Forbidden Land – CH 102

The spring semester exams went smoothly, and with a short break and the May Day holiday, Zhang Chao had a total of about 10 days off. Chen Rong also took her annual leave from work, which, combined with the May Day holiday, brought her to about the same amount.

Since they were going to Chen Rong’s hometown, they naturally needed to buy some gifts. Zhang Chao went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of health products, alcohol, and cigarettes for her grandfather and relatives.

Chen Rong’s hometown was in Suichang, Lishui, in a place that seemed like an “Aikou Township.” The village was a natural village called “Ge Chen Village.” Judging from the name, Zhang Chao guessed that about half the villagers were surnamed Ge, and the other half were surnamed Chen.

They set off by car at noon. Originally, as Chen Rong had said, they planned to take the highway, which would only take 3.5 hours to reach Suichang. However, Zhang Chao had limited driving experience and rarely drove, so he didn’t dare to drive fast on the highway. As a result, trucks frequently overtook their car along the way. It took them nearly 5 hours to finally reach Suichang.

By the time they arrived in Suichang, it was already getting dark. Zhang Chao and Chen Rong ate something in the county town and then drove towards the “Aikou Township.”

Even an experienced taxi driver would take 40 minutes to get from the county town to the township. Zhang Chao didn’t know the way, so Chen Rong pointed him in the right direction. As soon as they left the county town and entered the mountain road, Zhang Chao was completely dumbfounded.

His driving experience was already limited, but he never dreamed that such a road actually existed.

The road wound between the mountains on both sides, paved with cement, with two lanes. Although the road was flat, the turns were terrifyingly sharp. One 180-degree turn after another, with no transition in between, dozens of them left him dizzy.

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This wasn’t a racing road; this was a real mountain road.

It was already dark, especially in the mountains, where it not only got dark early but also became pitch black, completely different from a city night.

Zhang Chao, with his headlights and taillights on, slowly made his way around the bends in second gear. Each turn was filled with the worry that a drunk driver might suddenly appear in front of him, leaving him nowhere to hide.

Fortunately, he didn’t encounter a single car along the way, only a few motorcycles.

After driving for an hour, the car passed a major intersection. Next to it was what looked like a tourist area. Chen Rong pointed and said, “This is Shenlong Valley, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Suichang. There’s a big waterfall, and they also have rafting. Tourists from other parts of Zhejiang and Shanghai come here when the weather gets hot; it’s very famous.”

Zhang Chao said helplessly, “Never heard of it. I’m not interested in traveling. Where exactly is your grandfather’s house? We still haven’t seen it.”

Chen Rong laughed. “Keep driving. At your speed, in another 30 minutes, you’ll reach an intersection. My grandfather’s house is right there. But, once we get there, I’m afraid you won’t dare to go up.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Why?”

Chen Rong laughed. “Because your driving skills are poor. I’m afraid you won’t dare to drive up.”

“Oh, really?” Zhang Chao said. “I’ve even navigated this kind of S-shaped road. Is your grandfather’s house more terrifying than this?”

Chen Rong smiled and said, “You’ll see when you get there. The roads here, though winding, were at least wide and paved with cement. Over there, it’s all dirt roads. The villagers used to dig them themselves so tractors could transport bamboo. But those tractors were loaded with tens of thousands of kilograms of bamboo, and the roads were quickly ruined. Not only are they full of potholes, but they are also only about two meters wider than a vehicle. If you fall off the other side while going up the mountain, you’re done for. I haven’t been back for years, so I don’t know how it is now. I bet the roads are worse than before.”

Zhang Chao said, “Why? They should have more money these days and should have repaired the roads.”

Chen Rong said, “There’s only one village on the mountain. Everyone has moved away; only a few elderly people remain. Who would repair them?”

Zhang Chao asked, “How many people are in your village?”

Chen Rong said, “We are a natural village, so there are only a few people to begin with. There used to be only about twenty households, but now everyone’s moved away. I estimate there are only six or seven households left. The administrative village down the mountain has a larger population, a few hundred people. I went to elementary school there. Three teachers taught six grades, so there were only a few dozen students in total.”

Zhang Chao shook his head, feeling somewhat incredulous. This was, after all, Zhejiang. In his memory, he only saw situations like this in the underdeveloped western regions. He hadn’t expected that such mountainous rural areas existed in Zhejiang.

Looking at the dark, looming mountains around him and the mountain road only ten meters or so visible ahead, Zhang Chao felt a sudden unease and couldn’t help but ask, “When you drive here at night, are there any ghost stories or anything like that?”

Chen Rong laughed. “Yes, but don’t be scared. There’s a sharp bend up ahead. Apparently, many drivers who deliver goods at night often see a woman in a red dress standing on the guardrail at that bend…”

Zhang Chao was startled, but seeing Chen Rong still laughing, he knew she was lying. He snorted and continued driving. However, from that moment on, he was constantly on edge, glancing at the guardrail every time he turned, fearing there really was someone standing there.

But he drove safely, encountering nothing, and soon arrived at the mountain road Chen Rong had mentioned.

Zhang Chao stopped the car and went to take a look. The road was a bumpy, muddy track, only a meter or two wider than the car. On the other side was a steep hillside; one wrong step and the car would roll down and be doomed. After thinking for a moment, he didn’t dare drive. He parked the car at the corner of the road, took out the cigarettes, alcohol, and health products from the trunk, and called Chen Rong, who had a contemptuous smile on her face, to get out. They walked up together.