【7】What She Didn’t Know
After finishing the flower cake, Yan Nuo opened another bottle of fresh beer for himself. Full and satisfied, he sat under the sunshade on the terrace, strumming his wooden guitar.
He was self-taught. Even before learning to read sheet music, some chords had come to him naturally. He was deeply engrossed, perhaps also a bit tipsy from the alcohol. In any case, it was only when Jiang Muhe drove his car into the garage that Yan Nuo realized the homeowner had returned.
“Brother, why are you back? Missed the flight?” Yan Nuo asked in Dai language.
Jiang Muhe replied in Dai: “Something came up in Beijing. They can’t make it, so I’m not going either.”
“What kind of thing? Nothing serious, I hope?” Yan Nuo asked.
Jiang Muhe shook his head and said nothing.
Yan Nuo felt regretful: “After finally reaching a reconciliation, my uncle and aunt had been looking forward to celebrating the Water Festival together for years, and now it’s fallen through again!”
He carried the wooden guitar back inside. While coming downstairs, he was still muttering: “How come even when you personally went back to pick them up it didn’t work out? Did your bad temper piss off your father again?” He said this sentence in Mandarin, though his pronunciation wasn’t very standard.
Jiang Muhe lay back in the rattan chair, his head resting on his arms, eyes closed. His mind kept replaying the words his father had said on the phone:
“Come back when you’ve figured things out.”
He couldn’t figure it out. He hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t wronged anyone. On the contrary, it was his biological father, that stubborn old man, who was still the same as before, valuing his career above all else, treating family bonds as worthless in his eyes.
He pinched the bridge of his nose hard, trying not to dwell on the Beijing matter, and asked Yan Nuo: “Those three people who came earlier, why were they arguing?”
“Don’t know. How’d you know there were three?”
“Checked the surveillance.”
Yan Nuo looked up at the camera mounted on a corner of the eaves and chuckled: “Oh right! If you already saw the footage, why ask me?”
“Couldn’t hear clearly on my phone.”
Yan Nuo muttered to himself: “That woman was really fierce, huh. Heard early on that the female party secretary of Manle Village was pretty, thought she’d be a gentle, lovely duoli…” He finished with a loud laugh.
Jiang Muhe swiftly sat up from the rattan chair, hunching his back, hands clasped. When he looked at Yan Nuo, his eyebrows were raised, deep furrows appearing on his forehead.
“What?” Yan Nuo knew this expression wasn’t friendly.
“The flower beds need watering,” Jiang Muhe reminded him.
Yan Nuo pouted. This was a dismissal. Even though he hadn’t had enough time here—the place was too refreshing and pleasant, who would want to leave?—he was very obedient to Jiang Muhe, almost following his every word, especially after Jiang Muhe had beaten him up thoroughly that year. Back then, Yan Nuo was a local ruffian, not studying properly from a young age, playing with knives and guns, glorifying violence, a major nuisance in the surrounding villages and towns. Later, when Jiang Muhe arrived, Yan Nuo had provoked him for no reason, showing off his Achang knife in front of him, only to be sent to the hospital by Jiang Muhe, who fought him bare-handed.
After years of interaction, Yan Nuo had come to regard Jiang Muhe as his own elder brother. Moreover, the idea of planting roses on the back hill was Jiang Muhe’s. Besides selling the products as fresh flowers, they also supplied his uncle’s “Salt Stone” Yunnan cuisine restaurant. Now, the rose flower cakes from the shop were selling hot nationwide. With their exquisite packaging and “reduced sugar” branding, they were even more popular than several of the older, established brands.
After Yan Nuo left, Jiang Muhe fetched a pack of fresh beer from the refrigerator. The weather was hot, and his linen clothes were already soaked with sweat. He simply went back inside, took them off, and changed into a more comfortable Longyi skirt and Burmese slippers—a gift from a friend doing business in Myanmar.
Unlike women’s tube skirts, men’s longyi are looser and simpler—just slip them on and tie a knot at the waist. Jiang Muhe loved their silk texture and ethnic patterns, soft against the skin and cool to wear. It felt as though only by wearing one could he truly become a Dai person.
