Chapter 16: Darong Village (I)
Darong Village. This is the closest location to Chang'an in Foping County. Across a ridge is the provincial capital of Chang'an. According to Jiang Xian and his team's deduction, the big banyan tree is two kilometers away from the village.
This mountain range that crosses the two urban areas of Xingyuan and Chang'an is the famous Qinling Mountains. The Qinling Mountains in Darong Village, Foping County, is the highest one, and the locals call it Chaotianmen.
In late summer in September, the mountains and fields in Jingnan area are dyed with layers of green. Light green, fresh green, dark green, dark green... Layers of leaves render various colors. Forming a natural gradient brocade. Add to that the wild flowers and abundant fruits dotted among them. This picture drawn by nature is beautiful beyond words.
After getting off the bus in Foping County, we drove to Darong Village, and there were still dozens of kilometers of mountain roads. They were rugged and steep. They were not roads at all, but real loess roads. Climbing between the major branches of the Qinling Mountains, we saw mountains falling and rising again, and the colorful natural colors filled the world, which made people feel that the mountains ended with the plains, and the mountains were surrounded by turbulent currents.
"Oh oh oh!" In the convoy ahead, people shouted loudly. From time to time, mobile phones were extended out of the car windows to snap pictures of the beautiful scenery along the way. As we entered the undeveloped area, the brushstrokes of nature became more and more amazing. The mountains were like the undulating back of a dragon, the flowers and plants were like colorful ink paintings, and the streams were like silver dragons lying on the ground. The sky was high and the earth was far away, and my heart flew with the wind.
"You didn't tell them what we are going to do?" Jiang Xian asked without raising his head while looking at the map in the middle car.
Before he finished speaking, the car suddenly shook. Everyone was an inch away from their seats, and then fell heavily. But no one wailed, after all, they were used to it during this journey.
"A bunch of rookies." Chu Ziyi was right beside him, closing his eyes and resting: "Faced with the wonders of nature or the wisdom of ancient ancestors, they will inevitably have to sacrifice their lives. It's better for them to know nothing. After all... ignorance makes one fearless."
At this moment, the car finally stopped. Jiang Xian closed the map and saw a remote village ahead. There were no more than ten houses built of loess. On the dirt road leading into the village, someone was already waiting there.
It’s Director Ma.
Seeing Jiang Xian jump out of the car, Director Ma walked up quickly and shook Jiang Xian's hand: "Thank you for your hard work. How are you? Are you confident?"
"Of course I have confidence." Jiang Xian patted his shoulder soothingly: "But whether it will work or not, we still have to give it a try. This is the best I can do in the shortest time. How is the county doing?"
Speaking of the county, Director Ma gave a bitter smile: "You don't know... Erganzi's wife and his brothers and sisters almost surrounded the county government. We even had to provide food and accommodation... The county magistrate didn't like me anyway, and was just about to take the opportunity to take advantage of me. But..."
He glanced at the convoy carefully and whispered, "The person you found this time is quite powerful."
Jiang Xian raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean?"
"The county originally ordered me to continue the search immediately, but then a call came from Yanjing and the matter was never mentioned again."
Jiang Xian nodded in understanding. Shenzhou said they would solve all the problems, which was no joke.
"Don't worry, go back, Uncle Ma. If you don't go back, there will be no place to live here. I will inform you as soon as I have any news."
Director Ma left anxiously. Jiang Xian looked at this isolated village with great interest, watching the team carrying boxes of equipment and building wire beds. He walked around the village.
The village is not big, covering an area of about 300 to 400 meters. There are green trees, gurgling streams beside the village, and a dry old well in the village. If it weren't for something, this would really be a good place to cultivate one's body and mind. But... the more Jiang Xian walked, the slower his pace became.
He suddenly turned around and looked at the house several dozen meters away. Then he turned around and looked at another house not far in front of him, frowning deeply.
Three meters in front of him was a farmhouse fence. There were no dogs or any animals. The door was closed and covered with faded New Year paintings. Even... even the windows were closed tightly. There was a layer of white paper on top.
He walked straight up.
The fence was not closed, so he walked to the gate and tried it gently. The gate had been closed from the inside. He knocked on the door gently and asked in a deep voice, "Is anyone there?"
no respond.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?" He knocked hard for more than ten seconds. Then, he immediately stuck to the door and listened carefully.
Still no sound.
There was no dog barking, no human voice. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a strange sound... huh, huh.
Very heavy.
It was like a dying person about to die, making his final struggle. The sound became louder and louder, like a cow's panting. Ten seconds later, the sound was only separated from him by a door!
Huff... Huff... It was like the sound of the god of death blowing his trumpet. In the overly quiet village , on a sunny afternoon, this sound not only did not make people feel calm, but instead gave people a creepy and weird feeling.
"We are from other places." Jiang Xian said as he moved towards the crack in the door: "We want to find a friend to ask about something..."
The next second, his voice stopped abruptly!
Then, he retreated several meters backwards as if he had been electrocuted!
He saw...
He saw it clearly... through the crack in the door, a pair of dim bloodshot eyes was staring down at him!
