Chapter 1733: Changes

All festivities must end; the reporters who came for the excitement have departed.

Here they experienced ethnic cuisine, watched some ethnic activities, and learned about the sins of the former noble lords and the hardships of the serfs.

They also went to the Bolamula no-man's-land, seeing the increasingly rare Tibetan antelope, vigilant wild wolves, solitary snow leopards, marmots standing dully on guard, wild yaks snorting hot breath from their nostrils, and lively wild donkeys...

Of course, they also saw the skeletons of many animals among them; due to natural forces, these had become scattered broken bones across the ground, gradually being decomposed by nature, and Wang Yan once again explained to them the importance of protecting the ecosystem.

In the early stages of economic development, the price paid is environmental destruction; corresponding regulation and supervision are relatively lax, and rule by man is even more lenient. Only after development has progressed and a certain scale has been achieved do people begin to focus on these issues.

As the saying goes, 'When granaries are full, one knows etiquette; when clothing and food are sufficient, one knows honor and disgrace.' The same applies to a nation: only by developing first and acquiring wealth can one properly consider environmental issues; this too can be considered people-oriented.

The reporters returned with their gains; it is foreseeable that in the coming period, Mazhi County and Bolamula will trend on hot searches...

Shao Yunfei got his wish and stayed behind, carrying his camera everywhere every day, interviewing each member of the mountain patrol team one by one, and also interviewing local herders in the vicinity.

Everyone was fairly friendly toward him; only Bai Ju found him extremely disagreeable, her disdain written plainly on her face.

The others were happy to watch their bickering, treating it merely as a boring diversion; otherwise, every day here was exactly the same, with little fresh news.

Wang Yan, however, did not linger much; after the reporters left, he once again led a team into Bolamula to conduct geological exploration.

"How do you feel about Bolamula?"

With the team making camp, Wang Yan sat on a folding stool drinking milk tea and asked Tashi beside him.

"It's not really any different; it's just closer to the mountains and even closer to the sky," little Tashi said, uttering words of great wisdom.

Wang Yan smiled gently: "You thought it wasn't as dangerous as your father used to say?"

"The danger you perceive likely comes from those criminals. Think about it: Bolamula is so vast that finding a person is very difficult. Although since I arrived, we've encountered poachers on every patrol, it still took about ten days to discover their tracks.

The last time we rescued your father and the others, we happened upon tire tracks; otherwise, we would never have found them.

Actually, nature itself is very dangerous. Look at our journey today: we got our vehicles stuck three times and experienced one freezing rain event. One or two people would find it very hard to survive here. If a vehicle gets stuck... there are also wild animals: leopards that run incredibly fast, and wolves that travel in packs...

On this trip, we brought out three vehicles, plus a truck carrying fuel and supplies for support; otherwise, we couldn't have gone very far. Indeed, only with many people is there great strength."

Tashi thought for a moment: "Are you trying to teach me a lesson?"

"Of course," Wang Yan said. "Your father and mother trusted me so much; when I mentioned taking you along for the exploration, they readily entrusted you to me, so I certainly cannot let you come for nothing.

Much of what I told you along the way today was actually what your father told me when I first joined the mountain patrol team and entered the mountains."

"He never talks to me that much..."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Your father does want to talk to you; it's just that he doesn't know what to say. When he cares about your studies, you find him annoying; when he cares about your feelings, you feel he knows nothing. He spends little time at home anyway, so how can he talk to you?"

Tashi thought for a moment, then nodded: "You're right; I can tell that Father has wanted to speak many times, but he opens his mouth and then closes it again."

"That is called 'wanting to speak but stopping oneself.'"

Knowledge seeped into his mind, and Tashi did not reject it; instead, he asked: "Is going to university especially good?"

"I heard you aren't very willing to study; in that case, going to university isn't especially good."

"Do you have to study at university too?"

"Otherwise, why is it called 'university'? It means studying on a larger scale, and it's even more difficult. Even without attending school, people must still learn. Look at Bai Ji: he sells boxed meals all day, yet he still has to research how to cook dishes to make them taste better; that is learning."

"Then what should one study to change Mazhi County, to change Bolamula?"

"I cannot give you the answer, because everyone's path is different. There are many majors; what matters most is how a person chooses. You need to think through your studies yourself before making a decision. Now, drink some milk tea and eat more meat; only when you are full and hydrated will you have the strength to learn and think."

Tashi sat side by side with Wang Yan, drinking milk tea and eating dry biscuits, lifting his head to gaze at the night sky where clusters of stars shone brightly...

After another trip lasting more than ten days, Wang Yan finally brought Tashi back to the base camp.

