no one can travel alone

Chapter 1 Traveling to Say Goodbye

Text/Lin Dihuan

Next stop Kunming
In the summer of 2013, I started a solo trip across Guizhou, Guizhou and Hunan.

The work is heavy and earning a living is difficult. In fact, there are very few opportunities to arrange a journey for myself.So this time, I didn't go on the road to see the scenery, nor to take any good photos.

In the first half of the year, some unexpected and extremely painful things happened, and I still don't want to mention them.

On the way of growing up, inevitable blows will eventually come, full of guilt, self-blame and reluctance.I know, I must find a place without friends and think alone.

In fact, it doesn't matter where you go. I glanced at the map and pointed to a lofty mountain.Just go there, wherever you go.

My father once told me that it is difficult to predict the things that people encounter in life. If you encounter such problems, you will encounter that kind of problems.Knowing how to solve or accept, being able to settle down and live a normal life is pretty good.

I booked a flight ticket to Kunming (the airline points were exchanged, and it only cost 180 yuan), and the subsequent journeys were all worn-out ordinary express trains, worn-out minibuses, and worn-out trams.

Those cars wobbled and bounced, taking me to strange places.Sunrise or sunset, drizzle or dense fog, when there is no mobile phone signal, you will get lost, if you are sleepy, you will find a small inn and fall asleep, and if you are hungry, you will squat on the side of the road and eat a pancake.

In fact, it's a bit like self-exile, taciturn all the way, rarely strike up a conversation with people, completely different from the usual eloquent style.

Of course, I also know that there is nothing I want to find in the distance, I just want to hide for a while and lick my wounds alone.

First stop, Kunming.

What impressed me most about Kunming was the chilly weather in midsummer.

Although it is a tourist city, old Kunming has basically been flattened and there is no impression. I think I came ten years late.

I met many friends in Kunming and talked a lot. I basically finished talking about this journey. After leaving Kunming, I fell into a long silence.

I actually have no expectations for the ancient city of Dali, but I just stayed for one night in transit, and by the way, I waited for the new book "Time Movies" that I haven't seen yet to arrive.In fact, I was very apprehensive about this book, worried that I would disappoint the expectations of many friends, and worried that this book was not worth reading.

In the ancient city, as I imagined, it was noisy day and night, with many shops and tourists.

When I am in Dali, I don’t visit the ancient city, see the sights, strike up a conversation, have an affair, look for food, shop, or even take pictures.

The only thing to do is to be in a daze.

Hungry and too lazy to eat, sitting in a daze on a hotel bed, on a stool by the river, in a daze on a city wall, in a cafe on Renmin Road with the least customers, in a daze on a hotel bed late at night.

He even cruelly refused friends who happened to be traveling in Dali to come to meet him.

However, I was not thinking about anything, just sitting like this.

Next stop Dali Weishan
That day in Dali, I didn't eat anything, only drank two cups of coffee worth ten yuan.

Going to Weishan was purely a chance encounter. When I was planning to leave Dali, I didn't know where to go next.

Boss Wang of Weishan Chenxiang Inn told me, you should go to Weishan to stay for two nights.So I went to Weishan, which I hadn't heard of when I came to Dali.

Chenxiang Inn is actually several Ming Dynasty protected buildings in a courtyard.I was the only guest that night, and the old man who watched the night went to bed early.

The night breeze sneaks through the exquisite classical buildings, the old trees cast shadows in the dim lights, and the night is so quiet that only the sound of your own footsteps can be heard.Pacing around in the yard dappled with lights, I really wanted to shout, but I was afraid of alarming someone after all.

So I began to imagine myself as Ning Caichen, but after all, I didn't feel like it, so I had to imagine myself as Yan Chixia.

I couldn't help posting a Weibo, so my friends sent me all kinds of late-night ghost stories.However, Xiaoqian finally did not come.The ancient city of Weishan, just like Dali before it was developed, is as simple and quiet as the inn gave me.There are few tourists here, and the folk customs are simple and reassuring.

