He Chen | Time No Longer Sticky 1.

1.

Near dawn, the rain had not stopped. The sound of rain came intermittently. b had just finished organizing the materials that would be used after daybreak and walked onto the balcony to smoke.

Because of the rain, the balcony was pitch black. Not far away, the streetlights on the village road were shrouded in a transparent mist. b crushed the cigarette butt against the waist-high cement wall surrounding the balcony, turned back into the room. The room was dark, the open laptop screen flickering.

On the screen were some photos of a recently discovered epiphytic rhododendron growing in a fir forest.

On the road from Wachang Town to Wujiao Township.

Dozens of epiphytic rhododendrons were blooming with large clusters of lush white flowers on the charred black trunks of lightning-struck fir trees over twenty meters high.

In the photos, raindrops covered the white petals.

It must have been taken in the rain, b couldn't quite remember.

b closed the laptop and tried to get some sleep before dawn. In the room, two cats took turns sneezing; they slept in the corner of the bed, one big and one small piled together, bellies up.

Outside, it was still raining. Cold wind blew in through the window from time to time. b wrapped the quilt tighter, buried his head under the pillow, trying to fall asleep before dawn.

In the room, b’s breathing through his mouth under the pillow mixed with the occasional sound of rain hitting leaves. The arm exposed outside the quilt was brushed by the cool morning wind. Time seemed to stand still. b still wasn't sleepy at all.

2.

b is a driver.

(During the peak travel seasons of winter and summer vacations, b drove the red minivan bought with money borrowed from J, using Dali Prefecture as a hub, picking up tourists from all over. Most guests were referred to b by J, who ran a private outdoor travel agency (different from traditional tour groups). Because the routes b took, even during busy summer breaks, perfectly avoided the crowds in Dali, and the places visited were neither mysterious nor hard to reach. However, when b led a group, the feeling was like “taking distant relatives around, showing them those beautiful and charming fragments of Dali as seen through b’s eyes.”

There was also camping, spending a night in the wild with guests.

The rest of the time, b drove another small white Isuzu truck along the Lancang River, selling bed sheets, quilt covers, stainless steel pots and pans, and other daily necessities wholesaled from Guangzhou, just like the vendors selling daily goods at every town’s market in Dali. After selling out, b would fill the truck with local fruits or vegetables from villages along the river, then return to Dali and sell them in bulk to vendors at the vegetable and fruit market in Xiaguan Development Zone. The vendors bought at low prices, but b only aimed to cover the freight cost back to Dali. In the following days, b would stay home and rest until the new batch of bed sheets and covers from Guangzhou arrived at the logistics park. Then b would set off again. Except for the summer and winter holidays, b spent most of the year traversing the thousands of kilometers along the Lancang River border area.)

All b did was compile the time, location, altitude, surrounding vegetation, and number of rhododendrons, along with photos, into a report.

For submission at the Biodiversity Digital Encyclopedia conference held at the end of December.

b didn't have to do this originally.

3.

In May, b received a commission from C. The commission was originally led by C for a high-altitude lichen species survey team. They were to depart from Chengdu, go through Wenchuan and Li County to Aba County, then follow the Make River to arrive at the Makehe Forest Farm. b's task was to deliver the team members to the farm and then the commission ended.

(The Makehe Forest area is the largest, most concentrated, highest altitude, and most extensive original forest area in the source of the Yangtze River's Dadu River in Qinghai Province. Geographically, it is a transitional zone from the Southwest Plateau to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The forest types and wildlife have distinct southwestern characteristics, making it the ecologically best area in the Sanjiangyuan region of southern Qinghai, and the only place where many plants and animals are distributed in Qinghai.)

4.

One evening in late April, b was sleeping at home when he was vaguely awakened by urgent knocking. He got up from the ground mat beside the bed, staggered out of the room, and opened the door. C stood at the door, talking on the phone with someone – a guest? – about confirming times, locations, and weather.

