There were many residential complexes in the city, with cobblestone paths built alongside central green spaces. It was common to see elderly people walking barefoot back and forth along these uneven surfaces. They believed direct stimulation of foot reflex zones could effectively improve sleep quality. Yet pebbles on a path were obviously different from polished river stones - without thick-soled athletic shoes, we'd likely wear out our leather shoes within half a kilometer before even considering barefoot walking. That explained why mountain dwellers rarely wore polished footwear; they preferred cost-effective rubber boots or durable canvas jiao shoes instead. Wang Jue remarked that with our sport shoes and backpacks, we would certainly draw attention once entering the village.

As predicted, when we approached the village gate along a gravel path, a group of pint-sized bandits in Pan Dongzi-style outfits burst out from the forest at the entrance, surrounding us with sticks fashioned into "guns."

The leader was a tall, sunburnt boy brandishing his makeshift weapon. He barked authoritatively: "Heed me well! This mountain is mine to claim, these trees I've planted myself. To pass through this land, you must offer your toll!"

I bit my lip hard against the urge to laugh aloud, but a stifled snort escaped anyway. Wang Jue tugged my sleeve warningly. When I glanced at him, his expression remained dead serious.

He unzipped his backpack, took out a candy pack and popped one into his mouth before tossing another toward the tall boy. Seeing the man-eater already enjoying his treat, the child cautiously accepted it from Wang Jue's hand and popped it into his mouth.

No matter where they were, sweets always held supreme power over children. After tasting the first candy, the big boy demanded immediate transfer of the entire pack. With measured calmness, Wang Jue crouched to eye level with the kid: "If you lead us to find someone, I'll give you the whole bag."

The person we sought was naturally the Miao girl. Though we'd never met her face-to-face, through information gathered in Wu Village we had a rough idea of what she looked like. After Wang Jue's detailed description, the child instantly understood our target. He insisted on receiving all candies upfront before guiding us to the Miao girl - quite the shrewd little merchant, much like Old Shao.

Wang Jue handed over his opened candy pack, then dug into his backpack for another sealed bag, offering it as additional reward if the boy successfully led us to the girl. How had I never thought of this approach with Old Shao? To keep a greedy man moving in your direction, one must always maintain an appealing incentive. Evidently, Wang Jue was truly brilliant.

The strategy worked immediately. With a noisy entourage of admirers following behind, our young guide led us into the village proper.

When we counted four courtyard houses from the village entrance, the children halted abruptly. The tall boy pointed toward the fourth residence as his completed task. True to promise, Wang Jue handed over the remaining candies while the cluster of children erupted in excited chatter around their suddenly popular leader.

Jin and I wiggled through the wriggling mob until we stood alone before the courtyard gate, scrutinizing our destination with careful eyes.