70: Local customs

Two vehicles formed a temporary convoy.

The white brabus g900 led the way, with the muddy old land cruiser following closely behind.

With a local leading the way, the speed increased significantly.

They passed through several narrow tunnels and rounded the final mountain ridge.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

The full view of the Jiaju Tibetan Village in Danba finally unfolded before their eyes without reservation.

The sun shone obliquely.

Hundreds of red and white Tibetan-style watchtowers were built against the mountains, scattered in an orderly fashion among the lush green trees.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose up.

The strong visual impact of the colors was so beautiful it looked like an oil painting rich in heavy ink and color.

"That is Jiaju. We're going straight up; I have friends there."

Through the walkie-talkie (equipment Jiang Yuan carried with him), came the uncle's hearty voice.

"Little brother, once you enter here, you're in Danba County."

"It's known as the narrowest county in the country. Look at this road; it's hard for any slightly larger car to make a U-turn."

Jiang Yuan gripped the steering wheel, looking out the window.

It was indeed narrow.

The entire county seemed to have been forcibly stuffed into the crevice of the canyon.

Beside it was the surging and roaring Dadu River, the sound of the water thundering, almost drowning out the bustle of the street.

There was only one main road, winding along the riverbank.

Looking up, there was a sliver of sky; looking down, there were rapids.

This was the legendary "Valley of Beauties."

There is an old saying: Kangba men, Danba women.

It is said that this is the Location of the ancient Eastern Queen's Kingdom. The girls walking by the roadside indeed mostly had fair skin and high-bridged noses; their beauty ranked high throughout all of Western Sichuan.

Passing through the crowded county, the two vehicles began to climb the slope.

This time, it was Uncle Dorje's old land cruiser that led the way.

The Jiaju Tibetan Village was located halfway up the mountain, several hundred meters higher in altitude than the county.

As the mountain road wound upward, the view gradually opened up.

Soon, a huge archway reading "Jiaju Tibetan Village" appeared before them.

This is a formal 4A-level scenic spot, with an admission ticket of fifty per person.

But with a local "native" leading the way, that was no longer an issue.

Uncle Dorje lowered the car window, shouted a few words in the local dialect to the Tibetan security guard at the gate, and pointed at the big white car behind.

Because he knew the security guard, the barrier was raised after he handed over a cigarette.

This is the charm of a society based on human relationships.

Once inside the village, the atmosphere changed abruptly.

Red and white watchtowers were scattered all over the mountains, nestled among the lush green trees in an orderly fashion.

The roadside was covered with small flowers of various colors—red, purple, and yellow—swaying gracefully in the wind.

Although Jiang Yuan couldn't name them, he assumed these were, in a broad sense, "gesang flower."

The convoy made several turns within the village.

Avoiding the observation decks crowded with tourists, they ducked into a small forest path.

Finally, they stopped in front of a detached Tibetan house hidden deep in a walnut grove.

At the entrance was a large, spacious open area paved with tamped lime.

Not to mention parking two cars, it would be enough for seven or eight.

"Tsering! I'm here!"

As soon as Uncle Dorje got out of the car, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Uncle Dorje! tashi delek!"

A little boy, looking about eleven or twelve years old, rushed out of the house like a little cannonball.

His skin was dark, but his eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky.

The two of them exchanged something quickly in fluent Tibetan.

Jiang Yuan couldn't understand, only feeling like it was some kind of rhythmic incantation.

But he could feel the affection that was beyond words.

"Little brother, come and meet him."

Uncle Dorje put his arm around the little boy's shoulder and introduced him with a smile:

"His name is Tashi Tsering; he is my friend's child."

After speaking, he patted his forehead somewhat embarrassedly:

"Right, we've been chatting the whole way, and I've just been bragging."

"Let me introduce myself formally, my name is Tenzin Dorje."

Jiang Yuan smiled and handed over a cigarette.

"Uncle Dorje, my name is Jiang Yuan, I'm from Hebei."

"Hebei?"

Uncle Dorje took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, frowned, and thought for a moment.

"Seems like I've heard of it, but I'm not familiar with it... Is it fun there?"

"It's fun."

Jiang Yuan nodded without hesitation.

