After this weekend, it will be the grazing festival, and the project to drive 50 cows to the pasture on the top of the mountain at one time will be a huge one. Early Saturday morning, Yan Sen drove his other Hyundai SUV to transport all the prepared tools and equipment to the mountain, these heavy things are impossible to carry up by manpower.
Qin Li insisted on following along, wanting to see the appearance of this ranch located on the top of the Alps, but unexpectedly, before reaching the top of the mountain, he was scared half to death by the horrible road conditions.
There is a road up the mountain, but it is very narrow and steep and has nine or eighteen twists and turns. The ground was not poured with asphalt, just cut down the trees and spread a layer of small stones on top, potholes and bumps along the way. One hundred and eighty-degree turn, one side of the car tires almost hanging outside the cliff, Qin Li is afraid that if she farted a little, the body will lose its center of gravity.
Compared to her apprehension, Yan Sen was calm and relaxed. Mouth humming a little song, foot speed is not slow, 50 yards per hour, even when the corner is not reduced.
Once a year, every corner is touched by him, indeed there is nothing to be afraid of.
Another peaks and valleys, Qin Li looked ahead nervously, hands firmly gripping the door handle, this feeling is like the head in the waistband of the pants. She was in a trance all the way, not daring to speak a word to Yan Sen, just for fear that he would be distracted, the steering wheel would be tilted, and then the two of them would fall off the cliff together and die.
After driving like this for about half an hour or so, they finally reached the top of the mountain, which actually couldn't exactly be considered the peak. The real top of the mountain is covered with snow, where the steepness is almost 90 ° right angle, from a distance it seems to be like being sharpened pencils. Listening to Yan Sen said, the highest place is 2,500 meters from the ground, that is, the place where they are standing now, and the altitude is also 1,800 meters.
Compared to the foot of the mountain, the air here was significantly thinner and colder. Looking around, the place where she was standing was already the peak that four-legged creatures could reach. Although the elevation here was only half that of Lhasa, it was majestic enough, and the rolling snow-capped mountains in front of her seemed to have no end.
The ranch on the high mountain consists of three wooden houses, the largest one is rather shabby and is used to keep the cattle and sheep; the medium-sized one is for the graziers to live in; and the smallest one is just a pile of tools and equipment.
The cabin is surrounded by mountains, and not far from the door, there is a small lake, which was naturally formed thousands of years ago when the snow water on the peak melted and formed a waterfall that flowed down.
There is only one season of the year when this place is populated, so the water is clearer and purer in color than the large and small lakes at the bottom of the mountain. Not only can you see the chalky rocks at the bottom of the lake, but there are also schools of fish that leap out of the water from time to time. When the surface of the lake is rippling, it is like a mirror, quietly reflecting the sky and mountain peaks, making people momentarily unable to distinguish whether the scenery is in the water, or there is scenery in the water.
As soon as Qin Li arrived here, she was shocked by the scenery she saw. She thought that the foot of the mountain was already beautiful enough, but it turned out that this was heaven on earth. She hurriedly used her cell phone to take several shots from various directions, thinking of the three months she would spend here in the future, she had a moment of yearning.
Yan Sen was not as leisurely as her, unloading all his equipment and tools as she took pictures.
There was no electricity on the mountain, so they could only bring their small generators and rely on burning diesel to generate electricity, thus the supply of electricity was very limited, barely even able to sustain their daily consumption. Everything in the house that was used for entertainment with electrical appliances, not a single one, and even the lighting was candles.
Yan Sen placed all the various tools for milking, storing, and making cheese, and after a final check of the generator, he led Qin Li down the mountain.
In addition to the fifteen cows of their family, there were thirty-five of the neighboring families, and Yan Sen had to visit them one by one, entering in the book the numbers on the ears of the cows that were to go up the mountain the day after tomorrow.
The next day, ready to go, but the weather was not favorable, it rained all day. So all the plans went out the window.
