Chapter 12: Do You Like It?
Yu Xiang woke up to the aroma of food; it was already noon the next day.
When she stumbled into the kitchen with disheveled hair and a rumpled appearance, her mother, Auntie Yu Nan, had already prepared half a table laden with a lavish lunch.
“Hurry up and wash your face and comb your hair! You Yun will be here for lunch soon; you can’t let her see you looking like this!”
“Oh.” Yu Xiang’s head still felt fuzzy; she couldn’t quite recall what had happened afterward. “Sister You Yun isn’t an outsider; I don’t need to dress up!”
“And you’re still talking about it? Last night when you were brought back, you were like a limp bamboo worm! Luckily, Youyun’s friend didn’t mind. If you had vomited all over their car, I doubt Youyun would ever dare take you out again!”
Auntie Yunan slapped away the pounded chicken feet that Yuxiang was picking up to put in her mouth: “Go wash your hands and face!”
Yuxiang looked puzzled and blurted out, “Didn’t Sister Youyun take a taxi home last night?”
Auntie Yu Nan scoffed, “Could a taxi possibly be that nice? Besides, her friend didn’t look like a taxi driver at all!”
“Her friend?”
Yu Xiang struggled 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 had been so comfortable, the temperature just right; she’d slept wonderfully.
Thinking further, wasn’t Liang Youyun’s friend Zhang He? She hurriedly asked, “Mom, what did that man look like?”
Auntie Yu Nan thought for a moment: “Tall, handsome, and he kept holding an umbrella over Youyun the whole time.”
That certainly wasn’t Zhang He.
But does Sister Youyun even have such a friend? Yu Xiang couldn’t figure it out. Urged by Auntie Yu Nan, she left the kitchen and headed to the bathroom.
After washing up and getting dressed, Yu Xiang picked a green lemon from her own courtyard, peeled it, and dipped it in dried chili powder to eat. The sharp, sour-spicy flavor shot straight to the top of her head, instantly dispelling last night’s drunken haze. Suddenly, a familiar male figure flashed clearly in her mind.
“Yuxiang!”
Liang Youyun stood at the entrance of the courtyard, calling out to her. Today, she wore a warm pink Dai-style tube skirt paired with a pure white, diagonally buttoned short jacket adorned with delicate openwork floral patterns. She had carefully styled her hair in the traditional high bun of Dai girls, tucking a frangipani flower with white petals and a yellow center behind her ear.
Yuxiang looked over; bathed in sunlight, Liang Youyun seemed to glow.
“Aiyoh~ So beautiful!” She rushed forward, linking arms with Youyun, and immediately dove into gossip: “Come on, confess honestly—who dropped you off last night? Some handsome guy you met at the bar?”
Youyun laughed at her, “He was just giving us a ride home! You were completely passed out drunk, so he kindly gave us a lift along the way!”
“Someone that kind? Who exactly is he?”
“A handsome guy I met at the bar!” Youyun pinched Yuxiang’s nose. “Let’s go! I haven’t had breakfast and I’m starving to death! Auntie Yunan, here I come! Let me see what delicious dishes you’ve prepared!” She walked into the kitchen. “Wow! Pounded chicken feet! Mushroom soup! Spicy fried beef tendon! Tamarind and papaya salad! All my favorites!”
Yuxiang stood frozen in place, chewing her lemon slice until it had lost all flavor. Tilting her head, she exclaimed in surprise, “Something’s off with her mental state; she’s way too hyper!”
Yu Xiang lives with her mother, while her father has gone to Thailand to work. Aunt Yu Nan can prepare countless delicious Dai dishes; banana chips and dried mangoes are always spread out to dry in the courtyard, spiral soybean pods hang from the bamboo stilt house, and in the backyard, she raises short-legged chickens perfect for simmering mushroom soup.
Whenever festivals arrive or when any family hosts a wedding or funeral, Aunt Yu Nan leads the village housewives in preparing traditional banquet feasts to entertain guests. After graduating from junior college, Yu Xiang returned to her hometown. Though she had opportunities to work in Kunming, she claimed she couldn’t digest big-city food, finding it lacking the flavor of Dai cuisine. So she decided to come back, conveniently keeping Aunt Yu Nan company and saving her from loneliness.
Yu Xiang is beautiful, possessing that pure, authentic Dai beauty: large eyes, curved eyelashes, full lips, and a round face. Never underestimate the power of beauty, especially in a Dai village where everyone pursues aesthetics; it serves as a vital asset. Consequently, she enjoys high reputation within the village committee and has even become a moderately famous livestreamer.
She films everything, primarily using Dai daily life as her material: meals prepared by Aunt Yu Nan, her technique in hacking open coconuts with a Dai knife, various village festivals both grand and small, traditional Dai Le clothing, and so on.
After Liang Youyun arrived in the village, she applied for an official live-streaming account to sell products from Manle Village, with Yu Xiang becoming its star attraction. Whenever Yu Xiang went live, items sold quickly, and the top donors on the leaderboard would shower her with generous gifts.
