Entertainment from Divorce

Chen Ziyu took a deep breath, and the coolness of the river water mixed with the sweet scent of tuberose hit his face.

"Let's go for a walk by the river first?" Tan Yue pointed downstream.

The stone road meanders into the distance, and the reeds on both sides rustle in the wind.

Chen Ziyu bent down and picked up a ginkgo leaf. The veins of the leaf glowed amber in the setting sun.

"What are you thinking about?" Tan Yue's voice dispelled the memories.

He had picked a piece of foxtail grass at some point and was playing with the strands of hair in her hair.

"Nothing." Chen Ziyu turned her head away, and her earrings flashed a silver light.

She quickened her pace, but heard a chuckle behind her, and then her wrist was gently pulled.

"Be careful with the steps." Tan Yue's palm covered the back of her hand, and the warmth came through her skin.

Chen Ziyu felt his heart skip a beat and looked down to see that there was indeed a short stone step under his feet.

The river flows slowly at my feet, and the setting sun dyes the water surface golden red.

Chen Ziyu squatted down and ran her fingertips across the water. The cold touch made her shudder.

Tan Yue squatted beside her, picked up a pebble and threw it into the river. Ripples spread out and the reflected sunset glow broke into specks of light.

"When I was a kid, I always liked to skip stones like this." He picked up another stone and flicked his wrist. The stone bounced seven or eight times on the water. "Do you want to try it?"

Chen Ziyu took the stone and shook his wrist like him.

The stone sank into the water with a "splash", and the splashing water fell at the feet of the two people.

She laughed out loud: "You are really good."

Tan Yue didn't say anything, just stared at her and smiled.

In the twilight, her eyes were brighter than the river, and the ends of her hair were touched by fine rays of light.

He suddenly wanted to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ears, but in the end he just picked up another stone and gently placed it in her palm.

There was music in the distance.

Following the sound, I saw that all the lights on the Fengyu Bridge were on. Red, yellow and blue light bands were wrapped around the eaves and reflected on the river.

Chen Ziyu stood up, her skirt puffed up by the evening breeze: "It seems like there's a performance over there!"

The two of them trotted along the river bank.

On the open space beside the bridge, a group of Tujia girls were dancing the hand-waving dance, their colorfully embroidered skirts turning into gorgeous circles.

Chen Ziyu was pushed into Tan Yue's arms by the crowd. He subconsciously hugged her shoulders, and the warmth of his palms came through her thin shirt.

"Do you want to try it?" Tan Yue asked in her ear.

Before she could answer, a young girl smiled and pulled the hands of both of them.

As the drum beats began, Chen Ziyu followed suit and learned the "single swing" and "double swing" movements, with the hem of her skirt sweeping over Tan Yue's trouser legs.

She turned to look at him and found that he was studying more seriously than herself. The hair on his forehead was soaked with sweat, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

By the time the show ended, it was completely dark.

The lights on both sides of the Gongshui River lit up one after another, and the surface of the river was dyed into a flowing Milky Way.

Chen Ziyu stood on the observation deck, looking at the shadows of the mountains in the distance looming in the lights, and suddenly remembered the group photo taken in Pingshan - their shadows were also overlapped like this at that time.

"Are you hungry?" Tan Yue's voice came from behind, with two skewers of grilled Qingjiang fish in his hand. "I just saw a snack stand over there, and the owner said the fish is freshly caught."

The fish is grilled to a crispy outside and tender inside, sprinkled with chili powder and chopped green onions.

Chen Ziyu took a bite, and the delicious soup exploded on the tip of his tongue.

She turned to look at Tan Yue and found that he was staring at her and smiling, with some chili powder on the corner of his mouth.

"Don't move." She reached out her hand and wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth with a tissue.

The moment their fingertips brushed against their skin, they both froze.

The night wind blew with the scent of the river, and the sound of a cruise ship's whistle came from afar.

"Tzuyu." Tan Yue suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual.

"Ok?"

He said nothing, but took out a small box from his pocket.

When it was opened, a silver moonlight pendant lay on the velvet, with a small sapphire on the corner, which looked very much like the water in Pingshan Canyon.

"Happy birthday," he said. "It's still a few days away, but I can't wait."

Chen Ziyu was stunned.

She had long forgotten her birthday.

The moonlight pendant glowed softly under the light, making Tan Yue's eyes look particularly gentle.

"Can you help me put it on?" She turned around and pushed her hair aside.

Tan Yue's fingers were shaking a little, and he finally put on the necklace.

The pendant slid down the back of my neck, feeling icy cold.

When Chen Ziyu turned around, she met his gaze, so close that she could see the dew on his eyelashes.

"Actually, the happiest thing today is not seeing such a beautiful scenery." She said softly, her earrings gleaming with tiny silver lights, "It's being with you."

Tan Yue didn't say anything, just hugged her gently.

The wind blew from the river, bringing with it the unique coolness of the Gongshui River and mixed with the citrus scent in her hair.

