Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa.
This is the place she said she would see the best times in her life.
So, he's here now.
It is the sweltering summer now, the real sweltering summer. The temperature at the foot of the mountain is as high as 56 degrees, comparable to the Sahara Desert, while the temperature at the top of the mountain is minus 30 degrees.
He felt like he was being slowly baked in nature's oven, sizzling with oil, and would soon be sent to the natural refrigerator at the top of the mountain for quick freezing.
It's really weird, Chen Yuefei thought, being with animals makes him feel like a meal.
There is a huge crater at the top of Uhuru Peak on Kilimanjaro. It is a truly giant crater - a basin-shaped volcanic peak with crystal clear ice walls inside. At the bottom of the crater stands huge icicles covered with ice and snow. When you look down at it, it looks like the treasure pot that overseas Chinese love most.
This was completely different from his previous impressions when he passed by the vicinity with the United Nations aid organization for Africa. From 200 kilometers away, one could see the crater on the top of Mount Uhuru, like a snow crown hanging high in the blue sky, sparkling under the scorching sun of the equator.
The blue base of the mountain is pleasing to the eye, and the misty clouds on the mountainside give people the illusion that the snow-capped mountain top seems to be hovering in the air.
Yes, hallucination!
Just like his beloved girl, he can only watch her from afar!
The climbing leader's voice came over the intercom: "Welcome to the beautiful and charming Kilimanjaro. Everyone, please gather at the base camp headquarters. We now have 30 minutes of free time to rest and replenish supplies, send a telegram to your family, and then gather your equipment and set off for the next camp!"
Their climbing team consisted of ten people, plus two local summit guides, making the climbing team exactly a dozen, the most auspicious number.
"Chen!" Turner, a new acquaintance, greeted him. "Why don't you send a telegram to your family?"
Chen Yuefei shook his head: "Let's talk about it when we get down."
After many years of military career, he has become accustomed to reporting good news but not bad news.
Moreover, his family didn’t know where he was, let alone that this was the holy place in his heart.
For this day, he gave up his permanent residence in South Africa and instead traveled around the African continent with the UNESCO rescue team.
Turner liked this cheerful and outgoing Chinese young man very much: "Chen, I've been to the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. You are different from the people I've met."
Chen Yuefei knew that the difference Turner was talking about was a different temperament. Most Chinese people are reserved and don't easily open up to strangers. He looked more like someone who grew up abroad and had a natural affinity. "My family has lived in Chinatown since my grandfather's generation, and I studied medicine in Columbia."
After ten years away from home, his words and deeds were no different from those of a person who had lived abroad for three generations. He actually obtained a diploma from Columbia University's Medical School.
He is now an independent surgeon named George Chen.
Turner smiled and held out his hand. "I'm at MIT."
Chen Yuefei extended his hand and shook it: "I've heard a lot about you!"
Turner looked at Chen Yuefei's hand in surprise: "What's wrong with your hand..."
The skin on the fingers was not as delicate as a surgeon's should be, but rather rough, with yellow calluses covering many areas of the palms and fingertips.
Chen Yuefei explained calmly: "We just finished a rescue mission in Kenya. In addition to being doctors, we also have to carry guns."
There is no place more chaotic than the war in the small countries on the African continent. There are too many civilian armed forces. Although rescue organizations have special signs and are neutral according to the convention, they are still inevitably hit by stray bullets during the chaos of war, and everyone must learn to protect themselves.
Turner suddenly realized something and continued to admire Chen Yuefei: "Do you like mountain climbing? Where else have you been?"
Chen Yuefei shook his head: "This is the first mountain I have climbed. The next stop is Nepal."
Turner was very happy: "Ok, I also want to go to Nepal next year. Maybe we will meet again and we can travel together then."
Chen Yuefei smiled: "I still have work here. The time is not yet determined, but I will definitely go there within three years."
He had already learned how to refuse without leaving a trace.
Turner didn't mind at all and continued excitedly, "My plan is to climb all seven summits within ten years. Chen, what about you?"
Chen Yuefei gazed at the misty ice caps in the distance, lost in thought: "My dreams are these two mountains."
Mount Kilimanjaro means "Mountain of Light" in Swahili.
Mount Everest means goddess in Tibetan.
These two mountains represent her existence in his heart.
There is nothing else to think about.
…
The mountaineering team's car set off.
The closer we get to the foothills, the more suitable the temperature becomes. The hot wind outside the car no longer feels scorching, and we can vaguely feel the grassland, with zebras and giraffes wandering around.
The camp where they rested for the first time was located at an altitude of one thousand meters. The climate was pleasant and the scenery was lush. They could also feel the cool breeze coming down from the mountains. If there were no war and plague, this place would have been a holiday resort.
She once told him: Mount Kilimanjaro is like the climate changes in the northern hemisphere latitudes described in geography books, from the equator to the tropical and subtropical zones, gradually transitioning to alpine grasslands, deserts and snow and ice. The process of climbing is a process from fire to ice, from hell to heaven.
The scenery before him was exactly the same as the words in his memory.
How strange, she had never been here, but when she described it to him, it was as if she had lived here.
…
After many twists and turns, they finally reached the summit.
An altitude of over 5,000 meters is not a problem for professional climbers.
However, in the late 1980s, mountaineering and communication tools had not yet reached advanced levels, and without sufficient physical strength and self-rescue ability, death was still a huge threat.
The other team members excitedly high-fived in celebration. Some wanted to descend into the crater to climb the ice wall, but the guide sternly refused: "No one has ever been down there. The volcano below is still moving. Whether it's ice or lava, it will be hell. Standing here and watching is paradise."
Turner stood next to Chen Yuefei and asked his teammates to help take a photo of them: "Chen, give me your address and I'll send it to you when the time comes."
Chen Yuefei smiled and gave the contact address in the United States: "Thank you!"
That is Chen Jing's address.
After graduating from the Juilliard School, Chen Jing married Xie Tianlang as she wished and lived abroad ever since.
He was the only one in the Chen family who would occasionally meet Chen Jing secretly when they went to see Xie Tianlang's performance.
His information could only be conveyed to the Chen family through Chen Jing.
All I can say is that he is safe.
This is enough for him. Even if they can't be together, it's better to be together forever.
Turner pointed back the way he came and shouted, "Look down the mountain! Is that snowing? Haha! I'm God, sprinkling snow on the world!"
Chen Yuefei smiled and said, "Well, I have arrived at the paradise in my mind!"
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