Chapter 29: Wait for My Confession!
After the villagers’ gathering concluded, Village Head Yan Wenkan retained the members of the village committee and several heads of the grid governance system for a discussion.
The topics discussed were all issues of concern to the villagers and familiar to everyone, except for one particular matter: incidents from two weeks ago where tourists had harassed local residents.
Manle Village has a local police officer and a militia composed of villagers, yet there are always situations beyond their reach, especially late at night when the village is quiet but filled with tourists staying in guesthouses, making conflicts inevitable.
Officer Kang Zhiping is highly responsible. He mentioned that the male tourist who caused trouble was usually drunk, harassing female staff and guests, and had frequently been complained about during his stays at local homestays. Later, he followed a young village girl and was caught red-handed by her father, yet refused to admit his wrongdoing. However, suddenly one day, all news about him ceased.
“I went to the homestay to investigate and found him bruised and battered, in so much pain he couldn’t even get out of bed, as if he had been severely beaten! He wouldn’t say anything; instead, he trembled upon seeing me, repeatedly apologizing, saying, ‘I’m sorry, Secretary Liang, please let me go!’ ”
Liang Youyun suddenly looked up, and everyone else turned to gaze at her, exchanging bewildered glances.
“I don’t know this person, and this is the first time I’ve even heard about such an incident!” Youyun waved her hands. “I didn’t do anything to him! Well… of course, if I ever catch him for real, I won’t let him off easily; I’ll make sure he suffers the consequences!”
Only then did everyone nod in agreement. It must be Secretary Liang’s imposing presence that naturally commands awe!
“See? Our Secretary Ayun exudes authority without even raising her voice!”
Village Head Wenkan smiled warmly, easing everyone’s concerns: “Everyone, please don’t worry. That person has already left and offered a verbal apology. Incidents like this are extremely rare. The tourists who visit our village are all wonderful people. Let’s not exaggerate negative news. From now on, we’ll strengthen our security measures.”
Officer Kang Zhiping still found it suspicious. Resting his chin on his hand, he pondered aloud, “Although Secretary Liang is unaware, the street surveillance footage shows that his last appearance was indeed on the street where Secretary Liang lives. He entered and exited alone; however, while he seemed fine upon entering, he emerged crawling as if struck by lightning!”
Everyone laughed, asking if he had encountered a ghost. It seemed that with the Buddha’s protection, the villain had brought this upon himself!
The more Youyun listened, the more incredible it seemed. The Dai village houses were large, and many courtyards, filled with flowers and trees, were not fully open to the outside. She clearly remembered that her family was the only household facing the street.
When she returned home after work, she recalled the matter discussed at the council meeting, feeling that something was amiss.
Moreover, she remembered that for two days, she had indeed felt as though someone was following her, though she never spotted the follower and assumed she was just scaring herself.
Puzzled beyond resolution, she simply decided to stop thinking about it.
As July approached, the heat became stifling, the air thick with humidity, and showers fell incessantly. Midsummer is the low season for tourism in Xishuangbanna; compared to the National Day and Spring Festival holidays, there were far fewer visitors.
It was time for her to pack her belongings, complete the handover procedures, and await her return to Beijing.
Although the house is not large, she has decorated it to feel warm and cozy, with every corner bearing traces of daily life. The distinct Dai ethnic style is evident everywhere: small Dai pottery figurines she loves, tin buckets saved from finishing cups of Xiaoli coffee, wind chimes made from fruit shells, seeds from the Hope Tree, bedding adorned with traditional ethnic patterns, and half the clothes in her wardrobe are Dai-style garments.
She often teases Jiang Muhe, yet she herself has become half a Dai girl.
Thinking of this, sorrow welled up within her.
She hated to leave; this place was her second home, or even the closest thing she’d ever had to a real home.
Because here, it truly felt like home.
Years ago, when she and her mother moved to Beijing, they lived in a tiny ground-floor unit in an old residential compound near the Second Ring Road, purchased by her uncle as an investment. Originally intended for commercial use, the space was later transferred to her mother at a low price.
