Traffic conditions in India are not very good. It is only a distance of over 600 kilometers from New Delhi to Bihar, but it took us more than ten hours to drive there.
The convoy was arranged by the Wei family long ago. There were three covered trucks in total, two of which carried people, and the third was carrying something I don't know, but I guessed it was related equipment.
To keep a low profile, the team consisted of only three local drivers and had no security personnel.
Although Wei Shengnan said that everyone should discuss how to raid tombs together on the way, Qu Ruilin didn't want to talk to me at all.
I couldn't be bothered with this crazy guy, so I sat in another car.
Wei Shengnan probably knew we were all angry, so she didn't force us to interact while we were on the road.
The situation changed drastically after the convoy entered Bihar.
This region is known as the "Fourth World in the Third World".
As far as the eye could see, there was only yellow sand and Gobi desert, and the few small towns along the way were also dilapidated.
Indian states are at the same level as provinces in China. Bihar is a "slump zone" in India's development, with alarmingly high unemployment and population loss rates, and extremely poor security.
In 2022, a major news story broke here: more than 80 people died from drinking fake alcohol.
This number is only the official figure; the actual death toll is likely much higher because ordinary people dare not report it. Otherwise, if it is discovered that someone in their family died from counterfeit alcohol, they will not only receive no compensation but also face a hefty fine.
Bihar is a lawless place, and those who drink fake alcohol are from the lowest rungs of society, doing manual labor.
The investigation revealed that many of the counterfeit alcohols they drank were diluted medical alcohol, and some were even diluted ethanol gasoline and disinfectant.
This gives a glimpse into how backward this region is.
Although Bihar has declined in modern times, the region has a long history and was once a place where Buddhist kingdoms and royal power flourished.
Bihar was powerful for over a thousand years in history. At its peak, even Punjab, known as a land of cultural fusion, was considered inferior to it.
Later, with the rise of Islam, Bihar declined along with Buddhism. Because religious issues are too sensitive, I won't go into details here.
That afternoon, our vehicle entered a small village.
I think it's more appropriate to call this a tribe than a village.
As far as the eye could see, there were no brick or tile buildings in the entire village. The houses where the villagers lived didn't even have doors; they were just a few upright wooden stakes with a round, pointed roof made of straw.
The village children were dressed in tattered clothes. When they saw the truck enter the village, they all chased after it barefoot, running wildly alongside our vehicle.
Looking down into the carriage, I noticed that the children had dark skin; they were all Black and Brown people. That reminded me that India has a caste system.
Although the Indian government has been working to abolish the caste system in recent years, it has encountered strong backlash in remote areas.
Ironically, those who opposed the movement included not only high castes, but also a large number of Vaishyas and Shudras, and even Dalits, who were referred to as "untouchables."
The car continued on and stopped in front of the only building in the village with a courtyard.
Before I even got out of the car, I heard a heart-wrenching scream coming from the yard.
The screams weren't from one person, but from a group of people, including both men and women. They sounded like the screams of a pig being slaughtered, sending chills down your spine.
At this moment, the translator brought by Wei Shengnan also jumped off the car and shouted loudly: "We are in a tribal community where families live together. There are many taboos here. After you get off the car, don't look around, don't talk to the locals, and don't stare at the women in the village!"
I stood under the car, intending to go and ask Wei Shengnan about the situation, but when I glanced inside through the gate, I was immediately stunned.
At this moment, a large oil pot was set up in the yard, with firewood burning brightly underneath, and hot oil in the pot was emitting blue smoke.
Next to the oil fryer, a dozen men were queuing up. One of them put his hand into the oil fryer and immediately let out a scream.
As someone who lives in modern society, I immediately frowned upon seeing this gruesome scene.
Just then, another woman's scream came from the other side.
Although the translator said not to look around, I couldn't resist my curiosity and moved to look in that direction.
A naked woman hangs from a wooden frame shaped like the character "冂," while an old man waves a thorny branch at her.
With each slap, a gaping wound was left on the woman's body, and she convulsed and screamed, seemingly begging for mercy.
"Ah-ku-ya-de-ke-le-hai-hey (What are you looking at there?)?"
A young man in the courtyard noticed me staring at the woman, pointed at me, shouted something in gibberish, and strode over.
Seeing the other party approaching, the monkey rolled up its sleeves and was about to step forward: "Damn it, you want to fight?"
"Hey! Azan Green (Don't be nervous)!"
Suddenly, Song Laosan appeared behind us, walked towards the young man, patted his arm and said something, then secretly slipped him something. The young man glared at me and turned back to the courtyard.
At the same time, Wei Shengnan also got out of the car. Seeing the commotion on our side, she turned her head and asked, "What's going on?"
Song Laosan waved his hand: "It's alright. The gap between the rich and the poor in India is too big. The poorer and more backward a place is, the more ancient taboos it has. This kind of thing is normal."
“We came to Bihar this time as foreign investors. Officials have spoken with the tribe. Please wait outside while I go see the village elders.”
As Wei Shengnan spoke, she walked to the door and frowned slightly when she saw the scene in the courtyard, but quickly looked away and walked into the courtyard with the translator.
At this moment, Song Laosan patted my arm and said, "The people here are relatively unruly, and they have many rules. Don't look, or you'll get into trouble!"
I knew that Song Laosan had lived in India for several years, so I asked him, "What's going on in the courtyard? Is it some kind of sacrifice or punishment?"
Song Laosan stood outside the wall listening for a while, then handed me a cigarette: "They're being subjected to local torture! That girl somehow got hold of a pair of tight pants and is being whipped. Those men went to work at the construction site, and several hundred pounds of iron went missing. The police couldn't find the culprit, so they asked the village elders for help. The elders ordered everyone who was at the construction site to gather and retrieve the ring from the hot oil pan; anyone who didn't dare to retrieve it was the thief."
"This is utterly unreasonable!" Monkey exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief after hearing Song Laosan's words. "Is there no law in a place like this?"
“In most of India’s poor areas, the five-member elders’ council system is still in use. The elders’ council is a self-governing body in the village. It has no legal force, but its prestige among the villagers is higher than that of the government. Although such organizations are illegal, the local and national governments do not care because these groups can garner a lot of votes for politicians.”
Song Laosan smiled and said, "Different cultures and customs mean you can't understand this country using your own domestic perspectives."
We chatted outside for a while about local customs and traditions. Wei Shengnan came out with the translator and nodded to us: "I have reached an agreement with the council of elders. They will provide us with accommodation, food, and guides. Let's all talk about it and come up with a plan as soon as possible so we can set off before noon."
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