Chapter 05
Du Weiyan held a voice recorder in hand, visiting one household after another to engage in conversations, asking them to express the same phrases. She recorded their responses, and if there were any variations in accents, she would mark them separately for detailed analysis
At this moment, Yi Zirong looked at her with the same astonishment, raising an eyebrow as she scrutinized her barely clothed figure, her gaze lingering on her shoulders for quite some time. The blanket, which resembled a bedsheet, wrapped around her young and beautiful body, with her collarbone clearly visible and her shoulders maintaining a gentle roundness. Her disheveled black hair stood up haphazardly like a hedgehog, exuding a hint of childish innocence, framing her small face hidden beneath the hair, which appeared as smooth and pristine as fresh snow.
Yet Yizi Rong seemed to stand still, her voice as cold as a mountain spring, carrying a subtle hint of sarcasm, which with a soft hiss, extinguished her anger that surged upward like lava
Du Weiyan saw her carrying buckets of water and hurried over to help, but was stopped by Aunt Yu: "Let me do it. In our area, despite the dampness and the abundance of trees on the mountains, we still have to fetch water from a faucet over by the playground. Last time, a college student came, quite resilient. However, when she left, she complained to me that she could endure everything else, but just couldn't stand making several trips back and forth to fetch water every day."
The sky was still bright, and there were still students running across the playground. Du Weiyan went to Aunt Yu's place to fetch a wooden bucket, preparing to boil water and tidy up, intending to take a bath. Aunt Yu helped fill a bucket with water before leaving, saying, "Call me if you need anything."
She knew her response was somewhat slow, yet she still found it a bit difficult to speak: "Mr. Jiang, what you said that day, I believe was a statement, not a question seeking my opinion."
He led Du Weiyan into the mountains, explaining: "Teacher Du, I originally wanted you to stay at my home, but our mountain families are rather unrefined, and I worry you might not be accustomed to it. You can stay at the school for a couple of days first, and if you find it too lonely, you can still come and stay at my home."
Du Weiyan waved his hand and said, "Village Chief, this is too troublesome. I have only been here for a little over a month, and having one room for myself is quite good."
Yi Ziyong's expression shifted from surprise to composure, ultimately revealing a hint of a sharp line at the corners of her lips, resembling a smile yet not quite a smile
There was another rustling sound at the door, and then it closed.
Du Weiyan, wearing hiking shoes, found it somewhat strenuous to keep up with the old village chief, who was only wearing a pair of rubber shoes
Du Weiyan had almost finished washing up, and directly wrapped a blanket around her body while pulling open the curtain
She was taken aback, squinting her eyes, as her damp eyelashes left a watermark on her eyelids
Returning to a state of work, weaving through the crowd, brought Du Weiyan a sense of comfort and contentment
Village Chief Zhang first took her to the school—a very simple rural school. It resembled what Du Weiyan had seen in newspapers and magazines before, consisting of three simple bungalows, which served as the classrooms and the teachers' lounge. Today was a holiday, and there was no one at the school; only the national flag was raised in the dirt playground, a vibrant red against the pale hues.
Xiao Liang's breathing had become calm and prolonged, and he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. Du Weiyan felt a bit anxious, not knowing why her sleep had been deteriorating ever since Ming Wu arrived. In a daze, she seemed to recall Jiang Luwen's words; he had spoken with composure, from across the elevator, saying leisurely: "I did not come back to find you casually."
She turned back and replied, "I will be there shortly"
The complexity of the dialects in the western part of the city greatly exceeded Du Weiyan's expectations. This area is ethnically diverse, with a variety of languages blending together, resulting in an exceptionally intricate phonetic and grammatical structure
The village chief took a basket of eggs sent by the neighbor aunt for Du Weiyan and sent her to school, while reminding her: "The Yu teacher and his wife also live over there, right next to you. It is quite quiet there at night. Teacher Du, you need not be afraid"
Du Weiyan had learned about the situation at Bixitou and was aware that it was the highest mountain within the Ming Wujing region. The ethnic distribution of this mountain is divided into two layers. The upper layer is a mix of multiple ethnic groups, while the lower part is predominantly Han Chinese living area. Although she had not yet conducted research there, she felt a strong eagerness deep down—much like a botanist discovering many previously unknown plant species, or an astronomer discovering a new galaxy. Such a region is a treasure trove for linguists. Although she had not yet conducted research there, she felt a strong eagerness deep down—much like a botanist discovering many previously unknown plant species, or an astronomer discovering a new galaxy. Such a region is a treasure trove for linguists.
