When the first rays of golden-red sunlight fell upon the bluestone pavement, the large roosters raised in the village hopped onto high perches, stretching their necks to let out long, piercing crows:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
Accompanied by the sounds of barking dogs and crowing roosters, the sleeping village stirred into a lively, vibrant state.
Wisps of white smoke drifted up from the rooftops, zig-zagging to divide the still-pale azure sky.
The children, home for the holiday and unable to sit still, ran outside the moment they opened their eyes. Only after being scolded in the local dialect by their families did they reluctantly return to stuff a few baba into their bellies.
Farmers leading calves to the fields stepped out with hoes over their shoulders. They were in no rush, first crouching beneath the stilt houses to enjoy a satisfying pull from their water pipes. Once the pungent smoke drifted away, they walked with hands behind their backs toward the picturesque green mountains and rivers.
In recent years, the Xixiang government had been vigorously revitalizing local tourism. With Qingmeng Mountain located behind Mulian Village and the relatively well-preserved ethnic minority architecture, the villagers had reaped many benefits.
Especially in the last two years, the number of outside tourists visiting the village had grown. Some savvy locals had even started opening guesthouses and farmhouses.
If it weren't for the fact that most villagers were unwilling to have too many outsiders living in the village, some of the abandoned old residences likely wouldn't have escaped the fate of being torn down and rebuilt.
It had rained the night before, and the greenery along the highway looked refreshed and comfortable to the eye. It was a vibrant, life-filled green, quite unlike the manicured ornamental plants caged in concrete cities.
A tourist bus carrying passengers braved the damp wind and pulled over to the side of the highway.
For this company team building, most people had brought their families along, so the manager, Feng Jianguo, had simply chartered a bus.
They had originally intended to head straight for Mulian Village, but halfway there, the driver suddenly pulled over.
Nan Zhi was leaning against her seat with her eyes closed, resting, but Zhang Qiuyu, who was sitting next to her, couldn't help but poke her head out to look.
"Oh my! Such a long snake. What a pity. It managed to grow so big only to be crushed by a car."
The other colleagues on the bus grew interested as soon as they heard this.
"Whoa, that must be over a meter long, right? Is it still alive?"
"It's crushed like that, its head is in pieces. It probably won't survive. But the ecology around here is great; a snake that long is just roaming the roads."
"I was wondering why the driver stopped before we reached our destination. Turns out he ran over a snake."
"Sigh. Will a snake that big cause us trouble after it dies? I saw people online saying that snakes and hedgehogs are very spiritual. Killing one brings bad luck."
A snake?
Hearing this, Nan Zhi slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look.
Sure enough, she saw the driver and the tour guide standing outside. At their feet was a long snake, about as thick as a child's arm, with its head crushed.
Nan Zhi had spent her childhood roaming the mountains, so she recognized it at a glance. It was a rat snake, the kind that ate frogs by the water.
The driver and the guide were both locals. With cars constantly passing on the highway, running over rabbits or turtle doves was common, so they didn't think much of it. They found a plastic bag, stuffed the dead snake inside, and got back on the bus.
"You people live in the city where there aren't even mountains, so you don't see snakes often. This snake tastes good. Take it back to stew or stir-fry with peppers; it goes great with rice."
Hearing the passengers say that killing a snake brought bad luck, the guide wasn't offended. Once the bus started moving again, he explained to everyone with a grin:
"This snake today is quite large. I'll take the skin back for my grandpa to soak in wine; it can treat rheumatism."
The guide was a young man in his early twenties named Shi Hongjiang. He didn't look very old, but he was sweet-talking and articulate. In just one morning, he had become familiar with many people on the bus.
As he spoke, he intentionally held up the bag and leaned toward Nan Zhi in a prankish manner.
To his surprise, Nan Zhi didn't even blink. She reached out and grasped the limp rat snake through the bag. After examining it for a moment, she said with certainty:
"This snake can't be eaten. It's carrying young. If you eat it, you'll get mouth sores. You'd better find a place to bury it."
Since she was a child, Dao Magu had taught Nan Zhi that animals in the mountains carrying young could not be eaten and should be released. Even if they were killed by accident, they had to be buried respectfully.
Eating a mother beast carrying young would lead to sores on one's mouth and backside.
The entire bus went silent. Those eating snacks, chatting, bragging, or playing on their phones all turned their heads, looking at Nan Zhi as if she were a hero.
Wait, even if it's a dead snake, she actually dared to grab it with her bare hands?
And how did you see that the snake was pregnant?
By feeling its pulse?
Even Zhang Qiuyu looked at Nan Zhi as if she were meeting her for the first time.
If that thing got near her, she would only scream and twist, then crawl three hundred meters away on all fours like some bizarre creature.
"Huh?"
Shi Hongjiang's expression soured. He took the snake back and felt it carefully. Sure enough, he felt a firm, distinct texture in a section of the snake's belly.
"Damn it. There are eggs in this snake's belly. I really can't eat it. Not only will I get mouth sores, but I'll also get scolded by my grandpa when I get back."
Zhang Qiuyu looked at Shi Hongjiang and then at Nan Zhi. Sensing something was different, she leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Do you two know each other?"
"We do. We're from the same village. His grandpa is from the same generation as my Grandma. I have to address him formally when I see him."
A trace of a smile flashed in Nan Zhi's eyes. "When I was little and playing in the village, I was older, so he used to follow me around with the other little kids."
Zhang Qiuyu vaguely knew that Nan Zhi was on bad terms with her Second Uncle's family. Hearing that she knew Shi Hongjiang, she felt a bit worried:
"Then will he tip off your Second Uncle's family and tell them you're back?"
"Tip them off? What is this, a spy drama?"
Nan Zhi found it a bit funny and put her arm around Zhang Qiuyu's shoulder.
"Besides, when this kid was playing with others back then, he accidentally fell into a manure pit and almost drowned. It was me who called people to pull him out."
"Furthermore, after my Grandma passed away, the Shi family basically stopped associating with my Second Uncle's family. And since I'm back this time, I was planning to visit the old house anyway to burn some incense for my Grandma."
"What can my Second Uncle's family do even if they find out? I'm not the child I was back then, helpless against him."
As if sensing that Nan Zhi was speaking ill of him, Shi Hongjiang, sitting in the front, glared at her and bared his teeth childishly.
In truth, the Nan family and the Shi family had once been close. The children of both families often ran wild together outside. It was only later, when Nan Zhi was going to university and had a major falling out with her Second Uncle, that she stopped coming home.
Later, when Dao Magu passed away, Nan Zhi was afraid her Second Uncle's family would cause a scene, so even her attendance at the funeral was rushed. That was how she lost contact with the Shi family.
Nan Zhi hadn't expected that Shi Hongjiang would become a tour guide and recognize her at a single glance.
Zhang Qiuyu was still a bit uneasy. In her eyes, Nan Zhi was like a little cabbage soaked in bitter water. If that Second Uncle of hers dared to bully Nan Zhi again...
She immediately started tapping away on her phone, sending messages to her husband sitting in the back row, emphasizing that for this team building trip, the two of them absolutely had to protect Nan Zhi.
Zhang Qiuyu's husband, who had been almost forgotten the entire way: "..."
Protect who?
That hero who just grabbed a snake with her bare hands?
The very best friend who had seduced his wife's soul away?
Or the culprit who had snatched his seat, forcing him to squeeze in with a bunch of grown men?
With a face full of grievance, Zhang Qiuyu's husband stared at the back of his wife's head for a long time before reluctantly replying:
【Received.】
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