Chapter 20 The Promise with Yili
Our first stop today is the Kazanchi Folk Tourism Area, where there is said to be a spectacular opening ceremony that you shouldn't miss.
So the three of them got up early at 9 a.m., which was unusual for them, to go to Kazanchi to watch the 10 a.m. ceremony.
Unlike many meticulously crafted replicas of ancient tourist attractions in the south, Kazanchi is a genuine living area where Uyghur people have lived for generations.
In the open square, they listened to the powerful drumbeats, the cheerful suona horns, and the melodious local instrument dutar, and enjoyed the song and dance performances full of rich ethnic flavor, creating a joyful atmosphere as if they were celebrating a very important festival.
"Wow! This is even more impressive than my graduation ceremony!" Fang Qihang exclaimed in amazement as he recorded the event with his camera.
After the opening ceremony, they joined the crowd and truly blended into the streets and alleys of Kazanchi.
The ubiquitous "Yili Blue" doors and windows are like sapphires inlaid on the buildings, pure and dreamlike, together with the colorful walls, entwined vines, and flowers peeking out of the windows, forming an oil painting with extremely high color saturation.
"Wow! This blue, this pattern, this light and shadow! Every shot is wallpaper-worthy! Nianyi, quick, stand in front of that blue wooden door, yes, right there! I'll take a picture of you! Turn your body slightly to the side, yes! Smile, be natural, imagine you are the Uyghur girl in this house!" He directed Xu Nianyi, his mouth never stopping, and the shutter kept clicking.
Xu Nianyi was amused by his exaggerated words and professional demeanor, and relaxed, cooperating with his poses. Under his playful guidance, her smile was particularly bright.
Tan Chen followed quietly behind, carrying Xu Nianyi's backpack.
He would occasionally take out his phone and take pictures of corners he found interesting.
For example, a fat cat dozing on the windowsill, or a string of dried chili peppers hanging under the porch.
But more often than not, his gaze would involuntarily drift past the camera and land on the girl in front of him, who was being amused by Fang Qihang and was smiling broadly. His expression was complex and hard to decipher.
When they got tired, they experienced the local mode of transportation, the "hadik," which is a brightly decorated blue horse-drawn carriage.
The horses' hooves clattered on the ancient stone road, making a crisp and rhythmic "clatter" sound. The driver was a dark-skinned man who hummed a Uyghur folk song that he couldn't understand but which had a beautiful melody.
Sitting in a gently swaying carriage, traveling through the crisscrossing streets and alleys, you can feel the unique leisure and romance of this small town.
Fang Qihang even exhibited a social arrogance, greeting an elderly white-bearded man sunbathing by the roadside in his newly learned, oddly pronounced Uyghur phrase, "Yahsimusizi."
The old man was taken aback at first, but then he was amused by the man's comical pronunciation and burst into laughter. He responded enthusiastically in Uyghur. Although they couldn't understand each other's languages at all, the smiles on their faces and the gestures they made became the best form of communication, which made Xu Nianyi laugh out loud as well.
At noon, they sat down at a highly-rated century-old restaurant in Kazanchi and enjoyed authentic local cuisine.
The hand-pulled mutton is tender and not gamey, the big plate chicken soup is rich and flavorful, the belt noodles are chewy and smooth, and the Sichuan pepper chicken is spicy and fragrant... A table full of dishes, the aroma is irresistible, making your mouth water.
“This is where the advantage of having one more person comes in,” Xu Nianyi exclaimed with satisfaction. “We can order a couple more dishes, try each one, and not have to worry about wasting food!”
As evening fell, they left Yining City and drove to their final destination for the day: the mysterious Bagua City of Tekes.
Like Six Star Street, as the name suggests, this Bagua City is a giant Bagua formation.
There are no traffic lights in the entire city! The city center is a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) Cultural Square, from which eight main streets radiate according to the Bagua directions. These correspond to the trigrams Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui respectively!
