Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The crowd immediately cheered and quickly lined up on the mountaintop platform.

Behind it are vast salt fields, boundless cornfields, and scattered towns, with the summer sky a clear, deep blue.

"Stand still, everyone!"

Cui Yanyan, like a little director, earnestly gave instructions, "Ma Xingyuan, move a little to the left... Yes, Li Yunjing, stand next to Ruoxi... Okay, that's it!"

Li Yunjing, Lü Ruoxi, and four others stood in front of the camera, all with excited smiles on their faces.

The mountain wind tousled the girls' hair, but it couldn't diminish the radiance of their youth.

Cui Yanyan picked up her camera, squinted one eye, and carefully adjusted the angle through the viewfinder.

The sunlight was a bit too bright, so she had to turn to the side to find the best light.

"Are you ready?"

She shouted, "I'll count to three, and everyone say 'cheese' together!"

"good!!"

The crowd responded in unison.

"1! 2! 3!"

"eggplant!"

With a soft "click" of the shutter, time was frozen forever on the film.

"One more!"

Ma Xingyuan shouted, "I just blinked!"

"I want to take a picture with Ruoxi alone too!"

A girl is holding Lü Ruoxi's hand.

Cui Yanyan shook her head helplessly, but still complied with everyone's requests.

After everyone had finished taking individual photos, Cui Yanyan was about to put away her camera when Li Yunjing suddenly spoke up: "Yanyan, could you please take a picture of the two of us too?"

When he said "the two of us," he was naturally referring to himself and Lü Ruoxi.

Lu Ruoxi was slightly taken aback, then a faint blush rose to her face, but she did not refuse.

Ma Xingyuan whistled noisily from the side, but was glared at by Li Yunjing.

"Where should I stand?"

Cui Yanyan held her camera and looked around.

Li Yunjing thought for a moment and pointed to a rock protruding from the cliff: "Let's go there. You can see the whole town in the background."

The two walked to the edge of the rocks.

The mountain wind blew even faster, and Lü Ruoxi's ponytail flew in the air.

She stood somewhat awkwardly, unsure of where to put her hands.

"Relax."

Li Yunjing spoke softly, naturally moving closer to her.

Lu Ruoxi felt his approach and her heart beat faster.

She looked up and met Li Yunjing's smiling gaze.

Li Yunjing was indeed different today; her composure and calmness made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Ready!"

Cui Yanyan shouted, "1, 2, 3!"

The shutter is pressed.

In the photo, a boy and a girl stand side by side on the edge of a cliff, with the vast sky and the reviving town behind them.

The mountain breeze ruffled the hem of their clothes, and sunlight danced on their young faces.

Li Yunjing stood ramrod straight, gazing into the distance; Lü Ruoxi tilted her head slightly, a shy smile on her lips.

This photo was later carefully tucked into Lü Ruoxi's diary and treasured for many years.

Every time she looks at it, she is reminded of the boy standing on the mountaintop with a determined gaze, and that summer with a strong wind.

As for personal photos, Li Yunjing did not take any.

Having been given a second chance at life, he prefers to focus his lens on the people around him and on the scenery of this era.

His own image is already deeply etched in my memory, and it doesn't need film to prove it.

After taking photos, everyone found a shady spot under a tree to sit down and began to enjoy the dry rations they had brought.

The bread that Lü Ruoxi bought was soft and fluffy, and the ham sausage was rich in meaty flavor; it was a rare delicacy in this day and age.

As everyone chatted and laughed, sharing food, the fatigue from the mountain gradually dissipated.

"Let's go pick some wild berries!"

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Ma Xingyuan suggested, "I heard there are wild grapes in Dongshan!"

"Where can we find grapes this season?"

Ma Guofeng curled his lip, "It's possible to find wild hawthorns."

"I remember there are wild strawberries this season!"

"Yes! We can pick some wild vegetables!"

"Look, there are dandelions over there!"

Several girls became interested and started discussing the wild fruits and vegetables in the mountains.

"Then everyone can go their own way in twos and threes!"

Li Yunjing stood up and said to Lü Ruoxi, "I know a place. Shall I take you there?"

Lu Ruoxi nodded curiously and followed him deeper into the woods.

The two walked along a path almost entirely covered by weeds for about ten minutes, when they gradually heard the sound of babbling water.

After turning past a dense thicket of bushes, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A clear spring gushed out from between the mountain rocks and gathered into a small pool on the bluestone.

The spring water is crystal clear, and you can see the smooth pebbles and swaying aquatic plants on the bottom.

A few fallen leaves floated on the water, slowly swirling with the current.

The most amazing thing is that even in the height of summer, the water in this pool is still icy cold, and you can feel a refreshing coolness as soon as you get close.

"It's so cool!"

Lu Ruoxi squatted down in surprise and reached out to touch the spring water, but immediately withdrew her hand because it was so cold.

Li Yunjing squatted down beside her: "This is spring water, seeping out from the cracks in the rocks. It's always this temperature."

He poured out the remaining water from the kettle and refilled it with spring water.

The spring water is sweet and refreshing, with the unique mineral flavor of the mountain rocks, and tastes much better than the boiled water at home.

Following his example, Lü Ruoxi cupped her hands, took a sip of spring water, and her eyes lit up: "So sweet!"

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the water's surface.

The two sat side by side on a blue stone by the pool, with the sound of flowing water and birdsong in the distance.

At this moment, the noisy world seemed to be shut out, leaving only this cool and tranquil space.

How did you find this place?

"I asked softly."

"I used to come here often when I was a child."

Li Yunjing gazed at the water's surface. "Back then, we didn't have many toys, so we ran all over the mountains. This place was very secluded; I didn't tell anyone."

Lu Ruoxi turned her head to look at him and suddenly felt that there were many stories about this young man that she did not know.

After filling both his and Lü Ruoxi's water bottles with clear spring water, Li Yunjing stood up and naturally extended his hand to Lü Ruoxi.

Lu Ruoxi hesitated for a moment, but still placed her hand in his palm.

The boy's hands were large and warm, with calluses from years of training.

"I'll take you somewhere."

Li Yunjing led her to the other side of the woods.

After passing through a pine forest, a small sunny slope came into view.

The lush green grass is dotted with tiny specks of bright red.

It's wild strawberry!

"It really exists!"

Lü Ruoxi squatted down in surprise.

Those strawberries were small and not nearly as good-looking as the ones sold in supermarkets and fruit shops in later years, but they were bright red and looked especially tempting among the green leaves.

"hey-hey!"

Li Yunjing chuckled, "This season is just right. I'll pick some for you so you can try them."

The two squatted in the grass, carefully picking the fruit.

Wild strawberries are very delicate; they will break if you squeeze them with the slightest force.

Before long, a small clump of liquid had formed at the hem of Li Yunjing's T-shirt.

"Here, have a taste."

He led Lü Ruoxi back to the spring and carefully rinsed the strawberries with the clear spring water.