mountain road
"Jingci Town Station has arrived. Please disembark from the front door in the direction of train travel..."
"Sister Fan, I've arrived!" Zhu Shiyi, carrying a ukulele on one shoulder and a guitar on the other, dragging a 24-inch suitcase, was on the phone with Yu Fan.
"Okay, be careful! Can you find the location of the guesthouse? I'll have my classmate send you the location again."
"No need, no need, it's all on the navigation, don't worry."
Yu Fan once again emphasized her classmate's leisurely personality, and that the place he found for field research was absolutely the clearest spring among clear springs.
"I won't bother you anymore, enjoy your trip, Xiaoshiyi!"
Zhu Shiyi laughed: "I shouldn't have bothered you. Go on your date with your boyfriend!"
......
With something weighing on her mind, staying at home was incredibly stifling. This wasn't the first time Zhu Shiyi had faced this situation. Learning from her previous experience, she once again chose to travel, and once again was forced to travel alone.
With the winter break being short, most of my friends stayed in their hometowns with their families. Yu Fan was no exception. She returned to Qincheng to reunite with her parents, and she even went back with her boyfriend, Lin Changren, which was truly enviable.
For this trip, Zhu Shiyi chose Jingci Town—a small town not far from Yuecheng, a six-hour high-speed train ride away. Yu Fan said the town was nice, with beautiful scenery and simple folk customs, a great place to relax; her college classmates were there for field research.
Zhu Shiyi was immediately intrigued. She chose a day before returning to school, packed her luggage and her two beloved violins, and used her internship salary to come to this city.
She plans to go directly to Yaoliang Ancient Town, where her classmate Yu Fan was doing his field research, and stay for four or five days at a time.
Standing at the entrance of the high-speed rail station and opening a ride-hailing app, Zhu Shiyi belatedly realized that a taxi ride from the high-speed rail station to the town would cost more than 200 yuan!
Only after earning money yourself do you realize how hard it is to make money.
Zhu Shiyi really couldn't bear to spend the two hundred yuan, so he followed the navigation, huffing and puffing as he walked to the bus stop, took two buses to the bus station, and then took a bus to the ancient town.
It was called a bus, but it was more like a public bus, stopping at several stations along the way. More and more people got on, including many elderly people and children. Zhu Shiyi gave his seat to an elderly woman holding a child, then stood up with his ukulele on his back, spread his legs to balance himself, holding the guitar with one hand and his suitcase steady with the other.
As the bus traveled along the mountain road, it made a turn, causing everyone on board to sway and wobble. Zhu Shiyi almost lost his balance and fell.
Stumbling and struggling until she reached the final stop, Zhu Shiyi felt utterly exhausted. For the first time, this girl, born and raised in a big city, truly appreciated the advantages of living in a big city. Yuecheng and Jinrong, with their well-developed subway systems, offered convenient public transportation everywhere she went; she had never transferred like this before.
As soon as she got out of the car, fresh air rushed into her lungs, and Zhu Shiyi felt as if she had been reborn; she was alive again!
It was totally worth the trip!
Taking a taxi would take an hour and a half, and taking public transportation would take two and a half hours. She didn't spend any money on a taxi, but she spent an extra hour. By rounding up, she made 200 yuan for free in that hour!
Two hundred dollars an hour? Where can you find such a good job?
Zhu Shiyi felt a sense of triumph, dragged his suitcase, stepped onto the bluestone alley, and hummed a little tune as he walked into the ancient town.
In late winter, darkness falls early. By five o'clock in the afternoon, it is already slightly gloomy. Under the pale clouds, the streets and alleys of the ancient town are deserted. Only wisps of smoke rise in the distance, accompanied by the aroma of simple tea and rice.
Following the navigation to the riverbank, Zhu Shiyi entered the guesthouse he had booked, but found no one in the lobby.
"Is anyone there?" Zhu Shiyi peeked out and called out softly.
......
No one answered.
Zhu Shiyi sat down nearby, intending to find the guesthouse's contact number and call the owner.
"Are you here to stay?" A magnetic voice suddenly sounded in my ear.
A sense of familiarity welled up in Zhu Shiyi's heart, and she paused for a moment before looking up.
The man who spoke to her was a tall boy with long bangs, obscuring his features. He was dressed in an ancient-style long robe and had an artistic air about him.
“Yes,” Zhu Shiyi said, straightening her mind. She pointed slightly to the front desk. “Are you the owner of the guesthouse?”
