By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 112 A Helping Hand: The Woman Driving a Ford Prado [Bonus Chapter! 1.2 words!]

(Bonus chapter for the leader of the Wusheng Wudi Alliance!)
After passing through the entrance of Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong Airport, the view suddenly opened up.

Strictly speaking, Songpan cannot be considered a grassland.

However, compared to the scenery of Jiuzhaigou nestled in the mountain valleys, this place is much more open and expansive.

Both sides are grassy plains, and further away, glaciers and snow-capped mountains meet the boundary between heaven and earth.

However, the altitude here is already very high. Li Younan looked at the altitude display on the dashboard and saw that it had reached 3300 meters.

This altitude is enough to cause altitude sickness in many people.

Li Younan didn't feel anything, and his mother seemed to be in good condition.

The situation is particularly bad for Zhao Ruoxuan and her daughter.

Zhao Ruoxuan had already put her phone away and was leaning back in her seat, half-dead, muttering to herself, "Today is so strange, why am I getting carsick?"

Zhao Xiaofang was also puzzled, and sighed with her eyes closed: "Is it because of the mountain road?"

Li Younan parked the car in a relatively open area, smiled, took two oxygen cylinders from the trunk, and said, "You two seem to be experiencing some altitude sickness. Resting for a while and using oxygen will help." He then looked at his mother and asked, "Mom, are you alright?"

Mom blinked, touched her forehead with some confusion, and said, "I don't feel anything."

"That's good." Li Younan folded down the folding chairs from the car and placed them on the open ground by the roadside, letting them rest for a while, saying, "Anyway, it's still early."

In situations like theirs, there's not much else they can do but breathe oxygen for a while and then wait for their bodies to adapt to the altitude.

On a September morning, it was already a bit chilly in Songpan, with temperatures at this altitude only around ten degrees Celsius.

Li Younan took his coat off the car and draped it over his mother.

Zhao Xiaofang watched this scene with some envy, then glanced at Zhao Ruoxuan, who had recovered somewhat and was now playing games on her phone, and sighed softly.

After thinking for a moment, she deliberately asked, "Ruoxuan, are you cold?"

Ruoxuan looked up, felt it carefully, and nodded: "It is a bit cold, Mom. I'll go get a coat."

Zhao Ruoxuan's mother nodded, watching with some anticipation as Zhao Ruoxuan stood up, walked over, and opened the car door.

Afterwards, Zhao Ruoxuan took a coat from the car, put it on, strolled over, lay down on the folding chair, and continued to comfortably play games.

Zhao Xiaofang's lips twitched slightly, and she felt the weather get even colder.

Getting angrier the more she thought about it, Zhao Xiaofang kicked the back of Zhao Ruoxuan's chair and said irritably, "You only took one coat? You might as well let your mother freeze to death!"

Zhao Ruoxuan stood up somewhat innocently, rubbing her sore bottom from being kicked, and said, "You didn't say you were cold just now, I thought you felt just right being cool."

Zhao Ruoxuan reluctantly went back to the car to get clothes for her mother.

On the other side, Li Younan had already poured a cup of ginger tea from the thermos and handed it to his mother.

Of course, this time, adhering to the principle of treating everyone equally, Li Younan also gave Aunt Zhao a cup.

Zhao Xiaofang felt a warm sensation in her mouth as she drank it, but her heart felt cold. Sigh, other people's children...

……

There were already quite a few cars on the road at this time, but most of them were commercial vehicles taking tourists to the high-speed rail station and airport.

Most vehicles like theirs that are on self-driving tours choose to enter and exit from the direction of Mianyang.

Only a small number of tourists shared the same destination, planning to travel to grasslands like Ruoergai and Hongyuan.

Li Younan also leaned back in his chair, chewing on a bag of dried beef he bought in Jiuzhaigou, which was quite chewy.

To distinguish genuine beef from fake, the first thing to look at is the price. Generally, if it's less than 120 yuan per pound, it's likely fake.

After all, beef is so expensive. At a ratio of three pounds of raw beef to one pound of jerky, the cost price would be 100 yuan. How can you not make a profit?
The package in his hand contained genuine yak jerky, a gift from Zewangxiu. It tasted quite good, but it was a bit tough on his teeth.

Li Younan chewed as he looked toward the end of the road.

By this time, the sun had fully risen, and the sunlight from the direction of Jiuzhaigou was somewhat dazzling on the asphalt road.

A Ford Exotica SUV slowly rose from below the horizon and then drove slowly toward this direction.

A thoughtful look appeared in Li Younan's eyes as he stroked his chin and gazed at the car.

He was puzzled because the car was being driven rather strangely.

It is worth noting that the national highways in Aba have been in very good condition, at least since Li Younan entered Jiuzhaigou.

