We’re in Jiangwan (江湾) in the Jiangxi province.
“Ayi, why don’t you use a laundry machine?”
“This water is free.”
“It’s not cold?”
“We got used to it.”
We drive up a random mountain with a nameless road (the map shows 无名道路). All the houses are built with white walls and black tiles; the Hui Style architecture (徽派). No exceptions, even the service station on the highway.
The best example of Hui architecture we find in Likeng (李坑), a touristic but well-maintained village with buildings dating back to the Qing Dynasty.
Ok, some buildings are in pretty bad shape.
In the waterways carps swim. Some netted or tied with a rope, some loose. A shushu says: “The loose ones are from the city, the captured ones we can eat.”
Well, we followed that advice: Jiangxi-style, purse red carp (荷包红鲤鱼).
As always, the edges are the most fun. Some local kids are throwing fireworks in the river.
A five-year-old:
“Hello!” (in English)
“That’s all I can say in English.” (in Chinese)
A senior says he had English in high school, a long time ago. “From a foreign teacher. He only came once a month though. From all those lessons, I only remember one sentence”, and as he searches his mind he straightens his body, and yells in English: “Long Live Chairman Mao!”