The boy chuckled softly: "No. I'm a guest too."
Zhu Shiyi responded with an "oh," slightly distracted.
His voice, with its electric magnetic quality, was all too familiar to her.
She remembered the person she talked to every night, who also had a similar voice.
However, she hadn't heard it in a long time.
"You also like playing the piano?" The boy's question interrupted her thoughts.
Zhu Shiyi snapped out of her daze and subconsciously glanced at the guitar beside her legs: "Yes."
"...You wouldn't be...?" Zhu Shiyi suddenly realized, "Are you Yu Fan's classmate?"
The boy smiled, nodded slightly, and extended his hand: "Hello, I am Wan Chongshan."
Ten thousand mountains?
Is it the towering mountain she was thinking of?
This name is quite unique, but it sounds a bit bitter, as if one has to shoulder countless burdens from birth.
“Hello,” Zhu Shiyi shook hands with him. “I am Zhu Shiyi, Shiyi in an untimely way.”
“Is this how you introduce yourself?” Wan Chongshan chuckled. “I think it’s very timely for us to meet here.”
Zhu Shiyi smiled politely.
Although he and Pan Yue sound very similar, their personalities are quite different. For example, Wan Chongshan looks like he knows how to flirt with girls.
“Yes, it was because you were here doing your research that Sister Fan had the opportunity to recommend me to come,” Zhu Shiyi said without dwelling on the previous statement, getting straight to the point, “By the way, do you know where the guesthouse owner is? I haven’t checked in yet.”
“They’re with the neighbors next door,” Wan Chongshan said, taking out his phone. “I’ll call them for you.”
......
Within two minutes, the guesthouse owner arrived late, apologizing repeatedly as he checked her in, and offering to upgrade her room for free for the next few nights.
Zhu Shiyi didn't mind to begin with, and now he was all smiles; this was an unexpected delight.
"Let me help you with your suitcase!" the guesthouse owner said warmly.
The shop owner was a middle-aged man, not very tall and thin, who didn't seem very strong. Zhu Shiyi shook her head: "Thank you, boss. But my box is heavy, I can carry it myself, so please help me get the guitar."
“Brother Chai, if your back is sore, don’t bother. Let me help her,” Wan Chongshan said, already carrying his guitar and easily lifting the suitcase with his other hand. He nodded to Zhu Shiyi and said, “Let’s go.”
As the owner of the guesthouse, Brother Chai didn't stand on ceremony: "Thanks, Xiao Wan!"
......
Wan Chongshan walked up to the top floor with practiced ease, and Zhu Shiyi followed behind him, a little curious: "Are you that familiar with the boss? He assigned you, a guest, to help someone with their luggage?"
Wan Chongshan laughed heartily: "I've been here for two or three months now, and the locals all know me, so we don't stand on ceremony with each other."
"Then you must know this place very well," Zhu Shiyi asked. "I'm staying here for four or five days, where can I go for fun? Do you have any recommendations?"
Wan Chongshan stroked his chin and thought for a while: "There is a lake on the mountainside with a waterfall in it. That's the Yanghu Ecological Resort Area. The scenery in the town is also quite nice. There are some small porcelain shops in the alleys that you can visit."
“Actually, Yaoliang isn’t the kind of tourist spot where you can take lots of photos. There aren’t many tourists here; it’s mostly locals,” Wan Chongshan said, looking out the window. “But I just love it here. It’s peaceful, quiet, and not too noisy, making it perfect for taking photos.”
Zhu Shiyi's gaze followed her out the window.
This guesthouse is located on the riverbank, and she happened to be staying on the riverside. Outside the window, there was clear blue water, sky, clouds, and trees—a picture of the Jiangnan region in the Hui style.
“It’s really beautiful,” Zhu Shiyi thought, having roughly planned out this trip. “Is Yanghu far from here? How should I get there?”
"It's nearly 20 kilometers long, and you can only get there by car or by hiring a driver."
Zhu Shiyi was taken aback: "How much does it cost to charter a car?"
"It's not expensive. If you can find someone to go with you, it'll be eighty per person; if you charter a car by yourself, it will be one hundred and sixty."
160 was within her budget, but Zhu Shiyi also wanted to save money, so she casually asked, "Are you going to Yanghu?"
Wan Chongshan grinned: "I'm the chartered driver."
Zhu Shiyi: ......
......
On the bus.
"Before you came here, didn't Yaoliang have any tour drivers?" Zhu Shiyi really wanted to ask as she got into the car with the Qincheng license plate.
