Xu Xiuhe readily agreed, saying that winning over a wife should be done on one's own merits, and he wouldn't interfere.
When they arrived at the scenic area in the morning, there weren't many people. The National Day holiday had just ended, and the tourists in the scenic area could be counted on one hand.
Quanya Mountain was quite tall, named for its springs and cliffs. It had been developed for tourism in recent years, so the number of visitors had increased.
"We won't go to the spring later," Shen Yin said.
Xu Xiuhe immediately understood what Shen Yin meant.
Halfway up the mountain, both Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe regretted their decision.
Although it was a crisp autumn day, they couldn't withstand continuous exercise. The stairs were steep, and they had a child with them. Sweat was pouring down their faces.
"Xiuhe, what made you think of mountain climbing?" Shen Yin asked.
"I read online that mountain climbing can strengthen the body and improve the respiratory and cardiovascular systems," Xu Xiuhe replied honestly.
They were holding Zhengzheng's hands. The child had walked this far without asking to be carried, which was quite considerate.
The little one's face was flushed, and sweat kept beading on his forehead.
Not only did Shen Yin start to feel sorry for him, but Xu Xiuhe also felt guilty. Since starting college until now, he had never traveled, so he didn't really understand how to choose tourist attractions.
"Let's take the cable car down," Xu Xiuhe suggested.
"I've been wanting to say that. It's too hot. Luckily, Zhengzheng hasn't asked us to carry him, otherwise..."
"Mommy, carry me. Zhengzheng is tired," the child said.
Shen Yin: ...
"Zhengzheng, how about daddy carries you? Mommy is a girl, it's too tiring for her," Xu Xiuhe said.
The little one turned to face Xu Xiuhe and stretched out his arms. Xu Xiuhe quickly picked up Xu Yunzheng. He had chosen to climb the mountain, so he had to bear the consequences.
After they came down the mountain, Shen Yin took Zhengzheng while Xu Xiuhe went to take a shower in the RV's bathroom. She sat with Zhengzheng in the booth, telling him the story of the old monk and the young monk.
"Mommy, what's a monk?" Zhengzheng asked.
"A monk is someone who has no hair and leaves home to practice religion," she explained.
"Zhengzheng wants to be a monk."
"Monks can't eat meat. Can Zhengzheng do that?"
"No, no, I don't want to be a monk!" The little one was nearly in tears at the thought of not being able to eat meat.
"How quickly you change your mind!"
"Zhengzheng wants to eat meat."
"Alright, when daddy comes out, we'll go eat."
In Tibetan City.
After getting off the train, Shu Yi took a taxi to the hotel she had booked in advance.
It's often said that Tibetan City is a mysterious place, the closest place to heaven. On her train journey, Shu Yi had admired many beautiful landscapes along the way, occasionally seeing free-roaming cattle and sheep on the plains, and often being amazed by the clouds on the horizon.
Some say that Tibetan City is a place everyone wants to visit at least once in their lifetime! It's a place closest to the sky and farthest from the hustle and bustle.
Shu Yi felt the same way. It was her first time traveling alone to such a distant place. She thought she might feel a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't. Her body had already been gradually adapting to the altitude during the train ride.
In the evening.
The sky in Tibetan City seemed more meaningful than in other places. Shu Yi leaned close to the window. It was beautiful - the sky was full of stars, with no moon in sight.
"Shu Yueru!"
A name she hadn't heard in a long time was suddenly called out.
Shu Yi looked down through the window. She thought she was hallucinating. She knew it was Chang Zhiyuan's voice without even looking.
The man stood downstairs, calling "Shu Yueru" over and over again.
It wasn't a hallucination.
Shu Yi felt like her feet weren't her own anymore. She could have hidden upstairs and not gone down, but she didn't.
She walked down uncontrollably.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I should be asking you that. Why did you come to Tibetan City? Don't you know how dangerous it is for a girl to travel alone to such a distant place?"
"Did you come all this way just to lecture me?"
"Do you think I'm crazy? I drove for 24 hours straight to come here just to lecture you?"
Shu Yi didn't speak, looking at Chang Zhiyuan's haggard face with a bit of sympathy.
"Didn't you sleep on the way?"
"No. I was worried something might happen to you."
"You might get altitude sickness like this."
"I just asked the hotel, there are no rooms available," Chang Zhiyuan said.
The man's gaze was fixed on Shu Yi.
Shu Yi felt a bit uncomfortable under his stare.
"So what should we do?"
"I'll sleep in your room. I'll sleep on the floor. I'm too tired."
Chang Zhiyuan could barely keep his eyes open. It was a miracle that he had driven all the way from Chuan City without resting.
Shu Yi felt sorry for him.
"Come up then."
Shu Yi led Chang Zhiyuan to her room.
In South City.
The family of three arrived at the Sun family home.
"Uncle, this is my wife Shen Yin, and this is my son Xu Yunzheng," Xu Xiuhe introduced them to Sun Lufei, who was sitting in a wheelchair.
"That's wonderful. The child is so big already. If your mother were still alive, she would be so happy."
"Come here, child. Let your grand-uncle take a look," Sun Lufei beckoned.
Zhengzheng had been timid these past few days, and now faced with a stranger, he didn't dare to approach.
He tightly hugged Shen Yin's leg, hiding behind her.
"Zhengzheng, don't be afraid. This is your grand-uncle, daddy's uncle. You can say hello to him," Shen Yin encouraged.
The little one looked up at Shen Yin, then turned to look at Xu Xiuhe, before slowly walking forward.
"Hello, Grand-uncle."
"Ah, such a good boy. Here, this is a gift Grand-uncle prepared for Zhengzheng."
Sun Lufei took out a jade pendant from his pocket.
Shen Yin immediately recognized it as a high-quality warm jade.
Zhengzheng didn't dare to accept it until Xu Xiuhe spoke up. Then he reached out and took the jade pendant.
"Thank you, Grand-uncle," he said in his little voice, which anyone would find adorable.
Sun Lufei laughed heartily.
"Uncle, what happened to your leg?" Xu Xiuhe asked.
"It's an old problem. A couple of years ago, I was in a car accident. Because of my age, my recovery ability isn't strong, so I've had to use a wheelchair ever since."
Sun Lufei spoke about it as if he were talking about someone else's story, without any sadness about his leg condition.
"What did the doctors say?"
"The doctors said surgery might not be successful. I figured, I'm already 60, getting on in years. I don't have many years left, so I might as well just use the wheelchair."
"Look at your uncle, he won't listen to advice. Your cousin and I have talked to him many times, but he just won't listen," Sun Lufei's wife said as she walked out.
"Where's my cousin?" Xu Xiuhe asked.
"He doesn't live with us. It's just me and your uncle here every day. It would be nice if you all could stay a few more days. It's livelier with more people around. Oh, that's right, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's perfect for a family reunion. The last time your aunt saw you was at your mother's... My, how you've grown up so fast, even having a child of your own now."
The woman didn't finish the sentence in the middle, but Xu Xiuhe knew what she meant.
At his mother's funeral, Sun Lufei and Xu Guimin had gotten into an argument. He hadn't listened carefully at the time, but the gist of it was that Xu Guimin hadn't taken good care of Wen Ting all these years.
