Sanfen Village is twenty li east of Dougu County. If Dougu County is located at the foot of the mountains, then Sanfen Village is completely submerged in the shadow of the magnificent Hundred Thousand Mountains.
At noon, Meng Rui packed his luggage, preparing to go to Sanfen Village.
As soon as he stepped out of the inn, two people stood on the opposite side of the long street—none other than Fu Nianyu and Niu Zhiying.
Fu Nianyu said with a troubled expression, “Master Meng, Zhiying heard you say you’re going to search for Dandan and insists on following you to find her. I couldn’t dissuade her.”
Niu Zhiying’s eyes gazed at Meng Rui: “I beg you, sir. I must find my daughter back. I cannot lose her.”
Something inside Meng Rui was touched. That shadow sealed in the depths of his memory for over a decade was dragged out. He nodded: “Alright.”
“Really? Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!” Niu Zhiying was about to kneel before Meng Rui when she was knocked over by a beggar walking with his head down. The beggar wore tattered gray robes and kept apologizing. Niu Zhiying didn’t blame the beggar. The beggar bowed and scraped, holding his worn-out bowl as he left.
Meng Rui stared at the beggar’s bowl in a daze for a moment, then told Fu Nianyu of his plan to go to Sanfen Village. The Fu couple returned home to pack a few clothes and followed Meng Rui on the road.
The mountains stood stable, as if they had existed between heaven and earth since primordial times. Their seamless, solid presence made those who approached look up in wonder. The mountain path was difficult and arduous to travel. The twenty li journey took approximately three hours. Just after the you hour, Meng Rui finally arrived at Sanfen Village.
The name of Sanfen Village came from its poverty. It’s said that in the earliest times, because the village was so poor, villagers could only live in thatched huts. The only structures were three old graves on the eastern slope of Sanfen Village, surrounded by a circle of old white stone railings. Later, when outsiders spoke of this place, they all referred to it as “the village with three old graves.” Over time, it became known as Sanfen Village.
On the eastern slope of Sanfen Village, a clump of dark, eerie shadows marked the ancient three graves. Beyond the three old graves to the east was a gorge surrounded by mountains. According to legend, over a thousand refugees who fled into the gorge once died there. After that, only one kind of foul-smelling flower would grow there—nothing else could survive. Even fierce wild beasts that entered the gorge couldn’t preserve their bones. Thus the gorge became a forbidden zone of Sanfen Village.
Meng Rui returned to the ancestral residence he had left many years ago. The old house was already dilapidated and shabby, with wild grass growing all around it, front and back. Through the crude doorway, one could dimly see the empty darkness inside the old house.
At the foot of the old house’s door, a strange-looking flower was faintly visible, shaped like a human face. Meng Rui stared at it for a long time without moving or speaking.
Memory seemed to have its thick dust wiped away, revealing a face that had once been incredibly vivid:
“Brother, come look at the flower I carved from stone—is it pretty?” The innocent girl tilted her head, asking the brother beside her.
“What’s pretty about it? What kind of flower looks like that?” The brother said.
“It is pretty! I saw it with my own eyes—the flower blooms so beautifully.” The sister said unconvinced.
“I’ve never seen one… Where did you see it?” The brother asked.
“Hehe, I won’t tell you. It’s a secret.”
“Who cares to know! Hey, don’t run, wait for me!” The brother shouted. The sister left him behind and ran first, running into the blinding afternoon sunlight. Her figure gradually blurred and disappeared.
Meng Rui’s body trembled slightly as he awoke from that memory.
The Fu couple exchanged worried glances. Fu Nianyu asked, “Master Meng, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Meng Rui pushed open the door and entered. The wooden door turned with a creaking sound. Meng Rui gazed at the home where he had lived for fifteen years, not knowing what feelings stirred in his heart, his eyes surveying every room, every corner.
In the bedroom on the left was only a solitary wooden bed, deeply sagging. Meng Rui’s eyes grew slightly moist. Fifteen years ago, after his sister was abducted, Mother’s chronic illness showed no signs of improvement. Two months later, Mother died of her illness. Before dying, Mother lay on this very bed, holding Meng Rui’s hand. A final glimmer of light rose in her clouded eyes as she said, “Rui’er, you are Wan Xiang’s only relative now… Find her, find your sister!”
Mother’s deathbed instructions echoed in Meng Rui’s ears. Meng Rui took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom.
Shouting voices came from outside the old house. Meng Rui walked to the doorway. Several men around thirty years old stood in the courtyard. The men looked Meng Rui up and down repeatedly, saying suspiciously, “Who are you? Why did you break into someone else’s home?”
These men were all villagers from Sanfen Village. Meng Rui said, “This is my home. I used to live here.”
“Your home?” One of the tall, large men suddenly gave two strange shouts. “Look at the birthmark on his face—it’s the Green Donkey! It’s really the Meng family’s Green Donkey!”
When Meng Rui was young, he had herded donkeys for wealthy households in the village. Combined with the huge blue birthmark on his face that was impossible to conceal, he was called “Green Donkey” by the village’s mischievous children. He suffered endless bullying from those bad children when he was young. Meng Rui showed no anger, quietly observing the men.
“Never thought after all these years, you Green Donkey would know to come back.” The tall villager was one of the bad children who had bullied Meng Rui back then. He patted Meng Rui’s shoulder and said, “Green Donkey, over ten years ago your sister was abducted and your mother died too. We all thought you’d starved to death out there, but here you are, alive and well.”
The tall man suddenly smiled wickedly: “You’re still the same ghostly appearance, can’t compare with your sister Meng Wan Xiang. That little girl had fair skin from childhood, and her big eyes were so bright and lively. What a shame she was abducted—otherwise I definitely would have married her as my wife.”
