【【4】Your Gossip】
After that night, Liang Youyun stayed at the Mengla County People’s Hospital for two days.
It was Monday morning when she was discharged. Her foot was mostly healed, though there was still a slight ache, but at least she could walk without relying on crutches. So instead of going home, she went straight to her workplace—the Manle Village Committee.
Manle Village is only about eight or nine kilometers from Mengla County, a little over ten minutes by car.
Yu Xiang drove her little Corolla to pick Liang Youyun up and take her back to the village.
Along the way, she complained about the media reporters from Jinghong who had exaggerated the severity of the incident. Even though the village had done its best in terms of manpower and resources, and the outcome was positive, they still criticized the village for damaging the ecosystem in pursuit of tourism development, which led to the incident during the heavy rain. They even claimed that the village chief and the village party secretary had colluded with tourism companies to line their own pockets.
“Bullshit!”
Liang Youyun grew angrier as she listened and cursed, “What we’re doing is eco-tourism, promoting the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature, as advocated by the state. Don’t these journalists know that development is the key to solving environmental problems? Without development and money, how can we protect the ecosystem? Ecological protection also relies on a certain economic foundation! Besides, where did we damage the ecosystem? Which eye of theirs saw us indiscriminately cutting down trees or discharging pollutants into the Nanla River? I think this media outlet has ulterior motives!”
“Oh, Secretary Liang, my dear sister, how could we argue these points? If Village Chief Yan Wenkan had your way with words, he wouldn’t have almost gotten into a fight! This weekend, he went to the county and the city, pulling all sorts of connections, working tirelessly, but it still didn’t help!” Yu Xiang said.
Youyun was still fuming: “Why didn’t the media report on how we rescued people? Such a positive story—simple, honest folk willing to help others! I’ll contact a few media outlets today and give them a proper account of this. Later, you should update the village website too.”
“Already updated it,” Yu Xiang said, her tone confident. When it came to the rescue, she suddenly remembered something and said to Youyun, “Sister, can I gossip a bit?”
“Isn’t that your daily routine?”
“Your gossip.”
“What gossip do I have? I’m clean and honest, a good secretary for Manle Village.”
Yu Xiang laughed heartily. Although Liang Youyun’s role as the village secretary was only temporary and not an official position—village self-governance often relies on personal relationships—she had to admit that Liang Youyun had accomplished a lot in the two years she’d been there, making her a truly good cadre.
“Do you remember the man who carried you back?”
Youyun nodded: “Of course I remember. I’ve been thinking about him a lot these past two days. I don’t even know his name or what he looks like! And…” She recalled her misunderstanding of him at the bottom of the pit and felt a bit embarrassed to bring it up. “Forget it, everyone has their moments of foolishness!”
But Yu Xiang didn’t follow up on that. Instead, she widened her bright, sparkling eyes, a deep smile in them, and said, “He’s so handsome! So handsome that just thinking about his face makes me thirsty!”
Youyun asked casually, “That handsome, huh? Is he the type with thick eyebrows and big eyes, or the delicate, refined kind? Or is he the fair-skinned, good-looking, lean-muscled type you like?”
“Hmm… hard to describe. He’s just very manly, a bit aloof, doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he gets straight to the point.”
Youyun scoffed: “Seems like you chatted with him quite a bit that night.”
Recalling the events of that night, the man had indeed spoken very little, but every word he said was crucial. He was agile and quick to react, as if he had undergone special training.
“Ah, we didn’t talk much either, and what we did talk about was all about you.”
Yu Xiang sighed: “You were feverish and unconscious, and he instructed me to wait until your fever subsided before giving you some medicine for palpitations. He said your heart was beating too fast and asked if you were under a lot of work pressure, suspecting you were overworked.”
Yu Xiang giggled twice: “Even when he left, he looked back twice from the ambulance, as if he couldn’t bear to part? Oh my, Secretary Liang, is your springtime finally arriving?”
If she hadn’t been driving, Youyun would have really wanted to knock her on the head. This girl’s infatuation wasn’t a one-day or two-day thing; whenever she got carried away, she would drop the ball on serious matters.