A light show began in the distance, and beams of colorful light cut through the night sky, falling on the overlapping shadows of the two people.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ziyu heard him say in her ear: "From now on, I will accompany you to see different scenery on every birthday."

She smiled and buried her face in his shoulder.

The water of Gongshui River flows quietly under your feet, like a piece of silk dotted with stars, carrying the shadows of two people, flowing towards the brightly lit distance.

The noise of the night market gradually rose, and the aroma of roasted potatoes and corn cakes wafted from the snack stalls.

Tan Yue held her hand and walked back, and the silver bracelet and her earrings touched, making a crisp sound.

When passing a stone bridge, Chen Ziyu suddenly stopped, pointed at the river and exclaimed: "Look!"

Under the moonlight, the surface of the Gongshui River was shimmering with fine silver light, like stars scattered all over the river.

Their reflections flickered in the water, swaying gently with the ripples.

Tan Yue held her hand tightly, looking at the tears reflected in her eyes, and suddenly felt that this was probably the forever he wanted.

……

At five o'clock in the morning, the morning mist of Bachu was still lingering on the surface of the Qingjiang River.

Tan Yue gently opened the curtains, and the condensed water on the glass slid down through his fingers. The mountains in the distance were looming in the mist. Chen Ziyu curled up on the sofa and dozed off. The laptop was still on, and on the screen was the guide she had made last night: "The top of the mountain is 3106 meters above sea level", "Banbi Rock is rocky", "Muyu Town has a special hanging pot banquet".

"Tzuyu, it's time to go." Tan Yue stuffed the thermos into his backpack, which contained freshly cooked cornmeal porridge.

The trunk was filled with trekking poles, moisture-proof mats and self-heating hot pots.

Chen Ziyu rubbed her eyes and sat up, her ponytail tilted to one side: "Wait for me five minutes, I will print out the last page of the guide."

At seven o'clock, the two drove out of Bachu city facing the rising sun. The mountains on both sides of the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway gradually turned golden. Tan Yue turned on the car stereo, and "Ordinary Road" mixed with the sound of the wind poured into the car window. Chen Ziyu spread the map on his knees and traced the winding route with his fingers: "After Xingshan, we should turn to the national highway. I heard that the mountain road there has 18 bends. You should drive slower."

Tan Yue chuckled and rubbed the steering wheel with his fingertips: "Don't worry, I've driven on steep roads before." Having said that, he still slowed down when the car entered the winding mountain road.

The scenery outside the window changed from an open plain to a lush green forest. Occasionally, you could see mountain people carrying bamboo baskets picking wild fruits on the roadside.

"Look!" Chen Ziyu suddenly pointed to the valley in the distance. A cloud of white mist was rising from the valley, like a smoke ring exhaled by a mountain god.

Tan Yue parked the car at the observation deck, and the two of them walked to the edge of the cliff on the dew.

The morning breeze, wrapped in the fragrance of grass and trees, blew in my face. The main range of Nanshan Mountain in the distance was looming in the clouds and mist, like the wet brushstrokes in an ink painting.

At 11 o'clock in the morning, they arrived at Nanshan Visitor Center.

The parking lot was already full of vehicles from all over the country, and tourists speaking different dialects were queuing at the ticket office.

Chen Ziyu held up her mobile phone to scan the code to make an appointment, while Tan Yue went to buy two scenic area bus tickets - the Nanshan Scenic Area is too large, and self-driving cars can only stop at the transfer point.

"Go to the top of the mountain first?" Tan Yue looked at the guide.

Chen Ziyu nodded and squeezed the sunscreen into his palm: "I heard that we can see the sea of ​​clouds there, but the altitude is high, so we have to wear a coat."

The scenic area bus spiraled up the mountain road. The vegetation outside the window changed from broad-leaved forest to coniferous forest, and the temperature gradually dropped.

When the car stopped at the observation deck on the top of the mountain, Chen Ziyu wrapped himself tightly in his windbreaker, and a thin layer of mist had already formed on his eyelashes.

"Wow!" She looked at the scene in front of her and held her breath involuntarily.

There is a rolling sea of ​​clouds beneath your feet, and the mountains in the distance look like floating islands.

The sunlight penetrates the clouds, casting mottled light and shadows on the sea of ​​clouds.

Tan Yue took out a camera from his backpack. In the camera, Chen Ziyu was standing on tiptoe and reaching out to touch the clouds. His hair was messy in the wind, but he had a childlike smile on his face.

"Come, take a photo for me." Chen Ziyu handed the selfie stick to the tourist next to him.

In the picture, the two of them are standing in front of the stone tablet of "The Roof of Central China", with the vast sea of ​​clouds behind them, and Tan Yue's arm is naturally placed on her shoulder.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, they moved to Banbi Rock.

This place is famous for its strange rocks and is said to have been a place where people tasted hundreds of herbs.

Chen Ziyu held up the guide and listed the scenic spots one by one: "This one is called 'Root of Life', and that one is 'Spirit Turtle Playing in the Fog'" Before he could finish his words, he was suddenly interrupted by a gust of mountain wind.