Fang Qihang said that when they arrived, they had to fly a drone in the central square to get a panoramic view and see what this Bagua City was really like!
Perhaps boys have a natural interest in these metaphysical knowledge, historical culture and architectural layouts. Tan Chen, who was usually silent, was able to occasionally chime in when Fang Qihang mentioned certain details, or add one or two more obscure points of knowledge based on what he said, showing that he might have a deeper understanding.
Xu Nianyi sat in the back seat, listening to the two men having what could be described as an "academic" exchange about the construction principles of the Bagua City and the symbolic meaning of the Bagua in the Book of Changes. She felt both curious and a little amused.
By the time the car entered Tekes County, it was already dark.
As described online, the city roads had no traffic lights, but the traffic flowed smoothly, and there was no congestion even during the evening rush hour.
They went directly to the Bagua Cultural Square in the city center and climbed onto the viewing platform.
The Bagua City at night has a unique and breathtaking charm.
The streetlights on the eight main roads lit up simultaneously, like eight luminous veins radiating outwards from the central square, clearly outlining the shape of a giant Bagua (Eight Trigrams). A sense of mystery, where ancient wisdom and modern civilization intertwined, washed over everyone.
"My God! This is so cool!" Fang Qihang operated the drone he had applied for, slowly taking off and looking at the overhead view on the monitor, he exclaimed in genuine amazement.
After descending from the Bagua Culture Square, the three strolled along the famous "Lijie" folk street in Bagua City.
"Don't you think the feng shui of this Bagua City is exceptionally good?" Fang Qihang suddenly had a whimsical thought.
"Maybe," Xu Nianyi replied with a smile.
"Absolutely!" Fang Qihang immediately replied, then grinned and put his arm around Tan Chen's shoulder. "So, according to metaphysics, the fact that the three of us can travel together here must be a special kind of fate!"
Tan Chen listened to his words without refuting them, but glanced at the starry night sky and the land beneath his feet laid out according to ancient laws.
He discovered that in just two days, Fang Qihang possessed a unique energy that always made him feel more relaxed and positive.
Xu Nianyi also felt that Fang Qihang's arrival brought more laughter and joy to the two of them. He was like a passionate fire, illuminating their journey and seemingly dispelling the gloom hidden in Tan Chen's heart.
The following afternoon, they bid farewell to this magical city and set off again.
The car sped along the highway, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from towns to an endless wasteland covered with thick ice and snow.
As Xu Nianyi gazed at the pure yet somewhat monotonous white world outside the window, a faint sense of regret welled up within her.
"Sigh~" She sighed softly, her voice low, as if she were talking to herself.
But Tan Chen, who was paying close attention to her, still caught this subtle sound.
"What's wrong, Xu Nianyi? Are you tired?" He glanced at her in the rearview mirror as he was driving, his tone filled with his usual concern.
Fang Qihang, who was sitting in the passenger seat, also turned his head and looked over curiously.
Xu Nianyi shook her head, pointing to the land outside the window sealed by ice and snow, her tone full of regret.
"It's not that I'm tired. It's just that I feel a little regretful. Look outside, it's all white now. When I was researching travel guides, I knew that you can't go to the Narat Grassland at this time of year."
She imagined the summer scenery of the "sky meadow" shown in the picture, "Can you imagine? I heard that from May to August, the mountains and plains there are covered with lush green meadows, full of wildflowers of all colors, and herds of cattle and sheep grazing leisurely, with clear streams flowing by. How beautiful that would be!"
Her voice was filled with longing, but then it fell silent. "But now, all I see is snow, nothing at all." She even felt a little annoyed, wondering why she had come to Xinjiang at this time.
They completely forgot how eager they had been to see the snow-covered landscape of northern Xinjiang.
"Oh, I'm so greedy, wanting both."