Bare-chested under the shade of an umbrella, he poured fresh beer bottle by bottle into crystal glasses, drinking them one after another.
People in Xishuangbanna never celebrated without alcohol. Jinghong had countless bars, and fresh beer came in many flavors: jasmine, mung bean paste, milk. Sometimes Jiang Muhe would tear up rushan cheese and sprinkle it over the beer foam before drinking—a tip Yan En had shared with him before passing away. Paired with a plate of mixed pine tips, it would be perfect.
The sunlight kissed his back pink, the lines of his muscles and bones resembling rugged, undulating mountains—a result of years of refinement.
Without over a decade of military service and the discipline he maintained after retiring, he wouldn’t have such an alluring physique.
His phone replayed the chaotic scene before he arrived. He still couldn’t make out why those two had argued, and he couldn’t quite grasp his own thoughts, unable to stop pondering everything that had happened in the rainforest that day.
For instance, why had that woman named Liang Youyun lost control and berated him so fiercely, with such righteous indignation—utterly unadorable! And yet, why had she cried while leaning on his back?
This was something she didn’t know.
She had cried in her sleep, murmuring between sobs: “Mom, is the food ready… Mom, I miss you… Mom, why didn’t you come pick me up… Mom…”
She had clung tightly to his neck, calling him “Mom” countless times that night.
Though he didn’t know what had happened, Jiang Muhe inexplicably felt that she carried heavy burdens, exhaustion, and confusion—much like himself now, caught in a dilemma.
He liked watching her during arguments, sharp as a blade, relentless until she drew blood from her opponent. That vigor and intensity were brimming with vitality.
Had she argued with Zhang He for his sake?
But she had cried after the argument, tears falling on the deserted country road.
Stubborn yet tender.
Kind-hearted people were often like this—feeling inadequate, reflecting on where they might have gone wrong.
What a contradictory woman.
What to do? She stirred ripples in the lake of his heart, one after another, interlocking, raising fine waves, swirling into eddies.
Liang Youyun shuddered.
Goodness, that was terrifying! Thank goodness no one had followed her! Truth be told, she was quite timid, often putting on a bold front. She was willing to stand up for others, but afterward, she couldn’t help worrying about potential retaliation.
Just as she was about to leave Man Nuan Village, Zhang He’s red Polo circled back, weaving through the green trees like a flickering flame. It pulled up beside her and stopped abruptly. Zhang He hurriedly got out without turning off the engine, his face crestfallen as he called her name.
Liang Youyun pretended not to see or hear him, striding forward with purpose. He had deliberately provoked her anger, and he knew full well the consequences.
“I was wrong, I was wrong!”
Zhang He trailed behind her, distraught. “Don’t be angry anymore. Anger harms your health. You just got out of the hospital, and the Water Splashing Festival is the day after tomorrow. There’s so much waiting for your decisions—you mustn’t drain your energy!”
“Get lost!” Liang Youyun didn’t look back, shaking off his outstretched hand.
“I already got lost and came back!”
“Then get lost again!”
“That’s not right. After all, I am a department head.”
Youyun stopped in her tracks, turned around, and pointed at him: “This is the first step in admitting a mistake—it’s about your attitude.” After saying this, she continued walking.
Yu Xiang followed her: “Sis, I was wrong too. I shouldn’t have dragged you here just because I was fangirling, and I shouldn’t have gotten into that villain’s car instead of walking with you! If I hadn’t been shouting and screaming in the car, he wouldn’t have come back!” She also pointed at Zhang He.
“Hey, you’re shifting the blame!” Zhang He fumed.
Seeing Liang Youyun walking farther away, he let out a long sigh, looked left and right, and seeing no one around, he immediately dropped to the ground and actually started rolling.
Yu Xiang hurriedly pulled Youyun back: “Sis, look quickly, Director Zhang is really rolling!”
Youyun watched his comical display, a mix of sorrow and joy washing over her. She was both angry at his lack of self-respect and pained by his helplessness. Finally, she walked over to him, pulled him up, and patted the dirt off his pants, saying, “You’re so eager to find that Jiang guy because you need something from him, right? So much so that you’d even have me sacrifice my looks.”
