Unable to sleep the night before, he searched for Qingkouhe Grand Canyon on his phone. Online information showed that the canyon was 26 kilometers long and less than 200 meters wide, but 2,600 meters deep. Such a continuous and complete canyon length is extremely rare in the world. When Chen Yunqi actually saw such steep and magnificent cliffs and deep valleys with his own eyes, the shock he felt was a hundred times stronger than when he read the descriptions.
The sounds of wind and water filled his ears, and Chen Yunqi felt refreshed and happy. He suddenly wished that this road could go on forever.
Unbeknownst to them, the long canyon gradually disappeared, and as the last rays of the setting sun vanished behind the mountains, they finally stopped at the foot of a mountain.
Chen Yunqi's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down as his feet touched the ground. He first looked up at the mountaintop hidden in the clouds, then looked down and saw the winding paths that appeared and disappeared in the mountains.
Night swept over us from behind, passed overhead, and slowly enveloped the mountains.
Through the thin mist, Chen Yunqi could vaguely see a small shop at the foot of the mountain not far away. The door was painted a bright blue, and a boy was standing in front of the door leading a horse.
Tang Yutao also saw the boy, and he took a step forward, waving and shouting at the figure:
"San San—Sanwa'er—"
The boy heard the noise and led his horse over.
The night grew darker. As he approached through the fog, Chen Yunqi, using the remaining light before the darkness completely swallowed him up, could make out the boy's face. It wasn't the typical dark, chapped face of a farmer, the kind that comes with years of exposure to wind and sun. Instead, the boy had very fair skin, an oval face, a high nose, and a pair of large eyes with a minority ethnic flair that shimmered slightly in the night fog, making him almost unreal in his beauty.
The boy was seventeen or eighteen years old, somewhat thin, and only reached Chen Yunqi's shoulder. He was wearing a yellow cotton coat, sweatpants with many pockets on the sides of his legs, and military green rubber shoes. Strictly speaking, he was leading a mule.
Upon seeing him, Chen Yunqi, a stranger, blushed slightly with shyness. He turned to Tang Yitao, who was gesturing excitedly, and smiled, saying, "Teacher Tang is back."
Tang Yutao put his arm around Chen Yunqi and introduced him to the boy, saying, "You're back! You've also brought a new teacher back. This is Teacher Chen Yunqi." Then he turned to Chen Yunqi and said, "This is San San, a friend from the mountains. I just sent him a message from town to ask him to pick us up. It's dark and the road is difficult to travel. It's safer with people and mules."
After Tang Yutao's introduction, San San's gaze returned to Chen Yunqi, and he softly said, "Hello, Teacher Chen." His Mandarin still had a slight accent, but it was much better than most locals. Chen Yunqi smiled and nodded in return.
Seeing that he was carrying luggage, San San reached out to take it, but Chen Yunqi waved his hand and said to him, "It's okay, I can carry it myself." San San smiled and glanced at him without saying anything, but still took the luggage without saying anything and quickly hung it on the side of the mule. On the other side of the mule, there was a woven bag full of things and a paint bucket.
After packing their things, San San led the mule ahead, while Tang Yutao picked up a thick tree branch to use as a walking stick for Chen Yunqi, letting him walk in the middle while he brought up the rear. The three of them gradually stepped into the thick darkness of the mountain path and began their ascent.
The mountain road was rugged and winding. Tang Yutao said that some parts of the road were carved out, while others were blasted with explosives. One side of the road was against the mountainside, and the other was a cliff. There were no barriers, and the road was so narrow that a third foot could not pass side by side. At the beginning, there was a section of paved mule track with scattered round hoofprints to prevent people and livestock from rolling down. Perhaps due to limited funds, the mule track ended abruptly after a short distance, and there was no more paved road beyond that. Even the mule led by San San was walking with great difficulty, constantly making "huffing and puffing" sounds.
Chen Yunqi's only form of exercise is swimming. He was on the swimming team in high school, and after entering university, he would occasionally swim at school and also go to the district gymnasium near his home. He had an annual pass and would go two or three times a week when he wasn't so sedentary. Swimming 1,500 meters in one go was very easy for him. He considered his endurance to be quite good, but after walking continuously uphill on the steep mountain road for two hours, he also began to feel exhausted.
