Get out of Luoyang Station, take a bus to the north, arrive at Shuangzhuang Town, and take a bus from Shuangzhuang Town to Sanshili Village.
So far, I have been to Luoyang several times, but the first time I went there left the deepest impression on me.
I was walking on the village road with my bag, and the locals working in the fields often looked at me with very "weird" eyes.
The rendezvous point set by Boss and me was in Sanshili Village.
This village, like Hougou, has a famous nickname outside. What is it called?
It’s called “The No. 1 Tomb Robbery Village in the World!”
There is also Dabaozishan Village in Li County, Gansu Province, which is the second largest tomb robber village in the world.
It is said that at its peak, 80% of the villagers here participated in tomb robbing. This proportion is so scary that if all these people were arrested, the local prison would be full in an instant and there would not be enough handcuffs.
In the area of 100 miles around Hougou Village, Shuangzhuang Town, a home may not be without a hoe, but it cannot be without a Luoyang shovel, because the Luoyang shovel was invented here, and the Echo Duck borrowed its head from the Li family in Sanshili Village.
In hot summer, the weather is sultry.
I found a shady spot under a big tree and sat there without even thinking about getting up.
"Hey, big sister! Big sister, wait!"
From a distance, I saw a woman in her 40s passing by carrying a hoe, and I hurried over.
"Hello, sister, is there a place that sells water in your village? A canteen." I smiled and talked.
"Young man, where are you from?"
I smiled and said that I was here for tourism and passed by your village to have a rest.
"Tourist? Is there anything good we can do here?"
The eldest sister looked me up and down with a hoe, and then looked at the big backpack I put under the tree. She suddenly said, "Are you here to rob the tomb?"
Damn...this sudden sentence almost sent me away.
"What, eldest sister! I'm just here to travel and visit relatives. Isn't there a man named Li Yuanbao getting married in our village? I'm his friend."
"ah?"
The eldest sister was stunned and said: "Are you Xiaobao's friend? I am Xiaobao's aunt!"
"Oh! Then we are so destined." I said.
"You're so poor-mouthed, what kind of relationship can you have with an old woman like me?"
She smiled and said: "Then let's go quickly. You're here early. Xiaobao won't get married until tomorrow. It's such a hot day. Let's go home and have a drink of water first."
Li Yuanbao is the grandson of Li Xueliang, and it was Li Xueliang who lent him the head of the Echo Duck.
And Li Xueliang’s grandfather, Li Yuanbao’s great-grandfather, is the famous “Luoyang Li Duck”.
This is a man from a well-known family. Regardless of whether he is from the south or the north, when talking about Li Yaya in Luoyang, everyone has to give him a "thumbs up."
On the one hand, I was giving the duck as a gift. After all, the rule is to borrow and return. On the other hand, as an old friend who has known each other for many years, I received an invitation from Li Xueliang to attend the wedding of his grandson.
I followed the elder sister into the village and walked around for more than ten minutes. She led me to a small courtyard.
There are three bungalows in the courtyard that have been recently renovated, with ceramic tiles and a big "Happy" sign posted on the door.
"Xiaomei is at home, where is your father?"
A girl who looked to be in her early 20s was drying lentils in the yard. The girl turned around and said, "Aunt Mao, my father and my brother went to the city to buy wine and won't be back until this afternoon."
"Oh," the eldest sister looked at me and introduced, "This young man said he is a friend of Xiaobao's from out of town. You can serve him a glass of water. I still have a pot sitting at home, so I will go back first."
"I understand, Auntie."
After the woman left, the girl washed her hands and went to the kitchen to pour me a large bowl of cold boiled water.
I quickly took it and said thank you.
"Gudong! Gudong!"
I drank it in one go and put the bowl aside.
She sat on a pony not far from me, and I stared at each other from time to time. No one said anything, and the atmosphere was very awkward.
I spoke first: "Your name is Xiaomei, right? Is there anything to eat?"
She shook her head.
"Oh, forget it. Will your grandpa be back at five o'clock?" I asked again.
