After Song Laosan and I changed our clothes, we walked towards the other side of the village, led by the man.
I followed the man and struck up a conversation, "Sir, I heard your wife call your name before. Your name is Liu Wenru, right?"
A man carrying a lantern walked along the mountain path: "My name is Liu Guang, courtesy name Wenru."
Old Song was somewhat surprised: "What era is this? There's still such a thing as a courtesy name?"
"It's just tradition. We live in a remote corner and are severely disconnected from the outside world, but we have also preserved some old traditions."
While Liu Guang was speaking, he led me and Song Laosan into a courtyard: "Uncle, strangers have come to the village."
At that moment, several elderly men were chatting around a stone table in the courtyard. When the old man called Liu Guang "Uncle," he asked, "Wenru, you've come at the right time. Did you have a catch?"
Liu Guang shook his head, pointed at me and Song Laosan and said, "The water temperature over the Cold Water River hasn't risen yet, and we haven't found any fish in the water, but we did find two strangers."
My uncle glanced at me and Song Laosan and said, “It’s strange. There have been a lot of troubles in the village lately, but quite a few strangers have come.”
"Sir, we can't say that!"
I was worried that the people here were as superstitious as those in Ping'an Village, and that they would blame us for the so-called misfortune. So I quickly explained, "Brother Liu went to Lengshui River first and then rescued us. It has nothing to do with us! But your villagers are so kind-hearted, they will surely be able to turn bad luck into good."
"Haha, kid, don't try to fool me. We're not savages."
When my uncle heard my explanation, he laughed and said, "It's just that we're forced to live in seclusion in the mountains due to circumstances."
I asked in surprise, "Forced by circumstances? Did you offend someone outside?"
The uncle waved his hand: "It's a long story! Before introducing us, I'd like to know who you are."
“Uncle, we work for a mining company. We came to Qingyun Town mainly for poverty alleviation. We originally planned to go into the mountains to survey the terrain and prepare to help build a breeding farm, but we accidentally entered this cave. Thanks to Brother Liu for saving our lives!”
After hearing my answer, my uncle nodded slightly: "So you mean, you didn't come here specifically for this mountain?"
I shook my head decisively: "No, we just wandered in by mistake."
"Wandered into the wrong place".
The uncle muttered those two words for a moment, then gave a bitter smile: "I'm afraid your arrival will ruin your lives!"
"Sir, what do you mean by that?"
Song Laosan looked at his uncle warily: "We have no grudges against each other. You wouldn't be thinking of killing me to silence me, would you?"
"If we were truly the executioners, why would Wenru have gone to the trouble of rescuing you?"
The uncle sighed: "I just want to tell you that there is no exit from this mountain. It's easy to get in, but there's no chance to get out."
Seeing my uncle's serious expression, I suddenly had a bad feeling: "Uncle, could you please explain more clearly why we can't get out?"
"The origin of our village can be traced back to the Liberation War period."
The uncle picked up his water glass and slowly began to speak: "We are all descendants of the National Revolutionary Army."
Hearing my uncle's response, I took out my cigarette case, lit one, and said nothing.
My uncle continued, "In those days, the domestic situation was turbulent. In order to suppress the Communists, the National Revolutionary Army recruited a large number of bandits and local armed forces! Our ancestors were the ones responsible for recruiting these bandits!"
Back then, the Kuomintang's influence in Sichuan was deeply entrenched, and Chongqing was the wartime capital, which led to the local armed forces being more aligned with the Kuomintang army. Our ancestors' work proceeded very smoothly; in just two years, they had formed three divisions! After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the main force of the Communist army began its advance into Sichuan.
Song Laosan frowned: "After the founding of the People's Republic of China?"
I explained, "The entire Sichuan province was liberated after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The cities of Xichang and Ya'an were not liberated until 1950!"
Seeing that I had explained, my uncle continued, "At that time, the Communist army was advancing like a whirlwind. The Kuomintang troops in Sichuan either fled or surrendered. Those high-ranking officials saw that the Kuomintang was doomed and ran away completely!"
At that time, the troops led by our ancestors were too low-ranking to be qualified to flee to Taiwan. The military orders from above were to have them lead three divisions to lie low and wait for the National Revolutionary Army to counterattack!
So our ancestors led their families and troops into the mountains! Not long after, the Communist army liberated Sichuan and learned that there were still Nationalist troops hiding in the mountains!
Faced with the encirclement and suppression by the Nationalist army and the loss of contact with their superiors, our ancestors had no will to fight, but they were afraid that surrendering would lead to their purge, so they hid in the deep mountains.
The location of our village was once a hideout for a band of bandits. Our ancestors hid here to escape capture by the Communist army. There used to be a passage connecting this place to the outside world. After our ancestors entered the village, they brought soil from outside the mountains and made a living by farming and hunting!
In 1955, a massive earthquake struck the area, collapsing the valley connecting it to the outside world. Even a large quantity of weapons and gold brought in by our ancestors were buried in the valley.
Since then, we've been confined to this village. Of the more than 700 people who went into the mountains back then, only a little over 100 remain today.
I looked at my uncle in surprise: "So, you've been living in this big cave for sixty or seventy years?"
"Yes! Back then, our ancestors stored a lot of grain and livestock in the cave to survive! And they were very farsighted to build a pasture in a place where the sun could shine at the bottom of the sinkhole. Unfortunately, a few years ago, a heavy rain caused a plague to break out among the livestock, and they all died."
Uncle paused for a moment: "Waiting for the Nationalist army to counterattack is the belief of our entire village. I have already seen the people who entered this cave before you, and I know that the Nationalist army will never be able to fight back. I just hope that you can help keep this a secret and not let others know about it."
Hearing my uncle's request, I pursed my lips. I wanted to say something, but in the end I just nodded. I thought to myself, I can't even get out of here, so who can I tell this news to?
Although I am also a fine young man with impeccable morals, I have to bow my head when I'm under someone else's roof. Judging from my uncle's attitude, if I don't agree to his request now, this old man is ready to kill me.
At this moment, Song Laosan asked impatiently, "Grandpa, the person you mentioned who came in earlier is very likely our friend. Could you let us meet him?"
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