“So, Miss Yu Xiang, in the end, you didn’t ask for his honorable name? You didn’t tell the media reporters that he was the hero who saved someone? You didn’t ask how he was leaving, whether he was driving back or staying in a village guesthouse?”
With so many questions all at once, Yu Xiang realized she had been too infatuated and neglected practical matters: “I, I was busy taking care of you at the time… Besides, you didn’t ask either.”
“Yes, I’m at fault too. Thank you for taking care of me, dear little…”
“I suspect he’s a tourist from the Nanla River RV campground. He doesn’t seem like a local, but I also have a feeling that he seems very familiar with our area. He must have been staying here for a while!”
Youyun didn’t respond further. Who he was, where he came from, or where he was going didn’t matter. What mattered was why this man cared so much about her?
There was only one possibility: when he was carrying her on his back, she must have said something she shouldn’t have. Those unconscious murmurs in her sleep had exposed her vulnerability, making him empathize with her.
The village committee office was a two-story Dai-style bamboo house, different from the traditional stilted bamboo houses. It resembled a small Western-style building, constructed with bricks and tiles.
Xishuangbanna has an abundance of bamboo. The earliest bamboo houses were mostly made of bamboo, but modern bamboo houses, while retaining their original appearance, incorporate many new materials—wood, Burmese tiles, or, like the village committee office, modern buildings clad in white tiles, with roofs directly constructed into a conical, multi-eaved structure. They are covered with blue-glazed tiles, and the edges are adorned with golden decorative tiles. At the top of the three-tiered roof and eaves stand ceramic ridge guardian beasts—elephant-trunked phoenixes, which are noble mythical birds.
Ceramic guardian beasts are very common among the Dai people of Xishuangbanna. Besides the elephant-trunked phoenix, the most common is the peacock, followed by lions, elephants, and qilins.
High-rise residential buildings in Mengla County and Jinghong City typically feature such multi-eaved, conical Dai-style roofs, with guardian beasts placed on top to protect and bring peace.
The village committee office has a large courtyard, with the walls serving as display boards and public notice boards. Slogans are posted on the courtyard walls: “Build a beautiful homeland, uphold ethnic unity, and safeguard the sacred territory.”
Opposite the main building, there is also a large stage used for performances, with a blue canopy erected above it to shield against rain. To the right of the main building, in front of the windows, stands a three-tiered red brick platform with a flagpole, where the national flag is raised.
This is where Liang Youyun works.
Both the village committee and the Party branch operate from here. Besides the village head and the Party secretary, there are directors and committee members responsible for different areas, along with Xiao Sun, the university graduate village official who arrived last year—making a total of 12 cadres.
Manle Village is very small, with fewer than 600 residents, most of whom are Dai people. The permanent households in the village are mostly middle-aged and elderly. Young people either leave for education and settle in cities like Mengla County, Jinghong City (the prefectural capital), or Kunming (the provincial capital), or go to Thailand to find work.
Additionally, every household here has several acres of farmland to tend to, so there is often a shortage of labor. Many times, one person has to take on multiple roles.
Although Liang Youyun is the resident village secretary, she basically does everything—promoting policies, receiving higher-level leaders, negotiating with businesses, organizing village activities, conducting safety inspections, live-streaming sales…
At first, she found it frustrating, but later she actually got the hang of it and felt increasingly capable.
She came to this place with reluctance and resentment, constantly longing to return to Beijing to reclaim her dignity. Yet, just as she was about to leave, she realized she had fully adapted to life here and felt a tinge of reluctance.
She thought everything she had done over the past two years was to give a perfect report to her superiors upon returning, preparing for a promotion.
But these past two days, lying in the hospital bed, she suddenly felt a sense of melancholy. What would a promotion really bring? Glorifying her ancestors? Becoming an admired, powerful woman? Or marrying a well-off man and having children?
It seemed like it, but also not quite.
One thing was certain: she had to return to Beijing.
Two cars and three electric scooters were parked in the courtyard. Youyun immediately spotted the little red Polo with peeling paint and couldn’t help but sigh, knowing it was that annoying pest Zhang He from the neighboring village again, surely here about the rainforest rescue incident last weekend.
