Chen Yunqi experienced so many firsts here. He recalled every little thing that had happened since he first met San San, and his expectations for this mountain before he came up—hoping to gain something he had never experienced before. At this moment, he felt that his wish had been fulfilled, and San San in front of him was the best proof.
Not far away, San San was squatting on the ground, lighting a firework with the cigarette butt Chen Yunqi had given him. Chen Yunqi watched the handsome boy running towards him, covering his ears, and smiled as he opened his arms to welcome him. Silently, he said to his deceased grandfather, "Grandpa, I am happy and content now. I no longer feel lost or lonely. I truly love this simple and kind boy. You will forgive me, you will be happy for me, right?"
Many people in Tianyun Village remember that on New Year's Eve of the year Teacher Chen came, he set off fireworks on the roof of Tianyun Elementary School for most of the night, causing the dogs in the yard to bark incessantly, keeping everyone awake. Finally, the fireworks ended, but before everyone had even slept for a few hours, before dawn and before the roosters crowed, the sound of firecrackers crackling filled the air.
This year, the "gates" opened earlier than usual. Chen Yunqi generously bought three strings of firecrackers, connecting the fuses together and laying them out from the school playground all the way to the earthen slope outside the school gate. The firecrackers, dried and flammable after being baked for several days, exploded for a full ten minutes before finally stopping. Chen Yunqi and San San, covered in firework debris, smelled the strong smoky scent on each other. After a moment of looking at each other, Chen Yunqi tapped San San's forehead with his finger and said with a smile, "My darling, Happy New Year."
San San smiled warmly, "Brother, Happy New Year."
Chen Yunqi took San San's hand and held it to his chest, saying, "My darling, may you be safe and happy in the new year."
San San threw herself into his arms, rubbing her forehead against his chin, and said in a spoiled tone like a kitten, "In the new year, I don't want anything else but to be with you, brother."
Chen Yunqi affectionately stroked the back of his head and gently asked, "Are you tired? Go back to sleep?"
San San looked up at the sky, blushed slightly, and whispered, "I don't want to sleep, I want to stay with you."
Chen Yunqi hadn't brought a watch or a phone. He glanced at the sky and figured it would be a while before dawn. San San had been with him on the rooftop all night in the cold wind, her cheeks and the back of her neck were icy. Chen Yunqi unzipped his coat and pulled her close to his chest, asking softly, "Shall we go back to my room first?"
San San blushed secretly and made a soft "hmm" sound, barely audible.
It had been many days since he had come back to live here, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the desk by the window. As soon as he entered the room, Chen Yunqi asked San San to sit on the bed. Just as he was about to turn around to turn on the light, San San suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him down.
***
As dawn broke, the stars still lingered, reluctant to fade. Outside, the wind rustled the leaves, but inside, nothing could be heard except for intermittent breathing and low moans.
Chen Yunqi couldn't wait for San San to turn eighteen. Even if he was arrested tomorrow, he wanted to take advantage of her first.
But perhaps it was fate that was taking a chance on him, for it had to give him a wake-up call at this very moment. Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks sounded in the room, making everyone uneasy.
Chen Yunqi immediately tensed up, exchanged a few puzzled glances with San San, quickly got up to straighten his clothes, hurriedly tidied San San's messy hair, helped him dress properly, and buttoned the undone buttons back up one by one.
Both of their hearts were still pounding. Chen Yunqi forced himself to calm down, lit the oil lamp, hastily pulled at the hem of his coat to cover his lower body, and strode over. He was flustered and guessing what situation he might face next. After hesitating for a moment, he opened the door expressionlessly.
The moment the door opened, Chen Yunqi and San San's hearts leaped into their throats. San San sat uneasily at her desk, gritting her teeth and staring intently at the doorway. Only when she saw Sheng Xiaoyan standing alone in front of the door, looking into the room with a suspicious expression, did she relax her teeth, lower her head, and let out a silent sigh.
Chen Yunqi asked with some surprise, "Xiaoyan? What brings you here?"
