"I heard that several people have gone missing in the past few years. Two years ago, one from Group 5 went down the mountain to buy fertilizer and never came back. A few months ago, Sanwa'er's godfather went to visit relatives in Jiaoyuan and hasn't come back yet either. This is really very strange."
Jiaoyuan County again? Chen Yunqi was startled. Apart from the person from Group Five that San San's father mentioned, Huang Youzheng and Lan Jian both disappeared in Jiaoyuan County. It sounded like these two disappearances were related, which was very suspicious.
Chen Yunqi told Tang Yutao about Huang Youzheng's disappearance in Jiaoyuan. The two of them felt that there might be something fishy about the matter, so they decided that the next time they went down the mountain to the county, they would inquire about the matter again through the Education Bureau and the Public Security Bureau.
After dinner, the three of them went to Li Hanqiang's house and found Li Hui, who was completely drunk.
The next morning, Chen Yunqi got up early, packed his things, and planned to go down the mountain to town. In addition to buying a train ticket for Li Dong's maternal grandfather, he also wanted to buy some drawing paper for Huang Yelin, some stomach medicine for Li Laoqi, and a dress for Huang Xiaoya.
Tang Yutao had just come down the mountain last week. The way down the mountain was more difficult than the way up, and Chen Yunqi was not familiar with the town, so San San's father asked San San to accompany Teacher Chen.
It was just dawn when he went out; Tang Yutao and Li Hui were still asleep. Chen Yunqi put on a sweater over his shirt, then a windbreaker and hiking boots, and wore a beanie. He closed the door and went outside, where he saw San San already standing at the school gate waiting for him.
Chen Yunqi walked over to him. San San was still wearing that old bright yellow cotton coat and black pants, but he had changed into a pair of lightweight Feiyue shoes. Chen Yunqi noticed that the soles of the shoes were very thin and asked him if his feet were cold. San San smiled and said, "They're not cold when I walk around."
San San took two hot boiled eggs out of her pocket and gave them to Chen Yunqi. She then opened the thermos and held it up to Chen Yunqi's nose, gesturing for him to smell them.
Chen Yunqi looked down and smelled a sweet aroma of soy milk. He took the cup, sipped a small mouthful of the piping hot soy milk, and found it so sweet it made his throat feel dry.
"Where did it come from?" Chen Yunqi sipped the soy milk, feeling his body warming up again.
"Xiaoyan brought it back. She saw other classmates drinking it, so she bought a pack too. She got scolded when she got back because it's quite expensive." San San said with a satisfied smile as she watched Chen Yunqi drink the soy milk.
Chen Yunqi ate the egg and filled his stomach with soy milk. There was still half a cup of soy milk left, so he handed the cup to San San and asked her to drink some too. San San said, "I've already had some at home. You drink it, Brother Qi. You've already drunk it all."
The soy milk was too sweet; Chen Yunqi felt too cloying to drink anymore. He put the cup away and quickened his pace with San San.
Going uphill is easier than going downhill. Although the speed is faster than going uphill, the force exerted on the body and the direction of gravity become the same, making it easy to lose balance and fall if you're not careful. Fortunately, it was daytime, the path was clearly visible, and there was no slippery ground due to rain.
Having had the experience of climbing the mountain once, Chen Yunqi was more confident this time, and he was no longer as confused and flustered as he had been on the way up.
Chen Yunqi felt he was gradually getting used to walking this mountain path, although he still fell in a few places where it was too steep, his back hitting the ground and the stones causing a dull ache. He rested for a while at Laoyazui, and to conserve his energy, he drank the rest of his soy milk.
The three households in Group 1 of Laoyazui had all gone to work in the fields, leaving only the elderly and children at home. The old man invited them into his house for tea in Yi language, but Chen Yunqi, who was planning to return that evening, politely declined and continued down the mountain.
I didn't expect it to only take three hours to get down the mountain. If I hadn't rested along the way and had walked even faster, I probably could have finished in two hours.
Chen Yunqi ran out of cigarettes, so he bought a pack of locally produced cigarettes at a general store at the foot of the mountain. It was the most expensive pack on the shelf, costing thirteen yuan. San San offered to pay for him, but Chen Yunqi refused. San San blushed and whispered, "Brother Qi, I'll treat you to a meal when we get to town."
"Okay." Chen Yunqi smiled as well.
He was smoking as he waited for the bus in front of the grocery store with San San. The tobacco in the cigarette was very coarse, and it was spicy and strong, like the Mohe cigarettes that his grandfather used to roll. At first, Chen Yunqi was not used to it.
Looking beyond the highway, one sees the Qingkou River. The sun is blocked by the mountains on the opposite bank, with only dappled sunlight filtering through the gaps and illuminating the river's surface.