It was a bit far from her uncle’s house. After her mother passed away, she lived there alone, in quiet solitude. Most of the neighbors were tenants who changed frequently, so no one really knew each other.
Youyun turned off the lights and saw the full moon outside. In her heart, she whispered, “Mom, are you doing well over there? Please don’t blame me for not visiting your grave for such a long time. Life here is so comfortable, and the people have been so kind to me. But now I have to leave, and I hate to say goodbye to them. There’s also a man I like but dare not get involved with. Oh, is there any way to have it both ways?”
The wind stirred the curtains, making the moon appear enormous and incredibly close. Suddenly, she recalled her mother’s scolding.
In all the years since her mother’s passing, what came to mind most often wasn’t the greatness of maternal love, but rather how her mother would scold her when angry.
She seemed to hear her mother saying, “You, oh you, when will you ever fix this habit of hesitating? Girls shouldn’t be so awkward. If there’s something you want to do, just do it boldly. If you don’t act, what are you waiting for? Waiting to die? To leave this world with regrets like I did?”
Tears fell. Youyun pouted, feeling wronged.
Matters of the heart only grow more complicated the more you ponder them. Rather than letting your mind wander into endless speculation, it’s better to be straightforward.
Gazing at the moon in the sky, Youyun silently made up her mind: next week, when she visits the Wangtianshu Scenic Area, she would tear through this thin veil of unspoken feelings!
Jiang Muhe, just you wait—wait for my confession!
It’s fine, it’s fine. After all, this isn’t the first time I’ve confessed my feelings to a man; I know the drill.
Even if it doesn’t work out, I can return to Beijing with grace and no regrets.
Besides, Jiang Muhe isn’t necessarily going to reject me.
In large part, he’s already agreed. Didn’t he say he’d come to Beijing to find me?
Thinking this way, Liang Youyun felt much better.
She pulled the summer quilt over herself, turned the air conditioner to low speed, and drifted off to sleep with a slight smile on her lips.
Jiang Muhe was still scheduled to deliver a safety lecture in Mannuan Village this Saturday.
Zhang He excitedly sent photos of the event to Youyun, unable to resist adding a complaint: the villagers hadn’t come to learn, but to catch a glimpse of the handsome speaker. At this rate, Mannuan Village would become famous, and Jiang Muhe’s beautiful house might just turn into a hotspot for fans to visit and take photos.
Youyun was amused and said, “Isn’t this exactly what you hoped for? Your ambitions are finally about to be realized because of a man!”
Zhang He also invited her, asking if she would like to join them for dinner.
Youyun declined. Today was the day of the Ganbai festival; there were too many tourists, the parking lot was completely full, and the festival grounds were filled with smoke and fire. Worried about potential safety hazards, she always made it a point to come and inspect the area.
The Ganbai festival lasts until two or three in the afternoon. Whenever she has free time, she works nearby.
A sister in a bright red tube skirt called out to her and handed her a bag of water-splashing rice cakes.
With gestures and words combined, she meant for Liang to pass them on to the officer who had given the lecture last time—Jiang Muhe. She said his talk was excellent and he was a good person too, but he had eaten very little; in fact, he hadn’t touched any food at the long-table banquet.
“Our Manle Village makes the most delicious food; otherwise, how could we have set up such a lively fairground? Secretary Xiao Liang, please give these rice cakes to him. Once he tastes them, he’ll understand. I made them early this morning—they’re fresh!” the sister said.
Youyun didn’t dare take them, replying, “Sister, you must have mistaken things. He ate very well indeed! He even said he was stuffed!”
“Oh my! You were too busy drinking to notice, but I saw everything—he piled all the good dishes into your bowl and even wrapped up the only two pieces of baba for you to eat!” Ah Jie complained.
“…”
Well, Liang Youyun felt utterly embarrassed. It was true that Jiang had taken excellent care of him, but Ah Jie’s words were surely exaggerated. Not wanting to argue, Youyun simply accepted the food and thanked her.
