Chapter 17

“What’s with that girl?” Xu Zirong pointed at her retreating figure, then turned to Shen Jianqing. “She seemed pretty familiar with you.”

“Just someone I happen to know,” he said casually. “I told her to call the village elders to come greet you. We know each other’s names, that’s all—nothing more.”

“Greet us?” Qiu Lu’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that a bit… much?”

We would’ve been content just not getting chased out. A welcome ceremony was more than we could hope for.

We followed the winding path up the hill, taking in everything around us. This was the heart of the settlement—stilted houses lined both sides of the road. They looked simpler than the ones I’d seen in Dongjiang Miao Village, less ornate but more practical. On some balconies, rows of smoked meat hung drying in the sun.

Our arrival clearly drew attention. Some doors slammed shut, while curious faces peeked out from behind others—eyes full of suspicion and wonder.

For the first time, I understood how animals at the zoo must feel.

The moment I met someone’s gaze, they’d quickly duck back inside as if I were some dangerous beast.

Not long after, an old man with a head full of white hair appeared on the hilltop, dressed in a dark gray Miao robe. His face was lined and solemn, his expression commanding respect even from a distance.

Beside him stood a young woman in a blue Miao dress, supporting him with one arm—though her gaze was fixed not on us, but on Shen Jianqing.

When the villagers saw the elder, they stopped hiding. Doors opened. People gathered around him one by one, forming a quiet, watchful crowd.

“They look kind of… intense,” Wen Lingyu whispered, clutching Qiu Lu’s arm.

Qiu Lu edged closer to Xu Zirong, clearly feeling the same.

I said quietly, “Are you sure they’re… welcoming us?”

Shen Jianqing smiled, the tiny red mole at the corner of his eye vivid against his skin. “Don’t worry,” he said lightly. “Since you’re my friends, they won’t give you any trouble.”

I gave him a doubtful look. He met my gaze and winked, full of confidence.

Well… I’d just have to take his word for it.

Before long, the group of Sheng Miao people approached us in a slow but intimidating formation.

The old man leading them squinted as he gave each of us a long, assessing look. His eyes were clouded with age, but there was a sharpness in them that no years could dull.

From the reverent way everyone stood behind him and the natural authority in his presence, I guessed he must be the clan chief—or at least someone with great respect and standing here.

The old man spoke first, his voice low and rasping. “Puman?”

We didn’t understand a word.

All four of us turned to Shen Jianqing at once. His expression didn’t change as he began speaking with the elder in Miao.

I couldn’t follow a thing they were saying, so I watched their faces instead. The old man’s gaze, sharp as a blade, lingered on Shen Jianqing, then shifted to us, studying and questioning.

Whatever Shen Jianqing said next seemed to work. The elder’s brows, once furrowed deep, slowly relaxed. His stern expression softened into something far gentler—more like what you’d expect from a village elder than a ruler.

I let out the breath I’d been holding.

We’d come here uninvited, after all. If they’d decided to reject us—or worse, turn hostile—we’d be no match for them.

But it seemed Shen Jianqing had managed to talk things through.

The elder took a step forward, smiling faintly. “You dasa!”

We looked at Shen Jianqing for help again.

He translated, “It means ‘welcome’ in Miao. See? I told you they’d be happy to have you.”

Understanding dawned, and we all pressed our palms together in a respectful gesture of thanks.

“Pfft—”

A silvery laugh rang out.

Instinctively, I turned toward the sound. The young woman supporting the elder was laughing, her beauty striking up close—eyes slightly upturned, lips a deep rose-red, her charm carrying a touch of danger.

When our eyes met, her smile deepened. She turned to whisper something to the younger girl beside her—the same one who’d run to fetch the elder earlier—and both of them burst into quiet giggles.

“What are they laughing at?” Qiu Lu hissed to Wen Lingyu, her tone half-panicked. “My hair’s fine, right? Nothing stuck in my teeth?”

Wen Lingyu just shrugged. Neither of us had any idea.

After a bit more back-and-forth, Shen Jianqing—ever the dutiful guide—finished speaking with the elder. The old man turned, issued a few instructions to the gathered villagers, and the crowd began to disperse.

Then he nodded politely to the four of us before heading back up the slope with the beautiful woman at his side.

Halfway up, she suddenly turned around, her eyes locking on Shen Jianqing. But he didn’t look at her—not even a glance. Her lips tightened with disappointment, and she turned back, continuing to walk beside the elder.

