"This lake can let the dead rest in peace. Hey, you guys didn't bury those dead people in the lake, did you?" Lu Xiufeng asked.
"Really." The Miao Qingfeng was silent for a while, but the smile on his face was gone. It was replaced by a serious look.
"But, I remember there are a lot of graves on the mountain." Yang Guanfeng pointed to the peak diagonally opposite. They had seen it the last time they went up. They had also seen it this time. The Miao Qingfeng had also said that it was the place where the dead in the village were buried.
"Well, it depends on the wishes of the deceased and his identity."
"It also depends on his identity. What do you mean?"
"Most of the women are buried in the lake, and most of the men are buried in the mountain," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"How do you bury them?"
"Make a bamboo raft, let the deceased lie on it, and then let it float quietly on the lake."
"Then, don't you care?"
"Yes."
"Well, if I may say something disrespectful to the deceased, do they all end up in the belly of the fish?" Lu Xiufeng asked.
After he said this, the corner of Yang Guanfeng's mouth twitched.
"You really dare to say anything!"
"Ha-ha, there is nothing wrong with understanding it this way," the Miao Qingfeng said. "This method is just like in Tibet. Don't they still hold sky burials? In the end, it is handled by the eagles, isn't it?" The Miao Qingfeng said. "Besides, this custom is basically abolished now," the Miao Qingfeng said. "Unless someone specifically requests it, we all bury them."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Oh, who was the last person to be buried in the lake? When was it?"
"In my impression, it was an old man in the stockade, about four months ago," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"Well, OK, thank you," Lu Xiufeng said.
"It's okay."
Gurgle, gurgle. The bobber moved a little.
"The fish took the bait." Lu Xiufeng shouted happily. He raised the rod and caught a fish more than a foot long. Under his gaze, the scales shone.
"Well, not bad, not bad," he said with a smile.
"Hey, how old was the old man when he died?"
"102."
"Wow, longevity!" Lu Xiufeng exclaimed. "Are there many old people in your village?"
"Yes. Our village has a good environment and a slow pace of life. Most of the villagers know some medicine and pay attention to their health. That's why many of us live a long life. I don't have any statistics, but I think the average lifespan of the villagers is more than 90. That old man is not considered old," said the Miao Qingfeng.
"Damn, is it that powerful? Is there any unique secret? Hey, is there any kind of legendary immortal herb in the deep mountains that can make one immortal after eating it? For example, thousand-year-old ginseng, lingzhi, and so on?"
Miao Qingfeng was stunned after hearing that.
"Ah, hehe, I think Captain Lu, you've watched too many novels and movies. How could there be such a thing?"
"No?"
"I don't know if there are such things in other places, but we don't have them in our village," the Miao Qingfeng said. "Thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower are very rare elixirs. They can be called treasures of heaven and earth."
"Hey, is there any elixir or something like that in this place that can prolong one's life after eating it?"
"Elixir? Hahaha!" Miao Qingfeng laughed heartily.
"There is no such thing. If there is, I'll be the first to find a way to eat it."
"Oh, tsk, to be honest, I'm under a lot of pressure at work," Lu Xiufeng said. "I feel that my body is getting worse and worse. I don't think I can live to be 100 years old. I'll be thankful if I can live to be 80 years old."
"Captain Lu, I think you have the appearance of longevity," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"Really? You know how to read people's faces?"
"I know a little. I taught myself."
"Then look at him." Lu Xiufeng pointed at Yang Guanfeng.
"Captain Yang is also a person with longevity," the Miao Qingfeng said with a smile.
Yang Guanfeng just smiled. He didn't take it to heart and didn't take it seriously.
"Hey, another fish took the bait." Lu Xiufeng raised the fishing rod. It was another big fish.
"Hey, today's luck is really good!"
"Hey, is this fish delicious?"
"It's delicious," the Miao Qingfeng said with a smile. "Steamed, fried, and boiled, the taste is very delicious. We had this kind of fish a few times before."
"That's good. I'll let you taste my cooking today."
"Captain Lu, are you a cooking expert?"
"I'm not an expert, but I'm good at cooking fish. I'll treat you to lunch at noon. No, I'll present you with borrowed flowers," Lu Xiufeng said.
"Please do me the honor, Mr. Miao."
"Sure, sure, sure," the Miao Qingfeng said with a smile.
For the whole morning, the three of them talked and laughed. They basically didn't ask anything related to the case. Instead, they talked about a lot of things.
