Xu Xinghe wanted to investigate the village to see if there were any traces of Jiang Linchuan or clues about his stronghold.
Their hospitality gave her a reason to stay, so she stopped refusing and said, "Then I'm really troubling you, brother and sister-in-law."
After resting for a while, Xu Xinghe suggested naturally, "Brother, could we walk around the village? This is my first time in Shiwa Village, and I think it's quite unique. I'd like to explore and see what it's like."
Yi An glanced at her and echoed, "I've heard the old folks in the village mention Shiwa Village before, but I've never been here. I'd like to come and see it for myself."
Upon hearing this, the man immediately stood up and said, "No problem! I'll stay with you and introduce you to our village."
The roads in Shiwa Village are paved with gravel and are not very smooth, but they are kept very clean.
Occasionally, you can see a few chickens pecking at food by the roadside, and some people sitting in front of their houses sunbathing.
Seeing the man leading two strangers, they only glanced at them curiously and didn't ask any further questions.
As the man walked, he pointed to the surrounding houses and fields and said, “Our Shiwa Village is not big, just a few dozen households. We all make a living by farming and gathering some mountain products. Most of the people in the village are related by blood or marriage. They live a simple and peaceful life.”
As Xu Xinghe listened, he discreetly observed his surroundings.
The houses in the village look very ordinary, no different from the mud-brick houses in Lijia'ao, except that the layout is more compact.
The villagers we encountered on the road all looked calm and showed no signs of anything unusual.
The fields in the distance were well-maintained and the crops were growing well, exuding an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
The calmer things were, the more uneasy Xu Xinghe felt.
Jiang Linchuan said that the stronghold was near Eagle Beak Cliff. Shiwa Village was so well hidden, and it was just hidden at the bottom of the cliff. It didn't look like an ordinary village at all.
The two followed the man as they walked slowly through the village.
Shiwa Village is indeed small; you can walk around the houses, roads, old trees at the village entrance, and the stream beside the village in about half an hour.
What remains are the fields stretching out outside the village, where the wind blows across the crops, creating waves of green.
Xu Xinghe carefully observed every detail, but found nothing amiss from beginning to end.
After touring the village, they returned together to the man's house.
The room smelled wonderful.
The woman served stir-fried greens, cold radish salad, and mixed grain rice; although simple, it was already quite a feast.
The man was exceptionally hospitable, serving rice to the two of them while chatting casually with Yi An, "Brother, how's Lijia'ao doing now? How's the harvest? Is the old village chief still in charge?"
Yi'an responded to everything, and occasionally mentioned some trivial matters in the village, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Xu Xinghe sat to the side, mostly eating quietly. Occasionally, when the man asked her something, she would give a few simple replies, appearing somewhat silent.
She was still thinking about the base and had no time for idle chatter.
Halfway through the meal, the man got up and went to the kitchen to get more rice.
Taking advantage of the moment, Xu Xinghe quietly tugged at Yi An's sleeve and whispered, "Make a request later, say that we're staying here tonight."
Yi An was taken aback for a moment before nodding in agreement, "Then... how should I explain our relationship?"
Xu Xinghe lowered her head, ate a mouthful of rice, thought for a moment, and said, "Just say we're friends, and I'll handle the rest."
"good."
Just as Yi'an finished speaking, the man walked in carrying a bowl full of rice. "What were you two whispering about? Was the food not to your liking?"
"No, the food was delicious." Yi An continued, "Brother, I wanted to talk to you about something. We went too far into the mountains today. The slope was easy to go down but not easy to go up. It's getting late now, and we definitely won't have enough time to go back. I was wondering if we could stay at your house for the night and go back to Lijia'ao early tomorrow morning?"
Upon hearing this, the man readily agreed, "Of course! There's another empty room inside, with clean bedding. Please feel free to stay there!"
He put down his bowl and glanced at the two of them. "By the way, are you two here in the mountains to hunt?"
"I am the hunter."
As soon as Yi An finished speaking, Xu Xinghe took over, "I went to the mountain to chop firewood, but I accidentally got lost. I happened to run into Brother Yi An hunting, and I felt bad for delaying him, so I said I would go with him. I didn't expect to end up here."
The man suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! No wonder there's a man and a woman hunting together. The woman doesn't look like someone who hunts all year round."
After finishing his meal, the man quickly tidied up another empty room.
Since Xu Xinghe and Yi An were not a couple, they were arranged to live separately.
Xu Xinghe lived in the already clean little house, while Yi An lived in the newly vacated side room. The bedding had been aired out and smelled of sunshine.
"I'm going to check on the crops in the fields. I'll leave your sister-in-law at home to look after them. If you need anything, just tell her." The man picked up his hoe, smiled, and gave these words of advice before heading out to the fields outside the village.
As soon as he left, Yi An quietly slipped into Xu Xinghe's room, closed the door behind him, and asked in a low voice, "Why did you stay here? Logically speaking, we could have just found a sheltered place in the mountains to spend the night. There was no need to stay in the village."
"I just want to take another good look at this village."
Yi An nodded, and considering her identity, couldn't help but ask, "Do you think there's something wrong with this village?"
"We haven't found any specific problems yet," Xu Xinghe shook her head. "But who knows? Keep an eye on things, and let me know if anything unusual happens."
"Okay." Yi An agreed, then gave a few more instructions to be careful before returning to her room.
The afternoon sun was scorching, making the ground scorching hot.
Xu Xinghe rested in the house for a while, then got up to go for a walk around the village again. The man's wife was not at home, and the yard was empty.
She walked out of the courtyard and slowly strolled along the village path.
What struck her as odd was that, despite it being daytime, every household had their doors closed, and even the cracks in the windows were tightly shut. She couldn't hear a sound from inside the houses, as if the entire village was deserted.
As she walked along the road, the tightly closed door suddenly creaked open a crack, and a woman dressed in coarse cloth came out, carrying a small stool. She sat in the shadows by the door, head down, as if lost in thought, without deliberately staring at her.
Xu Xinghe always felt that the other person was secretly watching her every move out of the corner of their eye, and the feeling of being spied on was particularly strong.
She continued walking forward without making a sound, turned a corner, and suddenly the gate of another house opened.
A woman carrying a wooden basin came out. When she saw her, she forced a stiff smile, then squatted down in the yard to wash clothes, rubbing them incessantly with her hands, but never looked at her again.
Xu Xinghe frowned.
She deliberately turned another corner, and this time several doors opened at the same time, and several men and women came out, some carrying water jugs, some carrying farm tools, and talking in hushed tones, as if they were going to work in the fields.
But it's the hottest time of the afternoon, the sun is so strong it can make your skin peel. The villagers of Lijia'ao would have been hiding at home to cool off by now. Who would go to the fields under the scorching sun?
Xu Xinghe stood still, quietly watching those people walk into the field.
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