Sheng Xiaoyan glanced at her brother inside the room, then looked up at Chen Yunqi. She couldn't fathom what the two of them had been doing in that dark room—Teacher Chen's bed was so narrow, could it be that they were leaving their empty room at home to squeeze into a bed at school? After a moment of wild speculation, she remembered she had important things to say, abandoned the idea of pursuing the matter, and said to Chen Yunqi, "Teacher Chen, Sheng Qinzhi's mother jumped off a cliff. Everyone is rushing there now. You and my brother should go and see her too!"
Sheng Qinzhi and Li Yan are the same age, and they have an older sister and an older brother. The older sister is also in the senior class at Tianyun Elementary School, and the older brother is a good student who, like Sheng Xiaoyan, studies in the county town and was transferred there with her.
When Chen Yunqi and San San rushed to Sheng Qinzhi's house, it was already broad daylight. The house was packed with people, both inside and out. He spotted San Niang and Li Laoqi in the crowd and squeezed through with San San, anxiously asking, "What happened? What's wrong?"
Old Li was small, and standing next to Chen Yunqi, he was much shorter. He looked up and said with a worried expression, "I don't know anything about it! We just got here too. We only heard that A-Cuo-Qu-Bi's wife got drunk and ran away. She didn't come back all night, and we can't find her anywhere!"
Chen Yunqi grew increasingly agitated as he listened, so he told Third Sister and Seventh Brother, "I'll go in and take a look," and then pulled Third Sister through the people in the courtyard into the house.
They had just entered when Li Hanqiang arrived with Li Jun. Li Jun, somewhat embarrassed upon seeing Chen Yunqi, immediately lowered his head and dared not speak. The village chief and San San's father, who had arrived earlier, were discussing with A Cuoqubi how to organize everyone to search separately. Seeing San San and Chen Yunqi enter, they beckoned them closer and said sternly, "Sheng Qinzhi's mother got drunk last night and jumped off a cliff. We need to find a way to bring her back. You two stay here and help look after the elderly and children until we return."
Chen Yunqi frowned and asked again, "Did he really jump off the cliff? Did you see it with your own eyes?"
Achub also knew Chen Yunqi; they had worked together in the fields before and would greet each other when they met on the road. He smoked his cigarette and said irritably, "I saw it! That damn crazy woman rushed out and ran towards the cliff edge; I couldn't catch her! Gone in a flash! What a fucking bad luck during the New Year!"
His tone was full of impatience and disdain, showing no grief or remorse for his wife's unexpected death. Chen Yunqi felt a surge of anger, but he held back and ignored him, turning to San San's father and saying, "Uncle, you should go quickly, be careful on the road. I'm going to check on Sheng Qinzhi and the others."
San San's father nodded, not daring to delay any longer. He and the village chief gathered their belongings, led the horse, and hurriedly headed out the door with the able-bodied men of the third group. Li Laoqi, Secretary Sheng, Sheng Xuewen, the mute father and son, and Li Hanqiang and his son all went along.
Chen Yunqi went outside to the yard and called Tang Yutao. The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Tang Yutao, clearly still half asleep, mumbled, "...Holy crap...New Year's greetings so early...?"
Chen Yunqi said seriously, "Wake up, Sheng Qinzhi's mother is dead."
Tang Yutao mumbled and grumbled for a while before suddenly realizing what was happening. He fell silent for a moment before lowering his voice and asking, "What's going on?"
"It seems he got drunk and got into a fight. He might have been distraught and jumped off a cliff. His body hasn't been found yet. I'm at Sheng Qinzhi's house now. I'm just letting you know. I'm hanging up now. I'll let you know if there are any new developments."
Chen Yunqi was about to hang up when he heard Tang Yutao say "Hey, wait a minute" a few times on the phone, so he picked up the phone again and asked, "Is there anything else?"
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. You should contact Director Zhang at the Education Bureau right away. With his mother’s death, the three siblings have become orphans, and they are all unregistered. Tell him about the situation and we need to figure out how to settle them down quickly.”
Chen Yunqi frowned immediately and said, "Orphan? Acuo Qubi isn't dead, and doesn't he have a grandmother? What's with the lack of a household registration?"