The mother-in-law who was grilling bait on the side of the road saw me holding a camera and insisted on buying me a slice.Later, in order to cooperate with me in taking pictures, I wasted time and burnt three slices, which made me feel guilty for a long time.

In the farmer's market, there was a large cup of homemade local rice wine that cost one yuan. When I asked for the degree, it was almost [-] degrees, and I walked away silently.

Sitting in a carriage worth two yuan a person, went to an unknown village, and came back silently.

The night in the inn was as cold as water, which made me reluctant to leave, and I couldn't help but stay an extra night, just because this place is really suitable for thinking about life.

In fact, I would like to stay a few more nights, but I am worried that it will affect the boss's business, which is too unkind.Forget it, departure, next stop, unknown.

Next stop Xizhou
Sitting on the broken minibus that left Weishan, I hesitated about the next stop. At this time, a new friend from Kunming just called and said, go to Xizhou, it’s quiet there, and my friend’s friend runs an inn there. .

So transfer to Xizhou.

After bumping the car for a long time, I finally found the remote Uva Inn.The proprietress, Ms. Su, calmly let me settle down by myself, and asked me lightly if I would like to have lunch together.Later, when I left Xizhou, she happened to be going to Dali, so she gave me a ride along the way.

So, thank you, Miss Su.

On the day I arrived in Xizhou, it happened to be the local Town God's Birthday. All the Bai women and aunts in the town worshiped the gods in the Town God's Temple, and then divided the meat and dishes, and had dinner together, which was very lively.

There were very few tourists passing by, and some would come in to take pictures of the grandmas, but they all took pictures silently and timidly.

I was the only one who came forward to talk to them. They didn't understand what they said, and they didn't understand what I said. Everyone made gestures and talked about themselves.Then I offered cigarettes to the grandmas, shared the meat for them, and sneaked a piece or two (I was really hungry after driving for a long time).

The mother-in-law of the Bai nationality is very enthusiastic. Whenever tourists come in, they will invite them to have a meal together, but the tourists refuse in a panic.I was the only one who sat down and fed myself twice. Later, the grandmas stuffed lean meat into my mouth (the sacrificial meat was much fatter and thinner).

Ride through town on Uva's bike.The dirt road to the Erhai Lake was empty, and occasionally one or two squirrels and civet cats ran across the road, and saw countless birds along the way.

Egrets, cattle egrets, hoopoes, and crows will stand all over the big tree at the entrance of the town at dusk, which is very spectacular and noisy.

Xizhou Baba is well-deserved of its reputation. Whether it is stuffed with bacon or sweet roses, it is extremely sweet and unforgettable.

In my broken camera bag, I carried a sweet one and a salty one. Sometimes I took a bite of the sweet one, and sometimes I took a bite of the salty one, and spent my time in Xizhou like this.

Next stop Guizhou
From Xizhou back to Dali, the next stop should be Lijiang, Shangri-La, and Lugu Lake according to normal logic.But my brain suddenly short-circuited, and I felt that these places were very boring, and I was not in the mood to go to Nuodeng, Shaxi, Heshun, and Puzhehei, which were highly recommended by everyone.

My own journey, where I like to go.

So I decided to go to Guizhou and Zhenyuan. I couldn’t explain the reason, maybe it was because it was a long way to Zhenyuan and the traffic would be inconvenient, or maybe it was because I didn’t have any friends in Zhenyuan, so I didn’t need to talk.

I wrote an article before called: "Don't take the usual path, only shoot strangers".This short-circuited decision pushed my philosophy of life to the extreme.

It takes two hours from Xizhou to Dali, four hours from Dali to Kunming by train, and fifteen hours from Kunming to Zhenyuan in the southeast of Qiandongnan by hard sleeper.

In fact, I still like to take the train.Late at night in the carriage, the monotonous sound of wheels and rails intersecting, the lights outside the window for a while, and the cold moon for a while.At the junction of the carriage, he silently smoked a cigarette.

It is no longer like when I was young, I would chat with my neighbors.Sitting dully on the train, stopping at every well-known and unknown station, so the time passed.

