Chapter 204 Phoenix Village
A few days later, Jiang Wen met with Nanyang’s other person is a very polite person, and his conversation reveals his cultivation.
When we talked about strange things happening at home, we just said there was nothing we could so-called experts in Nanyang were also invited, but the problem was not solved.
I discussed the coming and going with Jiang Wen, and when the other party proposed to pick him up on a special plane, he employer didn't force me, he just left his address and left.
When Wang Sheng asked him why he refused, Jiang Wen just explained that he wanted to go there himself.
In fact, Jiang Wen also wanted to take Mo Xiang with him to practice in Nanyang this was considered Jiang Wen's disciple in Jingxu Temple. Although she had experienced a lot in Daqian, she was still under the protection of him and Li Yunshang.
This time to Nanyang, he planned to take Mo Xiang there on foot, and take a look at the results of her practice these days.
When he returned to the temple and talked about it with Mo Xiang, Mo Xiang immediately Wen could tell that she also wanted to go out and have a look instead of just staying in the Taoist temple.
The two packed up their things, dressed in Taoist robes, and set off towards the leaving, she entrusted Mr. Shen to help her get her ID card, and then took the car all the way to the southern border.
On this day, the two of them were walking in the deserted mountains where there were few people.
Jiang Wen walked on the muddy path after the rain and looked at the dilapidated mountain village not far away.
He turned back, pointed at several collapsed earth walls not far away, and asked the old man behind him: "Fellow? This is your Phoenix Village? Do you call this a village?"
The village is indeed a village, but at first glance it looks similar to a distressed village reborn after a are exposed rotten wooden roof beams and collapsed earth walls that have not been repaired.
There are only a few tile houses that can be said to be intact, but they are also overgrown with grass and have no trace of human activity.
Jiang Wen could imagine that there were probably not many people in this such difficult conditions, young people in the village either go out to work or move to the county town hundreds of miles away early.
The only people left in the village are a few elderly people who are reluctant to leave their hometown, and the children left behind.
"Here, all the men have gone out, where is anyone else?" The veteran cadre smoked a cigarette, speaking in a thick accent, with a hint of sigh on his dark and old face.
His bare head was dangling like a gourd and gourd, and his muddy heels stepped into the half-inch-deep pit, and he walked slowly ahead.
"Why don't you little Taoist priest just stay in the temple and lead people to the mountains?"
Jiang Wen listened to the veteran cadre's words and replied with a smile: "Take my apprentice everywhere to practice. Have you ever heard of any strange things?"
"What's weird? Don't talk nonsense, there's nothing weird." The old cadre said angrily and walked towards the village without looking back.
The front cannot see the sky, and the back cannot touch the ground.
Jiang Wen and Mo Xiang followed the veteran cadres into the village.
There is no pastoral scenery as imagined, only filthy quagmire and loess that sinks to the heels.
The originally clean leather boots were stained with mud, weighing heavily on the feet, making every step difficult to walk.
He listened to the crow of chickens and watched several hens walking past him with high leaving a string of black and white objects at his feet, he left without mercy.
"This village is really remote." Jiang Wen thought, and Mo Xiang beside him shook the dirt from his shoes.
"Are you still getting used to it along the way?" Jiang Wen asked.
"Fortunately, there's nothing wrong with following Brother Jiang." Mo Xiang replied softly.
"Old Chen, whose family does this baby belong to? Is he a relative of yours?"
Passing by a dilapidated mud house, the old lady sitting at the door showed her only teeth and asked with a smile.
"He's not a relative of mine, he's a traveling Taoist priest." The old man shook out the cigarette and pointed at Jiang Wen and said.
"I don't know where the energy comes from, but it comes to us." The veteran cadre said, pointing at the old lady and smiling.
"This is Grandma Xu from the village. She has a daughter who has not been back for many years. The old man has no one to take care of him, so he is considered a minimum living security household in the village." She has children who are still receiving minimum living security, so the old man's life may not be easy. Wen looked at the old lady and thought to himself.
The old lady listened to the words of the veteran cadre and kept talking about how good it was. She said why the little Taoist priest was so young and had to suffer in Shangougou, and she still insisted on giving Jiang Wen some eggs.
Jiang Wen naturally declined in every possible way, but in the end he couldn't resist the old man's persistence and had no choice but to accept.
"The old lady is really enthusiastic." Jiang Wen said with a bitter smile while holding the eggs.
"She is also a poor person. After one of her daughters passed the exam, she never came back." said the veteran cadre.
When Jiang Wen heard this, he thought of the old man's age.
I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. After all, with the conditions back then, who would want to return to this remote mountain village if they could take the exam elsewhere.
After getting to know several families in the village under the leadership of veteran cadres, Jiang Wen finally had an understanding of the basic situation of the village.
This village located deep in the mountains is not only poor but also poor.
Most of the villagers are elderly, and there are very few left-behind children.
According to the old man, children who have reached school age have already been taken to the county town by their parents to study.
How many are left?
When Jiang Wen and the veteran cadres arrived at the temporary residence, he had a deeper understanding of the mountain village he was currently visiting.
The sand and stones protrude from the earthen walls, and there is a spider web on the edge of the wooden door rails looked rotten and black, with a pair of couplets that had been weathered for an unknown amount of time.
"This was the residence of village cadres back then, but later they quit their jobs and moved to big cities." The veteran cadre said sadly.
Jiang Wen didn't say anything. Given the current situation in the village, he would have resigned.
But seeing the old people in the village, Jiang Wen felt that he had to do something.
Opening the door and going in, the environment of the residence was not as bad as Jiang Wen thought.
Although the floor is still uneven, the house has been cleaned quite cleanly.
"Just now, several old people in the village heard that the Taoist priests were coming, and they clamored to come and see Xiqi." The veteran cadre said with a smile.
"Things like bedding and the like belong to the villagers, so don't dislike them."
"Thank you for your concern, folks." Jiang Wen felt a warmth flow through his heart and nodded.
"If anything happens to you, just come to the old man. I'll live up here." The old cadre pointed to the back of the residence, put down Jiang Wen's things and went out.
Jiang Wen looked around the dark room and touched the switch wire.
"Bang!" There was a sound, and the orange light illuminated the room.
He hadn't seen this old-fashioned hand-operated switch for many years, and he didn't expect to see it here again.
When night fell, Jiang Wen sat on the chair and explained Mo Xiang's doubts.
There are no night markets like big cities, nor the colorful life of big day when the sky gets a little darker, it's time to take a rest.
The only fun in the village is probably watching TV at until late at night and then go to sleep.
Outside the window, there was the howling of the mountain wind, and something seemed to be passing by in front of the house.
(End of this chapter)