I’ve always loved the mornings in the Miao Ethnic Village.
A thin mist hangs between the stilted buildings, staining the wood a darker color. You can smell the earth and feel the cool, moist air. Now and then, a rooster crows in the distance, while far away the mountains blur into a faint haze.
As soon as dawn breaks, the village quickly becomes lively.
It’s the low season for tourism, so there are far fewer visitors. The Dongjiang Miao Village isn’t as noisy or bustling as it was when I first saw it. But at this time, you can really experience the more authentic Miao culture.
Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I simply got up and sat by the window, opening my laptop. The screen then lit up, showing the same page from yesterday: a blank document with not a single word.
Yes, I was a bit creatively blocked.
They say that suffering and darkness are the cradles of literature. I used to think this only applied to the painful and tragic lives of great literary figures. Now, I realize it’s quite fitting for me, too.
Living a comfortable life for too long really makes you lazy.
Thinking about it that way, could Shen Jianqing be the very stumbling block on my writing path?
Just as I was amused by this thought, I felt a warmth behind me. The “stumbling block” himself had come closer.
Then the “stumbling block” opened his mouth, his voice still drowsy and languid, every sentence curling with a lazy drawl: “You’re up so early and working so hard ah, Great Writer Li?”
I hadn’t said anything yet, but the corners of my mouth already curved into a smile on their own.
“This magazine doesn’t know me that well yet, so I want to make this article really good. Maybe then I’ll get more assignments in the future.”
After graduation, the immediate problem was making a living. Although life in Dongjiang Miao Village is comfortable and the financial pressure isn’t great, earning money is always necessary.
Besides, writing isn’t just about money. I used to want to show many people, or certain people in particular, that I could live well on my own, without depending on anyone. But now, I don’t feel the need to prove anything; I just think that when you’re alive, you should leave something behind.
“But you haven’t written a single word.” Shen Jianqing pointed out my situation without a trace of politeness.
I sighed helplessly. “It’s because I want to write it so well that I can’t seem to start at all.”
“Then don’t write for now.” Shen Jianqing’s voice was soft and low, brushing close to my ear, and the warmth in it stirred a flutter of emotions within me.
It seems I was right—he is the stumbling block.
I turned toward him, and his lips met mine. His hand slid beneath my clothes at the hem, and a familiar thrill coursed through me, every touch sending shivers across my skin.
He’s always been very assertive when it comes to this.
After finally managing to push Shen Jianqing away, I tugged at my collar. “No, we have something to do today, remember?”
A clear look of reluctance appeared on Shen Jianqing’s face, but he still said obediently, “Fine, since I always listen to you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I still reminded him, “Don’t make a grumpy face at her later. It’s her birthday today.”
Shen Jianqing didn’t say anything and just looked at me with his clear, serious eyes.
The small red mole on his eyelid was very captivating.
Me: “……”
Sigh.
So this was what happened.
Yesterday, as I was in the stilted building worrying over a magazine request, I suddenly heard the sound of “ding-a-ling.” I thought it was Shen Jianqing coming back. But when I went outside, I saw Ah Li walking toward me with a few young women.
They were all wearing dark green Miao clothes and intricate headdresses. They looked radiant and full of life.
When Ah Li saw me, she smiled and waved, calling out loudly, “Ah-ge! Yuze Ah-ge!”
I walked over. “What’s it?”
“Tomorrow’s my birthday! Come join me for a feast at my long table!”
Since I’ve settled down in Dongjiang Miao Village and Ah Li helped me a lot, of course I wouldn’t refuse her birthday invitation.
“Sounds great!”
Hearing my agreement, Ah Li’s smile blossomed. “Then I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow, Yuze Ah-ge!”
Before she could finish, her smile abruptly froze.
I followed her gaze and spotted Shen Jianqing at the intersection. His eyes were cast downward, glaring at Ah Li with a dark, stormy expression. Yet when he looked at me, his face returned to its usual calm, as if the fierce person I’d just seen belonged to someone else entirely.
Unfazed by him, Ah Li pouted, let out a sharp “Hmph,” then beckoned her friends and walked off.
Shen Jianqing stepped inside and set his basket down with a thud. Hong Hong tumbled out from his sleeve, dizzy and disoriented, then turned to me, waving its front legs.
I stroked Hong Hong’s tiny head, and it tried to climb onto the back of my hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Shen Jianqing is still young, and he was deliberately pouting. It was easy to tell he was up to something mischievous again.
“Yuze Ah-ge,” Shen Jianqing complained seriously, “you’ve never celebrated my birthday, but that Ah Li got to you first!”
I was both helpless and amused. “But your birthday isn’t until the end of the year, so what can I do?”