Seeing that there were few cars on the road, Chen Yunqi crossed the road to the roadside fence and looked down over it. The riverbank was covered with pebbles of various sizes, and the river water was clear and flowing slowly. He picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it forcefully. The stone fell into the river with a "plop," creating a small ripple.
San San didn't follow. Chen Yunqi turned to look at him. San San's bright yellow clothes overlapped with the blue door behind him. The two colors collided in an unexpectedly harmonious and beautiful way. Against the backdrop of the vast mountains, it was like a painting.
Mountains, houses, young people.
Chen Yunqi recalled the first time he met San San, the boy's beautiful silhouette and clear eyes under the night sky, and his warm, moist hand.
Time flies like an arrow. More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye. It seems I need to adjust my plan to stay for only a month.
There were no motorcycles soliciting passengers here. After waiting for half an hour, a bus heading to the town center finally passed by. Chen Yunqi and San San got on the bus and bumped along the way to Qinghe Town.
Qinghe Town is located at the intersection of railway lines, more than 50 kilometers away from Haiyuan County. The town is inhabited by Han and Yi people, as well as a small number of Tibetans.
The town is a bit more lively on weekends than on weekdays. There is only one main road in the town, with low buildings scattered on both sides. Some of them are shops selling agricultural supplies, and some are snack shops. Farmers carrying baskets on their backs and wearing headscarves walk by the roadside. When they see vehicles, they calmly drive their cattle and horses to the side of the road.
After getting off the bus in the town center, Chen Yunqi and San San went to the train ticket agency first. Following the route information given by Li Dong's maternal grandfather, they bought their tickets. It was already lunchtime, so Chen Yunqi decided to eat first and then go to the afternoon market to buy things before heading back after dark.
Qinghe Town has two local specialties: barbecue, which is only available in the evening, and a type of river fish from the Bingjiang River called Bing fish. The Bing fish resembles a carp but has scales as fine as a trout. It is large and plump with tender flesh. Bing fish in casserole is a famous local dish. Legend has it that it was once presented as tribute to Empress Dowager Cixi during the Qing Dynasty, who praised it as "the meat of dragons and phoenixes." ①
Before descending the mountain, Tang Yutao specifically instructed Chen Yunqi to try the fish and recommended a familiar restaurant. Following the restaurant name given by Tang Yutao, Chen Yunqi easily found this small fish restaurant among the few restaurants in town. There were a few small fish in two glass tanks at the entrance, barely clinging to life in the not-so-clean water.
There weren't many customers in the restaurant, so Chen Yunqi chose a table by the window and sat down with San San.
The waitress, who had been lying idly on the table, noticed Chen Yunqi's outstanding appearance, extraordinary demeanor, and sophisticated attire. Knowing that a visitor from out of town was a good opportunity to rip him off, she quickly grabbed a pen and notebook and came over, enthusiastically recommending dishes to Chen Yunqi in her local dialect.
San San rarely eats out. At this moment, she sat quietly to one side, tore off a tissue and thoughtfully wiped the table for Chen Yunqi. She then rinsed the cup with hot water from the teapot, filled it with tea, and pushed it over.
Chen Yunqi loves to eat fish. He pointed to the glass tank outside the door and asked, "Is that a bream? How much is it?"
The waiter didn't even look at it before saying, "Two hundred per pound."
Chen Yunqi couldn't help but burst out laughing, then composed himself and asked seriously, "Why is it so expensive?"
"You're from out of town? You wouldn't believe it! Our Bing fish has a sword on its head! Do you know Nuwa? This sword turned into a precious stone when Nuwa was mending the sky—it accidentally fell into the water. Look closely when you eat it, and you'll see! These fish are getting rarer and rarer! They say on TV that these fish eat natural stone slurry, which contains certain elements! That's why they're so expensive!"②
Chen Yunqi listened patiently to the young woman's animated introduction, sipping his tea with a smile. After she finished speaking, he said unhurriedly, "Okay, weigh me a smaller one. There are only two of us; we can't finish any more."
After saying that, she picked up the menu and ordered a vegetarian dish and rice. When asked what San San liked to eat, San San waved her hands repeatedly to indicate that she had enough.
The younger sister happily took the menu to the kitchen to instruct the staff on what to cook. San San tugged at Chen Yunqi's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, I think they're trying to rip you off. Why did you order?"
Chen Yunqi didn't answer his question, but instead asked him, "Have you ever eaten Bing fish? Is it really delicious?"
"Hmm, I ate there once, it was alright, I can't remember exactly," San San stammered softly, a little worried about whether she would have enough money to pay the bill later.
