The wine that greeted us at Ping'an Village looked quite intimidating, but when we actually tasted it, we discovered that it was all homemade rice wine.
It has a slightly sweet taste and a herbal aroma, but it tastes bland with almost no alcohol flavor.
And so I walked through the crowd, accepting every toast offered by someone.
While drinking, I also observed the internal structure of the village.
The entrance is on a main road, with two-story wooden buildings lining both sides, clearly some years old.
The road beneath our feet was still a stone slab road, the bluestone slabs worn smooth, with ruts left by horse-drawn carriages on them.
Amidst the sounds of musical instruments, we followed the main road and soon arrived at the front of a building in the very center of the village.
This building is a bamboo house with three floors and a circular shape. There is no sign at the only entrance.
Although the alcohol content here is very low, I drank more than twenty bowls in a row, and by the time I got here, I was a little dizzy.
The welcoming party also stopped here.
At this moment, Miao Xiaoxian walked up to us and introduced, "This is the meeting place of Ping'an Village. Ordinary villagers are not allowed to enter. The clan chief is waiting for you inside. Please follow me."
I was somewhat surprised when I heard Miao Xiaoxian's words: "You said that commoners are not allowed to enter here, so why were you able to bring us in? Is it because you have some special relationship with the clan leader? Or is it because you have a special profession here?"
"I remember reminding you not to ask questions here."
Miao Xiaoxian did not answer our questions, but led us into the courtyard.
Although this is the core area of Ping'an Village, the interior is still very dilapidated. The walls are simply covered with a layer of yellow mud, with lamp holders fixed on them, and the surrounding area is covered with traces of smoke.
When we entered the hall, the clan chief was already seated in the center. On either side of him sat four elderly men dressed in fine clothes, who appeared to be elders of Ping'an Village or something similar.
When the clan chief saw us enter, he asked with a smile, "How are you? Are you getting used to our customs here?"
I let out a burp and politely replied, "The people here are very kind and hospitable. Thank you for your hospitality, Chief."
"All who come are guests. Our Ping'an Village has been closed for so many years, and it is rare for guests to come to our door. Naturally, we should do our best to be hospitable."
The clan chief smiled kindly: "I just don't know what brings you here to our Ping'an Village after such a long and arduous journey."
"Scientific expedition!"
After thinking for a moment, I got straight to the point: "Chieftain, we spent a lot of money to obtain information that there is a legendary immortal tomb located in the Yalong River basin, known as the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace. We came here to investigate this matter!"
Jiang Man then spoke up, "We are a research team from the History Department of Yannan University. We have come to Sichuan to investigate some myths and ancient legends of the Miao people. We have no malicious intent."
The clan chief nodded slightly: "First of all, I must correct you. We are not Miao, but Zhai."
"Zhai tribe?"
The monkey blinked and said, "Old man, we may be young, but we're not stupid. There are 56 ethnic groups in China, and there's no such thing as a 'village' or 'ethnic group' among them."
I explained, “In the early days after liberation, more than 400 ethnic groups were reported from various places. It took the country more than 40 years of investigation and screening to finally identify 56 ethnic groups. Ping’an Village has been living in seclusion for many years, so perhaps it was not reported back then.”
The clan chief didn't respond to my words, and immediately said, "As for the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace you mentioned, we have never heard of it. If you really came here for this legend, we may not be able to help you."
Jiang Man did not believe the clan chief's words and added, "Old man, we came here with no ill intentions. We just want to investigate this legend."
"People always like to believe what they firmly believe in, and don't listen to the advice of others."
The clan chief shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Ping'an Village is independent of the world and does not want to be disturbed by the outside world. As guests, I can allow you to stay here temporarily. As for the so-called legends you mentioned, I really know nothing about them."
Jiang Man added, "Chieftain, we will not let Ping'an Village help us for nothing. We are willing to provide funds to contribute to the construction of Ping'an Village."
“No need. Ping’an Village is a primitive village. I don’t want the villagers’ current rhythm of life to be disrupted. You can just think of yourselves as tourists. Xiao Xian, you are responsible for taking good care of these guests.”
The clan chief paused for a moment, then continued, "I must also remind you that you must leave Ping'an Village before the next full moon. This is our local custom."
Seeing that the clan leader had finished speaking, Miao Xiaoxian stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, please follow me."
When Jiang Man saw that the clan chief had given the order to leave without saying anything, she was about to say something more when I gently grabbed her wrist and shook my head at her.
According to the clan chief, we can stay here until the full moon. Judging from the time, it will take at least another half month. We have plenty of time to investigate the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace. There is absolutely no need to provoke their displeasure at this time.
Ping'an Village is not very large; the entire village is arranged in a ring shape that spreads outwards, with the village council office located in the very center.
Miao Xiaoxian led us to a spot near the city wall and into a two-story wooden building: "From now until you leave, this building will be your residence. Every day at sunrise, noon, and sunset, the communal dining hall next to the council hall will be open for cooking, and you can eat there. There are no special taboos in Ping'an Village, but there are a few things you must abide by. First, you cannot go out after sunset! Second, you cannot disturb the normal lives of the villagers! Third, and most importantly, you must never leave the village without my permission."
After listening to Miao Xiaoxian's words, I said, "Just now in the council hall, the clan chief said that we were allowed to exist as tourists, but you won't let us leave the village. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Miao Xiaoxian glanced at me sideways: "You've all seen the layout of Ping'an Village. Apart from the village itself, it's all woods outside. There's nothing much to see, is there?"
I laughed and said, "Although the clan chief said he wouldn't cooperate with our investigation of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace, he didn't say we weren't allowed to investigate on our own. I can still walk around the area, right?"
Miao Xiaoxian didn't say anything, just nodded: "Okay, if you want to go out, I'll take you for a walk tomorrow."
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