Yang Zhao and Chen Mingsheng walked straight along the road. It was just after seven o'clock, and the sun was not yet high. They were not walking fast, as if they were walking slowly, walking inside.
Mount Wutai is not high, unlike Taishan and Huashan, which are mainly climbing mountains, Wutai Mountain is relatively flat, with hundreds of temples spread out.
Yang Zhaoqing took Chen Mingsheng's arm and looked at the scenery while walking.
"Are you tired?" After walking for a while, Yang Zhao asked Chen Mingsheng.
Chen Mingsheng shook his head and said, "I'm not tired."
Yang Zhao stopped, pointed to a stone beside him, and said to Chen Mingsheng, "Let's sit down and rest for a while."
Chen Mingsheng: "Listen to you."
They came to the stone and sat down. Although the stone was not too inward, it was not close to the side of the road. Yang Zhao walked into the gravel field and said to Chen Mingsheng, "There are many small stones here, please slow down."
Chen Mingsheng nodded and lowered his head to look carefully at the road.
It was a bit cold on the stone, Yang Zhao put a handkerchief on it, and Chen Mingsheng lit a cigarette and smoked while sitting.
Yang Zhao asked him, "Are you hungry?"
Chen Mingsheng said, "I'm not hungry." He glanced at Yang Zhao and said, "Are you hungry? You just finished breakfast."
Yang Zhao shook his head, "I'm not hungry either, I'm afraid it's too heavy for you to carry, let's eat a little."
Chen Mingsheng chuckled twice, and said, "Eating is for filling your stomach, not for saving your energy."
Yang Zhao didn't care what he said, and took out a bag of fruit from Chen Mingsheng's bag. She opened the bag and took out an apple to look at.
"I washed it in the morning." Chen Mingsheng said.
Yang Zhao took a bite and looked up into the distance.
After watching the scenery for a while, she turned to look at Chen Mingsheng.
Chen Mingsheng stared at a certain place in front of him, in a daze.
He was wearing a black coat, with his left hand casually in his pocket and a cigarette in his right hand. Under the reflection of the mountains and forests, the whole silhouette looks a little out of tune.
Yang Zhao suddenly smiled and said, "Chen Mingsheng, why are you always in a daze recently?"
Chen Mingsheng glanced at her lightly and said, "No."
Yang Zhao said, "Do you want me to take a photo for you next time when you are in a daze?"
Chen Mingsheng lowered his head and smiled, put the cigarette in his mouth, raised his head and rubbed the back of Yang Zhao's neck.
"Don't you want to visit that tower?" Chen Mingsheng said, "Let's find a place to live in that direction."
"good."
Chen Mingsheng looked at Yang Zhao holding an apple in his hand, and ate a third of it. He said, "Can't eat anymore?"
Yang Zhao lowered his head, looked at it, and said, "I'll eat later."
"Don't hold on if you can't eat it, give it to me." Chen Mingsheng took the apple from Yang Zhao's hand, turned it around, and took three bites to eat most of it.
Yang Zhao stared at him dumbfounded.
After Chen Mingsheng finished eating the apples, Yang Zhao took the apple cores, put them in a small bag, and stuffed them into his bag.
"Let's go." Chen Mingsheng said.
After walking along the road for a while, they came to an open area that looked like a commercial gathering place. Each shop sells souvenirs and local specialties.
Chen Mingsheng looked at it and said, "Why are there so many items from Nepal and India here?"
Yang Zhao said: "Wutai Mountain is the only ashram in China that has both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. It is normal to sell Tibetan items."
Yang Zhao took a look in the square, there are many Buddhist tool shops behind, next to it is a snack street, and further inside are rows of hotels.
Chen Mingsheng said, "Where do you live?"
Yang Zhao stood where he was, looking in the direction of the hotel, without speaking.
Chen Mingsheng was already very familiar with her way of thinking, so he let her think about it for herself. In a blink of an eye, he saw an old man on the side of the road, who was weaving a bamboo hat.
The bamboo strips flew up and down in the old man's hands, weaving round and round, and after a while, a pointed end came out.
Chen Mingsheng bent down and took a bamboo hat, and asked the old man, "Master, how do you sell it?"
The old man didn't even raise his head, "Fifteen and one."
Chen Mingsheng took out fifteen yuan from his pocket, and the old man pointed to the box next to him. Chen Mingsheng put the money down and went to find Yang Zhao with the bamboo hat.