Having worked together at Mingwu for several days, we occasionally shared meals, and the colleagues also recognized Jiang Luwen, greeting him one after another
She quickly put on her clothes after hiding behind the hanging cloth
The day after, Du Weiyan, carrying a large backpack, met the old village chief who had come to pick her up at the foot of the mountain
He took Du Weiyan's large backpack, slung it over his own shoulders, and then reached out to pull her along.
The road that I passed by last night has now transformed into a small market, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out, the chatter of haggling, and the occasional splashes of mud on shoes, all of which create a vibrant and lively atmosphere
Du Weiyan gradually clenched her fist and then relaxed it. At that moment, a colleague called out to her: "Xiao Du, the car has arrived, let's go."
He is divorced
He is divorced ... If I had known this news a few years ago, perhaps I would not have felt deceived and humiliated.
He instructed the driver and turned to walk towards the lobby bar
The weather is exceptionally pleasant, with sunlight cascading down in a manner that evokes a warmth akin to a thin mist, situated between autumn and winter. Du Weiyan broke a dry branch from the plants by the mountain path to use as a walking stick, stepping on the gravel as she ascended. From a distance, the winding mountain path is still visible, resembling a ribbon entwined among the verdant mountains.
What is there to hide? Your body, those things that should be seen and those that should not, have I not seen them long ago?
Jiang Luwen's smile gradually faded behind the elevator, the corridor was empty, so quiet that one could hear the sound of the ropes moving in the elevator. At this moment, Du Weiyan still stood at the elevator door, the girl in the mirror had an expression that was hard to define as either surprise or a kind of bewilderment, her black eyes staring unblinkingly as if trying to see through that polished iron plate
After a long while, she turned and walked towards her room
In the square courtyard, the village chief's son has gone out to work, leaving only a mischievous grandson who runs around everywhere.
The colleagues' gazes had become somewhat unusual, and Du Weiyan simply smiled and said: "You may not know, but Mr. Jiang... he is my senior apprentice, and we have known each other for a long time"
The village chief is of Han ethnicity, but his wife has minority ethnic blood, so they also live halfway up the mountain. He led Du Weiyan upward, a hint of embarrassment on his dark face: "Teacher Du, this path is difficult to navigate, please be careful."
Aunt Yu was boiling water. Upon seeing her, she quickly stood up and smiled, saying: "I know a new teacher is coming today. My husband, Old Yu, has gone up the mountain. When he sees you later, he will surely be very happy."
Du Weiyan is responsible for the phonetic part of this dialect survey. The first step is to find a large number of test subjects, collect data, and then analyze the phonetic composition. This step is tedious and somewhat monotonous, requiring great patience
Jiang Luwen smiled as he leaned down to look at the pile of documents on their table and softly asked, "Are you working?"
Du Weiyan chuckled softly and wiped his face, saying, "It's nothing, uncle, I'm quite good at climbing mountains!"
She has been thinking about this matter, pondering it over and over, when suddenly an idea struck her... Being a teacher and sampling linguistic data do not seem to conflict with each other, do they
Jiang Luwen saw her again in the hotel lobby. She was wearing a black jacket, her short hair neatly tucked behind her ears, leaning in to speak softly with a colleague beside her
Du Weiyan followed him a few steps outside: "What is it?"
After climbing the mountain path for over an hour, approximately ten miles, I finally arrived at the village
Perhaps it was due to the mountain climbing today that her cheeks, upon touching the pillow, felt drowsy. The pillow was filled with buckwheat, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air, as if it were a remedy that completely dispelled the insomnia of the past few days
She has never found the phonetic analysis of dialects to be cumbersome, as sampling means engaging in face-to-face conversations with many people. Such interactions always give her a pleasant feeling, as if she can suddenly immerse herself in a large community, and a sense of intimacy arises naturally
She set down several pots of hot water, then brought up Du Weiyan's wooden door, smiling as she said, "You came up the day before, so it's best to rest early."