“Yes,” Wan Chongshan said with a smirk, “You didn’t ask. The business is practically handed to me, why would I pass it on to someone else?”
"You and Sister Fan are classmates, so you must both be in the music industry, right? How come you're also working as a driver?"
“I’ll just try to earn some extra money as I go,” Wan Chongshan said frankly. “Independent musicians at the bottom of society can’t survive.”
"..." Zhu Shiyi pursed her lips. "Making music, is it really not profitable?"
“In any industry, the top earners make the lion’s share. No matter the industry, the bottom are all just oxen and horses,” Wan Chongshan said in a pessimistic tone, but there was no negative emotion in his voice. “Anyway, I don’t care. I must enjoy myself for a couple more years while I’m young.”
......
"Go ahead, I'll wait for you at the exit." Wan Chongshan stopped the car.
Zhu Shiyi got off the car.
Yanghu is an extremely niche scenic spot. Before six o'clock, the entrance was deserted, and even the ticket sellers were nowhere to be seen, probably having gone to eat.
She hadn't done any research beforehand, and thought it was a waste to have spent the whole day traveling around without doing anything, so she decided to just come to Yanghu. Who knew that she would get such a good deal and get her a free 60 yuan entrance fee!
Zhu Shiyi was in a great mood and swaggered into the scenic area, feeling extremely lucky.
......
Five minutes later.
Zhu Shiyi immediately pulled out her phone and typed a long message: 【Do you know where I am? This scenic area is a primeval forest! Most importantly, I'm the only person in the entire area! I really want to turn around and leave! This is too eerie 555......】
His fingers suddenly stopped.
Zhu Shiyi looked at the WeChat nickname field, where there was only one word—A.
......
Zhu Shiyi pursed her lips and deleted all the words she had typed, one by one.
As his fear gradually subsided, as if holding back some pent-up energy, Zhu Shiyi turned on his phone's flashlight and walked step by step deeper into the depths.
Outside the forest, the sky was bright, but inside, the tall trees covered the ground, layer upon layer obscuring the white light, so Zhu Shiyi could not even see the road clearly.
She turned around.
Before my eyes was a beam of light emanating from the flashlight in my hand;
Behind them was a dark and gloomy area entwined with dense vines.
The starting point is gradually disappearing, and the road ahead is also a maze, offering no hope compared to the road ahead.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Shiyi no longer hesitated and walked straight ahead.
The woods are serene, and the ancient trees shield you from the harsh winds. Even on a dark and cold winter night, you can walk without feeling the chill.
She was right; there was no one else in the forest. The green trees were real, the fresh air was real, but the strangeness and fear were not.
Zhu Shiyi tried to enjoy it. This was her forest, and the path beneath her feet was uniquely hers.
Along the way, she has learned that by changing her mindset and perspective, she can avoid getting lost on her path.
Zhu Shiyi moved with lightning speed, wanting only to keep moving forward. If it weren't for safety concerns, she might even have hopped a few steps. Although this area was a primeval forest, it was still a paid tourist attraction, and the wooden boardwalk in the forest remained consistently stable...
Apart from this section.
Several strange cries echoed in my ears, reverberating through the mountain valley before gradually fading away, almost imperceptible.
It sounds like some kind of animal making a sound.
Monkey? Bird?
...or a snake?
Zhu Shiyi suddenly felt a sense of fear.
She stopped in her tracks.
In the middle of the plank road, a thick tree grows diagonally across the path, its trunk at a crooked angle that makes it difficult to cross.
......
"If there's no way out, turn back," Zhu Shiyi murmured to herself, encouraging herself as she leaned against the side of the mountain and slowly made her way forward.
The thick tree is indeed difficult to cross, but there is still a boardwalk under the trunk. You don't need to cross the tree; you can just crawl underneath. However, you can only find it when you get close.
Zhu Shiyi patted his chest and easily crawled through.
"So this is what they mean by 'there's always a way out'?" Zhu Shiyi dusted off his hands. He was just scaring himself.
After overcoming the obstacles, the sky grew increasingly dark, but the road ahead was smooth.
Zhu Shiyi casually took a few photos, but the photos were dark and you couldn't see anything clearly.
But she didn't care. The rustling of the wind through the trees, the stream flowing over the rocks, and perhaps even a waterfall cascading down—she looked up and seemed to see the Milky Way in the heavens.
In the darkness, she hummed a song all the way.
......
"Zhu Shiyi!" Familiar voices faintly echoed in my ears.
