72: Snow out of season

Bowl after bowl.

From Uncle Dorje, to the neighbors, and then to the village chief who rushed over upon hearing the news.

Dozens of people took turns.

Jiang Yuan accepted all challenges.

His terrifying metabolic capacity of 80 physique points transformed into a burning furnace within his body at this moment.

As soon as the alcohol entered his stomach, it was rapidly broken down and evaporated.

Aside from his face being slightly red, his eyes remained terrifyingly clear.

In contrast, the villagers, who boasted of being 'gods of wine,' one by one began to slur their words and stagger as they walked.

Uncle Dorje watched from the side, his eyes nearly popping out.

He had traveled north and south for so many years, seen many who could drink, but never anyone who drank baijiu like water.

"Brother... your kidneys, are they made of iron?"

Jiang Yuan just smiled, raised his bowl, and clinked it again.

Amidst the drinking and merriment.

Jiang Yuan took out his camera.

Tonight's material was too good.

Under the firelight, the high-altitude blush on everyone's faces appeared so vivid.

No posed shots, all candid.

Men eating meat heartily, girls shyly avoiding the camera, and children chasing and playing nearby.

Finally.

He called Uncle Dorje, Tsering, and the kind old A-Ma to sit in the center of the courtyard.

"Come on, look at the camera!"

"Three, two, one!"

The scene froze.

In the background were the burning bonfire and the pitch-black night sky.

Dorje was hugging Tsering, his face full of wrinkles from smiling; the old A-Ma was spinning a prayer wheel, her gaze benevolent; Tsering was holding half a large chicken drumstick, grinning carefree.

This was a family photo full of vitality.

More and more villagers gathered, looking at the photos on the camera screen, their eyes full of novelty.

Some shyly pulled over their wives and children, pointing at the camera.

Jiang Yuan gladly agreed.

The shutter clicked continuously.

Recording sincere smiles and vibrant lives.

This is what travel truly is.

Not the vanity of purely checking in and showing off on social media.

It's the scenery along the way.

It's the kindness of chance encounters.

It's the purest warmth between people, everyone's most sincere smile... The night deepened.

The crowd dispersed.

Jiang Yuan lay in the guesthouse room, filled with the scent of wood.

That night, he had mixed and drunk several kinds of alcohol.

Even with his superhuman physique, he felt a long-lost slight tipsiness.

It was a mental relaxation.

Outside the window was the sound of the Dadu River rushing.

Beside him, Uncle Dorje was already snoring like thunder, making the wooden bed tremble slightly.

Listening to this not-so-melodious 'duet,' Jiang Yuan's lips curved into an arc.

He closed his eyes.

And fell asleep instantly.

The next morning.

The mountain air was so good it made one want to take a few extra breaths.

When Jiang Yuan woke up, Uncle Dorje was still fast asleep; the hangover was clearly not easy to shake off.

He got up quietly.

And walked into the courtyard.

Morning mist swirled among the watchtowers, and the air was moist and cool.

Tsering was already up, sweeping the courtyard, and seeing Jiang Yuan come out, he immediately put down the broom and ran over.

"Brother, tashi delek!"

"tashi delek."

Jiang Yuan ruffled his hair.

He walked to the brabus car and opened the door.

He took out a brand new instant camera and several boxes of photo paper from the armrest box.

"Tsering, this is for you."

Jiang Yuan handed the camera to the little boy and simply taught him how to press the shutter.

"From now on, you can take many, many photos of Grandma, Uncle Dorje, and yourself."

Tsering held the camera as if it were a rare treasure.

"Thank you, Brother..."

Just then, Uncle Dorje walked out of the house, rubbing his throbbing head.

Seeing this scene, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, just heavily patted Jiang Yuan's shoulder.

"Brother."

"When you get to Lhasa in the future, just mention my name, Danzeng Dorje."

"Whether it's buying cordyceps or settling matters, it's effective!"

Jiang Yuan smiled, not refusing this full-of-Jianghu-spirit promise.

"I'm leaving."

He got in the car and started the engine.

The white brabus slowly drove out of the courtyard.

In the rearview mirror.

Two figures, one large and one small, stood at the intersection, waving for a long time until they were completely swallowed by the morning mist.

Next stop.

Seda.

The navigation showed a total distance of three hundred and eighty kilometers.

On flat land, this would be a four-hour journey.

But in Western Sichuan, it meant at least eight or nine hours of arduous travel.

This was also why Jiang Yuan didn't eat breakfast and set off as soon as dawn broke.

The wheels crunched over gravel and merged onto G248 National Highway.

After leaving Danba County, the traffic visibly thinned out.

Most tourists flocked south to G318 National Highway.

After all, there was the 'Must Drive in This Lifetime' sign and a mature commercial chain.

But this road heading north was quieter and purer.

Jiang Yuan held the steering wheel with one hand, leisurely.

The car window was half-down.

To the left was the continuously winding Dajinchuan River.

The river water was still turbid and rushing, but the mountains on both banks gradually became gentler.

Two in the afternoon.

Jinchuan County arrived.

This small county town, built against the mountains, was forcefully split in half by the Dajinchuan River.

Compared to the steep canyons of Danba, there was a touch more of Jiangnan's elegance here.

The vegetation coverage was extremely high, with lush green everywhere.

It was just a pity that the season wasn't right.

If one came in March or April, the mountains would be covered in snow-white pear blossoms, which was Jinchuan's most beautiful time.

Now, there were only trees full of green leaves.

Jiang Yuan parked the car by the roadside.

The streets were very clean, without the cramped, congested feeling of Danba.

Locals walked slowly, carrying baskets on their backs.

He casually found a small, clean-looking eatery.

"Boss, a bowl of beef noodles, with extra meat."

A steaming bowl of noodles, covered with large pieces of yak meat, was served.

Simple carbohydrates and protein were the best fuel for long-distance driving.

After eating, he rested briefly.

Then continued his journey.

Leaving Jinchuan, he merged onto G317 National Highway and headed west.

As the latitude and longitude changed, the green outside the window began to recede.

Before it was completely dark, Jiang Yuan arrived near the Guanyinqiao Scenic Area.

But he had no intention of stopping for the night.

The restless heart within him made him want to drive straight to Seda in one go.

However, the weather did not cooperate.

At some unknown point, the sky had turned gloomy, like an overturned black pot.

There was no moon, no stars.

The temperature plummeted.

The car's thermometer showed that the outdoor temperature had already dropped below zero.

"Is it snowing?"

Jiang Yuan turned on the wipers.

On the front windshield, a few crystal-clear ice flowers instantly melted.

It was early July now.

Midsummer.

But on the Western Sichuan Plateau, with an average altitude of three to four thousand meters, seasons were just a formality.

When it said it would snow, it snowed.

Instead of worrying, Jiang Yuan rolled down the window and reached out to catch a snowflake.

His fingertips were cold.

He felt a little excited.

This absurd feeling of out-of-season weather was precisely the charm of travel.

As the altitude continued to climb, crossing the mountain pass.

The scattered snowflakes quickly turned into a heavy snowfall.

Strong winds swept the snowflakes, like a white curtain, completely obscuring the car's headlights.

Visibility was less than ten meters.

On the entire highway, for dozens of kilometers ahead and behind, it felt as if only his car remained.

That sense of solitude between heaven and earth was infinitely magnified.

"Click—click—"

The wipers made a dull scraping sound.

Because the temperature was too low, the falling snowflakes froze into ice shards the moment they touched the glass.

Even the powerful wipers of the brabus seemed to struggle at this moment.

Visibility began to blur.

Seda was still an hour's drive away.