Chapter 20 Twenty, in the forest

one Lai Zi walked into the taxi company in front of Otsuki Station. Hello.There is a clerk in the small office. He bows his head and welcomes Lai Zi. I want to use a taxi. yes.where are you going I want to see the forest under Mount Fuji. Lin Hai?The clerk repeated what Lai Zi said, and asked back, the Lin Hai you are talking about goes all the way to the West Lake, right? This, I don't know.I'm here for the first time and I want to ask the driver to show me the way. Understood.I'll send a car right away. The clerk retreated inside.Behind it seems to be the driver's lounge, next to it is the garage with rows of cars parked.A young man suddenly emerged from the garage, about twenty-four or five years old, tall.

I will accompany you.Are you going to West Lake?He bowed his head to Lai Zi and said. Is it called West Lake?I want to see Lin Hai. You can see it at West Lake. The driver put on his coat and hat, and his movements were neat.Then, he got into the driver's cab, drove the car outside, got out of the car again and opened the door for Lai Zi.Lai Zi sat in the seat. How long does it take to get to West Lake?After the car started running, Lai Zi spoke from behind. Yes, if you don't stop halfway, you can get there in about an hour. Lai Zi checks his watch, it's almost two o'clock

The town of Dayue is slender in shape.There are rows of old houses on the street, and there are businessmen and merchants handed down from the early years everywhere.Go out from the town, followed by a field road.There are mountains on both sides. The white road glistened in the sunlight. After about 40 minutes, a signboard with three trails appeared on the right side.As soon as I passed the dangerous mountain top that was estimated to be three passes, a corner of the field under Mt. Fuji appeared on the left. The wilderness is vast and boundless.As the car travels, the slope of the field gradually reveals the upper part.

Lai Zi was thinking about Onogi.She deeply believed that Onogi was still in Tokyo Station.One is Onogi, who is waiting for him at Tokyo Station; the other is himself, who is looking at the fields under Mt.Onogi's restless figure already appeared indifferent and illusory in the scenery he saw. Just an hour earlier, when she was on the train, the desire to be with Onogi was still as strong.Thinking of his mood at that time, Lai Zi himself was surprised by the change of mood at this moment.This seems to be the effect of reality, and I have come to a place that Onoki cannot reach. Yes, I am in a place that Onogi can no longer reach.The scenery of the field at the foot of Mount Fuji is completely different from that of the Tokyo train station. For the same reason, Onogi's location is even more distant from him.

No matter how far Onogi waited, anyway, he was already in a place that he couldn't reach. Ma'am, do you want to go directly to the West Lake? the driver asked without looking back. Lai Zi doesn't know the geography of this area, because there is no need to know, she only thinks about Lin Hai in her mind. So, is there anything to see on the road? There is Lake Kawaguchi.The driver immediately replied, just passing by, would you like to go and have a look? That's it.Lai Zi said absently. The driver probably took this sentence as agreement, and said: If this is the first time you come here, you'd better go and have a look.The scenery there is beautiful, and a watchtower has recently been built, and an aerial cable car has been erected.

When the driver talked about this, he was quite proud. Lai Zi's attitude is nothing but nothing.Since it’s the first time I’ve come here, it’s not bad to go and see Lake Kawaguchi first.She was not excited.The only self-awareness is that I am halfway up a gentle slope.Rather than having to pant and move forward in a straight line, it is better to slide down slowly and gradually, so that it will be easy and happy. The taxi drove to Lake Kawaguchi.The lakeside is an ordinary scene, lined with restaurants and souvenir shops.The roofs are mostly red and blue.On the lake, there are tour boats and motorboats swimming.

do you get offthe driver asked. No, forget it. Lai Zi was not in the mood to get out of the car, it was enough to just look through the window. Kawaguchiko is also tacky recently.The driver said while turning the car around.He felt the same way about guests not getting out of the car. All places with convenient transportation are like this.Be it Luhu Lake or Chuzenji Lake, everything has gradually become vulgar. So, is it the same for West Lake? No, West Lake is different.You'll know it when you get there, it's really unique.Because there is no such a noisy store there, and there are not many people going there.

