Chapter 197 Crossing the Snow Mountain
As night falls, we set up camp. In summer, the river is full and the river channel is widened. The green aquatic plants are soaked in the water. If you are not careful, you will step in and your shoes will get wet.
Xiao Chunhong screamed "Ouch!" and her foot stepped into the dense grass, and the soles of her shoes were soaked instantly.
Sui Yu took a look and took down a felt and threw it on the rocky riverbank. The camel felt relieved, shook its neck, and walked straight into the river to eat grass and drink water.
Qingshan, Gan Da and other male servants worked together to pull open the felt, shook it out and covered it on the wooden board hammered into the ground. They tied ropes at the four corners to the stones on the ground, fixed them, and then moved stones to press on the felt.
Three felt houses were built, the fire was lit, a circle of stones was buried around it, and an iron pot was placed on top, boiling water.
Worried that the clay pot would break easily, Sui Yu took the only iron pot in the house with him when he left home. The iron pot is durable and can boil water and cook rice quickly.
Liu Ya'er hopped down from the rocks above, clutching a handful of radish shoots and dandelion vines. The May heat had already set in, and the radish and dandelion vines should have been old in Dunhuang long ago, while the wild vegetables on Hongchi Ridge were still fresh and tender. These wild radish shoots and dandelion vines, along with more common vegetables like leeks and shepherd's purse, were all seeds sown by passing merchants. These seeds were scattered on the lush riverbanks, and the rest was left to nature. Whether they sprouted and grew depended entirely on luck. Some places teemed with wild vegetables, while others were flooded or dry, barren.
The water boiled, Song Xian opened the lid of the pot, Sui Yu poured the kneaded dough into it, suppressed the boiling water, and stirred it quickly with a pair of long chopsticks.
"Boss, the vegetables have been washed and picked." Liu Yaer came over with a basket of vegetables.
"Pour it inside." Sui Yu made way.
Put the green vegetable leaves into the pot and sprinkle with salt. Sui Yu pulled out the short knife hanging from her waist. She took out a piece of pickled meat from her bag, cut it into five slices and threw it into the pot to cook.
The aroma came out of the pot, and the smell of meat wafted down from upstream. Qingshan and other patrolmen looked upstream and saw that the two caravans were two or three miles apart, and they could only vaguely see a spark of fire.
"It's time for dinner." Sui Yu shouted.
A stack of black, stoneware bowls held a bowl of thick, thick noodle soup for each person. Sui Yu distributed the rice to everyone. When the pot of noodles was empty, she scooped five more scoops of water into it, ready to boil for the oil tea.
The mountaintop was covered in snow, its peak gleaming white under the bright moonlight. Along the mountainside, with the river at its base, green grass stretched like a green belt. Higher up, the ground became rocky and hard, barren, with no grass growing on it.
Green grass, gray stones, yellow soil, within a mile radius, vitality and desolation coexist.
Song Xian chewed a mouthful of noodles carefully. She looked up and asked, "How long will it take us to reach the top of the snow mountain?"
"We didn't go past the top of the snow-capped mountain. I remember the river originated on the west side of the foothills. We went around to the west side, where there was a valley with slightly gentler terrain. We crossed the valley and went down the mountain, and we ended up crossing the mountain," Sui Yu said. "As for how many days it took, I can't remember."
"Madam... no, Chief Shopkeeper, have you also walked through this mountain?" Xiao Chunhong was curious. "Isn't this your first time entering the pass?"
"No, I'm not from Dunhuang." Sui Yu shook his head.
Xiao Chunhong wanted to ask more, but Gan Da interrupted her: "There's no more firewood in the fire pit. Add some more."
After finishing the dumpling soup, each person grabbed a handful of fried noodles and threw them into the bowl, poked a lump of lard, sprinkled some salt on it, poured two spoonfuls of boiling water and stirred it, and drank half a bowl of oil tea. Only then did they feel full.
After a fire was lit in the stone pit and the night watchmen were arranged, Sui Yu and Song Xian went to sleep in the felt hut. The hut, made of three camel hides, could barely fit eleven or twelve people. Sui Yu and Song Xian slept in one with nine maids. The other two felt huts were shared by thirty male servants, with four men on duty each night, just enough to squeeze everyone in.
The ground was covered with hay, and the felt was airtight. A dozen people could sleep inside with their clothes on, and they wouldn't feel cold even if they didn't cover themselves with anything.
The fire in the stone pit flickered on and off. When the night left and the sky grew light, the person in the felt woke up.