Although it's a two-lane road, it's very wide, and the road maintenance team checks the road surface every day. The asphalt paving is also of relatively high quality, so local experienced drivers don't drive too slowly.

Once you enter Songpan territory, especially this section of road, which is mostly long straight lines, you can easily reach speeds of over 100 mph without even realizing it.

However, the Ford Strix was only going about 20 miles per hour and was slowly driving this way. The driver seemed hesitant, and it could be described as a mobile roadblock. Many cars passed it from the side.

The car got closer and closer to Li Younan, seemingly because it saw that the open space by the roadside was an excellent parking spot, or perhaps it saw the Land Cruiser parked by the roadside as well.

The Ford Strix, which was a little closer, turned on its turn signal and slowly approached.

Afterwards, Li Younan finally saw what the driver looked like.

The car stopped a few meters in front of Li Younan and the others, and then there was a snap, the hood latches popped open.

A young woman wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and leather boots jumped out of the car.

She wore sunglasses, her short hair cascading down to her ears, giving her a neat and tidy appearance, and a large earring hanging from one ear.

She pulled two short leather gloves from her back pocket, put them on, and then lifted the hood—the whole action was very swift and decisive.

Li Younan observed this scene with great interest.

It's quite surprising to see such a young woman driving a Ford Regal all by herself.

Judging from the direction she came from, she must have come from Jiuzhaigou as well, since there is only one road leading in one direction here.

The young woman stood in front of the cabin, silently observing the situation inside.

Li Younan could tell at a glance that although this woman looked intimidating, she probably knew nothing about repairs.

With the idea that one should help others when traveling, Li Younan decided to go and take a look.

But before he could even set off, Zhao Ruoxuan had already wandered off.

Li Younan was speechless.

Zhao Ruoxuan curiously approached the SUV.

It has to be said that this SUV looks much more imposing than his Land Cruiser.

It comes standard with larger all-terrain off-road tires and has been raised, making it much wilder and more hardcore than the Land Cruiser, which is more geared towards executive off-road vehicles.

Visually, the Ford Fiery looks more like an enlarged version of the Tank 300.

Zhao Ruoxuan's first words were: "Wow, sister, your car is so cool!"

This remark clearly pleased the young woman; she raised an eyebrow and smiled at Zhao Ruoxuan.

In that instant when his face turned to the side, Li Younan got a clear look at the young woman's appearance.

Her features were very delicate, and she had a mole on the corner of her mouth.

According to a superstitious interpretation, it should be a mole indicating a love of food, and Li Younan thought with amusement.

Zhao Ruoxuan continued, "Sister, is there something wrong with your car?"

The young woman's eyes were still searching for something inside the cabin. Her expression was somewhat serious. She sighed slightly and nodded.

But he probably felt that even if he told Zhao Ruoxuan, she wouldn't understand, so he didn't go into details.

Zhao Ruoxuan, as always, asked questions familiarly from the side.

The young woman then said, "Little sister, please wait for me a moment. I'll play with you after I'm done with my work, okay?"

Zhao Ruoxuan then wisely shut her mouth.

Before her lay a dense, crisscrossing mass of metal, pipes, and boxes, like a tangled mess of yarn. She bent down, her head, styled in neat short hair, lowered slightly, her gaze sweeping over the dust-covered components, trying to find something amiss.

Where is the condensation system?
She only recognized the transparent plastic jug, which was half-filled with pink liquid—glass cleaner, which she had added before.

Apart from that, everything was so unfamiliar that it made me uneasy.

She craned her neck, her nose almost touching the thick black tubes.

They were hot to the touch, and you couldn't tell where they were broken or leaking.

There was no pungent odor, nor any strange steam emanating from it.

Only the residual heat from the engine compartment warmed her face, making the stray hairs on her forehead curl slightly.

She straightened up, shook her aching wrists, and took her phone out of her pocket.

Unlock the screen and quickly tap with your finger: "Ford Strix Cryo condensation system malfunction light on."

The page redirects, and a bunch of links pop up.

She clicked on the one with the most straightforward title, and quickly swiped her finger across it. The screen was filled with photos of densely packed circuit diagrams and words like "refrigerant pressure," "condenser," and "compressor."

She frowned, her fingertips hovering above the screen, her gaze leaping back and forth between the unfamiliar Chinese characters and images, as if wandering in a maze.

I recognize all these words, but when put together, they become incomprehensible symbols.

She couldn't even pinpoint which object in the cabin corresponded to the terms displayed on the screen.

The screen went dark, revealing her somewhat bewildered face, her short hair plastered to her sweaty forehead.

But then she also saw a young man in the reflection of the screen.

She was startled and turned her head. She saw that the handsome young man she had noticed before parking the car had somehow gotten to the side of the car and was now looking at the situation inside the cabin with an inquisitive gaze.

