Chapter 22: A Poor Mountain Village!
After strapping his things to the motorcycle, Daniel set off. He rode for over an hour, bumping and stumbling along the way, and still hadn't arrived. He vaguely remembered his father saying that it would take at least a day to walk to the remote village deep in the mountains! It seemed this village was indeed terrifyingly remote. At this rate, it would take at least three hours to get there, Daniel cursed as he drove. He endured the rugged mountain road, a series of potholes within potholes, a truly treacherous ride. The swaying sensation was worse than riding a roller coaster.
The further in he went, the narrower the road became. Although the scenery was lush and green everywhere, Daniel cursed inwardly, wondering why there wasn't a single person to ask for directions. After riding for another half hour, he finally saw a man chopping wood by the roadside. After asking him carefully, he continued on his way. After a while, he vaguely saw Kaseri Village. It looked as if it had just been swept away by a flood. The houses were all dilapidated mud-brick houses. During the day, everyone was working in the fields, so the village seemed rather deserted.
Seeing a national flag floating in the distance on an open field, Daniel immediately headed towards it. However, a small river blocked his path. He glanced at the water; it wasn't deep, but a motorcycle wouldn't make it across. Just as he was wondering what to do, a thin old man came along on a bamboo raft and asked,
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Daniel thought that this small village was probably too remote and no one usually came here, so the boatman found it strange that a stranger had come. He quickly said, "I'm here to see my aunt. She teaches here! Her name is Grace."
The old man laughed immediately upon hearing this, and after pushing the bamboo raft over, he helped Daniel carry his things onto it: "Our village can't be crossed by bike, so I'll give you a ride! Teacher Miller is a good person. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't know where our children would be going. You're the first person to visit her in all these years, she'll definitely be very happy. Just leave the bike here, I'll watch it for you."
After Daniel carried the things upstairs, the old man kept talking about how good his aunt was and how the people in his village had wronged her.
After reaching the other side, the old man found another donkey cart to help Daniel move his things. He patted Daniel and said, "Don't worry, kid. Stay here and keep Teacher Miller company. If anyone dares to touch this cart, I'll strangle them."
After thanking the man, Daniel chatted with the man pulling the donkey cart. He learned that Kaseri Village was much poorer than he had imagined. Although every household had a lot of land, they couldn't harvest their grain at the end of the year. Their meager earnings were only enough to buy seeds, not fertilizer, so crop yields kept declining. This cycle only led to further poverty. The children in the mountains had to walk for more than ten hours to reach the nearest primary school.
Later, the village built a simple school, but the village head went to the town to hire teachers. Each teacher they hired couldn't stay more than two days before quitting due to the hardship and lack of pay. Then, the young woman resolutely stayed to teach the children, working diligently even when she was sick, making everyone in the village feel indebted to this young teacher.
The so-called primary school principal and teachers were all handled by my aunt alone. Fortunately, there were only about 40 students, so the division of labor wasn't too clear. The villagers felt guilty and would give any extra money they had to the village head. Sometimes, when my aunt was doing well, she would earn two or three hundred a month. However, she ate coarse grains and wild vegetables herself but used the money to buy textbooks and other things. This made the simple mountain people feel even more unable to repay her kindness.
During his conversation with the old man, Daniel developed a deep respect for this aunt he didn't know very well. You see, Kaseri Village was a poor place where you could marry a beautiful wife with just an ox.
When this young and beautiful teacher came back then, everyone shook their heads and sighed, thinking she wouldn't stay long. But she stayed for ten years, and some of her students, who were already married, still had their children recognize her as their godmother.
After a while, the donkey cart slowly came to a stop on a relatively flat gravel ground. Daniel looked up and saw that this was no school at all. It was just a few logs supporting a pile of straw, with stones of different heights underneath serving as desks. Several children of different ages, covered in mud and straw, sat on the ground, carefully flipping through their almost worn-out textbooks, as if they were precious treasures in their hands.
As soon as they arrived, he excitedly shouted, "Miss Miller, your nephew has come to see you!"
A pale-faced woman emerged from a small, dilapidated hut nearby; this must be his aunt. Daniel scrutinized her closely. Time hadn't left any marks on her face, though her skin was slightly dark, but remarkably healthy. She appeared somewhat thin and sallow, likely due to the poor nutrition she received. However, her hair was exceptionally smooth, rivaling even those in shampoo commercials, simply tied in a braid at the back. Her face exuded a serene aura, her eyes bright but slightly weary. She wore faded, ordinary clothes with a conspicuous patch on her trousers. While her features weren't conventionally beautiful, she possessed an inexplicable charm that made her seem exceptionally approachable.
Grace paused for a moment, then let the children read again. She walked over and looked at Daniel with a smile, saying with some emotion, "It's only been a few years, and little Dan has grown so much. He used to be just a little mud-covered boy with snot running down his face. You must be tired. Come inside and rest for a bit."
After saying that, she took Daniel's hand and walked into the house. After that the old man unload the things and started carrying the things down one by one himself.