Tang Yutao coughed a few times and got out of bed. The bedding rustled on the other end of the phone. "Sigh, I didn't tell you before, but Sheng Qinzhi's biological father died from a drunken fall. His mother remarried into Acuoqubi's family, taking the three siblings with her. She didn't get marriage certificates with either of the two men, so naturally the children don't have household registration! It was Director Zhang who helped them get into school. He was telling me a while ago that we needed to find a way to register the children, and now this has happened!"
This situation was completely unexpected, and Chen Yunqi was a little stunned. Tang Yutao continued, "Acuo Qubi isn't stupid. They're not his own flesh and blood. They need money for food and education. He won't want these three children."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yunqi's mind was a complete mess. He went back to his room with a heavy heart. As soon as he entered, Sheng Qinzhi and his sister Sheng Huajuan greeted him with tears in their eyes. The two siblings threw themselves into Chen Yunqi's arms and burst into tears.
"Teacher Chen... my mother is gone... is my mother really gone?!"
Chen Yunqi didn't know how to comfort them, so he squatted down, hugged them, and patted the two children's backs, stammering, "Don't worry, don't worry... wait for your father to come back..."
Sheng Qinzhi's eldest brother, Sheng Qinyong, was the best student in the whole village and had been featured on television several times as an outstanding student representative from impoverished areas. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stood silently by, trying his best to control his emotions, watching his younger brother and sister-in-law weep, his clothes crumpled in his own hands.
The women, including San San's mother, San Niang, the mute mother, and the village chief's wife, stayed behind to help take care of the children and the elderly, busily preparing for the deceased's funeral. Although none of them had seen the body, everyone's words and actions indicated that the missing woman was truly dead, and even if they waited another day, there would be no chance of her survival.
Everyone was used to it.
The village chief's wife had already contacted Sheng Qinzhi's mother's family. She had married into the family from the opposite mountain, and upon hearing the news, they immediately said they would bring their entire family over. Besides her family, people from groups one through six of Tianyun Village, whether they knew the family well or not, gradually arrived to attend the funeral. The biggest problem was providing food and drink for such a large group of people, so San San's mother instructed the villagers to help bring back all of Sheng Qinzhi's cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, and busied themselves slaughtering the livestock to prepare food.
Chen Yunqi and San San, along with their three children, looked on helplessly at the bustling scene before them, unable to tell whether it was a funeral or a celebration.
At the start of the new year, the originally peaceful and joyful atmosphere turned heavy and inexplicable.
Chen Yunqi stood in the middle of the courtyard, suddenly feeling a dampness on his face. San San gently tugged at his sleeve, gesturing for him to look up at the sky.
"Brother, look."
Fireworks fade quickly; after the dazzling night, fine snowflakes began to fall gently from the Tianyun Mountains.
Chapter Forty-Three Cremation
Tianyun Village is located between the Qingkou River Canyon and the Gaoshan Canyon. It is hot, dry, and windy all year round, and has a subtropical monsoon climate with very little snowfall in winter.
The snow came suddenly, and everyone stopped their hurried steps and the things they were doing, and looked up at the sky.
Scattered, tiny snowflakes fell, melting as soon as they touched the ground. San San's eyelashes were wet; he rubbed his eyes and exhaled a puff of white breath.
"It's so cold."
Only after he said that did Chen Yunqi realize how unusually cold it was today. He tucked San San's hands into his own palms, warmed them with his breath, and then, afraid of being noticed by many people, put his warmed hands back into his pockets and said softly, "Let's go inside."
Inside, Sheng Qinzhi and his siblings were still sitting by the fire, sobbing uncontrollably. Their third aunt and mute wife were patiently comforting them while brewing tea. Looking at the three pitiful children, Chen Yunqi didn't know what to say. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere made them forget the love of the previous night; the sudden turn of events left everyone with mixed feelings.
Everyone remained silent and anxiously awaited bad news that had already been settled.
It wasn't until noon that the large group of people who had gone out to search for the missing person finally returned home in a grand procession.
