Chapter 259 A woman dresses up for the one she loves.
It takes more than an hour to get from the long-distance bus station to Qiushan County by donkey cart, and more than two hours to get from the county to the brigade. If it were an oxcart, it would probably be even slower.
Fortunately, this all-natural "convertible" was much more comfortable than the long-distance bus they had just ridden in. Even though their butts were a little sore from the bumpy ride, at least they didn't get carsick.
Smelling the unique, refreshing fragrance of the mountains, Qin Suisui felt as if every cell in her body had finally come alive.
Captain Li was also very happy. While driving the donkey cart, he chatted excitedly with Qin Suisui and the others: "Comrades, you are not the first people to come to our remote mountain village to look for the 'Lampbush Flower'. Ever since that old Chinese medicine doctor gave away the method of using the 'Lampbush Flower' to treat hemiplegia, the wildflowers that no one wanted on our mountain have slowly begun to have value."
“In the early years, even we locals didn’t dare to go up the mountain to pick this flower. The older generation didn’t call this flower ‘lamp flower’, but rather ‘ghost lighting fire’.”
Qin Suisui and Jia Zhenzhen were both avid readers of storybooks, especially interested in strange tales and supernatural events. As soon as Captain Li started to say something, the two in the carriage had their eyes light up:
"Ghost fire?"
"That's right! Legend has it that this 'ghost fire' is a medicine of the mountain spirit, which is why it doesn't grow on sunny slopes, but rather on shady graves and in old forests. Moreover, if you pick this flower, you must go down the mountain before dark, otherwise you will encounter all sorts of terrible things."
As we entered the mountain path, the originally clear weather suddenly turned into a cloud cover, and even though it was already mid-afternoon, the sky immediately became gloomy.
Qin Suisui and Jia Zhenzhen exchanged a glance, then clasped hands tightly, their hearts trembling slightly.
Jia Zhenzhen glanced at the rustling woods on both sides of the road, and still mustered her courage to ask, "Captain Li, what terrible thing is going to happen?"
Captain Li smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true. We live deep in the mountains. I've heard that in the past, you could encounter all sorts of monsters and demons. You might even encounter ghosts eating people or being trapped in a ghost wall... Uh, ptooey, ptooey, that's not my opinion. We don't spread those feudal superstitions."
Captain Li smiled and took the initiative to end the topic.
After traveling for more than an hour, the donkey cart finally arrived at Hongshan Brigade, under Qiushan County, before dark. Hongshan Brigade was originally a Miao village deep in the mountains. Along the way, Qin Suisui only saw thick fog covering the mountains and continuous terraced fields. When they arrived in the village, they found that most of the houses here were stilted buildings, and of course, some were newly built traditional brick and tile houses.
Captain Li led Qin Suisui and the others directly to the stilted house at the end of the village.
"Comrades, it's getting late. Please settle in here for a while, and I'll come and call you to my house for dinner later! My house is right next door. My family is large, and we don't have any spare rooms. It just so happens that this family went to work in the city a couple of years ago, and their elderly relative passed away last year. So, we've borrowed their house to entertain guests from afar."
After Captain Li finished speaking, he helped unload their luggage from the donkey cart and then drove the cart to the newly built brick house next door.
Qin Suisui and the others carried their luggage into the house. The first floor of the stilted house was currently empty. It was clear that it was originally a place for raising livestock such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and chickens, but now that the owner had left, the ground floor was also empty.
Qin Suisui and the others' bedrooms were arranged on the second floor, which was also the main living and dining area. Qin Suisui observed the layout; the central room on the second floor was the main hall, which was probably where the family held important ceremonies such as sacrifices, weddings, and funerals, and where they received guests.
The bedroom is on the left side of the main room, and the hearth, which is also the kitchen, is on the right. It was the core area where the family cooked, ate, warmed themselves by the fire, and rested and chatted, full of life. However, because no one has lived there for a long time, it is now covered with a layer of dust.
There were three bedrooms, all roughly the same size. Hu Jue chose the one at the very front, while Qin Suisui and Jia Zhenzhen slept together in the middle one.
Knowing they were coming, Captain Li had already arranged for the beds to be made up, and the tables were clean, though still slightly damp, as if they had just been wiped down. On the table was a bamboo-cased thermos filled with hot water, probably for them to wash their hands and faces.
Qin Suisui and Jia Zhenzhen took out their bags, took out towels, toothbrushes and other toiletries, poured some water and washed their faces and bodies, then changed out of their dirty clothes and rubbed them with their hands. They felt much more relaxed afterward.
Jia Zhenzhen lazily sprawled on the bed, saying, "Sui Sui, we've finally arrived. This lamp flower has been so far away from us."
Qin Suisui was applying face cream when she heard this and smiled: "I told you not to come, now you regret it, don't you?"
Jia Zhenzhen shook her head: "I don't regret it. If I hadn't come with you to this remote mountain valley, and something had happened to you, I would never have peace of mind for the rest of my life."
After saying that, he spat twice and slapped his own mouth: "Look at my mouth! Children say the darndest things, children say the darndest things! Our trip will definitely be safe and smooth, without any taboos! We'll return safely!"
Seeing her rambling, Qin Suisui covered her mouth and chuckled, then slapped another dollop of face cream onto her face: "Hurry up and apply it. You want to get a little whiter, right? Skincare is all about the little things you do every day! Besides, Yunnan Province is at a high altitude, so the sun's ultraviolet rays are strong, making it easier to get tanned."
Not long after Jia Zhenzhen went on a blind date with Chen Zheng, they confirmed their relationship. From then on, she also became enthusiastic about skincare and whitening, and she has been sticking to it consistently, no longer as inconsistent as before.
Qin Suisui was curious, but when she asked, she learned that the reason Jia Zhenzhen had become so enthusiastic was because Chen Zheng was actually fairer than her! Her future lover was fairer than her! This was something she absolutely could not accept!
She even pestered Qin Suisui to prepare a special whitening face mask for her, and she wore it when she went out this time.
Upon hearing that it's easier to get a tan in Yunnan Province, Jia Zhenzhen rubbed the clump of face cream that Qin Suisui had pressed onto her face until it was broken up, and then gently rubbed her face in the same way Qin Suisui did.
She muttered to herself, "You reminded me! I almost forgot about the wonderful face mask you made for me. I'll put it on after I finish eating. I hope all that travel these past few days hasn't made my face mask application go to waste!"
Qin Suisui shook her head and chuckled. It's true what they say, "Women dress up for those who appreciate them." If this were in the past, if you asked Jia Zhenzhen to apply face cream or a face mask, she would immediately turn around and run two miles away. Even when she was obsessed with Paman back then, it was the same.
It seems she's really met the right person; even this "tomboy" Jia Zhenzhen is willing to do things she used to disdain.
After applying face cream, the two lay on the bed and chatted for a while. Less than half an hour later, a woman's voice came from downstairs: "Comrade Qin, Comrade Jia, Comrade Hu, come down for dinner!"
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