When he picked up the 50-pound piece of hanging meat, Daniel could clearly hear him swallowing. The children also looked at the big, greasy piece of pork with longing expressions.
Daniel's heart ached when he entered the house with his aunt. The house had only a small bed, and apart from a table piled with all sorts of old books, there was no other furniture. The only thing that looked worth something was a large wooden barrel in the house. Compared to his second aunt's house, the whole little house was simply uninhabitable.
Grace noticed her nephew's expression and immediately pulled him to sit on the small chair. She poured him a glass of water and said, "Don't underestimate this simple place, there's a small river right down there. When you're free, you can go there to catch fish, dig sweet potatoes, and play games with the children. It's a really fun way to spend the day."
Daniel knew she was trying to comfort him, and said in a somewhat dejected tone, "But your living conditions here are really too bad. I just saw that the books those children were holding were all worn out. Look at yourself! You look terrible. Aunt, why don't you come back with me? My dad keeps talking about you."
Grace shook her head: "Daniel, why are you trying to persuade me too? To be honest, I don't want to leave these kids for a long time. They are so sensible and well-behaved! What will happen to them if I leave? I know you feel sorry for me, but I really don't want to leave this place."
Daniel saw a deep, selfless love in Grace's eyes. Most people couldn't endure such a life, yet his aunt resolutely chose to stay in this lifeless place. No wonder everyone they met along the way was exceptionally polite upon hearing he was Miss Miller's nephew; his aunt had left her most beautiful girlhood and youth in this impoverished mountain. At that moment, in Daniel's eyes, his aunt was practically a goddess.
"Auntie, look! My dad asked me to bring these. He knows your life is tough here! Just keep them for yourself and eat them slowly. Don't give them all away at once."
Daniel knew that neither his father nor his grandparents could persuade his aunt, so he figured he had no chance either. He got up and walked to the bags, opening them one by one.
"Hehe, I'm happy enough that you came to see me, Daniel, why did you bring so much stuff!"
Grace hadn't eaten meat and rice for a long time, and at this moment, those foods seemed particularly tempting.
A timid little girl walked in through the door. Her thin, small body made her look about eleven or twelve years old. Her face was a little dirty, but she had a pair of particularly bright eyes. After carefully looking at Daniel, she asked Grace, "Teacher, is it time to go home? Can we leave school now?"
"Okay, you all go home first. Come back when it gets dark and I'll stew some meat for you!"
Grace glanced at the little girl's eyes, which kept glancing furtively at the pile of hanging meat, and decided to let the students eat together. The little girl happily agreed and ran out.
"Auntie, what happened to you just now?" Daniel's tone was somewhat reproachful.
[A/N: Dan = Dani = Daniel]
Grace remained calm: "Dani, you don't know! Every month, villagers bring me some eggs and meat, but these children only get to smell meat during festivals all year round! They are growing, and they can't do without good food."
Daniel also sighed: "Fine, I have no objection to whatever you want to do."
Grace chuckled, took her nephew's hand, and led him to the stove behind the small house. She gestured for Daniel to go play first, then hummed a little tune as she cut the pork into pieces and tossed them into the pot to cook. She then rinsed the rice and prepared to cook a pot of fragrant rice.
Daniel sat down beside his aunt, watching her busy figure, and couldn't help but sigh. This Kaseri Village was truly impoverished; many people had probably forgotten that such a place existed deep in the mountains. The innocent eyes of the children and his aunt's love flashed through his mind. Daniel decided that once the World Cup was over, he would hire someone to haul in a truckload of steel and cement to rebuild the school, and also set aside some money to improve his aunt's living conditions. If possible, he would find two more people to fill in, so that his aunt could return with him.
While thinking and smoking, the uncle who had driven the donkey earlier came in with a smile and hurriedly put down a clay bottle: "Young man, this is my family's homemade sweet potato liquor, it's been brewing for ten years. It's absolutely delicious, you and your aunt should have a good drink tonight."
Just as Daniel was about to speak, the uncle suddenly ran away.
A moment later, a middle-aged man came in carrying a large rooster: "Young man, this is a chicken we raise ourselves. It eats nothing but insects every day. It'll help you get some nourishment."
They left in a hurry after putting the chicken down. Daniel knew this was the greatest hospitality of these simple mountain people; in such a place, a chicken was a great fortune for a family. Villagers arrived one after another, some bringing eggs, some vegetables, and some even bringing cured meat—all saying a few words before leaving immediately. Looking at the pile of things before him, Daniel seemed to understand why his aunt had been willing to stay here for so many years.
"Hello, big brother!"
Several students walked in. Daniel noticed that they were all very respectful and had even washed off the mud and changed into clean clothes. Their eyes were filled with longing as they looked at him. He was immediately moved.
"Dani, the villagers have brought us some things!"
While Daniel was in a daze, Grace washed her hands and came over. Seeing the mess on the ground, she knew what had happened. However, she untied the rope from the rooster's leg and let it go: "This little thing knows how to go home by itself."
After saying that, he picked up other things and turned back to the stove. Several little girls rolled up their sleeves and ran over to help.
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