Chapter 8 An Unexpected Encounter on the Way to Hemu
At 11 o'clock, the four of them packed their luggage and found a small restaurant in Burqin County that seemed to be popular with the locals. They had a local specialty breakfast - spicy noodles.
The dish is made with thick, slightly sweet chili peppers, a specialty of Xinjiang, stir-fried with red chili peppers, sliced mutton, and onions to create a rich topping with a bright red color and an enticing aroma.
Mixed with chewy hand-pulled noodles, each strand is coated in a savory and slightly spicy sauce, making you break out in a light sweat on your forehead. On this cold winter morning, it brings a sense of satisfaction that warms you from your stomach to your limbs.
Xu Nianyi was so spicy that she stuck out her tongue and kept drinking water, but she still couldn't help but drink one sip after another, exclaiming that it was so satisfying.
After a hearty meal, the four of them returned to the car, feeling warm and satisfied, and officially set off for Hemu, the "God's private reserve" that Xu Nian had been longing for.
As the car drove out of Burqin County, the buildings gradually thinned out, and it soon merged into Provincial Highway S232, which leads to the Kanas Scenic Area.
The world outside the window seemed to have instantly switched to a pure white mode.
The route is lined with rolling snow-capped mountains, like a group of huge, silent warriors clad in white armor, standing between heaven and earth.
The sky was a washed-out, almost glassy blue, contrasting sharply with the dazzling white light reflected from the snow on the ground.
The road, like a gray ribbon, winds its way forward between the boundless snowfields and majestic snow-capped mountains.
Apart from the occasional passing vehicle, the surroundings were completely silent, with only the soft rustling of tires on the road and the sound of the wind.
Because of Su Xiaoxiao's presence, the car was never quiet for a moment.
"Look over there! That rime ice is so beautiful! Brother Tan Chen, could you slow down a little? I want to take a picture!"
Wow! The roof of that car that just passed by was covered in a thick layer of snow!
"How deep is this snow? If I jump in, will I be buried alive?"
After the initial excitement over the beautiful scenery wore off, her conversation turned to the silent driver.
"Brother Tan Chen, is it really fun to run a bar? You get to meet all sorts of people every day?"
"Brother Tan Chen, is bartending difficult to learn? I see those bartenders shaking bottles and they look so cool!"
"Brother Tan Chen, does your bar have any of your own original special cocktails?"
Su Xiaoxiao even took out her phone, half-jokingly and half-seriously wanting to add Tan Chen as a friend, saying, "I want to visit your bar in the future and learn how to mix drinks from you!"
When asked to add him as a friend, Tan Chen glanced at Xu Nianyi, who was pretending to admire the scenery, tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel twice, and finally gave her his WeChat ID.
Xu Nianyi sat in the passenger seat, listening to the commotion around her, feeling like an outsider.
At first, I felt a little uncomfortable, as if my treasured possessions were being casually examined by others.
But then I thought, I have no connection with Tan Chen, so I can't control his social life.
Moreover, the scenery of snow and ice is breathtaking at first glance, but it can become a bit monotonous after a while. Having someone talking constantly can indeed help the driver stay alert and prevent fatigue driving, which can be considered a good deed.
She then took out her spare phone, immersed herself in her own world, and began to study her blogging career.
She registered accounts on several platforms, all under the name "A Thought Through the Martial World".
She thought about this name for a long time. "Yin Nian" is taken from her name and also carries the expectation of "with a thought, the ends of the earth are within reach"; "Jianghu" is her romantic imagination of her journey around China, like an ancient knight-errant, with a sword and a horse, wandering the world, seeing all the scenery, making friends from all walks of life, and enjoying the pleasures of life.
Opening the platform, you can see that she has posted seven videos intermittently.
There's a vlog of someone packing up their things and saying goodbye to their rented apartment on the day they left their job, captioned "Goodbye, working class! Hello, life!";
There are "Let's go!" videos showing people departing from Shanghai Airport and capturing images of the sea of clouds and airplane wings high in the sky.
There are sharing of experiences of eating, exploring, and having fun in Urumqi;
There are photos of the bouquet of flowers on the day the car was picked up and candid shots of Tan Chen discussing modifications with the mechanic;
There are accounts of what I saw and heard on the magical carriage number 6 of the Snowpiercer Y965;
And the enchanting nights of Burqin's fairytale world...