She didn't expect that the clean-looking and handsome boy could help her fix the problem, so she didn't actively seek his help.

But at that moment, he asked with a mixture of curiosity and inquiry, "What is the fault code?"

"What?" The girl was stunned for a moment.

Li Younan asked again, "The car has a problem, right? But I looked at it and there's basically no obvious fault. So, what's the fault message?"

The girl was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously said, "It's the condensing system. The warning light shows that the condensing system is faulty. I was afraid that it would boil over while I was driving, so I stopped the car to check it."

"A condensing system?"

Li Younan stroked his chin, a hint of inquiry in his eyes, and reached out to touch her.

The girl then came to her senses and said, "Do you understand this?"

Li Younan fiddled with the container of condensate a couple of times, then adjusted the angle to look at the water pipes inside, and he already had his answer in mind.

He chuckled: "You read online that if the coolant warning light comes on, you should pull over immediately, right?"

The girl blinked: "Is there a problem?"

Li Younan said, "No, you handled it perfectly. However, you were lucky; it was probably just a false alarm."

Li Younan tapped the condensate pitcher and said, "The condensate level hasn't dropped at all, and the water temperature is normal."

As he spoke, Li Younan walked to the cockpit, checked the water temperature gauge, and then walked back to say, "This malfunction is probably because the float in the condensate is broken and is not detecting the correct level."

The girl blinked, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Really?"

Li Younan smiled and said, "Don't worry, you can drive straight to the repair shop and let the mechanic take care of the buoy inside."

The girl frowned and observed the situation again.

Unfortunately, she couldn't figure it out.

At this point, it seems that trusting Li Younan is the only option.

However, the girl was an extremely decisive person. She took a deep breath, then snapped the hood shut, quickly turned her head, flicked her short hair, and looked at Li Younan: "I can trust you, right?"

Li Younan thought for a moment and said, "That's also an option. Your car will follow behind mine, and I'll drive slowly. If you're worried, I can help you deal with any problems right away, but it's probably not necessary."

The girl shook her head: "If I choose to trust you, that's my own judgment, and I can't let you bear the responsibility for my failed trust. If it really breaks down, then it's just my bad luck and I misjudged you, not your fault."

Li Younan was somewhat surprised; this girl's logic, well, how should I put it, was quite interesting.

The girl took off her leather gloves and said, "But I still want to thank you. My name is Ma Jing. What's yours?"

"Li Younan".

Ma Jing extended her hand: "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Li Younan was somewhat surprised to see Ma Jing's action.

Then Ma Jing frowned: "Is shaking hands so hard to understand?"

Li Younan chuckled and shook her hand: "I just didn't expect this."

Ma Jing asked curiously, "Are you planning to go to Songpan?"

Li Younan shook his head: "We're not going to Songpan. We'll head towards Ruoergai from Chuanzhusi."

“You’re going to Ruoergai? That’s quite a coincidence, I’m going to Ruoergai too,” Ma Jing said.

Li Younan looked around and asked, "Are you all alone?"

Ma Jing nodded: "Yes."

She invited Li Younan to come and see her car.

The rear of this vehicle is just as imposing as the front, and the spare tire is also a full-size all-terrain off-road tire, the BFGoodrich KO3, which was only recently launched.

Opening the tailgate reveals that the interior has also undergone a complete renovation.

To Li Younan's surprise, there was a small bed that could be opened by folding down the back seats.

The trunk contained an extension rack, a camping light, and a bunch of other camping gear.

However, it was clearly custom-made by a modification shop, and these parts could not possibly be perfectly matched. There is still a big difference between this and the bed car that Li Younan made with pure woodwork and fits together perfectly.

Li Younan nodded: "You're very pretty. Are you traveling alone?"

Ma Jing nodded and said, "It's not entirely by myself; sometimes I team up to go on some hiking trails."

She noticed that Li Younan's car had also been modified, so she asked curiously, "Are you one of us?"

Li Younan hesitated for a moment. Strictly speaking, he and Ma Jing are not yet the same kind of people. Although he owns an off-road vehicle, Li Younan has not yet officially driven on any off-road route, whether it is a cross-country trip or any other method.

However, he nodded: "Yes, I also like to travel around."

Ma Jing asked, "Can I take a look at your car?"

Li Younan nodded: "Sure."

He took Ma Jing to see his car, and Ma Jing noticed that there was a car radio on Li Younan's center console.

She asked, somewhat surprised, "What power is your radio?"

Li Younan said, "The power isn't very high, only about 50 watts."

Ma Jing frowned: "Such a high power output requires at least a Class B license to operate. Do you have a Class B license?"

Li Younan was genuinely surprised and asked curiously, "You even know about radio operator's licenses?"