Although it is far away, I actually have no expectations for Zhenyuan.

This is a famous border city. When I arrived, the riverside was basically full of brand-new Hui style buildings, and the historical buildings had long since disappeared.

No hope, certainly no disappointment.

A friend from far away sent a congratulatory message, wishing me to go to the distant Zhenyuan, and also told me to visit the famous Wild Great Wall.

With heavy instructions, I began to climb up the Wild Great Wall out of breath (fare evasion failed due to lack of physical strength, resulting in the only ticket fee for this trip: 30 yuan).On the gazebo on the top of the mountain, many tripods are waiting for the night scene.In order to relieve my fatigue, I chatted cordially with photography enthusiasts from big cities such as Wuhan while enjoying the cool, and asked for advice on photography experience.

They say that a tripod must be equipped with a remote release, and that you must use a wide-angle lens for panoramic shots. Don’t shoot with your 50mm head.He also said, you should know that you use M mode, M is a full manual mode, you know, if you don’t know how to shoot landscapes in M ​​mode, then don’t shoot.Also, remember to bring a tripod next time.

There is also an uncle who came with a conference tour group. He took pictures with the shutter release while answering his mobile phone, saying, "You eat first, you eat first. It's not dark yet. I'm still taking pictures on the top of the mountain. I will punish myself three times later." Cup, hahaha.He sighed and said to me, it’s not easy to make some works, young man, you have to work hard, and go back with a wide-angle lens first, hahaha, parallel imports seem to be cheaper in Guangzhou.I sincerely thanked them for their guidance, and I took two photos of their heroic postures leaning on a tripod in the wind with the P file (Note: P file is an automatic file, everyone knows it~), and then went down the mountain silently.

What Zhenyuan reminds me of is the spicy fish in sour soup.

Next stop Hongjiang
Changge should cry, but he can't cry, even if he is so hot that he can communicate with tears.

Leaving Zhenyuan, I don't know where to go. There are many beautiful scenery in Qiandongnan.

Too bad I like weird lines.

Then go to Hunan, Xiangxi.I originally wanted to go to Jishou, which I never forget, but there is no direct train from Zhenyuan to Jishou, so I went to Huaihua for a transit.

I heard that there is a Hongjiang River in Huaihua before, and I really didn’t want to live in Huaihua, which looked chaotic, so after the train arrived in Huaihua that afternoon, I took the train from the train station to Huaihua South Station, which was far away, and then took another two or three hours to the broken road. CMB arrived in Hongjiang.

It was sunset time by then, and the next day at [-] o'clock in the morning, we would take another two or three hours of driving back to Huaihua and transfer to the train to Jishou.

If I have a companion, he will definitely break up with me.

However, Hongjiang Ancient Shopping Mall, which is often evaluated on the Internet as small, dilapidated and unattractive, gave me a big surprise.

There are maze-like alleys, countless dilapidated and unrenovated old mansions, and some old houses live in peaceful and hospitable old people.

This place is far from rich, but people are very warm to strange visitors.

The setting sun casts magical light and shadows in the old yard with a patio.Walk into a house at random, and ask Aunt Su who is washing the dishes if there is any place to eat nearby.But she said, if you don't dislike it, just eat here, my son is studying in Guangzhou.

Thanks to Aunt Wansu for repeatedly persuading her to stay, she walked into the neighbor's house.Grandma Zheng, who lives alone, heard that I was going to take pictures of her. She combed her hair for a long time in front of the old dressing table, and said, you should come during the Spring Festival. , granddaughter is also in Guangdong.He also said that they haven't come back for the New Year for two or three years, they are always busy with work, and it's hard to buy tickets...

When I was in Hongjiang, I hardly took pictures of ancient buildings, but I took pictures of many old people.Next time I have a chance to go to Hongjiang, I will bring the photos with me, hoping to meet them again.

Before leaving Hongjiang in the early morning of the next day, I saw a beautiful sunrise in Yuanjiang.From Hongjiang to Jishou, the train takes three hours, hard seats, and the entire compartment is empty, which is considered the most extravagant part of the journey.

