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墨書 Inktalez
"Well, Wei," I suddenly found myself at a loss for what to call him. After spending so long in the military, I was used to addressing people by their ranks, and calling him by his name felt awkward. He seemed to sense my discomfort. "Haha, just call me Old Wei. I've been a soldier too, so I feel a connection with people from the army!"
I had a good impression of Old Wei; he was straightforward and genuine. I extended my hands to shake his and said, "Old Wei, how should we arrange our work?" Old Wei pondered for a moment. "These places are quite far away, and it's already eleven o'clock. We can't make it today; I suggest we go tomorrow instead." I thought to myself, how far could it be that we couldn't reach it today? But since I wasn't familiar with the situation, I kept quiet.
At that moment, Old Wei turned to the staff who had brought me here. "What about you? Why not stay here for lunch?" The man waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I have to get back to work after dropping you off. I'm not as lucky as those leaders who can eat and drink anywhere. Besides, what can you even eat here?"
"Hahaha, then it's tough on you! I promise I'll take care of the arrangements for the leaders!" Old Wei laughed as he watched him get back into the car and drive out of the gate.
When Old Wei turned back to me, I noticed he had a frown on his face. Was something bothering him? Just as I was wondering, Old Wei pulled me aside and said quietly, "Brother, do you really want to go through this yourself, or should I give you an overview and send you off to Masixiang later?"
I looked at him in confusion. "Brother, do we really need to fake these home visits? If something goes wrong, who will take responsibility?"
Old Wei stomped his foot in frustration. "Brother, I'm doing this for your own good! Do you know how the last officer ended up in the hospital?" I looked at him in bewilderment. "He got scared into being sick." Old Wei leaned closer to whisper in my ear.
Seeing my puzzled expression, he continued in a low voice. "The first home visit went wrong in a village way up north. They went there but couldn't come back; they had to stay overnight. The military doctor was anxious and arrived late at night. Something happened that night, and the military doctor lost consciousness."
"Is that really true? Why?" I asked in shock as I stared at Old Wei. He whispered again, "They say it was a corpse explosion; the dead came back to life!"
I gasped in surprise. "Don't joke around, Old Wei! Are you even a party member?"
Old Wei glanced around before lowering his voice again. "Whether I'm a party member or not has nothing to do with reality; I'm just looking out for you. If you want to go, I won't stop you; if you don't want to go, I'll help you get your work done."
I thought for a moment and replied, "Old Wei, I appreciate your kindness, but you don't understand me. I'm not one to shy away from challenges; I need to see this through since it's my mission. I've come all this way already; backing out isn't my style."
Old Wei looked at me for a while before suddenly slapping his thigh. "Good! You're a real man! Then I'll accompany you this time!" I smiled back at him. "Then I'll count on you, Brother."
At noon, we had some food at a restaurant next to the Township Office. Old Wei wanted me to drink with him, but I declined; I didn't want to start drinking before even beginning my work. In the afternoon, Old Wei introduced me to local customs and gave me a brief overview of the three families we were going to visit.
None of the families lived on the main street; they were all spread out in nearby villages. Since many people here were poor, many children left school after junior high to work elsewhere. This time around for recruitment, those interested returned from afar to enlist.
I casually remarked that this seemed like a vicious cycle—if everyone left and didn't come back, how would their families develop? Old Wei sighed helplessly; young people couldn't stay put anymore. In some remote mountain villages, there wasn't even a television. Many eligible young people saw joining the military as their way out. Hearing Old Wei's lament made me feel somewhat sympathetic; I assured him that as long as there were no fundamental issues, no one would be dismissed under my watch.
Old Wei was quite pleased with my response because one of his distant relatives' children was among those three recruits. He believed that kids from the mountains were quite excellent—honest and kind-hearted—but due to financial constraints and lack of connections, he was worried about whether they would be accepted into the military this time around. If I could ensure fairness and objectivity in the process, he believed they would surely be taken away.
Since Old Wei had also served in the military, we found common ground to communicate. Besides sharing a lot about the local situation, he also recounted some of his own experiences as a soldier, which I found quite enlightening. We chatted happily for a long time, and it was only after dinner that I finally settled down in a temporary dormitory arranged by Old Wei at the Township Office.
The tranquil rural night allowed me to completely relax, and I had a good night's sleep. When I woke up, it was already eight in the morning. After a quick wash-up, I stepped outside to find Old Wei waiting in the courtyard, and to my surprise, there were two horses in the yard!
Seeing me come out, Old Wei approached with a smile. "Brother, you're awake? Let's go have breakfast outside and then we'll set off."
I pointed at the horses and asked, "Are we...?"
