by Dragon King
An unknown number was on the screen.
“Who is it? It’s still early!” Hao Ren answered the phone with a trace of displeasure.
“I’m Zhao Guang. Our car is now in front of your dorm building.” A steady voice came from the phone.
24 Who Said We Are Not a Family?
The voice briefly stupified Hao Ren before he quickly put down the phone and rushed to the balcony from his upper berth.
He saw the black Chevrolet quietly parked in front of his dorm.
He went back into the room without thinking much and threw on some clothes and shoes. Hao Ren then picked up his phone and sprang downstairs.
Zhao Guang was in the driver’s seat while Zhao Hongyu was in the passenger seat. Zhao Yanzi was sitting in the back with her pouting little mouth.
“Why…are you here?” Hao Ren asked in surprise.
“We are going on a weekend trip, and we are here to pick you up,” Zhao Guang responded. The tone of his voice was beyond doubt as if Hao Ren was definitely going to join them.
Hao Ren wanted to come up with an excuse, “Today I…”
“I’ll have Lu Qing speak to the school if there is something you need to do,” Zhao Guang said.
“Um…” Hao Ren struggled for a bit before he finally gave up, “Alright, it’s not a big deal. We don’t need to speak to the vice principal.”
“Okay.” Zhao Guang nodded.
“Get in the car.” Zhao Hongyu smiled at Hao Ren.
Hao Ren opened the door awkwardly and sat in the back beside Zhao Yanzi. That was his only option.
“Mom! Why are we taking him? You said it was going to be a family trip!” Zhao Yanzi complained.
“Isn’t Hao Ren a part of our family?” Zhao Hongyu said softly.
Zhao Yanzi didn’t know what to say. She thought about it, and Zhao Guang interrupted just when she was about to argue again, “We’ll just go back home if you keep complaining. You can go do your homework then.”
That certainly worked at suppressing her temper as she shut her mouth. However, her pouting became even more obvious.
“Ren, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?” Zhao Hongyu turned around and asked gently.
“It’s ok. I’m not hungry,” Hao Ren answered.
“Open up the bag, Zi. Give Ren a piece of bread,” Zhao Hongyu said.
Zhao Yanzi held her breath and opened the bag. Still upset, she took out a small bread and threw it at Hao Ren.
“Thank you!” Hao Ren said to Zhao Hongyu.
Zhao Guang kept on driving steadily and stopped talking.
Zhao Yanzi lurked in the corner and kept her distance from Hao Ren. It was more of a demonstration of her attitude towards Hao Ren and her parents; it was evident that she was annoyed at him.
After leaving the downtown area, they got on a much broader road. The four of them in the car never spoke again.
The long drive and similar views outside the window were starting to make people sleepy. Both Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi were dozing off.
Hao Ren was sleeping because of the lack of sleep he had since he slept too late last night and woke up too early this morning. As for Zhao Yanzi, it was due to her excitement of the trip today that made it difficult for her to go to sleep last night. The comfortable seats of the car made her want to sleep as well.
The two of them both fell towards the middle of the back seat as the car continued along the road…
“We are here!” A crisp voice woke them both up.
Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi slowly woke up as they realized that their heads were touching.
“Get out!” Zhao Yanzi pushed Hao Ren away with an unpleasant frown. She quickly jumped out of the car.
The surrounding view of green mountains and clear waters soon put a happy smile on her face.
Hao Ren wiped the drool from his mouth and got out of the car too. He realized that they were already in the mountains.
“Where is this?” He asked.
“GreenStone Mountain,” Zhao Hongyu answered.
“Ah?” Hao Ren was surprised.
GreenStone Mountain was a famous tourist attraction outside East Ocean City, but it was over 100 kilometers from downtown. It seemed like they have unnoticeably driven for more than two hours.
“Let’s go to the top of the mountain today and stay at the hotel at the foot of the mountain tonight,” Zhao Hongyu continued.
“Ah?” Hao Ren became even more surprised.
He forced himself to come on the trip with Zhao Yanzi’s family thinking that they would return within a day. But to stay the night…? It was…
Since it’s over 100 kilometers from the city, even the buses here wouldn’t be going in that direction. People who visited here would usually drive or take the bus provided by travel agencies after all.
