Yonghe Road

Chapter 1 Phoenix
In the night sky, a pair of phoenixes, one as red as a blazing flame, the other as cold and blue as a glacier, both drag their long and gorgeous tails and soar side by side under the stars.

As the phoenix spread its wings and flew high, flames suddenly burst out of its wings.

The four flames were like the long tails of comets across the night sky, drawing four dazzling arcs of light, dyeing the entire sky with a layer of mysterious and colorful glow.

Under the night sky, in the square, people looked up, their eyes closely following the pair of divine birds dancing in the night.

This is a scene where multiple drones light up the colorful lights. Through detailed programming and rehearsal by the staff, the flying trajectory of the phoenix is perfectly reproduced, bringing a shocking visual effect.

People took out their phones to capture the amazing scene.

The air was filled with solemnity and awe. Everyone's breathing seemed to stop temporarily as they stared at the flight of the visitor from the sky in ecstasy.

That silent flight stirred a magnificent storm in everyone's heart. People seemed to hear the cry of a phoenix, like a call from the primeval world, crossing the depths of time and space, leaping over the vicissitudes of history, and spanning the long river of time. It came from the distant prehistoric mist, carrying an eternal oath, echoing continuously until it merged into this grand gathering of the She people, resonating with the voices of the singers on the stage:

"Deep in the Wutong tree, green embraces the Phoenix,
Spreading wings among the clouds, wings covered with rosy light..."

In the song, the two flying phoenixes gradually melted and blurred, as if they were swallowed by the stars and blown away by the night wind. Then they seemed to fly back to the depths of time, back to the distant ancient times. Only the song remained, like a clear spring echoing in the valley, like the night wind whispering among the treetops:
"The clear spring in the mountain stream, gurgling, washes away the dust.
The sound of the phoenix awakens the thousands of yellow mountains..."

With regret, people looked away and turned their gaze towards the stage.

On the stage, beams of brilliant light converge into a sea of light, illuminating the entire performance space.

The troupe's lead singer, radiant in her fiery red phoenix costume, stood in the center of the stage, belting out her song to the accompaniment of a group of chorus performers:
"Phoenix, Phoenix, soaring high in the sky,
Phoenix, Phoenix, the She family’s heart’s desire…”

Every note the singer sang was full of emotion and power, as if it could penetrate people's hearts and touch the deepest strings.

Under the stage, tourists from all over the country and of all nationalities were all mesmerized by the voice, and exclaimed in their hearts: He is worthy of being the chief!

Only the young people on the grass behind the open-air stage noticed something was wrong.

This voice was all too familiar to him.

The young man couldn't help but walk towards the stage in the distance. The back of the huge outdoor full-color LED display was a backlit shadow, which formed a sharp contrast with the dazzling and brilliant front, as if they were the two poles of the world.

In the night, a young girl stood in the thick shadows, and the voice that captivated everyone on the stage came from her mouth.

This day is the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the She people's Ox Rest Festival, also known as the King of Songs Festival.

During the day, the She people hold a grand singing party in Fengshan, west of the Taimu Mountains.

Visitors to Fengshan can enjoy She folk songs and savor their ox-horn rice dumplings. They can also visit Ruiyun Temple on the mountain. Built in 936 AD during the first year of the Tianfu reign of the Later Jin Dynasty, the temple boasts a long history, a tranquil environment, lush trees, and a vibrant incense market.

In the evening, people gather in the village square to participate in the "Huo Tou Wang" bonfire carnival.

In agricultural civilization, oxen are an important labor force, working silently for farmers. For the She people, who have lived in the mountains for a long time and are called "Sanha", oxen are even more important relatives. They use their hard work to help generations of She people raise their children and reproduce.

In order to express their gratitude to the oxen that work the fields, the She people designate April 8th of each year as the "Ox Rest Festival."

On this day, the She people clean the cowshed, comb the cow's body, and paint colorful costumes for the oxen. They strictly prohibit whipping to calm the ox's soul, and do not allow the oxen to work in the fields. They also provide the oxen with good fodder and "cow wine" to eat and drink as a reward for their sweat throughout the year.

Nowadays, the She people have long moved out of the mountains and bid farewell to their primitive farming life, but the Cow Relief Festival still remains as a traditional festival of the She people, carrying their national cultural connotations and historical memories. It has been preserved and is becoming more grand every year.

Because, in addition to the She people, tourists from the Han and other ethnic minorities also come here to experience the traditional culture and customs of the She people and enjoy a cross-regional and cross-ethnic cultural feast.