Yang Zhao was still standing there, looking in the direction of the hotel.
She wasn't in a daze, she was calculating the price in her heart.
In such a hotel, a standard room costs at least 300 yuan a night, so if they stay for three nights, it will cost more than 1,000 yuan. Yang Zhao didn't look through Chen Mingsheng's bag, but when she was packing at home, she "accidentally" touched Chen Mingsheng's wallet.
She felt that if Chen Mingsheng didn't bring his card, it would be a little difficult to live here.
While still thinking, she suddenly felt her vision dim.
He raised his head, and a dark thing covered him. Yang Zhao knew it was Chen Mingsheng, so she didn't hide, she just looked up at the bamboo hat covering her face.
Chen Mingsheng saw that he was not sure, so he picked it up again.
Yang Zhao turned around and said with a smile, "You bought it?"
"Yeah." Chen Mingsheng put the bamboo hat on Yang Zhao's head again, then looked down. Yang Zhao said, "How is it?"
Chen Mingsheng chuckled, lit a cigarette, and said, "Like a fisherman."
Yang Zhao snorted, took Chen Mingsheng's arm, and said, "Don't stay here, let's take a look inside."
Chen Mingsheng said, "Okay."
"If you are looking for a cheap one, you can live under the top of the Bodhisattva."
Chen Mingsheng and Yang Zhao turned their heads at the same time, and the old man weaving bamboo hats on the side of the road told them, "There are local houses down there, and some also accept tourists. They are cheap, but the conditions are not as standardized as hotels."
Chen Mingsheng and Yang Zhao looked at each other, and Chen Mingsheng turned to the old man and said, "Thank you, master."
Yang Zhao said, "Shall we go and have a look?"
"OK."
There is a difficult road from the square to Bodhisattva, which also passes through a commercial area. Unlike the street outside, this place does not sell jewelry, but sells more local specialty mushrooms.
The street is upwards as a whole, and it is considered to be built next to the mountain. Although the bluestone pavement is relatively flat, there are still many potholes and continuous steps.
Afraid that it would be inconvenient for Chen Mingsheng to leave, Yang Zhao came to his left and held his arm.
"Go slowly."
"It's fine."
Yang Zhao wrapped his right hand around him, dragging the box from side to side, "It's not in a hurry anyway." She lowered her head to watch the road, but the bamboo hat on her head kept falling down. Yang Zhao didn't have any free hands, so he could only shake his head and let the bamboo hat go up.
Chen Mingsheng laughed, Yang Zhao frowned and said, "Chen Mingsheng?"
"Okay, I'll take it with me." Chen Mingsheng freed up a hand, took off the bamboo hat from Yang Zhao's head, and put it on his own head.
Yang Zhao was stunned for a moment, feeling that it was surprisingly appropriate for him to wear this thing.
Chen Mingsheng noticed Yang Zhao's gaze and turned his head, "What's wrong?"
Yang Zhao looked at his face under the bamboo hat and said, "It's quite interesting that you bring this."
Chen Mingsheng smiled and said, "Let's go."
She supported him and went up from the square below. After walking for more than 20 minutes, she reached the bottom of the Bodhisattva roof. They followed the path pointed out by the old man who sold bamboo hats just now, and walked towards the side of the path under the top of the Bodhisattva.
At first it was a flat bluestone road, then it became a cement road, and then it was a dirt road mixed with cement and gravel.
There are locals selling fruit on the side of the road.
An old lady was sitting on the side of the road guarding a basket of peaches. When she saw Chen Mingsheng and Yang Zhao approaching, she greeted her and said, "Fresh peaches! Have some."
Yang Zhao saw a small room behind her, and she asked the aunt, "Excuse me, does the room in the back belong to you?"
"The back?" The aunt turned to look, and then said to Yang Zhao, "Yes, it's mine."
Yang Zhao said, "Then do you have any vacant rooms? Do you want to keep tourists?"
"Ah, you guys want to live here." The aunt stood up from the bench and said, "You can save some, the room is empty now, come in and have a look."
Yang Zhao and Chen Mingsheng followed the aunt into the house. This is a very old house with a strong musty smell. There is no living room, and the kitchen and the big bed are directly inside the house.
The aunt pushed aside a room next to her, "It's here, take a look."