How long will it be from now? Well, about forty minutes.do you go there directly Please go straight ahead. Lai Zi's taxi passed through a village and town similar to the outskirts of Tokyo.As soon as the houses in the town disappeared from the sight, they came into a large area of ​​trees.The road ahead stretches far, far. Mount Fuji is always on the left, the weather is fine and the sky is clear.Laiko had never seen Mount Fuji so close.From the peak to the halfway up the mountain, it is all covered with white snow.Due to the different angles of sunlight, complex and changeable shadows are reflected in the snow-covered valley.Below the mountainside, it is red, and further down, there are lush forests.At the foot of the mountain, the wilderness stretches all the way to the branches and leaves of the woods beside the road.

On this road, there are no houses in the middle, and there are no traces of pedestrians. Occasionally, buses and taxis pass by. When the taxi Lai Zi took arrived here, the sun was already in the west.The light also seemed to have weakened a lot, and the shadows cast by the trees on the road dragged very long. Do you still want to go ahead after watching the West Lake?The driver is asking for the destination. What's ahead? There is Lake Shoji, and then Lake Motosu.Ordinary route, turn back when you get there. Um.Lai Zi thought about it for a while, and if he wanted to see Lin Hai, it was in the West Lake, right?

Yes. In that case, just go to the West Lake. It turned out to be like this.My wife seems to really want to visit Linhai!Indeed, that place is worth seeing for visitors from Tokyo.The area is very large.Therefore, if anyone goes in, if there is no villager to lead the way, he will never come out again! The driver talked about this, and then introduced: there is an observation tower called Hongyetai nearby.If you climb up to watch it, you can't see the end of the boundless virgin forest at a glance.Looking at it, it will even produce a kind of horror.I would think in my mind, oh, Japan, which was desolate and uninhabited in ancient times, turned out to be like that!