Tan Yue quickly supported her, and their eyes fell on the rock wall in the distance at the same time - a golden monkey was squatting on the rock and eating wild fruits.

"Don't move." Tan Yue said softly and slowly took out his camera.

The golden monkey seemed to be aware of being watched and looked back with its head tilted, its fur glowing golden red in the sunlight.

Chen Ziyu held his breath, and even the shutter sound seemed exceptionally clear.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, they took the bus back to the tourist center, picked up a car and drove to Muyu Town.

The setting sun cast a golden edge on the mountains. Tan Yue opened the car window, and the unique scent of grass and trees in the mountains mixed with smoke drifted in.

Chen Ziyu flipped through his phone: "The guide said there is a very authentic hanging pot banquet in the town, should we go and try it?"

Muyu Town is more lively than expected, with homestays and restaurants hanging red lanterns along the streets.

Tan Yue parked the car at the entrance of the town, and the two of them walked in along the bluestone road.

The shop signs read "Nanshan Bacon" and "Cold Water Fish". Occasionally, you can see mountain people carrying baskets on their backs selling wild honey and Chinese medicinal herbs.

“Let’s go with this one.”

Chen Ziyu stopped in front of a restaurant with an "old stove hanging pot" hanging on it.

The boss was a dark-skinned middle-aged man who warmly invited them to sit down: "Come and try our cured pig trotter hotpot, with some wild mountain vegetables!"

When the hanging pot was brought up, the soup was bubbling.

The cured pig's trotters are stewed until soft and paired with wild mushrooms and potato chips, and are full of aroma.

Chen Ziyu scooped a spoonful of soup, his eyes lit up: "It tastes better than I thought!"

Tan Yue smiled and picked up a piece of meat for her, while he took a sip of the wild bayberry wine that the boss had given him.

After eating and drinking, it was already completely dark.

In the square in the center of the town, several local villagers were doing the hand-waving dance, and tourists followed suit.

Chen Ziyu pulled Tan Yue into the crowd and imitated the movements clumsily.

The moonlight shone on her smiling face, and Tan Yue suddenly felt that compared with the magnificent scenery of Nanshan, the hustle and bustle of the city at this moment was more reassuring.

At eight o'clock in the evening, they checked into the B&B that they had booked in advance.

The room is in typical western Hubei style, with dried peppers and corn hanging on the wooden beams and wild kiwis given by the owner placed at the head of the bed.

Chen Ziyu leaned against the window, looking at the twinkling stars on the distant hills: "Do you think there are really wild people in Nanshan?"

Tan Yue handed over a cup of hot tea: "Even if there were any, we scared them away."

The two smiled at each other, and the chirping of insects outside the window and the sound of the stream in the distance intertwined into a nocturne.

The next morning, Tan Yue was awakened by the sound of birds singing.

I opened the window, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the mountains in the distance were waking up in the morning light.

Chen Ziyu was already wandering around the yard, holding the wild flowers given by the B&B owner.

"Breakfast includes hot dry noodles and free-range eggs." She shook her phone, "The boss said there is a small path in the back mountain where we can see the sunrise over the sea of ​​clouds. Shall we go?"

Half an hour later, the two climbed up the back mountain on the dew.

The eastern sky was already turning pale, and the clouds were dyed a light pink.

Chen Ziyu found a flat stone to sit on, and Tan Yue handed her the thermos cup: "Be careful, it's hot."

The moment the sun jumped out from the sea of ​​clouds, golden light instantly covered the entire valley.

Chen Ziyu suddenly whispered, "Actually, the happiest thing about this trip is not seeing such beautiful scenery."

"What is it?"

"It's the feeling of being on the road with you." She turned to look at him, her eyes brighter than the morning sun.

Tan Yue reached out to brush away the grass leaves in her hair. He didn't say anything, but gently held her hand.

The mountain breeze swept through the treetops, the dewy wild flowers swayed in the morning breeze, and a few clear bird calls came from the distance.

At ten o'clock in the morning, they set off for their next destination.

As the car drove out of Muyu Town, Chen Ziyu looked back at the mountains that were gradually receding into the distance, and suddenly remembered what the owner of the B&B said last night: "The mountains in Nanshan are spiritual."

Perhaps, the most beautiful thing about this journey is not the sea of ​​clouds on the top of the mountain, nor the strange rocks of Banbi Rock, but the moments on the road - the smiles at each other on the winding mountain road, the warmth of the fireworks in the hanging pot banquet, and the side-by-side waiting in the early morning in the back mountain.

These fragmented moments are like the clouds in Nanshan Mountain. They seem ethereal but have already permeated each other's lives.

The car turned the last bend.

Tan Yue turned on the stereo and played the same song: "I was once lost, disappointed and lost all direction, until I realized that ordinary was the only answer."

Chen Ziyu leaned back in his chair, looking at the scenery passing by outside the window, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.

It turns out that the best journey is not to reach a certain destination, but to walk the ordinary road into poetry with the right person. (End of this chapter)