Chapter 8, Nujiang Grand Canyon

The person nodded and said, "The things have already been taken over, let's have a meal and we will go soon." Knowing that I could understand Changsha dialect, Liuzi stopped using the dialect.

The three individuals did not stop in Dali; after having a meal, they directly got into a Roewe 550. The car traveled along the provincial road, passing through Yongping to reach the well-known city of Lushui along the banks of the Nu River, and then proceeded north along the Nu River. After approximately 100 kilometers, the car finally stopped in a flat area by the river in the evening, while the provincial road continued to extend northward.

Looking westward, opposite the Biluoxue Mountain is a small valley of the Gaoligong Mountain range. Due to the snow accumulation at the mountain peak, a river has formed within the valley. The river originates from the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border, traverses horizontally across the Gaoligong Mountain, and finally flows into the Nu River, forming a tributary of the Nu River—the Yimaluo River. According to that third brother, our destination is deep within this valley

Hearing that more than ten of them came from Changsha, I had a rough idea in my mind. Changsha has historically been one of the three major gathering places for tomb raiders, and like this group of people, those who can gather in Yunnan are mostly involved in such matters. In fact, during the years I have been running my shop, some of the major items I have sold also came from the Changsha area.

After more than twenty hours of bumpy travel, we arrived in Dali at noon the next day. As soon as we got off the bus, we were surrounded by the atmosphere of the Miao ethnic minority region. Among the bustling crowd, many people were dressed in very distinctive ethnic attire. Next to the bus station, there were also many stalls selling small accessories, with vendors calling out in Mandarin infused with a strong foreign accent.

Wu Jiayi smiled and waved her hand: "Thank you"

The Nu River is nestled between these two towering and narrow mountain ranges, and the section we are currently in is the famous Nu River Grand Canyon! Looking east from this location, one can see the main peak of Nu Mountain, which stands at an elevation of 4,379 meters—Biluoxue Mountain! Biluoxue Mountain serves as the watershed between the Nu River and the Lancang River, and with its majestic height and the perpetual snow that blankets its summit, it stands like a deity, with one foot on each of the two great dragons, its sword pointing towards the heavens

"Your mother! Who are you cursing at?" I understand Changsha dialect and know that he is cursing.

Finally, the three of them each received a bowl of the exquisite braised bear paw. The rich, creamy, and delicious broth immediately invigorated the spirit upon consumption! While wiping the sweat from his brow with a piece of paper, the third brother casually praised, "Ah, to make this soup, one must use the aged ham from Xuanwei and the wild mountain chicken from Yunnan"

"Hey, little sister, come over and take a look!" shouted a middle-aged woman dressed in colorful fabric to Wu Jiayi

The three of them found a nearby restaurant, having not eaten properly for almost a day, and their stomachs had already begun to protest. The third brother seemed quite familiar with Yunnan cuisine, directly ordering several famous dishes from the region, such as bamboo fungus with chicken kidneys, frogs embracing jade pillars, and steamed chicken with mushroom. The taste here is simply different.

As soon as they got off the vehicle, the two were stunned by the scene before them. They found themselves in a narrow and steep valley, flanked on both sides by two massive mountain ranges running north to south. To the east was the Nu Mountain, and across the river was the most mysterious mountain range in Yunnan, as well as the southwestern border of the motherland—Gaoligong Mountain

At that moment, the person became furious: "Don't talk nonsense, I will beat you to death!"

"Go on, there are outsiders here, don't expose your third brother's secrets." With that, the third brother stood up and went to settle the bill

Wu Jiayi gently shook her head and said nothing. The person seemed very angry, glared at me, and muttered, "Old Water Man!"

"Third Brother, it seems that your culinary talent has finally found a stage to showcase itself," Wu Jiayi teased.

During the meal, the two of them chatted a bit about my father's recent situation, but not much was said. When my father was mentioned, it was only a couple of times, and he was referred to simply as 'he.' I only know that my father seems to have gone west into the Nujiang Grand Canyon, and there are probably more than ten people with Wu Jiayi, all from the Changsha area. Among them, there seems to be someone nicknamed 'Ban Tuozi,' whom Wu Jiayi refers to as Uncle Li; he should be the leader of this group that came here.

"Stop arguing!" Wu Jia glanced at the person with slightly furrowed brows and said somewhat angrily, "Third Brother, I will tell you the details later. How is the preparation going?"

The two did not return to Shanghai, but went directly from Zhuzhou to Dali, Yunnan by bus. On the bus, Wu Jiayi made a phone call, speaking very unclearly, only reminding to take care of the belongings, and thereafter there was no further conversation. I informed a friend in Shanghai, asking him to help watch over the shop for a few days.

Damn it, give it a try! One strong, one weak, one strong. I rolled up my sleeves and was ready to take action. Although I am not very strong, I am not weak enough to be bullied at will. However, I still cursed the last part in Shanghainese

Only one person was there to meet us. He was of medium build, not very tall, around thirty-five years old, wearing a large pair of sunglasses, and dressed very simply. When the three of us met, he arrogantly stared at me for a while, then spoke to Wu Jiayi in a Changsha accent, saying, "Do you want it or not?"