[The Wandering Earth] Short Story Collection: The Age of Roses

Modern AU, Tibet, China

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AM04: 30

Liu Qi swallowed the last mouthful of noodle soup, and walked out of Tarqin's hotel with his bag on his back.The proprietress covered her yawn with her hand, and watched Liu Qi open the curtain of the hotel and walk into the vast night at the foot of Mount Kailash.The radio said that there would be rain today, which made her a little worried about this expressionless young man walking around the mountain alone, but then she thought of his 1.8-meter height, and her heart returned to her stomach.Every year in this season, Gang Rinpoche welcomes many visitors from outside the snowy area. She really can't see what some of them believe in, but it is always a good thing to have faith.

What greeted Liu Qi was a cold wind and a quiet night. At 04:30 in the morning, everything was dark, and the only light in the world was the moonlight and the stars behind her.Liu Qi fastened the hood firmly on his head. He had never seen such bright starlight and moonlight in any place other than Tibet.Like an invisible hand outlining Gang Rinpoche's outline, the holy mountain is like a shining pearl, peacefully and gently located in the dark night.

Liu Qi felt that his lungs were filled with cold air, and he stepped on a rough rock.He came to turn around the mountain.

AM08: 00

About 2000 meters after passing Qugu Temple, it started to rain moderately. Wang Lei put on the hood of the rainproof jacket, took out the raincoat from his backpack and put it on.The Tibetan who was walking with him turned his head and asked, and he raised his hand and smiled, which meant that he was still very relaxed.

As a photographer, this is not the first time he has visited Mount Kailash.It is said that turning around the mountain for one week can wash away the sins of this life, ten weeks can avoid the suffering of hell in five hundred cycles, and turning around the mountain for one hundred weeks can make you become a Buddha in this life.There are inner and outer circles for Gang Rinpoche to turn around the mountain. Only after turning the outer circle for 13 weeks can he be qualified to turn to the inner circle. This time it happened to be his No.[-] turn around Kailash Rinpoche.When he passed the Qugu Temple, he took a photo of Kailash’s Sunshine Golden Dome, and now that photo is lying in his camera.

His photos are sometimes criticized by colleagues for adjusting the contrast too high, but in fact the worst one among them did not exceed 15%.Tibet has a magical ability. As long as the thousands of colors come to this place, they will appear several times more mysterious and beautiful than they are on the plains, as if the grayness has been washed away by the altitude of 3000 meters.

Wang Lei looked up, the rain blocked his sight, and Gang Rinpoche in the distance seemed to be hidden in the fog.

AM11: 00

The snow was too heavy, and there was no one on the mountain road.If he hadn't met the Bon believers who turned counterclockwise 10 minutes ago, Liu Qi might have suspected that he was lost.Large flakes of snow crazily drilled into his collar, making him shiver with cold.He inserted the trekking pole firmly into the gap between the two rocks, and took a step forward with difficulty.Gang Rinpoche's mountain road was 56 kilometers long. He had just passed the supply point 15 kilometers away, and there was no one else around him.

Liu Peiqiang didn't know that he came to Tibet by himself, let alone that his son would go to the mountains on a whim.The professors at the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics are so busy that they don't have time to care about their son's daily life. Liu Qi even doubts whether he knows that his college entrance examination is over.But no matter how angry Liu Qi was, he would not fight against his personal safety.The wind and snow were blowing, and Gang Rinpoche above his head seemed to be about to collapse. He stood there thinking for a while, pulled out his trekking pole, and looked at the road behind him.

AM12: 00

"Going back to the last supply station is not a good choice. It is your first time to turn the mountain without a porter. There are still more than [-] kilometers to go. Why not go with us. If you are afraid of wind and snow, you can walk behind us. "

Under Liu Qi's gaze, Wang Lei slowly drank the cup of hot tea served by his Tibetan grandma.The young man sitting cross-legged on the opposite side looked the best, his expression contained the stubbornness and stubbornness unique to young people, and Wang Lei unexpectedly saw a bit of ignorance from it.It was precisely because of this that he stopped Liu Qi when he met Liu Qi who was on his way back, and invited him to go with him and his party.

He had a panoramic view of the boy's expression, which faithfully reflected the master's psychological activities like a mirror.When Liu Qi talked to him, Wang Lei easily knew his background and family background. Of course, he also knew that he sneaked out after the college entrance examination to take risks.

He smiled kindly, shook his head knowingly, but made no comment.This gave the teenager some encouragement.Before leaving the tent, Liu Qi caught up with him and asked, "Brother Lei, what do you do?"

"Photographer."

PM14: 00

The time to arrive at Zhuomala Mountain Pass was earlier than Liu Qi imagined, all thanks to the companions he met while walking around the mountain.The man named 'Wang Lei' had a handsome face and was a photographer. The Tibetan man who was traveling with him did not communicate with Liu Qi because of the language barrier. They asked Liu Qi to walk behind them to block the snow for him.

Zhuomala is not so much a place name as a woman's name.In the blue sky, the wind and snow faded away, and the sun shone on the earth again.Liu Qi pulled Wang Lei's arm around a rock. The Zhuomala Pass was the middle point of Kailash's turn around the mountain. From here, he could see the way down the mountain. The rock was wet and slippery, which looked a little scary.

Wang Lei said: "Don't be afraid."

His expression was still kind and indifferent, Liu Qi nodded without saying a word.Wang Lei said here, the road around the mountain is halfway through, and they will probably be able to return to Tarqin when it gets dark.

PM16: 00

The children stared at the Fengma flag for a long time at Zhuomala Pass.He didn't touch or touch with his hands or feet like some bluffing tourists. He just stood there quietly with his lips closed, wondering what he was thinking.There was a lonely look between his brows, Wang Lei raised the camera twice to capture that "handsome" face in the shot, but shook his head and gave up.

Liu Qi seems to be listening to the sound of the wind—Tibetans hang long prayer flags with good wishes on the windy slope, so the wind that never stops throughout the year brings the wishes to every place where the wind goes. Corner—he closed his eyes and opened his lips slightly, facing the light and the wind.

Wang Lei was sure he had heard something.If there is a god in the world, then Tibet is the only place you will see him.No one can leave Tibet without taking anything with them, as they say, three years in Tibet is a lifetime.

"--Be careful!"

He took Liu Qi with a stride.The latter stepped on a rock and nearly tumbled down the steep slope.Wang Lei looked at Liu Qi wiping the cold sweat on his forehead in a state of uncertainty, and reminded him to pay attention to safety.

PM22: 00

The last journey around the mountain was not dangerous. Although the downhill was indeed more difficult than the uphill, with Wang Lei as a companion, this part of the journey became a relatively easy journey.The dirt road was spreading, and Liu Qi didn't think he was an emotional person, but perhaps thanks to his extraordinary experience today, when he saw the small town of Tarqin in front of him, he almost burst into tears.

The Tibetan man said goodbye to them at the entrance of the town, leaving Wang Lei and Liu Qi walking side by side through the streets of Tibet.There is no moon tonight, the night sky is full of stars, there are a few dogs barking in the distance, and Wang Lei's peaceful breathing is beside him.

"Brother, Brother Lei," Liu Qi said suddenly, "I...can I treat you to dinner today? Thank you brother for helping me today, or I won't be able to come back, brother give me a chance."

His voice was a little uncertain, as if he was pretending to be mature.

Then he heard Wang Lei's laughter, the magnetic and clear voice seemed to be laughing from his chest.

"Okay," he said.

"Give you a chance."

【End】