The "Huo Tou Wang" bonfire carnival lasts until midnight, and the Cow Retreat Festival, which has been lively all day, is officially over.

On the second day of the Ox-Relief Festival, Zhong Ziqi and Wang Zian broke up.

They had a fight in the Filial Piety Culture Park in Baile Village. Before Wang Zian's fist touched Zhong Ziqi's face, Zhong Ziqi started bleeding from the nose.

Coincidentally, police officer Ye Shensu led the patrol team here and the two were taken away.

The patrol team was jointly established by Baile Village and Yujing Border Police Station. It has a total of 7 patrol members, led by police officer Ye Shensu. They patrol Baile Village and the surrounding areas by combining scheduled and irregular patrols, regular patrols and patrols during key periods.

"What are you two doing? Come with us to the police station." Ye Shensu stopped the two people who were fighting.

When he heard that he was going to the police station, Wang Zian ran away.

Zhong Ziqi looked at his back and cursed: "Are you stupid?"

Other patrol members came forward to pull Zhong Ziqi, but Zhong Ziqi got stubborn and stayed where he was, making the patrol members pull him for a while.

Ye Shensu couldn't help but take action: "Zhong Ziqi, are you going to leave or not?"

"I won't leave. What did I do wrong to be taken to the police station?"

"You got into a fight and blood was drawn, yet you're still stubborn!"

When Zhong Ziqi wiped his nose, the blood immediately stained half of his face, which was even more shocking.

"I was the one who was bleeding. I was the one who was beaten."

"We all saw you take action." After Ye Shensu finished speaking, the patrol members all nodded.

"Then I was fighting back in self-defense. I was beaten and bleeding, and you're not allowed to fight back?"

"We have to go to the police station and conduct an investigation before we can determine whether you were acting in self-defense."

The patrol finally brought Zhong Ziqi over. Wang Zian had been waiting in the patrol car for a long time. The blood on his white shirt had turned a dark brown. "Are you okay? Where are you injured? Do you want to go to the hospital first?" Ye Shensu asked Wang Zian.

On the side, Zhong Ziqi shouted: "Captain Ye, that's my blood, okay..."

Before Zhong Ziqi could even utter a word, "Ma," Ye Shensu slapped him on the butt. Zhong Ziqi stumbled into the car door and fell on Wang Zian.

The two of them looked at each other nose to nose and eyes to eyes for three seconds.

Wang Zian didn't say anything, but Zhong Ziqi had already made a disgusted "Pooh" sound and sat down on the seat next to Wang Zian, his movements were quite smooth.

■

Secretary Wang Kai was being interviewed by a reporter, his eyes fixed on the camera, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Xiaoliang, the village committee's clerk, jogging towards him in a hurry.

Secretary Wang Kai's interview had not yet ended, and Xiaoliang could not go forward and could only wait anxiously on the side.

Finally, seeing the reporter put away the microphone with satisfaction and shook hands with Secretary Wang Kai, Xiaoliang rushed over and whispered in Secretary Wang Kai's ear: "Secretary Wang, An An has been taken to the police station."

Wang Zian has just retired from the army and is currently arranging his work, so he must not get into trouble.

He knew his own son well. How could Wang Zian possibly have committed a crime? Secretary Wang Kai thought about it and felt relieved.

"Now that this interview is over, what's the next itinerary?" Secretary Wang Kai asked Xiaoliang in return.

Xiaoliang was stunned for a moment before saying, "There's a writer who was sent by the higher-ups to Baile Village for a targeted, in-depth study. He arrived today."

Secretary Wang Kai remembered and said to Xiao Liang, "Did Xie Anmin come by plane or high-speed train? What time did he arrive today?"

"The plane will arrive at Longwan Airport at 3 pm. I have arranged an online taxi for her."

"That won't do. There's still time. I'll go pick it up myself."

Longwan Airport is at least two hours' drive from Baile Village. Xiaoliang looked at Secretary Wang Kai's elderly face and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

No matter how energetic Secretary Wang Kai is, he is nearly sixty years old. He has to deal with leaders at all levels, waves of inspection teams, study classes, and reporters every day. He is overwhelmed and his body is seriously overdrawn. But Xiaoliang is a small figure with little influence. He wants to persuade Secretary Wang Kai not to work so hard, but he is worried about being suspected of flattery, so he can only keep quiet.

What's more, for Baile Village, Secretary Wang Kai is the leader. Without him, this big game cannot be played.

