Chapter 68: The Beautiful Waters of Ou River, Chasing Dreams on the Gallery Bridge

Soon... the plane landed.

When Lin Shenlu walked to the cabin door with her backpack, Bai Wenrou crossed her hands gently in front of her abdomen and gave Lin Shenlu a meaningful smile.

She had to admit, the flight attendant truly was beautiful.

Even leaving aside her appearance—

Just the uniform and the title of “flight attendant” alone.

Instantly added two points.

“Goodbye!” Lin Shenlu nodded and left.

She needed a taxi from the airport to the train station.

Time was tight, the mission demanding.

Lin Shenlu had to quicken her steps.

But regarding the city of Wenzhou, Lin Shenlu carried a few labels in her heart.

For example... Wenzhou Spiced Chicken!

It was said to be quite tasty.

And also... Wenzhou Leather Factory...

Boss Huang ran off with his sister-in-law, so everywhere you went, you could buy a leather bag for ten yuan.

For a traveler, it’s often the case that you pass through one city on the way to another.

You’ve been there, but felt nothing.

Passing through is just passing through.

Perhaps in the future there would be an opportunity to truly explore this city.

...

It had been ages since Lin Shenlu last took a train, so she was a bit surprised.

Were paper tickets no longer needed for trains these days?

For those who love collecting tickets, did that diminish the meaning of train travel?

You just scan your ID and board directly.

Lin Shenlu had bought a first-class seat.

Actually, first-class on the train wasn’t much more expensive.

And the seat was indeed more comfortable.

Whether in terms of space or comfort, it felt well worth the price.

But service... not much difference.

After all, it wasn’t a plane.

The journey wasn’t far, just over an hour to the destination.

Lin Shenlu gently slipped on her headphones, watching the scenery outside the train window slowly change.

Power lines crisscrossed, flashing by like musical staves.

She lifted her head, listening to the music in her ears, slowly raising her hand as if playing an invisible piano.

Train travel is a sentiment.

An ancient sentiment.

After all, this mode of transportation has carried people for so many years.

Planes?

Only in recent years have plane tickets truly become affordable, and people’s living standards improved.

How many years of flight freedom have there been?

So even today, many people still love the sentiment of train travel—listening to the rhythmic sounds of the rails, and if it’s a rainy day, with raindrops pattering against the window.

That beautiful music brings real comfort to the soul.

Relieves the pressure.

...

The train... arrived.

Stepping off, Lin Shenlu casually hailed a taxi, ready to head to the small village she had longed for in her heart.

For a town like Lishui, not at the forefront of development, the taxi starting fare was very low, and most taxis didn’t use meters—just a flat rate.

It was best to ask the price in advance, and haggle a bit for good measure.

Once in the car, Lin Shenlu’s heart finally relaxed completely.

She was finally about to arrive.

After a day’s journey, it was truly a case of clouds parting to reveal the moon.

For Lishui, she had always harbored too many fantasies.

It was a kind of life that left the world behind.

Finding such a place, and from then on, not caring for the affairs of the world.

This place was completely different from Dali.

In Dali, it was where all those burdened with worries and oppression went to ease their hearts.

A utopia for the oppressed.

A little paradise for the heartbroken.

But in Lishui.

It was a small world for one person.

A retreat from the ordinary city life.

Everything around you draws you into this longed-for existence.

Lin Shenlu didn’t hesitate to gently open her laptop.

She typed a line.

Along the Ou River, seeking a small city in the valley.

She closed the computer.

No more writing.

She pulled out a pink notebook from her pocket.

She’d brought it back from Dali.

Her personal journal.

Lin Shenlu opened to the latest page.

Lishui Stories: 1. Always ask the price for a taxi; they really don’t use meters here.

...

“We’re here!” It didn’t feel like they’d driven long, but Lin Shenlu reluctantly handed over ten yuan.

It didn’t seem worth it.

But the scenery before her was truly beautiful.

Lishui was, without exaggeration, a landscape everywhere you looked. As a rare place in Zhejiang preserving traditional customs and folk culture, its ancient villages were scattered throughout.

The place Lin Shenlu had arrived at was considered one of the most beautiful and famous.

Dagangtou Town.

Of course, besides Dagangtou, Dushan Village was also well-known, as were Henggang Village in Songyang, Shanyayang Village, Xiaozhuxi Village, and Dakai Village in Suichang—all villages with unique charm.

All these settlements were laid out according to classic feng shui, backed by mountains, facing water, every household nestled along a stream.

Stepping out and into this realm, it was as if entering a world where paths crisscrossed, chickens and dogs could be heard—like a land of peach blossoms.

Lin Shenlu was already eager to embark on a journey of covered bridges.

In Lishui, there’s a saying: “Beneath the Snowfall Waterfall lies a covered bridge.”

And the most famous are Shisi Temple and the Snowfall Waterfall.

Countryside, villages, ancient architecture, cascading waterfalls—scenery that delights the senses.

Watching morning mist and sunset in the Yunhe terraced fields.

At sunrise, the sky glows red, clouds roll, bamboo shadows sway—a first-hand experience of a world apart.

At sunset, mountain villages, forests, shepherd boys draped in golden veils, countless ridges and valleys—poetic and picturesque.

Here, it is a place for nostalgic and quiet souls.

Dushan Village, with its simple folkways in southwestern Zhejiang, could never calm a restless heart.

Lin Shenlu took a deep breath, backpack slung over her shoulder, preparing to head into the village.

First, she needed to find a place to stay.

For the next half month, she would be living here, immersing herself in the customs of the She people.

Shadowed sails on the Ou River, She ethnic charm, painted histories of overseas Chinese, terraced landscapes, a dream quest for covered bridges...

All revealed the spiritual beauty of Lishui.

Lin Shenlu wondered what kind of transportation she should arrange.

Though she would be living in the village,

Many sights in Lishui were quite spread out... without a vehicle, she couldn’t very well have a granny ferry her across the river on a bamboo raft every day!

...

As Lin Shenlu walked forward, a figure ahead caught her curiosity.

It was the silhouette of a young girl.

“Girl” was perhaps not quite right... she looked rather scruffy.

From behind, her true age was impossible to tell, as her long hair hung in a tangled mess.

Lin Shenlu hurried a few steps and finally saw the girl standing at the roadside.

She appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen, with vacant eyes beneath her messy hair... expressionless.

There was no trace of femininity.

“Oh... who are you? What are you doing? Do you... know Gouwa?” The girl spoke in a pure Sichuan-accented Mandarin.

“Uh... I don’t know Gouwa!” Lin Shenlu couldn’t help but step back two paces. Was this perhaps a bit of a mental issue?

“Oh... so hungry...” The girl lowered her head and rubbed her stomach.

Though her accent was pure Sichuan, her voice was airy, and on closer inspection, she wasn’t unattractive—just unkempt from long neglect.