Ma Jing nodded: "Once when we went on a time travel, there was a guy in the team who played with radios. Although we didn't encounter any accidents that time travel and even brought a satellite phone, the radio that allowed us to contact the outside world at any time still made us feel very at ease. It's a pity that it's so hard to get a license, otherwise I would like to get one too. I didn't expect to meet a big shot with a Class B license."

Li Younan found it somewhat amusing. In Ma Jing's eyes, a B certificate was already a big deal. If she knew that Ma Jing had a C certificate, she didn't know how she would react.

Hearing Li Younan and Ma Jing's conversation, Zhao Ruoxuan's admiration deepened even more... Li Younan is truly an amazing person...

Then, Li Younan opened the trunk to show Ma Jing.

Noticing the custom-made drawer bed, Ma Jing's eyes showed surprise. She reached out and tapped the drawer panel, exclaiming, "This is really well made! Which manufacturer made it? Can you recommend one?"

Li Younan shook his head: "I made this myself."

Ma Jing looked surprised: "You made this yourself?"

After looking around, Ma Jing was quite impressed: "This trunk has been modified really well."

But then he added a slight complaint, "It's just that your car's tires haven't been modified. They're not good for driving on rough roads; they're prone to blowouts."

Li Younan thought to himself that he had never driven on a bad road before, and if he were to actually go on a cross-country trip, he would definitely need to change to off-road tires.

After visiting Li Younan's car, Ma Jing said, "I have a small refrigerator in my car with frozen Coke inside. Here, take a few bottles."

Li Younan didn't stand on ceremony and followed Ma Jing over.

Ma Jing took a few bottles of iced cola from the trunk and suddenly said to Li Younan, "Would it be convenient for you to add me on WeChat? I'm also thinking of getting a drawer bed like yours; it seems quite convenient."

Li Younan smiled and said, "Sure."

Ma Jing added, "However, I don't need your double bed, a single one is fine."

Li Younan nodded: "That's true. You're all alone and quite petite, so a large bed really isn't necessary for you."

Ma Jing turned her head and said casually, "The big bed is only convenient for sex, but my single bed can make do... if necessary."

Li Younan's expression froze for a moment. His first reaction was that he thought he had misheard. He quickly realized that this woman was so fierce.

Ma Jing raised an eyebrow, as if amused by Li Younan's expression: "We're all adults, why are you so surprised? You're not still a virgin, are you?"

Li Younan coughed and changed the subject: "But if I want to help you with the modifications, you'll have to drive the car to my place. And I can't be sure about the time."

Ma Jing calmly replied, "That's no problem, money isn't an issue either, whatever the price is, that's what we'll pay. Where do you live?"

Li Younan said, "Anchuan County."

Ma Jing thought for a moment, seemingly recalling the location of the county, then nodded and said, "How long are you going to stay in Ruoergai? I mean, if our itineraries overlap, or when you plan to go back, I can go directly to Anchuan County with you. Anyway, I don't have anything else to do."

The two of them then finalized the agreement.

Since our next destination is Ruoergai, we can set off together.

In the car, Zhao Xiaofang asked curiously, "You Nan, that girl, I saw you talking to her quite a bit, what does she do?"

Li Younan drove the car casually and said, "I didn't ask. From what I can tell, she's probably just a young girl who travels a lot."

Zhao Ruoxuan interjected, "Then it'll be the same as yours."

Li Younan did not respond.

Same as yourself?
Probably not.

Although the Ford Strix isn't as expensive as his Land Cruiser, it's still a car worth several hundred thousand yuan. With all the modifications, it's clearly not something an ordinary young woman could afford on her own income.

She must be a girl from a relatively well-off family.

I didn't see her using any live streaming equipment; she was probably just out having fun.

Yeah, it's quite bold of you to be alone.

……

To accommodate the three ladies in the car, Li Younan didn't drive fast. Perhaps feeling it was too slow, Ma Jing stepped on the gas and overtook them, quickly disappearing from sight.

They arrived at the Ruoergai Grassland before lunchtime.

By now, Zhao Ruoxuan and her daughter's altitude sickness had mostly subsided; at least their headaches and nausea had subsided.

Li Younan drove directly to the county town, bought some local specialties, and prepared to find a scenic spot to camp.

We drove up a grassy slope that clearly showed signs of camping, which offered an even more beautiful view of the grassland.

Okay, this is fine.

Mom wrapped her coat tighter around herself, and Aunt Zhang pulled her shawl up high. They didn't speak, but found a rock to sit on, hugged their knees, and watched the herd of yaks moving across the distant grassy slope.

This place is perfect for oil painting.

Li Younan took several photos, but he wasn't very satisfied with any of them. He felt that sketching the grassland would be more meaningful, but drawing it was not very interesting.

Previously, Zhao Ruoxuan seemed to have had an epiphany. This time, without her mother's nagging, she went to get her drawing tools on her own.