Du Weiyan first went to greet her, still calling her "Teacher Yu"
I thought that after half a month, without my seeking you out, you would have considered it clearly
Du Weiyan was contemplating how to manipulate the stove when the village chief knocked on the door, his voice resonant: "Teacher Du, would you like to come to my house for dinner today?"
Aunt Yu's voice seemed to be saying that she wanted to come in to get something. She was at the innermost part of the room, separated by a piece of cloth, so it was hard to hear clearly. I could only shout, "Aunt Yu, you have the key, come in."
The so-called isogloss refers to a region within a line where the local residents' dialect pronunciations are consistent and show no significant differences. Outside of this line, however, the dialect exhibits slight, distinguishable variations.
After a moment, Du Weiyan's rationality finally returned to her mind. She could not help but let out a sharp scream and quickly turned around—"How did you get in? Get out, get out!"
Aunt Yu and her husband were originally both teachers at the school. With the recent notification, the qualifications for substitute teachers were revoked, and only one position was available for a permanent substitute teacher. As a result, Aunt Yu's husband became the only mathematics teacher at the school. The village ultimately decided to have Aunt Yu stay at the school to manage various affairs.
Aunt Yu is not wrong; in this place, young girls probably cannot endure several days without washing their hair or bathing. The bangs on her forehead have almost formed into strands, but fortunately, her hair is short; otherwise, it would be even more greasy and unbearable
Yet now, upon hearing it, it feels as if one has exhausted all strength and reached the end, long devoid of any surprise. Perhaps there is still some astonishment, but the nerves seem to have been dulled, losing their resilience and sensitivity. Du Weiyan, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted, closed her eyes, turned over, and the faint sound of a female voice from the Nuo opera seemed to echo beside her, gradually pulling her into the realm of dreams.
The sky gradually darkens, as if someone is slowly applying thick ink to it. The transparent clouds seem to be gradually affixed with adhesive paper, and the light becomes sparse.
In fact, the school is not far from the village chief's house, and it only takes about ten minutes to walk there
The aunt pointed to the children coming out of the school in the west of the city and sighed, saying, "The teachers from our village have still not been assigned here."
It was a cloudy day, and the hotel lobby was brightly lit, the dazzling light falling on Jiang Luwen's face, casting varying shades on his features. He heard her response and seemed to find it amusing; his contours suddenly softened, and he couldn't help but chuckle: "Weiyan, when it comes to nitpicking, I have never been your match." He paused, pressed his lips together, and the corners of his eyes lifted charmingly: "As for the past, I kept it from you, I was teasing you, and that was my fault. But this time, I am serious." He heard her response and seemed to find it amusing; his contours suddenly softened, and he couldn't help but chuckle: "Weiyan, when it comes to nitpicking, I have never been your match." He paused, pressed his lips together, and the corners of his eyes lifted charmingly: "As for the past, I kept it from you, I was teasing you, and that was my fault. But this time, I am serious."
The car took them to the west of the city, and Du Weiyan jumped out, surveying the surrounding environment
The uncle turned back from a distance, smiling foolishly and said: "There are many people! Several villages, and there are more than twenty children in total. Teacher Du, if you are willing to come and help, everyone will be very happy to hear that!"
A curve is drawn, precisely along a small river in the Mingwu suburb, which the locals refer to as "Lushui". Language lines often follow the distribution of rivers and mountains, as in ancient times, transportation was extremely inconvenient. A small river or a small mountain could lead to isolation between regions, resulting in variations in language.
"I am going back to the provincial capital," Jiang Luwen said slowly, as if observing the changes in her expression. "Do you still remember what I said to you that day..."
Today, the place visited was Mingwu City West Primary School. After a group of ten completed the sampling, Du Weiyan chatted with an aunt by the roadside. The aunt is a resident from the mountain in Bixitou, a suburban area. After just a few words, Du Weiyan realized that this accent was distinctly different from any place in the West City.