“And then there’s the famous Duku Highway!” Xu Nianyi continued, her tone even more regretful. “I’ve heard of it for ages. It’s known as the pinnacle of self-driving tours, only open for four or five months a year. It’s a route that so many people dream of conquering. It’s said that you can experience all four seasons along the way, with forests, lakes, canyons, snow-capped mountains, and grasslands—thrilling and breathtakingly beautiful.” She patted the car window helplessly. “But now it’s closed because of heavy snow.”
Xu Nianyi's gaze drifted further into the distance as she continued to express her regret, "And the Bayinbuluke Grassland."
“Bayinbuluke?” Fang Qihang blinked. “That name sounds familiar.”
"It's the Bayinbuluke from the movie 'Pegasus' starring Shen Teng!" Xu Nianyi reminded her, her tone filled with fan enthusiasm. "That thrilling and dangerous racetrack in the movie, although fictional for artistic effect, was actually filmed on the Bayinbuluke Grassland! There's the famous 'Nine Turns and Eighteen Bends,' where the river meanders like a ribbon across the vast grassland. At sunset, it's said that you can see the reflections of nine suns appearing on the river simultaneously, a phenomenon known as 'Nine Suns in a Row'!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, but soon her emotions deflated visibly, like a punctured balloon. She slumped in the back seat and said weakly, "Sigh, we can't go anywhere. The grasslands need to turn green, the Duku Highway needs to open, and the rivers need to thaw. We'll have to wait at least four or five months. I feel like I've missed out on a fortune."
A brief silence fell over the car, broken only by the whistling of the wind outside the window.
“Yes,” Tan Chen’s deep voice broke the silence, his tone calm yet carrying a comforting power, “Winter has its own scenery, and summer has its own splendor. This time we saw a unique snow country secret realm, and we also saw the stunning ice scenery of Sayram Lake. These are the ultimate experiences that cannot be experienced in summer travel.”
He paused, looked at Xu Nianyi through the rearview mirror, his eyes gentle, "It's good to leave some regrets. That way, we'll have a reason to come back next time. When summer comes, the grasslands turn green, the wildflowers bloom, and the Duku Highway opens, we can come again. Then, I'll accompany you to see the Sky Garden of Narat, to experience the four seasons of the Duku Highway, and to Bayinbuluke to wait for the sunset with the sun shining brightly."
"Brother Tan is right!" Fang Qihang immediately cheered up again. His optimism always came quickly. "Life is always about leaving some regrets. Regrets are just an excuse for the next encounter!"
Looking at the boundless snowfield, Xu Nianyi thought, "Yes, winter has its own magnificence. I've already experienced so much awe and emotion. Let those landscapes, only visible in summer, become beautiful hopes for the future."
"Okay!" She took a deep breath, a relieved smile returning to her face. The regret she had felt was gone, and as she looked out at the vast expanse of sky and earth, it was as if she were declaring, or perhaps making a promise to this land, "See you next time!"
Next, the train officially turned south, ready to begin its journey through southern Xinjiang.
Along the way, they passed through many distinctive cities, tasted the sweet and juicy Korla pears, witnessed the delicious Kuqa naan bread, and savored the crisp and sweet Aksu apples. They visited the ancient kingdom of Kucha on the ancient Silk Road, traversed the Taklamakan Desert (known as the "Sea of Death"), experienced the red sandstone of the mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon, and explored the ancient and mysterious Lop Nur village...
After a week of traveling, Tan Chen's phone album, which was originally used to record the scenery, has unknowingly accumulated many more photos.
Many of the photos were taken by Fang Qihang, showing Tan Chen and Xu Nian together in the same frame.
Many of the photos were taken by Fang Qihang, who held him tightly with his arm as if it were glued to him, allowing Xu Nianyi to take pictures of the two brothers.
Occasionally, in the quiet of the night, Tan Chen's fingers would linger on these group photos.
Looking at Xu Nianyi's radiant smile in the photo, at Fang Qihang's funny and exaggerated expression, and then at himself in the photo who seems more down-to-earth than usual, his eyes would soften considerably.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
