Аugust, Dаli Хizhоu.
Аfter finishing a leg оf thе Yunnan-Tibеt route, Вауunуе сarpоoled with a few guests to shаrе fuel сosts bасk tо Dаli. Aftеr drоррing thеm off in thе city cеntеr, she hurriеd straight to Xizhоu. Over thе past fеw dауs, shе hаd hеаrd that the соurtyаrd Diао Zhuo hаd takеn оver was finаllу renоvated and wоuld officiallу орen sоon.
Strangelу еnоugh, evеr sinсе Diао Zhuо resignеd аnd settlеd temрorarilу in Dali, еvеrу time Вауunуe led guests intо Tibet and passеd by the Sejilа Viewing Plаtform, shе сould sеe the full, unobstructed view of Namcha Barwa Peak. Bayunye, who rarely took tourist photos, had several times handed her phone to guests, asking them to take pictures of her with the distant, most beautiful snow-capped mountain, Namcha Barwa.
It is said that those who see the true face of Namcha Barwa are destined to find happiness.
Brother Long still spent most of his time at Deji Inn, while Bayunye remained the top guide at the Eagle Club. However, she finally had her own business—an inn. As she drove, she tried to recall when exactly she had mentioned to Diao Zhuo that she wanted to open an inn in Dali and become its proprietress. Perhaps, the speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.
As an important ancient town by Erhai Lake and beneath the Cangshan Mountains, Xizhou was not as bustling as Dali Ancient Town or Shuanglang. Inhabited predominantly by the Bai ethnic group, the blue sky formed a striking color contrast with the carved beams and painted rafters of the ancient Bai residences. Mr. Lao She once wrote, "Xizhou Town is a miracle. I cannot recall seeing such a dignified town in any remote part of the country... To have such a town nestled between mountains and waters is truly a paradise on earth."
After resigning, Diao Zhuo had moved his new venture to Xizhou.
Bayunye once asked him, "Don’t you feel regretful, giving up such a stable job, entering a completely unfamiliar field, and abandoning everything you’ve learned before?"
"Too far from you. Afraid you’d run away." The straightforward man spoke his mind, succinctly.
Bayunye parked her car outside the alley and walked along the narrow path until she reached an open area where the inn was located. Originally the residence of a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, it featured a typical "four-sided courtyard with five skywells." The workers had long since finished their tasks, and judging by the large pile of unopened packages and packaging bags at the entrance, Boss Diao had likely been handling the final soft furnishings himself these past few days. She pushed the door open and looked around. Under Diao Zhuo’s requirement of "restoring the old as it was," the courtyard had preserved its original appearance well. From the plaque inscribed with "Purple Air from the East" to the ancient tables and chairs in the corridor, and even the few crooked pine trees, everything carried a touch of classical charm.
The wooden staircase leading to the second floor creaked softly underfoot. Bayunye noticed an open toolbox placed outside one of the rooms, so she assumed he was inside. Tiptoeing over, she peeked in and saw him shirtless, a pair of athletic shorts hanging loosely around his waist, his back to the door as he hammered a few batik decorative paintings into place. Perhaps because he had been working for a while, a thin layer of sweat glistened on his sturdy upper body, his neck looked as if it had been drenched, and beads of sweat trickled down his spine.
As he bent down to pick up a nail, he caught sight of someone standing at the door from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw it was her, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"The proprietress is back?" He set the hammer and nails aside, jumped down from the chair, and casually grabbed a towel hanging on the backrest.Bayunye nodded with feigned seriousness, stroking the nonexistent mustache above her lip and speaking in a sharp voice, "The proprietress is now going to check whether you workers have skimped on the job. If I find anything missing... you'll pay with your flesh!"
"Feel free to inspect, proprietress. If you really can't find anything missing..." Diao Zhuo pretended to be respectful, "I'll just throw a few things away."
"Tsk tsk, young people these days have no bottom line when it comes to finding a meal ticket." Bayunye hooked a finger under his chin. "You don't have to throw anything away to pay with your flesh."
He snorted lightly, "This proprietress is really wicked."
Bayunye immediately grinned and handed him tools. The two of them forgot about lunch, hanging all the decorative paintings in every room before hastily cooking two bowls of noodles with some greens. Bayunye sat on a wooden chair by the yard, slurping her noodles. "I want to eat Xi'an's stir-fried crumbled flatbread... so flavorful."
"Whose do you like? I'll offer a high salary to poach their head chef to make it for you every day." His tone was casual yet incredibly domineering.