Du Weiyan paused for a moment and nodded his head
The night is a person's best protection, allowing everyone to toss and turn in their own world. Even if sleep eludes them, they are ultimately alone.
He rested his hand on Du Weiyan's shoulder, speaking in a tone that was quite affectionate. Du Weiyan felt somewhat uncomfortable and leaned slightly forward, responding in as calm a tone as possible: "Yes."
Hot water poured over the body seemed to open every pore. Du Weiyan's hair had just been washed, and it was just long enough to reach her shoulders, bringing a slight chill, as if water droplets were rolling on her bare skin. She wiped herself gently for a while, when suddenly she heard a knock at the door
Du Weiyan is currently working with colleagues to measure the first line of equal words
The next day, Du Weiyan woke up very early. After washing up, she noticed the sky was dimly blue. She packed all the prepared materials and the voice recorder into her backpack and said to Xiao Liang, "I am heading out first"
Du Weiyan's residence is located in a side room next to the school, which is quite convenient for her to conduct field investigations and sample collection in the mountains. She organized her small flat, which consists of a wooden bed, a small desk, and a small stove commonly used in the mountains. The space is not large, but it appears compact.
Before the first isochrone appeared, Du Weiyan had already been working in the East District for about half a month. He left early and returned late every day, and even though it was not the height of summer, he still became tanned despite his efforts to avoid it
Jiang Luwen did not speak directly, but simply patted her shoulder and smiled, saying: "Do you have some time now? I have a few matters to discuss with you."
Teaching Chinese to fourth graders is not a difficult task for Du Weiyan. In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed. She prepares lessons every day, teaches classes, and during her spare time, she goes door to door collecting linguistic data. Colleagues from the research institute often call her, exchanging information and inquiring about progress. Du Weiyan did not misjudge; the place where she is, Bixitou, is indeed the most complex and layered area in the distribution of Mingwu language, truly worthy of thorough research
Xiao Liang also learned that Du Weiyan was going to Bixi Head for an investigation. Before going to bed, he pulled her aside and said: "Xiao Du, is it really necessary to be so serious? The dialect situation over at Bixi Head is indeed a bit complicated, and it may require delineating several linguistic lines. But you don't have to stay there—just have a car take you there every day."
The beige trench coat, with a slender silhouette, and the man's eyes are nearly the color of basalt black
Du Weiyan was packing her luggage and smiled slightly: "It's nothing. The Education Bureau said that in a little over a month, the teachers will be in place. Besides, we are in a different location, and it wouldn't make sense to have someone pick us up and drop us off every day."
Du Weiyan gently pointed with a pencil and slowly said: "The Lu River is the first reference line, which aligns with the geographical division. To the west of the Lu River is Bi Xitou, where we have not yet begun sampling. It is estimated ... ... "
The conversation was interrupted, and she looked in astonishment at the man behind her, transforming a gentle cough into a smile: "Mr. Jiang"
At dinner, Aunt Zhang stewed yam and free-range chicken soup, constantly urging Du Wei to eat more. A new teacher arrived in the village, and every household was somewhat curious. In a little over an hour, several groups of people came and went. There were also shy children peeking at the door, taking a quick glance before running away.
How many people live on the mountain, village chief
After grading the assignments, Du Weiyan organized some materials, casually glanced at himself in the mirror, adjusted his hair, and then managed a wry smile.
Not long ago, the country vigorously implemented reforms for substitute teachers in rural areas. The original teachers at Bixitou Primary School were dismissed, yet the teachers sent by the state have yet to arrive. Consequently, the school's main subject, Chinese, along with several auxiliary courses, have been temporarily suspended.
It seemed as though this was merely his own declaration, requiring no response from her. He had already turned away, moving against the light, his tall figure gradually receding.
Against the light, there were only her and a man in the small room
The vast bamboo groves, resembling waves of green sea, almost reflected the eyes of the onlookers into dense azure ripples. Du Weiyan softly repeated the name of this place, took a deep breath, and turned back to say: "Let us begin"
Du Wei thanked and, after finishing his washing up, lay down on the wooden plank bed and turned over, the bed creaking under him