In a broad sense, the Qinling Mountains start from Kunlun in the west, pass through Longnan and Shaanxi in the middle, and end at Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Dabie Mountains and Zhangbaling near Bengbu in the east. It is the watershed of the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, and is also revered as the dragon vein of Chinese civilization.
The line between the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River is the boundary between the north and the south.
In a narrow sense, the Qinling Mountains are limited to the southern part of Western Shaanxi Province, the mountainous area between the Weihe River and the Hanjiang River, bounded by the Bahe River and Danjiang River valleys in the east, and ending with the Jialing River in the west.
Lin Xiaoguang's destination for this trip, Zhongnan Mountain, is within this area.
Zhongnan Mountain can also be divided into a broad sense and a narrow sense. In the broad sense, Zhongnan Mountain is a section of the Qinling Mountains, starting from Mei County, Yongzhou in the west, to Lantian, Chang'an in the east. Zhongnan Mountain in the narrow sense only refers to the main peak, Taiyi Mountain, located in Chang'an County. Altitude 2604 meters.
There are many ways to enter the mountain when going to Zhongnan, but quite a few people enter through Yuntai Longyu Valley.
Yuntai Mountain is the first stop.
He organized a brigade of people, including Lin Guodong, Lin Jiawei, two cousins, Du Hongyi, the captain of the brigade militia, and Yang Ailian, a girl who had served as a soldier. They were all from the Nanyao brigade, and they were all related to each other. They are all family members.
In addition to people, there are also horses.
The road into the mountain was difficult, and it was impossible to walk with wheels. The luggage, some food, drinking water, and prepared tents were all placed on the horses found.
These horses are not bad. They are all Guanzhong horses, some are black and some are white. They are far inferior to the sweat-blooded Arabian war horses, but they are more than enough for carrying things, they have full endurance, and they are not generally docile.
There are no electronic products or cars. Just walking and holding the horse, it feels like an ancient person.
It's very hot outside, and the mountains are lush and green, with only tiny bits of sunshine shining down. I don't feel the heat at all. On the contrary, it's very cool, and the air is fresh. Walking on the dirt road, people's mood seems to become better.
Go forward along the dirt road, passing through lush woods, and slowly go up the winding mountain road.
It is July, and the city is very hot. Zhongnan Mountain is the only place with gentle winds and pleasant scenery, making it a summer resort. Many tourists come up the mountain and pass by Yuntai Temple. They stop by to burn incense and worship Buddha, pray for their loved ones, and It's so nice to go straight up to Qingyuntai, talk about the present and the past with a few friends, and also take in the ancient ruins of Zhongnan.
There is a main road up the mountain. At the east end of Yuntai Township, you can go directly to Yuntai Mountain. It is free now, but in the future you will need to pay an entrance fee.
They came up the mountain and passed Yuntai Temple. An Yang wanted to offer incense and stopped.
He was not very superstitious, but he was used to burning incense and worshiping Buddha when he was a child. After his rebirth, he had an inexplicable awe for nature, life and mysterious existences that could not be understood, so he continued to burn incense.
Listening to the loud sound of Buddha in the distance and looking up at the temple shrouded in fragrant mist, his restless heart suddenly became as calm as still water.
There were not many pilgrims in the temple, and the fragrance of Buddha in the hall was fragrant. They knelt down side by side in front of the Buddha, burned incense and kowtowed, each making a wish.
He quickly finished his wish and looked at Anyang, who was kneeling barefoot on the futon.
She bowed her head slightly, her big eyes with long eyelashes closed gently, her pretty and sweet face peaceful and pious, her hands clasped together in front of her upturned nose, her bright red mouth opening and closing, gently telling her story. desire.
After a long, long time, she ended.
He grabbed her hand and when he was going out, he asked: "What wish did you make for so long just now?"
"Oh, I can't say it, otherwise it won't work."