“Let’s put our belongings down at the hotel first,” Zhao Hongyu suggested.
Zhao Guang put away the car key as he nodded. He took the large traveling bag from her and headed towards the nearby hotel.
Although Zhao Guang didn’t talk much, Hao Ren could feel the tacit understanding and loving relationship between him and Zhao Hongyu.
“Here!” Zhao Yanzi stuffed her backpack into Hao Ren’s arms and skipped behind her dad.
Hao Ren felt a little awkward knowing that he had to stay with them for two days. However, there was no way back at the moment. He threw Zhao Yanzi’s backpack onto his back and followed them to the hotel with a shrug.
The four-star hotel at the foot of the famous mountain wasn’t cheap at all. One room would cost 1200 yuan a night.
Zhao Guang paid for two rooms with his platinum card as if it was nothing.
Then they need to coordinate the rooms. “They wouldn’t make me share a room with Zhao Yanzi, would they?” Hao Ren thought to himself.
“Let’s go!” Zhao Guang patted him on the shoulder after noticing Hao Ren’s hesitation.
Hao Ren suddenly realized that he would be sharing a room with Zhao Yanzi’s dad, and Zhao Yanzi would be in the other room with her mom.
“What was I thinking…” Hao Ren talked to himself as he walked into the room with Zhao Guang.
Their rooms were opposite to each other. Hao Ren followed Zhao Guang into the room and found that the rooms were elegantly decorated even though they weren’t too large.
He pulled back the curtains, and the beautiful scenery of GreenStone Mountain entered his view. A wave of fresh air breezed across his face; he had never breathed in such fresh air in the city.
“Put everything down and freshen up a little before we start the climb,” Zhao Guang said to Hao Ren.
“Ok,” Hao Ren put Zhao Yanzi’s pink little backpack on a chair and walked into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth as well as rinsed his face. He left in such a rush that he didn’t even have time to do that. It was pretty embarrassing to think about.
The three of them were already waiting at the door when Hao Ren stepped out of the bathroom.
“So slow!” Zhao Yanzi mumbled.
Hao Ren didn’t want to quarrel with her in front of her parents. He lightly coughed twice and asked Zhao Guang, “Time to go?”
“Take my backpack!” Zhao Yanzi cried out.
Hao Ren turned around and picked up her little pink backpack.
“Be polite, Zi!” Zhao Guang finally couldn’t hold it back anymore and scolded her.
Zhao Yanzi gritted her teeth as she felt wronged. She was so thrilled about the family trip, but Hao Ren’s sudden appearance made her uncomfortable.
“Come on, let’s get on the mountain,” Zhao Hongyu said.
“Oh, let me give my grandma a call first. I was supposed to go visit her this weekend,” Hao Ren suddenly remembered and took his phone out.
He dialed home and told his grandma that he wouldn’t be able to visit her this weekend since he was going out with his “classmates”. His grandma didn’t blame him. On the other hand, she told him to have fun.
Zhao Hongyu felt tha
t Hao Ren was even more filial and understanding through his use of tone and words over the phone.
“The air here is really fresh. You should take your grandma here sometime. There is a Farmer Host* at the mountain foot. Some young people in the city would bring their parents here to escape the heat as well as enjoy each others’ company. The elders can play cards, chat, and try out some refreshing dishes. This place is pretty relaxing and popular,” Zhao Hongyu said to Hao Ren as he hung up the phone.
“Um,” Hao Ren mumbled. He had never mentioned Zhao Yanzi to his grandma, and he even told her that he was out with “classmates” just now. How was he supposed to introduce his grandma to Zhao Yanzi’s parents?
He didn’t know if grandma would be startled or surprised to see such a disobedient and misbehaving granddaughter-in-law.
“We are a family so don’t be so stiff. Loosen up a little. Let’s start the climb,” Zhao Hongyu smiled at Hao Ren and walked out of the hotel entrance while holding Zhao Guang’s hand.
* Farmer Host: it is a type of restaurant/hotel where people would stay with a family of farmers in order to experience the farm life.
