Sunken Fish - Chapter 26
Which way to go?
Marlene shouted at Berliley, who was looking up and down. Marlene's shout, along with the millions of voices left behind by history, sank to the bottom of the valley.
Everyone, like people in the past twelve centuries, began to seek refuge in the caves and temples around Stone Bell Mountain.
Closest to Jumalin, Esmi, and Baihari is the main courtyard of the temple, originally built during the Nanzhao Kingdom in the 9th century, but no longer exists. In the rain and mist, the pillars and ceiling of Baihari are faintly visible. It was rebuilt more than a hundred years ago during the Qing Dynasty, destroyed several decades ago, and has been renovated in recent years.
The three drenched tourists stumbled along the path and came to a house, only to be suddenly stunned by an ancient scene—
The heavy rain created a curtain of mist. A young and beautiful girl, wearing a headscarf and a bright pink dress, sang to a young man, who was silently playing the erhu with affection.
As Berhali and his group moved closer, the young men and women singing remained completely unaware of the outsiders.
“Are they real people?” Esme asked.
Jumarin said nothing; she assumed it must be a resurrected ghost.
The ancient woman's voice rose higher, emitting a mysterious, celestial vibrato, which the man echoed with his own ancient melody. It was an unbelievable vibrato competition. The young man approached the beautiful girl, and the two seemed like ghosts stepping out of a mural. Finally, the girl leaned into the young man's arms, like a violin returning to its case, and they embraced deeply.
"Hello!"
Suddenly, a woman's voice called out. When Beryl, Jumarin, and Esme turned around, they saw a woman in a pink business suit waving at them, with two other people behind her—one holding a camera, the other a microphone. It turned out to be the film crew the ticket seller had mentioned.
“Oh dear! Did we get in your way?” Marlene replied. “I’m so sorry—”
The film crew ran over with a rain shelter, and the two singers in costume also came over; the man even started smoking.
“It’s alright,” the woman from the film crew said. “Are you from England?”
“From America,” Berhali replied, pointing to Marlene, Esme, and himself, “from San Francisco.”
"Very good."
Then she translated for the film crew and actors, who all nodded and conversed with each other. This worried Zhu Malin greatly. She grew up in a Shanghai family and knew some Mandarin, almost as well as Miss Rong's English. She sensed that the other party seemed unhappy, saying that the filming had been ruined or something.
Finally, the woman from the film crew said in English, "We are from a television station, filming a documentary about Bai culture and the scenery of Shizhong Mountain to attract tourists from all over the world. May we ask you a few questions?"
Beryl and Jumarin smiled at each other: "Of course, it would be an honor."
The photographer got into position and gestured for Beryl and Marlene to move to the left. The sound engineer held the microphone above their heads. The female reporter spoke in fluent, fast-paced Mandarin: “As you can see, Stone Bell Mountain boasts a rich culture, ancient caves steeped in history, and beautiful scenery, making it renowned both at home and abroad. Tourists from all over the world come here, drawn by its beautiful landscapes and educational significance. These tourists could have chosen to go to Paris, Rome, London, or Niagara Falls—but they chose this beautiful Stone Bell Mountain. Let’s take a look at two of them, a happy family from San Francisco, USA.”
She switched to English: "Sir, Madam, please share your impressions of Shizhong Mountain and the temples here."
“It’s so beautiful here,” Marlene said. “It’s beautiful even in the rain.”
She didn't know whether to look at the camera or the interviewer, so she looked at both, her eyes darting back and forth.
Berhali struck a pose with practiced ease, back straight and chest out, staring intently at the camera: "This place is truly captivating." He pointed to an intricately carved beam. "It's mesmerizing; we don't have anything like this in our home. No ancient architecture, no sacred red. It's utterly Chinese, a historical aesthetic. Oh, we can't wait to see that mysterious cave we've heard so much about, the one about women."