(C was a friend b had met in Chengdu a few years ago. He initially worked as a chef in a hotel in Tongmai Town. After marrying, he returned to Chengdu and started working as a driver for tour groups. Trips were at least a week long, starting from Chengdu, with routes mostly around the Tibetan areas of western Sichuan, western Yunnan, and southern Qinghai. However, most booked guests chose popular routes often seen on social media.)

After C entered, he sat on the living room sofa and continued his phone call.

b walked through the living room to the bathroom. After coming out, he saw pink clouds printed on the kitchen window, large masses of clouds stopped outside the window.

C was still on the phone in the living room.

The sound of conversation leaped out through the living room window.

Fragmented.

The clouds outside the window became sticky.

The clouds turned into pink plaster.

The clouds became more three-dimensional.

b gazed at the clouds outside the window, dazed.

The day was about to end.

b still didn’t know about the commission his friend would entrust to him after hanging up.

At that moment,

All b could think about was how to get through this long, silent night.

5.

In the following days, the team members arrived in Chengdu one after another. By early May, Chengdu was already like summer. In the evenings, red plastic chairs lined the sidewalks; people sat sweating on them, beads of sweat becoming units for measuring time.

Moments of time slipping away imperceptibly.

On the night before departure, b gathered the team members at a Leshan Bōbōjī restaurant downstairs from his home. Over dinner, b confirmed the departure time the next morning and possible problems on the road.

(Just last week, a serious landslide occurred on the road from Aba County to Makehe Forest Farm, burying about 5 kilometers of asphalt road under half a mountain.)

As everyone repeatedly picked cooked vegetables and various chicken parts from the cold pot of red oil on the table,

b mentioned, “The possible problem is that we might not be able to reach the forest farm.”

A few people were still discussing their expectations about collecting in the Makehe Forest area. Their tone was full of anticipation.

Then the movements at the table stopped.

For more than ten seconds after b spoke, time stood still. Before anyone could raise a question, b stared at the cold pot of red oil and continued:

“The itinerary will proceed as usual. Tomorrow at 8 a.m., I’ll pick you up under the hotel. We’ll still head toward Aba. We can reach the landslide area before sunset. If we really can’t get to Makehe Forest Farm because of it, we’ll turn back and stay overnight in Aba County town. There’s also a forest behind the Gaerdeng Monastery; you get there after passing through the monks’ quarters. Bracken and lung lichen are very abundant there this season.

The next morning, you can still conduct the high-altitude lichen survey.

After that, we’ll go from Jinchuan to Danba to Garze. If you’re willing, I’ll take you to Muli Tibetan and Yi Autonomous County on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan. That area has large tracts of high-altitude fir forests. Although geographically different from Makehe Forest Farm, it’s currently the only way not to cancel your survey."

b finished off the cola on the table and continued:

“As for the fee, it will be as previously agreed with C – only the part to Makehe Forest Farm.

For the rest of the trip, you just split the gas cost to Wujiao Town. Because I need to return to Dali anyway, and on the way back, I have to drop off some things for a Lama I met in Lijiaju before.

There’s a three-hundred-year-old Yellow Hat Sect monastery over there. Most of the Lamas are Mongolians.

Last spring, when I passed through, it snowed heavily. My car skidded into the roadside ditch. Several Lamas helped me lift it out, so I stayed there a few days.

Not long ago, they called me, asking if I could bring some masks they ordered during the Spring Festival from Gaoshengqiao in Chengdu, for the performance at the ‘Gedong Festival’ after the autumn harvest.

On the way to Wujiao, there’s a large dense fir forest. I’ll drop you off at Wujiao Township. There are Mongolian-run inns there where you can stay. You can continue the high-altitude lichen survey in the forests around the valley.

After finishing, you can ask the innkeeper to help find a car to Lijiang.

It takes less than an hour from Wujiao to Yongning Town, then along the tourist highway from Lugu Lake to Lijiang, four to five hours to Lijiang Airport.”

“But it’s up to you. If you decide to cancel, contact C for a refund. If you decide to continue, we’ll set off together tomorrow morning.”