25 The Mysterious Daoist Temple
Zhao Yanzi was completely at ease. She was jumping and leaping, leading everyone else. Today, she was wearing a short skirt that was sewed together with cotton and denim fabrics, displaying her silky, slender calves. Out of her low cut and vest-like sleeveless shirt came two plump arms and a good portion of skin. It was a little alluring. For a girl her age, or for Hao Ren who was relatively conservative, her choice of outfit seemed rather bold.
On the other hand, the Roman sandals on her feet craftily balanced out her sexiness with the liveliness of youth. Along with her springing and bouncing, the slippers were flopping like two fluttering butterflies.
It was nice to have a mother who was a designer. With such casual mix and match of an outfit, not only did Zhao Yanzi not look awkward, she actually looked like a pretty little catalog model.
In comparison, Hao Ren couldn’t be more unfashionable. He was wearing a shirt that hadn’t been washed in three days, a pair of wrinkly jeans, and a pair of dirty running shoes.
The only thing about him that could attract any attention was the little pink backpack on his back. However, that was also Zhao Yanzi’s item. Speaking of that, it was indeed strange enough for a guy like him to be wearing a pink backpack.
As Zhao Yanzi rushed ahead, Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu were walking side by side with Hao Ren. While Zhao Guang’s outfit was business casual, Zhao Hongyu went for a young athletic feel; it was almost impossible to tell that she was already the mother of a middle-schooler.
They continued climbing up the flights of stone stairs and finally arrived at the ticket office for the tourist attraction.
Zhao Yanzi was already standing right next to the window of the ticket office, impatiently waiting for her parents to go purchase tickets. Her inability to hold herself back reminded Hao Ren of the times when he went sightseeing with his parents in his childhood.
Zhao Guang walked over calmly and bought four admissions tickets at once. Hao Ren felt a little uncomfortable that his ticket was paid for. But at a time like this, he did not want to put up a hypocritical fight over anything unnecessary.
Through the mountain gates, they continued moving up along the stairs.
The sight was undeniably magnificent. Their surrounding was saturated with greenness; as a result, even the air was giving off a hint of coolness. The reappearing stream was meandering downwards along the trail, generating a pleasantly clear and melodious sound by their feet.
With her mouth wide open, Zhao Yanzi started taking in exaggeratedly deep breaths of fresh air. Hao Ren couldn’t help but smile at her innocent and childish behavior.
It was incredibly relaxing and satisfying for them to be one with nature again after having spent a long time living in the city.
Hand-in-hand, Zhao Hongyu and Zhao Guang were taking their time to admire and appreciate the scenery around them. Since Hao Ren did not want to walk beside Zhao Yanzi, he strolled behind them. Similarly, Zhao Yanzi did not want to be stuck with Hao Ren either. Thus, she was like an excited small animal, sprinting and exploring ahead.
“Zi, slow down!” Zhao Hongyu cautioned,
“Mom! There is a cave here!” Zhao Yanzi screamed passionately from ahead.
Zhao Hongyu let out a chuckle. She turned around and waved at Hao Ren before walking ahead to join Zhao Yanzi. “This cave was created due to the impact of the underground water. Streams in the mountain have formed secret paths inside the mountain. When they run into fragile and worn-out rocks, they would burst through. What we have seen on our way here are tributaries; the real water streams are all contained on the inside of the mountain…”
“How come there is no water in it then?” Zhao Yanzi asked curiously.
“That is because the size and impact of the water streams also depend on the season. When the water stream is affluent, the water will seep through. Of course, it could also be that the stream had been diverted. In other words, this was formerly an exit that had become blocked off from the inside due to a small-scale landslide,” Zhao Hongyu explained patiently.
While nodding her head, Zhao Yanzi’s eyes lit up as if she had just discovered a new continent. She pointed ahead, “Look, there is some writing over there!”
“‘Earthly Paradise’, this was supposedly inscribed by the famous poet Du Fu of the Tang dynasty. There used to be a Daoist temple here called ‘Celestial Cloud Temple’…” Zhao Hongyu patiently elaborated as she walked.
Blinking her big eyes, Zhao Yanzi was able to keep calm and followed her mother closely, observing and listening.
