25. "Good Coke"
During my time on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the only thing that mattered was the weather.
The only thing I secretly pray for every night is good weather tomorrow, and the first thing I do every morning is jump out of bed and draw back the curtains. If the snow on the distant volcano peaks has turned crimson, then it's another delightful sunny day.
Only with good weather can you see truly breathtaking scenery. They were lucky; during their week here, they only experienced one rainy day, resulting in snowfall deep in the mountains in September. At the foot of the mountain, it was just a light drizzle, but as they climbed, the raindrops gradually condensed into fine snow, rustling against the hard outer shell of their rain jackets. The fog grew thicker, gradually obscuring the rugged path beneath their feet. But there was no need to worry; their ever-optimistic guide, like a human GPS, skillfully led them along the trail to the summit, where the dense fog concealed what appeared to be the crater. And when they stopped to rest, the guide even provided them with hot, sweetened tea that he had carried all the way up.
Xiao Ju used to run marathons, but now she's not satisfied with just running and has started training for triathlons, so the journey isn't too difficult for her. Fang Kaixuan's physical strength isn't as good as Xiao Ju's, but she's been used to being patient since she was little and knows she can't hold anyone back or act spoiled here, so she grits her teeth and keeps up silently.
The two brought plenty of snacks when they set off from Beijing, replenishing their supplies throughout the hike. When the cold wind threatened to chill them to the bone, a large piece of chocolate proved surprisingly effective, quickly boosting their blood sugar. Here, it seemed unnecessary to worry about reducing carbs or controlling blood sugar, because after expending so much energy in such wilderness, a little sweetness was insignificant. It would translate into vital energy in the cold, rather than excess weight.
Fang Kaixuan observed that each of them was incredibly agile, even their eyes were exceptionally sharp. They saw nothing, only admiring the scenery outside the car, when the tour guide suddenly stopped the car and pointed to a small dark shape in the distance, "A bear."
They got out of the car and cautiously approached, stopping about a hundred meters away. The bears completely ignored them, not even raising their heads, intently eating something. The tour guide said they were eating blueberries, and squatted down to pick a handful, giving them to Fang Kaixuan.
Small and tart, not the kind of blueberry that humans have grafted or modified, she was happy to share a blueberry patch with a brown bear a hundred meters away. Strangely, the huge animal wasn't frightening, even though it was her first time seeing a bear in the wild.
Only weak and pale city dwellers would be afraid of this and that, even afraid of a little sugar, regarding carbohydrates as their enemy.
City dwellers have really regressed too much.
Constantly engaging in internal monologues of sarcastic remarks about urbanites, especially men, had become ingrained in Fang Kaixuan's mind. As the saying goes, "hate the house because of the crow," and this was all Chen Zhilun's fault. From then on, he was relegated to the sidelines by her.
She firmly believed that the men in the wilderness were the real men.
She hadn't forgotten the other man who often roamed the wilderness. It had been so long; how was he?
Before leaving, Fang Kaixuan had a thought: should he ask him if he was coming? They were both in the Far East, so the distance wasn't really that far.
But it was just a fleeting thought; she ultimately didn't do it. Because she despised men who stood up their girlfriends for men.
This is a journey that belongs to her and Xiaoju.
Fortunately, the time difference between the two places is only four hours, so communication is not difficult. However, during their daytime itinerary, there is often no signal, such as at sea, in a geothermal power plant from the former Soviet Union, or in a bottomless canyon that makes your legs weak.
It seems far away from everywhere, yet it's also very close to everything. The black sand beach on a cloudy day resembles an apocalyptic scene, with fine sand, polished from gray-black volcanic rock, stretching endlessly, and further on, deep blue seawater. If you keep swimming along the sea, you'll reach Alaska in the United States.
As for Fang Kaixuan's favorite sunset, it happens here every day as scheduled, changing like a life adventure, but there is no need to worry that the adventure will eventually turn into something bad.
Even if something terrible happens, it's okay. For the first time in her life, Fang Kaixuan told herself, it's okay, it doesn't matter what happens. Unlike many times in the past, when she comforted herself by saying "it's okay" after something bad happened, the last sentence was, "He's still here."