The casserole-cooked fish was served quickly. The fish was cut into six or seven pieces, making it difficult to identify the "sword" (the fish head). The fish, marinated in salt and wine, was first fried and then stewed, making it very flavorful. The fish soup was thick, white, and delicious, and it was served with scallions, fermented broad bean paste, and pickled chili strips, giving it a unique flavor.
Chen Yunqi picked up a piece of fish belly meat, carefully removed the bones, and placed it in San San's bowl. San San whispered "thank you," and looking at the white fish meat, she felt an indescribable sweetness in her heart.
Chen Yunqi tapped his bowl with his chopsticks and asked gently, "What are you daydreaming about? Try it. If you find a sword in it, don't keep it to yourself, spit it out and show it to me."
After finishing a two-pound fish, Chen Yunqi went outside to smoke a cigarette, looked at his phone for a while, and then walked back to the table, beckoning to the young woman.
"Hello, checkout please."
A note from the author:
--- ①② Both of these stories originate from folk tales, and I haven't checked their specific sources. Another explanation for the sword-shaped fish bone is that "this fish skull conceals a 'sword,' which was part of the sword of Su Qin, a statesman during the Warring States period, who was executed by dismemberment. His sword fell into the river and was found by the fish, thus becoming a 'counterfeit-proof mark' for identifying the fish; if it has the sword, it's genuine; if it doesn't, it's fake."
Chapter Seventeen Backpackers
"Hey, it's here."
The younger sister put her phone, which she was fiddling with, back into her pocket and walked over with a big smile.
Chen Yunqi took out his wallet, pulled out two 100-yuan bills and a 50-yuan bill, and gently patted them on the table. The young woman was stunned and didn't reach for them for a while. Chen Yunqi smiled and asked, "You're not taking the money?"
"Brother, this isn't right. Your fish weighed two and a half pounds, and at two hundred per pound, the total cost was..."
The younger sister started calculating the accounts on her fingers as she spoke.
Chen Yunqi stretched out his hand, pressed the money down with his index and middle fingers, and pushed it towards her, saying, "Let me calculate for you. Wild bream is 120 yuan per jin, and farmed bream is 80 yuan per jin. I looked at the live fish at your door, and their size and appearance clearly indicate they are farmed fish, not wild ones. The fish is 184 yuan, the rice is 2 yuan, and a plate of vegetables is 25 yuan, totaling 211 yuan. I'll give you 250 yuan, and you have to give me change."
"This..." The young woman was speechless, stunned by Chen Yunqi's fluent Mandarin. She never expected him to know the market price of Bing fish and to calculate the money so quickly, leaving her completely bewildered. Unable to figure it out for the moment, she could only helplessly say, "I...I'll go ask the boss..."
Watching her younger sister leave in a daze, San San asked blankly, "Brother, how did you know how much Bingyu costs?"
Chen Yunqi waved his phone, leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "I found it online. What they're asking for is outrageous; we can't let them take advantage of us."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a woman who looked like the owner, with a fanny pack slung over her waist, approached again with her assistant. She glanced at Chen Yunqi and San San, noticing Chen Yunqi was the one who would be paying, and then said with a smile, "Boss, our fish are truly wild. If you don't believe me, I'll catch you a live one so you can take a closer look and see if it has any 'swords' (a type of fish with a prominent neck). This is the price for fish now, I'm not lying to you..."
"According to my country's Price Law, if a business operator uses false or misleading pricing methods to induce consumers or other business operators to transact with them, it is an illegal and irregular act, and may be subject to a fine of up to five times the illegal gains. In serious cases, the business license may be revoked."②
The female boss and the younger sister both widened their eyes at the same time.
"What?"
“I can call the Industry and Commerce Bureau or the Market Supervision Bureau now, or the media, or the Consumer Association. There’s always a department that can handle this.” Chen Yunqi turned on his phone screen and opened the dial pad.
The female boss was shrewd enough to see that Chen Yunqi was not an easy customer to fool, and that he seemed educated and knowledgeable about the law, so she had a bad feeling. Although she couldn't understand a single word of what Chen Yunqi was saying, she still smiled awkwardly and apologized to him, quickly picked up the banknotes on the table and stuffed them into her pocket, then took out a handful of change, quickly counted out a few bills with her saliva-covered fingers, and politely handed them to Chen Yunqi.
Chen Yunqi and San San got up to leave, and the female boss asked, "Where are you from, handsome? Are you here for tourism? We've had a lot of city people coming here to travel in the last two years, they call themselves backpackers, are you one of them?"
Chen Yunqi smiled and said, "No, I'm a teacher at Tianyun Elementary School and Tang Yutao's colleague."
The female shop owner suddenly realized, "So he's Teacher Tang's friend! No wonder he's so difficult to deal with! He knew the prices of her dishes all along and was deliberately trying to rip her off!"