"You're back, Wang Yan! Did you find any minerals?" Shao Yunfei, more eager than anyone else, scurried over.

"I led the team to conduct large-scale surveys; whether there are actually minerals remains for them to explore in detail upon their next entry," Wang Yan glanced at him and said, "Do you have something to ask?"

"No, I'm just curious: if you intend to protect Bolamula and talk about the ecological environment and so on, why go prospecting for minerals at all?"

Wang Yan detected the barb in his words: "Who do you think runs Mazhi County?"

"Secretary Chen? County Head Lin?"

"So you see, I am merely a worker down in the trenches," Wang Yan waved his hand and continued walking inward. "Moreover, County Head Lin previously said they would haul raw materials out of the mountains and build factories in the county for further processing. I have no objection to this; no matter how much we emphasize protection, we must prioritize people first. There are still places in the county suffering from disasters, and the masses haven't recovered yet; you should be aware of this situation, right?"

"Don't misunderstand, Wang Yan; I was just asking, purely out of curiosity."

"It's fine; if you think I say one thing and do another, I can understand that. Just don't misunderstand."

Shao Yunfei is a good person; it's just that sometimes he is quite rash, somewhat presumptuous, giving off a rather blunt impression. Wang Yan is very approachable and does not mind some of his ways of expressing himself.

"Hey, college student, long time no see," Zhacuo walked out of the house, holding a bone in his hand to greet Wang Yan.

Wang Yan stepped closer to take a look; Zhacuo had gained quite a bit of weight. Smiling, he said, "Why aren't you resting at home? Isn't it nice having your Zhuoma accompany you?"

"I am a man; a man must have something to do and cannot remain idle. I cannot enter the mountains, but I can watch over this place. Besides, Bai Ju will be entering the mountains soon anyway; if I stay behind for a few months, my injuries should heal just right."

Wang Yan asked with a smile: "Where are Samba and the others?"

"They took tourists who came to this area into the mountains," Shao Yunfei added from behind, "saying they would also conduct routine patrols while at it. I was out interviewing and didn't catch up with them."

"Who asked you?" Zhacuo glared.

"Whether you ask me or not, that's the situation," Shao Yunfei was somewhat intimidated; Zhacuo's angry glare looked quite fierce, yet he still stuck out his neck, unwilling to yield.

Disdain written clearly on his face, Zhacuo said: "Both of you come from big cities, yet the difference is too great. College student, compared to you, this reporter is far inferior."

"Alright, stop stirring up hatred against me," Wang Yan waved his hand. "I'm making beef noodles; will you two eat?"

"Yes!" both replied in unison, then glanced at each other.

Zhacuo said: "I'll eat a big bowl!"

"Wang Yan's noodles are delicious; I'll eat two bowls!"

"I'll eat three bowls!"

"Four bowls!" Shao Yunfei also glared, going head-to-head with Zhacuo.

"Are you provoking me? If you continue like this, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!"

"We've only known each other for a few days, yet every day you want to teach me a lesson. Let me tell you: seeing as you're a patient, I won't stoop to your level."

Tashi tugged at the hem of Wang Yan's clothes; seeing the two about to start fighting, he looked to Wang Yan to see if he would mediate.

"Don't mind them; they're just messing around."

Wang Yan carried the bundle into the house, tidied up briefly, and then began making beef noodles.

This seemed to have become one of his routines upon entering the mountains; every time he came out, he necessarily made beef noodles to eat.

Indeed, a trip into the mountains took too long, and the food wasn't very good. Yet after coming out, time was mostly scarce, and one hoped to eat as soon as possible. Thus, noodles became the most practical first choice. Basically, it could be finished in a little over an hour, and eating it afterward was satisfying. A massive intake of carbohydrates, plus hot yak beef, could give people great satisfaction in a short time.

So, an hour later, Wang Yan, Zhaxi, along with Zhacuo and Shao Yunfei, the four of them, began eating the noodles in large mouthfuls together.

Dongzhiba wasn't there; since the mountains were currently very safe, he had taken someone sightseeing inside them. Otherwise, how could Dorje feel at ease letting Wang Yan take Zhaxi into the mountains? It was precisely because the mountains were safe, and with Wang Yan, even safer—a double insurance.

"Oh, right, Wang Yan, this is the reply letter to the submission you sent earlier." Shao Yunfei, halfway through his meal, remembered this matter, stood up, and fetched the letter.

Wang Yan opened and read the letter while Zhacuo chattered on about recent events.

"Wang Yan, your article was published very well; it feels like our county has become much livelier, with many outsiders arriving."

