Four o'clock in the morning on a Sunday in December.
Li Chunmei was woken up by the alarm clock. She stretched out a hand from under the covers and turned off the alarm on the bedside table. With her eyes closed, she nudged Xia Jianguo next to her.
"Jianguo, get ready to get up."
Upon hearing this, Xia Jianguo did not get up but turned over and continued sleeping.
The couple didn't get up until the second alarm rang, still half asleep.
Outside, Xia Minmin was already dressed and sitting at the dining table eating the bread she had prepared yesterday.
Li Chunmei and Xia Jianguo came out of the bedroom already changed their clothes; the three of them were all dressed in outdoor attire.
Li Chunmei kept urging, "Jianguo, hurry up, it's already 4:20, it will take us more than 30 minutes to get there by bike."
Xia Jianguo was also having a friendly chat with the toilet expert in the bathroom.
"They're here, they're here."
After the sound of the flushing water subsided, Xia Jianguo came out of the bathroom rubbing his stomach. "I don't know what happened, but I started to have constipation after living in Shenzhen for the past few years. It was normal again after I went back to my hometown."
"I told you to eat more fruit and vegetables and less meat. You didn't listen, so you deserve to be constipated!"
Li Chunmei only said it, but every day she would prepare a cup of warm water with honey for Xia Jianguo, which was said to cure constipation.
After Xia Jianguo finished drinking the warm water, he casually ate a couple of bites of bread. The family changed their shoes, picked up their prepared backpacks, and went out the door.
The neighborhood was quiet at 4:30 pm; not even a stray cat could be seen.
Under the bright moonlight, they walked to the bicycle shed and took out the bicycle that their family had bought four years ago.
The security guards at the gate of the residential compound were still working diligently, while others sat in the guard booth watching TV to pass the long night.
Xia Jianguo knocked on the door and went in, handing the two men two packs of cigarettes.
"Brother Xia, did your family go hiking again on Sunday?"
"Yes, I'm so sorry to trouble you to open the door every time I go out."
"We should feel embarrassed. It's our duty to ensure the safety of the residents here."
After the three chatted for a few minutes, the community security guard opened the gate.
The two security guards watched Xia Minmin and her family leave the residential area.
"Brother Xia and Sister Xia are really nice people. They always bring us things when they go out in the early morning."
“His daughter is the same way. Every time she comes in or out, if she has snacks or fruit in her hand, she will ask us if we want some.”
"Go inside, it'll be time for shift change soon. I'm so sleepy, aren't you sleepy too?"
"Actually, it's not so bad once you get used to it."
...
Xia Jianguo and his companions rode their bikes down the street, and apart from sanitation workers, there was no one else around.
If they hadn't come out to hike, they would never have seen Shenzhen so quiet.
Before 2 a.m., Shenzhen is bustling with young people, who roam among the various night market stalls, drinking and playing drinking games.
Listening to the creaking sound of the bicycles, Li Chunmei thought, "It seems we need to get a motorcycle; these two bicycles are really no good."
Xia Jianguo said, "It's time to change it. Many people have already changed theirs. After changing the car, it will be more convenient for us to go hiking, and we won't have to wait for the bus when we go to inspect the stores."
"We'll go buy it as soon as we come down from the mountain, and then we'll ride our new bikes home."
When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, the bicycle shed was already full of bicycles; everyone had come for the sunrise.
Some were with their families, some were young couples, and some were with friends.
At the management office, Xia Jianguo bought three tickets for 15 yuan and entered the scenic area.
The family did ten minutes of warm-up exercises on the side.
The three people raced to climb up the mountain, which was one of only two mountains in Shenzhen.
There are two paths leading up the mountain. One is a well-maintained path built by the scenic area, suitable for elderly people and children to take walks. The other is a trail worn down by locals, suitable for those who enjoy hiking.
Xia Minmin and her group had previously climbed the roads built by the scenic area, which took about forty minutes from the foot of the mountain to the top, or about an hour and a half if they were slower.
The trail was uncharted territory, something Xia Minmin and her family had never attempted before. They had heard from hiking enthusiasts that it was challenging, taking beginners about an hour and a half. The trail was winding and twisting, and in some places, one even needed to use their hands to climb.
Xia Jianguo looked at Li Chunmei and asked, "Which route are we taking today?"
Xia Minmin said, "I'm fine with either one, it's up to Mom to choose."
Li Chunmei was eager to try it out. "Let's try the off-road trails! I've hiked them a few times already, so I feel like I can give it a shot."
Li Chunmei is the weakest in terms of physical strength among the three family members, and they usually climb mountains according to her standards.
Xia Jianguo was a little worried. "Chunmei, you need to watch your step on the pebbles."
Xia Minmin said, "I'll clear the way."
"Okay, then I'll be last!"
Xia Minmin led the way, Li Chunmei walked in the middle, and Xia Jianguo brought up the rear. Xia Jianguo had to keep a close eye on Li Chunmei's situation at all times.
There are no fixed places to step on on wild mountain paths, and you might slip and fall if you're not careful.
Every person climbing a mountain must be fully focused on their footing.
Hiking on a wild mountain path at five in the morning is not a good choice, as the dense forest on the mountain blocks out the light.
"Mom and Dad, be careful in here, it's a bit slippery," Xia Minmin said, stomping her feet on the spot.
Xia Minmin would move the pebbles aside whenever she encountered a spot, making it safer for Li Chunmei to climb the mountain.
Li Chunmei was already exhausted after climbing only halfway up the mountain. "Huff...huff...Jianguo, I can't go on. I'm just too tired."
Xia Minmin, who was walking ahead, also stopped.
"Dad, give me the backpack behind you! You support Mom."
Xia Jianguo handed the backpack behind him to Xia Minmin. The backpack wasn't heavy; the heaviest thing was three 500ml bottles of water and a few pieces of bread, which were their provisions for the mountain.
With Xia Jianguo's help, Li Chunmei continued climbing.
Xia Jianguo, supporting Li Chunmei, joked, "Where did your grand pronouncements go last Sunday? Look at you now, tsk tsk tsk!"
Xia Jianguo shook his head as he spoke.
Li Chunmei leaned against the tree trunk with one hand and said fiercely, "Xia Jianguo, you just wait!"
After saying that, Li Chunmei continued climbing.
After more than an hour of travel, we could finally hear the commotion coming from the mountaintop.
After each mountain climb, Xia Minmin looks forward to the sunrise the most. Standing on the mountaintop and looking out over the boundless sea, she feels much better after seeing it.
Xia Minmin murmured to herself, "The rosy glow of the sky enters the water, and the sky and water are both red for a moment."
Standing beside Xia Minmin, Li Chunmei vaguely heard her daughter speaking, "Xiaomin, what are you saying?"
“Mom, I said today’s sunrise is like the poem ‘Dawn Sun’ by the Tang Dynasty poet Han Wo: ‘The rosy clouds on the horizon enter the water, and the water and the horizon are red for a moment.’”
"That's really true. Even though it's the same mountaintop, the sunrise you see each time is different."
After handing the camera to a kind-looking young man, Xia Jianguo ran over and took a picture of the family of three with the sunrise as the background.
This is their fourth family photo featuring the mountaintop and sunrise.
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