【【12】Do You Like It?】
Yu Xiang woke up from her hangover around noon the next day. She was roused by the tempting aroma of food.
When she stumbled into the kitchen, still disheveled and bleary-eyed, her mother, Aunt Yunan, had already prepared half a table full of delicious dishes for lunch.
“Hurry up and wash your face, comb your hair! Youyun is coming over for lunch soon—how can you let her see you like this!”
“Oh.” Yu Xiang’s head was still spinning, and she couldn’t quite remember what had happened afterward. “Sister Youyun isn’t an outsider, I don’t need to dress up!”
“Still talking back! Last night when you were brought home, you were slumped over like a limp bamboo worm! Luckily, Youyun’s friend didn’t mind. If you had thrown up in their car, I doubt Youyun would ever dare take you out again!”
Aunt Yunan slapped away the chicken feet Yu Xiang had just picked up and was about to pop into her mouth. “Go wash your hands and face!”
Confused, Yu Xiang blurted out, “Didn’t Sister Youyun take a taxi back last night?”
Aunt Yunan scoffed, “Since when do taxis look that nice? Besides, her friend didn’t look like a taxi driver at all!”
“Her friend?”
Yu Xiang tried hard to piece together the fragmented memories from last night. There did seem to be a man in the car, chatting and laughing with Liang Youyun. The seats were comfortable, the temperature just right—she had slept so soundly.
Come to think of it, wasn’t Liang Youyun’s friend Zhang He? She quickly asked, “Mom, what did the man look like?”
Aunt Yunan thought for a moment. “Quite tall, handsome. He was holding an umbrella for Youyun the whole time.”
That definitely wasn’t Zhang He.
But did Sister Youyun have a friend like that? Yu Xiang couldn’t figure it out. Urged by her mother, she left the kitchen and headed to the bathroom.
After washing up and getting dressed, Yu Xiang picked a green lemon from their yard, sliced it, and dipped it in dry chili seasoning. The sour and spicy flavor shot straight to her brain, even clearing away the last traces of her hangover. Suddenly, the familiar figure of a man flashed clearly in her mind.
“Yu Xiang!”
Liang Youyun stood at the entrance of the yard, waving at her. Today, she was wearing a Dai-style warm pink tube skirt, with a pure white, lace-trimmed, diagonal-buttoned short top. She had even styled her hair in the traditional Dai high bun, adorned with a frangipani flower with white petals and a yellow center.
Yu Xiang looked over—Liang Youyun seemed to glow under the sunlight.
“Wow~ so beautiful!” She rushed over, linking arms with Youyun, and started gossiping. “Confess, who brought you back last night? A handsome guy you met at the bar?”
Youyun laughed at her. “It was you who got brought back, okay? You were completely passed out drunk, so he just gave us a ride on his way!”
“So kind-hearted, who exactly was it?”
“A handsome guy I met at the bar!” Youyun pinched Yu Xiang’s nose. “Let’s go, I skipped breakfast and I’m starving now! Aunt Yunan, I’m here! Let me see what delicious food you’ve made!” She walked into the kitchen. “Wow! Pounded chicken feet! Mushroom soup! Fried beef skin! Tamarind and papaya salad! All my favorites!”
Yu Xiang stood rooted to the spot, the lemon in her mouth almost chewed tasteless. She tilted her head, puzzled. “Her mental state seems off—way too hyper!”
Yu Xiang lived with her mother; her father had gone to Thailand for work. Aunt Yunan could cook many delicious Dai dishes. Their yard was always filled with drying banana and mango slices, spiral bean pods hung from the bamboo loft, and the backyard even raised short-legged chickens perfect for stewing with mushrooms.
During festivals or family celebrations and funerals, Aunt Yunan would lead the village women in preparing traditional feasts to entertain guests. After graduating from college, Yu Xiang returned to her hometown. She originally had the opportunity to work in Kunming, but she said she couldn’t digest big-city food—it lacked the flavor of Dai cuisine—so she simply came back to work. This also allowed her to keep Aunt Yunan company, sparing her from loneliness.
Yu Xiang was beautiful, with that authentic Dai-style beauty—large eyes, long curved eyelashes, full lips, and a round face. One shouldn’t underestimate the power of beauty, especially in a Dai village where everyone pursues aesthetics; it was a significant asset. As a result, she enjoyed high esteem in the village committee and was also a somewhat well-known livestreamer.
She filmed everything, primarily focusing on Dai life as her content—Aunt Yunan’s cooking, how she used a Dai Blade to chop coconuts, village festivals big and small, Dai Lü clothing, and so on.
After Liang Youyun came to the village as a resident cadre, she applied for an official livestream sales account for Manle Village, and Yu Xiang became the “star” of this account. Whenever she hosted a livestream, products sold quickly, and the “big brothers” on the leaderboard would shower her with many gifts.
