Today, Shen Jianqing and we had planned to walk around the village, taking photos for our research records and evidence.
It was almost the agreed-upon time, but the other three still weren’t ready. I was in the small corridor on the first floor, testing my camera and waiting for them.
Luckily, my camera has a spare battery, and I brought a power bank, so as long as I conserve power, it should last another ten days or so without an issue.
“Can I see this?” Shen Jianqing asked, his black eyes sparkling as he stared at the camera hanging from my chest.
I immediately took it off. “This is a camera. Have you seen one before?”
“Camera…” Shen Jianqing murmured. “I saw others use one in Dongjiang Miao Village, but I didn’t dare to approach them.”
These past few days, perhaps because we’d spent so much time with him, Shen Jianqing’s Mandarin had improved rapidly. His intonation was finally less strange, and while he still sometimes stumbled, his pronunciation was much more accurate.
I explained, “This can capture meaningful, beautiful, or simply your favorite scenes. We can even see photos taken hundreds of years ago and learn stories from that time.”
Shen Jianqing looked at me in disbelief, his raised eyebrows conveying his surprise.
Looking at his exceptionally handsome face, I suddenly remembered the photo I had unintentionally taken of him.
“Let me show you something.” I said, navigating the camera’s album. I quickly found the picture of Shen Jianqing’s profile, taken under the stilt house.
I had always wanted to show him this photo, and today I finally got the chance.
Shen Jianqing’s eyes widened. “This, this is… How come I don’t know about this?” His face slowly turning red as he said. His slender eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at me affectionately, beautiful enough to be enchanting.
I suddenly realized my actions could easily be misinterpreted. Right after saying that a camera could preserve things one loved, I showed him a photo I had taken of him… He wouldn’t think I was implying something, would he?
I awkwardly fumbled out an explanation: “Um, this photo wasn’t taken on purpose. I just saw you by chance and took it. Don’t, don’t misunderstand.”
“Ah, is that so?” Shen Jianqing’s face showed a flicker of visible disappointment, but he forced a smile and said, “Can you teach me how to use it?”
“Of course!” I leaned closer to Shen Jianqing, holding the camera up to him. “Here, try holding it!”
Shen Jianqing seemed very interested, taking it and fumbling with it, randomly pressing various buttons. But the screen remained dark; it hadn’t even turned on. His expression was focused and serious, and because he was so young, there seemed to be a lingering childishness on his face. Shen Jianqing exuded an air of innocence, and the way he was playing with the camera somehow reminded me of a child with a new toy.
Shen Jianqing shook the camera and turned to me for help: “Why isn’t it doing anything?”
My eyes were dazzled by the slight tremor of his silver ornaments as he quickly turned his head, and my heart fluttered in response. Averting my gaze, I focused on the camera and said, “You have to long-press this first!”
As I spoke, I tapped the power button hidden on the side of the camera body. Following my guidance, Shen Jianqing’s fingers subtly brushed against my palm.
The touch was cool, creating a slight ripple and a tingling sensation.
Shen Jianqing’s fingers were fair and long, with clearly defined knuckles. His nails were healthy and pink. Yet, I noticed that the pads of all five fingers were covered in calluses, and there was a small wound on his index finger’s joint.
The wound was strange, it was two small round dots, not like a cut, but rather like an insect bite.
“Li Yuze, Li Yuze?”
A deep, yet not muffled, voice sounded beside my ear, pulling my thoughts back. Shen Jianqing asked with concern, “What’s wrong? You’re staring blankly at my hand.”
“Sorry, I might just be too tired,” I offered a clumsy excuse. “I’ll show you once, then you can try again.”
I turned on the camera, switched to photo mode, and step by step, told Shen Jianqing what to do.
“Okay, once you have what you want to shoot in view, then press this spot…” I demonstrated, and Shen Jianqing’s focused gaze followed my movements.
I casually aimed the lens at a corner of the stilt house and pressed the shutter.
“Click!”
The scene was frozen from then on.
“Here, look, isn’t it done?”
Shen Jianqing surprisedly took the camera, gazing at the stilt house frozen in the frame. My angle happened to capture his tightly shut bedroom door and the slightly open bamboo window. Under the bluish-gray tones, the stilt house appeared quiet and peaceful.
“That’s amazing.” Shen Jianqing said, raising an eyebrow and fiddling with it as I’d shown him. He was very clever; I’d only demonstrated once, but he’d already learned.
Shen Jianqing stared intently at the camera screen, searching left and right for a scene he liked, and I just let him be.
“Li Yuze!”
He suddenly called my name.
I thought something was wrong and instinctively turned my head to look, and then with a “click,” the scene froze.
Shen Jianqing moved the camera away from his face, his eyes full of sly amusement.
He turned the screen towards me and said triumphantly, “How do you think I did?”
On the screen, I was staring at the lens with a look of utter surprise. In the background, the dense forest was rustling, the light within dim and shadowed, like a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes. The only bright spot in the entire picture was my white shirt.
