Chapter 61: The Snow-Capped Summit and the Seven-Colored Clouds
Around nine thirty in the morning, Lin Shenlu parked the car. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain lay at her feet. She had already purchased tickets online in advance. In these times when travel is not as popular, the number of visitors was indeed sparse. Almost no queue was necessary. Lin Shenlu carried the foam box she had bought at a fruit shop along the way, ready to transfer onto a shuttle bus heading to the cable car.
The foam box was meant to hold snow.
Originally, Lin Shenlu hadn’t planned to ascend to the summit. Gathering some snow at the foot of the mountain would have sufficed. Yet, during this season, only the summit bore enough snow, and it was easier to collect there. Furthermore, the summit’s snow was brought down from the heights, scattered upon the world below—a snowfall in itself. In the old town of Lijiang, it was common for the wind to carry snow from the mountain, letting it drift into the city and making people believe it had truly snowed.
Soon, Lin Shenlu boarded the cable car, which, following the iron cables, slowly climbed upward. Below were lush forests, rows of deep green trees, and white snow scattered among them. Looking back, the mountain landscape was dressed in silver.
Suddenly, Lin Shenlu remembered something. She seemed to have forgotten to rent a winter coat or purchase an oxygen tank. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stood over five thousand meters high, its temperature unbearably low. She feared she might freeze or suffer from altitude sickness. How could her thin clothes protect her while collecting snow?
Well… perhaps it was best to pause and enjoy the stunning scenery.
It was said that the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was the sacred mountain of the people of Lijiang, the soul of the ancient town. Legend had it that every drop of water flowing through Lijiang’s old town was melted snow from the mountain above. The snow nourished this ancient city…
…
Upon reaching the summit, the many visitors quickly dispersed. Climbing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was not exhausting. There was no need to hike; the cable car brought one right up. Of course, this wasn’t the highest point—this large platform was perfect for admiring the surrounding scenery. Ahead, wooden steps had been built for those who wished to climb the final stretch to the peak.
Only the last hundred meters to the summit remained.
Lin Shenlu no longer needed to think much. Collecting snow was her priority.
And so, in the biting wind above five thousand meters, hundreds of tourists in thick winter coats gazed at the beautiful landscape. Some climbed higher for a better view, some posed for photos in the snow, some gathered at the stone monument, others clutched oxygen tanks and breathed deeply.
Amid the crowd, a man squatted on the ground, wearing only a thin jacket. His hands, trembling and red from the cold, scooped snow into the foam box again and again…
Thus, those taking selfies, photographing their companions, their families, or the snow—all ended up photographing Lin Shenlu.
“Nowadays, influencers really know how to attract attention… acting crazy in the cold like this, scooping up snow to take home… What, is he going to sell it in the northeast?”
“Not necessarily. Maybe he’s bringing a local specialty back for friends.”
…
The crowd murmured. Lin Shenlu, with chilly hands, covered her ears and finally, after half an hour, managed to fill the foam box with snow.
It would be enough to make it snow in Santorini.
…
By eleven o’clock, Lin Shenlu sealed the foam box with tape and wrapped it with the winter coat she had just bought for two hundred yuan. She hadn’t worn the coat herself on the mountain; instead, she dressed the foam box for the descent.
There was no other way—it helped preserve the snow.
She remembered seeing this method in a blogger’s article. In the old northeast, people would ride bicycles, carrying foam boxes filled with ice cream. Even when the temperature outside reached twenty or thirty degrees, the inside of the box remained cold, and the ice cream wouldn’t melt.
She figured that on the two-hour journey back, the snow would not melt either.
“Blue Whale, this time I really owe you nothing. Hundreds of miles round trip, I single-handedly fetched snow for you, so you won’t have any regrets. When I leave Dali, you can start your life anew!” Lin Shenlu muttered, rubbing her now recovered hands, gripping the steering wheel, and stepping on the gas to head back.
…
Perhaps because she had completed something so ritualistic, Lin Shenlu felt much better.
She turned on the music.
The song was called “A Handful of Dust, A Handful of Moonlight.” It was one she particularly liked—she always felt it should be played when bidding farewell to a girl.
As the car moved forward, the melody filled the air.
“That day you wore a long black dress…
Fine rain, drop by drop
Under a black umbrella in full bloom
A gentle breeze brushed your hair so casually
I hid my feelings
Afraid to disturb the serenity of the rain
The road had grown muddy
Yet I still couldn’t turn my eyes away…”
…
Whoosh… how comfortable.
The sunlight was wonderful. The clouds were beautiful.
On the way here, she had kept looking at the clouds, hoping to see the colorful ones she longed for, but perhaps because of the timing and the sun, they hadn’t appeared.
Now, the sunlight was just right, the clouds were just right.
On this road!
Lin Shenlu was filled with anticipation.
“Anticipating… meeting you again at some corner…
Helpless… always waking up with regret
The black hem of your dress, a beauty so unexpected
I wander, wondering how to avoid it
I won’t be lonely, for tonight’s moonlight
The midnight street, bidding farewell to the crowds
…
Under the shadowed tree, she grinds ink, admiring the view…
A handful of dust, a handful of moonlight
I watch you from a distance yet so near
A handful of dust, a handful of moonlight…”
…
Lin Shenlu pressed harder on the accelerator.
On both sides of the road, grasslands and rows of pine trees stretched out. In the distance, mountains layered upon mountains, and white clouds piled up in the sky.
At this bend, Lin Shenlu gently tapped the brakes, slowly turning.
Soon, the road ahead straightened!
At the same time, sunlight streamed in from a different angle, shining through the window onto Lin Shenlu’s face.
On the straight road, a blue sign flashed by! Above the mountains! Lin Shenlu slammed on the brakes!
Damn!
What did she just see?
Her body jerked violently with inertia, then the seatbelt caught her.
Instinctively, Lin Shenlu whipped off her sunglasses and stood up.
There, above the distant mountains!
Three bands of white cloud stretched across the other side of the peaks.
And under the sunlight!
Those three jade-like bands reflected seven colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet!
Lin Shenlu’s eyes widened, her mouth hung open!
She had actually encountered the rainbow-hued clouds!
The first cloud band glowed red and orange only at its right tip, while its left side remained pure white, as if half of it had been crushed by a rainbow.
The second band was painted perfectly in orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, only a tiny bit of white clinging to its far left.
The third band, slender and hugging the mountaintop, shimmered mainly in orange, red, and yellow—as though a deity were emerging from the peaks. The beauty of the scene was breathtaking!