The returning people and horses crowded into the courtyard. Everyone was exhausted and stamping their feet from the cold. They took out cigarettes and lit them for each other. Those who could go inside went inside, while those who couldn't squat by the wall and whispered among themselves.
With the help of San San's father and Li Hanqiang, A Cuo Qubi unloaded the body from the horse and placed it in the middle of the yard. The body was wrapped from head to toe in tattered clothes. Chen Yunqi was far away and could only see one bare foot sticking out, covered in mud and blood.
All the wine jars and barrels in Acuoqubi's house were brought out. The men drank wine to warm themselves up and listened to the village chief arrange the work to come. Some were responsible for preparing firewood and items needed for cremating the body, some were responsible for running errands to invite "Suni" to perform the ritual, and some were responsible for beating cattle.
The Yi people do not practice burial; all ashes are burned to ashes, and no one is required to preserve them. Besides Sheng Qinzhi and his sister, there are many others in Tianyun Village without household registration—their lives are exempt from many cumbersome procedures. No street office or household registration police come to check and register them, and no criminal investigators come to investigate the cause of death. They are born without permission, attend school without an identity, marry without a vow or registration, and die without any declaration or remembrance.
Sheng Qinzhi's mother died under suspicious circumstances, so in addition to cremation, a shaman was invited to the home to exorcise evil spirits. According to Yi funeral traditions, the bereaved family must slaughter a cow to sacrifice to the deceased, and also treat those who attend the memorial service. A cow, a sheep, and a chicken are considered ideal, and in some Black Yi areas, the family that slaughters more cows is considered to have an honor.
The deceased's maternal relatives from the opposite mountain also arrived at this time. A dozen or so Hei Yi people, both men and women, were all wearing headscarves and straw raincoats, their skin as dark as the last. They were talking to Acuo Qubi and the village chief in Yi language. Chen Yunqi couldn't understand them, but from their expressions and tone, he could tell that the atmosphere of the conversation seemed very tense.
San San lowered her voice and explained to him, "They are questioning the cause of Sheng Qinzhi's mother's death, believing that A Cuo Qubi beat her and drove her to her death, and they started arguing."
Based on Chen Yunqi's knowledge and understanding of Acuo Qubi, he believed that this was highly likely, or even true. However, without evidence or witnesses, Acuo Qubi could only try to turn black into white and white into black with his own mouth, and no one could do anything about it. Apart from cursing him in a lukewarm way, the Black Yi people could only compromise, identify the corpses one by one, and then all went to the inner room to drink and smoke.
The already cramped, dilapidated rooms were crammed with people. Three pots of meat were simmering on the kitchen stove, and Sheng Huajuan, as the eldest daughter, was being ordered around serving tea and meals. At the square table in the main room, Li Jun had already joined the card game, shouting and yelling, with colorful small-denomination banknotes scattered haphazardly across the table. The room reeked of alcohol and was filled with smoke. Sheng Qinzhi and his brother hid in their bedroom, curled up on the bed, and kept wiping away tears. Outside, few cared about them, few thought of them, and no one offered them support. They didn't know how to cope next, or what tomorrow would bring.
Looking at the somewhat absurd scene before him, Chen Yunqi felt inexplicably irritated. It was so cold that San San was shivering, so Chen Yunqi simply greeted San San's father and prepared to take him back to put on some more clothes.
As he stepped out of the house, he bumped into someone. The man was not tall, and his hair was long enough to cover his eyes. He looked to be in his early twenties, rather handsome, and was wearing a blue and white tracksuit. He was carrying a bundle of firewood and was heading towards the kitchen. When he saw Chen Yunqi come out looking dejected, he took the initiative to greet him.
"You must be Teacher Chen? I've heard so much about you!"
Hearing the polite and refined manner in his speech, Chen Yunqi nodded in a friendly manner and asked, "Um, who are you?"
The man smiled, revealing two charming dimples on his cheeks. "I am Amshar."
San San added, "Brother, this is Amu, our village's 'Singing God'."
Chen Yunqi had heard this man's name a few times and vaguely remembered that he was the one who was going to take San San out to work. So he reached out and shook hands with him, saying, "It's too cold today. I'll take San San back to put on some more clothes and then come back. Let's talk later."
