Chapter 240
Chapter 240
Xie Shiqing smiled slightly, her expression calm as she accepted the compliment.
“There’s no need for such an amazing teacher. I’m just an apprentice starting from scratch right now. If I look for someone too accomplished, it would feel a bit disrespectful.”
Xie Shiqing laughed. “How could I do something so lacking in emotional intelligence? These seniors always have students, and their students have students. A top teacher—no matter how varied their students’ levels are—their foundation is definitely solid.”
“Different teachers have different levels themselves, and that might affect how the basics are built.”
“True.” Zhong Ning said, “You really thought it through.”
“The suona will be bought by the butler. I’ll teach you how to read staff notation first.” Xie Shiqing pulled her into the study, set up a projection for teaching, found a pen to use as a pointer, and began the lesson.
She spoke incredibly fast…
Zhong Ning felt dazzled. If her memory had not been fairly good, she really would not have been able to keep up.
After finishing one section, Xie Shiqing paused and took a sip of water. “Ning Ning, is there anything you don’t understand?”
Zhong Ning: “…It’s fine. For now, no.”
With someone else, that might not have been the case.
Xie Shiqing: “Then I’ll continue.”
Although she spoke quickly, she was extremely meticulous, and there truly was nothing unclear.
Zhong Ning’s suona-learning journey soon began. Her account also recorded her progress—it was practically a new level every week.
By the time summer vacation arrived again, Zhong Ning’s suona playing already sounded quite decent, and their psychological counseling sessions had shifted to once every three months.
A long holiday was the best time to relax. Zhong Ning made travel plans early on, and one of the destinations was Country S, a place where she had once stayed for a long time.
But before that, the two of them planned to roughly tour the fun scenic spots within the country first. One place they absolutely had to visit was Mount Everest.
A trip there required choosing the right weather. Summer was a very good option. In winter, heavy snow was common, and the weather could be too harsh to ascend the mountain.
They flew to the nearest airport, rented a car, hired a local guide, and drove themselves all the way. They toured the vast grasslands, saw a sky as blue as a mirror of water, stretching cloudless for thousands of miles, along with flocks of sheep and herds of yaks.
The herdsmen were very friendly and accustomed to travelers coming by from time to time. Over time, a natural hospitality system had formed. Visitors could stay in yurts at their homes, enjoy roasted beef and mutton, and attend bonfire parties.
The large Tibetan Mastiffs were unbelievably gentle, nothing like the ferocity one might imagine.
The herdsmen patted the dogs’ heads. On their dark, ruddy faces was an expression of pride. “They’re only fierce toward evil people and hungry wolves.”
The dogs here all ate meat and were indispensable members of the family.
Several little Tibetan Mastiffs were round and plump, like enlarged furballs. Their heads were almost as thick as their bodies, and with tiny milk teeth bared, they made soft yipping sounds.
Zhong Ning scooped one up into her arms, then picked up another and placed it into Xie Shiqing’s arms. Their mother lay nearby, her chin resting on her legs, her expression astonishingly calm.
Her gaze was full of wisdom. It was completely different from Pine Mushroom’s mischievous cleverness as a little rascal. This was a vast, tranquil sense of tolerance.
After obtaining permission, Zhong Ning raised her camera and took many photos. She had brought a Polaroid and plenty of film. She took several photos of the dogs and of the family, then gave the pictures to them.
Pine Mushroom behaved unbelievably well after arriving here. Even when she wanted food, she sneaked around and secretly nudged Zhong Ning’s pant leg with her paw.
The Tibetan Mastiff glanced at her, and she immediately tucked her tail and rolled over to expose her belly.
But by the second day, she had already grown familiar with it and was even eager to try herding cattle.
Zhong Ning hesitated a little, yet the herdsman said it was fine—the dogs would take care of everything.
The experienced Tibetan Mastiff was indeed reliable. While herding the cattle, it also herded Pine Mushroom, carefully controlling the distance between the two, and even deliberately taught Pine Mushroom a few things.
After watching for a while, Zhong Ning decided to let things take their course and went horseback riding with Xie Shiqing.
At this time of year, the grasslands had entered their blooming season. Blue-purple wildflowers covered the entire plain. The guide introduced the flowers’ root systems, which extended several meters deep, and spoke of their tenacious vitality—they would grow with just a single rainfall.
When facing the vast wilderness, would people sigh at the immensity of the world?
But when climbing Mount Everest, one would certainly feel one’s own smallness.
They rested at the foot of the mountain for a day. On the television in the restaurant, The Bucket List was playing.
The actress delivered her lines in a low voice, casual yet magnetic. 【Cold—that is the strongest sensation. During the day, the sky appears dark, not entirely blue, because the air is thin and cannot fully reflect the sunlight. But at night, I have never seen so many stars. They seem within reach, and so bright, like light spilling down from heaven…】
The heating in the shop was turned up high. Standing there, they could already see the towering snow-capped mountains, as if they were about to pierce the sky, their peaks disappearing beyond sight.
That night, the two lay in bed. The room was so quiet that only Pine Mushroom’s breathing could be heard.
“Are you scared?”
Zhong Ning turned her head, then shifted onto her side, resting her arm beneath her head. “We’re climbing the mountain tomorrow.”
Xie Shiqing also turned over, copying her posture and resting on her own arm. After thinking for a moment, she said, “I’m fine. Actually, I’m a little excited.”
“It feels a bit like a well-behaved child finally let out for some air—wanting to try everything. The excitement outweighs the fear.”
Zhong Ning said, “I’m a little scared.”
Xie Shiqing curved her lips. “Aren’t you not afraid of heights?”
“I’m not.” Zhong Ning said, “But I’m afraid that once we go up, we won’t be able to come back down.”
She was also afraid the ring might fall into the snow and never be found again. It was worth eight figures.
Xie Shiqing leaned over with a smile and kissed her on the lips. “There will be people accompanying us. It’s not just the two of us climbing. If it were, then we really would need to worry.”
“And there are supply stations along the way. There’s no need to force ourselves to climb too high, and no need to insist on reaching the summit. There will always be opportunities in the future.”
Zhong Ning laughed softly. Warm yellow lamplight reflected in her eyes, and her face was enveloped in a hazy glow. “I never thought there would come a day when you would be the one comforting me, telling me not to fight for it, not to force it.”