During the feast, Aunt Yunan suddenly sighed, “Time flies so fast. How did it happen in the blink of an eye that my dear girl is about to return to Beijing? I really can’t bear to let you go.”
Youyun was deeply moved. Aunt Yunan treated her like her own daughter, even more attentively than she did Yu Xiang, always saving her a portion of whatever delicious food there was. Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes, and she went over to hug Aunt Yunan. “I can’t bear to leave you all either. I will definitely come back to visit you.”
“The journey is so long, and it’s not easy to make the trip. If you miss us, just give us a video call. Aunt Yunan will also mail you lots of delicious food—enough to satisfy your greedy mouth!” Aunt Yunan said, holding Youyun’s hand.
Youyun laughed. “Yes, I’ve gained so much weight… all thanks to you feeding me! I suppose once I’m in Beijing, commuting by subway every day, I’ll quickly get squeezed thin again.”
Yu Xiang was still curious about the man from last night. Unable to withstand her persistent pestering, Youyun had no choice but to tell her the truth.
“How could it be such a coincidence? It’s fate!” Yu Xiang became even more interested in Jiang Muhe. “The Buddha must have intervened, making sure you two met!”
Youyun sighed helplessly. “It really was a coincidence. He didn’t expect to run into me there either. But this whole thing is because of you. If you hadn’t taken me clubbing, none of yesterday would have happened.”
“So in the future… will I get the seat of honor at the wedding?” Yu Xiang blinked.
“What?” Youyun didn’t understand at first but quickly caught on, laughing even more helplessly. “Sis, your imagination is way too wild! Unless I stay here and live here for the rest of my life, there might be a chance for something to develop. But… that’s impossible.”
“You’ve already thought that far ahead? It seems Sister Youyun has taken a liking to him too!” Yu Xiang teased.
“It’s not that I like him, I just think… he’s a good person, that’s all,” Youyun corrected.
“Come on, liking someone is liking someone. There’s nothing to be shy about admitting it. We Dai girls, when we see a boy we like, take the initiative to confess. A few lines of antiphonal singing and our hearts are set. If you don’t make a move soon, what if someone else snatches him away?”
Youyun really had no way to deal with her, laughing as she held her forehead.
Yu Xiang leaned in closer. “You’re smiling so contentedly, like someone who’s fallen in love.”
Youyun picked up a piece of sugarcane and gently stuffed it into her mouth. “Time to eat!”
Aunt Yunan held Youyun’s hand and continued the conversation, “Then stay!”
In truth, even she herself had begun to doubt whether to stay or leave. The closer the departure date approached, the more reluctant she became. For her, this place was a paradise on earth, a secluded utopia. Yet, she was far from retirement age and nowhere near financial freedom, so she couldn’t afford to indulge in such tranquility and relaxation.
She had studied at university in Beijing, pursued a master’s degree, and secured a relatively stable job—these were the fruits of years of hard work. While not particularly illustrious, they were at least a testament to her efforts, both for herself and for her family, including her mother. Striving for success had been instilled in her since childhood, even though no one had ever explicitly demanded it of her.
A week after the Water Splashing Festival, the village received a notice from higher authorities that the deputy county head in charge of economic affairs would be visiting for an inspection. Since Manle Village had seen a steady increase in residents’ income over the past two years, the deputy county head wanted to examine the village’s development model for potential replication.
For two whole weeks, Youyun and other village staff were busy with preparations—staying up all night drafting proposals, notifying all village shops in advance, and repairing broken walls, floor tiles, roof tiles, and roads. In short, they were swamped every day.
When the deputy county head and his entourage arrived, Youyun delivered her report and then accompanied them on a tour of the scenic spots. The deputy county head focused on several intangible cultural heritage projects, experiencing the crafting techniques of the Dai Blade and Dai brocade. He also visited the edge of the village near the rainforest to see the towering sky-reaching trees and strangler figs. Finally, he drew water from the ancient well for the villagers and visited households living in brick-and-tile Dai-style houses built with government funding…
Throughout the tour, Youyun only heard the constant clicking of cameras and lively conversations among officials of all ranks. Under the scorching sun, she felt dizzy but managed to hold on.
Finally, the weekend arrived, and she had time to rest properly. After work on Friday, she went home and collapsed into bed, sleeping until noon on Saturday.
She was jolted awake by a phone call.
It was Uncle Kanyong, who grew dragon fruit fields at the village entrance.
Uncle Kanyong’s full name was Yan Kanyong, a renowned inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of the Dai Blade. For the Dai people, the Dai Blade is indispensable—used in weddings, funerals, rituals, self-defense, and daily life. It is also an integral part of Dai culture, symbolizing bravery and strength.
