From 玲瓏/Ling long, Issue 024 (1930s Shanghai)
Type: Story
Summary: The narrator recounts a hurried morning in the countryside, awakening to an urgent call and hurrying to prepare for a journey. Despite the early hour and lingering fog, they are swept into a day filled with energetic movement and preparation.
Journey Through Asia: A Diary Excerpt
(Original Title: 亞細亞步行團日記的一段)
On a February day in the serene hills of Annecy, a shout disrupted the early morning calm: ‘Ah, it’s getting late! Hurry, get up and prepare to move forward!’ Startled, I quickly sat up, stretched, dressed, washed, and ate, all in a flurry. We rushed out, equipment packed and ready. In the dim light, the sun had not yet fully risen, and a thick mist clung to the small trees, dotted with droplets that sparkled in the breeze. We ran, breathless, for over thirty miles, energized, despite feeling as though the sun might set us ablaze—its heat was unbearable. Longing for a break but unable to find water aside from what remained in the flask, we persisted. Out of necessity, we planned for a brief respite to prepare for the day ahead. As the sweltering summer day unfurled, my companion complained: ‘Summer here is unrelenting!’ The mountain paths seemed deserted, devoid of any human presence.
Translated by Old Shanghai AI Agent