After a night's rest, the camels were loaded with felt and hay. After the money boxes and silk were tied tightly, the wild vegetable and salty porridge in the pot was also cooked. Regardless of whether they were masters or servants, they each drank a bowl to fill their stomachs. They took the pots and bowls to the river to wash them. Without waiting for the heat from the bottom of the pot to dissipate, they put out the sparks and then the caravan set off again.
The further up the mountain you go, the less hot the weather becomes, and the shorter and sparser the green grass on the riverbank becomes. The terrain is uneven, covered with rocks, and the river channel turns sharply. In places where people cannot pass through, people pull the camel's reins to climb up the raised low hills. In places where the camels cannot climb, people have to move stones to pave the way.
After another seven days, the distance between the two caravans, one in front and one behind, became closer and closer. The Hu merchants were carrying a lot of goods, and when they walked into the valley, the feeling of the weight was much less.
After piling up stones to build a stove, three Hu merchants came over to greet him, and Sui Yu invited them to sit down and have dinner together.
"I shot two wild rabbits yesterday. I was planning to stew them in a pot and then make a pot of millet rice. I'll have a full meal today and just make do with what I have for the next few days," said Sui Yu.
"Shopkeeper Yu has traveled this route?" Hu Shang was slightly surprised. "Then we're relieved. The road ahead is sparsely covered with grass and firewood, and the wind is strong. If the weather changes and there's snow, we have to hurry and travel without resting all night. Our boss asked us to come and inform Shopkeeper Yu in case he's unprepared."
"Please thank the boss for me." Sui Yu expressed his gratitude.
Hu Shang waved his hand and didn't mention that Zhao Xiping was a captain of the Han army. Sui Yu also had a guesthouse in Dunhuang. Even if they were an ordinary caravan, they would inform each other and help each other if they encountered any trouble on the road.
When the rabbit meat stewed with dried radish was ready, Sui Yusheng served a bowl of meat to Hu Shang as a token of gratitude.
Millet rice was poured with meat soup, and each person was given a spoonful of meat. Finally, vegetable soup was cooked with the meat oil in the pot. After eating and drinking, Sui Yu called the servants to ride the camel to continue the journey.
When climbing the mountain, the mountain road was difficult to walk on, so people walked on camels. The terrain in the valley was slightly flatter, so people rode camels and walked faster.
As it got dark, the Hu merchants ahead did not stop to rest, and Sui Yu's caravan did not stop either, urging their camels to continue on their journey in the dark night.
The sound of wind echoed in the valley, the sound of hoofbeats lingered, and the night sky above seemed to be cut off by the mountains. The stars fell and suddenly disappeared in the middle of the journey.
After rounding a snow-capped mountain, the clear, uninterrupted night sky suddenly appeared before Song Xian's eyes. This was her first time seeing the stars up close. From the summit, the night sky was as clear as water, free of any haze. Looking back from her camel, she suddenly imagined herself reaching to the top of the snowy mountain and reaching out to support the sky.
A whistle sounded ahead, and Hu Shang stopped walking, intending to take a short rest here.
"Move the blankets down. It's cold at night. Everyone should sleep on hay covered with blankets." Sui Yu ordered.
One group of people spread straw mats, and another group of people led the camels to graze. They had no time to make a fire and cook. Sui Yu and Song Xian took out some fried rice and gave each person half a bowl. They chewed it and then fell asleep.
When he woke up, the stars were still in the sky, but the moon had already set in the west, half of it hidden behind the snow-capped mountains. Sui Yu judged that it had been two hours since he fell asleep. If he were at home, the rooster would have already crowed.
Home... Sui Yu suddenly became depressed. She took out the short coat worn by the baby from her arms and covered her face with it. The smell of milk on the coat had disappeared.
"Missing your child?" Song Xian sat over.
Sui Yu slowly exhaled. She looked at the short coat again and again, then folded it up again and put it in her arms.
"Yeah, I miss him." She answered Song Xian's words, looking at the boundless night sky in the west. The guesthouse located in the wilderness emerged in her mind, and the river gurgled in the cracks of the rocks in the valley. She seemed to hear the sound of flowing water behind her home. Under the roof, the little kid was sleeping in a red bellyband with his legs spread out.
There was a movement from the Hu merchants not far away. Sui Yu took out a wooden whistle and blew it gently, waking up the sleeping slaves. They worked together to roll up the felt and tied it on the camel's back. Braving the cold wind, they counted the number of camels and set off again.
