Chapter 178 Tibetan Girl Zhuoma
Ma'erkang is the capital of AB Prefecture, and this will be the place where Liu Yimin and his group will spend the most time. This is because the famous Tusi (chieftain) Zhuokeji's official residence is located here, and many significant historical events have taken place here.

The official residence of Zhuokeji was located in Xisuo Village, and they were taken directly to live there by Suozelang. The official residence faced the Tibetan houses across the water, highlighting the difference between the two classes.

Zhuokeji Official Residence is a grand structure made of stone and wood. The first thing that catches the eye is a gate with seven layers of Tibetan-style carvings.

The four sets of massive watchtowers showcased the power and prestige of the chieftain. These four sets of watchtowers also formed a closed courtyard with five floors, each connected by a corridor.

"The second floor used to be the chieftain's guest rooms. We lived on the second floor for the entire week. The third floor used to be the chieftain's office, and the fourth and fifth floors were used for religious purposes. Now, some of the rooms here are student dormitories for the teachers' college."

Standing inside the room, Liu Yimin looked across the room and felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.

After putting down their luggage, Sozerang introduced, "There's a place you'll definitely want to go, which is the room where the instructor lived. I'll take you to see it."

During the Long March, the Red Army passed through Zhuokeji Town, where the Zhuokeji chieftain led his men to the mountains. The troops rested there and even held a meeting.

Upon hearing this, the driver, Lao Wang, interjected, "I was too young to understand back then, otherwise I would have followed the Red Army north. We also have many veteran revolutionaries here."

"The Red Army rested and reorganized here, and also raised funds and recruited soldiers. Indeed, many people listened to the call and participated in the Long March," Sozerang nodded and said.

The chieftain of Zhuokeji at the time was named Suo Guanying, a relatively enlightened person. His study contained copies of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and the Four Books and Five Classics. The teacher stayed there for a week and finished reading "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" on his desk.

Suo Guanying was one of the earliest chieftains to support the peaceful liberation. Later, he met the teacher in Yanjing, and the teacher told him this story.

After the visit, Xu Chi looked at Liu Yimin and said with a smile, "The character of Chief Zhuo Ke in your novel 'The Kite Runner' was probably inspired by this place, wasn't it?"

Liu Yimin leaned against the wooden wall and said, "At least the name is!"

Patting the wooden wall of the official residence, Xu Chi exclaimed, "The chieftains are really extravagant. No wonder they're all called local emperors."

Liu Yimin said, "Whether it's a real emperor or a local tyrant, they are all emperors. As long as they are emperors, they cannot avoid exploitation and pleasure."

In the days that followed, Liu Yimin and Xu Chi learned a lot about the history of the area. Fortunately, Liu Yimin had enough film on his camera, otherwise it wouldn't have been enough.

"Comrade Lao Xu, have you decided who to write about? I see that your reportage hasn't even started yet, you're just keeping writing and writing."

Walking inside the Zhuokeji official residence, Liu Yimin looked up at the watchtower and couldn't help but ask.

“No rush, no rush. Writing a piece of reportage takes a long time, there’s no need to rush. You’re here with a creative framework in mind when you’re looking for material, but I’m not. I’m here to find a creative framework, and maybe in the end I’ll only have material without a framework,” Xu Chi said with a smile.

Liu Yimin laughed and teased, "Comrade Xu, you can't have this kind of mentality. You're spending the people's hard-earned money!"

Xu Chi stretched out his old leg and kicked Liu Yimin's butt, saying with a stern face, "It's perfectly normal not to be able to create anything. Do you think everyone is like you, writing quickly and well!"

As they were fooling around, students from Ma'erkang Normal School walked by laughing. Xu Chi retorted, "Yimin, it seems you're not so great either. Nobody knows you here. Your title as a representative of young writers is a bit of a stretch."

"A little bit of water is fine, as long as it's not as big as the Minjiang River!" Liu Yimin said nonchalantly.

"You're quite open-minded!" Xu Chi said with a smile.

The two chatted and laughed as they returned to their room. At the door, Suo Zelang and several other people were standing together, while Old Wang squatted down next to him, smoking. When he saw Liu Yimin, he chuckled.

Sozerang pointed at Liu Yimin and said something in Tibetan before running over to him: “Writer Liu, these are the principal, teachers and students of the teachers’ college. They want to invite you to give a lecture.”