It was inexplicably eerie.
“You took a great photo.” I said, forcing myself to praise him. Shen Jianqing’s brows completely relaxed at the affirmation, and he smiled with delight and satisfaction.
But at that time, I didn’t know that Shen Jianqing’s lens would become my most terrifying nightmare for a long time afterward, haunting my dreams in the dead of night.
Just then, Qiu Lu and the other two slowly came down the stairs.
“We’re late, we’re late!” Wen Lingyu said hurriedly with a bitter smile, “Yesterday was really too tiring; we overslept today!”
Qiu Lu frowned, her eyes wide, half apologetic and half joking, saying, “It’s all your fault for making the beds too soft; once I lie down, I can’t get up at all!”
I was helpless and used to it by now.
Xu Zirong stood behind Qiu Lu and asked, “What are you two doing? Taking pictures?”
“I’m teaching Shen Jianqing how to take pictures; he’s quite interested.”
Qiu Lu said, “Xiao Shen, you just haven’t seen these things yet! When you come to Yancheng to play later, I’ll show you even more interesting stuff!”
Shen Jianqing raised an eyebrow, noncommittally.
A light rain had fallen last night, and today the air was humid and fresh, with the scent of earth lingering in the air. The small paths between the rice paddies were muddy and difficult to navigate, causing us to slip frequently. Wen Lingyu nearly fell into a field by the roadside, but thankfully, I was quick enough to steady her from behind.
“Are you alright?” Shen Jianqing turned back, his gaze falling on my hand, which was still holding Wen Lingyu’s shoulder.
His look was devoid of any emotion, it was a fleeting glance, but I keenly sensed an emotion called “displeasure” hidden within those eyes.
Before my mind could react, my hand had already instinctively withdrawn.
Past the cultivated fields was a wide embankment. By the embankment, there happened to be a few girls playing. They all looked very young, around fifteen or sixteen. One of them looked familiar; it was the young girl we had seen before.
As soon as she saw us, her eyes lit up. She stood up and waved at us, her silver necklace swaying with her movements.
“Ah Na! Ah Na!”
This certainly wasn’t directed at us.
Shen Jianqing frowned, his lips pressed tightly together, his gaze heavy, and he didn’t respond.
The girl broke away from her companions and ran over in a flash, affectionately hugging Shen Jianqing’s arm, her voice sweet: “Ah Na!”
I guessed that “Ah Na” meant “older brother” in Miao. Earlier, Shen Jianqing had claimed not to be familiar with this little girl, but judging by her enthusiasm, that didn’t seem to be the case.
The young girl babbled something to Shen Jianqing, then pointed her slender finger towards the group of stilt houses on a small slope not far away.
Shen Jianqing shook his head impatiently.
Seeing this, the young girl pouted and mumbled something softly. At just that one phrase, Shen Jianqing sighed silently, then slowly nodded.
The young girl immediately brightened up again, pulling Shen Jianqing’s hand and trying to walk forward. Her body tilted from the effort, like a small ox diligently plowing a field.
Shen Jianqing pulled away from the girl’s tugging, turned around, and said helplessly, “I have something to do, so I can’t go with you all. Feel free to look around yourselves, but I’ll be back soon, so don’t go too far.”
The young girl continued to babble urgings and finally just grabbed Shen Jianqing and ran off.
I watched Shen Jianqing’s retreating back, full of reluctance. It seemed he wasn’t willing to go with that young girl. And although I didn’t understand their conversation, judging by Shen Jianqing’s expression, he had initially refused the young girl but eventually compromised and went with her for some reason.
I had no intention of prying into other people’s privacy. Now, it was just the four of us staring blankly at each other. On the embankment, the young girl’s playmates, whom she had left behind, looked at us curiously and timidly, then mumbled amongst themselves and ran off in a swarm.
“They’re still quite scared of us.” Xu Zirong said.
Qiu Lu put her hands on her hips and said, “Since Shen Jianqing’s gone, we’ll just look around ourselves. We’re even happier this way!”
I said, “Then let’s just wait for him around here. Shen Jianqing should be back soon.”
The three naturally agreed.
Qiu Lu and Wen Lingyu sat down by the embankment, dangling their feet in the pond, occasionally splashing the water.
“Come sit!” Qiu Lu called out to me.
I said, “I’m going to look around.”
Qiu Lu pouted and said to Wen Lingyu, “It’s just a village, what’s there to see? Actually, it’s not much different from other villages… Oh, there is a difference!”
Wen Lingyu played along with Qiu Lu’s suspense, asking for more at the right moment.
Qiu Lu smiled and said, “There’s no electricity or internet here, it’s so boring!”
The two of them ended up laughing together.
I didn’t have much to talk about with these girls, so I followed the paths between the fields, looking around for meaningful places with Miao ethnic characteristics.
