During the Taiyuan era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a Wuling fisherman, lost while casting his nets, stumbled upon a serene and blissful paradise. There was no oppression or warfare, no exploitation or taxation; the people lived in peace and contentment, coexisting harmoniously.

This was the Record of the Peach Blossom Spring by the Eastern Jin literatus Tao Yuanming—a micro-novel expressing a yearning for an ideal society, essentially a piece of wish-fulfillment fiction penned sixteen centuries ago.

Scholars suggest that Tao Yuanming believed, "Where the heart is remote, the land naturally follows," acknowledging that unable to alter the societal status quo, he resorted to creation to vent his feelings, crafting the Peach Blossom Spring as an emotional sanctuary. Thus, the paradise described in the text was purely fictional; no such place existed in the world.

Back in school, after the teacher explained this anecdote, Wang Zhuo, Qi Fei, and Guan Yingying had all felt a sense of wistfulness, regret, and melancholy. But reality was reality; where could one find an ideal kingdom, a dreamlike heaven?

The path to Peach Blossom Village was arduous and rugged, even fraught with danger.

This time, the car had only managed to take them as far as the Centipede River before fulfilling its duty. The rest of the journey had to be measured by their own feet, sometimes requiring assistance from their hands, such as crossing the iron chain bridge or climbing the cliffside steps.

Only five people were heading to Peach Blossom Village: a township leader concurrently serving as the village Party Secretary, Deputy Director Kang, and the remaining three—Wang Zhuo and his companions.

Along the way, the Village Secretary recounted many local customs and strange tales of Peach Blossom Village, leaving them utterly astonished. Such a remote village, nestled deep within the great mountains, still preserved the custom of not picking up lost items and not locking doors at night. Despite its poverty and backwardness, it was entirely self-sufficient, receiving no fiscal aid; all villagers lived together in peace, watching out for one another—truly a contemporary Peach Blossom Spring.

"Director He, are you just spinning us a yarn?" Wang Zhuo jested, flattering the young Party Secretary who, though in his thirties, already had streaks of white in his hair.

"You’ll know when we get there," He Baoyuan chuckled, casually plucking a blade of grass, sticking it in his mouth, and puffing out a soft whistle.

In a short while, Wang Zhuo discerned the knack for blowing the grass leaf and, following suit, found a similar blade. After some fiddling, he actually managed to make a sound.

Deputy Director Kang repeatedly expressed admiration. He had tried learning this mountain technique many times without success, yet Wang Zhuo seemed to master it instantly—Kang had never met someone so clever.

The two continued whistling back and forth, creating an amusing harmony that made the long walk feel less tiresome.

After walking the entire day, they finally reached Peach Blossom Village. The luggage and supplies they had brought at the start were now mostly slung over Secretary He and Deputy Director Kang. Wang Zhuo was carrying Qi Fei, and Guan Yingying leaned on a makeshift crutch. Although they still had energy, their appearance was quite disheveled.

Qi Fei, lacking regular exercise, had developed blisters on her feet. Guan Yingying was slightly better off but was nearing her limit.

Secretary He gave a reminder, then inserted his left index finger into his mouth, took a deep breath, and blew sharply. A piercing whistle instantly rang out, startling the chickens and dogs in the houses near the village entrance.

Moments later, several half-grown children ran out. Strangely, they showed no signs of malnutrition, vastly different from the two villages they had visited previously.

The children quickly approached, greeting Deputy Director Kang and Secretary He enthusiastically, helping them carry their bundles. Secretary He stayed for a few days every month, and Deputy Director Kang had visited before, so they were old acquaintances.

Not far into the village, Village Chief Meng Mingliang received the news and came out to meet them. As dusk was settling, there was no need for long pleasantries; they proceeded directly to Meng Mingliang’s home.

Meng Mingliang stood nearly six feet three inches tall, with open, generous features that made it difficult to discern any distinct ethnic characteristics. This contrasted sharply with the previous two villages, which clearly exhibited minority features; their clothing and countenances immediately identified their respective ethnic groups.

News of visitors from afar spread quickly. Soon, many villagers came to watch the excitement. Those with seniority and high standing entered the house to accompany the guests; the rest gathered in the yard. Families spontaneously brought offerings—pickled fish, live chickens, dried fruits, vegetables—soon filling the windowsills and eaves, surely enough provisions for several days.