Wang Yan set the letter aside: "Right, I didn't ask you just now: how many outsiders did Samba and the others bring into the mountains this time?"

"Eleven; they came specifically for tourism. There were also those who wanted to form their own teams to walk in, but they were all persuaded to turn back; whether anyone sneaked in remains unknown. I heard the county's guesthouse is fully booked, and Baiji can't sell enough boxed meals to keep up. Also, Tianduo City has sent a large amount of supplies to Dean Zhang..."

Quite some time had passed since Wang Yan's article was published, and readers had already seen it.

Although economic development hadn't yet reached the level of several decades later, people were mostly the same. A significant portion of people several decades from now would be the descendants of these wealthy and leisurely people of today. All equally chased hot trends.

Those from far away were planning their travel schedules; those nearby naturally began carving out time to head over to Mazhi County.

They were destined to be disappointed, after all, since Mazhi County was merely a remote, backward small county with actually nothing much to see. Yet they weren't disappointed, because Wang Yan's article had imbued it with value.

An alleyway, a stretch of city wall, a man-made scenic spot, a bowl of noodles—as long as value was imbued, people would naturally fill in the gaps and resonate. When finding themselves in the same scene, eating the same food, they would feel compelled to reflect sentimentally.

The ancients composed poems and odes to reminisce about the past; today's people post sour grapes on their social media circles. In essence, the behavior is no different; it's just that modern people lack culture, cannot conjure up fine phrases, cannot write good articles, and mostly cobble together a few sentences of chicken-soup-for-the-soul text without understanding the gist, which simply comes across as sour.

After listening to Zhacuo ramble for a while, Wang Yan asked again: "Then how were these eleven people charged?"

"I know this; Dorje said we didn't make any profit; it was just that those outsiders covered the expenses for our trip out there." Shao Yunfei spoke eagerly, "I think we should charge more. With over ten of them, our mountain patrol team also sent out eight people, and even Leader Dorje went personally; how could we only ask for cost price? We must at least let the brothers earn something, right?

Wang Yan, you surely have unique insights on this aspect; I think we should formulate a detailed charging regulation specifically. This would provide another revenue stream for our mountain patrol team, saving us from having everyone's wages go unpaid for several months."

"You make a good point; I'll look into it over the next few days," Wang Yan replied with a smile.

The four chatted and laughed while eating; Zhacuo and Shao Yunfei bickered, creating a momentary feeling of peaceful, idyllic times.

The next day, Wang Yan drove Zhaxi to the county town for a comfortable bath, then drove to Dean Zhang's doorstep; the hospital was directly opposite Dean Zhang's home, making everything very convenient.

Baiji was also setting up a stall at his doorstep: "Brother Yan, Zhaxi, you're back! It's mealtime; have you eaten? Brother Yan, let me tell you, my boxed meals have been upgraded; not only do we have the two-yuan option, but now we also have the three-yuan one. Come, come, you two hurry up and taste them."

Wang Yan and Zhaxi took their boxed meals and squatted on the ground to eat.

It wasn't quiet around Baiji's place; many people came to buy boxed meals, and some were carrying cameras, taking photos everywhere, even snapping pictures of Wang Yan and Zhaxi.

Due to the increased number of people, many others had also come to the streets to set up stalls, selling handicrafts, as well as local specialties like dried yak beef, caterpillar fungus, saffron, and so on.

The place had already become quite lively; this poor, remote small county was brimming with vitality.

Xiaoyan said from the side: "So many people have come recently; everyone wants to find Dean Zhang, and many have come specifically to see that tree in the courtyard... Mazhi County has never been this lively before."

"That's good; look, quite a few people have earned money. Although not much, it's still some extra earnings."

"Yes, this is all your doing."

Wang Yan smiled: "The credit belongs to everyone; I am just one part of it."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know." Xiaoyan seemed to pat Wang Yan affectionately, "You're not going back today, right? Come to my place for dinner tonight; I'll tell my mom in a bit to prepare something delicious."

"Alright."

This was also part of Wang Yan's routine upon entering the mountains. After returning, he always went into the city for a bath, and afterward stayed to eat and sleep at Xiaoyan's home. In fact, whenever he was currently in the county town, he was already staying at Xiaoyan's house.

Wang Yan had also mentioned to the county authorities about getting married and wanted to be allocated a house; the county was currently arranging it.

And so, after learning about the situation regarding outsiders in the county town and holding a friendly tea party with the distant visitors, Wang Yan returned to the village the next day.

Dorje and the others also came out, bringing back some bad news...

?? Daily thanks to all the good brothers who generously donate, cast monthly tickets, recommend tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support!