Very high... very high, probably two meters, in the dark crack of the door, like the eyes of the god of death overlooking the earth. The little light that came in allowed him to see... wisps of snow-white hair, draped over the other person's face! Only a glimpse of the mouth was visible, full of uneven yellow teeth, covered with bloodshot!
Is this still a human being?
At that moment, Jiang Xian's heart skipped a beat. After he realized what was happening, he stepped back a few meters. He stared at the crack in the door, his whole body on alert, and still asked in a deep voice, "Do you need me to call a doctor for you?"
Bang! Before he finished speaking, there was a loud noise behind the door, as if something hit it and then rolled to the ground. Then, there was the sound of crazy hammering!
"Ha...haha ...hahaha!!" The heavy and terrifying panting sound never stopped, and the dust on the entire door frame fell madly. It was as if the person living inside was not a human at all, but a wild beast!
Boom, boom, boom! After two minutes of continuous hammering, the sound finally faded away.
Then, there was a... creepy "rustling" sound.
It was very light, blending in with the sound of the summer wind blowing through the trees. But it felt like scratching one's skin, leaving goose bumps all over.
"Die..." A trembling voice distortedly sounded from behind the door: "You...are...going to...die..."
"Everyone here... is going to die... is going to die..."
Jiang Xian watched quietly for five minutes, then turned and left.
As he walked, he dialed the phone: "Lao Ma, how is life in Darong Village?"
"Ah?" Director Ma was in the car and was a little puzzled when he heard this question, but he still said instinctively: "There is a poverty alleviation fund. Occasionally they will ask someone to sell some cattle and sheep..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Xian interrupted him immediately: "Have any of you seen what the villagers of Darong Village look like?"
"Maybe... right?" Director Ma said uncertainly: "Xiao Jiang, the geography of Darong Village is very complicated. It belongs neither to Xingyuan City nor Chang'an City, but right in the middle of the border between the two. Calling it a village is an exaggeration. The village cadres are not legitimate and usually don't come here. Let me think... the last person who came to Darong Village was... Oh... That's right!"
He slapped his thigh suddenly: "I remember it!"
"Four years ago, when I had just become the director, a college student came to help with poverty alleviation. He was a teacher in several villages including Mendao Niu. As you know, these villages are too far from the county seat, there are probably three or four of them... We specially allocated a piece of land for him in Group 6 of Qingshan Village. Guess what happened?"
"Uncle Ma." Jiang Xian rolled his eyes. "Now is not the time to keep things in suspense. This village... I'm afraid there is something wrong."
Director Ma coughed lightly and said, "I'm sorry, this is what happened. All the villages signed up at that time. But only Darong Village did not sign up."
"Then, this volunteer teacher came directly to Darong Village. His original intention was to popularize the importance of knowledge to the villagers. As a result..." He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "He went crazy."
"Crazy?" Jiang Xian frowned.
"Yes." Director Ma said in a heavy voice: "There are few volunteers, and every volunteer teacher is very precious. So, we borrowed a car from him and asked him to come to Darong Village. The driver did not get off the car at that time. It is said that this volunteer teacher went door to door..."
"Wait." Jiang Xian interrupted again: "Knock on the door, that is to say, the villagers of Darong Village still haven't shown up?"
Director Ma also felt something was wrong. In the car, he finally sat up straight and said solemnly: "That's right... It seems... It seems that no one has seen them for more than ten years, no... decades! Because of the special terrain, no one wants to take on the task of making this village well-off. But... They never communicate with the county or town!"
"Yes, they even sell vegetables, cattle and sheep by asking others to do it for them! They never go to the market! No wonder... No wonder you said there was a village here when you took the aerial photo, but I didn't remember it. I asked the county government but they all said there was no village. It was not until I looked up the county annals that I remembered this Darong Village."
Jiang Xian nodded: "Go on, why did that volunteer teacher go crazy?"
Director Ma recalled and organized his words, then said in a deep voice, "He wasn't really crazy. He was a little weird after he came out of Darong Village. But he didn't say anything at the time, he just stared out the window. It wasn't until he returned to the county town that he suddenly went crazy that night."
"I remember the information saying that he was tearing his clothes while screaming about 'immortality' and 'eternal life' and running around the county party committee. The next day the doctor came and said he had gone crazy."
The immortal touched my head, tied my hair and granted me immortality!
These two sentences flashed through Jiang Xian's mind like lightning. He closed his eyes and took a long breath: "I know."
He hung up the phone and fell into deep thought. He had unknowingly walked to the center of the village. At this moment, someone gently patted his shoulder.
"Master Jiang." Hong Si Niang was standing behind him. No sound could be heard when she walked, as if a feather was floating on the ground.
He gently pinched his fingertips painted with vermilion nail polish and smiled tenderly: "This village is quite interesting, isn't it?"
"It's very interesting." Jiang Xian looked up at the scattered earthen houses and asked, "Did you find anything too?"
Hong Si Niang curled her lips and said, "I am not blind. My eyes are bright. Let's go? Xiao Ba and Xiao Ling are waiting for us over there."
Jiang Xian's mouth twisted, so, what the hell are Xiaoba and Xiaoling!
