Chapter 75: Shadows of Bamboo, Fleeting Time

"Step on the brakes!" Lin Shenlu shouted.

"Um... which one is the brake?"

...

With her heart pounding, Lin Shenlu managed to rescue Su Bao'er from the tricycle.

"You nearly scared me to death..." Lin Shenlu patted her chest, still shaken.

"Um... scared Bao'er too..." Su Bao'er, mimicking Lin Shenlu, also gave her chest a symbolic pat.

"Where did you get this vehicle?" Lin Shenlu asked Su Bao'er with curiosity.

"Some uncle... lent it to me..." Su Bao'er casually pointed behind her.

Of course, Lin Shenlu had no idea where this girl had borrowed it from... but it did seem like quite a handy means of transport.

Wait a minute!

She was still on the phone!

"Hello? Hello?"

"What did you just say?" Lin Shenlu, still sweating from the fright, now felt immune to anything.

"What happened? Were you in an accident?" Hailan Jing's anxious voice sounded from the other end.

"Can't you ever wish me well?" Lin Shenlu muttered, exasperated.

Hailan Jing chuckled.

"As long as you're fine. Listen, I'm on my way to Lishui right now. I'm planning to open an inn there. When the time comes, give me a hand, help me with some design ideas!" Hailan Jing's tone was light and breezy over the phone.

Lin Shenlu frowned. "Why are you opening an inn in Lishui?"

"Alright, alright, I'm about to board. I'll talk to you after I land!" Hailan Jing hung up before Lin Shenlu could press further.

This left Lin Shenlu both puzzled and helpless.

What was all this about?

If Hailan Jing hadn't come all this way for her, why had she rushed to the airport to ask about her next destination when Lin Shenlu was leaving Dali?

And now, abandoning her hotel in Dali, she had come to Lishui to open a new inn?

But if Hailan Jing really had come for her... after all, Lin Shenlu was just traveling through Lishui, staying maybe two weeks, a month at most!

What then? It didn't make sense!

Lin Shenlu felt a little awkward.

"Lu-wa, what are you thinking about?" Su Bao'er gazed at her curiously.

"Nothing. Come on, Bao'er, let's head to the other side of the mountain." Lin Shenlu shook her head.

"Okay... got it..."

...

Ancient Weir, Painter's Village.

Half ancient weir, half painter's haven.

Right now, Lin Shenlu's thoughts were all occupied by the ancient weir.

This was a weir that had withstood the wash of a thousand years.

Lin Shenlu was utterly captivated by the place.

Over the emerald Oujang River, beautiful painted boats drifted slowly, leaving gentle ripples in their wake.

To ride a painted boat along the river into Songyin Creek was the best way to reach the ancient weir.

Along the way, picturesque scenery unfolded, a cool breeze caressed the face—a journey as poetic as it was delightful.

Yet, instead of taking the boat, Lin Shenlu preferred driving the little tricycle, going wherever she pleased.

The destination was the same, only the paths differed, and the scenery naturally changed as well.

Of course, with the electric tricycle, there was nowhere for Su Bao'er to sit.

So, in the tiny cargo bed at the back, Su Bao'er gripped the sides tightly, eyeing Lin Shenlu with no small amount of anxiety.

"Lu-wa, slow down... I'm about to get shaken right off..."

...

Before long, the two of them arrived at an ancient path connecting the dock and Yantou Village.

The Tongji Weir was, in fact, renowned throughout history.

It was built around 500 AD.

Its reputation rivaled that of Dujiangyan, Zhengguo Canal, Tianshan Weir, and Lingqu.

Famous scholars and poets had visited here since ancient times, leaving behind countless tales, which was why this ancient path in memory of the sages had been built.

It was afternoon. Lin Shenlu parked the vehicle and, with Su Bao'er, strolled along the long pavilion.

The pavilion's floor was paved with rugged flagstones; shafts of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the roof overhead.

To the right of the pavilion stood a row of lush bamboo groves.

The breeze stirred, shadows flickered, and the bamboo cast graceful patterns on the ground.

On the other side, verdant plants flourished, with distant green hills rising beyond.

Sunlight stretched the bamboo shadows along the length of the pavilion.

Time itself seemed to slow in this moment.

When they reached the end of the ancient path, a narrow stone walkway appeared over the water.

On the clear, still surface, distant mountains and white clouds were perfectly reflected, along with grass and the fleeting forms of passersby.

Dozens of roughly hewn stones, not quite rectangular, formed a neat causeway across the water.

Crossing this path led straight to Yantou Village.

From afar, Lin Shenlu could see how the white stones complemented the ancient trees around them.

With double-eaved pavilions nestled against the mountains, arched bridges and flowing streams beside humble dwellings, the literary spirit of a Jiangnan village was locked within this scene.

Lin Shenlu snapped pictures, marveling at the purity and ancient simplicity of it all.

All around, a dozen or so ancient camphor trees, each a thousand years old, wove a vast canopy overhead.

A thought occurred to Lin Shenlu.

"Bao'er, come here," she called to Su Bao'er behind her.

"Um... Lu-wa..."

"Kneel with me before the old tree and bow three times," Lin Shenlu gestured at the great tree ahead.

In her memory, there was a tradition in Yantou Village: when a child was born, the family would bring the baby to the ancient tree, and a ceremony would be held to pay respects, making the tree a godmother to the child. It was said the ancient tree's blessing would grant a long, healthy life.

Lin Shenlu wasn't particularly superstitious, but standing before a tree that had weathered a thousand years of fortune, she thought it couldn't hurt to have Su Bao'er join her in paying respects.

"Alright, I'll bow... Lu-wa, is this great tree a tree spirit, too?" Su Bao'er's mind always seemed to wander in mysterious ways—perhaps she was remembering the thousand-year-old camphor by the dock they'd seen yesterday.

"That's right, the ancient camphors have all become spirits. Let's ask Lady Tree to bless us," Lin Shenlu said solemnly.

Su Bao'er nodded vigorously.

"Alright... Lady Tree Spirit... please help me get home soon..."

...

Lin Shenlu truly felt awe; such a massive group of ancient trees was rare anywhere in the country.

Perhaps only here, in what was called the last secret realm of the south, could such ancient trees be found.

Upon entering the village, Lin Shenlu saw a stream running alongside the old street, surrounded by lush greenery—a scene straight out of poetry and painting.

Not far away was a small wooden bridge spanning the stream.

To walk across this centuries-old bridge was to feel the weight of history.

The bridge was small, but it brimmed with character.

Every weathered mark on its surface told a story.

For hundreds of years, it had endured wind and rain, sun and flood... yet it still stood firm above the stream.

Hidden in this emerald world.

As Lin Shenlu ran her fingers along the railing, she savored the unique smoothness there.

Who knew how many people, over the years, had passed this way and traced this very spot?

Old bridges always carried such a sense of time and history.

They made one deeply aware of the passage—and the fleetingness—of time.

Yantou Village had not been transformed by tourism; everything remained as simple and authentic as ever.

"Bao'er, look..."

Not far off, an old fisherman, just back from his catch, wearing a straw hat, humming a fisherman's tune, bare-chested, a porcelain cup of plum juice dangling from his hand, strolled by at his leisure, perfectly at ease.

"Um... why isn't that uncle wearing a shirt..." Su Bao'er stared in a daze.