Looking towards the source of the sound, there was a beam of white light. In the dim light, Zhu Shiyi seemed to see Pan Yue.
"I've finally found you," the figure rushed over. "It's so dark in there, aren't you scared?"
"I'm fine," Zhu Shiyi smiled. "Thank you, Wan Chongshan."
"Don't be too touched," Wan Chongshan said jokingly, "I, Wan Chongshan, will cross countless mountains to find you."
Zhu Shiyi shook his head, ruthlessly exposing the lie: "You're kidding me. This little road isn't a mountain range."
“There are countless mountains here,” Wan Chongshan joked, then became more serious. “Let’s go, the exit isn’t far.”
Zhu Shiyi nodded and followed behind Wan Chongshan.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to come today,” Wan Chongshan said. “It’s so dark, can you even see Yanghu Lake?”
Zhu Shiyi then realized that when she arrived at Yanghu Scenic Area, she didn't see Yanghu at all.
“…No,” Zhu Shiyi said with a smile, but he didn’t seem to care. “But I experienced even more scenery.”
"Fine, whatever makes you happy," Wan Chongshan said indifferently. He turned slightly to the side and stretched out his hand behind him. "Can you see the road? It's dangerous here. If you can't see clearly, grab me so you don't fall."
Zhu Shiyi shook her head: "Thank you for your kindness. Don't worry, I don't have night blindness."
......
It was past 8:30 when we got back to Yaoliang Ancient Town. Although it's called a town, it's more like a village. At this time, there was hardly anyone wandering around outside, and most of the restaurants had already closed.
Zhu Shiyi's stomach was growling with hunger.
On the eleventh day of the Lunar New Year, those who work return to the city to work, while those who don't work stay home to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Yaoliang, this remote valley village, can be said to be deserted.
At this time of year, business at the guesthouse wasn't very good either. After mealtimes, Boss Chai would go next door to chat, leaving no one to cook for Zhu Shiyi.
"...What do you usually eat for dinner?" Zhu Shiyi asked, glancing at Wan Chongshan, who was just as hungry as she was.
Her thoughts were written all over her face, as clear as day, and Wan Chongshan curled his lips.
"Six yuan for instant noodles or sixty yuan for a meal, you choose."
Zhu Shiyi decisively chose the latter, since she had saved sixty yuan on the entrance fee today, which, rounded up, meant that dinner would be free.
......
Wan Chongshan easily prepared a meat dish and a vegetable dish, along with a soup, using the guesthouse's kitchen.
Zhu Shiyi was having a video call with Yu Fan. On the other end of the screen, Yu Fan said, "Lin Changren is with me, you don't mind, do you?"
Zhu Shiyi: "It's nothing, and there's nothing shameful about it."
Before dinner, Zhu Shiyi was video chatting with Yu Fantong, telling him about her adventurous experiences that day, and also mentioning Wan Chongshan and showing him pictures of Wan Chongshan's cooking skills.
Yu Fan glanced at the food Wan Chongshan had prepared and immediately launched into a tirade against him: "Fish-flavored shredded pork, Mapo tofu, tomato and egg soup, sixty yuan? Wan Chongshan, aren't you eating too? How dare you charge my Xiaoshi Yi money?"
"My dear sister, how could I possibly charge you?" Wan Chongshan handed the bowl of rice to Zhu Shiyi. "It's my good fortune to eat with such a pretty girl. I was just teasing her. It's definitely free."
“It’s been years, and you’re still as sarcastic as ever,” Yu Fan retorted. “You’d better behave yourself and not fall for our Xiao Shiyi. She already has someone she likes.”
"Is that so?" Wan Chongshan glanced lazily at Zhu Shiyi.
The next second, he exaggeratedly straightened his bangs and said to Zhu Shiyi in a very shameless way, "It's okay, Shiyi, what do you think of me? How about considering falling for someone else?"
Zhu Shiyi: ? ? ?
Wan Chongshan's eyes were full of tricks, devoid of any sincerity. He could come up with any pickup line he wanted to use.
Zhu Shiyi just wanted to applaud him: "You're really good with words, I almost believed you."
But her expression showed no trace of belief.
*
On the other side of the screen.
While his girlfriend was video chatting with her girlfriends, Lin Changren remained silent, pretending not to hear a word, but he listened to everything they said.
Yu Fan hadn't told him who Zhu Shiyi liked, but Lin Changren knew perfectly well.
He instantly opened his phone to alert the other party:
Old Pan, your house has been raided!
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