Sure enough, before she and Yu Xiang could even enter the building, Zhang He eagerly rushed out, looking Youyun up and down with concern, chattering nonstop:
“Are you okay, dear? I was so worried! I saw the report—thank goodness you’re lucky, you almost didn’t make it back! You know you shouldn’t go into the mountains during heavy rain! Thankfully, it was just a scare, but this actually adds to your achievements. Everyone was found, and you made a contribution. When you return to the unit mid-year, this will be leverage for a promotion and a raise!”
“Can you stop being so annoying? Get out of my way!”
Youyun pushed him aside and walked into the building. “I think you’re hoping I’d die!”
“How could I? I care about you so much!” Zhang He followed her.
“Care about me and only show up now? I’ve been lying in the hospital for two days, dear!”
Youyun mimicked his tone. “You only came because you saw Manle Village getting criticized, didn’t you? You think I’m a fool!”
“I’ve been busy with the Water Splashing Festival these past two days, how could I focus on anything else?”
Zhang He pounded his chest in frustration. Seeing Youyun ignore him, he tugged at Yu Xiang to explain: “See, she doesn’t hold back at all in front of me. I say a few words, and she actually gets angry—mad that I came late! What does that mean? She cares about me in her heart. Help me say a few good words, won’t you?”
Yu Xiang knew that Zhang He was Liang Youyun’s first colleague and workplace confidant, their relationship so close it transcended gender. She also knew that despite his seemingly testosterone-filled name, he was actually soft and sensitive inside.
He worked in the neighboring Man Nuan Village.
Yu Xiang had no choice but to plead: “Director Zhang, please spare me. I have to go write my article. If you really care about Secretary Liang, then…” Yu Xiang had a sudden idea and leaned close to Zhang He’s ear: “Then address what the secretary is most anxious about—help her find her real savior!”
“Savior? Who?”
“A handsome guy who carried Secretary Liang back!”
“There’s such a thing?… Do you have a picture?”
Yu Xiang showed him her phone. It was a news article from a small media outlet, accompanied by a photo. In the busy background, a man with only his side profile visible could be faintly seen, wiping his face with a white towel, his eyes inadvertently glancing toward the camera.
“It’s so blurry. How can you tell he’s handsome? Could he possibly be more handsome than me?”
“This is the only one I managed to find. All the others were either of Secretary Liang or Village Chief Wenkan. You’re so well-connected—everyone in Mengla knows you. Have you ever seen him before?”
“I say, Comrade Yu Xiang, are you getting addicted to this?” Youyun turned back and this time really tapped Yu Xiang’s head, lightly, scolding her: “I don’t think you’re worried about the secretary’s concerns. You’re probably just interested in him, aren’t you?”
Yu Xiang giggled. Dai girls were always straightforward: “Sis, I’ve seen so many handsome guys in bars in Mengla, Jinghong, even Kunming. They’re either too delicate or too charming. Even if they have muscles, they’re not manly. I’ve never seen one like this—a real man!”
Yu Xiang often followed Youyun around and had picked up a bit of a Beijing accent.
“So this makes him a real man? There are plenty of tall, strong men like that up north. A bunch of macho guys, generally chauvinistic, barking orders at you, never understanding what women need.” Youyun poured cold water on her enthusiasm. She’d been burned by “real men” more than once.
But Yu Xiang paid no attention to her words. She clasped her hands over her chest, continuing to daydream: “I have a sixth sense—this guy lives near us. I’m definitely going to find him!”
“And what if you do find him? Do you want to sleep with him?” This was clearly said in frustration.
“If my mom agrees!” Yu Xiang declared resolutely.
“…Fine.”
Youyun sighed, no longer joking, and began pondering the follow-up gratitude and condolence work, muttering: “If we can find him, that’d be great. We should at least give him a commendation banner.”
At that moment, Zhang He, who had been staring blankly at the photo on the phone, suddenly sprang up like a wound-up tin frog, slapping his thigh: “Holy crap! I actually know who he is!”