Chapter 3

After a hangover, there was a continuous headache and a hoarse throat. Wang Hao struggled to get out of bed, almost closing his eyes as he opened the fridge and took out a bottle of mineral water, gulping it down. After drinking some water, he felt a bit more清醒. He rubbed his swollen temples and decided to take a hot shower, unable to bear the smell of alcohol and hot pot on his body.

The showerhead released a steady stream of hot water, and the small bathroom was filled with steam. Wang Hao stood under it, letting the hot water wash over him, a kind of enjoyment. Although the apartment was small, it was fully functional, with hot water available 24 hours a day, which was extremely convenient.

He took his phone out of his clothes to charge it and then put it in the second-hand washing machine. He opened his old laptop and started booking a train ticket on 12306. He was never a hesitant person; once he made a decision, he acted quickly. He didn't plan to travel around China or visit the Forbidden City or the Great Wall to experience the crowds. He decided to go to a place closest to nature, to breathe fresh air and escape the city's noise, without thinking about all the messy things.

At this moment, Shennongjia was the best choice. It was a primeval forest, with its edges developed for tourism. Endless forests, pure and fresh air, and unique natural landscapes were its resources.

He booked a train ticket to Wuhan and began packing his things. He didn't plan to join a tour group but to go alone, so he could fully enjoy the natural scenery without moving with a large group.

There wasn't much to pack. He put some change of clothes, a camera, and his phone in his bag, as he was just going on a trip, not moving.

It took him a lot of effort to roughly tidy up the house. He took some time to go downstairs and eat a bowl of beef noodles. After that, Wang Hao locked all the windows and doors, even though there wasn't much valuable stuff inside, he couldn't be careless.

The train ride from Chengdu to Wuhan took nearly eleven hours. When he got off, it was already midday the next day. The crowd dispersed from the train station, and the whole city seemed to be enveloped in heat. As one of the four major furnaces in China, Wuhan was still scorching in September.

Soon, Wang Hao was drenched in sweat. He carried his travel bag to a store with air conditioning, spent money to eat some famous local hot dry noodles, which were more authentic than those in Chengdu. After quickly swallowing them, Wang Hao followed the map to the bus station.

The journey from Wuhan to Shennongjia was still quite long, with buses running daily, carrying many tourists.

Sitting on the bus, Wang Hao felt a bit dizzy and closed his eyes to doze off. He hadn't rested well on the train because of someone's loud snoring, and now his drowsiness was increasing.

The bus sped along the road, and the chatter inside never stopped. Many were college students, like birds just out of their cages, jubilant and lively, but also disturbing his sleep.

The sunset's afterglow cast a golden hue over the dense forest, and the mist in the mountains slowly rose, bringing a chill. Entering Shennongjia at night was unwise, so Wang Hao decided to stay overnight, rest, and rent a motorcycle the next day to enter, as there was still a long way to go, and walking would take a lot of time.

The hotels near the tourist area were quite expensive, and with limited funds, Wang Hao couldn't afford a luxury hotel. After searching for a while, he decided to stay at a Home Inn. The fresh air, the babbling stream, and the chirping birds mixed into a lullaby, allowing Wang Hao to sleep soundly until morning.

In the early morning, the emerald forest stretched endlessly, and the peaks in the distance were hidden and revealed by the clouds, giving a sense of a fairyland. After buying sweet tofu pudding for breakfast, Wang Hao went to a car rental shop to rent a motorcycle and bought a map for five yuan to avoid getting lost. The road was sometimes bumpy and sometimes smooth, making his buttocks suffer, but there were few cars on the road.

The motorcycle drove on the winding mountain road, with green mountains and clear water everywhere, and the air was humid and green. The stream by the road flowed gently, and the mist in the forest sometimes revealed a chicken coop. The wind carried the faint scent of the river and grass, refreshing and invigorating. In the mountains, it seemed that besides the birds, only Wang Hao was there.

The journey was unusually quiet, with only the engine roaring in the air. With no one around, he started singing to keep himself from feeling lonely.

The road alternated between crossing rivers and following the mountains. After about an hour of driving through the bamboo forest and winding mountain roads, he passed a mulberry field, crossed a few ridges, and came down the mountain. Seeing the babbling stream, he stopped to rest.

The stream flowed down from the mountain, clear and transparent, revealing the small stones at the bottom. Wang Hao took off his helmet and placed it on a nearby rock. He squatted down, cupped his hands, and splashed water on his face, feeling the coolness.

The birds chirped in the deep mountains, and the green trees provided shade, exuding moisture and freshness. Along the road, there were many small stone platforms, probably for feeding birds. Suddenly, Wang Hao saw a ring at the bottom of the stream, its silver shine catching his eye.

He rolled up his sleeves and reached into the water, picking up the ring and stirring the water. He wiped the water off the ring with his clothes and found that despite being in the water for a long time, the ring was still as new, which surprised him greatly.

With no one to accompany him, he muttered to himself, "Who dropped this ring? It's still new." Looking around, he saw no one else. He looked up at the continuously flowing stream and said, puzzled, "Could it have been washed down from upstream?"

No matter how he thought about it, no one came to answer his question. The ring looked like silver, with some strange patterns. What puzzled him was that the surface of the ring was very smooth, with a luster similar to diamonds, looking noble and elegant yet simple.

Subconsciously, he put the ring on his left little finger, and it fit perfectly, very snugly! Wearing a ring is a matter of expertise, and under the influence of his ex-girlfriend, Wang Hao understood a bit. Wearing a ring on the left little finger means he is a single man, not married and not in a relationship.

Although it felt a bit inappropriate to wear a ring he had found, Wang Hao thought about it, shrugged, and didn't take it off because he liked the ring, finding it more impressive than the ones he had seen in jewelry stores.

After admiring it for a while, he put on his gloves and helmet, ready to continue his journey, with his destination just ahead!