Suddenly it dawned on her that in this remote, impoverished area, there were no price laws or market regulations whatsoever. She had been momentarily intimidated and had suffered from her lack of education. She was displeased, but quickly regained her smile. After all, she was in a business of welcoming and seeing off customers, and Teacher Tang was a regular; she didn't want to offend his friend.
"Oh dear, why didn't you say so sooner? Our little sister is so clueless; she didn't know she was Teacher Tang's friend. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have been so oblivious. Next time you come, I'll give you two more dishes!"
"Thank you," Chen Yunqi said with a smile, "Then I wish you a prosperous business, boss."
After saying that, he and San San strode away, leaving the female boss and the younger sister staring at each other at the door.
San San laughed out loud after they had walked a distance. He looked at Chen Yunqi's smug expression and thought that Chen Yunqi had turned into a childish kid who loved to tease people again. He said with a smile, "Brother, you're really amazing. You know everything. Look how scared they were."
Chen Yunqi was indeed very receptive to this, his lips couldn't help but curl upwards, and he walked with an air of nonchalance, as if horns were about to sprout from his head at any moment.
Leaving the restaurant, the two walked towards the town center. There was a small shopping mall in town, and every weekend a small market would gather in front of the mall, where people from the surrounding area would set up stalls to sell their own crops, livestock, or handmade trinkets.
Chen Yunqi explored the market, touching and looking at everything with great curiosity. He took a liking to a retro-styled pipe and bought a pair of earrings, about the size of coins, with a distinctly ethnic design.
San San was helping to bargain when he saw Chen Yunqi carefully put the earrings into his pocket and happily prepare to pay. He couldn't guess who Chen Yunqi was going to give the earrings to, and felt a pang of sadness. So he quickly took out the money from his pocket and handed it to the woman selling the earrings. Without looking at Chen Yunqi, he said with his head down, "I haven't treated you to lunch yet, so I'll give you these."
Chen Yunqi was taken aback at first, then smiled and didn't stop him, only saying softly, "Thank you."
After browsing the market at the entrance, the two went into the mall. The mall was pitifully small, and the goods were not complete; there were no stationery or drawing paper for sale.
Chen Yunqi spent a long time picking and choosing in front of two racks full of children's clothes before finally picking out a blue dress with white flowers that she liked. She gestured to the seller for a long time to show Huang Xiaoya's size and make sure that the five-year-old could wear it before folding the dress, which had no tags or labels, and putting it into her backpack.
After leaving the mall, they bought some common stomach medicine without a prescription at a small clinic. Seeing that it was getting late and the market was starting to close, with fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street, Chen Yunqi and San San prepared to head back.
They arrived at the bus parking area, and several people who were squatting next to the motorcycles waiting for business immediately surrounded them.
Chen Yunqi asked, "Shall we go to Tianyun Village? There are two of us."
One of the men said, "Tianyun Village? We can't leave! There's a landslide along the Qingkou River, the road is blocked, we can't get through."
Chen Yunqi and San San looked at each other, unable to believe that they had encountered such a bad situation.
Seeing that there was no business to be had, the group scattered like birds. The man who had spoken earlier kindly advised, "Hurry up and find a guesthouse to stay in, or you'll have nowhere to go if you stay too long."
Chen Yunqi glanced at San San, who was equally at a loss, and asked again, "Brother, how serious is the landslide? Do you know how long it will take to clear the road?"
The older brother hopped on his motorcycle, shrugged, and said, "Who knows? It'll take a whole day and night to finish."
Chen Yunqi called Tang Yutao to verify the landslide. Tang Yutao had also heard about it from the village chief and was planning to contact Chen Yunqi to ask about their situation. Upon learning that they were safe and sound and still in town, he told Chen Yunqi and San San to find a place to stay and wait for news, returning once the roads were cleared.
Left with no other choice, Chen Yunqi and San San had to return to the town center and find the only hotel in town. The man was right; the dilapidated hotel only had eight rooms, and seven of them were already full. If they had arrived any later, the two of them would have had to sleep on the streets.
"Just one room, two beds, is that okay? If so, bring your ID to register." At the hotel's first-floor reception desk, a young man with dyed blond hair impatiently took the ID card Chen Yunqi handed him, then looked at San San: "Where's yours?"
San San had no wallet and didn't bring his ID card with him when he went out. He was worried about what to do when the young man saw his predicament and said, "Didn't bring it? Never mind, you can only stay for one night."
"Is your business always this good?" Chen Yunqi took back his ID card and put it into the inner pocket of his wallet.
The blond-haired young man tossed a bunch of keys on the table, looked up and gestured with his chin toward the direction behind Chen Yunqi, indicating to them: "The 'backpackers' are here, they've taken all the rooms."