From darkness to dawn, the fiery red sun slowly climbs over the eastern slopes of the snow-capped mountains. The brilliant morning glow illuminates half the sky, and the gentle sunlight bathes the snow-capped mountains. The white peaks gleam with golden light. The cold air transforms into fluffy white clouds, piling up between the peaks. The wind stirs the clouds, and there is no bird song or insect chirping. This fairy-like color seems to dispel the turbidity in the hearts of the people.
In the distant foothills, a few loud crowing of roosters woke up the dazed person. Sui Yu blinked and looked away reluctantly.
"Is this a paradise on earth?" Song Xian murmured.
The fairyland does not hinder human affairs. When the sun rises, the snow-capped mountains become dazzling. Everyone squinted their eyes to look again, their minds became confused, and they had no intention of lingering on the beautiful scenery. Everyone sat on the camel's back, chewing fried rice to fill their stomachs, and continued to rush forward.
Walking across the stream, wading through the creek, climbing over the foothills, you can see the post station with smoke rising from the distance. In the evening, two caravans, one in front and one behind, enter the heavily guarded pass.
Sui Yu handed over the "passing" documents and the slave's indenture for inspection. She looked north and saw a winding earthen wall built into the distant mountains. Years ago, when she was exiled, she had passed this place and could still see the busy figures of the laborers. Now, the Great Wall was visible, but no one was there.
As for her, her slavery was no longer granted and her situation was different.
After receiving the "pass" document and the slave's indenture, Sui Yu paid a fee and continued on his way along the same route he had taken before, taking his slaves and camel caravan.
With three consecutive days of good weather, we traveled day and night, and finally crossed the valley early in the morning of the fourth day, following the snow water rolling down the rocks down the mountain.
Small streams are everywhere, and in the valley between the two peaks they converge into a river an arm's width. The river rushes, and the rocks at the bottom of the river are washed shiny.
The caravan rested here and built a stove with stones. As they were still close to the snow-capped mountains, there was no grass to burn. Xiao Chunhong pulled some dry grass to start the fire, and the bundles of dry firewood brought from Dunhuang also came in handy.
Sui Yu fetched some water to wash his face. The cold snow water felt particularly refreshing when it splashed on his face.
Song Xian looked down the mountain. The mountains were undulating and she couldn't see the scenery at the bottom of the mountain at all.
"What's down there?" she asked.
"It's summer now, and the river is flooded. We'll have to cross the river after we get down there, but we can pay to take a sheepskin raft." Sui Yu thought for a moment and said, "The current is fast at this time, and I'm not sure if a sheepskin raft would be stable."
"The water is boiling." Xiao Chunhong called out, "Boss, are you still making oil tea today?"
"Yes, be careful when you go down the mountain. If you catch any prey, I will stew the meat for you." Sui Yu took out the jar and asked Xiao Chunhong and Liu Yaer to stir the oil tea. She leaned against the rock to rest.
After lunch, we continued on our journey. If the terrain was flat, we would ride camels. If the river was narrow and could not pass through, we would lead the camels up the slope and take a detour. Going down the mountain was more dangerous than going up. Not only would people fall, but the camels would also slip.
After five days of bumpy journey, the lush trees at the foot of the mountain were faintly visible.
Song Xian looked towards the north. The mountains were quite high and seemed to be even higher than the snow-capped mountains at her feet. There were lush trees growing on the mountains.
"The place where we live is actually surrounded by mountains on three sides. There are mountains to the east, south and north, and a desert to the west." Song Xian took a step up. She stood on the stone, but still couldn't take in all directions.
"What's the name of that mountain?" Song Xian pointed at the tall, green mountain and asked, "Does anyone live there?"
Sui Yu was not sure what this place was called. This should be where the Loess Plateau stood. However, in the Western Han Dynasty, the Loess Plateau was not full of gullies, but was full of trees and lush greenery, full of vitality.
"People live there," Sui Yu replied. "Where people live there aren't so many trees. Many trees have been cut down for farming. Going further east, we'll pass the foot of this high mountain, but we won't be climbing over it. Instead, we'll have to go through the southern mountain."
Song Xian looked where Sui Yu pointed and saw that the South Mountain was much shorter and the trees were greener. It seemed that clouds and mist were rising above the mountain, reaching the sky.
"It turns out that the land inside the Great Wall is so rich! The trees on the mountain are more abundant than the crops we grow in the fields."
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