“Ah!” The tall man’s wicked smile turned into a scream. His hand was gently removed from Meng Rui’s shoulder, and everyone clearly heard the crack of bones breaking. The tall man slowly sank down in pain, kneeling before Meng Rui.
Meng Rui looked expressionlessly at the thug who had once bullied him, saying calmly, “After all these years, you still haven’t learned your lesson. Let me tell you one more time.”
“I’m not called Green Donkey. My name is Meng Rui.” Meng Rui released the tall man. The other villagers carefully helped the tall man away and fled the old house.
The sky darkened. Thin moonlight filtered through the windows. It seemed that in every corner filled with memories, faint little shadows emerged, quietly stationed, gazing at Meng Rui. Meng Rui fell asleep amid these patches of illusory light and shadow.
November twenty-first, Black Obsidian Yin Ghost day, malevolent energy surging south.
Gloomy mountain mist had shrouded this small mountain village since before dawn. At a quarter before the mao hour, when Meng Rui arose, he discovered that the Fu couple had already awakened. The two had taken out the rice and grain they’d brought, planning to cook porridge, but were troubled about where to get water. Meng Rui smiled and took a water basin to an ancient well to draw water.
In Sanfen Village, there weren’t only yesterday’s group of scoundrels—there were also quite a few warm-hearted villagers. Especially after many elderly people learned it was Meng Rui, several had tears glistening in their eyes. Before long, villagers brought freshly picked vegetables from their gardens, as well as steamed buns, flatbreads, and other food. For the first time since returning to Sanfen Village, Meng Rui showed a smile. The Fu couple prepared the meal. After eating, Meng Rui decided to take a walk around Sanfen Village.
Sanfen Village was still as impoverished as fifteen years ago. Most of the area around the Meng family’s old house consisted of dilapidated adobe houses. A few elderly people chatted with Meng Rui. As he walked, Meng Rui inquired with the old folks about the village’s situation. At the easternmost end of Sanfen Village, standing out conspicuously like a crane among chickens, appeared a large compound with high walls and black-tiled roofs. The plaque in front of the compound bore two characters—Jin Residence.
“Whose place is this?” Meng Rui asked.
“Jin Residence—whose else could it be? Jin Yaoguang’s!” An old man said. “For fifteen years, Jin Yaoguang has been the village head of Sanfen Village.”
Meng Rui caught the contemptuous look in the old man’s eyes and pressed on: “The entire Sanfen Village is so poor, how is it that only the Jin family is wealthy? I remember back then he also lived in an adobe house.”
“Many years ago, Jin Yaoguang peddled mountain goods to sell in Dougu County. At first it wasn’t much, but later it grew bigger and bigger, and he became wealthier and wealthier.” The old man explained. Another thin, tall old man suddenly shook his head: “That’s a deceiving lie. There are so many people in the mountain goods business. People did it before Jin Yaoguang too, but not one made a fortune. To really earn enough for a mansion like this—how could it be possible just by selling mountain goods? There must be other shady dealings!”
“Enough, say less.” The old man who had spoken first cautioned. “If Jin Chuang and his men hear this, be careful they don’t break all your old bones.”
The thin, tall elder fell silent.
Someone suddenly came up behind Meng Rui. He turned around and discovered it was the Fu couple.
Fu Nianyu pulled Meng Rui back to the old house and mysteriously handed him something—a rolled-up piece of cowhide paper covered with many crisscrossing lines.
“This is a map. Where did you get it?” Meng Rui couldn’t help but ask.
Both Fu Nianyu and his wife shook their heads. Niu Zhiying explained, “I discovered it this morning when organizing our clothing. It was stuffed in my sleeve pocket, but it’s definitely not something of ours.”
Meng Rui carefully examined the map. In the left corner was a blob of ink. Beside the ink were three small light-red characters not easily seen—Sanfen Village.
It’s actually Sanfen Village?!
And upon careful identification, this map seemed to be only half complete.
Meng Rui pondered for a long time: “Who would stuff a map depicting Sanfen Village into your sleeve pocket?”
“That’s right!” Niu Zhiying clapped her hands. “The beggar—it must be that beggar.” Niu Zhiying recalled. Yesterday on the street, after she was knocked down by the beggar, he had proactively helped Niu Zhiying stand up. At the time she felt the beggar’s hand sweep past her sleeve opening, but because she was only focused on talking with Meng Rui, she hadn’t paid attention to these details.
“I was also careless.” Meng Rui placed the map on the table. “Actually, I noticed that beggar was very strange.”
“Strange how?” Niu Zhiying asked curiously.
“First, the beggar’s entire body was dirty and his hair was messy, but his fingernails were very clean. Also, there was the bowl in his hand. Although the bowl was worn, the rim of the bowl’s edge was very smooth with no stains, indicating this bowl wasn’t used for begging. Based on these two points, it’s not difficult to reach a conclusion.” Meng Rui said slowly.
“What conclusion?”
“He’s not a beggar at all. No one is willing to pay attention to a filthy beggar, so he can use the beggar’s outer clothing to do some covert things.” Meng Rui looked at Niu Zhiying. “For example, slip a map into your sleeve pocket without anyone knowing.”
“But why would he do this? And what kind of map is this?” Fu Nianyu voiced more questions. Meng Rui sighed deeply: “I’m afraid only the person who left the map can explain this clearly.”
“Pack up quickly. We need to hurry back to Dougu County town to find this beggar.” Meng Rui put away the map and said to the Fu couple.
The Fu couple nodded in agreement and hurried to pack. Meng Rui murmured to himself: “I only hope when we return, he’s still a beggar.”