So, Xiaoliang hurriedly arranged a car for Secretary Wang Kai and accompanied Secretary Wang Kai to Longwan Airport to pick up Xie Anmin.

When the two met Xie Anmin at Longwan Airport, Wang Zian had already finished taking a statement at the police station.

When the police asked him why he and Zhong Ziqi had fought, Wang Zian said it was just a small misunderstanding. In the interrogation room next door, Zhong Ziqi was so angry that he slammed the table and said, "He beat me until I bled, and it was just a small misunderstanding!"

"Zhong Ziqi, what do you think this is a police station?" Ye Shensu called Zhong Ziqi back to the interrogation chair. "The doctor checked you out. Your nosebleed is caused by excessive heat and inflammation. What does it have to do with Wang Zian? Young man, you're so angry. Sooner or later, you'll kill yourself. Who will suffer the consequences?"

After being taught a lesson by Ye Shensu, Zhong Ziqi was indignant. "Captain Ye, do you know why I'm angry? It's all because of Wang Zian. If I die of anger, it's also Wang Zian's fault. He is the culprit, the murderer..."

"Alright, alright," Ye Shensu said, not wanting to hear Zhong Ziqi's nonsense. "The entire She ethnic group township knows that you, Zhong Ziqi, and Wang Zian are good brothers who grew up together. Only Wang Zian is willing to be friends with you. Who else would want to be friends with you? Now you're getting your comeuppance, right? There's no benefit in associating with someone like you. Wang Zian treats you like a brother, and you, Zhong Ziqi, beat him up and sent him to the police station."

Ye Shensu's words made Zhong Ziqi even more angry and wronged.

"Captain Ye, you can't favor Wang Zian just because he has a good father. You can't bully me, Zhong Ziqi, who has no father since childhood..." Zhong Ziqi suddenly felt aggrieved and wanted to cry.

Ye Shensu said "Pooh", "Did I kill your father?"

That's not it.

Zhong Ziqi's father died of tuberculosis because he had no money to treat it.

That was in the 90s. At that time, not only was Zhong Ziqi's family poor, but everyone in the entire Baile Village was poor. The villagers in the dozen or so natural villages under its jurisdiction all lived in the mountains, especially the She people, who lived in thatched houses hanging halfway up the mountain.

The only wealthy family is Wang Zi'an's.

Secretary Wang Kai was not the secretary of Baile Village at that time. Relying on his clever brain, he went out to do business and saved hundreds of thousands of yuan in a few years. He was the first to build a small Western-style building in the village.

As the first economically capable person in the village to make a fortune, the township party committee had to spend a lot of effort to persuade Wang Kai to come back and serve as the village secretary of Baile Village, taking over the debt-ridden mess of Baile Village.

Secretary Wang Kai has made great contributions to Baile Village, which has escaped poverty through debt repayment and has now become the first star village in eastern Fujian with a village financial income exceeding 10 million yuan. He has led the people of Baile Village and, through vivid practice, has proved the scientific theory that "collective economy is the foundation of common prosperity for farmers and the material guarantee for farmers to embark on the road to common prosperity."

The reason why the people of Baile Village obey Secretary Wang Kai and listen to his words is because Secretary Wang Kai is impartial in his work. Initially, he not only took out his savings of 100,000 yuan accumulated from his business and lent it to the Baile Village Committee free of charge as working capital, but also generously donated to poor households like Zhong Ziqi's family.

When Zhong Ziqi's father fell ill, Secretary Wang Kai took the lead in donating money to raise money for his treatment. However, Zhong Ziqi's father had been overworked and was already terminally ill. In the end, no medicine could cure him, and he passed away, leaving behind his wife and three children.

Later, as the province comprehensively promoted welfare projects, the natural villages under the jurisdiction of Baile Village were all moved from various hilltops to the central village, and Zhong Ziqi's family also moved down. Secretary Wang Kai took good care of Zhong Ziqi's family, an orphan and a widow, by providing them with money and food.

Zhong Ziqi was a naughty child since he was young. Cats and dogs in the village disliked him, and no parents wanted their children to play with him. Only Secretary Wang Kai often brought him home to do homework with Wang Zian.

"Zhong Ziqi, when you say this, check your conscience, doesn't it hurt?"

Ye Shensu's questioning filled Zhong Ziqi with rage, as if a bucket of water had been poured over him. His arrogance vanished, and he muttered, "Wang Zian has really gone too far this time."

Ye Shensu asked: "What did he do to you?"

Zhong Ziqi said: "He kidnapped my sister!"

Hello everyone, new book is here.