At 8 o’clock in the evening, the bonfire party was in full swing on the open ground.
Tang Li changed her clothes and walked out of the house.
The Little Monk, who was playing with the Rubik’s cube on the table, looked up unintentionally and saw Tang Li, dressed in ethnic minority clothing, standing in the dim light of the hall. He was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and loudly called for his mother.
The Little Monk’s mother came over, looking at the girl who was adjusting the waistband of her dress, and smiled, "You wear this outfit much better than I do."
Upon hearing this, Tang Li looked up at her with a slight smile.
"I’ll help you do your hair." The Little Monk’s mother asked Tang Li to sit down on a stool and picked up the comb to do her hair, "I only wore this dress once, the day I met the boy’s father. After we got engaged, I couldn’t wear this kind of dress anymore."
Tang Li sat still, looking at herself in the dressing mirror. She wore a red, narrow-sleeved short jacket with a stand-up collar of luxurious black fabric with Miao embroidery. The colorful tassels dangled naturally, and the cuffs, waistband, and hem of the dress were all in unified design. The pleated skirt was brightly colored, making her look like a young maiden ready for marriage.
The Little Monk’s mother said with a smile, "Here, it’s our custom that young girls who haven’t found a partner, especially during festivals, dress up exquisitely and beautifully."
As she spoke, she took a silver headdress from the table, "Because no one can guarantee whether they might meet the man they like on this day."
Tang Li half-closed her eyelashes, then opened her eyes, and what came into view were the tassels aligned with her eyebrows—delicate and dazzling, a dynamic beauty.
The Little Monk was already too impatient and ran over, "Is it good? If it’s ready, let’s go!"
After smoking a cigarette down to the stub, Song Baiyan was invited by the villagers to sit under the tree. With his 1.8 meters plus height, long legs, and a tiny stool, there was almost no presence. After he sat down, perhaps due to his aura, the previously noisy crowd around him settled down a bit and began to focus on the performance.
With a "click," Song Baiyan lit another cigarette.
These past few days in the mountains, he had rarely touched cigarettes, only when he returned to the courtyard in the afternoon to indulge in a smoke to satisfy his craving or before going to sleep, sitting on the bed lighting up a cigarette, flipping through scriptures he found somewhere while tapping the accumulated ashes onto a piece of thick cardboard.
"Do you want one?" somebody tentatively asked beside him.
Song Baiyan turned his head at the sound and saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, holding an opened beer bottle, his behavior slightly awkward, and he added, "Don’t worry, it’s free."
Seeing Song Baiyan accept it, the boy showed a smile, "Just help yourself, no need to be polite."
After saying that, he ran off to play.
Watching the boy’s joyful departure, Song Baiyan felt some sentiment, "Growing up in such a small place, life isn’t necessarily all dissatisfaction."
Ji Ming, sitting beside him, nodded, "Kids who grow up in the city can’t be this carefree."
As soon as he finished speaking, a cheer erupted in front.
Ji Ming was the first to look up and saw the villagers who had been huddled together suddenly part ways, revealing a girl dressed up in full attire, being led by the Little Monk, walking this way as the surrounding teasing and applause continued unending like threads.
"It seems to be Miss Tang," Ji Ming said.
Song Baiyan paused the motion of bringing the cigarette to his mouth and followed Ji Ming’s gaze. Tang Li was dressed in a red ethnic costume. Her skin was already fair, and with the glow of the blazing fire, her eyes curved and shone like the most exquisite jade in the world.