Finished my lesson for the day and was about to go for a walk. The landlady's sisters and in-law were also ready to go home in nearby villages. The third and youngest sister (Sanmei) asked me whether I would like to go for a short visit at hers. Considering her home is approximately 4km away from Shaxi, and it would turn dark soon, I hesitated. Knowing that the sister-in-law was going to drive Sanmei home and I assumed she would later return. I thought, why not? Then I jumped onto the tuk tuk, headed together with them to The Lingthouse Village (灯塔村).
The road to The Lighthouse Village is forever dusty. It takes them ages to build a proper cement road. As soon as we arrived LHV, I realized that sister-in-law lives even further inside the village and I had to walk home. Well, still a walk, just a longer way.
Sanmei's living condition looks pretty 80s to me, reminded me of my childhood. Though there is electricity, she still uses firewood and the big booking hearth to make food. The living room has been refurbished yet the front gate and the walls surrounding the courtyard seem easily topple. I felt sad that Sanmei is still living in "poverty".
I was surprised that she's totally fine to live alone in such a big house in the middle of the rural mountain area. "I thought you live with your mum." I said. "No, she lives with my big brother." "Where is your husband? "He is working in Xiaguan (下关)." "How often does he come home?" "Maybe every three or four months." "Aren't you afraid to live alone in such a big house?" "No, I get used to it. I have been like this for about 5 years now." She told me that she also has a 22-year-old son who is currently working in Kunming. She has to work hard, save money and refurbish the house for her son.
I like this hard-working rustic lady. Though arranged marriage, living in the poorest condition of all the three sisters. She seems to be the happiest one who is content with her simple life. Asked the typical question of whether she would like to live in a big city like Kunming or here in a rural village, unsurprisingly, she chose village.
I couldn't refuse the dinner so we cooked together. I had only cooked with firewoods when I was little. The way how she cleaned and cooked with the big wok was very different from my blurry memory of my old kitchen. She skillfully added woods and dry corn cores to the cooking stove, picked out burnt remains, put them in the warming stove and then add some other old remains to make bigger fire. What a smart lday!
I love the warming stove so very much. Winter back in Guangzhou could be extremely wet and freezing yet we never have a warming stove. The burning ashes tonight was terrific! We sat round the warming stove and enjoyed our meal together!
As it was already dark, Sanmei asked me to stay over but I politely declined. I told her that this was the exactly walk that I needed after dinner. Unfortunately, my landlady called several times and insisted that her husband who we called uncle shall come pick me up in case of anything unexpected happen. I couldn't say no and thus we went together to the entrance of the village to wait for uncle to come. Along the way, we were lucky to spot a wipe gourd which had just fallen onto the gound. Free meal!
Uncle was quick, I said "thank you and good bye" to Sanmei and then went home in the back of uncle's motorbike.
I am grateful to have met my landlady and her families. They are such lovely people!
Comments
Post a Comment