“Ah-ge, now that you’re here, don’t leave; Ah-mei’s bowl holds good wine!”
Several Miao women boldly blocked my way. I looked closely, and the one leading them was very familiar—who else but Ah Li, who had poured me the “Lanmen Wine”?
I wasn’t sure what they meant. Were they trying to get tourists to interact, or did they have other intentions?
I stopped and stood still, quietly watching her.
Ah Li was exceptionally beautiful; even Wen Lingyu, known as the “department belle,” paled in comparison. The exquisitely embroidered Miao dress she wore added an extra touch of charm. She was also bold and direct, stepping forward and looking at me with unwavering eyes, her gaze flowing like a clear spring, truly a beauty beyond compare.
To be gazed at so affectionately by such a beautiful woman, any normal man would find it hard not to be moved.
But I had previously heard An Pu say that the Miao have many rules, and if one incurred a debt of love here, it would be very difficult to get out of it for a lifetime.
I cleared my throat and said, “Miss Ah Li…”
“Come on! It’s so much fun!”
“Stomp! Stomp feet!”
I hadn’t even finished speaking when a series of giggles erupted nearby. It turned out to be Qiu Lu pulling Xu Zirong and Wen Lingyu, along with several other tourists, stumbling and stomping their feet towards us.
The scene immediately became a bit chaotic.
But I felt a strange sense of relief.
They rushed forward, laughing, having completely abandoned the realm of tradition and turning it into a game. Boys stomped on girls’ shoes, while girls huddled together, defending each other. They pushed and shoved, creating a boisterous mess.
I felt surrounded by people, their boisterous laughter echoing everywhere.
Suddenly, someone pushed, and Wen Lingyu, who was not far from me, abruptly leaned forward. Losing her balance, her body lunged uncontrollably forward, on the verge of falling!
I instinctively took a few quick steps and steadied her.
Wen Lingyu was still shaken, clutching my arm tightly. After a moment, she must have regained her footing, but she didn’t release her hands. Instead, it slid down my arm, all the way to my forearm.
It was early summer, not yet hot, and I was wearing a thin white shirt. Her touch, through the thin fabric, clearly reached my skin, sending shivers through me.
I lowered my head, meeting Wen Lingyu’s expectant gaze.
“……” I pulled my hand away and said, “It’s too chaotic here. Let’s go to the stands.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Wen Lingyu’s eyes, but when she looked up, a smile already graced her face.
“Okay.”
The square was huge and now teeming with people. I led the way, with Wen Lingyu following behind me. Every now and then, revelers would bump into me, but I carefully protected the camera hanging around my neck and dodged them.
Finally reaching the stands, I felt like I’d just fought a battle.
Wen Lingyu sat beside me. After quietly watching the festivities in the square for a while, she turned to me, took a deep breath, and asked, “Li Yuze, did you take many photos today? Can I see them?”
I nodded, agreeing, but for some reason, I suddenly thought of the Miao youth who had accidentally appeared in one of my shots.
I wondered if he was also in the square.
It was just a candid shot, nothing incriminating, so I simply took the camera from my neck, set it to album mode, and handed it to Wen Lingyu.
Wen Lingyu took it with a smile, her slender, fair fingers brushing mine before quickly pulling back.
“Your photography skills are really good; you’re almost a professional photographer.” Wen Lingyu said softly, without looking up.
Anyone would be pleased to hear praise, and though I felt proud, I still replied, “They’re just passable.”
Wen Lingyu suddenly said, “Can you take some portraits for me when we get back to school? I was just thinking about scheduling a photoshoot, and now I’ve stumbled upon a ready-made photographer.”
I paused, then said, “We’ll see then. If I have time…”
“Huh?” Wen Lingyu’s hand paused as she scrolled, and my heart skipped a beat with hers. My gaze swept over, landing precisely on that candid photo. She said, “How did you even capture a passerby? Haha, Photographer Li, you make mistakes too!”
I tugged at the corner of my mouth and smiled.
“Should I delete this for you? It’s probably a wasted shot, right?”
As she spoke, she looked up, seeking my agreement.
I couldn’t find a reason to refuse. After all, our purpose for the trip was to investigate local customs, and that photo clearly strayed from the topic.
I casually nodded, “Sure.”
Wen Lingyu’s finger lightly touched the screen.
Delete, confirm delete, deleted.
That photo, which I had inexplicably not deleted myself, was so easily erased by her.
A faint sense of loss stirred within me.
What was wrong with me?
Wen Lingyu quickly finished looking through the photos. She handed the camera back to me, then her gaze suddenly sharpened, fixed directly on my feet.
My heart filled with doubt. After taking the camera, I followed her gaze—
There, on my right white athletic shoe, was half an unusually clear footprint!
The pattern of that footprint was clearly not the usual sole from a factory production line. It was a very beautiful butterfly with wings spread as if about to fly, and there seemed to be flowers next to it as well, but the print wasn’t complete.