"Haha, yes! You guessed it right; we're going to ride there," Old Wei laughed.
I felt a bit flustered. "But I... I don't know how to ride a horse."
"Don't worry, it's very simple. Our Guangxi horses are gentle and have great endurance; they're perfect for traversing mountains. I'll teach you, and you'll get the hang of it in no time," Old Wei reassured me with another smile.
I opened my mouth but couldn't find the words. To be honest, I had prepared myself for a bumpy ride on a tractor or even walking through the mountainous terrain, but never did I imagine that I would be riding a horse!
Old Wei eagerly pulled me toward a roadside shop for breakfast. With some anxiety, I managed to eat a little while watching him load some essentials onto the horses' saddles. Noticing my confused expression as I wandered around aimlessly, Old Wei explained while he worked, "These are our locally bred horses, belonging to the Bai Se Horse Breed—specifically Tushan Horses. They're short but sturdy, agile and adaptable, capable of carrying heavy loads for long distances. This breed makes up half of our Guangxi horses and is essential for mountain travel."
I looked at the two horses: one brown and one black. They both appeared to be adults, standing no taller than fifteen hands high. Their heads were straight, ears perked up, backs level, coats shiny and smooth, with tails nearly touching the ground. After circling them twice and pretending to nod in understanding—having no idea what to do next—I waited for Old Wei's instructions.
Just as I was pondering how to mount the horse, Old Wei handed me the reins of the Black Horse and said, "Let's go!" He then led the horse out of the Township Office. Aren't we supposed to ride? Although puzzled, I mimicked him and followed along while holding onto the horse.
Once outside the Township Office gate, I noticed Old Wei walking along the roadside. I hurried after him and walked alongside him on the path. "Brother, aren't we riding?" I cautiously asked to avoid being laughed at.
"Oh, Brother," he replied with a chuckle, "you see, we only ride on mountain paths. There's no need to add unnecessary burden on them now; besides, roads can wear down their hooves. Let them rest."
I glanced back at the two horses and thought to myself that this life truly has its own wisdom! After walking along Provincial Road for less than an hour, we turned into a nearby mountain path through a gap. Old Wei explained that taking this route directly would make riding the best option; otherwise, we'd have to take a long detour by tractor before reaching our destination. He looked ahead thoughtfully and muttered to himself, "It would be best if we finish this before noon so we can head back in the afternoon; we should be able to make it back before dark."
It seemed that Old Wei was keen on avoiding an overnight stay there; however, since I wasn't familiar with the specifics of our situation, I remained silent and watched as he effortlessly swung his right leg over the saddle and hopped onto the horse's back in one smooth motion. Turning back to me, he said, "Brother, have you ever ridden before? If not, it's no problem; just follow my lead."
I hesitated for a moment before moving to the right side of the Black Horse. Looking at Old Wei first and then at Black Horse again, just then Black Horse snorted loudly and turned its head toward me as if urging me to hurry up and get on.
I placed my right foot on the saddle, feeling a bit unsteady. At that moment, Old Wei said, "Grab the saddle with your left hand and climb up!"
Following Old Wei's advice, I grasped the saddle with my left hand and pushed off with my left foot. In one swift motion, I swung myself onto the horse's back. My left leg quickly found its way to the left stirrup, and I hurriedly secured my footing. I had made it up, but now I was at a loss about what to do next.
Seeing that I was on the horse, Old Wei gave a slight tug on the reins, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and commanded, "Go!" The horse began to move forward at a leisurely pace. I tried to mimic him, but unexpectedly, Black Horse let out a loud snort and followed suit. I awkwardly shook the reins a couple of times while sitting on the horse.
Thus, we rode through the forest, moving at varying speeds. At first, I wasn't quite accustomed to it; the jolting was too much. However, gradually I got used to the up-and-down motion, which felt similar to being on a river. As long as I followed the rhythm, it became much more manageable.
Once I settled in, I started to have the energy to look around. The path we were on was a mountain trail, likely worn down by people over time. It was about a meter wide and wound its way up and down the mountain. For the horse beneath me, it seemed like no challenge at all; it navigated the inclines effortlessly and even had time to nibble on some grass by the roadside.
As Old Wei and I chatted along the way, we finally arrived at our destination—a small village nestled halfway up the mountain—around twelve-thirty in the afternoon.
We dismounted just before reaching the village and led our horses slowly into it. I noticed that this village was not large; at a glance, there were only about ten households clustered together on a small flat area of land halfway up the mountain. Fields tended by villagers stretched both above and below us, but strangely enough, there seemed to be no one around.
After entering the village, Old Wei called out loudly several times but received no response. Where could everyone be? What happened to them?
(To be continued; stay tuned for more excitement tomorrow!)
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