If you don't say anything, don't say it. He doesn't care. In fact, he knows that Anyang won't say it, but he still has to ask. Otherwise, she will ask back later, why aren't you curious, why don't you ask, how about it, it's too troublesome.
.
After leaving Yuntai Temple, continue up the mountain.
We walked along the valley, parallel to the gurgling stream, and went deep into the mountains.
Anyang was tired from walking, so he put his luggage on another horse, let her get on the horse, and he led the horse in front. The road was winding and not rugged, so it was relatively easy to walk on horseback.
In fact, for people who are not good at equestrian skills, riding a horse requires control of balance, which is quite tiring on the contrary.
So Anyang sat for a while, then dismounted and walked again.
We kept walking and stopping like this until evening, and we had covered less than ten kilometers.
There are also villages in the mountains, but they are few in number and rarely encountered. Therefore, there is no place to rest at night and they can only set up camp by themselves.
We found a flat piece of land, set up the tent, and went to find firewood nearby. Then we lit up a bonfire and gathered around, grilling meat and boiling water. It was so comfortable.
Considering that Lin Xiaoguang would inevitably encounter blind bears and the like when he went into the mountains, Yan Dongming asked the captain of the militia team to come over, and also sent two teams of five to six and a half, plus the shotguns, bows and arrows brought by Lin Guodong's two brothers.
With multiple weapons, it can be said to be very safe.
At night I ate the dry food I brought and then went to sleep.
Continue on the next day.
On this day, Lin Guodong hunted a lot of game, such as pheasants, hares, and a deer.
These days, when there is a fire in the mountains, there is no such thing as setting the mountain on fire or sitting in jail under such strict forest laws. Hunting will not violate the laws for protecting wild animals, so everyone has no worries.
Lin Xiaoguang felt the urge to eat venison in the evening.
Something is wrong here. Even if I try to restrain myself, the heat in my abdomen cannot be suppressed by human power.
So he moved the tent where he and Anyang lived away from other people's tents. At night, when it was dark and everyone else was asleep, he pestered Anyang for help.
Anyang was shy to begin with, but in this situation, he refused decisively.
But who allowed him to eat something that would help his nature?
In the end, he succeeded half-heartedly.
From then on, it was as if he had let go of his reserve. Although he was concerned about others and always paying attention, he just remained silent so as not to be heard by others, otherwise it would be embarrassing for the country of Java.
On the third day of entering the mountain, I finally met Zhongnan Hermit on the ridge.
There is only one person in the hermitage. He built a brick and earth house by himself. He is dressed in blue-gray robes without Tai Chi Bagua. His hair is tied into a bun. He has a pair of cloth shoes under his feet. He is carrying a bundle of firewood on his back and is returning home.
On the road.
When I turned around the path and saw a group of them, I was slightly startled.
"Householder!"
Lin Xiaoguang was bohemian in front of Anyang, but he was still very formal in front of outsiders. He greeted with a solemn face and then explained his purpose: "Layman, I am a master's student at the University of Hong Kong. Foreigners are particularly interested in our Zhongnan hermitage, so this
I came here to investigate this time, so please let me know if I disturb you in any way."
The man actually spoke standard Mandarin and said: "Two days ago, a British woman came here. She asked me to give a letter to anyone who passes by here. Are you Lin Xiaoguang?
?"
"British woman?" Lin Xiaoguang was stunned, who could it be?
He nodded: "I am."
"come on."
This hermit is indeed an expert. He is about forty years old, with a handsome face and a calm temperament. His face is not expressionless, but neither sad nor happy, with no desires or pursuits. He has a natural Taoist charm about him.
He followed and asked on the way: "May I ask the layman's name? I am Lin Xiaoguang from Yuntai Mountain, a native of Chang'an."
"I don't dare to call you by your famous name. I am a poor person." He said and handed over a letter.
Lin Xiaoguang opened it and saw the signature, and immediately realized that it was indeed Catherine.