It was completely dark, and the light from the two flashlights that San San had brought seemed so insignificant in the pitch-black mountains. The mountains were bitterly cold after nightfall, but Chen Yunqi was already covered in sweat, his shirt under his down jacket was soaked, and sweat kept sliding down his temples and into his ears.
After walking for another hour, the mountain path became increasingly steep. Chen Yunqi felt that he needed to crawl on all fours. He tried his best to lift his neck and look ahead, but he couldn't see even a glimpse of the end.
In this pitch-black despair, it started raining again.
The rain added to the difficulty of the journey. The road gradually became muddy, and the tangled vegetation made a rustling sound as it slid through his clothes. In the darkness, Chen Yunqi could no longer distinguish whether the blurry vision was due to sweat or rain. His mind was a complete blank, and his limbs were just mechanically crawling upwards. Several times he couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to stop, but Tang Yutao behind him immediately pushed him to continue forward.
"Don't stop, or you won't be able to walk anymore. Hang in there, we're almost there," Tang Yutao said, sounding breathless, but his tone was serious and left no room for doubt.
Chen Yunqi was exhausted. He really wanted to just lie down in the mud and stop. How many hours had he been walking? Why hadn't he arrived yet? He couldn't walk any further. He bent down and pressed his face against the backs of his hands, which were bracing against the ground, smelling the damp, gritty earth. He wanted to stop and rest.
"Teacher Chen."
Chen Yunqi looked up, and in the dim light of the flashlight, he saw a slender, fair hand reaching out to him.
It was San San who was walking in front.
San San didn't say a word the whole way, only stopping every now and then to look back at the two people behind him. His face was slightly flushed from panting, his whole body was wet, and his lips were a dark purple. He held the mule with one hand, turned to the side, and reached out the other hand to Chen Yunqi.
Without thinking, Chen Yunqi raised his arm and grasped San San's hand.
The hand was damp and cold, with calluses on the fingers. The moment it touched his hand, San San pulled Chen Yunqi up with all her might. Chen Yunqi was surprised by San San's strength, probably from doing farm work often. His hand was held tightly by San San, and with the strength of San San's arm, he was able to prop himself up and continue moving forward.
"How embarrassing!" Chen Yunqi thought to himself. "Am I not even as good as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old?" He forced himself to stay focused and took a deep breath. Although he felt incredibly ashamed, Chen Yunqi didn't loosen his grip.
Five hours later, Chen Yunqi, whose body and mind were numb, finally felt that the road was no longer so steep and gradually became flat. He looked up and saw the stars in the distance.
Then, he began to make out the outlines of houses and yards around him, and heard dogs barking. Chen Yunqi touched his face to wipe away the sweat and rain, but suddenly realized that the water on his face was overflowing from his eyes.
He was already in tears.
A note from the author:
--- Hello San San.
Chapter Four Sweet Potatoes
We finally reached the top of the mountain and entered Tianyun Village. The rain had also subsided.
In the drizzling rain, Chen Yunqi's consciousness was still hazy, and he still held onto San San's hand tightly. Although the road was bumpy, it had become smooth, and the three of them could walk side by side. San San then let go of the rope and let the mule walk ahead on its own, while she accompanied Chen Yunqi and Tang Yutao behind.
The village's small bungalows are connected one after another, neither too close nor too far. Tianyun Primary School is located on a hillside in the middle of the village. Looking up, you can vaguely see a flag on the school's roof fluttering in the wind. Looking around, countless dark mountain peaks rise one after another, hidden in the night and thick fog.
Tang Yutao used a key to open the rusty iron gate, led Chen Yunqi across a small playground, and pointed to a row of adjacent cement bungalows next to the playground, saying to him, "Those two are classrooms, and these are dormitories. Li Hui and I will share a room, and Song Feifei will have her own room."
Then he shone his flashlight on the leftmost room, gesturing for Chen Yunqi to look over, and said, "You're staying in Song Feifei's room, but it's not ready yet. Li Hui is staying at a fellow villager's house tonight, so you can come and sleep in his bed for now, and we'll tidy it up tomorrow."