On their walk into the village, Wang Zhuo hadn't seen a single peach tree; instead, he noticed many stones, as the entire village was constructed from flagstones and timber.

"Come, come, Wang Zhuo, try the peach wine our village brews," Meng Mingliang took a large, unglazed earthenware jar from his youngest daughter and poured half a bowl into each of the three large bowls first.

The mountain folk were simple and earnest; they didn't even utter a word of self-praise, merely gazing expectantly at the guests, waiting for their compliments.

Wang Zhuo was the first to lift his bowl for a taste. He found the slightly viscous liquid sweet, smooth, and mellow, with an exquisite fragrance that warmed his heart. It possessed a faint alcohol content but wasn't harsh on the throat, only perfectly awakening the taste buds.

He looked closely at the wine in the bowl. It lacked all the thickeners, sweeteners, colorings, saccharin, sulfites, artificial fruit essences, and other additives commonly found in bottled brand-name wines—it was absolutely a pure, natural, green beverage, free from pollution and chemical residues; a perfect "three-no" product.

"Excellent! Good wine!"

With a swift toss, Wang Zhuo downed the half-bowl, extending the empty bowl forward, clearly indicating he wanted more.

This gesture was more effective than a hundred words of praise. The villagers burst into hearty laughter. Meng Mingliang’s second daughter quickly came forward, picked up the jar, and filled Wang Zhuo’s bowl completely.

Qi Fei and Guan Yingying also sampled it and agreed the flavor was excellent. Although they lacked Wang Zhuo’s super vision to analyze the liquid, they knew this purely green drink was in an entirely different category from what sat on supermarket shelves—something utterly unobtainable in the city.

That evening, everyone enjoyed the most rustic, purest farmhouse meal, prepared in the village chief’s home. Apart from the iodized salt, which was supplied uniformly by the state, all other seasonings were self-sufficient within the village. The food was not only uniquely flavorful but also brought a sense of profound relief to Wang Zhuo and the others, who were wary of the various food additives prevalent in big cities.

Village Chief Meng Mingliang’s house was newly built last year. Like the other structures in the village, the entire house was constructed layer upon layer with flagstones, and even the roof tiles were made of stone.

The furniture was either wooden or stone. The two side rooms each featured a stone kang (heated bed), covered with a thin layer of soft corkwood. When the kitchen fire was lit, the kang stored heat. Given the current climate, lighting the stove twice a day kept the entire bed warm throughout the day, making for extremely comfortable sleeping.

This stone kang was one of the few sources of outside income for Peach Blossom Village. The men of the village would collect flagstones from the mountains, carry them over mountains and rivers to the county seat, build kangs for local families, earn money, and then carry back staples like rice and flour on their shoulders.

It was a meager income, but relatively stable. This type of kang was a time-honored brand in Liuhe County, a mark of quality, and it was reusable. Every few years, a few slabs were lifted, the ash inside the heating chamber was scooped out, and it was as good as new. Many families used such a kang as part of their daughters' dowry.

Wang Zhuo analyzed it with his X-ray vision and realized that this particular bluestone was unremarkable. Besides being used for construction and kang building, its only other value lay in producing lime or cement. Given Peach Blossom Village’s transportation conditions, building a lime plant, cement factory, or even a stone quarry was out of the question. While the market for these stone kangs might hold for a few more years, once Liuhe County developed and high-rise buildings sprang up, this style of heating would inevitably be phased out.

After dinner, Deputy Director Kang and Secretary He, having separate accommodations arranged, took their leave. Meng Mingliang called his three daughters into the left side room to sleep with him and his wife, vacating the right side room for Wang Zhuo, Qi Fei, and Guan Yingying.

Due to their status as honored guests, even their bedding was a dowry set specially prepared by a family for their daughter, delivered specifically for them. The three guests felt deeply honored and slightly overwhelmed by such respect.

There was no electricity in the village, so sitting by an oil lamp and chatting constituted the night life. Thus, there were no notable events that evening. Wang Zhuo treated the girls’ blisters and gave them a brief massage before the three drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, the young guide Meng Shengnan led Wang Zhuo and his two companions to visit the Peach Blossom Stone Caves.

Meng Shengnan was Meng Mingliang’s youngest daughter, fifteen years old, standing just over five feet tall. She had willow-like eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and skin rosy beneath a fair complexion. Her lips were full, resembling a Hong Kong or Taiwanese actress who had once played Xiaolongnü. Her small chest was beginning to develop, but she wore no bra,