"High salary? That puts even more pressure on me..." Bayunye held her forehead and quickly posted an advertisement on her social media—September 1st, departing from Yunnan for the Yunnan-Tibet–Xinjiang–Tibet–Xinjiang Grand Loop—traversing Southern and Northern Xinjiang, seeing autumn in Tibet and the most beautiful desert poplar forests. Inquiries and sign-ups welcome!
Diao Zhuo glanced at it. Autumn was the peak season for her line of work. After departure, the earliest she'd return was mid-November. She said that once the inn's business stabilized, she'd invite him to join her during the peak season to drive together and see the most beautiful scenery in western China.
Less than two days after the inn was listed on some apps, people started making reservations. Bayunye sat behind the computer, cheering every time she received a booking notification, just like when she first joined the Eagle Club and celebrated every new client. Sure enough, on the third day of opening, a guest pulled a large suitcase in to check in.
"Welcome!" Bayunye nervously jumped up, smiling as she went to greet them. After a few steps, she found the girl looked somewhat familiar. Looking more carefully—
Xiao Ai.
"Master Ba, long time no see?"
"It's you... welcome..." She rubbed the tip of her nose, cleared her throat, and shouted loudly, "Boss Diao! Customer service!!"
Diao Zhuo was fiddling with potted plants in the yard. Hearing her shout, he broke into a sweat and walked in inexplicably, still wearing his gloves. She quickly walked over, pushed him inside, then solemnly patted his shoulder, said "I leave it to you," and walked out.
Xiao Ai turned around and smiled slightly.
Diao Zhuo couldn't help but look back at Bayunye, but she had already gone outside to take over moving the potted plants, as if deliberately leaving this mess for him to handle. He nodded politely, took off his gloves—after all, the guest was a customer—and sat behind the computer, speaking in an official tone, "Please provide your ID."
Xiao Ai didn't comply. Instead, she stepped forward and sat on the high stool behind the computer counter, smiling gently. "I saw Master Ba's social media post saying she opened an inn. The boss really is you."
"The boss is Master Ba. I'm just working for her." He said modestly, with an indulgent tone.
Xiao Ai leaned on the counter, smiling warmly. "What a coincidence. After graduation, I didn't stay in my hometown. I found a job in Dali and might settle down here. Maybe we'll have many chances to meet."Diao Zhuo was taken aback, instantly feeling a headache coming on. He checked the reservation records and continued with official business, "Do you have a reservation? ... Which platform?"
"I never said I was here to check in." Meng Xiaoai blinked.
Diao Zhuo stood up, "Coffee or tea?"
Once she finished her drink, he’d see her out.
"Two coffees." She held up two fingers.
Two?
"My boyfriend is parking the car and will be here soon. Since you once rescued me, he wants to give you an opening gift." She smiled.
Diao Zhuo’s expression softened considerably, becoming much more sincere, but his straightforward, no-nonsense nature remained unchanged—"...Su Zhiming?"
"Not him!" Xiaoai stomped her foot.
He didn’t ask further. Meng Xiaoai explained that she really was coming to Dali for work because her boyfriend was here. She had met him when flying home from Kashgar Airport—he fell in love with her at first sight, and the whole story was quite romantic.
Bayunye was truly open-minded, keeping her distance until Meng Xiaoai’s boyfriend carried something in, at which point she followed along.
Everyone worked together to unwrap the item—it was a piece of small seal script calligraphy written by Meng Xiaoai’s boyfriend’s father, a calligrapher. It happened to be perfect for hanging on the wall behind the bar, which was temporarily bare. Diao Zhuo swiftly hung it up, and a few people gathered around to admire it.
"Great calligraphy!" Bayunye was the first to give a thumbs-up. Meng Xiaoai and her boyfriend were pleased, exchanging a few polite pleasantries before leaving.
Diao Zhuo watched them walk away before raising an eyebrow and asking Bayunye, "Tell me, what’s so great about this calligraphy?"
"Not a single character I can understand." She admitted frankly, pointing and asking, "What does it actually say?"
"...‘Descendants filling the hall.’"
"Nonsense!" She glared at him angrily, "I may not recognize small seal script, but I’m not illiterate—it can’t be that far off! What does it really say?"
"‘The highest good is like water.’"
She stroked her chin and studied it for a long time, feeling he must be right this time. "Um... what does ‘the highest good is like water’ mean?"
Diao Zhuo affectionately pinched her cheek, "It’s praising your beauty."
"Annoying~" Bayunye tried to pretend to be angry and push him away, but ended up laughing herself.
"Early September, I have a business trip to Beijing." Diao Zhuo put his gloves back on, moving potted plants as he spoke.
"Rescue Team matters?" Master Ba wasn’t delicate—she could handle physical labor as well as most men, so the two of them worked together.