As Chen Yunqi entered the school gate, he let go of San San's hand. He realized something was amiss, and his expression became slightly unnatural, but no one noticed in the darkness. After letting go, he put his hand back in his pocket. His palm and fingers, which had been clenched for so long, were warm and sticky, but Chen Yunqi, unusually, didn't have a bout of germaphobia. For the past few hours, San San's hand had given Chen Yunqi immense comfort and protection, and now, suddenly with his palm empty, he felt a little lost, so he could only quietly clench his empty hand in his pocket.
Tang Yutao went inside and lit the dim oil lamp. San San tied the mule to the basketball hoop on the playground, unloaded Chen Yunqi's luggage and brought it inside, then picked up the two thermos flasks in the corner and turned to go out again.
Chen Yunqi looked around and saw a wooden bed with a mosquito net in the corner of the room. Not far from the bed, an old mattress was placed on the cement floor, covered with a moisture-proof mat, and sleeping bags and clothes were piled up haphazardly on top. A large table was piled with personal belongings such as pens, paper, bowls, chopsticks, and messy data cables. Next to the table stood a tattered bookshelf crammed with books, with suitcases and cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly beside it.
Tang Yutao said, "The bed belongs to Li Hui, so you can sleep there tonight."
Chen Yunqi was wiping the water from his face and temples with a tissue, still thinking about wanting a basin of hot water to wash himself. His shoes and trousers were covered in mud, and he was drenched in sweat. He then realized that taking a shower here would probably be difficult, so he nodded and asked, "What about you?"
Tang Yutao pointed to the old mattress on the ground and said casually, "On the ground. There are no extra beds. I've been sleeping on it for a year now. I'm tough, I can sleep anywhere."
As they were talking, San San pushed open the door and came in with a thermos full of boiling water, followed by a person carrying a bag.
Tang Yutao glanced at the person and asked curiously, "Why are you back? Didn't you go to Group Six?"
The man said, "I didn't go. It looked like it was going to rain this afternoon." After saying that, he looked at Chen Yunqi, then at Tang Yutao, his eyes asking, "Who is this?"
Tang Yutao seemed to remember something, patted Chen Yunqi on the shoulder and said, "This is Chen Yunqi, the one I mentioned to you, my friend." Then he introduced Li Hui to Chen Yunqi, "Li Hui, my classmate."
Li Hui extended his hand and shook hands with Chen Yunqi, grinning sheepishly, "Hello, hello, please give me your guidance."
The light was too dim, so Chen Yunqi couldn't see Li Hui's face clearly. He could only tell that Li Hui was not tall, even shorter than San San, and that he wore glasses on his nose. He had dark skin, and when he smiled, all that could be seen was his set of white teeth.
Chen Yunqi shook hands with him somewhat absentmindedly, his eyes glancing at San San, who was placing the thermos on the table. San San noticed his longing gaze and smiled knowingly: "Hot water, wash up?"
Upon seeing the hot water, Chen Yunqi frantically searched his mental lexicon, which was already in a semi-dormant state, only finding the phrase "a long-awaited rain after a drought" to describe his current feelings. He filled a plastic basin he had bought in town with the hot water, washed his face and hands. The water had probably been sitting for a while; it wasn't too hot, the temperature was just right.
Tang Yutao exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, "Brother! Use it sparingly! Once it's used up, it's gone!"
Before Chen Yunqi could respond, San San interjected, "It's alright, I'll go get more when I'm done. There's more at home." He then smiled at Chen Yunqi, gesturing for him to continue washing.
Li Hui pulled out several bowls of instant noodles from the bag in his hand. Tang Yutao jumped up happily when he saw them, shouting, "I'm starving!" He took the noodles and quickly tore open the packaging. After Chen Yunqi finished washing his hands, San San took something out of his pocket and stuffed it into his hand.
Chen Yunqi felt something warm in his hands. He raised his hand and held it up to his eyes. Under the dim light, he took a closer look and realized it was two roasted sweet potatoes. He looked up at San San, who immediately said in a slightly embarrassed voice, "We don't have anything good here. Everyone in the family is asleep and it's not good to wake them up to cook. This is all we have. It's still warm because it's been buried in the ashes."
Chen Yunqi felt a warmth in his heart and smiled, saying, "This is already very kind of you. I really like roasted sweet potatoes. Thank you."