Yan Sen said, the rainy road is very slippery, so many cattle are crowded together, and the road is so narrow, that it is easy for accidents.
So have no choice but to pull back the trip another day.
Who knows, it rained for four days, and on the fifth day, God barely stopped crying. According to reason, it should be another day or two to wait for the sun to shine and dry the ground before moving, so the safest. However, the heavens just don't help, when a cloud drifts in, it rains.
After five or six days of delay, the people in the village were a bit unable to sit still. There was no end to the waiting, and the men and cattle were all in their places, just waiting for a signal.
Finally, Yan Sen decided that no matter if it rained or not tomorrow, they had to go on the road. A few more people from the village came to help and volunteered to take them up the mountain.
Qin Li took a look and saw that these people also included Janine's stupid big brother, Toby, and her good mood was suddenly gone.
Seeing that she was worried, Yan Sen comforted her, "I placed him at the very back of the group while we are at the very front, if the fifty oxen were to be drawn out in a single line, you wouldn't have a chance to fight him on the hood."
Qin Li gave a hmmm.
Seeing that she still wasn't very happy, Yan Sen had to continue coaxing her for a few more sentences, "Because it has rained, it's easier for accidents to happen, and there are fewer strong men in the village, so one more manpower is one more. When they reach the top of the mountain, they will go back, and won't stay overnight."
Hearing this, Qin Li also has nothing to say, to make more trouble, it is she who is ignorant.
Yan Sen likes the way she is sensible and reasonable, compared to the shrewish and pampered Janni, I don't know how much better.
Qin Li saw him scrubbing the bells, and these bells added up to a size almost as big as her two fists, and couldn't help but be curious, asking, "These bells, shouldn't they be hanging around the necks of cows?"
Yan Sen nods his head.
Qin Li then felt even more strange, "Why hang bells for cows? For decoration?"
Yan Sen says, "The mountain pastures are different from here, there is no power grid over there, and the cows can walk around freely. By hanging a bell around its neck, you can tell where it's gone and make it easy to find it back."
Qin Li suddenly realized it seems that there were quite a lot of things to be said about grazing, it's really like a mountain apart.
Yan Sen stacks the scrubbed bells on top of each other, then pats her shoulder and says, "Rest early, tomorrow will be a tough day."
Qin Li nodded and returned to her room, she washed up and was about to lie down when she suddenly received a call from Dani Qu.
"Dani, I'm going up to the mountains with Yan Sen tomorrow."
Hearing the excitement in her voice, Qu Dani teases, "I think you're stealing joy in finally being able to spend time alone with Yan Sen."
Qin Li was a little embarrassed to have her mind peeked into, but she didn't need to hide it in front of her best friend, so she graciously admitted it.
Qu Dani said, "How long are you going with him?"
Qin Li, "Three months."
Qu Dani, "Then it will be September before you come down."
Qin Li hmmmed.
Qu Dani, "How can I contact you during these three months?"
Qin Li, "There's no way to get in touch. There's no electricity or signal up there."
Qu Dani let out a harrumph, "You're planning to become a mountain dweller, bull."
Qin Li, "Yan Sen already took me there once, the scenery on the mountain is uniquely beautiful, I think I'll be able to ascend after three months."
Qu Dani immediately chimed in, "That I believe. I followed the radio station and did an issue on the terrain of the Alps, and I spent seven days on a certain mountain peak, the scenery over there is just like an oil painting, but the conditions are also tough is all."
The two chatted for half a day before Qin Li thought to ask, "Did you call to find me something?"
Qu Dani was busy pulling back to the crooked topic and asked, "Have you heard from Ma Shushu recently?"
Qin Li couldn't help but lower his voice, "There's wow, she's at the farmhouse right now."
Qu Dani let out a cry of disbelief, "Thomas the idiot wants to marry her?"
