Chapter 2 Traveling Notes (Trail Reading)

When I talked to Poker-face about our trip, he looked into my eyes and nodded.

I felt that he took some time to think about it, but it also didn’t seem like he thought much about it at all. I didn’t confirm with him at that time, but I later found that he started packing so I knew he was ready to go without much hesitation.

Fatty and I began preparing things. This trip was going to take a long time so we asked the local people to help us take care of our restaurant. But I still felt a sense of urgency, thinking that we could return early if we set off as soon as possible. That way, we may be able to make it back in time for the tourist season.

The first thing we did was buy a used car in town. Fatty had asked if we should have Wang Meng get a car for us and drive it here, but I dismissed the idea after thinking about it. After all, Wang Meng needed the car for business. Although my Jinbei was strong for an old car, it might break down in the middle of the road on our way to Motuo.

It was better to buy a used car and sell it when we came back. The price was similar to that of renting a car but it was much more convenient.

After shopping around for cars in town for a long time, we eventually bought a Beijing Warrior.⁽¹⁾ The vehicle was in good condition but the leather was all worn out. We paid thirty thousand yuan for it and bought a bunch of accessories, including aromatic floor mats and so on. Fatty and I drove it around for a while to get familiar with it. We didn’t think there was any big problem with it so we drove it back to Xilaimian.

As we packed our stuff later that night, we didn’t talk much. I took out my camera equipment bag from my Guan Gen period. Although the lenses and equipment were very old, I was at least familiar with them.

Fatty was preparing food and emergency kits while Poker-face was preparing clothes and sleeping bags that could be used to keep us warm.

It was like we were preparing to go grave robbing, but we weren’t bringing any shovels with us.

I charged the camera and started taking photos of the yard to practice getting good pictures. The moss had grown a lot, and the aquatic plants in the water were already spread out like a middle-aged person’s hair. After this summer, the yard should look exactly as I imagined it to be.

We got up at seven the next morning and set off immediately, heading to Motuo with the help of the GPS.

Fatty’s phone had all the weird songs that I liked. Some were from different movies while others were songs that Fatty had overheard and added to his collection. There were also some disco songs that he liked. I picked a song and started playing it on loop, but I gradually got irritated with it.

I had read through a lot of material while I was in Motuo at that time so I listened to these songs when I was tired. I would lean against the window to watch the heavy snow outside. As the sound of the songs bounced around in my heart, I didn’t know where they would end up. At that time, the more I listened to these songs, the more surreal I felt.

But as I listened to these songs now, they sounded a little noisy to me. It was probably because my heart had become full during these past few years so I didn’t need these things to fill it.

While I was driving, Fatty was sitting in the passenger seat talking on the phone with his friend in Motuo. He twisted his body around a little because he didn’t want me to hear the voice on the other end. I sighed to myself—he was definitely planning an itinerary that I wouldn’t approve of.

“That’s right. Three people. Please arrange it for us, pal.”

“Yes, yes. He will be there. Yes. We’ll all be there. You have to be prepared. No. If what you’re saying is true, then we can immediately fix it for you when we get there. But the thing is, I think you’re lying.”

“Dude, if you aren’t being honest, I won’t be fucking responsible for any consequences. You know my friend. He’s the Houhai⁽²⁾ Murder King. You don’t want to mess with him.” Fatty hung up the phone and began snacking on some melon seeds.

I glanced at him and asked, “When did I become the Houhai Murder King? What does it have to do with Houhai?”

“He doesn’t know either. Let him think about it. The more he thinks about it, the more mysterious we are.”

“What exactly are you planning? Aren’t we going on a trip?”

“We are going on a trip. Don’t worry, it won’t spoil any fun for you. I’ve found an experienced Tibetan who can give us an in-depth tour.”

I sighed, “Was our last trip not in-depth enough?”

Fatty lit a cigarette, opened the window, and exhaled a mouthful of smoke. “It’s going to be more comprehensive than our last trip.”

<Chapter 1><Table of Contents><Chapter 3>

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TN Notes:

(1) A Jeep that is produced by the Beijing Automobile Works.

(2) Houhai is a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District of central Beijing, China. Wiki link.

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Translated by: Tiffany X
Edited by: merebear226

Pic added 12/3/2022 (fan translation courtesy of me and Tiffany).