Chen Yunqi really loves roasted sweet potatoes, but he hasn't had one in a long time.
My maternal grandfather also loved roasted sweet potatoes. Many years ago, my maternal grandfather's family still had a wood-burning stove. Although every household had gas by then, my maternal grandparents were used to being frugal and would often collect some tree branches to chop into firewood for cooking.
Every time Grandma cooked, Grandpa and Chen Yunqi would sit on small stools in front of the stove, responsible for starting the fire and adding firewood, and burying one or two sweet potatoes in the ashes. When the food was ready, the firewood was almost burned out, and they would dig it out when the time was right. The sweet potatoes would then be roasted, and the grandfather and grandson would sit in front of the stove to eat.
Sometimes, when there were no sweet potatoes, we'd bury a few potatoes and roast them. They'd be soft and fluffy with a subtle sweetness, and we could eat several in one go without any seasoning. Back then, there weren't many fancy snacks, and these were the best treats of my childhood.
Later, my maternal grandfather's family moved to a newly built apartment building. Without a wood-fired stove, they never roasted sweet potatoes themselves again.
In the winter in the north, you can see vendors selling roasted sweet potatoes from pushcarts every few steps on the street.
Every week when Chen Yunqi visits his maternal grandfather's house, he buys two roasted sweet potatoes to take back with him while waiting for the bus. His grandfather knows that his little grandson misses him, and although he doesn't show it on his face, he is very happy inside. When Chen Yunqi notices the faint smile that he can't help but reveal while pretending to be calm, he feels extremely happy and content.
After his grandfather passed away, Chen Yunqi never ate roasted sweet potatoes again. It was as if overnight, those roasted sweet potatoes that used to be everywhere on the streets disappeared from his world.
The person who was best at pretending not to smile was gone too. He would never again have the chance to use his saved allowance to buy some roasted sweet potatoes to make him smile.
Hearing Chen Yunqi say thank you, San San felt even more embarrassed. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, turned around and brought over a small stool, placing it next to Chen Yunqi's feet to indicate that he should sit down and eat.
Chen Yunqi was already starving, and he peeled a roasted sweet potato and ate it in a few bites. Tang Yutao was also squatting on the ground, eating sweet potatoes and instant noodles while talking to Li Hui.
San San also ate a roasted sweet potato. After finishing it, she picked up the last one, peeled it, and handed it to Chen Yunqi. Tang Yutao saw this and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Why didn't you give me the last one! I'm not full yet!"
San San rubbed the back of her head, lowered her head, and whispered, "A guest...Teacher Chen is a guest..."
Chen Yunqi laughed out loud, and handed the sweet potato to Tang Yutao, saying, "Here you go, here you go."
Just as Tang Yutao was about to accept it, Li Hui slapped his outstretched hand away, saying disdainfully, "Have you no shame? Even San San knows they're guests! You won't starve if you eat less!"
Tang Yutao looked like a wronged child, rubbing the back of his hand sorely, and said, "Fine, fine, the new is better than the old!"
After eating roasted sweet potatoes and instant noodles, his previously hungry and cold body finally regained some warmth. The fatigue from climbing the mountain for more than five hours filled his body, his limbs ached, and he felt drowsy. Chen Yunqi sat blankly on a small stool, gradually recalling the process of climbing the mountain.
He only remembered the first third of the journey. The rest of the way, he was dragged and pushed, walking in a daze, his mind unclear. He couldn't even see the path under his feet or his surroundings clearly. He didn't know how terrifying the cliffs beside him were, nor did he know that if San San hadn't been pulling him from the front and Tang Yutao hadn't been protecting him from behind, he might have fallen to his death somewhere.
After thinking it over, Chen Yunqi couldn't help but feel a lingering fear, as if he had survived a near-death experience. He had never felt the sensation of his feet touching the ground so deeply before. At this moment, a roof that could shelter him from the wind and rain, a hot roasted sweet potato, a hand that had pulled him up—all of these could be reasons for him to be grateful for his life.
He recalled how, before climbing the mountain, he had overestimated his abilities and tried to carry his own luggage, resenting San San's disdain for him. Now, he was just glad he hadn't done it. Let alone carrying a heavy load, even using his hands and feet alone almost cost him his life. He didn't know whether to laugh at himself for being inferior to San San or to a mule.
