么京《六和三角宴》

In Shiqian, the Gelao villages continue to uphold the cherished tradition of the "Liuhe Triangle Feast" during the Spring Festival, a custom deeply rooted in their reverence for the values of harmony and unity.

The origins of this tradition can be traced back to a tumultuous period in the Gelao people's history. After the Han Dynasty official Zhao Li assassinated King Xing of the Yelang Kingdom, the kingdom fell into disarray. A group of its soldiers and their families fled to the remote regions of Pingshan Yaoshan, where they settled anonymously. They cleared the mountains, cultivated the land, planted crops, and wove fabrics, gradually building a stable life.

However, their newfound tranquillity was short-lived. One fateful year, a natural disaster ravaged their crops, followed by a devastating plague that claimed the lives of many, both young and old. General Deng, the venerable leader who had guided them to safety, was deeply distressed. He felt powerless against the calamities that besieged his people at ninety years old. With each death, strands of his once-thick hoary beard fell away, and he watched helplessly as his tribe withered.

The plague raged for a whole month on the first day of the second lunar month, leaving a trail of death. General Deng's beard was almost entirely gone. As he touched the few remaining strands, he gazed skyward and lamented, "Oh, Heavenly Father! The swords and spears of the Han army could not destroy us, but are you now about to annihilate us?" At that moment, an eagle soared above, carrying a lingzhi mushroom in its beak and a gourd in its talons. The majestic bird descended and alighted before the astonished General Deng.

The eagle had brought a lingzhi mushroom and seeds! Overcome with joy, General Deng cried out, "We're saved! We're saved!" The desperate villagers, spurred by his exclamations, rushed towards him. Fear and desperation drove them to snatch at the lingzhi mushroom, transforming their hope into a chaotic brawl. Despite General Deng's frantic shouts, the frenzy escalated. They had become wild beasts, turning on relatives, friends, and neighbours alike. In the chaos, General Deng was knocked to the ground. The eagle, witnessing the turmoil, seized the lingzhi mushroom and soared into the sky, carrying the gourd away.

With the eagle's departure, hope seemed to vanish. The villagers stood stunned, watching the bird disappear into the horizon. In profound humility, General Deng knelt and called out to the eagle, "Oh, compassionate and merciful divine eagle! Please forgive our sins. It was the fear of death that drove us mad. Please give us another chance. We promise never to fight and never to kill each other again."

Moved by his plea, the villagers knelt behind him, echoing his words in unison, "Please, divine eagle, give us another chance. We will follow General Deng's instructions and never fight or kill each other again!"

Slowly, the eagle returned from the distant horizon.

"Divine eagle! Divine eagle! Divine eagle!" the people cheered, spontaneously kneeling around General Deng, forming a massive circle. The eagle gracefully folded its wings, settled on General Deng's shoulder, and placed the lingzhi mushroom and gourd into his arms.

Overwhelmed with emotion, General Deng bowed deeply to the eagle, and the villagers followed suit. He then instructed everyone to fetch a large pot and boil the lingzhi mushroom into a healing soup. To prevent further discord, General Deng established a rule: the children, as the tribe's future, would drink first, followed by the women, then the young and middle-aged, and finally, older people. Despite many urging General Deng to drink first, he insisted, "Keeping the children and women alive ensures our tribe's survival. For them to thrive, we need the labour of the young and strong. Therefore, we, older people, must drink last. If we can save everyone, it’s worth it. But if we can't, it's enough that you all survive even if we die."

Upon hearing General Deng's words, the villagers instinctively formed an orderly line, placing the children and women at the front. They no longer pushed or scrambled; instead, they retreated quietly, eventually creating an inverted triangle. Even after General Deng drank the last bowl of Ganoderma lucidum soup, they did not disperse. Holding hands tightly, they waited in silent anticipation, ready to face whatever fate had in store.

The next day, a miracle occurred: no one in the village succumbed to the plague, and its grip finally loosened. However, their relief was short-lived. A new problem arose when Jin Hai's son snatched a roasted sweet potato from Long Kui's daughter, who was already weakened by illness. The girl collapsed from hunger, prompting a panicked Long Kui to beat Jin Hai's son. This incident quickly escalated into a fierce conflict between the two families, with relatives from both sides joining in. A cloud of hatred suddenly overshadowed the recent fear of the plague.

General Deng arrived at the scene to find women from both families grappling with each other. His presence immediately stopped the fighting as everyone retreated to their respective sides. Without a word, General Deng produced a small bottle of honey from his pocket, diluted it with water, and gave it to Long Kui's daughter to drink. He then instructed his daughter-in-law to bring out their household's grain to cook porridge for everyone. By the time the porridge was ready, the girl had regained consciousness.

Pulling Long Kui's daughter in front of him, General Deng addressed the crowd sternly, "What is wrong with all of you? The Han army did not destroy us, and the plague did not kill us. Are we going to bring about our destruction over a mere sweet potato? Have you forgotten how we risked our lives together, resisting the pursuit of the Han army? Have you forgotten how we begged the divine eagle to turn back and save our lives? In just one day, you have fought each other twice! The Han army cannot destroy us, and the plague cannot destroy us. It seems you are determined to destroy yourselves!"

His face turning iron-grey with anger, he continued, "Fight! Why don't you fight anymore? I'm watching you fight to see what good results you can achieve!"

At this point, Long Kui stepped forward, lowering his head, and said, "General, I was wrong. I shouldn't have started the fight with Jin Hai's son. I caused this trouble. Please punish me."

Seeing Long Kui's acknowledgement of fault, Jin Hai stepped forward with his son and confessed, "General, it is my fault for not disciplining my son properly. I am at your disposal, along with my son."

"We are wrong! We are at your disposal!" Everyone echoed in unison.

General Deng nodded solemnly. "Alright! Since everyone admits their mistakes, let's shake hands and make peace. After so many bloody lessons, everyone must remember: as parents, we must be kind and respectable; as spouses, we must support each other, respect the elderly, and cherish the young, ensuring family harmony and prosperity; neighbours should coexist peacefully and not resort to violence over trifles; we must maintain our living environment, as no one can help us if we don't do it ourselves, and we will only bring about our destruction. From now on, we will not allow bullying or fighting between relatives and friends to occur again. Adults must not only educate their children well but also remind and monitor each other, firmly stopping theft, robbery, and immoral behaviour. Now, let's put aside all grievances and eat this porridge. From now on, we are still one family, brothers!"

With his words, the tension eased, and the fight was quelled. However, food scarcity remained a pressing issue. With little grain left in each household, everyone turned to General Deng for guidance. Recalling how a single Ganoderma lucidum had saved their lives, they hoped to find a similar solution. General Deng instructed everyone to contribute their remaining grain for unified distribution and planted the rice grains from the gourd into the fields. He also organised young and robust individuals to forage for immortal leaves and wild vegetables in the mountains. The immortal leaves were made into a tofu-like substance, and the wild vegetables were cooked with grain to make a nourishing porridge. The porridge was distributed according to the order of children, women, young and robust individuals, and older people.

By summer, the rice plants had begun to bear ears, and the villagers saw hope for the future.