A while ago, Shen Jianqing had hinted at his birthday.
The Miao people believe in Butterfly Mother, whom they see as their common ancestor. Butterfly Mother became friends with foam on the water and gave birth to twelve eggs. After twelve years, these twelve eggs hatched all things in the world, including the ancestors of the Miao people.
After telling the story, Shen Jianqing blinked and said, very casually, “Twelve is a big number to the Miao people. When I was little, Ah-ma often said that according to my birth date, I would either pass away early or one day become the next leader.”
“December 12th, right?” I recalled some documents I had read. The number twelve truly holds a lot of special significance for the Miao people.
Ancient people believed a person’s life path was determined at birth, which is why there’s a continuous tradition of comparing birth charts, attempting to predict one’s future through certain signs.
Maybe there’s some truth to it, what he said back then ended up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I used to know people who believed in Tarot, astrology, and divination. I even looked up my own zodiac sign, but I always felt like many of the descriptions were generic and could apply to anyone. For example, Pisces are said to be sensitive and independent, yet also aloof and distant. At the time, I wondered: I was born on the very last day of Pisces. Had I been born just one day later, on March 21st, would I have turned out completely different?
Looking back, I’d rather believe that in life, many things are already destined.
Back to the present, although Shen Jianqing complained, he still followed me every step of the way to Ah Li’s house.
Ah Li is incredibly popular in Dongjiang Miao village. Young men hoping to court her could form a line stretching from the top of the mountain to the bottom. Since the Miao community is tightly knit, today brought a crowd of guests.
As soon as we got to the sun-drying yard, we heard the tune of the lusheng[mfn]The lusheng is a Hmong musical instrument.[/mfn], accompanied by the clear and high-pitched singing of a Miao girl. A long table was placed in the center of the sun-drying yard, and the smell of glutinous rice wine filled the air.
Ah Li spotted us from afar and approached carrying wine. She wore a striking yet tasteful red Miao dress, adorned with a silver headdress, her face bright with a smile. In a trance, I remembered the first time I came to Dongjiang Miao village, she also had that kind of smile while inviting me to drink the “Lanmen” wine.
Time really flies.
“Yuze Ah-ge…” Ah Li had just said a sentence when Shen Jianqing stepped forward and took the wine from her hand.
The next moment, Ah Li’s companions rushed over, their calls sweeping her away to join the antiphonal singing and dancing. Among these men and women, many had been brought by Shen Jianqing from Shidi Mountain.
It seems they’ve integrated quite well.
Shen Jianqing turned his head, the silver ornaments on his hair sparkling with a dazzling light, making him look as beautiful as a painting. He was uninterested and bored: “Yuze Ah-ge, it’s so noisy here.”
The long table banquet was indeed lively. I am not a Miao person, and I knew very few people, so I just found a corner with Shen Jianqing and sat down, planning to go home after eating.
After we got home, Shen Jianqing still looked dejected. I couldn’t help but ask, “Shen Jianqing, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
Shen Jianqing sat on the bench without replying. He simply looked up at me, his eyes clear and serene, as if they held a pool of water.
No one could be indifferent after seeing such eyes.
“Yuze Ah-ge…” Shen Jianqing was silent for a while before finally speaking. “If I say it, you’ll think I’m very petty.”
“Hmm?”
“When you Han people celebrate birthdays, do you all make wishes?”
I nodded: “Yes.”
Shen Jianqing spoke earnestly. “I never used to celebrate my birthday or make wishes. Can I use all eighteen of my past birthdays to make a single wish to you now?”
What kind of logic is that? Can birthday wishes really accumulate like that? Save them all up just to make one wish?
“What’s the wish?”
Shen Jianqing said with a firm, deliberate tone, “I don’t want you to be anyone else’s ‘Yuze Ah-ge’.”
Huh?
In a flash of inspiration, I suddenly understood something—
He’d been acting odd since yesterday, and it turned out it was because Ah Li called me “Yuze Ah-ge”!
I was immediately amused and frustrated.
“Is it okay?” He pressed me for an answer, but one hand slid to my waist, gently urging me to lean closer. The space between us vanished in an instant, his warm breath brushing against my face. Although I was looking down at him, his posture was non-negotiable.
I slightly parted my lips, and before I could give an answer, he leaned in, and his delicate kisses climbed up my throat.
Even if I had an answer, he didn’t want it, he had a million ways to keep me from saying it.
Sigh, in the end, am I not going to be able to do anything again today? I thought.
This destined little “stumbling block.”
T/N: I happened to check Changpei yesterday and saw that the author had just posted a new extra for yesterday’s Chinese Valentine’s Day, so there you go xD
