"This name is quite unique."
"Oh, ma'am," he smiled, "that's the name of a small island."
"What about you? Do you have any stories to share?"
"Some simple ones, if you'd like to hear, I'd be honored," he said.
I set down my cup, a little tea stain still on the bottom, and replied, "I'm all ears."
He began to speak, and I involuntarily started to reminisce about the scenery from a few days ago. You know, perhaps it might seem a bit impolite, but please forgive me; sometimes, people can't quite control their wandering thoughts.
I was listening, but I was also somewhat divided in my attention.
The sky started to drizzle again; London's weather could change in the blink of an eye. If the sun made a brief appearance, I might catch a glimpse of the seventh rainbow of this journey.
Oh, rainbows, rainbows, prisms of colorless light, a hazy, multicolored ribbon arched in the sky, a wonder of the incomprehensible Creator. Some believe that rainbows bring good luck, which might seem a bit unfair, considering how much favor the goddess Fortuna has bestowed upon this land of Britain.
The rain curtains intensified, and I heard him slowly and softly begin his story, "I came to England when I was nineteen, before that, I was in Singapore."
"Singapore is a nice place," I said, to confirm that I was indeed listening.
"I stayed there for two years, and then I came here."
"Oh, what did you do during those two years in Singapore?"
"I was a chef," he laughed again. Truly, a cheerful person, I thought.
In my mind are the scenes from a few days ago when I went to the Scottish Highlands. The Scottish Highlands are not a specific spot but the name of a region. Further northwest, along the coast, it's called the Scottish Lowlands. The distinction between the two lies in the terrain and elevation. If you had a contour map with color-coded elevation, it would be easy to spot the difference between the red clusters and the surrounding green areas.
However, we can't see the exact appearance of a place from a contour map, much like reading thousands of books only guides your thoughts along the pathways of the universe. But how the colors of the flowers really are, whether the wind brushing your face is moist or dry, and if the grass truly loves the land beneath your feet – these are things we can't know.
Perhaps we know some things, after all, we do live in reality. It's more accurate to say that our thoughts have limited freedom and are somewhat related to the reality we hold in our hands.
When we step out of books, we step onto the road and touch the dust beneath our feet.
We headed north along the A82 road to the Highlands, we, of course, were part of a tour group.
The so-called most beautiful road in the UK, in fact, the experience of the journey somewhat depends on the weather. In a place like the UK that loves rain so much, it was surprising that most of the time on our journey, the weather was clear and sunny. Perhaps, in some mysterious way, we, the travelers from a foreign land, were truly blessed by the goddess of luck.
"To be honest, just from this beginning, you seem like a very courageous person."
"Who's to say otherwise? Perhaps, following Chinese customs, I should respond to your praise with modesty. However, my sincere belief is that, looking back now, I definitely wouldn't have the courage to do it all over again."
"You understand Chinese people very well," I joked, "perhaps that's one of the pleasures of being a tour guide."
"That's right, this pleasure is also a part of my job, and I love this job."
"Please continue," I redirected the conversation.
"No need to be so serious," he chuckled. However, he continued, "After working as a chef in Singapore for two years and saving enough money for my studies, I came to the UK, and the rest, as you can see."
"Truly a wonderful story," I sincerely remarked.
When we arrived at the Glen Coe Valley, it was drizzling. In the Scottish Highlands, if the weather doesn't clear up, it can feel a lot like the game "Death Stranding." Although "Death Stranding" is set in Iceland, the scenery of the thin grass-covered valleys, the brownish-yellow hues, and the lush green at the base of the mountains, along with a meandering, clear stream by the side, bore a striking resemblance.
When the Highlands were shrouded in clouds above, the sea breeze lingered around us, and we could only advance along a hiking path with a single rope as a handrail. Each step felt like an echo of the vast cosmos and the gods beating in our hearts. In that silent call, I suddenly recalled a phrase, "I was originally a wandering soul, a gathering stream along the way, a message in the vast universe, a law-abiding citizen, and a boundless dream."
"What are you talking about?" someone asked, as I had just spoken those words aloud.
"It's from Shi Tiesheng," I replied。
"Ladies and gentlemen, please watch out for slippery stones underfoot," the tour guide's voice came from the front of the group, and I quickly rejoined the others.
We left the Glen Coe Valley and continued heading northwest. The magical setting of dreams for the young and the old—the Glenfinnan Viaduct, now the world's oldest concrete railway viaduct. The steam train that carried students to the magical school in the story once leisurely traveled across this bridge.
Further on, Loch Ness, and the place where Scotland's "Queen of the Winds" once lived ...... For the rest of the way, it never rained again.
During the first few days in England, I remember the weather was consistently sunny, and the scenery was beautiful. Due to jet lag and difficulty sleeping, I decided to go for morning runs. As a result, I ended up meeting the tour guide every day, and over time, he became my running companion. It seemed that he had a better running routine than I did because he ran effortlessly.
He always maintained a leisurely pace just half a step ahead of me, and I was certain he was adjusting his speed to accommodate mine.
As we reached the finish line, I wiped the thin layer of sweat from my forehead, still slightly out of breath.
"Good morning, ma'am. I hope today will be a good day," he said.
I took a few slow steps to catch my breath and replied, "Actually, I like rainy days."
"Well then, I wish you a good day that suits your preferences," he said.
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