Zhao Ruoxuan carried her canvas and paints up the slope, then set up a stool, spread out her palette, and squeezed out the paints. She dipped her brush in water, mixed blue, and held it in front of the canvas.

Li Younan went to the side, set up a table, placed a portable gas stove and a kettle on it, and took out some things he had just bought in the county town. The kettle hissed and then gurgled.

Li Younan broke the black brick tea into pieces and threw it in. The tea soup turned black. He sprinkled salt, scooped in a few spoonfuls of yak milk powder, and stirred it with a long spoon. The milk and tea flavors spread.

I poured a few glasses and handed them to my mom and Aunt Zhang. They took them, held them, and blew on them.

Li Younan squatted by the stove with a cup in his hand, his back to the sun.

The heat traveled from my hands to my arms, and I could hear the wind, the sound of the kettle, and the calls of birds in the distance. I squinted as I watched the white steam from the spout being blown away by the wind.

Feeling comfortable.

Mom and Aunt Zhang got up and walked along the path beside the tent. They bent down to look at the small flowers on the ground, then stood still, shading their eyes with their hands to look into the distance. All they could hear from Zhao Ruoxuan's side was the "rustling" sound of paintbrushes scraping against the canvas.

……

Traveling with family is a pretty good experience.

Traveling alone has its own unique pleasures; but traveling with family also has its own joys.

Li Younan savored the milk tea brewed from the horse tea he bought in Ruoergai.

Ruoergai's infrastructure is actually quite good; the roads are wide, the visibility is good, and there aren't many cars.

This area isn't part of Highway 318, but the scenery here is just as beautiful as the high-altitude sections of Highway 318.

Just as I was thinking this, a man and a horse appeared at the edge of my field of vision, heading in this direction.

Only when you get closer can you see clearly that a young Tibetan man is riding a huge chestnut horse, grinning from ear to ear, his cheekbones glowing red as if he has been bathed in the high-altitude sun, and his teeth are very white.

He pulled on the reins, and the horse impatiently stamped its hooves, tearing up patches of turf.

The young man smiled at Li Younan: "Riding a horse, want to ride or not?"

Compared to Zewangxiu in Jiuzhaigou and other Tibetans he had met, the Tibetans on the Ruoergai Grassland seemed more genuine.

Many Tibetans in Jiuzhaigou don't ride horses, and horses are rarely seen anymore, but it's different here.

Li Younan had seen many herdsmen on horseback along the way.

Moreover, their Mandarin is not as standard as that of people from Jiuzhaigou; it has a strong "Dingzhen accent."

My mother and the other two women curiously gathered around.

The delivery guy asked again, "Want to ride?"

Li Younan didn't respond immediately, silently observing the horse.

Having mastered riding skills, he was extremely familiar with these horse breeds.

There are two main types of horses on the Sichuan-Western Plateau: the Hequ horse and the Kang horse.

Ruoergai is mainly inhabited by Hequ horses.

Those familiar with Chinese horses know that the Hequ horse is one of the three great horse breeds since ancient times.

They have been excellent warhorses since the Qin Dynasty.

These horses are tall, with a beautiful and robust physique, and have extremely strong endurance. They can go for days and nights without food or water, and can also use their powerful sense of smell to identify swamps on the grassland.

Upon seeing the horse, Li Younan felt an urge to pat its head.

To be honest, in the history of human evolution, even cows and dogs are not as important to humans as horses.

From a historical perspective, horses are humankind's best friend and most loyal companion.

Unfortunately, with the widespread use of cars and motorcycles in this era, the number of horses in Ruoergai is decreasing.

This is progress, but it also inevitably makes people feel a little regretful.

From an evolutionary perspective, horses should have been eliminated by the natural environment long ago.

But it survived the brutal competition of nature by perfectly compensating for human disadvantages.

However, with the development of technology, it seems that humans no longer need to rely on horses as they did in ancient times.

Li Younan asked, "How much does it cost?"

The young man gestured: "20, 20 per lap."

My mother hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you want to try it? Isn't it dangerous?"

Zhao Xiaofang, however, was more interested in other things. She asked, "How far is one lap?"

The young man didn't understand at first, so he leaned closer.

Zhao Xiaofang explained with difficulty: "It means you have to travel a certain distance to pay 20."

The young man understood what he meant and pointed to a large rock about a hundred meters away, saying, "Go there and come back, that place."

Compared to her mother, Zhao Xiaofang was much braver. She asked Zhao Ruoxuan next to her, "Do you want to ride it?"

Zhao Ruoxuan immediately looked eager to try.

Li Younan said, "I don't have any cash with me, can I pay with WeChat?"

The young man pulled a QR code out of his tent, grinned, and said, "Sure."