Am stopped him and said, "It's too much trouble to come all this way. My house is right next door. If you don't mind, I'll go back and get you two pieces of clothing."
San San was still wearing thin shoes, and Chen Yunqi couldn't bear to let him get cold on the way. After thinking for a moment, he could only say, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
"No trouble at all, there's no need for me to be so polite with Sanwa'er," he said with a smile. "I'll go put down the firewood first. You guys wait in the kitchen and keep an eye on the stove so you don't get cold."
The two sat in front of the stove helping to tend the firewood, and finally warmed up a bit. Soon, Amu returned with two drab gray long cotton coats, handed one to each of them to put on, and looked them over with satisfaction, saying, "How about it, are these coats warm? They were issued by our construction site, and I used my connections to get an extra one for my dad."
The cotton-padded coat was somewhat similar in style to an old-fashioned military overcoat, belonging to the category of workwear. The cotton lining was genuinely thick, providing exceptional warmth, but it was also incredibly heavy to wear. San San was small, and once he put it on, he was completely obscured. Chen Yunqi folded down his collar and rolled up a section of his sleeve to reveal his face and hands.
As Chen Yunqi straightened San San's coat, buttoning it all the way up to his chin, he asked Amu, "Did you go looking for someone this morning? What exactly happened?"
Am stared at his overly affectionate behavior towards San San for a moment, unable to look away, before finally snapping out of it, "Oh, he's gone."
He was too lazy to go into details, but then he heard San San ask, "Where did you find her?" So he coughed a few times and said, "We split into several teams to search. We went down the cliff where she jumped and found her near a precipice close to Lao Ya Zui."
As she spoke, Am lifted a pot lid and frowned as she looked at the steaming stew inside.
"When they found him, he was already dead. He was so badly injured that he was almost unrecognizable. All that was left was half a skull, and his brains were completely gone."
San San gasped in shock upon hearing this.
Chen Yunqi silently took out a cigarette and offered it to Amu, but Amu waved her hand and said, "I don't smoke."
Chen Yunqi gave up and lit a cigarette for himself while protecting the fire. Amu kept staring at him and San San, a hint of loneliness flashing across her eyes, but she quickly straightened up and said, "I'm going out to help. You have to attend the cremation later, so don't go too far."
He pointed to the big pot and said, "Drink more hot soup. It hasn't been this cold here for many years."
Chen Yunqi had no appetite. He served San San a bowl of meat soup and went out to check on the situation. The body was still in the yard. He went around to the gate and bumped into Li Laoqi, who was clutching his stomach and walking inside.
Li Laoqi's face was ashen, and despite the cold weather, his forehead was covered in sweat. Seeing his furrowed brow and apparent discomfort, Chen Yunqi quickly asked, "Brother Laoqi, what's wrong?"
"Sigh, my stomach hurts again," Li Laoqi said, hunched over in obvious pain. "I came back to rest for a bit. Things are almost ready outside. Little one, could you call everyone over and get the burial done as soon as possible? It's too cold, too cold! We can't stand it anymore!"
Chen Yunqi didn't bother to respond to his teasing address and quickly helped him into the house, pouring him a bowl of hot water.
The house was packed with people, with nowhere to stand or sit. Li Laoqi squatted in a corner of the main room and drank some hot water, which made him feel a little better. He then asked Chen Yunqi to help find San Niang and called for people to come out.
A noisy, shoving crowd shoved each other out of the house toward the crematorium. Children ran and played among the crowd, while adults clutched sunflower seeds they hadn't put down, munching as they walked. If it weren't for the Suni loudly reciting the "Guide to the Way" and the faint sobs of the three siblings drowned out by the commotion, one would have thought the whole village was going to a temple fair.
Chen Yunqi led the way at the back, brushing the snowflakes off San San's head. He said helplessly, "Can we not go? I don't want to go at all."
San San understood his feelings and sensibly coaxed him, saying, "No, everyone who's been in this room has to go. It's okay, I'll stay with you."