Dai Blades come in various sizes, often with curved blades and lightweight materials, making them well-suited for labor in mountainous and forested areas. However, crafting a Dai Blade is no easy task—it demands immense skill and endurance from the artisan, a dirty and exhausting physical labor.
Every time Liang Youyun passed by Uncle Kanyong’s house, she could hear the rhythmic clanging of forging.
Only through relentless hammering can a fine blade be forged.
Uncle Kanyong called to tell Youyun that the Dai Blade she had ordered was ready and asked her to come pick it up at noon.
Youyun was baffled—she hadn’t ordered a blade, had she? Besides, she already had one and didn’t need a new one. Could it be that she had been so busy she’d forgotten about it?
What a headache. As she grew older, her memory seemed to be declining rapidly—how terrifying.
Uncle Kanyong’s workshop was on the first floor of his bamboo house—spacious, bright, and open on all sides. Several workbenches were old wooden tables, equipped with forging stones, hammers, and other tools. Nearby, a stove fire burned brightly. Uncle Kanyong used iron tongs to hold a thin, hammered blade, moving it back and forth through the flames.
“Secretary Liang, you’re here!”
Uncle Kanyong, his face full of wrinkles, smiled happily. Dressed in a set of earthy blue Dai ethnic clothing and wearing a coarse cloth octagonal cap, he pointed toward the finished blades on the cabinet and said, “Your blade is over there. It’s beautiful. Come with me.”
“But Uncle Kanyong, I don’t remember ordering a blade from you. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” Youyun was puzzled.
“Impossible! I, Yan Kanyong, value my reputation the most. You didn’t place the order yourself, but someone placed it for you!” Uncle Kanyong insisted.
“Who?”
“I don’t know. They called to place the order, and the payment was transferred long ago.”
Uncle Kanyong pulled out a small, exquisite Dai Blade from the cabinet. The wooden sheath was carved with Dai-style patterns, and both ends were adorned with silver filigree ribbons, tied with colorful thin straps for wearing on the body.
Uncle Kanyong drew the blade from its sheath. The gleaming silver edge made Youyun squint—it was truly beautiful!
“Want to give it a try?” Uncle Kanyong asked.
“No need. I trust your craftsmanship. But… is this really for me?” Youyun still wasn’t entirely sure.
Uncle Kanyong helped her hang the blade and said with a smile, “It suits you perfectly. Every Dai girl must have a good blade. A woman wearing a blade looks most dashing!”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Youyun gently stroked the sheath as if meeting a new friend.
Just then, her phone chimed.
Youyun opened WeChat, and a long-unseen name appeared at the top of the list: Jiang Muhe.
He asked, “Did you receive the item?”
Youyun, slow to react, felt a jolt of realization, as if struck by lightning.
Ha!
So it was him who sent it!
Only then did she remember that time in the rainforest when he used a blade to climb up, saying the edge was worn and he would replace it for her. Since she hadn’t cared much about it, she had completely forgotten his words.
Youyun stared at the chat interface, smiling, and replied, “The Dai Blade?”
A quick reply came: “Yes.”
Youyun didn’t know what to say. After a moment’s thought, she drew the blade, took a photo of its sharp edge, and sent it to him. In the photo, the blade looked fierce and imposing.
Jiang Muhe: “Do you like it?”
Youyun typed “I like it,” then deleted it, feeling such a reply might seem ambiguous.
She walked slowly out of Uncle Kanyong’s house, cradling her phone in both hands, looking down at WeChat as she walked, pondering how to respond.
Perhaps unconsciously, she didn’t realize that at that very moment, the smile on her face was as radiant as a blooming frangipani.
Just as she looked up, that beautiful smile suddenly froze on her face—
Jiang Muhe, at some unknown time, was standing not far from her, leaning against that black off-road vehicle, arms crossed, watching her with the same smile.
For a moment, Youyun’s heartbeat faltered. The two of them, bathed in sunlight, seemed frozen in time.
“Hey!” he greeted, his voice slightly hoarse. His black T-shirt was tucked into white linen trousers, as neat and sharp as ever.
His tone and smile sent a static-like shiver through Youyun, making her hair stand on end and her clothes rustle.
Her mind went blank, and she quickly turned her back to him, not wanting him to notice her embarrassment and awkwardness.
But soon, biting her lower lip, she turned back and cautiously asked, “How… are you here?”
Jiang Muhe lowered his arms, slipped his hands into his pockets, and slowly walked toward her. “Well… just passing by.”
“Passing by?”
Youyun stared incredulously at the approaching man and called him out, “But whether you’re going to Mengla or Jinghong, the road to Manle Village is a detour!”
Jiang Muhe stopped in front of her, lowered his head, and mimicked her by biting his lower lip before releasing it. He sighed and admitted, “Alright… I confess, I came here to mooch a meal.”