During the meal, Aunt Yu Nan suddenly sighed, “Time flies so fast; in the blink of an eye, my dear girl is about to return to Beijing. I truly can’t bear to part with you.”
Youyun was deeply moved. Auntie Yunan treated her like her own daughter, even more attentively than Yuxiang, always saving a portion of every delicious dish for her. Thinking of this, tears welled up in Youyun’s eyes as she stepped forward to embrace Auntie Yunan. “I can’t bear to leave you all either. I promise I’ll come back to visit.”
“The journey is so long; it’s not easy to make the trip all the way here. If you miss us, just give us a video call. Auntie Yunan will also mail you plenty of delicious treats—definitely enough to satisfy your greedy appetite!” Auntie Yunan said, holding Youyun’s hand.
Youyun smiled. “That’s right, I’ve gained so much weight… it’s all because you’ve fed me so well! I bet once I get back to Beijing and start taking the subway to work every day, I’ll quickly be squeezed thin again.”
Yuxiang remained curious about the man from last night. Unable to withstand her persistent coaxing, Youyun finally told her the truth.
“How could it be such a coincidence? It’s fate!” Yuxiang grew even more intrigued by Jiang Muhe. “Buddha must have intervened, insisting that you two meet!”
Young Yun sighed helplessly, ‘It was indeed a coincidence; he never expected to run into me there. But this is still your fault. If you hadn’t taken me clubbing, none of yesterday’s events would have happened.’
“‘So in the future… shall I sit at the head table?’ Yuxiang blinked.”
“‘What?’ Young Yun didn’t quite catch on at first, but quickly understood, her smile turning even more helpless. ‘Sister, your imagination is running wild! The only way that could happen is if I stayed here and spent my entire life in this village, allowing for some possibility of development. But… that’s impossible.'”
“‘You’ve already thought it through to that level? It seems Sister Young Yun does have feelings for him after all!’ Yuxiang said with a laugh.”
“It’s not affection; I just think… he’s a good person,” Youyun corrected.
“Oh, a crush is just a crush; what’s there to deny? When we Dai girls see a boy we like, we take the initiative to confess. A few exchanged verses of song are all it takes to confirm our feelings. If you don’t make your move soon, someone else might snatch him away!”
Youyun truly found herself at a loss with her, pressing a hand to her forehead as she laughed.
Yuxiang leaned in closer: “You’re smiling with such delight; you look like someone who’s fallen in love.”
Youyun picked up a piece of sugarcane and gently tucked it into Yuxiang’s mouth: “Time to eat!”
Auntie Yu Nan took Youyun’s hand and followed up on the topic, saying, “Then stay!”
In truth, even she herself had begun to doubt whether to leave or stay. The closer the moment of departure came, the harder it became to let go. To her, this place was a paradise on earth, a secluded utopia. Yet she was far from retirement age and nowhere near financial freedom; such tranquility and ease were luxuries she could not afford.
She had attended university and pursued graduate studies in Beijing, eventually securing a relatively stable job—the fruit of years of hard work. Though not particularly illustrious, it was at least an account rendered to herself, to her family, and especially to her mother. Rising above others had been instilled in her since childhood, although no one had ever explicitly demanded it of her.
A week after the Water Splashing Festival, the village received a notice from higher authorities stating that the deputy county mayor in charge of economic affairs would be coming to inspect their work. Due to Manle Village’s continuous increase in residents’ income over the past two years, the deputy county mayor intended to examine the village’s development model for potential promotion elsewhere.
Thus, for the entire two-week period, Youyun and other village staff were fully occupied with preparations: working overnight on proposals, coordinating in advance with all local shops, and repairing damaged courtyard walls, floor tiles, roof tiles, roads, and more. In short, everyone was overwhelmed with busyness every single day.
When the deputy county mayor and his entourage finally arrived, Youyun completed her report and then accompanied them on visits to scenic spots. The deputy county mayor focused particularly on several projects related to intangible cultural heritage, experiencing firsthand the crafting techniques of Dai knives and Dai brocade. He also visited the edge of a nearby rainforest village to observe towering trees and strangler figs, drew water for villagers beside an ancient well, and inspected households living in brick-and-tile Dai-style houses constructed with government funding.
Throughout the journey, Youyun heard nothing but the constant clicking of cameras while officials at various levels engaged in lively conversations. Under the scorching sun, she felt dizzy from the heat, yet fortunately managed to endure it all.
Finally, the weekend arrived, giving her time to rest properly. After getting off work on Friday, she went straight home and fell asleep immediately, not waking up until noon on Saturday.
She was jolted awake by a phone call.
The caller was Uncle Kan Yong, who grew dragon fruit in the fields at the village entrance.
Uncle Kan Yong’s full name is Yan Kan Yong, a renowned inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of the Dai knife. The Dai people cannot live without their knives; they are essential for weddings and funerals, sacrificial rituals, self-defense, and daily life. The Dai knife is also an integral part of Dai culture, symbolizing courage and strength.