Qin Li, "It's possible. A few days ago, the two brothers had a huge fight over this and almost didn't split up."
Qu Dani asked, "What happened? Did Yan Sen agree?"
Qin Li, "This isn't a feudal society, Yan Sen can't control Thomas. Besides, his mind is all on the Grazing Festival, so even if Thomas said he wanted to marry an alien, he wouldn't have the heart to stop him."
Qu Dani said, "Don't ever let Thomas marry this woman."
Qin Li, "What?"
Qu Danni didn't know why Yan Sen was disgusted, but she was disgusted for a reason.
Qu Dani opened her mouth to say it, but on second thought, Qin Li was going to be gone for three months, if she talked about it now, it would only make her feel bad, but not help matters. Therefore, she swallowed the words that were already on her lips.
"It's hard to explain in one word! It's better to wait until you come back and we meet to talk about it specifically. However, Li Li, don't blame me for talking too much nonsense, you mustn't lend your cell phone to Ma Shushu, and don't send any photos in your friend circle."
Qin Li, "Why?"
Qu Dani, "When you come down the mountain, you come to Munich once, I shouted to the old king next door, say it together."
Qin Li was more and more confused by his words, why should he shout at the old king next door when talking about Ma Shushu?
But no matter how to ask, Qu Dani refused to answer this question positively, just said, to tell her, I was afraid it would affect her mood to go up the mountain, or maybe even not want to go up the mountain.
Although Qin Li was curious and itchy, her friend refused to say, she could not help.
Qu Dani's words changed, said, "You have to grasp these three months oh. Strive to push him down at once."
After saying that, she immediately corrected herself again, "Oh, no, it's striving to push him down multiple times."
The two of them were poor for a while, Qin Li was a little sleepy, so she hung up the phone. ***
The next morning, Yan Sen woke up at the crack of dawn. He woke up Qin Li and Thomas, and the three of them were groomed and in high spirits, ready to go.
Before long, the village began to bustle with activity, and the remaining thirty-five cows were all driven to the farmhouse, putting bells on their necks one by one. In addition to the locals, many folklore enthusiasts had traveled from out of town to see the fun.
Toby and two other villagers also arrived, and Yan Sen gave them each a wooden stick. Don't underestimate this stick, simply has a great use, when the cattle stop not go as a stick to beat them, people can not walk when used as a walking stick.
They were lucky, in the early morning, the rain stopped, but the ground was still a little wet, so up and down the mountain need to be extra careful.
Yan Sen, Toby, Thomas, Qin Li, and two volunteers from the same village worked together in groups of two to drive the oxen up the mountain.
Qin Li and Yan Sen took the lead, Thomas and one of the volunteers walked in the middle, and Toby and the other one walked at the end to press the stage. In this way, the people and the cattle went up the road in great numbers.
The road at the foot of the mountain is not bad, the farmers in the farmhouses on both sides have come out to send off, beating gongs and drums, very lively.
Following the grazing, Qin Li realized that the cattle crazy magic up is also able to run and jump, and even if the speed is not compared to the horse, at least faster than the dog.
This is the leader of the sheep really bad to do, Yan Sen in the side waving sticks, one side will come to crazy cattle to drive to the road, but also care about the back of the people and cattle have not fallen behind.
Qin Li can't run fast, can't jump high, a climb on the mountain gasping, truly feels that he is not as good as a dog at this time. Looking at Yan Sen a moment to open this, a moment to open that, suddenly felt that his image was taller than ever, simply the real hero in their group.
Walked halfway up the mountainside, residential almost saw no, narrow mountain road, On one side of the mountain, and on the other side of the slope steep wall, the road became slippery and difficult to walk.
Yan Sen touched Qin Li, pointing to the clear view in the distance, saying, "Look."
Qin Li looked up, and without realizing it the scenery steeply became beautiful, because it had just rained, the clouds and smoke rose in all directions, wrapping around the mountain range, curling up and down, this picture looked like the fairy abode in the TV series.