Yang Zhao raised the curtain at the door, looked inside and suddenly laughed.
Chen Mingsheng was behind, heard her voice, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Yang Zhao shook his head, and the aunt said from behind, "There are a few things in this room, but it's tidy and comfortable to live in."
Yang Zhao didn't speak.
This house not only has few things, but nothing at all.
Apart from a low bed by the window, the room didn't even have a table or bench.
Yang Zhao felt that this room was a little crude, and just as she was about to refuse, she heard the aunt say, "Besides, my room has the best orientation. You can see the White Pagoda from the window."
Yang Zhao was taken aback, then turned to her and asked, "Really?"
"Look for yourself," said the aunt.
Yang Zhao let go of the suitcase and came to the window.
This window is also a simple wooden window, and there are no curtains. Yang Zhao approached, and at one corner of the small square surrounded by the windows, there was indeed half of the White Pagoda.
The white that seems far away and the pure blue sky circle a peaceful picture in the photo frame of the cold cabin.
Yang Zhao turned his head and glanced at Chen Mingsheng who was standing at the door.
"How much is this room?"
When the aunt saw her asking the price, she quickly said, "Fifty-one nights."
Yang Zhao said, "Is there a place to take a bath?"
"Yes, it's right behind." The aunt said.
Yang Zhao nodded, raised his eyes and said to Chen Mingsheng, "Just live here, okay?"
Chen Mingsheng said, "You have the final say."
They put their luggage in the corner of the room and gave the aunt fifty yuan as a deposit. The aunt went out to look at the fruit stand, while Chen Mingsheng and Yang Zhao sat in the room to rest.
"Are you tired?" Yang Zhao sat beside Chen Mingsheng.
Chen Mingsheng shook his head, "No."
"I think the road just now is a bit difficult to walk."
Chen Mingsheng smiled and said, "It's okay."
Yang Zhao rested his head lightly on Chen Mingsheng's shoulder, and Chen Mingsheng turned his head to look at her, "What's wrong."
Yang Zhao said, "I'm a little tired."
Chen Mingsheng: "It's only a few steps."
Yang Zhao said, "It's still early, let's rest for a while before going out."
Chen Mingsheng said, "Do you want to lie down for a while?"
Yang Zhao nodded.
The quilt in the room was a bit damp. Chen Mingsheng made the bed, and Yang Zhao suddenly said, "Put the pillow here."
Chen Mingsheng said, "Why."
Yang Zhao said, "Lie here and you can see out of the window."
Chen Mingsheng bent over and took a look outside. The white corner in the distance stood between the red walls of the mountains and forests. Chen Mingsheng put the pillow at the end of the bed.
Yang Zhao and Chen Mingsheng were lying on the bed. Yang Zhao was lying on the inside, pillowed on Chen Mingsheng's arm, looking outside.
The room was very dark, and even the walls in the corners were black. But the colors outside the window are so clear and bright. The bed was a bit short, Chen Mingsheng bent his legs slightly, and held Yang Zhao in his arms.
Seeing Yang Zhao's gaze, he smiled lightly and said, "You just like that tower so much."
Yang Zhao didn't speak.
Chen Mingsheng put his arms around her, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and started smoking.
Yang Zhao slowly turned his head amidst the smell of tobacco.
Chen Mingsheng looked at the ceiling vaguely, not knowing what he was thinking.
Yang Zhao said, "What are you looking at?"
Chen Mingsheng came back to his senses, "I didn't see anything, do you want to sleep for a while?"
Yang Zhao smiled, turned his head to look out the window, and said, "Chen Mingsheng, sometimes you look like an old man."
She felt a slight stiffness in the arms under her head.
After being quiet for a long time, Chen Mingsheng turned his head and said with some doubts, "They also look alike?"
Yang Zhao laughed uncontrollably, she turned her head and lay in Chen Mingsheng's arms.
Chen Mingsheng glanced at her blankly, and then smiled softly.
Yang Zhao raised a hand and touched his face. Chen Mingsheng had just shaved this morning, and there was a slight friction on his chin. Yang Zhao moved up slowly, holding his face with both hands, while Chen Mingsheng looked at her with lowered eyes.
Yang Zhao bowed his head and kissed him lightly, saying, "It doesn't look like..."
Chen Mingsheng gave a low laugh, raised his right hand, supported Yang Zhao's neck, and kissed it.