Chapter 2 Beautiful young lady, I'm going to have a calamity
It was nearly 7pm when we arrived at the ancient city of Dukezong. The car was driving bumpily. When the driver stepped on the brake for the last time, Si Ye's forehead slammed against the front seat.
The stiff backrest of the car seat was so painful that Siye bared his teeth and couldn't help but curse, "Fuck", and the long dream he had just fallen asleep was also shattered.
After jumping out of the car, Si Ye took a few deep breaths. The winding mountain road and the slight high made him feel dizzy.
There were five people who chartered the car with him, and two girls jumped out of the car after him. Their faces were pale, and they muttered that the driver was driving erratically. But their displeasure was soon overtaken by the first-time visitor to Shangri-La.
Excitement replaced it with loud cheers and screams.
The noise made Si Ye's ears hurt. As soon as he put on his backpack, the girl in red asked him, "Brother, have you found the inn? Do we want to come together? There is someone to take care of you when you are away from home."
Si Ye was handsome, young and tall, and the two girls kept looking at him along the way.
As for him, he pulled his peaked cap down as soon as he got in the car and slept until the car stopped.
There is no reason to refute face when a good-looking girl takes the initiative to strike up a conversation. Si Ye gently raised his lips, the smile in his narrow eyes was wild and flirtatious, making the little girl who came forward to speak blush.
"Pretty lady, I plan to go to Songzanlin Monastery to undergo a tribulation, will you come with us?"
Si Ye had a pair of passionate eyes. When he wasn't smiling, he was aloof and aloof. When he smiled slightly, he became bohemian. So most girls really couldn't resist this frivolity. The little girl covered her lips and smiled softly, telling him to stop teasing him, or he would die again.
You need to add him on WeChat.
After paying off the car payment and going their separate ways, Si Ye tightened his bag and looked forward along the bluestone road in front of him, his lips slightly pursed and he looked a little solemn.
It’s just the beginning of April and it’s not yet the peak tourist season.
This ancient city is known as the closest to heaven. It is the largest Tibetan settlement and the hub of the Tea Horse Road. The ancient city is not big, and there are only a few backpackers coming and going.
The shops on both sides were open with great dedication, even if there were no customers. Siye passed many Tibetan wood carving shops, Dongba paper making shops, and shops filled with the fragrance of pine forests. He sat on a simple pony and kept banging with a hammer.
The owner of a silverware shop, the handmade Tibetan knife handles are exquisite. When it is time for dinner, the aroma of barbecued mushrooms and yak meat hot pot mixed with butter tea is already faintly floating in the ancient city.
Siye walked and navigated all the way to find the B&B in Zingli. He stood at the door and looked at the plaque. It was a square brown solid wood with a sharp black color and a few words engraved on it: July Inn.
Compared with other inns in the ancient city, this one is small in size, with two floors. There is a string of quaint Tibetan wind chimes on the door beam of the entrance, and the walls are made of yellow mahogany. The furnishings are slightly older, and the overall style is that of a Tibetan almshouse.
The inn was quite deserted. The owner was lying on a chair with his eyes closed and listening to an audio novel. Shi Ye couldn't hear the specific story being told, but he was surprised by the background music.
The front desks are all the same, a solid solid wood table, the things on the table are quite messy, a desktop computer with a sense of age, next to it is a sign for chartered tours, and opposite there is a golden Pixiu squatting. The front desk is facing the wall.
There is a thangka hanging, and there are many local specialties in the cabinets on both sides. The most eye-catching one is undoubtedly a Tibetan knife. The pattern on the blade seems to be old.
Si Ye raised his index finger and tapped the countertop twice, "Hello, check-in."
The boss opened his eyes and looked him up and down. He had a black peaked cap, a handsome face, a black jacket, khaki overalls, and a large backpack behind him.
At the same time, Si Ye also looked at the boss. He was a rough man. He wore a sweetheart-neck sweater that was old but very clean. He looked like a Han Chinese.
The boss was very enthusiastic when checking in. He called himself Guan and asked Si Ye to call him Lao Guan.
"Everyone calls me that, little brother. When you stay in my hotel, it's like going home. If you need anything, just come to me."
While submitting his ID card for registration, Siye noticed a person sitting by the window in the diagonal corner of the hall.
That corner should be a place for tea and coffee. There are three tables set up, covered with a saffron auspicious cloud pattern tablecloth, with golden tassels hanging from the four corners, a long wooden chair with a backrest, and a thick contrasting color futon on the chair.
The corner is not big, but it is a good viewing spot. You can see the prayer wheel not far away. When the weather is good, you can bask in the sun. The weather today is not good, it is very cool. On the plateau, the temperature difference between morning and evening is normal.
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That man was sitting there, and no matter what he was wearing, he looked pretty cool.
Dressed in white, his face is hidden in a large amount of light and shadow, and his sharp outlines can be vaguely seen.
The cup in front of him was steaming. I don't know if it was tea or coffee. He had been looking out the window, and his gaze seemed to reach far away. In short, he was very focused.
Si Ye turned around, glanced at the cabinet, and chatted with the boss, "It's a good idea to hide the knife."
It was obvious that Lao Guan liked his Tibetan knife very much. While recording information into the computer, he said with a smile, "It's old. I collected it from an old Tibetan. The handles are all made of wolf."
It's made from ground bones."
"Who is the best at hiding knives in our ancient city?" Si Ye asked again.
Lao Guan raised his head and glanced at him, "Young man likes to hide knives, but it's not easy to mail them back." Even so, he pointed out a store to him, "Did you see that store on the corner?"
He stood up and raised his chin diagonally out of the window, "Here, there's a store next to the one selling cow skulls, with a red lantern hanging at the door. But that store used to be good, and they made pretty good furs, knives, and so on. Now..."
He waved his hand.
Si Ye leaned against the counter, leaning on the table with his elbows, and asked, "What's wrong now? The boss doesn't make knives anymore?"
Lao Guan chuckled twice and said, "Young man, if you really like it, Huitou will help you keep an eye on whether the Tibetans have any."
He is quite enthusiastic, but those who open stores and do business are all smart people, and they always have the ability to speak a few words to make a difference.
Upon hearing this, Si Ye understood that there was most likely something going on in that store.
"Okay, thank you, Brother Guan." Si Ye smiled kindly and looked away.
The store that sells cow skulls has a big front door. Five-color prayer flags are wrapped around the wooden beams of the front door. A cow head is placed against the floor-to-ceiling window of the shop. There are six-character mantras painted on the bones.
The one next to it has a shabby-looking storefront, and is a little bit ahead of the other stores in terms of size. It has an open traditional sliding door, and the top half of the door is made of glass, with a piece of fur from an unknown animal hanging on it.
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Only the red lantern is quite eye-catching. It is a kind of antique lantern, Chinese style. It is a bit far away and you can’t see the specific shape. Even if such a lantern is hung, it is the first one in the entire ancient city.
But after Si Ye saw the front of the shop, the corner of his mouth became serious.
When he took the ID card, he asked nonchalantly, "What is the name of the owner of that store?"
Lao Guan got him the key and said, "We all call him Qin Laosan..." That was only half of what he said.
Si Ye said oh and didn't ask any more questions.
The man in white clothes hiding in the shadow glanced this way.