The "It's okay" attitude we have now is because the inner self has finally come alive and can turn those sentimental, narcissistic, and self-pitying feelings into material for jokes.
Xiao Ju was also relieved that Fang Kaixuan had indeed recovered and was now able to help her seriously analyze the matter of changing careers.
"Do you need me to draw a mind map?" Seeing Fang Kaixuan's serious expression, Xiao Ju couldn't help but joke. Fang Kaixuan actually took a napkin.
The light industry here is really backward; the napkins are just stiff enough to write on.
"Actually, the only problem, and the biggest one, is that I'm not really good at reading people's minds and catering to them. It's not that I can't do it, but it would definitely make me very unhappy," Xiao Ju said.
"Most people go to work to exchange unhappy days for money. You've been doing whatever you want for ten years, and you're only now starting to do these things, so it's not a loss."
“Others start to understand social etiquette in their twenties, but I only started learning after I turned thirty. How could I possibly learn it?”
"Don't joke around. Someone who can consistently dig up exclusive news has an emotional intelligence and IQ that far surpasses those old office dogs," Fang Kaixuan laughed self-deprecatingly. "It's just a matter of whether you think it's worth it. Six months ago, I would have said it was. Now, I even doubt myself, so I can't guarantee that I'll drag you into this."
"Once you leave the palace gates, it's like entering a deep sea."
"The parrot dared not speak."
The two of them burst into laughter.
By this time, the two had returned to the city and were wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood after dinner. The guesthouse they were staying at had a stunning sea view; from the window, one could see the endless blue and white sea and snow-capped mountains. Although it wasn't yet winter, the scene was desolate and had a distinctly wintery feel.
With nothing else to do, they stood silently gazing at the snow-capped mountain, so beautiful it seemed to be printed on a postcard, lost in thought for a long time. But in that blank space, there was no awkward silence, no unspeakable waiting; each of them had their own background music playing in their minds, a familiar yet melancholic song.
Xiao Ju broke the silence: "Actually, I really like being a journalist."
If it weren't true love, she wouldn't have persisted this long. Many colleagues who fought alongside her back then, cleverly circumventing blockades and bans, switched careers long ago. Back then, those big companies recruited media people in batches of dozens or even hundreds. Several close friends and colleagues went there, and soon turned around and became the kind of people who advised her, "Can you please stop writing? We can discuss any conditions you have."
Changing careers should be done at an appropriate age. Changing careers in your thirties is like an adult cat that hasn't learned to use the litter box yet—not cute, perhaps even annoying.
When the tide of time abandons an industry or an individual, it doesn't even bother to say goodbye.
For the Kamchatkas, it was just another perfect day for sailing or hiking in the mountains. For Xiao Ju and Fang Kai, it was just another ordinary sunny day, yet it could also be described as a pivotal evening. Many things were coming to an end, and dusk was descending in grand style.
Discussing career prospects here just doesn't feel quite right. Xiao Ju didn't want to think about it further and unusually decided to postpone it.
It's okay. After years of hard work, it's alright to procrastinate occasionally. Some say that procrastinators are just leaving problems for their future selves. Xiaoju thinks that seems fine too. She's never followed the crowd, but in the Kamchatka Current, she thinks it's not so bad.
As for Fang Kaixuan, she now has very low expectations of herself, as long as she doesn't worry about going crazy like she did before. This trip has undoubtedly made her mentally stronger, and the possibility of her going insane has become very small.
They clinked glasses in celebration. On their return flight the next day, neither of them dared to drink local spirits, opting instead for "Good" brand Coca-Cola bought from the supermarket downstairs. Coca-Cola was a rarity here, but this local product had a simple yet beautiful meaning, perfectly suited to the occasion.
Let this single word "good" speak for itself, leaving nothing more to say.
No matter what you have lost or what has been broken, "tomorrow is another day."
///
So skilled! So productive! I'm so envious!
The male lead is coming back tomorrow... otherwise all the readers would have left, no, all run away.
It's impossible for light to shine on readers with taste like me.
One against a hundred can be said to be
Okay, okay
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