When we were taking photos in Dahuangcaoba and Xiaohuangcaoba villages, we saw another village clustered on a higher, more distant slope to the east. The white modern buildings in the village were very conspicuous, easily distinguishable in the surrounding natural environment of green mountains. A year ago, I had hiked along a mountain path to the top of the hill outside the village where wind turbines turned. Although I didn't walk through the village, the many spacious and bright houses, the towering mountains around, and the vast charming meadows left a deep impression on me, and I couldn't forget the village.
On the way, we passed a reservoir as smooth as a mirror, where a few water birds leisurely floated on the surface, foraging. They had the entire pond to themselves, and even humans were forbidden from competing with them for the fish in the pond. But last year, there were quite a few people fishing here. When I stopped by the roadside to record what I saw, two fishing enthusiasts mistook me for some kind of inspector and hesitated to get out of their car. It wasn't until I put away my notebook and pen and passed by their car that they realized I was an acquaintance, and then they got out, grabbed their fishing gear, and slid down the embankment. Later, when we talked about it, they said, 'Don't scare us like that again,' haha.
Whenever we walk in unfamiliar villages, we always find it hard to locate a road that connects the entire village. Instead, we have to explore bit by bit, discover, and sometimes backtrack multiple times, afraid of missing scenes that might seem ordinary to the villagers but bring us great joy. A beautifully shaped persimmon tree, a simple and clean ancient gate, a staircase paved with thick ochre stones, a tall and robust rooster… these are the things we delight in discovering and are captivated by. It is these subtle, ordinary things that shape the unpretentious character of the village, full of a strong rural home atmosphere.
The new buildings on the outskirts of the village made me mistakenly think that Duoyu Village had no old houses. But as we went deeper, we found that there were quite a few old rammed-earth houses in the village, though most villagers had moved to spacious and bright new homes. The old houses were either vacant or used as chicken coops or cattle sheds. This is the courtyard gate of an old house; the courtyard wall had been demolished, turning it into a passage. Next to it, a large cement brick house had been built on the vacant land. The old house next to it had not yet collapsed, but since it had been uninhabited for years, many window lattices were damaged, and the walls were covered with green ivy. The ceramic tile inscribed with 'Happy Home' remained intact and clearly visible.
Many old houses were locked, so we couldn't see their full interiors. We could only take a few more glances outside the quiet gate, as if looking at a stranger from the village, not speaking to each other, but recording this unexpected encounter with smiles. The mule lying at the gate stood up as if welcoming us, staring at us in surprise.
In the village, we met a farmer carrying a mountain-like load of corn stalks, steadily walking up the slope towards home. We didn't greet her, afraid that talking to us would waste her limited energy and disturb her farm work. If she hadn't been carrying that mountain, she would surely have smiled and invited us to her home for a visit. In the mountains, in the villages, we always meet such warm-hearted villagers.
The animals in the village are always timid. As soon as they see a stranger, or even hear an unfamiliar sound, they flee far away. Roosters scurry in panic, white geese stretch their long necks in an attacking posture, yellow dogs bark at us incessantly, but as soon as we turn around, they shrink back. The yellow cattle in the pen also let out nervous moos through the wooden door.
Only the plants in the village are friendly and elegant, indifferent to passersby. But they care about the changing seasons; when the season changes, they have no choice but to yield.
In the mountains around Duoyu Village, patches of grassland spread across the slopes are everywhere, and there are also many forests. On the opposite huge slope, a winding path crosses farmland, passes through meadows, and leads to the forest, where the autumn colors are strikingly visible. We really should go there on a clear day for a long hiking trip.