Li Younan said, "I'll give you 100 yuan, is it okay if you ride for half an hour?"

The young man paused for a moment, thought for a second, and shook his head: "No, no, that's too long. Five laps, five laps is fine."

Li Younan said with a bit of a laugh, "This little girl rode five laps, and she didn't dare to go any faster, so it definitely took her more than half an hour."

After thinking about it again, the young man readily agreed this time.

Li Younan clearly saw a sly glint flash in the young man's eyes. He blinked, suddenly realizing something, and smiled with a somewhat strange expression.

Li Younan added, "We can all try this for half an hour, right?"

The deliveryman nodded repeatedly: "Sure, sure."

With anticipation, Zhao Ruoxuan prepared to go first. The horse was saddled, but she was still very nervous when mounting it, afraid that the horse would run away while she was mounting, and then she would be hanging on the horse's belly.
Fortunately, this did not happen; the horse simply stood there quietly waiting for Zhao Ruoxuan to mount.

The young man held the reins and patted the horse's head.

After Zhao Ruoxuan got on the horse, she quickly said to her mother, "Mom, take a picture of me quickly."

But then she screamed because the horse shifted its position.

Most people are terrified the first time they ride a horse. The young man was clearly not surprised by Zhao Ruoxuan's reaction. He smiled calmly but didn't say anything.

The young man led the horse, letting Zhao Ruoxuan slowly experience the feeling of riding on horseback.

Zhao Ruoxuan swayed with the horse's rhythm, and soon she showed a panicked expression: "Wait, wait, this is scary, I want to get off."

The young man said, "I haven't even started running yet." He grinned as he spoke.

The young man then asked the horse to speed up a little, and Zhao Ruoxuan immediately screamed in fright: "Stop, stop! I don't want to ride anymore! I don't want to ride anymore!"

The young man pulled on the reins and said, "Then get down."

Zhao Ruoxuan took a deep breath, awkwardly dismounted from the horse, patted her heaving chest slightly, but was still very happy, skipping over to her mother: "Mom, are the photos ready? Let me see."

The young man then looked at the others: "Who's next?"

Both Mom and Zhao Xiaofang shook their heads: "Let's forget about it."

The deliveryman looked at Li Younan and said, "If you're scared, I won't refund your money."

Li Younan laughed heartily.

He understood what the young man was thinking: many tourists are afraid when they ride horses and end up just taking a picture and then getting off.

Those who have never ridden a horse cannot truly understand the feeling. When a horse starts running, the jolting and the sense of loss of control that you can't have as freely as you would on a motorcycle are quite frightening.

If the tourist is too scared to ride the bike, then it's understandable and justifiable not to refund the money.

Li Younan nodded: "Don't worry, I definitely won't renege on my debt."

……

This was Li Younan's first time riding a horse.

However, the joy in that feeling is hard to describe.

He took a deep breath and stroked the horse's head. The horse was well-cared for, with very bright eyes. As he stroked it, the horse also looked at Li Younan and gave a soft neigh.

The young man gave Li Younan a simple lesson on how to mount a horse.

Li Younan patiently watched the demonstration, then nimbly mounted the horse.

The young man was still holding the reins when Li Younan said, "Could you let go and let me ride it myself for a bit?"

The young man had a strange expression on his face and said, "If I let go, you'll fall."

But after taking two more steps, he turned back with some doubt and looked Li Younan up and down.

Anyone who rides horses often knows that you can tell if someone can ride a horse just by looking at them mount it.

Being able to ride a horse doesn't mean you can control it to run; it means having a relaxed expression, a comfortable posture, and relaxed body movements.

It's really obvious at a glance.

The young man was quite bold, handing the reins to Li Younan: "Come on, ride it yourself."

Seeing this, Mom was stunned and said nervously, "Son, are you sure you can do this?"

Li Younan stroked the horse's neck, and the horse gently turned its head and trotted a little in place.

Li Younan adjusted his posture in sync with the horse's movements.

He knew the horse was testing him.

It must be mentioned that, regardless of the breed, all horses are inherently somewhat mischievous.

The moment a person mounts a horse, the horse will begin to test whether the person on its back can ride.

For a horse, you can tell if someone knows how to ride it the moment they mount.

By taking a few more steps and feeling the posture of the person on your back, you can almost confirm it.

Once it's determined whether the person on its back can ride a horse, the horse will show its playful side.

If it knows you can ride, it will follow your lead and obey you; but if it knows from the beginning that you can't ride a horse, it will bully you in every way and will never let the reins restrict it.

When the young man saw that the horse didn't run away even after he loosened the reins, he knew that Li Younan probably knew how to ride a horse.

And he looked so natural and relaxed on horseback, he chuckled and scratched his head: "You're a little dishonest!"

Li Younan smiled and offered no explanation.

