After hiking for over two hours, Lu Jiaxin flopped onto the ground with a whoop. At home, she’d never sit in the backyard pavilion without laying down a clean cushion, yet on the mountain, she wasn’t picky at all.
Seeing how Yan Yijun and Miao Na, among others, remained composed, Lu Jiaxin envied them and said, "I’ve been exercising more recently and it’s still not enough, I wonder when I’ll have the stamina that you guys have."
Miao Na pursed her lips and chuckled, "Boss, you can stop dreaming about that. Just like we’ll never be as rich as you in this lifetime."
Yan Yijun reassured her, "Boss, you’re already doing amazing."
Lu Jiaxin didn’t continue the conversation but instead leaned against a tree and squinted for a short while, resting for about ten minutes before continuing to climb. Half an hour later, she saw an old man and a young boy, with the elder one sharing knowledge with the younger.
The older man said, "Our Heng Mountain is known as ’The First Mountain North of Sai,’ stretching over five hundred miles with one hundred and eight peaks. The main peak, Daily Peak Ridge, stands at 2016 meters high and is called the ’Northern Pillar of Heaven and Man.’"
Before coming here, Lu Jiaxin had read about Heng Mountain, she knew what the elder was talking about, but listening to his explanations while climbing the mountain had a different charm.
Seeing her pace slow down, Miao Na also slowed her steps.
Soon the old man noticed Lu Jiaxin was listening to his explanation and said with a smile, "Young lady, it’s Wednesday today; why aren’t you in school and instead climbing mountains?"
With a smile, Lu Jiaxin replied, "I’ve already graduated from university, and I’m taking advantage of the holiday to explore. Sir, are you a teacher?"
The old man replied cheerily, "You guessed wrong, I’m not a teacher, just a staff member at a museum."
The young man beside him laughed and said, "Grandpa, if Uncle Chen and the others heard this, they probably wouldn’t let you be a director anymore and would send you straight to the archaeological research institute."
Lu Jiaxin then understood that this man was the director of the provincial museum.
The old man, looking at Lu Jiaxin with an affectionate face, asked, "You graduated and didn’t report to your work unit or go back home but came traveling instead, aren’t you worried your parents would be concerned?"
Nowadays, Mainland university students are assigned jobs after graduating, with graduates from prestigious universities being able to enter good companies. For regular universities, getting into a good company depended on the family’s connections.
Lu Jiaxin laughed and mentioned she graduated from Hong Kong University, "Things are different in Hong Kong compared to the Mainland; they don’t assign you a job after university graduation, you have to find it yourself."
Having said that, she pointed to Yan Yijun and the others, chuckling, "With them following me, my safety is guaranteed."
After greeting Yan Yijun and his group, the old man continued talking about Heng Mountain. After a while, he pointed in a direction, saying with a smile, "Just up there, you’ll find the Beiyue Temple, where emperors of past dynasties performed sacrifices. There are also the Suspended Root Pine, Qinqi Platform, Sunset Reflection, Fruit Elder Ridge, Cloud-Stepping Road, Tiger Wind Pass, Hidden Dragon Spring, and eighteen other scenic spots."
At each site, he told a story, many of which were made-up. But his engaging storytelling made them feel as if they were right there, and everyone listened with great interest.
Through their conversation, Lu Jiaxin learned that the old man’s surname was Lu, the same as hers, meaning they were distant relatives, and he was the director of the Shan Provincial Historical Museum. He had taken a break from his busy schedule to bring his grandson Lu Yong for a hike.
By noontime, the group stopped to eat and restore their energy.
Lu Jiaxin noticed they were eating biscuits and brought over her own food and fruit, worried they might decline, she added that she had brought too much and couldn’t finish it all by herself."
The grown-ups were very open-minded and laughed, "Then let’s eat together."
Seeing the braised beef among Lu Jiaxin’s food, Lu Yong was astonished, "How can you bring this in such hot weather? It might spoil."
Lu Jiaxin chuckled, "No, it won’t. It’s wrapped in a layer of ice, so it’ll stay fresh for a day."
In the hot July weather, if food weren’t properly taken care of, it would definitely smell by now, but with ice, there was nothing to worry about.
Unlike last year when she had to bring many items to keep warm in winter, this time, besides the essentials for mountain climbing, she brought a lot of food. After all, each of the six of them was carrying twenty pounds, and they all moved faster than her.
Lu Yong tasted the braised beef, finding the cool sensation improved its flavor. Knowing from her clothes that she must come from a well-off family, he realized that enjoying such delicacies was far from ordinary riches.
Director Lu took a bite of the braised beef and praised it endlessly, lamenting the lack of wine, or else they could have had a little drink.
After the meal, Director Lu asked her, "Young lady, you said you graduated from Hong Kong University, but I can distinctly hear a Forty-Nine City accent in your speech."
Lu Jiaxin was very surprised, "I have an accent when I speak?"
"It’s a Forty-Nine City accent."
This was the first time someone told her she had an accent from the Forty-Nine City. She chuckled and said, "I was born and raised in the Forty-Nine City and just went to Hong Kong for studies four years ago. I love hiking and have been to Mount Tai, Huashan Mountain, Mount Heng, and Mount Song. Of the Wuyue, only Heng Mountain remains unclimbed, so I came to complete my plan."
They chatted amiably, back and forth, quite happily.
At around three in the afternoon, Director Lu had to take Lu Yong down the mountain. Before leaving, he told Lu Jiaxin, "Young lady, you can visit the historical museum after your journey, and then I’ll have Lu Yong give you a tour."
This year, Lu Yong was taking the college entrance exam, intending to study mathematics. His estimated scores suggested no problems. Also, because he often visited the museum, he was very familiar with it and more than capable of being a tour guide.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and told him, "I’ll visit after I return from my hometown, and at that time, I’ll need Comrade Xiao Lu to show me around."
After parting ways, Lu Yong asked in confusion, "Grandpa, who exactly is Miss Lu? Comrade Yan and Comrade Miao seem to listen to her."
Director Lu chuckled and replied, "Comrade Yan and Comrade Miao are her protectors."
Lu Yong was shocked, "Protecting her? Comrade Miao is a foreigner; how high must one’s status be to have a foreigner as a protector?"
"In Hong Kong, if you have money, you can hire talented people for anything," said Director Lu.
He too thought Lu Jiaxin’s identity was pretty mysterious. If she was from a wealthy Hong Kong family, it made sense, but she claimed she had moved there only four years ago from the Forty-Nine City. Such grand arrangements were puzzling.
Deciding not to puzzle over it any further, he didn’t trouble himself with it.
After separating from the grandfather-grandson duo, Lu Jiaxin picked up her pace and managed to reach the mountain summit before dark.
Upon reaching the summit, Miao Na felt the scenery wasn’t as spectacular as Mount Tai. Remembering that majestic and grand sight, she longed to climb Mount Tai again.
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, "When Nie Zhan has time, we will climb it again."
Miao Na glanced at her and replied with a smile, "If it’s within this year, then no problem."
She planned to stay until the end of the year before departing next year. Having grown attached over time, she would be sad to leave, but she still preferred undertaking missions and being able to relax completely afterward.