Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

In the mountainous area of ​​Xinglong County in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, the cold wind is as sharp as if it were carrying a frost blade. It cuts through collars and noodles, and the cold penetrates to the bone. Even the breath you exhale instantly condenses into white mist.

This was Qiao Yang's first time venturing beyond the Great Wall, and he had no idea that the winter in these mountainous areas would be so harsh.

Lin Hai, who frequently traveled to and from Xinglong, couldn't help but frown, his tone chilling:

"The weather this year is abnormal, much colder than usual. These cotton-padded coats look thick, but wearing them feels like wearing a thin layer of cloth."

The two men leaned on their horse poles, lightly tapping the snow-covered road with each step, making every movement exceptionally difficult.

Lin Hai listened intently to the howling mountain wind for a while, then turned and suggested, "Qiao Yang, let's head back. If we keep struggling in the mountains, our hands and feet will freeze sooner or later. It's not worth risking our health for a few fortune-telling fees."

"Let's go! We'll head back the same way first thing tomorrow morning!"

Qiao Yang responded almost immediately, without the slightest hesitation. He then thought of Su Yue; how could he be away from his newlywed wife for so long?

That afternoon, the strong wind subsided slightly, but the dryness and coldness in the air became even more intense, making people's skin feel tight and their bodies stiff.

The two groped their way into a village. They had barely stepped inside when a series of hurried footsteps approached, followed by a woman's voice, tinged with uncertainty:

"Gentlemen, please wait!"

Qiao Yang and Lin Hai immediately stopped in their tracks, their horse poles stuck in the ground.

The man strode forward, his tone excessively warm: "You must be a gentleman from Baodi County?"

Qiao Yang nodded slightly, his voice steady: "Indeed, how do you know me, sister-in-law?"

"The other day you did a fortune-telling session with our village chief, Dazhuang, and it was incredibly accurate! The whole village is buzzing about it!"

The woman, holding a child in her arms, spoke with great respect, "It's too cold outside. Please come inside with me and rest. Have a bowl of hot water to warm yourselves up."

The words "Da Zhuang" suddenly reached their ears, and both of them felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

He deliberately avoided and dodged along the way, always on guard, but in the end, he just happened to run into the most taboo place, Dazhuang.

Qiao Yang and Lin Hai's hearts were instantly stirred, but the woman's enthusiastic attitude clearly indicated that she wanted someone to tell their fortune. If they bluntly refused on the spot, they feared it would cause unnecessary trouble.

Caught in a dilemma, the two had no choice but to suppress their emotions and follow the woman into the courtyard.

The wooden door of the old brick house creaked open, and a warm, homey feeling rushed out, a world apart from the bitter cold outside.

Qiao Yang groped his way to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and a bowl of warm coarse tea was immediately handed to him.

He picked up his teacup, about to ask the woman her birth date and time, when the woman's laughter rang out first:

"Sir, please don't worry, I don't do fortune telling. It's the child's father who witnessed your accurate predictions for the village chief a few days ago, and he's been asking you to check his fortune ever since."

Qiao Yang's heart sank again, and he forced down his panicked question:

"I wonder who your sister-in-law's husband is?"

"He is the village party secretary of our village."

The woman's voice was brimming with pride. "I was talking about you a few days ago. I was just invited by the neighbors to visit, and I haven't come home yet."

Village Party Secretary!

Those three short words struck Qiao Yang and Lin Hai deeply.

The two men's arms, holding the teacups, suddenly stiffened, and the warm tea inside nearly spilled. Just as they feared, their worst had happened!

He proceeded with extreme caution, taking detours to avoid trouble, fearing he might run into the village secretary. Little did he expect that he would actually deliver himself to the village secretary's doorstep.

The stove inside was warm and cozy, but the two of them felt cold all over, as if they were in an ice cellar, and they couldn't sit or stand still.

If they stayed to wait for the Party Secretary to return, the fact that he had examined the village chief's face and bones that day would be immediately exposed; but if they hastily took their leave now, it would easily arouse the other party's suspicion and resentment.

Qiao Yang made up his mind instantly, put down his teacup, groped for the horse pole to grip tightly, and said in a hurried tone:

"Please forgive us, sister-in-law. We have urgent business to attend to and need to get to the next village, so we won't bother you any longer."

Lin Hai immediately got up and followed, his steps hurried, wishing he could leave this place of trouble as soon as possible, fearing that if he delayed even slightly, he would run into the returning village secretary.

Seeing that the two were determined to leave, the woman quickly chased after them out of the courtyard gate, carrying her child.

"It's getting dark, and since you two have poor eyesight, and the mountain path is difficult and icy, I'll escort you for a while."

"No need to trouble you, sister-in-law, you're still holding the child..." The two quickly declined, wanting only to get away as soon as possible.

"It's alright, the child is bundled up thickly and won't get cold."