Being able to ride a horse is also important for the horse, as it means whether it can control its balance while running and whether it is comfortable to run.

The reason why horses resist unrider people climbing onto their backs is because unrider people don't know how to move up and down with the horse's movement, don't use their waist strength, and have an unstable core.

When running, the horse sways back and forth, disrupting the rider's balance. More importantly, it keeps bouncing on the rider's back, causing pain in the buttocks of the rider and a poor experience for the horse as well.

It's like carrying a wooden box filled with iron balls that wobbles around, versus a wooden box filled with books. Even if they weigh the same, the latter is easier to carry.

The feeling of oneness between horse and rider is also a very comfortable experience for the horse.

Li Younan didn't run very fast at first; he just controlled the horse to run slowly.

While it was running, Li Younan was also observing it. It was a very good horse, a natural trotter.

In terms of running posture, there are two main categories. One is horseback riding, which is featured in almost all movies and TV series. It looks very beautiful when the horse is running, with the front and back feet alternating.

The zouma (walking horse) is like alternating left and right movements, like walking in a clockwise direction.

From the perspective of running posture, walking is more like walking and is not as beautiful or graceful, but for cyclists, walking is a better experience because there is less bump.

However, gait is not a skill that all horses can master. It requires top-notch trainers to train them. Only a small number of horses are born with it, such as the one that Li Younan is riding.

Li Younan gradually began to accelerate, adjusting his posture according to the horse's movements. Before long, he truly achieved a state of oneness with the horse.

Riding a horse at full gallop is truly a delightful experience.

At this moment, the Tibetan man saw that Li Younan could now control the horse to trot back and forth independently, so he sat down somewhat bored, casually plucked a blade of grass and put it in his mouth, watching Li Younan run around.

He doesn't mind letting people who know how to ride horses run a few more laps, since horses are animals that love to run.

Half an hour passed quickly, and Li Younan rode his horse back leisurely.

The horse was also very excited at this moment. The instant it stopped, it raised its front hooves high and let out a neigh.

Li Younan remained calm, smiled slightly, pulled on the reins, controlled his body posture, and then landed smoothly.

After dismounting, Li Younan was still somewhat reluctant to leave. He sighed softly and stroked the horse's head with a touch of lingering affection.

Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye.

The horse neighed at him a few more times.

When I have money in the future, I must find a way to raise a horse.

Li Younan thought to himself silently.

……

The camping trip didn't last long, since we had to get back to Songpan for the night this afternoon.

Songpan's altitude isn't low, but the county seat is only around 2,700 or 2,800 meters.

Ruoergai is a solid 3000 meters above sea level. Once you reach an altitude of 3000 meters, one of the most noticeable and unpleasant experiences is the lack of oxygen.

I have trouble sleeping at night, and it's often accompanied by headaches.

If time allowed, Li Younan even planned to drive the car directly to Wenchuan.

In the car, they were all talking about horseback riding. Mom asked, somewhat curiously, "Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

Li Younan said without batting an eye, "How could that be? I've never ridden one before, but does a carousel count?"

My mother laughed and scolded him, then thought for a moment and said, "My son really is talented. He rode a horse so well on his first try."

Zhao Xiaofang also said, "I was a little scared when I saw You Nan riding the horse so fast, but he seemed much more stable on the horse's back."

Zhao Ruoxuan asked curiously, "Brother Younan, weren't you scared when you were riding the horse? Weren't you afraid of falling off when you were going so fast? I was terrified when I only jolted a little."

Li Younan said in a serious tone, "You should exercise regularly. If you are in good physical condition, things will be much easier."

Zhao Ruoxuan's mother often made her exercise, which Zhao Ruoxuan always scoffed at, but this time she listened very attentively and nodded.

The car drove to Songpan, which was said to have been called Songzhou in ancient times. It was also an important post station on the way for Princess Wencheng to marry Songtsen Gampo.

However, as expected, the altitude was quite high, and none of the three women slept well that night.

When Li Younan woke up the next day, he was yawning, but he was full of energy.

It has to be said that the Highland Bloodline passive skill, which has no active effects but special skill attributes, is the real god-tier skill.

In such a high-altitude place, he adapted even better than the locals.

Since acquiring this skill, Li Younan has gained the ability to feel sleepy anytime, anywhere, whenever he wants to.

It's easy to understand. When we sleep, we consume less oxygen. The strong blood oxygenation capacity ensures that the body always has an ample supply of oxygen. As long as there is no oxygen deficiency, the quality of sleep will be very good.

However, Li Younan still felt sorry for his mother. His mother kept yawning, so Li Younan took them to eat a bowl of local specialty beef offal before setting off again.

The scenery along the way from Songpan to Wenchuan was not as pleasant as before.

This section of the road can even be described as quite bad, with many semi-trailer trucks and dump trucks traveling between the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Gansu, making it very difficult to overtake them.