Qin Li regrets that she didn't bring her SLR camera with her, but, fortunately, she didn't bring it with her, or else it wouldn't have sunk her to death.
After walking for more than an hour, Qin Li's stamina gradually ran out, her footsteps became heavy, somewhat unable to walk.
"How much road is left?"
Yan Sen looks at her and laughs, "Half of the journey was not even walked."
Qin Li lamented, wanting to see a beautiful view is a huge price to pay.
The last time she drove up, she only felt that the road was not good to drive on, but today she relied on her legs to walk before realizing that the road was both steep and winding, and the key was that it also had a long history. Drive half an hour, at least three hours, not only that but also to drive a herd of cattle, less one can not, that task is too arduous.
Qin Li was hot and sweaty, with two nostrils plus a mouth, all panting vigorously.
"Ugh, I'll say."
Hearing her speak, Yan Sen turned back to look at her.
Qin Li said, "Can you let me ride on the back of a cow!"
Yan Sen, "..."
The higher they go, the more their physical strength is consumed, Qin Li hugs a big rock and huffs and puffs, "I can't let me rest for a while."
Usually, lack of exercise, now the critical moment, hate their second into a sportsman.
Yan Sen was about to speak at this time, and suddenly received a phone call.
Qin Li watched him pick up his cell phone, thinking, very good, at least there is a signal here.
Yan Sen said a few words, hung up the phone, and said, we have to find a place to rest, the people and cattle behind us seem to have fallen behind.
Upon hearing this, Qin Li sat down with her butt on the ground, not caring if the ground was dirty or not, and gave him a complaining look, "I told you what you were doing walking so fast."
She took out water and took a sip, then handed it to Yan Sen.
Yan Sen didn't drink it, but poured a bit of water on his head, then shook his hair, his movements rough, yet not too dashing.
Qin Li's heart thumped as he watched, and he hurriedly lowered his eyelids and took a few deep breaths.
After resting for about ten or so minutes, Yan Sen tugged on her arm and pulled her up by the handful.
Qin Li wailed, "It's time to hit the road again."
Yan Sen, "To reach the mountain by noon."
Qin Li is puzzled, "What's the hurry?"
Yan Sen, "The sun's intensity is the highest at noon, the temperature is the highest, these cows will be too hot to stand it, so they'll be even less able to concentrate on the road. By then, they will be scattered, and with just the six of us, we're afraid we won't be able to control the situation."
So it turns out.
Qin Li leaps up and says, "Let's go, let's go, but you have to massage for me at night."
Yan Sen smiled, reflecting the clouds behind him, immortal and handsome, like the Elf King in the Hobbit.
After insisting on walking forward for another half hour or so, Yan Sen suddenly pulls Qin Li, who is rushing forward with gusto, and says, "Be careful here."
Qin Li was startled, and his first reaction was that there were wolves there.
Yan Sen shook his head, "There are no wolves, it's just that the terrain is rather treacherous. This is the narrowest piece of land."
Qin Li suddenly realized that he had finally reached the place where the wheel was half vacated, so he asked, "What will happen?"
Jensen said, "The cow might slide down the slope."
Qin Li, "And then what will happen?"
Yan Sen, "Either dead or injured."
Qin Li spat out his tongue, "I thought the old cow had thick skin and wouldn't get hurt."
Yan Sen shook his head, "Cows and people are the same ... there are casualties, this is the most afraid of happening every time you go to the mountains."
Qin Li, "I hope it won't happen this time."
The two of them did not say a few words, and then they arrived at this dangerous zone, Qin Li was especially careful, did not dare to say a word, and did not dare to drive a little errand.
When she had crossed the rift, she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when a cow's neigh came from behind.
Both of them turned around at the same time, and they saw a cow fall out of the mountain pass.
Yan Sen's face changed, and he screamed out a bad sound, really afraid of what would come.