Zhang He pouted like a schoolboy who’d made a mistake, nodding vigorously: “Nothing gets past you. I’m sorry, I was being stupid.”
Liang Youyun got into the car, sat in the passenger seat, and continued: “You just want to learn from Manle Village’s development model, don’t you? Village-enterprise collaboration. You want to lure Boss Yanshuai over through Jiang, but have you ever thought about why Boss Yanshuai, who left Mannuan Village all those years ago, has never come back?”
Zhang He had indeed pondered this question: “Mannuan Village is too remote, and we don’t have the well-developed tourism projects your village has, like rainforest markets, RV camps, or intangible cultural heritage workshops. It’s difficult to develop here. Most companies don’t want to come, and our company’s investment is limited—they’re almost pulling out. I’m afraid of repeating the Manle Village model and ending up with homogenization, which would be more trouble than it’s worth.”
“You haven’t wasted your years as a village director—you’ve done your research!”
Youyun laughed. How could she not know Zhang He’s ambitions? After a moment’s thought, she said, “Boss Yanshuai is indeed a good candidate, but after all, he’s in the catering industry, not tourism. Even if he came, he’d only build restaurants and hotels, purely for tourists. The locals definitely wouldn’t support it.”
Hearing this, Zhang He sighed: “Another thing is, I learned about Jiang’s achievements and finally got to meet him in person. I wanted him to guide me too. I’m really at my wit’s end now!”
“At the end of your Yunnan donkey’s tricks,” Youyun corrected.
Zhang He smiled bitterly: “Alright, alright, you’re the boss. Whatever you say is right.”
Youyun smiled along with him and added, “And from an emotional perspective, I don’t think the Yanshuai couple wants to come back. There are too many memories of their son’s life here. Seeing these places would bring back painful memories. What parent could bear outliving their child?”
“That’s true too!” Zhang He suddenly realized, now understanding that women are indeed more sensitive and resilient in empathy than men.
Seizing the moment, Youyun voiced her confusion: “Why do you think he’d want to be friends with me?”
Yu Xiang jumped in to answer: “He was worried about you, Sister Youyun! If it weren’t for all the media that day and him not wanting to show his face, he definitely would’ve stayed until you were stable.”
“I don’t think so,” Zhang He denied, facing Liang Youyun directly. “Be honest. Even though you failed to save him, did you give him something? Emotional support, spiritual comfort, a token of affection?”
“Of course not!” Youyun knew he was joking, but she was eager to deny it. “You have no idea how angry I was at the time. At such a critical moment, I was most afraid of anything going wrong, so I scolded him for a long time down in the pit. I thought he was one of the university students.”
“That just shows how powerful our sister’s aura is, naturally radiating personal charm, like a golden peacock spreading its tail—shining brilliantly!” Yu Xiang exaggerated her expression.
“Darling, peacocks that spread their tails are male,” Zhang He teased her.
Yu Xiang rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, let’s just leave it at that,” Youyun said. “For the rest of the time, let’s focus on preparing for the festival. Once I get through these next few months, I’ll be free! Please, please, don’t let anything else go wrong!” She clasped her hands together in prayer.
Zhang He drove the two to the Manle Village Committee. Seeing Village Chief Yan Wenkan standing at the entrance, about to make a phone call, he quickly put down his phone when he saw the car approaching. Before Liang Youyun could even get out of the car, he hurried over to speak: “Perfect timing, you’re here. Come with me to the county town. Director Dao just returned from a business trip. We need to go demand money! Demand the rainforest maintenance funds!”
Youyun stepped out of the car. Suddenly, a white flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a rumbling clap of thunder.
“Should we wait a bit? It’s about to rain, Uncle Wenkan.”
Yan Wenkan was anxious: “We can’t wait. This money must be secured! I can’t just stand by and watch my good girl suffer! The rainforest belongs to everyone—what’s the point of blaming a young girl?”
Youyun felt like crying. In Uncle Wenkan’s eyes, she was still just a young girl!