When Wan Qian arrived, there were already several people lingering outside the village.
A handsome young man was accompanied by a weathered middle-aged woman and a frail young girl.
Also present was a stylish lady dressed in a Bohemian long dress with large, curly chestnut hair and two oversized earrings dangling from her earlobes. At that moment, she was lighting a cigarette, and through the curling smoke, she regarded the others with a thoughtful expression.
Additionally, two punk-styled youths clad in tight jackets stood nearby.
Wan Qian had just walked over when a young man emerged from the village. He had a buzz cut and was wearing an ill-fitting black suit, looking like an insurance salesman.
"Ahem, I see everyone's here," the man cleared his throat and smiled warmly. "Welcome to our Mushroom Village. We've always been isolated from the outside world, and our villagers are very simple and kind. I believe you'll all be treated well. In two days, we'll be celebrating our triennial God Worship Festival. If you're interested, you're welcome to join in."
"That sounds great!" Wan Qian, without waiting for anyone else to speak, stepped forward with a keen look of interest. "The God Worship Festival—is it your village's tradition? Does everyone in the village participate? Even those who work outside are expected to come back?"
Wan Qian wasn't asking casually; she had many considerations in mind. If this village truly upheld such a traditional festival, she would certainly respect their customs.
And if she ended up hiring villagers as employees, she'll give them an extra holiday. But thinking about it again, since this festival is held once every three years, it's not that hard to accept.
The suited man fixed his gaze on Wan Qian for a moment. Around her, the others instinctively held their breath.
The young man watched Wan Qian nervously, as if ready to rush forward at any sign of trouble.
The stylish lady ceased smoking and turned her head slightly, keeping an eye on Wan Qian from the corner of her eye.
The two punk-styled youths widened their eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be so direct.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman stood with her head bowed, lost in her own world, while the frail girl appeared disinterested in the surroundings, her attention mainly fixed on the middle-aged woman.
Finally, the suited man spoke, though hesitantly. "You are...?"
"Oh, my name is Wan Qian." Wan Qian hesitated for a moment, not mentioning that she was there to recruit workers. "I'm also here to visit your village."
Upon hearing her words, the suited man furrowed his brows in confusion and muttered under his breath in the local dialect, "The headcount doesn't match... and there should be one less person—a man, shouldn't there?"
"What?" Wan Qian didn't catch the local dialect, but it didn't matter. She wasn't bothered by it.
She held up the bloodied rabbit in front of him, a bit embarrassed, and asked, "Um... does your village have any restaurants? Could someone help me process this? I'd like to eat rabbit stew tonight."
A trace of shyness appeared on Wan Qian's fair face. She wasn't one to trouble others, but with this weather, if the rabbit wasn't processed soon, the meat might spoil. Besides, she wasn't skilled in cooking or in preparing an unskinned rabbit. And really, such a fat rabbit was best enjoyed while it was fresh.
Her eyes sparkling with anticipation, Wan Qian looked at the suited man intently.
After a moment of silence, he finally asked, "...Where did you get this rabbit?"
Whether it was her imagination or not, Wan Qian sensed an inexplicable note of hardship and bitterness in his tone.
"Ah... I caught it in the woods," Wan Qian said innocently, blinking a couple of times. "As expected from a mountain-raised creature. It's so energetic. So fat, it looks delicious."
At that, Wan Qian suddenly paused and glanced nervously at the suited man. Lowering her voice, she asked cautiously, "This... it's not one of your village's rabbits, is it?"
"Hehe," the suited man replied with a forced, tight-lipped smile, "Dear guest, you're overthinking it. "The village doesn't raise such fierce beasts."
Fierce beasts? Wan Qian looked at the rabbit she was holding, nearly lifeless, with a puzzled expression. Could this be considered a fierce beast?
But then she realized. The village seemed remote and impoverished, and the education level was probably low, which likely explained their misuse of words and the resulting miscommunication.
Wan Qian thoughtfully decided not to correct them, to spare them any embarrassment.
"Even if you haven't raised them, you can still process them, right?" Wan Qian persisted, holding the bloodstained rabbit in one hand while scratching her head with the other. Her desire to eat rabbit was undiminished.
The suited man said nothing.
Then Wan Qian unzipped the makeshift pouch fashioned from her jacket and opened it, showing the mushrooms inside to the suited man. "Look, on my way here I even picked these mushrooms. I was planning to stew them with the rabbit."
At the sight of the mushrooms, the suited man immediately jumped back as if he were facing a dangerous creature, putting some distance between himself and Wan Qian.
"Stay away from me!" he shouted loudly, his face displaying strong resistance.
Surprised by his intense reaction, Wan Qian tucked away her pouch, "Tch, such a big person, and still picky about food."
The suited man no longer paid her any heed and turned his attention to the others waiting at the village entrance. "Ladies and gentlemen, knowing you were coming to visit, the village has prepared guest rooms in advance. Please, follow me."