Hao Ren was in awe. He was surprised that Zhao Hongyu was so knowledgeable. Not only was she successful in architectural designs, but she was also very eloquent when it came to astronomy-geology, culture, and humanity.
As a result, they advanced quickly as Zhao Hongyu interpreted along the way. Moreover, she was often able to branch off from one point to pass on more information to Zhao Yanzi. Her voice was gentle and pleasant; even Hao Ren was enchanted and had learned a lot from listening to her.
After walking for about two hours, they reached the halfway point and decided to go eat at a small restaurant on the mountain.
Their tables were planted outside and underneath an awning. While they were devouring the vegetables and rice, they were also able to appreciate the magnificent views of GreenStone Mountain.
Hao Ren had been trapped in school for far too long. Today’s opportunity to travel with the Zhao Family had his eyes and mind refreshed by the green mountain and clear streams; he became cheerful as well.
“There is a Daoist temple on top of this mountain called ‘Heavenly Oneness Temple’. It was said that Daoist Master Zhang had once cultivated here. The biggest palace in this Daoist temple is called the ‘Founder’s Palace’. All of its shingles were covered with rolled gold. They have a pine tree that is two thousand years old as well. Moreover, there is a monument that was inscribed by Daoist Master Zhang himself…”
As he was eating, Zhao Guang suddenly became enthusiastic and pointed out to Zhao Yanzi.
“That is fun!” Zhao Yanzi looked to her father in anticipation, “Let’s go check it out after we finish eating!”
“It takes three hours to get up there. Since there are no cable cars here, your mom and I will pass on this one. We plan to walk up a little more, but then we will take our time to go back down and get some rest at the hotel,” Zhao Guang replied.
“Awww…” Zhao Yanzi was obviously disappointed.
“Or you can ask Hao Ren to go with you?” Zhao Hongyu suggested.
“Who needs his company!” Gritting her teeth, Zhao Yanzi declared, “I will go by myself!”
“No way. We would be worried if you went up there yourself!” Zhao Hongyu denied Zhao Yanzi’s proposition resolutely.
Knowing that she could not defy her paren
ts, Zhao Yanzi sulkily lowered her head in silence.
After their meal, they continued the climb. After walking for about half an hour and having checked out “Elder Lord Cave” that had immense history, Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu were ready to leave.
As much as Zhao Yanzi wanted to continue upwards and to explore the Daoist temple on top of the mountain, she could only follow her parents’ order now that they have decided to call it a day.
Seeing that Zhao Yanzi was upset and was pouting her lips, Zhao Hongyu said, “How about… we make an exception and let you continue your tour here on the mountain?”
Zhao Yanzi’s eyes lit up instantaneously, and a bright smile started blooming across her face.
“But there is one condition; Ren has to stay with you. Otherwise, we will be worried,” Zhao Hongyu added.
Biting her lip, Zhao Yanzi struggled for a few seconds but finally concurred, “Fine, I want to see what’s up there!”
A shade of joy appeared on Zhao Hongyu’s face as she turned to Hao Ren. “Ren, please stay with Zi. Come back down as soon as you reach the top of the mountain. Give us a call if you need anything. At your pace, four hours should be enough for you to go up and get back down to here. It takes approximately two more hours to get down to the foot of the mountain so that it would be six hours in total. We’ll expect you to be back in the hotel by seven o’clock.”
Actually, Hao Ren did not want to go back to the hotel so early, either; it was a rare chance for him to be able to be immersed in nature. Therefore, he nodded at Zhao Hongyu assuredly and said, “Yes, auntie. I will try my best to look after Zi.”
Zhao Guang gave Hao Ren a light encouraging nod before turning around and leaving with Zhao Hongyu.
Hao Ren knew very well that Zhao Yanzi’s parents were trying to create opportunities for him and Zhao Yanzi to get to know each other through spending time alone. However, he did not want to overthink it as all he wanted now was to visit the legendary Daoist temple.
Likewise, Zhao Yanzi was thinking the same thing. Now that her parents had walked far away, she started shouting at Hao Ren, “Come on, hurry up! Don’t be a slowpoke and hold me back!”