The young man’s face flushed crimson, and he began to argue loudly with the companion who had arrived with him.

The guide girl chuckled for a while. “So, whether it’s the Daughter Fair of the Lime Kiln or the Daughter Fair of the Great Mountain Peak, they are all Tujia children using trade as an excuse for courtship, using antiphonal singing as a medium for romantic exchange, and using the excuse of the Mid-Autumn Festival for lovers’ rendezvous. Over time, this unique ethnic custom of the Daughter Fair has been passed down.”

“Then… why is the current Daughter Fair held at Suobuya instead of the original Lime Kiln or Great Mountain Peak?” asked a middle-aged man who looked somewhat composed.

“The environment!” The guide girl smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know soon enough… Alright, I’ve explained most of what there is to know about the origin of the Daughter Fair. The remaining time is for everyone to explore the hidden spots and search for treasures on their own. Whether you have a harvest depends on the ability of the brothers. Okay, that’s enough talk, let’s go!”

The crowd scattered instantly. The young men rushed toward the entrance of the Suobuya Stone Forest, vying to be first, while the young women and married ladies followed behind, giggling and making a fuss, their faces full of curiosity.

Qin Bing'er involuntarily took a few steps forward, then immediately turned back, tightly linking her arm with mine, pouting, her cheeks puffed out, blinking her eyes rapidly as she stared at me. I was just wondering whether to enter the Stone Forest when I caught sight of Qin Bing'er’s expression. As I was feeling perplexed, Qin Bing'er whispered, her breath fragrant as orchids, “Don’t you dare go sing duets later!” I suddenly understood and burst into laughter, reaching out to flick the bridge of her delicate nose. “Sing duets? Why would I? Haven’t I told you? I only know how to sing ‘flat-mouthed songs.’ I’d probably be chased out by those girls before finishing a single line… This guy is clearly just making noise to ruin the atmosphere!”

“That’s good! Let’s go!” Qin Bing'er’s face relaxed, and she pulled me along.

“Where are we going?”

“To see inside the Stone Forest. Look, Hua’er has already run in. Maybe Uncle An and Niaoniao are in there too!”

Hearing that, I realized she had a point. Given Man Niaoniao’s temperament, she wouldn't miss out on the excitement in such a place brimming with boundless spring scenery. Hua’er abandoning us to run into the Stone Forest probably meant she had smelled the scent of those two companions. Moreover, the group led by that long-nosed foreign old man had likely entered as well, because I had searched everywhere outside and couldn't spot any foreigners acting particularly strangely.

As we said, so we went. We followed the crowd and entered the Stone Forest through the curved entrance.

Once inside, we realized it was another world. The sunlight that day was particularly fine, casting itself generously upon the infatuated men and women embraced by the Stone Forest. There we saw: groups of young men and women sitting on every strange rock, the vast majority being local Tujia people dressed in traditional attire. The men had their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, gesturing and pointing, singing love songs in voices that ranged from rough to refined, shouting out calls, whistling loudly, trying their best to tease the girls they fancied. As for the girls? They held small parasols, sitting on high stone platforms or standing between steep stone columns, partly concealing their faces, but they certainly didn’t yield in their speech, teasing or mocking, laughing or scolding, pouting or showing joy, singing or harmonizing, engaging in a booming, lively commotion with the young, robust lads.

On top of the bizarre stones, in the nooks of strange crags… wherever the Stone Forest wasn’t singularly dominant, amid patches of lush green, a few clusters of fiery rhododendrons occasionally flashed, dancing in the breeze near the hem of the Tujia girls’ skirts, whether red or blue, long or short. The fiery, passionate flowers, the heart-wrenching crisp green, the thousand strange and peculiar stones, the intoxicating, sweet breeze, the fair, delicate calves, the exquisite and vibrant clothing, the charming faces brimming with affection, the small, delicate parasols, the ancient and pleasant singing voices… Where else could this be but paradise on earth?

Qin Bing'er and I were overwhelmed by what we saw, having no mind left to search for Man Niaoniao, Old Master Ji, or that long-nosed foreign old man. I even seemed to have completely forgotten everything about the mundane world, completely intoxicated from the inside out by this pearl-like Shangri-La!

While lost in rapture, we happened to hear the guide girl say with a mysterious smile, “This is where the young men and maidens who can’t wait to get married gather to pick their intended partners—it’s the modern version of the Daughter Fair. The authentic Daughter Fair is still deep inside the Stone Forest!” Her words prompted the tourists, who were already wide-eyed and refreshed in spirit, to urge each other on, pushing and shoving as they moved deeper into the Stone Forest.

My arm suddenly ached; it turned out Qin Bing'er had fiercely pinched me. “Look at you, your mouth is watering!” I awkwardly wiped my mouth, watching the brightly dressed and adorned girls turn back every three steps as they followed the main group deeper into the Stone Forest.

The wonder of the Suobuya Stone Forest lies not only in the diverse shapes of the stones but also in their staggered heights. Sometimes, clusters of stone columns merge into one, the rock body exhibiting distinct layers and clear imprints. At other times, a single stone column stands tall towards the sky or bows to greet visitors. If you look closely, you can find various lifelike creatures or other scenery among the stones. Between the columns or rock walls are interlaced, complex paths shaded by greenery, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow—some wide enough for a broad stride, others requiring one to squeeze sideways. Regardless of the shape of the rock formations, in relatively hidden spots, one could always spot a corner of a floral parasol peeking out, clearly indicating that many moving stories were unfolding… The occasional bird calls made the Stone Forest seem exceptionally quiet, the only things reaching the ear being a rustle of whispers…

Visitors here would unconsciously slow their steps, stop their clamor, and avoid the couples entangled in intimate affection, walking silently along the shaded paths, only sneaking a few glances.

