The drums are loud, firecrackers are sounding together, and the musicians with red sashes around their waists are playing suona to welcome us.

The village chief wears a big red flower that stands out, grinning like a starving wolf as he stares at our group of students who have just gotten off the bus, spouting a bunch of irrelevant words.

"Is this old man crazy? We are here to participate in a short-term rural activity, not to attend a college entrance exam mobilization meeting. What is he talking about?"

"He even said they beat people here... Is he out of his mind..."

This group has all kinds of people, besides me, a academic slacker forced to complete a winter break research report. The two who were complaining earlier are probably high school students sent by their parents to "experience life," one named Li Xiao and the other named Zhang Zhong.

There are also several peers who have come to participate in the "rural activity," chatting together.

Every villager's face is filled with warm smiles, but I furrow my brows, feeling only that their smiles are insincere and strange.

The village chief quickly leads us to arrange accommodation in the villagers' homes, one household per person.

A young couple protests, wanting to stay together, causing the villagers to collectively gasp in shock and start gossiping about their "improper behavior."

The young man rushes forward to argue, but luckily his girlfriend stops him.

"A Rou!"

The girl tugs at her boyfriend's sleeve, "Huang Jian, don't cause trouble. Village chief, could you please arrange for us to stay in the same household since our luggage is together? Thank you."

The village chief hurriedly pulls the villagers aside, explaining, "I'm really sorry, mainly here, when you live together, you're considered one family, that's why they reacted so strongly. But we can arrange for you to stay together."

He smiles and chuckles, but I sense something amiss, as if each family's child is of a different gender from us travelers, is it intentional?

When I arrived at my homestay, sure enough, the family I stayed with also had a son.

Just as I put down my luggage, this little rascal suddenly rushed over, snatched my phone, giggled, and ran off, hiding behind his parents, the whole family laughing hollowly and similarly, making me furious, rolling up my sleeves and charging over.

Before I could grab it back, someone slapped me and I fell to the ground.

"You pig, don't you know you should cook for your family in the morning?"

I was unprepared, the strength of a woman who does farm work all year round is not something I can compare to.

She grabbed my ear and dragged me to the woodshed, is she crazy? I'm just a tourist!

"I will complain to the travel agency about you! What are you trying to do?"

She turned her head, her face seemed angrier, glaring at me menacingly.

"Call the police? You are my daughter, not killing you when you were born is your blessing!"

She pressed her face close to mine, her laughter sounding like a suona, making me dizzy, whirlpools swirling in her dark eyes.

Daughter?