Encountering this village was a very casual and wonderful thing. Our original plan was to go from Jingdong County to the Ailao Mountain Forest Tourist Area to experience the mystery of the Ailao Mountains. However, due to road construction, we had to deviate from the planned route and take another old asphalt road that wound through the mountains for several kilometers. That's when we saw this small village, Jianshui Village, shrouded in mist and surrounded by lush green plants. Actually, it's just a village group with over 50 Yi ethnic households, belonging to Sanying Village, Dajie Town, Jingdong County.
As we walked into this quiet village, a few lingering raindrops were quietly falling from the clouds drifting hundreds of meters high, sliding down the wet tile roofs, treetops, and grass, onto the cement ground covered with green moss, and merging into a rushing stream outside the village. Rain has color; falling into the jungle, it adds a fresh green; falling on tile roofs, it adds a layer of bright gray; and as for the clouds lingering around the mountains, as the rain is drawn out, they turn from gray to pristine white. The village is built on a slope by the roadside, yet we felt as if we had stepped into the depths of a remote jungle, breathing the purest air.
Every house in the village stands quietly by the cement road, surrounded by a sweet fragrance. Here, almost every household has mango trees, walnut trees, bamboo, and even orange trees planted in the open space in front of their doors. After the rain, the courtyard gates open towards the wilderness. No matter the time, the wilderness always seems like a long-acquainted neighbor, quietly visiting the village, greeting with the sun, moon, and stars. As for the villagers, they come out of their rooms, sit in the courtyard, or step outside, silently facing the wilderness, replying only with a reassuring gaze. The tranquility surging in the wilderness beats against the village like waves, one after another.
In this village wrapped in dense greenery, the vibrant and lush plants of nature take the lead, while human structures with white walls and gray tiles recede to a secondary position, becoming embellishments in the green ocean. The two complement each other, mutually enhancing one another. Human activities do not disrupt the order of nature, and nature generously gives abundant gifts in return, providing both material satisfaction and spiritual comfort through pure mountain scenery.
At the head of Jianshui Village, there is a pottery experience center. The host family's pottery craftsmanship has been passed down for over a hundred years and is quite famous locally. Opposite the house is their tea room, where the hosts warmly entertain travelers from all directions. We were fortunate to be invited to sit in the tea room, where we not only drank fragrant terrace tea but also enjoyed a hearty dinner with local characteristics. The hostess detailed the village's history and the development of their pottery, and her poised speech and love for tea culture and pottery were astonishing. We stayed so long that we directly changed our itinerary.
The dim dusk gradually spread from the sky, slowly enveloping the village, and cooking smoke rose from the chimneys. Yet silence always filled every corner; except for the murmuring stream, no other sound could be heard. When night falls, what role will the village continue to play?
Many of the steep slopes here are tea gardens. The first villager we met was an aunt picking tea in the rain wearing a bamboo hat. The pottery center hostess told us that her family also has a large mountain tea plantation. Every year from around Qingming Festival to October, she and her mother-in-law stay in the tea garden busy picking tea.
In the village, we encountered many flowers that we had never seen in our living environment. They bloomed freely in suitable corners of the simple village, conveying beauty to passersby and to nature.