Chen Yunqi turned to look at San San sitting to the side. He saw San San with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands, listening intently to Tang Yutao and Li Hui talking. In the dim light, San San's face was somewhat indistinct, but one could see the beautiful curve of his profile. His long eyelashes fluttered with each blink. As Chen Yunqi watched him, the jumbled thoughts in his mind gradually dissipated.
After resting for a while, everyone got up to help tidy up Chen Yunqi's room.
There was no oil lamp in the room, so Tang Yutao found two candles and lit them. The room where the female teacher had lived was very clean, but much smaller than the one Tang Yutao and Li Hui had shared. It could only fit a single wooden bed and a desk. The desk was a spare from the classroom, and its surface was covered with a blue and white checkered tablecloth. A pale yellow mosquito net hung on the bed, and dry straw served as a mattress on the bed board.
The weather was much colder than when Song Feifei left, and Tang Yutao felt the straw mat wasn't thick enough. San San's house was closest to the school, so Tang Yutao asked her to go home and get some more to add. Chen Yunqi felt bad for troubling San San so much that evening, so he quickly went with her.
The surroundings were quiet, filled with a damp and cold mist. Chen Yunqi, holding a flashlight, walked side by side with San San down the slope at the school gate and turned into a bungalow not far behind the school.
There was no light inside.
There's no electricity in the mountains, so naturally there's no after-dinner entertainment like watching TV. Most villagers, after a day's work, eat dinner and, without visiting each other or drinking, go to bed early. The school has a gasoline generator, donated from somewhere, though it's unclear. Because the roads are difficult to travel and gasoline is hard to buy, Tang Yutao only generates electricity once a week. Whenever villagers hear the generator running from the school, they come one after another to charge their phone batteries, flashlights, and other small items. The small bucket that San San is leading on his mule today is gasoline that Tang Yutao asked him to bring back.
The two walked around the front yard to the shed where firewood was stored at the back of the house. San San went inside and brought out a bundle of straw for Chen Yunqi. She then went inside and brought out an even bigger and heavier bundle, which she carried on her shoulder as she walked out. Chen Yunqi smiled helplessly and said, "San San, you don't always have to take care of me."
Upon hearing this, San San stopped in her tracks and looked at Chen Yunqi with some confusion.
Chen Yun didn't explain much, but simply walked over and swapped the bundle of straw he was carrying with San San's. Then he said to him, "Let's go." San San hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed, saying nervously in a low voice, "Teacher Chen, I didn't mean anything by it..."
Chen Yunqi slowed his pace, turned his head to look at San San's embarrassed appearance, and felt a little guilty, so he explained to him, "I know," he lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard, "I'm a man too, and older than you. It would be too embarrassing if they saw this."
Teacher Chen winked and looked rather smug, which made San San laugh.
Carrying dry straw back to school, Chen Yunqi found that Tang Yutao and Li Hui had already moved his luggage into his room. Tang Yutao told him to go to sleep early and to call him anytime if he needed anything, before he and Li Hui went back to rest.
San San carefully layered the straw onto the bed board, pressing it down firmly. Then he helped Chen Yunqi lay out a clean mattress and sheets, and went to Tang Yutao's room to fetch a thermos. After doing all this, he stood at the door with his hands behind his back, looking as obedient as a primary school student, and said to Chen Yunqi, "Teacher Chen, get some rest. I'm going back now."
The flickering candlelight reflected in the boy's eyes. Chen Yunqi walked up to him, reached out and plucked a few wisps of grass from his hair and shoulders. Seeing that the boy was stiff and motionless with tension, he couldn't help but gently pat his head like an older brother and say, "You've worked hard today, thank you."
San San rubbed the back of her head shyly, lowered her head and whispered, "You're welcome... I'll be going now, Teacher Chen, go to sleep. I'll come and wake you up tomorrow morning so you can come to my house for breakfast."
Chen Yunqi responded, and San San turned and left, closing the door behind him. Through the window, Chen Yunqi saw him jog across the small playground like a nimble little animal, leaping down the embankment without even using a flashlight, and quickly disappearing into the darkness.