When I arrived at Jishou, which I never forget, I suddenly didn’t want to stay. After eating a bowl of sour radish, I decided to go to Chadong in my dream.

From Jishou to Chadong, it may be because of Dashanli, the road is unbelievably detoured.I changed trains four or five times, it took me half a day, and it was evening when I arrived at Chadong.

Chadong has always been a very remote place. It is a three-way zone at the junction of Hunan, Guizhou, and Chongqing. The Youshui River flows from here to the Yuanjiang River and straight out of Dongting Lake. Shen Congwen walked out of Xiangxi through here, using the ferry as a model. Wrote "Border Town".

About seven or eighty years later, I was thinking about junior high school, and I was thirsty for reading.I have no money to go to the bookstore, so I can only save some money for snacks, and buy old books by the catty at the waste collection station, and there is a copy of "Border Town" inside.This book let me know how to use words to narrate.

Therefore, despite all the hardships, the scenery of Chadong actually doesn't matter, as long as you arrive there.

Next stop Jishou
Under the White Pagoda, there is no trace of the ferry where Grandpa and Cui Cui got off, but a highway bridge was erected in the sky.

There is also Lala Ferry on the ferry, and it costs one yuan to cross the river. I spent about ten yuan on the Lala Ferry that day.The Cuicui Island carefully built by the local government did not go up.

I took off my shoes and sat on the clear pebble river beach for the entire evening.

By the river, I accidentally took a photo of three girls chatting and sitting by the river.Later, those three girls came over and asked me to take some group photos for them. They grew up together in Chadong, and they just got the admission notice after the college entrance examination or planned to go out to work. It may not be easy to get together in the future.

They said that Chadong is no longer what it was when they were young, but luckily the river has not changed much.

I took a few group photos for them on the beach.Those photos are neither artistic nor creative enough, but I believe they are precious to them.

For dinner in Chadong, I ordered the most expensive river fish.Deep down in my heart, I really hope that Chadong can kill me and come back for everything that "Border Town" brought me. "He may come back tomorrow, or he may never come back." Shen Congwen ended the whole story with this sentence in his "Border Town".

Chadong returned to Jishou Bus Station and ran all the way non-stop, already described as haggard and weathered.The suitcase was full of dirty clothes, and I didn't know where I lost two socks.

Let's make the last stop, where should we go?Going down the Yuan River on the map, the name Yuanling is very nice, so let’s go to this place with a beautiful name.

Actually, I don't know anything about Yuanling.

I vaguely remember that this was Shen Congwen's last stop out of Xiangxi.

Also, in "The Legend of Condor Heroes", the name of Li Mochou's rival in love has the word "Yuan". Because of love into hatred, 36 companies on Yuanshui were wiped out overnight, and it was in Yuanling.But this is just fiction.

Only when I arrived did I realize that this is actually a very small and remote county, famous for the dragon boat races on the Yuanshui River during the Dragon Boat Festival.At dusk, I was so tired from walking that I couldn't walk anymore. I sat on the long embankment and watched people practicing dragon boats on the river.Some people released ospreys, some cast nets, and there were many men, women and children playing in the water to cool off the heat.

A teacher from Yuanling No. [-] Middle School who also likes photography passed by, saw me holding a camera, and invited me to his house as a guest.I said I was tired, thank you.

Next stop Yuanling
sunset, moonrise.

The light of the full moon, sprinkled on the boats moored on the Yuanjiang River, is so clear and radiant for thousands of miles that it is extremely lonely.

Where is the return journey?go home.

Thank you for finally getting here, this travelogue is long, long-winded, and pointless, just me talking to myself.

But I'm glad I finally let you kill some time and read this article.

People are born lonely, so we need to meet, I am very glad to meet you at the end of this article.

Ok.

So be it.

Life is a series of long or short encounters and partings.

We will part ways eventually, but please not at this moment.

I dedicate this document to my father, and to all those who have loved me.

(End of this chapter)