The moon hung in the sky, and on the peak of Flower Sea Mountain, the Miao People were camping everywhere. Most were young men and women, all here for matchmaking. In a short time, they had already bonded.
Everyone lit bonfires, and the flames roared high. They sang and danced around the fire, their laughter and songs filling the air.
Many young men and women surrounded Quentin and Eileen, expressing their admiration, but they politely declined each one.
Seeing the youthful faces and hearing their carefree laughter, Quentin and Eileen felt both helpless and gratified. These were the future of the Miao Tribe.
The bonfire party was crowded, laughter never ceased, but after searching for a while, they couldn’t find Cerys.
Looking at the sea of people, Quentin felt a bit lost. With nearly a thousand people here for matchmaking, he wondered how he would find Cerys in such a grand Flower Mountain Festival.
A loud mountain song suddenly erupted from the crowd. On a distant hilltop, where the bonfire burned brightly, a beautiful figure stood silently, singing the moving song.
The girls beside Quentin laughed and said, “Don’t you understand? These young men from different villages are all here to sing with Cerys!”
“Quentin, Cerys is singing all night just so you can find her!”
“Is that so? Then let’s go find her,” Quentin said with a smile.
Suddenly, Harry appeared out of nowhere, looking around slyly. “Quentin, this bonfire party is amazing! The Miao Territory is full of treasures and talents. The girls here are as beautiful as flowers!”
“In that case, Harry, why don’t you find a girl you like?” Quentin laughed.
“Quentin, I want to, but I have no skills. The girls don’t like me,” Harry said with a sheepish grin.
“You are young and handsome; you’ll find someone! Let’s go find your sister,” Quentin said.
They smiled at each other and headed toward the bonfire to find Cerys. The crowd was thick, and they had to push their way through.
Many young men and women were exchanging their belts with each other.
“Harry, why are they exchanging belts?” Quentin asked in confusion.
Harry laughed. “Quentin, these belts are called Jade Belts.”
“According to our Miao Tribe customs, if a man and woman like each other, they exchange Jade Belts as tokens of love!”
“So you should give your Jade Belt to the girl you like!”
“If another girl gives you her Jade Belt and you don’t like her, you mustn’t accept it!”
Quentin understood and teased, “So who are you giving your Jade Belt to tonight?”
“Haha, I’ll give mine after you give yours,” Harry laughed. They joked as they finally reached the bonfire.
Cerys was sitting by the fire, surrounded by many handsome young men who wanted to sing with her and give her their Jade Belts.
But Cerys refused them all because her heart’s desire had not yet arrived.
“Sister!” Harry called out to Cerys.
Cerys turned and saw Quentin. She smiled sweetly; she had been waiting for him.
Her smile was enchanting, making all other girls lose their charm.
She wore a dark red Miao dress with blue trim, a silver necklace with dangling beads of varying lengths.
The dress was three-quarters length, exposing her white wrists and ankles. The silver jewelry highlighted her jade-like skin, making her look pure and clean like a mountain spring.
She was like a gentle breeze on the mountain, lively and beautiful. Quentin was mesmerized, and the young men around held their breath, eyes shining.
Cerys shyly lowered her head, her face blushing beautifully. She glanced at Quentin and softly called his name, “Quentin…”
Quentin smiled slightly and walked towards her. Suddenly, some girls from White Miao Village surrounded him with a jade tube.
“What is this?” Quentin asked in confusion.
The girls laughed. “This is from Cerys. Open it and see.”
Quentin took the jade tube and opened it to find an exquisite handkerchief with some words embroidered on it.
“Quentin, sing this mountain song to Cerys. It’s just a few lines,” the girls said.
“But I don’t know how to sing mountain songs,” Quentin said.
“No problem, just read it out loud!” the girls urged.
Quentin was puzzled but thought reading a few lines wouldn’t hurt. He took the handkerchief and read:
“From thousands of miles away,
Not for gold or silver,
Not for money or rice,
But to see my beloved…”
“Wait, this is a love song? Are you kidding me?” Quentin stopped abruptly when he realized it was a love song.
The girls giggled and jumped to Cerys’ side. “Little sister, your brother sang! What will you give him?”
Cerys was so embarrassed that she couldn’t lift her head.
She glanced at Quentin shyly, her hands trembling as she slowly untied her white Jade Belt and handed it to him. “Quentin…”
This was bad! Quentin’s expression turned serious as he shook his head silently. “Cerys, it’s not like that!”
Cerys’ face turned pale, and she looked like she might collapse. “Quentin… you don’t like me?”
Quentin gritted his teeth. “I can’t like you…”
Cerys’ Jade Belt fell to the ground.
“Quentin!” She glanced at him with tears streaming down her face before turning and running away.
“Cerys!” Quentin stood there stunned, reaching out to stop her.