Liu Yimin glanced at Xu Chi, his grinning face making Xu Chi want to kick him again.

"Give a lecture? What kind of lecture?" Liu Yimin asked.

“You are a student, writer, and poet in the Chinese Department of Yenching University. They want to invite you to talk about Yenching so that the children can learn about the outside world,” Suo Zelang said.

Malkang Teachers' College is a vocational school, and the students are around seventeen or eighteen years old. The vast majority of them have never left Malkang, let alone left AB state.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Comrade Lao Xu, shall we go together?"

Xu Chi snorted and turned his face away. Liu Yimin said to the man who looked like the principal, "This is Comrade Xu Chi, a very knowledgeable veteran, writer, and senior figure. His knowledge is even richer, let's go together!"

The principal glanced at Xu Chi, sized him up, and then said, "Go, all of you!"

The following day, Liu Yimin and Xu Chi, accompanied by Suo Zelang, arrived at Ma'erkang Normal School.

The facilities at the teachers' college were indeed much worse than those elsewhere. The teaching buildings were very short, the walls were uneven, and some parts were already broken and had not been repaired.

Liu Yimin remarked with emotion, "It's not easy for students to study here!"

Xu Chi said, "They bear the heavy responsibility of education here. After graduating from vocational school, they all became teachers here. Although the classrooms are dilapidated, their burden is not light."

Upon hearing this, the principal nodded excitedly, as if someone had finally understood them.
"Old comrade, what you're saying speaks volumes. The kids at the school are already the best in our area. They can get jobs after graduating from vocational school. Not many of those who go to vocational school will go on to high school. And basically, those who go to high school here won't get into university."

"Comrade Liu Yimin, we are poor here and basically don't subscribe to magazines. I got to know you by seeing your name in the China Youth Daily. Students come from poor families and very few can afford to read magazines at home."

"It's alright, Principal, we're not here to show off our fame," Liu Yimin said.

Upon hearing this, the principal was even happier, and felt even more strongly that the people who came from Yenching were all highly skilled.

The principal gathered the students and they stood on the playground, which was actually a dirt road. A few dilapidated desks were placed in front of the students, serving as a makeshift platform.

"Students, these are two writers from the great capital, Yenching. One of them, the young comrade Liu Yimin, is a student at Yenching University. He has been featured in newspapers. Let them tell you about Yenching and our capital."

After the principal finished speaking, he sat down and listened attentively. The teachers and students around him looked at Liu Yimin and Xu Chi with envy after hearing the principal's introduction.

Whether Xu Chi really came from Yanjing or not is no longer important.

Below, the young faces were all rosy from the sun, some even a tan tinged with red. Xu Chi was supposed to speak first, but upon seeing the students below, he suddenly didn't know where to begin.

"Classmates, do you have any questions for us?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

The students looked around, whispered among themselves, but still no one spoke. Xu Chi said in a low voice, "If this were outside, students would have already started asking questions!"

The principal encouraged the students to ask questions bravely, but after a long time, no one spoke up.

After a long silence, a student raised his hand and asked, "How far is the capital from here?"

Xu Chi and Liu Yimin were stunned. This question was too challenging. Neither of them knew how far it was!

Liu Yimin coughed and said, "I don't know the exact distance, but it's at least one or two thousand kilometers. If we walk, it might take a month."

"Then how did you get here?"

"Let's take the train!"

What is a train?

Liu Yimin patiently explained to everyone what a train is. Some of the teachers nearby didn't know what a train was either, so they listened attentively to Liu Yimin's explanation.

Seeing that everyone still didn't understand, Liu Yimin used a stick to draw on the ground what a train was. Someone asked how a train moves, so Liu Yimin explained what a steam engine was.

"Students, when transportation becomes more developed and roads are easier to travel, you will be able to go out and see what a train is! You can even take the train to our capital, see what Tiananmen Square is like, and then come back and tell your students about it."

As for Aba having its own train, that won't be until 2023.

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, the atmosphere below finally became lively, and someone even mustered up the courage to ask Liu Yimin what kind of poem he had written.

Liu Yimin wrote a few poems for everyone, and then Xu Chi also spoke, still telling stories about himself and his teachers. After he finished speaking, everyone's enthusiasm for Xu Chi clearly exceeded that for Liu Yimin.

As Xu Chi walked out of Malkang School, he sighed, "The students here know so little."

