Although Chief Long is the leader of the clan, he has no idea what is going on in the Miao Village now.
"Patriarch, don't worry, I will leave here after solving the problems here."
When Xiao Chen said that, Chief Long felt relieved.
After Xiao Chen and Sang and Mo Xiaowan finished their breakfast, Xiao Chen said: "Chief, I want to walk around the Miao Village. It's no problem!"
"sure."
If an outsider suddenly broke into this place, they would certainly not be able to move around.
However, the three of Xiao Chen are different now.
Sang was originally from the Miao people and knew the black Miao people quite well, as well as the dialects spoken here. Xiao Chen took Sang and Mo Xiaowan with him to visit the Xitang Miao Village.
Most of the villagers in Xitang Miao Village live together in densely packed stilted buildings.
The place where the patriarch lives is at the highest point, with a small view of the mountains. The ancestral hall is in the middle, and is surrounded by other Miao villagers living there.
When Xiao Chen and the two girls were walking around the Miao village, there was an alley between the stilted buildings in the Miao village. The alley was not very wide, about half a meter to one meter wide at most, where you could walk or pick up some things.
, and, when it usually rains, this alley is also a place for drainage.
However, if a fire breaks out, such a stilted building is most likely to burn together, and it may even become impossible to move out at all.
However, these Miao villagers have been living like this for generations and seem to have long been accustomed to it.
"Sister Sang, you said these Miao villages are so close together, aren't they afraid of fire?"
"I'm afraid, I must be afraid. The Miao village in my hometown is the same way."
Almost all the Miao border areas and even the Miao villages in the Yunnan-Guizhou region are like this.
It's beautiful to watch, and it's fun to live together.
As for the strong wind, I am not afraid of it because there are no typhoons blowing here. However, the biggest problem is cremation.
As for the rest, just check and update a certain amount of building materials every year.
"Then you haven't thought about living outside separately?"
"should not."
In fact, there is another very important reason.
Whether it is Miao territory or Yunnan-Guizhou, the places where the Miao people live are places with relatively few mountains and flat lands. Therefore, they
We have to live in this kind of place halfway up the mountain, and the flat land may be used to grow crops.
Therefore, unlike other flat areas or hilly areas, each household can live separately without worrying about mudslides.
Here, on this hillside, there is no need to worry about mudslides. The biggest problem is cremation.
After Xiao Chen looked at the stilted buildings, he found that almost all of them were inhabited by people.
Unknowingly, Xiao Chen came to a place.
It actually looks a bit eerie here.
Xiao Chen saw a Miao man living opposite and asked, "Uncle, who lives here?"
Naturally, Sang was translating for Xiao Chen.
The Miao man knew that Xiao Chen was an expert from the Jiuli Sect, so he said, "Mr. Xiao, Uncle Long lives here."
Uncle Long?
Who is this?
After the family opened the door, Xiao Chen went over. When he sat down inside, he learned that Uncle Long was over sixty years old. Because he was also a bachelor and an old man living alone, he usually served as the gatekeeper of the Miao Village ancestral hall.
Living in the ancestral hall and taking care of the ancestral property, he usually did not work anymore, which was equivalent to relying on the villagers to support each other.
The gatekeeper of the ancestral hall?
In Xiao Chen's opinion, there are many taboos. After all, Xiao Chen himself knows these.
For this type of person, one is unmarried, one deserves the respect of the villagers, and the other is more courageous.
If you are an old man who is single, it should be more suitable.
"Is Uncle Long at the ancestral hall?"
"He lights incense at the ancestral hall every day."
Light some incense?
Why didn't Xiao Chen see the gatekeeper when he went to the ancestral hall last night?
"Then have you heard of this Uncle Long's story?"
"I haven't heard much about him. He has always been a loner. Except for staying in the ancestral hall, he rarely has contact with other people." The middle-aged Miao man said.
"Thanks."
After Xiao Chen thanked the middle-aged Miao man and came out of his house, Xiao Chen planned to visit the ancestral hall again.
After taking Sang and Mo Xiaowan to the ancestral hall again.
Last night, Xiao Chen didn't look carefully, but he just saw a small square here, and inside the small square was a hall.
There are other small rooms next to the hall.
Among them, the hall is dedicated to the tokens of the ancestors of the Miao village here.
In the beginning, when the old woman and Long Asheng from the Miao village died, they were first carried here to perform rituals and then sent to the hillside for burial.
It can be said that the status of this ancestral hall is very important to the villagers of Xitang Miao Village.
When Xiao Chen brought Sang and the two girls here, it was quiet here. Except for the place where incense was burned outside and the smell of sandalwood wafted in, Xiao Chen found that there was something different here between day and night.
When Xiao Chen went inside and was about to go in, he saw an old man in his sixties walking out.
"This is the Long Family Ancestral Hall, outsiders are not allowed in."
The other party spoke a local dialect, which Xiao Chen couldn't understand.
However, Sang heard it clearly.
"Xiao Chen, he said we are outsiders and cannot go in."
It is normal for outsiders not to enter other people's ancestral halls.
However, Chief Long just said that he can wander around.
"Sir, Chief Long said that I can take a look around the Miao Village."
"It won't work even if Chief Long says so." The old man still said that.
Xiao Chen and the other three were blocked from the door. However, Xiao Chen looked inside and found that there were indeed many spiritual tablets inside. They were densely packed, from high to low. Maybe after the death of the Miao villagers who first came to live here, in addition to
Except for those who cannot enter the ancestral hall, everyone else can enter here.
The old man looked very stubborn and refused to let Xiao Chen and the others in.
In that case, Xiao Chen didn't go in again.
When he looked back, he felt even more strange about the ancestral hall and the old man.
After leaving the ancestral hall, Xiao Chen took the two girls away from the stilted building and headed towards the mountain on the other side.
There are wild flowers and grasses here. If it weren't for the murder case involved in this visit, Xiao Chen would really think the scenery here is very good.
"Xiao Chen, why did I feel that the old man looked weird just now?" Sang said.
Both Sang and Mo Xiaowan thought the old man was strange.
As for Xiao Chen, let alone that.
"It's not weird, but there is definitely something wrong."
There must be something wrong?
Could it be that these things are all related to this old man?