightforward and natural; he might not have any other intentions, and we were both men after all. It was just me overthinking things.
At that moment, Wen Linyu unknowingly stepped forward, positioning herself between Shen Jianqing and me, cutting off his line of sight. I quietly breathed a small sigh of relief.
Qiu Lu said, “If I had to choose, I’d still want to go home. This place is nice, good enough for a vacation, but there are no electronics here, no WiFi, no charging and no internet access. There’s nothing to do.”
Xu Zirong expressed his loyalty at the opportune moment: “Wherever Lulu is, I’m willing to stay there forever!”
Qiu Lu hugged his arm and nudged him with her head, and the two laughed and joked together.
“This place is beautiful and very suitable for living. If I could, I’d be willing to stay here,” Wen Linyu said softly. “Li Yuze, what about you?”
“Me?” This was a question I had never considered, nor did it have any practical meaning for me. “I wouldn’t have such a choice, so I don’t know.”
“Is that so…” Shen Jianqing murmured softly.
His remaining words drifted away in the wind; I didn’t hear them clearly.
“What?” Xu Zirong pressed.
Shen Jianqing shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s go. I’ll take you guys in.”
With that, he led the way.
We arrived at the embankment. The wind by the river was strong, and Qiu Lu and Wen Linyu’s long, flowing hair danced in the air.
The stone bridge had wooden railings, which were covered with red silk ribbons. They fluttered loudly in the wind, as if alive. Some of the red ribbons were still very bright, looking as if they had just been tied recently, but others were completely faded, making it hard to discern their original color.
“What are these? They look so special.” Qiu Lu curiously leaned closer, just about to touch one, when Shen Jianqing unceremoniously grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t move.” The voice was cold, showing no leniency simply because the person was a young woman.
Qiu Lu’s face went pale, showing a pain expression. “It hurts!”
Xu Zirong stepped forward, but Shen Jianqing had already released his hand.
A deep red band of finger marks encircled Qiu Lu’s slender, pale wrist, showing the immense force Shen Jianqing had used, without the slightest mercy. Xu Zirong looked on, his heart aching, wanting to say something, but Qiu Lu stopped him.
“What is this? Is it taboo?” I asked, stepping between Xu Zirong and Shen Jianqing to prevent a potential conflict. They were already standing close, so my move made it seem as if I was intentionally burrowing into Shen Jianqing’s embrace.
At first, I expected Shen Jianqing to step aside and make way, but to my surprise, he only lowered his gaze to meet mine, standing firm without moving.
In the end, it was Xu Zirong who, prompted by Qiu Lu’s gentle tug, retreated two steps, easing the awkwardness of my position.
Shen Jianqing said, “Every red silk ribbon here represents someone who has passed away.”
We froze in place.
Shen Jianqing continued, “The land is limited, so after someone dies, they cannot be buried. Therefore, we cremate our deceased relatives, scatter their ashes into the river, and then tie a red silk ribbon at the bridgehead to express our remembrance. We believe that the souls of our loved ones drift with the river, and when they pass by here again, the red ribbon will remind them that this is their hometown.”
These red silk ribbons symbolized deceased relatives; no wonder Shen Jianqing reacted so strongly when Qiu Lu tried to touch one earlier. It was akin to kicking someone’s ancestral tombstone in front of their descendants.
Qiu Lu’s mouth hung open, listening in astonishment. She clasped her hands together and apologized, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know about these customs. They looked a lot like those red string trees or love lock trees that scenic spots use to make money, so I thought these were similar… I’m truly sorry!”
Shen Jianqing replied, “You didn’t know, so I won’t blame you. Let’s go.”
We followed Shen Jianqing across the stone arch bridge. As I walked, I observed the red silk ribbons, noticing that they were embroidered with characters in dark red thread. The script was crooked and unfamiliar to me; I presumed it was used to distinguish between different individuals.
All of a sudden, I glimpsed out of the corner of my eye what looked like a Chinese character on one of the ribbons, its color already beginning to fade!
Hmm? A Chinese character!
I turned my head to look, but in that brief moment, the wind picked up again. The ribbons danced in the breeze, and the one I had just seen was lost among them, disappearing from sight. Perhaps I had been mistaken.
“Ah Ze, what’s the matter?” Xu Zirong prompted. They had all already crossed the bridge, while I was still standing there “daydreaming”.
I caught up to them. “Nothing, just looking around.”
Qiu Lu whispered, “What’s there to see? After hearing about it, I found it quite creepy.” Her voice was so soft that Shen Jianqing likely didn’t catch it, he kept moving forward without the slightest change in pace, not even a moment’s pause. The youth’s dark blue back was tall and slender, with the black belt around his waist tied tightly, making his waist appear narrow and his shoulders broad, like a solitary bamboo.
“I actually think that this custom is quite beautiful.” Wen Linyu said softly.
Qiu Lu stuck out her tongue, making a playful face to show her disagreement with our view.
Beyond the bridge was a path paved with stones. These stones, though varying in length and width, were very finely polished, making the walk quite smooth. Given the level of craftsmanship here, polishing these stones must have required considerable effort back then.
The stone path ended at the rice paddies, and the scenery and aroma of the countryside washed over us. Lush crops grew in the fields; I vaguely recognized cucumbers and some types of beans but couldn’t identify the rest. Looking at it now, it’s no wonder my father used to scold me for “not being able to distinguish the five types of grain.”
It was just past noon, and the sun was somewhat scorching, its rays beating down directly on the land. There wasn’t a single person in the fields.
“This is where we farm. We’re going to the settlement.” Shen Jianqing said, stepping onto the narrow dirt path between the fields, barely wide enough for two feet.
The path was nothing more than packed ground, yielding slightly beneath each step. Its surface was uneven, overgrown with clusters of green weeds. Fortunately, it was a sunny day; if it rained, this path would become muddy and slippery, making it very difficult to walk.
We walked in single file, passing through vegetable patches, fish ponds, and fruit orchards, until we reached the outskirts of the stilt house cluster.
Suddenly, a clear shout pierced my ears, followed by a series of hurried footsteps.
I turned my head towards the sound and saw a girl in a red Miao dress on the small hillside where the stilt houses stood. Her face was full of pleasant surprise as she waved at us and shouted something. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, and her voice was as crisp as a wind chime, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying. It must have been in their Miao language.
“Is she calling you?” I asked Shen Jianqing.
Shen Jianqing’s face fell, and he looked at the girl on the hillside expressionlessly. His lips were pursed, his heroic brows unconsciously furrowed, and the butterfly-and-flower-shaped silver ornaments in his hair reflected the sunlight, dazzling at certain angles. When Shen Jianqing didn’t smile, he always gave me a gloomy feeling.
Seeing his change in expression, Qiu Lu lowered her voice and said uncertainly, “She seems like your friend?”
“Just an acquaintance.” Shen Jianqing’s brows moved, and his expression turned to one of helplessness.
As we spoke, the girl descended to the center of the small hillside and abruptly stopped, looking at us with an assessing and curious gaze. Her large, round eyes repeatedly swept over us, looking as if she wanted to approach but dared not.
But finally, she gathered her courage and ran over in small steps.
Girls would likely be easier to talk to, so Qiu Lu put on her kindest smile and took two steps forward, but before she could speak, the young girl directly hid behind Shen Jianqing.
“Ah Na…”
I heard her say something very softly in the Miao language, which I didn’t understand.
Shen Jianqing turned and said something to her. The young girl reluctantly came out from behind him, eyeing us with a wary yet curious look, then turned and scurried off towards the stilt house cluster.