The woman was stubborn and had already walked ahead to lead the way. "There is a river ahead. The slope is steep and the road is slippery. There is no decent bridge. In this freezing weather, you could easily fall and get hurt."

Unable to refuse the other party's hospitality, the two secretly groaned and could only follow closely behind.

As the woman said, the dirt road by the river was covered with thick ice, and the ground creaked underfoot, making it easy to slip and fall if one was not careful.

The woman, carrying the child in one arm and helping Qiao Yanglin Hai across the river with the other, carefully crossed the river.

Just as the group settled on the opposite bank, a clear, crisp sound of a clapper suddenly rang out in the distance, followed by a long, drawn-out shout that pierced the cold wind and drifted slowly towards them:

"Fried dough sticks—freshly made, hot fried dough sticks—"

The rich aroma of oil mingled with the cold wind, spreading straight into the nostrils and stirring up waves of hunger in the stomach.

The woman carrying the child then said, "You two must be hungry after your long journey. Why don't you buy a pound of fried dough cakes to tide you over?"

Qiao Yang immediately understood.

They've been so kind to us all the way, showing us the way and helping us along the way. Now that they've offered to buy us food, how could we not?

In the dead of night, in the freezing cold, why would there be someone selling fried dough sticks? Qiao Yang stopped thinking about it and shouted in the direction the sound came from:

"Hey pancake seller, could you please weigh out two jin (1 kg)?"

"Okay!"

A short while later, a piece of oiled paper wrapped around a hot fried dough was handed to him. Qiao Yang took it and immediately broke off half, handing it to the woman.

"Sister-in-law, please accept this pound. Let the child try it. Thank you for taking care of me all the way here."

The woman declined a couple of times, then smiled and accepted the fried dough, before turning back into the village with her child in her arms.

Only after the woman's figure disappeared into the distance did the two breathe a sigh of relief and grope their way to a sheltered riverside slope to sit down and rest.

Holding the warm fried dough, I knew I had wasted my money, but I was starving and the aroma of the fried dough made me forget about the cost.

Qiao Yang took a bite of the fried dough and sighed softly:

"It's just a few coins earned from my hard work, but it'll help me with my food. Otherwise, in this desolate wilderness, I don't know if I'll even have a hot meal tonight."

"That's right."

Lin Hai chewed heartily, the rich, oily aroma spreading on his tongue. "I've been away from home for so long and have never eaten such authentic food. The taste is even more genuine than the food under the overpass in Beijing."

Neither of them expected that this delicious fried dough would lead to an unnecessary misunderstanding.

The wind gradually subsided, and after the two finished eating the fried dough, they felt warm again and regained a lot of strength.

Lin Hai listened intently for a moment, making sure no one was around, before lowering his voice and saying:

"While it's quiet, I'll test you. From that woman's voice, how much information could you glean about her background?"

Qiao Yang pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"Her voice was high-pitched and clear, and she spoke quickly and fluently. She was outgoing and about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, in the prime of her life. She was warm and hospitable, and her family was well-off with plenty of food and clothing."

She had a loud and sharp voice, and an outspoken personality. Although she was a woman, she was the undisputed leader at home, extremely opinionated, and a strong woman among women.

"That's quite true. She wasn't very wealthy in her childhood, but she didn't suffer much either. After marriage, she had both a son and a daughter, and her family prospered."

Lin Hai nodded, his face showing approval. "Her weakness is that she is too stubborn, which may diminish her good fortune. I see that she has a tribulation in her life, which should be around the age of fifty-three or fifty-four. If she can overcome it, her later years will be peaceful and her path will be smooth."

After resting to regain their strength, the two leaned on their horse poles and made their way to the village by the main road in the dark. According to the custom, they should either stay at an inn or ask an honest family for lodging.

Just as they entered the village, they heard footsteps ahead. Qiao Yang asked:

"Fellow villager, is there an inn in the village where I can stay?"

"Just walk straight ahead for a few dozen steps," the passerby replied, pointing the way.

The two followed the direction to the inn, pushed open the courtyard gate, and an elderly woman with white hair hurriedly came to greet them:

"Are you here to stay at the hotel?"

"Please, ma'am, could you please open a guest room?" Lin Hai said.

The old lady helped the two of them put their luggage on the kang (a heated brick bed) and casually asked:

"Do you want to cook dinner tonight? What would you like to eat?"

Lin Hai rubbed his stomach; the fried dough hadn't digested yet. He then said:

"Just half a pound of millet to make dry rice."

"What?!" The old woman raised her voice, her face full of disbelief. "You two grown men, half a pound of rice isn't enough for one of you! It's just enough to fill your stomach!"

Lin Hai said seriously, "As long as the portion is enough, it'll be enough for the two of us."

The words had barely left his lips when a male voice with a heavy local accent suddenly rang out, like a lit firecracker, rough and domineering:

"I've been running this shop for so many years, and I've never given you enough! If you two want to stay, then stay; if not, get out right now!"