"Except for the snow-capped mountains you have here, it has everything else."

"If you have the chance to go to Hebei in the future, look for me. I'll take you around; I'll cover your food and lodging."

"Haha! That's great! It's a deal!"

Uncle Dorje laughed heartily and patted Tsering's head.

"Come on, let's go inside!"

They pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The light inside the room was slightly dim, filled with the unique fragrance of burning yak butter and cypress branches.

An old woman with grey hair was sitting by the window, turning a prayer wheel in her hand.

"This is Tsering's A-yi, which means grandmother."

Uncle Dorje leaned close to the old woman's ear and raised his voice:

"A-mu! It's me, Dorje! I've come to see you!"

"Look! I've even brought a friend!"

The old woman was a bit hard of hearing and took a moment to react before she understood.

Her cloudy eyes instantly lit up, and she tried to stand up tremblingly.

"Eh, good, good, Dorje is here... Sit down, sit down quickly."

Jiang Yuan quickly took two steps forward with a gentle smile on his face.

Imitating Dorje, he shouted loudly:

"Hello, A-yi!"

"Good child, good child..."

The old woman smiled, the wrinkles on her face smoothing out. She waved her hand to signal them to sit down, intending to go pour butter tea herself.

"A-mu, you sit! We'll do it ourselves!"

Uncle Dorje pressed down on the old woman's shoulder and turned to give the boy nearby a wink.

"Tsering, go pour a cup of tea for this big brother."

"Got it!"

Tashi Tsering was very obedient and nimbly ran to fetch the thermos.

Watching this scene, Uncle Dorje turned his head, lowered his voice a little, and said with a touch of emotion:

"This is the home of a good brother of mine."

"A few years ago, he had an accident while driving transport with his wife, and they both passed away."

"Leaving behind this old woman and the child."

"Every time I go to Chengdu for trade, I pass by here to check on them, leave some money, and bring some things."

He said it very nonchalantly.

As if it were as common and ordinary as eating and drinking water.

Jiang Yuan looked at the rugged man in front of him.

He felt a bit more respect in his heart.

Nowadays, there are many people who add flowers to embroidery, but few who send charcoal in snow.

To be able to treat a friend's mother as one's own mother—this is a real man.

"Uncle Dorje, you're a stand-up guy."

Jiang Yuan didn't say much, just gave a thumbs up.

"Hey, it's only right."

Dorje sighed and looked at the child in the distance with gentle eyes.

"I originally planned to take them to live in Lhasa; the medical and educational conditions there are better than here."

"But A-mu wouldn't agree."

"Old people, you know, they find it hard to leave their homeland. She said she wants to die in her own old house, guarding her son's soul."

Speaking of this, Dorje paused, his voice lowering a bit:

"I plan to wait until... when Tsering is left on his own, then I'll take him over."

Immediately, he grinned, his face showing a trace of cunning and generosity:

"It just so happens that I have a daughter, and I'm just missing a son."

"This kid is tough and gets along well with me."

Dorje waved his hand, seemingly feeling that this topic was too heavy and not wanting to talk about it anymore.

At this moment, Tsering walked over with two cups of butter tea.

One for Dorje, and one for Jiang Yuan.

"Big brother, drink some water."

His Mandarin had a slight Tibetan accent but was very standard.

"Thank you... Tsering."

Jiang Yuan took the cup and thanked him with a smile.

The names here are indeed a bit of a tongue twister.

But for him, whose attributes are now doubled, as long as he has heard it once, he will never forget it.

He even remembered clearly the small movement of the child's left hand when he was pouring the water earlier.

"Tsering, you keep this big brother company for a while and take good care of the guest."

Uncle Dorje stood up and brushed the dust off his backside.

"I'm going to town to buy some meat. Tonight, we're having a barbecue in your yard!"

Upon hearing "barbecue," Tsering's eyes lit up instantly.

"Yay! Uncle Dorje, I want to eat chicken legs!"

"Okay! I'll buy you big chicken legs!"

Uncle Dorje laughed heartily, turned around, and strode out of the house.

Inside the room, only Jiang Yuan, the little boy Tsering, and the kind old grandmother turning the prayer wheel remained.

And that cup of steaming butter tea.