After saying this, b got up, paid the bill at the counter, then squatted at the shop entrance to smoke. A warm breeze blew through the alley before him.

The alley was nearly empty.

Summer had quietly arrived at this moment.

6.

At this moment, b was squatting at the intersection of Huguo Road and Yeyu Road, waiting. After his friend entered the mediation room, he hadn’t come out. It was afternoon. Sunlight hit b through yellow leaves. b was a bit bored and worried about the outcome of the mediation inside. He rubbed the used cigarette butt into the gaps between the sidewalk tiles.

b stuffed the cigarette butt into a hole in the brick joint under his foot, then took out his phone to browse WeChat public accounts, finding a cold snap alert.

“Under the control of the East Siberian cold vortex, multiple places in the Lena River basin have already experienced extreme cold below -55°C. Oymyakon has dropped to -57.6°C, and elsewhere recorded -58.7°C, close to local record lows for the new century.”

b had been back in Dali from Chengdu for over half a year.

Summer vacation was over. Usually at this time, b would be driving the small Isuzu truck loaded with daily necessities through the dense forests along the Lancang River Gorge from Lincang to Pu’er.

Normally, b would stay a few extra days in Simao Port Town, a relatively large town along this section of the Lancang River. During the day, b would drive the truck into town, park by the only traffic light on the roadside, and peddle daily goods.

In the evening, b would buy two bags of sticky rice and a large piece of grilled pork belly or ribs from a nearby barbecue stall, drive to an open space by the river, eat dinner with the river view, then pitch a tent on the sandy beach and stay overnight.

Around the time of the “Loquat Festival,” b would take a ferry across the river at the town dock, then drive along the river until reaching Nuozhadu Town, the largest town in Lancang County. The surrounding hills were dotted with villages of Wa, Yi, Hani, Lahu, Dai, and Blang ethnic groups. In early October, the town was very lively – a good time for sales. b would also buy some passion fruit and dragon fruit to fill the empty part of the truck bed, returning to Dali to sell to fruit vendors in Xiaguan.

7.

Lately, b had been to Baishi Creek several times. From Sanyang Village, not far from Baishi Creek, crossing small fields of broad beans and withered corn stalks, past some tombstones covered with gray lichens – places he often passed in July and August. Apart from the increasingly vibrant winter cherry blossoms, the hills were covered with purple stem weeds that still kept their green vitality like in summer. In the creek, stones that had been submerged in summer slowly emerged, covered with yellow, damp moss. Leaves floated in still pools. The creek water became murky, no longer tempting to drink. b carefully walked upstream along the creek. The valley had many fallen tree trunks, randomly lying in the stream. b didn’t go to the waterfall where he used to stop almost daily during the rainy season.

b crossed the stream at the entrance of the trail to Bāxiān Temple and went up the mountain.

Passing by the stone temple, he reached the flat riverside area where he camped in July and August.

Now it was much more desolate than during the rainy season.

Then b continued upward to the last dam of Baishi Creek, where the valley was more open. The ground was covered with gravel, and the riverbed was completely dry.

On the other side of the valley, a path led up the hillside.

Following the path uphill, he could see the end of the dam platform.

There was a huge rock there.

It was even larger than the rock downstream of Baishi Creek that was hung with stainless steel plates, hidden in the dense forest by the valley.

Beyond the huge rock, the valley turned into a gorge.

Further in the distance was the summit of Sanyang Peak, which he saw every time he parked.

8.

When winter was almost over, Dali began to show signs of winter.

Continuous rain covered the peaks with thick white snow.

Unlike b’s memory of Dali’s winters.

But that must be due to his memory.

At the moment, b was squatting by the charcoal fire pit next to the shop’s bar,

Warming himself with friends.

b’s face felt hot and flushed.

He thought of

Baishi Creek, which he hadn’t visited for a while.

Above the gorge behind that huge rock,

Rows of secondary pine forests,

Branches hung with white scenes.

b also thought of

Last month, when he went to the western slope, the rounded snow covering Lotus Peak.

b seemed to have discovered

The reason why time is no longer sticky.