"Taking care of some things." He deliberately wiped his muddy hand across her nose, leaving her face covered in dirt.
She didn’t ask further, running inside to wash her face. While she was gone, Diao Zhuo took the opportunity to move all the potted plants down to their pre-designed positions.
In the following days, both of them were quite busy. Marketing was a field of study in itself, and personnel management was another. Brother Long even came by personally, introducing them to many local acquaintances and connections. The inn’s business flourished.
In September, Bayunye had to drive out, and Diao Zhuo had his business trip, so Brother Long helped look after the inn.
On this day, Bayunye happened to be near the Tianlu 72 Turns scenic overlook when she overheard passengers in the back seat discussing that today’s trending topic was a major reversal in a car accident that had occurred here years ago. The dozen or so experts who had died in the crash were to be posthumously awarded the title of martyrs by the state.
"The news said it was originally believed the accident was caused by two people on the bus having an affair, leading to a conflict that distracted the driver. Now, the investigation results show it was a group of criminals specializing in trafficking important national materials who caused the crash. The experts on board fought desperately to protect the materials from being seized.""The one accused of having an affair was actually unable to escape because he was trying to save others. All that talk about an affair was just lies fabricated by those criminals to evade responsibility."
"They even arrested several of their protectors. Serves them right, how despicable!"
"But what about the research materials?"
"They say the families of the deceased experts helped recover them and handed them over to the state. A formal project team has already been established!"
"This truly is justice long overdue! After all this time... as the saying goes, justice may be delayed, but it is never denied."
"I hope in the future, justice doesn’t even get delayed!"
Bayunye’s eyes grew slightly moist.
At the curve where the accident had occurred years ago, she honked three times, leaving the passengers behind her puzzled as to why.
The Yunnan-Tibet route journey had ended, and tomorrow they would continue along the Xinjiang-Tibet route. As usual, she settled the guests at the Deji Inn, only to find Diao Zhuo waiting for her at the entrance, having arrived ahead of her. She slammed on the brakes, rolled down the window, and leaned halfway out, biting one end of her sunglasses with a playful grin. "Well, well, the new greeter? So burly, you look more like a bodyguard."
He shook his head helplessly, waiting for her to park and come inside before handing her a small blue velvet box.
"Proposal?!" Bayunye was stunned. "You... you... this is way too informal!"
Cheers erupted all around.
"Open it first."
Bayunye shooed away the onlookers and carefully opened the box. It wasn’t a ring or a necklace—nothing resembling jewelry at all. Coming from a military background, she thought it looked like a military medal, but... far more exquisite.
Beneath a blue-and-white ribbon hung a metal badge, with a blue five-pointed star at its center, seemingly crafted from tiny blue gemstones.
Turning it over, she saw three characters engraved on the back: "Ba Xiye."
"A specially made martyr’s medal," Diao Zhuo pointed out. "These are aquamarines. Back then, He Zhengren stole parts of other experts’ research findings and discovered an aquamarine deposit in the Koktokay No. 6 Pit. Now, based on the materials that weren’t stolen, the institute has conducted analysis and field surveys. Besides beryllium deposits, they’ve also inferred the possibility of a small to medium-sized aquamarine deposit forming there. To commemorate and honor them, the state specially crafted these martyr’s medals using aquamarines. Additionally, the institute has invited us to attend the unveiling ceremony of the martyr’s memorial, which will be placed in the center of the garden at the site of their former workplace. I went to Beijing this time to check on the progress of the memorial’s construction."
"Is this medal valuable?" Bayunye turned it over in her hands, deeply moved but pretending to be calm.
"Priceless," Diao Zhuo replied, taking out his father Diao Jun’s martyr’s medal. The two medals gleamed under the sunlight, like a vast galaxy stretching across the sky.
Bayunye fell silent, nodding solemnly.
"As for the proposal you mentioned earlier, I’ve reserved a..."
"Stop right there. I’m not marrying you," Bayunye cut him off, raising a hand to stop him from continuing. After carefully placing the medal back in the box, she brought up an old argument she’d once made to Brother Long and Hippo: "You men are all about grand promises and boundless energy when you’re in love, but not long after marriage, it’s all ‘emotional detachment’ and ‘impotence and premature ejaculation.’"
Diao Zhuo placed a hand in front of her, locking eyes with her. "Whether you marry me or not, you’re my woman."
"Then you..."He cut her off, gritting his teeth. "And if you ever predict I'm impotent or have premature ejaculation again, I'll fucking show you what seven times in one night feels like."
The threat worked perfectly. Master Ba shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
The End
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