Chapter 242 - 234: Jining
They drove along, stopping and starting without hurrying. Tian Sisi would have Tian Xinhua pull over whenever she saw beautiful scenery, so she could have some photos taken of herself. Sometimes, Tian Qinghua and Hu Weixin also joined in for a few snaps. Their journey was incredibly relaxing and leisurely.
When they reached the sparsely populated suburbs, Tian Sisi would have Tian Xinhua give up his seat so she could drive. The roads were truly deserted, and she didn’t have to worry about crashing at all.
Seeing that Tian Sisi could actually drive, Tian Qinghua and Hu Weixin’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Once they came to their senses, they clamored to learn how to drive as well. With no other choice, Tian Xinhua somewhat reluctantly taught them the basics of driving. He let them try it out for a bit before letting them hit the road. If there was ever an award for the most irresponsible driving instructor, Tian Xinhua would certainly be a top contender.
Luckily, there were no traffic police around, nor was there any need for a driver’s license. Otherwise, all four of them would have been hauled off to the police station for a few days. Tian Qinghua and Hu Weixin got the hang of it quickly, and after less than an hour, they drove with impressive proficiency—a sight that would make those who spend ten days to half a month to get a driver’s license blush.
Bumping along the way, they finally arrived in Jining around three or four in the afternoon. The streets of Jining City were much simpler compared to those in Shanghai and Beijing, but they were nonetheless bustling. Most of the people on the streets were Han, but there was also a considerable number of Mongolians wearing long robes. Even in the heat of summer, they wore thick robes, and the air on the street was mixed with an unbearable stench of foulness.
It is said that these Mongolian nomads bathe only three times in their lives: at birth, marriage, and death. The only true bath happens at marriage, when the bride and groom wash away the filth with clean water before the wedding ceremony. This is somewhat on par with what Sanmao wrote about the locals in the Sahara Desert. The only difference is that those locals use rocks to scrub themselves clean, whereas here, they use more refined methods such as sheep or horse milk for the other two occasions.
Of course, this was the case under difficult conditions. After economic development and the nomads gradually settling down, they naturally didn’t continue to abstain from bathing like before.
Not bathing, coupled with wearing thick sheepskin robes all year round and eating pungent dairy products and mutton, resulted in a mix of body odor and the stench of meat—an indescribably unique smell. Tian Sisi, with her sensitive sense of smell, found these peculiar odors torturous. Unable to stand it any longer, she sprayed some homemade osmanthus fragrance in the car, which provided some relief.
"Sixth Brother, these people really stink, and they look very dirty too. Don’t they ever bathe?" Tian Qinghua and Hu Weixin couldn’t bear it either.
"Without water, how can they bathe?" Tian Xinhua replied irritably, also feeling quite uncomfortable due to the smell.