Passing the magical and beautiful “One Line,” the scenery before us changed dramatically again. According to the guide girl, this was where the original Daughter Fair took place, where many legendary scenes would be enacted. We glanced over and indeed saw many young men and women gathered in small groups, haggling back and forth with each other. Of course, the haggling here was never truly about debating the price of goods, but rather a verbal probing between the young men and women. It was a pity it wasn't the official day of the Daughter Fair, so there weren't too many young men and women present for matchmaking, but the lively scene deeply attracted everyone.

The attire and adornment of the Tujia girls here were even more traditional, the clothing rich in strong ethnic character. Each girl had a face full of smiles and spring breeze, their heads wrapped in folded floral kerchiefs, wearing shirts with red and green lace trim. To stand out, many young women and married ladies wore their most beautiful clothes, layering them with the longer one inside and the shorter one outside, each layer shorter than the last, creating a stepped appearance—this was the legendary "Three Layers of Water," also called "Tier by Tier." The girls also wore their prettiest gold and silver ornaments on their heads; each one dressed herself up to resemble a phoenix of the mountains or an immortal maiden on earth.

The young men and middle-aged bachelors were also dressed brightly and handsomely, displaying their youthfulness, robustness, handsomeness, and vigor. With kerchiefs tied around their heads, wearing white, front-opening jackets, and stepping in white-soled cloth shoes, they stood in groups, their eyes burning with a fiery gaze, sweeping over the girls displaying local produce lined up in rows. They were choosing their sweethearts with their eyes.

The daughters, under the guise of selling goods, sat on their woven bamboo baskets, feigning the appearance of conducting business. They, too, searched the crowd for their targets under the pretext of selling things. Both the daughters and the young men had their "minds elsewhere"—their true intent was to find a desired partner.

The slightly plump young man among the tourists, after hearing the guide’s introduction, bravely walked up to a girl selling embroidered insoles, his face beaming like a flower, and blurted out, “Little sister, the embroidery on these insoles is so exquisite! How much are you selling them for?” Comically, this fellow managed to mumble out his words in the dialect of Xi Du, which made everyone present erupt in laughter.

The girl selling the embroidered insoles had seen all kinds of scenes; seeing the young man approach to chat her up, she smiled even more sweetly and said crisply with her small mouth, “My insoles? One costs five hundred yuan!”

The young man seemed to have forgotten his purpose. Hearing the girl say one insole cost five hundred yuan, his eyes widened, and he sprayed saliva as he exclaimed, “Are you robbing me?” The guide beside him was almost shaking with laughter and quickly poked him, whispering in his ear, “She’s testing you. She knows you’re here for fun, not seriously looking for a wife, so she set such a high price…” The young man stiffened his neck. “Who says I’m not seriously looking for a wife? Little sister, can you go a little lower?”

“The price went up now—a thousand each!” The girl laughed heartily, leaving the young man spellbound.

“Then… how about twelve hundred each?” The young man’s words stunned the onlookers. When they understood, they realized the young man’s brain had completely short-circuited.

This left the girl momentarily speechless and flustered. A local young man next to her squeezed in and asked, “Little sister, how much are these insoles?” Saying this, he smiled broadly while glancing sideways at the slightly plump young man.

The little sister, rescued, grabbed the young man’s arm. “They’re free, I’ll give them to you!” The young man triumphantly and immediately wrapped his arm around the girl selling the embroidered insoles. “Let’s go sing duets over there…” With that, they left amidst laughter and joking, leaving the slightly plump young man staring in bewildered shock.

The plump young man still wanted to demand an explanation from the guide, but the people nearby started to jeer, “What kind of eyesight do you have? They clearly hit it off long ago! What gives you the right to barge in like that?” The plump young man understood and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Oh, so that’s how it is. If only I had come sooner!” Everyone quickly urged him to find the next girl.

Amidst the teasing laughter of his companions, the young man indeed grew bolder and started calling out everywhere he went.

I was too lazy to stay with them. I pulled Qin Bing'er and wandered around aimlessly on this narrow stone path that was neither truly a street nor not a street. My intentions were twofold: first, to see if Old Master Ji and Man Niaoniao had really come to the Stone Forest, and second, to look for that long-nosed foreign old man. Unfortunately, we followed one path almost to the end, and saw neither Man Niaoniao nor Old Master Ji, nor even where Hua’er’s unlucky companion had vanished to.

“Bright clouds chase bright clouds in the sky, a whirlwind circles the bamboo grove on the ground. The strong wind shakes the spotted bamboo shoots, the song stirs the sister’s heart; a five-line song serves as the matchmaker…” A melodious song attracted our attention. It turned out this path curved, and beyond it lay even more wonders. The songs of the young men and maidens rose and fell, each note full of flirtation, every line imbued with deep affection.

“Don’t think mountain songs are worthless; mountain songs are the making of a perfect match. The match is born from the mountain song; without the mountain song, there is no reunion. When the mountain song is sung, there is reunion…” I suddenly heard this song sung in a voice like a cracked gong, and I jumped up as if stung by a bee. I immediately pulled Qin Bing'er and peeked around a stone column, and an intimidating, sharp-toothed ghastly face instantly appeared before my eyes!