My heart skipped a beat.
When did that get stepped on? I hadn’t noticed it at all. It was so chaotic in the square just now, and countless people walked past me, tourists and Miao people alike.
Perhaps someone accidentally, lightly stepped on my foot without meaning to.
I didn’t pay it much mind.
“I wonder which girl secretly took a liking to you and left you a sign,” Wen Lingyu said, suppressing a smile. “You seem quite popular. That girl Ah Li, who greeted us this morning, also seemed to like you a lot. Oh! She’s looking at you right now!”
I instinctively looked down and, sure enough, met the beautiful Miao girl’s gaze. She wasn’t shy or annoyed at being discovered; instead, she boldly and warmly winked at me.
I said, “We’re not here for tourism or romance. The sooner we help Professor Ye finish collecting and organizing, the sooner we can go back to school.”
Hearing this, Wen Lingyu covered her mouth and laughed.
I couldn’t help but ask, “What’s so funny?”
Wen Lingyu said softly, “No wonder they say you’re the hardest ‘steel-straight man’ to deal with. Do you have absolutely no romantic cells?”
“Who are ‘they’?”
“Everyone,” Wen Lingyu whispered.
I fell silent, and she didn’t speak again. We suddenly found ourselves in an awkward silence.
I don’t know how much time passed, but I pulled out my phone and saw it was almost nine o’clock. Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong were still playing in the square. Qiu Lu had lost a shoe from being stepped on and was unhappily holding up her foot, while Xu Zirong resignedly put the shoe back on her, the one he had personally stomped off.
It dawned on me then that I hadn’t eaten dinner, and my stomach was rumbling with hunger. Since those two looked like they’d be playing for who knows how long, I quietly said to Wen Lingyu, “Should we head back first? They’ll go back by themselves when they’ve had enough fun.”
Wen Lingyu nodded gently and stood up, following me towards the exit.
Back at the guesthouse, Wen Lingyu returned to her room, and I ordered a bowl of noodles from the owner. The owner was a young man, very enthusiastic. He not only brought me the noodles but also a small dish of snow-white ciba[mfn]Sticky rice cakes[/mfn].
“This ciba is homemade, super sticky, and delicious! Give it a try, Ah-ge!”
His Mandarin was much more standard than An Pu’s; at least he didn’t mix up the word order.
I took a bite, and it was indeed quite good. I gave him a thumbs-up and started chatting with the owner.
“Boss, you’re not a Miao person, are you?”
The owner looked surprised: “You can tell?”
I smiled and said, “Although you’re wearing a Miao outfit, your accent sounds northern.”
“Aiyo! Brother, you’re really something! I thought after all these years here, I’d lost my accent!” The owner seemed to have met a fellow townsman; he sat down and immediately opened up, recounting all the difficulties he’d faced in the Miao village over the years.
In recent years, with the rise of tourism, many young people plan to start small businesses in places they love, aiming for a leisurely, slow-paced life. The guesthouse owner came to Dongjiang Miao Village a few years ago and was so moved by the beautiful scenery and warm culture that he immediately decided to settle down here long-term.
“Boss, I’d like to ask you a few things.”
After hearing me out, the generous owner was practically ready to call me brother. As soon as I spoke, he quickly slapped the table, waving his hand, and said, “Brother, ask whatever you need! Anything your elder brother knows, I’ll definitely tell you!”
“Boss, we’re students from Yan University, and we’ve come to the Miao village to investigate and document folk culture. Where in this village is the commercialization the least? Where can we best experience the local customs and traditions?”
“Yan University, that’s great! Top-tier institution, smart guy, brother!” The owner’s eyes lit up with a look of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ on his face. He continued, “Ai, as for commercialization, it’s understandable. If they don’t develop, they’ll just stay poor, but if they do, then online critics say it’s lost its charm and is just like everywhere else, it’s hard to please everyone! But if you really want to understand the true Miao customs…”
The owner hesitated, a conflicted expression appeared on his face, the words were already on the tip of his tongue but refusing to come out.
I quickly pressed him, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, actually; it shouldn’t be too hard to find.” The owner said.
I found it strange but didn’t press the issue further.
After finishing my meal, I returned to my room. It was almost eleven, and Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong still weren’t back.
Lying on the soft bed, I pulled out my camera again.
Lightly pressing the button, I opened the “Recently Deleted” interface. Yes, my camera could save recently deleted photos for a period, ensuring important ones weren’t accidentally lost.
Soon, that candid shot reappeared before my eyes.
As if by some strange impulse, my finger moved.
Restore photo, confirm restore.
I don’t know what came over me, but I ended up putting that photo back into my album.
Perhaps, perhaps it could be used as material for studying the physical characteristics of the Miao people.
That’s what I told myself.
