So, this stilt house was Shen Jianqing’s home.
There was only this one stilt house in the forest, standing alone. I had thought it was abandoned and uninhabited, but I never expected it to be Shen Jianqing’s home.
We looked at each other and then followed him up the steps, entering his stilt house.
Immediately after the steps was a small, roughly two-meter-wide corridor that connected to three rooms on the first floor. Towards the back, there was a staircase leading to a small corridor on the second floor. The furnishings inside were very simple; the living room just had a solid wood table that looked like it had been haphazardly sanded after being cut down and then put to use. Next to the table was a wobbly wooden bench.
The living room was dark, relying solely on the natural light filtering in from outside the door. It was also cool in the early summer weather. I looked around with curiosity, noticing no tangled wires, no electrical appliances, no modern equipment — not even a light bulb.
This truly was a primitive place, more than suitable for filming a period drama.
Shen Jianqing set his backbasket aside and said, “Things are simple here, so please make do. There’s only one bench. If you want to rest, you can go upstairs. There are three rooms upstairs that aren’t usually occupied, so they’ll need tidying.”
I asked out of curiosity, “Do you live alone?”
Shen Jianqing stood in the shadows, the dim light making his facial contours appear stark and refined. He said, “My parents have passed away. I used to live in the village with everyone, but then I moved here.” After speaking, he forced a smile, as if to comfort himself, but there was no amusement in his eyes.
A youth of his age, without the protection of his parents, would inevitably face bullying. Judging by his attire and ornaments, which jingled with every move, it seemed his parents had left him some inheritance.
One could only imagine what a lonely youth with considerable wealth might encounter.
I had unintentionally touched upon his sorrow and felt at a loss for how to comfort him. But before I could speak, Shen Jianqing changed the subject, saying, “You all go get settled. I’ll go make some food for you all; it’s lunchtime now.”
My heart felt heavy, but being clumsy with words, I could only nod helplessly.
Though it appeared fragile, this stilt house made of bamboo and cedar was surprisingly strong and stable. However, due to its location in the mountains and forest, there was always a pervasive dampness that made your skin feel sticky after a while.
As the four of us reached the staircase, Shen Jianqing suddenly poked his head out from the kitchen and said, “Oh, I forgot to remind you guys. You can use all of the second floor, but don’t go to the third floor.” As he spoke, his dark eyes were intently fixed on me, like a warning.
Just then, a gust of wind blew through the forest, sending a shiver through me. It seemed the mountain temperature was low, and even my windbreaker wasn’t enough.
We agreed to Shen Jianqing’s request and went upstairs to the second floor. Three rooms stood side by side, silently awaiting their guests. Back at Dongjiang Miao Village, Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong had shared a room. Now that they were guests in someone else’s home, Qiu Lu and Wen Linyu, not wanting to overstep, chose to share the middle room, while Xu Zirong took the one closest to the stairs.
I pushed open the innermost door.
This room had a strong musty smell, mixed with a peculiar odor, like bitter medicinal herbs, which I couldn’t identify. It was probably just because it hadn’t been used in a long time, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.
The room had a window facing east. Thinking of airing it out, I pushed open the carved wooden window. As the window opened, the deep, dark forest outside immediately came into view. A slender tree branch extended right into the window, close enough for me to snap off.
Just as I was about to turn around, I suddenly noticed a row of neatly spaced circular indentations beneath the windowsill. Over time, the hollows had filled with dust.
These kinds of indentations… I looked up and, sure enough, saw matching circular indentations on the window frame above. Such indentations were common in old rural homes; they allowed poles to be inserted to seal the windows, much like the windows of a prison cell.
A prison cell… I was amused by my own vivid imagination.
Positioned by the window was a spacious wooden bed, large enough to comfortably accommodate two people.
Nothing else was there. It was indeed very simple.
I sat on the edge of the bed and neatly organized my backpack and belongings. The mountain wind rushed in through the window, chilling my neck.
After getting everything in order, I had nothing to do, so I went downstairs. The other three were still in their rooms; as I passed by, I could hear Qiu Lu and Wen Linyu laughing and joking.
Downstairs, Shen Jianqing was busy in the kitchen.
The kitchen finally had a touch of warmth and life. The stove was made of mud, with a large pot sitting on it, and I could faintly see a strong fire burning underneath. In the corner was an old cupboard, and a bamboo pole was strung across the window, from which hung a row of cured meats, already well-smoked. I could vaguely smell their salty aroma.
Shen Jianqing stood by the stove, deftly and skillfully lifting the pot lid. The hot steam from the pot met the cool air and turned into mist, swirling around him. He leaned down, seemingly to sniff the aroma, his shoulder-length hair falling loosely with gravity, adding a delicate touch to the boy’s handsome jawline.
