Unanticipatedly, the road from Zheduo Mountain to Xinduqiao turned out to be quite smooth. In under an hour, Zhou Chao and Lin Wu found themselves in Xinduqiao.
Xinduqiao Town was established along the 318 National Road, featuring a central main street flanked by numerous shops. The town exuded a bustling commercial vibe. Yet, it wasn't unusual to witness groups of cattle strolling along the streets, seemingly oblivious to the various shops selling yak meat along the roadside.
Zhou Chao bought a few bags of yak jerky by the roadside and negotiated with a local herdsman about camping in the grassland nearby for the night. The herdsman, quite familiar with such requests, readily agreed. He even warmly invited them to have dinner together. After a brief consideration, Zhou Chao politely declined the invitation, bid farewell to the herdsman, and led Lin Wu to set up camp on a relatively flat piece of land.