Moreover, these heavy vehicles have damaged many road surfaces.

The road was built almost entirely along the mountainside, with rivers and cliffs often on one side. Li Younan focused his attention and drove carefully on this road. Fortunately, with Li Younan's skills, there were naturally no accidents.

They finally arrived in Wenchuan in the afternoon. At that moment, Ma Jing, whom they had arranged to meet earlier, sent a message asking where Li Younan was.

Li Younan told Ma Jing that he was currently in Wenchuan and would stay for a day or two before heading directly back to Anchuan County to end his trip.

Ma Jing said, "That's perfect. I'll be arriving in Wenchuan tonight. Let me know when you're leaving, and I'll go with you."

The journey left all three passengers bewildered. Even though Li Younan was a very skilled driver and drove very steadily, a long car ride was still not a pleasant experience.

Mom seemed to be in okay condition. Zhao Ruoxuan and Zhao Xiaofang both took a nap, but when they woke up, their necks hurt and their hair was a mess.

Ultimately, Zhao Ruoxuan came to the conclusion that it's best to keep travel time to three days or less.

To be honest, there's not much to see in Wenchuan from a tourism perspective. The main tourist spot is in Yingxiu Town, where there's an earthquake memorial site.

To be honest, Li Younan was somewhat reluctant to go there because it was too heavy a burden.

However, I also thought that Zhao Ruoxuan, being a young girl, hadn't experienced 08, so I could take her there to broaden her horizons.

Yingxiu is only half an hour's drive from Wenchuan. After a short rest, they set off directly there.

On the way to Yingxiu, we drove along the Minjiang River. The mountains were very high and the water was very rapid.

Li Younan's mother and Zhao Xiaofang were chatting about someone's wedding, while Ruoxuan leaned against the car window, drawing circles on the fogged glass with her fingertips.

The silence suddenly ended when they saw the road sign for Yingxiu.

The entrance features a cracked white marble clock sculpture, its hands stuck at 14:28.

The guide pointed to the leaning main teaching building behind it and said that it was originally five stories high, but it was compressed into three stories. There are still 19 students and 2 teachers buried underneath.

The cement fragments looked as if they had been squeezed by a giant, and steel bars pierced out from the cracks.

Li Younan felt a lump in his throat and could only shake his head.

To the left is the staircase passage, because the triangular structure did not collapse.

But the lecture hall next to it collapsed completely, and the five-story building was reduced to a pile of bricks.

The commentator said that the students were on the top floor when the earthquake struck, and some people jumped out of the windows when the walls cracked. Many students on the fourth floor did not escape.

Zhao Ruoxuan tiptoed and touched the crack in the stair railing; cement chips fell down in a rustling sound.

As Aunt Zhao circled the ruins, she suddenly stopped. At the end of the slope stood a crooked flagpole, atop which hung a faded red flag that fluttered in the wind.

The building collapsed during the earthquake, but this national flag was still standing.

The cemetery is located at the top of the hill, with rows of black stone tombstones planted in the soil.

Zhao Ruoxuan remained silent as they descended the mountain.

On the playground, the ruins of the distant ruins gradually shrank into a small gray dot, while the sound of the Minjiang River grew louder and louder, slowly washing over us.

Having completed the daily check-in task, Li Younan composed himself and led them back to the county town.

By dinner time, everyone had regained their composure.

After all, it's a trip. Although I felt a bit somber when visiting the ruins, I feel much better now.

Wenchuan's altitude is much lower than Songpan and Ruoergai, making it significantly more comfortable for the body. Aunt Zhao's headache had subsided, though she still felt a slight sense of regret that the trip was coming to an end.

Only now did Li Younan begin to check the rewards for the daily check-in task.

[Plant Identification Level 1: You now have a basic understanding of all plants that are not currently extinct and still exist in the world...]

Li Younan hadn't paid much attention to this skill before, but combined with the knowledge that had flooded his mind, he quickly realized that this skill was an amazing survival skill in the wild.

In fact, his understanding of plants is not very deep. For example, he doesn't know the protein content, cellulose content, fructose content, etc. of a certain plant.

He only knew basic information, most of which was not very useful, but some information was very important, such as whether it was edible, whether it was poisonous, or whether it had other uses, such as repelling mosquitoes or stopping bleeding.

This is an amazing skill for living alone in the wilderness!
I wonder how long it would take to memorize all this knowledge.

After dropping his mother and the others off at their hotel, Ma Jing called to say that she had also arrived in Wenchuan and asked when Li Younan would be leaving for Anchuan County.

Li Younan thought about it. The original plan was a seven or eight-day trip, but only five days had passed. However, his mother and the others were already very tired and seemed unwilling to continue the trip, so he decided to set off tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)