Noticing me standing by the doorway, Shen Jianqing straightened up and said with a smile, “Li Yuze, are you done getting settled?”
“En,” I replied, stepping into the kitchen. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Shen Jianqing said, “No need, I’m used to doing all this. It’ll be ready soon.”
I thought back to myself at his age, while I didn’t receive much parental affection, I was never short of material comforts, and the care from relatives and friends was never lacking. He, on the other hand, looked so young yet had chosen to live in isolation so early. Compared to him, I was quite fortunate.
Besides, I genuinely wasn’t very good at these rural tasks. My father always used to scold me for being lazy and not knowing anything about farming, and while he found many things to pick on me about, that particular criticism wasn’t wrong.
Seeing me standing there awkwardly, Shen Jianqing smiled brightly and suddenly said, “I’ve actually always had a question I wanted to ask you, but I felt awkward bringing it up with your friends around.”
“What question?” I asked blankly. “I’ll tell you anything I know.”
Shen Jianqing said, “I rarely go outside and haven’t seen many places. Are all the people where you’re from as good-looking as you?”
“Ah?” I was stunned, thinking I’d misheard him.
What did he ask me?
Good-looking…?
Shouldn’t that be a question for a girl?
I felt a sudden buzzing in my head, and my face immediately flushed hot.
“This… I…”
Shen Jianqing saw my discomfort and slowly blinked. The red mole on his right eyelid seemed alive, appearing and disappearing.
“Actually, I’ve already thought of the answer,” Shen Jianqing said with an innocent expression. Perhaps in his mind, the question wasn’t abrupt, nor did it carry any hint of flirtation. “Your three companions aren’t even half as good-looking as you. People outside are probably just like that.”
This time, I completely lost the ability to speak.
Throughout my life, I’d met plenty of people who liked me, and I’d come across bold, straightforward girls. But it was the first time a boy had ever complimented me like this.
Shen Jianqing leaned down to look at me, his eyes clear and clean, without a trace of impure desire. “What’s wrong with you? Did I say something wrong?”
Me: “……”
At that moment, his face was extremely close to mine. I could easily count his curly, slender eyelashes.
The air was hot and dry; the kitchen was so stuffy it made me breathless.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded from outside the door.
“What are you two doing in there?” Xu Zirong stood woodenly at the doorway.
A savior!
That was the only thought running through my blank mind, and somehow, Xu Zirong’s face suddenly looked more gentle and endearing than ever.
My eyelid twitched. I took two steps back to put distance between myself and Shen Jianqing, my gaze darting around, not daring to look at his face. “I-I’m going to look outside…” My voice trailed off into a whisper at the end, and before the words had even fully left my lips, I had already fled the kitchen as if running away.
“Hey…” I left so quickly that Xu Zirong didn’t even have time to finish what he was saying.
I rushed into the living room and sat on the sole wooden bench, taking a deep breath to slowly calm myself. The cold wind from outside poured into the room, and my chaotic mind gradually cooled down.
Xu Zirong came in from outside, looking bewildered. “Ah Ze, did you make him angry?”
I froze. “Who?”
Xu Zirong’s eyes shifted, gesturing towards the kitchen next door.
The kitchen, Shen Jianqing?
What did I do to make him angry? Was it because I didn’t answer his question, did he think I was being rude?
“Yeah,” Xu Zirong said. “You didn’t see the way he looked at me just now, it was chilling. Anyone who didn’t know would think I’d stolen something from him and got caught red-handed!”
Shen Jianqing seemed so innocent and kind to us strangers; how could he look at Xu Zirong like that?
I said, “The kitchen’s smoky, you must have seen wrong.”
Xu Zirong was speechless.
A short while later, the food was ready, and Qiu Lu and Wen Linyu came down from upstairs.
“This is all I have; please make do with it.” Shen Jianqing said, setting out bowls and chopsticks. He placed a plate of uniformly sliced cured meat on the table, accompanied by a small dish of pickled vegetables.
We hadn’t had a good meal in days. Smelling the food, our mouths watered.
“It smells delicious.” The cured meat slices were glistening white, fatty but not greasy, with the salty aroma and smoky flavor of being cured over a fire.
Xu Zirong scooped a large mouthful of rice, already too busy to speak, just nodding repeatedly.
Shen Jianqing smiled happily at our affirmation.
How could such a simple person look at Xu Zirong with malice?
Shen Jianqing said, “My home doesn’t have much to entertain you guys. After we eat, I’ll take you all into the village to borrow some things from everyone.”
He lived as a recluse, yet he was willing to humble himself and seek help from the village for our sake.
I asked, “Is it convenient? If not, we can just manage like this.”
Shen Jianqing raised his eyelids. “It’s no trouble. I think they’ll all be very curious and very welcoming to you guys.”