After spending a week at the Zhuokeji official residence, Liu Yimin thoroughly understood the daily life of the chieftain and the positions of the officials within the residence, and memorized everything.

When they left the Zhuokeji official residence, many students warmly saw them off at the gate, and some even presented them with hadas (ceremonial scarves).

Tashi Delek!

Tashi Delek!

Wearing hadas (ceremonial scarves), the two of them, led by driver Lao Wang and Suozhelang, continued deeper into the mountains. They could no longer drive jeeps; they had to ride horses.

Liu Yimin and Xu Chi practiced their riding skills, and Suo Zelang specially selected a relatively docile horse, so it was not difficult to practice.

"Where are you taking my horse?" A horse blocked Liu Yimin and his group's path. A tall, brown horse carried a Tibetan girl dressed in a red Tibetan dress and wearing a headdress.

Sozerang went to negotiate, saying, "Zhuoma, your father agreed. These are guests from Yanjing. We'll borrow your horse for a few days and return it to you. We have the money."

"Uncle Zelang, who wants your money? I just want my horse!" the girl said stubbornly.

Zesonglang said earnestly, "This is a guest from Yanjing. Don't be silly. Zhuoma, you should go home quickly. We'll return the horse to you soon!"

“No, I must stay with my Aji.” Zhuoma forcefully cracked her riding whip.

The horse Liu Yimin was riding immediately sneezed, and Liu Yimin was almost thrown off. It turned out that the horse he was riding was the so-called "Aji".

"Aji is female, men can't ride her, get down!"

Sozerang's face was grim. He spoke for a long time in Tibetan before nodding and saying, "Writer Liu, Writer Xu, and Droma, come with us."

Zhuoma cracked her whip again, and her horse finally calmed down. Zhuoma sang and danced all the way, occasionally taking a sip of wine. Sozerang whispered to Liu Yimin, "She's the wildest girl around here. Oh dear, I can't help it. You don't know how hard it is to persuade her..."

Liu Yimin smiled but didn't speak. Their destination was a small grassland. Xu Chi wanted to go to the Ruoergai Grassland to see where the Red Army had passed. Unfortunately, it was too far, and it was the rainy season, making the trip difficult and dangerous.

This small grassland is close to Ma'erkang, where they can experience the life of Tibetan herders and chat with former lower-class Tibetans. They can't just experience the life of a chieftain, but they also need to experience the life of ordinary people.

"Hey, you're from the capital, are you stupid? Why are you just laughing and not saying anything?" Zhuoma shouted at Liu Yimin.

Sozerang's face turned ashen: "Zhuoma, watch your tone. Don't embarrass Aba. This young man is a talented writer and poet."

"Oh, a poet, a writer, that's impressive. Can you even fight wolves?" Zhuoma's sarcastic tone was very high-pitched.

Xu Chi said with a smile, "Girl, he may not be able to fight wolves, but his pen can encourage many people to dare to fight wolves."

"Oh, impressive! You're too scared to fight yourself, so you let someone else do it!"

Xu Chi wanted to say something more, but Liu Yimin smiled and waved at him, saying, "She's right, that's exactly how it is!"

Zhuoma smiled smugly, waved her whip, and Liu Yimin's horse "Aji" immediately charged out. Suozhelang's expression changed drastically, and he waved his whip and chased after Liu Yimin.

“Writer Liu can’t ride a horse. If he falls off, Zhuoma, you can expect your father to teach you a lesson!”

After catching up, seeing that Liu Yimin looked normal, Suo Zelang said, "Writer Liu, not bad at all. I thought you would be scared."

"I just happened to be wondering how to make the horse run fast, so I wanted to experience what it's like to ride a horse. I should thank Miss Zhuoma for that," Liu Yimin said casually.

Zhuoma, who rushed over, looked unwell. After hearing Liu Yimin's words, she snorted and said, "Impressive, huh? Do you need some barley wine to calm your nerves?"

"Don't be alarmed, no need to calm down!"

"Impressive!" Zhuoma spurred her horse forward, and Liu Yimin spurred his horse to follow closely, enjoying the thrill of galloping.

They walked for a long time, until the sun set and night fell, and they still hadn't arrived. Sozerang and Old Wang held torches to light their way, and only when they saw a few scattered mud houses did they shout, "We've arrived!"

(End of this chapter)

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