Dai knives come in various sizes, mostly with curved blades and lightweight materials, making them well-suited for labor in mountainous forest regions. However, crafting a Dai knife is no easy task; it severely tests the artisan’s skill and endurance, as it is both dirty and physically demanding work.
Every time Liang Youyun passed near Uncle Kan Yong’s home, she could hear the rhythmic clanging and banging of the forging process.
Only through thousands of hammer strikes and tempering can a fine blade emerge.
Uncle Kan Yong called Youyun to inform her that the custom-made Dai knife she ordered was ready and asked her to come pick it up at noon.
Youyun was completely baffled. She hadn’t ordered a knife, had she? Besides, she already had one on hand, so there was no need to buy a new one. Could it be that she’d been so busy she forgot about placing such an order?
What a headache. As I get older, my memory is deteriorating rapidly. How terrifying.
Uncle Kan Yong’s workshop was located on the first floor of his bamboo stilt house. It was spacious and bright, with no enclosing walls. Several workbenches consisted of old wooden tables, upon which rested stone anvils for forging, hammers, and other tools. Beside them, a stove burned fiercely. Uncle Kan Yong used iron tongs to hold a blade that had already been hammered quite thin, moving it back and forth through the flames.
“Secretary Xiao Liang has arrived!”
Uncle Kan Yong, his face lined with wrinkles, beamed with joy. Dressed in earth-blue Dai attire and wearing a coarse octagonal cap, he pointed toward the finished blades on the cabinet and said, “Your knife is over there; it’s absolutely beautiful. Come with me.”
“But Uncle Kan Yong, I don’t recall ever ordering a knife from you. Could there be some mistake?” Youyun asked, utterly bewildered.
“No mistake at all! I, Yan Kan Yong, pride myself on my integrity. You may not have placed the order yourself, but someone did it on your behalf!” Uncle Kan Yong insisted.
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know; it was booked over the phone, and the payment was transferred long ago.”
Uncan Yong pulled a small, exquisite Dai knife from the cabinet. Its wooden sheath was carved with traditional Dai patterns, while silver filigree formed several ribbon-like circles at both ends, adorned with colorful thin straps for wearing.
Uncan Yong drew the knife from its sheath. The gleaming silver blade made Youyun squint her eyes—it was indeed beautiful!
“Would you like to try it?” Uncle Yong asked.
“No need, how could I not trust your craftsmanship? But… is this really for me?” Youyun still felt uncertain.
Uncan Kan Yong helped her hang the knife properly and said with a smile, “It truly suits you. Every Dai girl must have a fine knife; nothing is more graceful than a woman wearing one!”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Youyun gently stroked the scabbard, as if getting to know a new friend.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Youyun opened WeChat, and a long-unseen name jumped to the top: Jiang Muhe.
He asked, “Did you receive the items?”
Youyun was slow to react; then, as if struck by an electric shock, everything suddenly clicked.
Ha!
So it was from him!
Only then did she recall that incident in the rainforest, when he had used his knife to leverage himself up and mentioned its blade was worn, offering to replace it for her. Since she hadn’t cared much about it at the time, she had completely forgotten his words.
Youyun stared at the chat interface, smiling, and replied: “A Dai knife?”
The reply came quickly from the other end: “Yes.”
Unsure what to say, Youyun thought for a moment, then drew out the knife, took a photo capturing its sharp edge, and sent it to him. In the picture, the knife looked fiercely formidable.
Jiang Muhe: “Do you like it?”
Youyun typed “I like it,” then thought better of it and deleted the message. She felt replying that way might come across as too flirtatious.
She strolled slowly out of Uncle Kan Yong’s house, holding her phone with both hands, walking while looking down at WeChat, pondering how to respond to him.
Perhaps it was unconscious on her part, because she didn’t realize that at this very moment, the smile on her face bloomed like a plumeria in full flower.
The moment she looked up, that beautiful smile suddenly froze on her face—
Jiang Muhe had somehow appeared not far from her, leaning against the black off-road vehicle with his arms crossed, returning her gaze with the same smile.
Youyun’s heart skipped a beat; the two of them, standing close yet apart, bathed in sunlight, as if time itself had come to a standstill.
“Hi!” he greeted, his voice slightly hoarse. His black T-shirt was tucked into white linen trousers, as crisp and neat as ever.
That tone, that smile sent a jolt through Youyun like static electricity, making her hair prickle and rustle against her clothes.
Her mind went blank; she quickly turned her back to him, unwilling to let him notice her embarrassment and discomfort.
But soon, biting her lower lip, she turned around again and asked cautiously, “How… how are you here?”
Jiang Muhe lowered his arms, shoved his hands into his pockets, and slowly walked toward her. “Hmm… just passing by.”
“Passing by?”
Youyun looked at the man approaching her in disbelief and called him out, “But whether you’re heading to Mengla or Jinghong, taking the road through Manle Village is a detour!”
Jiang Muhe stopped right in front of her, lowered his head, mimicked her by biting his lower lip before releasing it, and sighed, “Alright… I admit it. I came here to mooch a meal.”