“She was looking at you,” I said to Shen Jianqing. “Like she had something to say.”

He let out a low, impatient hum through his nose. “Ignore her,” he said flatly.

I froze for a second. I’d always thought of Shen Jianqing as kind-hearted, maybe even a little too considerate—but I hadn’t expected this cold edge.

After a pause, he looked up at me and added evenly, “We’re not close. You don’t need to mind her.”

Qiu Lu broke the silence. “So… what did you tell them? The old man looked ready to skin us at first, and then all of a sudden he’s smiling.”

Shen Jianqing replied, “I told him you were guests, that you meant no harm, and just needed a place to stay for a while.”

As he spoke, a few Miao villagers came out from the stilted houses, carrying bundles of bedding, pillows, and clothes in their arms. When they saw us, their faces stayed expressionless; they only gave a brief nod to Shen Jianqing, then started down the slope in the direction we’d come from.

“What are they doing?” Xu Zirong asked, scratching his head.

“They’re bringing you supplies,” Shen Jianqing said. “I don’t have enough bedding at my place, so we’re borrowing from others.”

Xu Zirong’s brows shot up, his face breaking into a grin. “Didn’t think you were this well-connected! Respect, man!” He gave Shen Jianqing a playful punch on the chest.

Shen Jianqing lowered his gaze, glancing briefly at the spot Xu Zirong had touched—his expression unreadable.

Xu Zirong went on cheerfully, “When you told us your story, I thought you’d been treated badly here or something. Guess I was wrong—these folks are real nice!”

Qiu Lu chimed in, “Shen Jianqing, you’ve helped us so much! When we get out of here and publish our field research, we’ll make sure to list you as the second author!”

Her face was glowing, like she could already see her name printed in a prestigious journal.

And honestly, with what we’d gathered so far, getting into one didn’t seem impossible.

“Second author?” Shen Jianqing frowned at me, confused.

I explained, “It’s our way of showing appreciation—it’s an academic honor.”

He tilted his head. “Not money? I thought trade was supposed to be fair exchange. Now it’s… second authorship?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t want a second author credit,” he said calmly. “And I don’t need money either. None of that matters to me.”

Wen Lingyu asked curiously, “Then what do you want?”

Before he could answer, Xu Zirong joked, “As long as it’s not our Lu-lu, you can have anything you ask for!”

The words had barely left his mouth when Qiu Lu spun around and punched him squarely in the arm. “Xu Zirong! Could you not say things like that? It’s rude!”

Xu Zirong winced, rubbing his arm with a grin that looked more like a grimace, and under Qiu Lu’s sharp glare, he bowed his head and mumbled out an apology.

We bantered back and forth for a while, and naturally the conversation shifted to the next topic.

“Let’s head back. There’s nothing else to see here,” Shen Jianqing said, leading us along the path. “It’s been a long day. Get some rest. If you need anything later, I can help.”

Similar words had come from Anpu before, but the difference was clear. Anpu was the guide arranged by Teacher Ye, and we had paid him for his services. Shen Jianqing, on the other hand, had met us by chance. We had constantly troubled him without offering anything in return—aside from that packet of beef jerky—but he still went to great lengths to help us.

Perhaps only a place as pure and unspoiled as this could raise someone so genuinely kind.

I glanced at Shen Jianqing. He was casually brushing his chest with the back of his hand, as if shaking off something dirty. When he noticed me watching, he curved his eyes in a small smile.

Back at Shen Jianqing’s stilted house, we just caught the villagers leaving. They glanced briefly at us, nodded slightly to Shen Jianqing, and then walked away.

Yet the way they looked at him was strange—full of a mixture of reverence and caution.

Reverence? Caution?

Odd. Maybe I was imagining it.

It had been a long day—hiking through the mountains, climbing cliffside chains—each task both novel and exhausting. The excitement of reaching the Sheng Miao settlement had masked the physical fatigue, but now, back in Shen Jianqing’s stilted house, the weariness was finally catching up.

Everything happening in a single day gave it an almost surreal, staged feeling.

I returned to my small room, intending to make the bed and rest for a while. Yawns bubbled up one after another as sleepiness weighed on me.

I pushed the door open—and the bare floorboards I’d seen earlier were gone, replaced by a soft, inviting bed.

The gray quilt was plain, but thick and warm, enough to get through a night in the dense forest.

The villagers hadn’t just brought bedding—they’d even made the bed. I imagined the other rooms had received the same treatment.

I ran my hand over the mattress, thinking this was almost overwhelmingly generous.