The car was still running on the road with no pedestrians.The road surface is indeed very beautiful, and the woods next to it are exactly what the driver said the original forest looks like. After running a long way, the car turned right.Contrary to the beautiful road just now, this road is very narrow and can barely accommodate a car.There are also dense forests on both sides. You can go directly to the West Lake.The driver reported. The road cut through the woods made several turns.Every time you turn a corner, the woods take on a different look.Just as I thought the forest was full of red pine and beech trees, a large area of ​​beech suddenly appeared.Turn another corner and go back to the old way.As usual, the road was deserted. When the mulberry garden appeared, the roofs of a village ahead jumped into view.When I came to the entrance of the village, I realized that this is the West Lake.There was no one in the village either. The car drove out of the village, and the lake approached against the car window.The lake is blue, much darker than Lake Kawaguchi. It's West Lake, madam.The driver stopped the car and Lai Zi got out of the car.He told Lai Zi: "Go straight ahead from this road, and you can walk along the lake to the opposite side."However, as you can see, the road is very narrow and very difficult to walk. Lai Zi asked the taxi to wait there, and walked along the road pointed by the driver alone.Looking from here, the lake in front of us is covered by the shadow of the cliff.For some reason, the village was deserted.A little further on, there are several bungalows with balconies used for summer camping. Everything was silent.Standing here overlooking the West Lake, I saw a brown lava on the other side.Trees formed forests on the lava, spreading towards the wilderness at the foot of the mountain like a boundless ocean. Looking from a distance, the trees are almost the same height, covering the vast wilderness flatly.This is giving people a sense of oppression.What would it be like if a storm came crashing down on this endless forest?It will definitely be Lin Tao roaring, the sea of ​​trees going crazy, the branches swaying, roaring endlessly, like huge waves raging into the sky, like thunder shaking the ground.Lai Zi seems to be immersed in the illusion of being in this primitive scene. However, the lake in front of me was calm.Perhaps because there was not even a fish, there was not a single ripple on the water. Lai Zi had never seen such a lonely lake.Mount Fuji is directly opposite, but it is different from the usual Mount Fuji, it is a volcano that retains the original state of the ancient times.The brown lava cliffs and the endless dark green forest above the cliffs all reflect their reflections in the lake on the shore.The mountains, forests and lakes in their original state are intertwined in the same picture in such a mess. It all just doesn't come together. Lai Zi stood there silently for thirty minutes.Although the village could be seen from where he was standing, there was strangely no one in the village coming out.Behind him are bungalows with balconies, but it makes people feel like the houses of the dead.A long time ago, Lai Zi once had a dream, which happened to be such a scene.She dreamed that she was walking from the side of a big mountain to a place where there were all kinds of small houses.The people who lived in those houses were all dead people whom Lai Zi knew.Strangely enough, that dream still remains in my memory. Seeing those abandoned one-story houses now is just such a feeling.In the small houses, some doors were unlocked and ajar; some doors and windows were nailed tightly with nails.The collapsed roof and the wooden walls that have been blackened by the wind and rain all make people feel the desolation of this lakeside. There is no road to the forest on the other side, and the only way to connect to the West Lake is at the foot of Lai Zi.The driver said that the car would not pass any further.It seems that it is not only a car, but even people cannot walk over it. There is really no way out. When I walked through the woods of Jindaiji that time, the words I said to Onogi echoed in my ears again.A cornered road.I remember which book once said that there is such a road in a deserted place in Ireland.She felt that the situation she was facing at the moment was exactly such a road. Lai Zi suddenly found a white building in the forest near the lake shore, it was a modern building, it looked like someone's villa, standing there alone and silently. Probably worried that the time would be too long, the driver walked towards Lai Zi. How about it?Isn't the scenery nice?While smoking a cigarette apprehensively, the driver said that as long as he entered the forest, even the villagers would not be able to figure out the exit.Because there is no road in it.The bottom is full of lava, just like the tropical jungle! Among the people who went in, did anyone get out? Oh, the driver tilted his head slightly and smiled, how can I say this, maybe there might be one!However, the bodies of those people will never be found.It is very likely that some people just avoided others and walked into the forest by themselves. oh. After such a long time, still no one came over.No one in the village came out either.What a strange village. What is that?Lai Zi pointed to the building and asked. It's a hostel for teen travelers run by the International Youth Travel Organization, and in the summer or whatever, the students come to stay.Probably free now. Lai Zi meditated silently.The sun had already set in the west, and the sky was reddened by the sunset glow. The dark blue lake seemed to be covered with a thin layer of red yarn, and even the white snow on the top of Mount Fuji was dyed a light red color. Mr. driver.Lai Zi said, can you go to the