The content isn't particularly sophisticated, and the editing is a bit rough around the edges, somewhat like a diary entry about daily life. But its strength lies in its authenticity, recording her feelings and experiences along the way.
However, reality is harsh.
Most of the videos only have a few thousand views, and the number of likes is even more pitiful, mainly coming from a few friends who know about Xu Nianyi's plan, as well as young people who met and followed each other on the train.
The combined number of followers across several platforms has just barely surpassed one hundred.
"Sigh." Xu Nianyi sighed silently to herself and turned off her phone screen. The path of a blogger is indeed not as easy as she imagined.
Looking at those travel bloggers who have millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of likes on each video, she truly felt the gap.
But she has an innate optimistic and resilient personality, and she quickly cheered herself up again.
Everything is difficult at the beginning. Which big blogger didn't start from being nobody?
Quantitative change leads to qualitative change! As long as you keep posting, put your heart into creating content, and learn more editing and shooting techniques, surely one of your videos will go viral, right?
She turned the screen back on and began to seriously consider how to shoot and edit the next video about Hemu to make it more engaging.
After the vehicle passed inspection, it entered the Kanas scenic area. The snow-capped mountains became increasingly majestic, and the snow along the roadside grew thicker and thicker, with some areas even having snow piled up above the wheels.
After driving for a short while, on a relatively sparsely populated section of road, Tan Chen suddenly slowed down.
Standing by the roadside was a middle-aged man whose clothes were somewhat dirty, stained with snow and mud, whose hair was disheveled, and whose face was weathered. He was awkwardly but correctly making a "thumbs up" gesture towards the oncoming traffic, his eyes filled with expectation and exhaustion.
Tan Chen slowly parked the car in a safe area not far in front of the man and turned on the hazard lights.
"What's wrong?" Xu Nianyi asked curiously.
"This is an internationally recognized hitchhiking gesture. It means you need help and want a ride," Tan Chen explained simply, then rolled down the window, leaned out, and asked, "Brother, where are you going?"
When the car stopped, the man's face showed gratitude and surprise. He quickly walked forward and said in a heavy accent, "Going to the front, towards Hemu, to the forest ranger station halfway up the mountain, could you give me a ride? It's a two-hour walk down, and it's very difficult to walk in this snowy weather."
Tan Chen saw that it was indeed on his way, glanced at the three ladies in the car, thought for a moment, and nodded. "It's on my way, get in."
He turned to Xu Nianyi and said, "Xu Nianyi, pack your things in the passenger seat and squeeze into the back so that your older brother can sit in the front."
Xu Nianyi quickly did so, taking her backpack, water bottle, and snacks to the back row.
The middle-aged man thanked him repeatedly, and, still feeling the chill, got into the passenger seat. He carefully tapped his snow-covered shoes outside the car door before getting in.
"Thank you, young man, and a few ladies too." The man rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and smiled憨厚ly.
"It's nothing, I'm going the same way." Tan Chen replied casually, and started the car again.
The vehicle continued its journey. Hemu Village is nestled deep in a valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and the car began its winding descent.
The view outside the window became more three-dimensional and breathtaking.
The mountains and fields were covered with trees of unknown species, their lower trunks covered with thick snow, like they were wearing white high boots; some low shrubs were completely buried in snow, with only the tips of their branches showing.
To the left is a steep mountain wall, covered with a huge protective net woven from thick hemp ropes, like a giant raincoat draped over the mountain.
These are necessary measures taken to prevent rockfalls and snow avalanches, and to ensure road safety. They also silently suggest the hidden power of nature behind this beautiful landscape.
To the right are deep valleys and winding roads with countless bends, requiring drivers to be extremely vigilant while driving.
About ten minutes later, the middle-aged man got off the car at an open platform halfway up the mountain. After thanking him again, he carried his bag and disappeared into the end of the mountain path, trudging through the deep and shallow snow.
Xu Nianyi sat back in the passenger seat and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The closer you get to Hemu, the more enchanting the scenery becomes, as if you are stepping into a secluded ice and snow kingdom.
Su Xiaoxiao, sitting in the back, pressed her face against the car window for almost the entire time, constantly exclaiming "Wow!" and "So beautiful!" Her phone camera was constantly busy, as if she wanted to record every single frame.
Only Tan Chen remained focused on the steering wheel, carefully navigating every sharp bend, every section of road with potential for slippery black ice, and the occasional oncoming vehicle.
