I was so stunned by the duel before my eyes that I was almost speechless. This raw, bloody violence, coupled with the shouts of the onlookers, suddenly made me feel as if I were in the Stone Age.
The scarred victor became the hero of the crowd, while no one paid any attention to the man who had already died. He seemed to have merged with the stones on the riverbank; who would care about a stone?
The fat man blinked and looked at me, "Brother Xiang, this..."
Xiao Shan smiled at us and said, "This kind of thing is very normal here."
"Normal? This person is dead, and no one is taking care of him? Won't the authorities come?" the fat man asked.
"The duel was his own choice, and he has no one to blame for his death. As for the authorities, they would never come to this place," Xiao Shan replied.
I took a deep breath, adjusted my mood, and suppressed the shock I had just felt.
The scarred victor, having won the duel and gained his beauty, used a small handful of gold dust to treat the people at the river mouth to a meal, a so-called banquet.
In the afternoon, Xiao Shan took us to the banquet.
Due to the language barrier, I couldn't understand the situation, but judging by their expressions and actions, this should have been the wedding banquet for the scarred man and the woman.
During the feast, I saw Sister Gu again; she had become the witness for the newlyweds.
My friend and I were both caught off guard by such a sudden wedding.
The festivity and liveliness of the moment formed a stark contrast to the bloodiness and coldness of the morning's duel.
It seemed that the people in this place were accustomed to death. Perhaps death was as simple for them as eating or drinking.
"Xiao Shan, why aren't your two friends drinking?" Sister Gu, holding a bowl of wine, came to our table at some point.
Xiao Shan winked at me and the fat man, and quickly poured us a bowl of wine.
"Sister Gu, I toast you with this bowl of wine," Xiao Shan said, raising his wine bowl.
My friend and I also stood up and picked up our wine bowls.
Sister Gu looked at me with a half-smile on her face, "Mr. Xiang, right?"
"Just call me Xiao Xiang, Sister Gu," I said, forcing a smile.
"Since you two are here at the river mouth, you are guests. If you need any help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
As she spoke, she downed the wine in her bowl.
The people here drank beer, and this bowl was no different from drinking water.
My friend and I finished our wine, and Sister Gu gave me a flirtatious glance before leaving.
I was momentarily stunned. The fat man leaned into my ear and whispered, "Brother Xiang, it seems this Sister Gu is interested in you..."
I glared at him and said, "Can you shut your mouth? If she hears you, she might just skin you alive."
Although it was called a banquet, most of the food was difficult for me to stomach. Apart from dried fruits like mangoes, dishes like lemon chicken were something I couldn't get used to.
The banquet lasted until late at night, but we left midway.
Back at our lodgings, before I could even sit down, someone came looking for us and said a few words to Xiao Shan at the door. During their conversation, Xiao Shan glanced at me several times.
"What happened?" I couldn't help but ask.
Xiao Shan smiled at me and said, "Brother Xiang, Sister Gu is looking for you."
"Looking for me?" I frowned.
The fat man grinned and said, "I told you, that woman fancies you, but you didn't believe me! Now do you?"
I ignored him, my mind already racing.
That woman was no easy person to deal with. How could she possibly fancy me? There must be something fishy going on...
"Can I not go?" I asked Xiao Shan.
He pursed his lips, looking somewhat troubled, "Brother Xiang, actually, Sister Gu is a good person... She values her reputation very much. If you don't go... it might not be good. Besides, you still have to stay here for a few more days. If you offend her..."
"Alright, I understand," I sighed, "I'll go see."
Seeing my agreement, Xiao Shan said a few more words to the person at the door, then turned to me, "Brother Xiang, just follow him later."
Before I left, the fat man gave me a "come on" gesture, his face full of schadenfreude.
I followed the guide through the main road of the river mouth and around to a small bamboo house halfway up the mountain. He pointed to the lit bamboo house and said something. I nodded, and he left.
It was a stilted bamboo house, empty on the first floor with no walls, and the second floor was the living area.
I walked up the stairs to the entrance and found the door ajar, so I pushed it open and walked in.
The light inside the room was very dim, as was the case in most houses here, with dim bulbs and yellowish light.
The room wasn't large, about forty square meters, divided into two rooms by red bead curtains.
The outer room was larger, with several straw stools and a square bamboo table.
On the other side of the bamboo table was a bamboo couch, and against the wall was a dark brown cabinet filled with many bottles and jars.
Overall, although this place lacked modern facilities, it appeared clean and simple.
"You're here?"
A voice came from behind the bead curtain. Immediately after, I saw a delicate hand lift the bead curtain, and Sister Gu emerged from inside, carrying an iron teapot.
She was wearing only a black slip dress, with her long hair down, and still wearing flip-flops.
She placed the iron teapot on the table and gestured for me to sit.
I took a straw stool and sat down. She sat on the bamboo couch opposite me and poured me a cup of hot tea.
The bamboo couch was higher than the straw stool, so she was in a slightly elevated position.
However, from my vantage point facing her, my gaze kept drifting to some… interesting scenery.
I tried my best to keep my eyes on her face and not let my mind wander.
"Sister Gu, it's so late, what do you need me for?" I asked.
She smiled and asked me, "Do you have any cigarettes?"
I nodded and took out the cigarettes from my pocket and handed them over.
She took the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow puff, saying, "It's been a long time since I smoked a Huaxia cigarette. This taste is truly nostalgic."
"Where is Sister Gu's hometown?"
"I don't remember," she smiled, a hint of helplessness in her smile. "I've been traveling around with my parents since I was a child. I came to the Philippines in my teens, and now almost twenty years have passed here. Who remembers the past?"
She took another puff of her cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke towards me, her lips pursed.
The smoke hit my face, causing a slight tingling sensation. Besides the smell of tobacco, I also detected a faint, delicate fragrance, which momentarily made me feel a bit dazed.