Ah Jie, however, pressed on insistently: “Secretary Xiao Liang, you must deliver this over right away! It tastes best when eaten warm, you know!”
“Alright, alright, sister, don’t worry. I’ll go right now, okay?”
Youyun surrendered, readily agreeing; what else could she do? Serve the people, after all!
Judging by common sense, the timing was just right.
Jiang Muhe disliked lingering too long in unfamiliar places, and Zhang He had also mentioned that he was merely inviting the guest for a simple meal alone, nothing like the grand banquet held in Manle Village.
This way, he could return home quickly after his meal; and since they lived in the same village, even if his house was farther away, given his robust physique, it would only take him a few strides.
Thus, Youyun guessed that if she delivered it then, she would likely arrive just as he was returning.
Therefore, she didn’t send a message beforehand; she wanted to give Jiang Muhe a surprise.
To make this surprise both beautiful and memorable, she had even rushed back home to change into an elegant Dai outfit.
A short blouse embroidered with pale pink and gray-blue flowers, paired with a crimson-striped tube skirt.
She stood before the mirror again and again, re-combing her hair until a long braid rested diagonally across her shoulder.
She applied powder, shaped her eyebrows, and colored her lips.
“Oh my, why do I look so beautiful!”
Youyun gently patted her own cheeks and grinned foolishly at the mirror: “Magic mirror, magic mirror, tell me, am I the most beautiful woman in Manle Village?”
Then, mimicking the voice of the magic mirror from the cartoon, she answered, “No, you are the most beautiful woman in all of Mengla!”
She burst into laughter after speaking, content with being the most beautiful in Mengla; she dared not aspire to be the most beautiful across all of Xishuangbanna.
The weather was fine today. Although thunderstorms had been forecast, the sun had risen early into a clear sky. The azure expanse stretched like an endless sea, pure and immaculate.
The gate to Jiang Muhe’s small courtyard stood open, and a bag of Lao iced coffee still rested on the tea table out on the terrace.
It seemed he had already returned home.
Liang Youyun hummed a tune as she parked her electric scooter outside the gate, lifted the bag of water-splashed rice cakes from the front basket, and strolled leisurely into the courtyard.
Just as if she were returning to her own home.
One wonders where she got such confidence.
But soon enough, that confidence vanished without a trace.
Because she saw a fair-skinned, beautiful woman with large eyes and long legs descending the outdoor staircase.
The woman walked with light steps, her feet striking the wooden stairs in a rhythmic cadence.
Her feet, clad in flip-flops, were painted with cat-eye green nail polish. She wore a white cotton mini-skirt and an avocado-green fitted top that accentuated her full bust and slimmer waist. Her long brown hair cascaded down, swaying gracefully with each step. What a wonderful figure she had, what a delightful appearance!
A beauty unmatched, dwelling secluded in an empty valley.
“Who are you looking for?” The woman stopped and gazed at Liang Youyun, who stood frozen at the doorway.
Up close, the woman looked very young, probably several years younger than herself; could she be under thirty?
Liang Youyun’s heart felt hollow, with only this question remaining in her mind.
She felt as though she had turned into a block of wood.
“Oh, I’m looking for Jiang Muhe.”
“What bad luck; Muhe went out and won’t be back until this afternoon.” The words were spoken in a perfectly standard Beijing accent.
The woman walked over to the coffee table, sizing up Youyun from head to toe. She picked up the iced coffee, took a sip through the straw, and asked, “Do you need something? Just tell me.”
Youyun herself wasn’t sure whether she had business here or not; the situation was entirely unexpected. Silently, she grumbled to herself: Jiang Muhe never mentioned keeping a beauty hidden away in a golden house!
The way the other woman casually referred to him as “Muhe” clearly indicated they had known each other for a long time.
What’s more, even worse, she caught the scent of perfume on the woman—a fragrance unique to Jiang Muhe’s body.
In that instant, she felt somewhat ridiculous.