"I didn't expect Brother Miao to be so knowledgeable. You must have been to a lot of places, right?" In just one morning, through in-depth and sincere communication, the Miao Qingfeng had changed the way he addressed Miao Qingfeng. He directly called him brother.
"Brother, you flatter me."
"Judging from your knowledge, you must have been to a lot of places, right?"
"Well, in fact, I go out a few times every year," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"Oh! So, this stockade is not really isolated from the outside world. It's just that it rarely communicates with the outside world, right? "
"Yes. In today's society, it's impossible to be completely isolated from the outside world. We are not like Tao Yuanming's paradise," the Miao Qingfeng said with a smile.
"Yes, yes. If such a good place is really isolated from the outside world and doesn't communicate with the outside world, then it's a pity. Sigh, the scenery here is so good. Why don't you do a tourism project? It's very popular now. There are many rich people out there. A place like this without pollution is very attractive to them."
"Brother Lu, we just want to live a peaceful life. We don't want to be disturbed by outsiders. In fact, this is a habit passed down from generation to generation. It's already ingrained in our bones. I've been to the outside world and experienced the rich and colorful life in the big cities. At first, I thought it was very fresh and exciting. It's better than living in the stockade. But after a long time, I feel that life in the stockade is better. We are self-sufficient. We grow our own food and raise our own crops. If we are sick, we can treat ourselves. The environment here is good, and the interpersonal relationships in the stockade are good. It's very harmonious. It's not as cold as the outside world. What's the point of going out there and earning so much money? "
"Doesn't anyone want to go out?" Yang Guanfeng interrupted.
"Yes, of course. Everyone has their own ideas, right? Some people have gone out, but there are rules in our stockade. They can go out and come back to visit their parents, but they can't bring people from the outside. People who go out can't marry girls in the stockade, and they can't marry men in the stockade, unless both of them go out and their names are removed from the family tree," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"Isn't this a bit too much?"
"But," the Miao Qingfeng said with certainty.
"In the past few years that I've been away, I've visited a lot of places. Those once pure lands have become secular after the commercialization. They've lost their original tranquility and simplicity. Most of the people who used to live there have also changed. In fact, their lives aren't that happy. I've talked to them. They want to return to the way they used to live, but they can't go back. It's like a tank of water that was originally very clean. You drip a few drops of ink into it. It's easy to drip them in, but if you want to separate them and restore the original purity, it's difficult. It's basically impossible, "the Miao Qingfeng said.
"I love this stockade. This is my hometown. I hope it can continue to maintain its simplicity and homesickness. It won't be affected by the materialistic desires of the outside world." When he said these words, he was very serious and serious.
"Well, I can understand your thoughts." Lu Xiufeng patted him on the shoulder.
In fact, he had also been to many places, such as Shangri-La and Ancient Phoenix City. What had become of them now? How many of the things from the past were left? Some things could not be measured by money. Some things, once lost, could never be recovered.
"Chief Miao thinks so too, right?"
"Yes, Chief Miao thinks so and does so. He's a firm enforcer and defender of the ancient rules," the Miao Qingfeng said.
"Sometimes, he's even a little unreasonable."
"Really? If he's unreasonable, won't you hate him?"
"How can that be? In fact, some people in the village left because of Chief Miao Qingfeng," the Miao Qingfeng said. "He will never bend on certain issues."
"Ah, he will never back down on matters of principle?"
"Yes."
"People who stick to their principles are very rare everywhere," Lu Xiufeng said.
"Yes!"
"Well, that's all for today. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Don't forget to come for fish at noon. It would be even better if you can bring two bottles of fish."
"Of course."
The two of them carried bamboo baskets with a few fish they caught in the morning. After returning to the residence, Lu Xiufeng really got busy. He cleaned up the fish and prepared to make lunch.
"You're really something. You used other people's fish to entertain them."
"What should I do? I can't possibly invite them out for lunch. The nearest restaurant is at least five hours away."
"Five and a half hours."
"That's right. I'm just presenting them with borrowed flowers. Besides, my way of doing things is different from theirs. Just wait and see!"
Lu Xiufeng busied himself non-stop.
At noon, the Miao Qingfeng came to their residence with a jar of wine. There were a few dishes on the table. Two of them were fish. One was braised, and the other was boiled. It emitted a tempting aroma. The other two dishes were stir-fried vegetables.
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