Suddenly, after a bend with relatively open visibility, Tan Chen slammed on the brakes without warning!
"Screech!" The tires screeched as they rubbed against the road, and the car shook violently before coming to a stop.
Su Xiaoxiao and Wang Yue, who were taking pictures through the car window in the back seat, were caught off guard and slammed heavily against the back of the front seat due to inertia, letting out a cry of pain. Xu Nianyi was also thrown forward by inertia, but fortunately the seat belt pulled her back firmly.
"Brother Tan! How could you drive like that! That's very dangerous!" Wang Yue rubbed her sore forehead, her tone filled with lingering fear and strong dissatisfaction.
Indeed, this is a narrow mountain road with two lanes in each direction, and a bottomless valley on one side. Although the snow in the middle of the road has been cleared, revealing the brown asphalt, the consequences could be disastrous if a vehicle were to skid and lose control due to sudden braking.
"I'm sorry." Tan Chen's voice also carried a hint of lingering fear and tension. He pointed to a spot not far in front of the car, "Something suddenly darted out from the roadside just now."
The three looked in the direction he pointed and saw a snow-white fox squatting a few meters in front of the car!
Its fur blends almost perfectly with the surrounding snow, making it virtually invisible in the snow.
It seemed completely unfazed by the terrifying scene just now, sitting there gracefully, like the master of this icy world, a composed roadblock.
"Oh my god! It's a fox!" Su Xiaoxiao instantly forgot her pain and excitedly whispered.
"So beautiful! Isn't it afraid of people?" Wang Yue's eyes widened as well.
"Is she collecting tolls here?" Xu Nianyi, having recovered from her initial shock, looked at the calm and collected white fox, who seemed to be saying, "This road is mine, leave your tolls!" and couldn't help but blurt out, her tone filled with surprise and teasing.
She remembered the snacks she had stocked in her bag, quickly pulled out a sausage, deftly tore open the packaging, broke it into several small pieces, and then carefully pushed open the car door. A blast of cold air rushed in instantly. She squatted down and used the food to lure the white fox.
The little guy's nose twitched sharply. His obsidian-like eyes glanced at Xu Nianyi, then at the meaty food in her hand. He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the danger against the temptation. In the end, he couldn't resist his rumbling stomach and walked with light and graceful steps to the right side of the road next to Xu Nianyi.
On the snow by the roadside, a string of small, cute plum blossom-shaped footprints were clearly imprinted, extending into the depths of the dense forest beside the road.
It probably came out of that dense forest in search of food, Xu Nian thought. With the mountains sealed off by heavy snow and everything withered, this seemingly pure and beautiful snow-covered paradise meant a harsh test of extreme food scarcity for these wild creatures. Driven by the pressure to survive, they were forced to embark on this path of "robbing the roadside."
As she broke the sausage into small pieces and placed them on the clean snow, watching the white fox quickly eat, she murmured softly, "Little fox, little fox, you were lucky this time. Next time, please don't suddenly jump into the middle of the road like that, it's too dangerous. Your brother Chen is a good driver, quick to react and able to brake in time. If someone reacted slower or couldn't brake in time, you would lose your life here, that would be such a pity."
The white fox seemed to understand, glanced up at her, and then continued to work diligently.
After feeding the fox and watching it nimbly disappear into the woods, everyone got back into the car.
Tan Chen checked the vehicle and, after confirming that everything was in order, set off again.
After this little incident, the atmosphere inside the car became even more lively, with the three girls excitedly discussing the spirited white fox they had just seen.
The car continued to drive through the valley, and after a few turns, the scenery suddenly opened up before us.
Beside a straight highway that seems to lead to the end of the world, the famous road sign that has appeared in countless travel guides, videos, and photos finally came into clear view.
A simple yet sturdy wooden sign, with large, clear, and powerful characters carefully written in white paint:
Hemu Village
We've finally arrived...
Xu Nianyi took a deep breath of the icy, incredibly pure air.
Looking behind the road sign, there was a primitive village surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys.
An indescribable surge of excitement, awe, and a sense of fulfillment welled up within me.
After traveling by plane, train, and car, and covering thousands of kilometers, this snow-covered paradise of her dreams, this pristine land known as "God's private reserve," finally appeared before her eyes in such a real and magnificent way.
At that moment, all the running around and waiting became incredibly worthwhile.
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