reception station for young travelers and ask for a cup of tea? It's probably okay, because it's idle now.In short, let me go with you! Lai Zi and the driver went back to the parking place. The car passed through the quiet village again.There is a path in the woods, and the white building is exposed in the shadow of the trees. From the side of this house, you can go all the way to the forest.The driver told Lai Zi.Lai Zi looked out from the car window.Ahead was a narrow path, not even a road, but at last a thin line could be discerned. The car pulled up to the Youth Travelers Reception Station. I am here waiting for you.said the driver. it is okay.Pay your fare. The driver looked at Lai Zi's face in surprise and said, "Why, do you want to stay here overnight?" Lai Zi smiled slightly, and replied: Yes.I'll ask for a try. Makes sense, you finally came here, I'm afraid it's still good.It's so quiet in this place at night!Worth it for one night. I ask for it.Thank you for your hard work. Lai Zi paid the fare, and the driver got into the car immediately.The taxi turned around from the main entrance and headed back the same way.Before the car drove back the same way, Lai Zi stood there watching it go. The taxi disappeared into the shade with the sound of its engine.The road that Lai Zi had traveled so far came to an end here. An old lady in her sixties stuck her head out from the door and looked at Lai Zi. I came to you suddenly, sorry, can I have a cup of coffee? The old lady bowed to Lai Zi in reply. Walking inside, there is a small counter next to it.A young man of twenty-two or three years old, who seemed to be the son of the old lady, was reading a book at the counter.On the left is the cafeteria, which is empty. The old lady led Lai Zi into the cafeteria. Lai Zi is the only customer.Through the glass window facing the balcony, she saw a corner of Lin Hai in front of her eyes.The trees are almost all conifers. The scenery here is beautiful! The old lady hugged the coffee pot and asked Laizi to sit over.Lai Zi sat by the window where he could see the lake. There is a mountain on the north side of the lake. Perhaps due to the influence of this mountain, the color of the lake is a little different from what I saw just now.The water is still clear, but it looks greener and darker.The evening mist hangs over the lake. The coffee is very fragrant.Because it was ordered in advance, there was a glass of water next to it. Lai Zi finished his coffee and took out a small bottle from his handbag.Then poured a bunch of small white pellets from the vial onto the palm.The round grains collided and made a small sound. Lai Zi took a sip of water, then calmly divided the white grains into three parts and put them in his mouth, then drank the water.The glasses are almost empty. Her heart was very calm, just like the scenery she was looking at in her eyes, everything was normal. Lai Zi was still watching the quiet lake.Looking at it, she suddenly felt as if waves were surging on the surface of the lake.she thinks it's a wave Maybe the waves only flashed in Lai Zi's eyes.It was a strangely lonely wave.There are only waves churning when no one sees it.Probably because of the waves, Lai Zi seemed to see a crack in the lake surface, and a blurry thing seemed to emerge from the bottom in an instant.Although she couldn't say the shape of the thing, she always felt that it resembled the spire of a tower.It seems that a white minaret was built at the bottom of this lake Guest, do you want to live here? The young man was standing beside him.Lai Zi's vision returned to the calm lake. No.Lai Zi said, leave immediately.I just want to drink your cup of coffee. What about cars?The young man asked, he seemed to have gone back just now, did you let him wait on the opposite road? Yes.Lai Zi replied briefly. When she left the empty cafeteria, nothing had changed in her body. She paid at the counter.There are several interesting travel advertisements on the wall, and the young man presses the switch to turn on the light. Bother you!she says. You are welcome to come again.Although the young people are crowded in summer, but Thanks.Lai Zi wanted to say thank you and go out, but she seemed to suddenly remembered something, walked back and asked: What kind of animals are there in this forest. oh.Birds are plentiful.And hares. Hare Lai Zi had a smile on his face. The young man showed her an instruction manual. Linhai is a primitive dense forest that has not been visited by human beings. Trees such as beech, zelkova, and stone oak are tenaciously taking root in the cracks of scattered lava; Lying vertically, like a long snake crawling on the ground, the branches are covered with ancient moss.If you get lost in this primitive dense forest, even the dead body will be hard to find Lai Zi left the reception station.The road under my feet is still the same road when I came by taxi.She climbed a ramp.On one side is the lakeside of West Lake, and on the other side is the edge of forest sea. There is also a mulberry garden.Lai Zi walked along the mulberry field. There is a farmland ahead. I didn't notice it when I came by car just now, but now I saw two people digging the ground with a hoe in the farmland. One was an old man and the other was a young woman, who seemed to be a daughter-in-law. Lai Zi felt that his legs were still very strong, and his mind had not changed.It's still a while before that changes. two The old man and his daughter-in-law saw a woman in urban attire passing by the road beside the field. Hello, hello! The old man stopped the unfamiliar woman. That way is wrong!Go that way, you can't get through! The woman stopped. Please go back to the original fork in the road!Go straight from there until you reach the main road leading to the bus! The woman who looked like a Tokyoite in the old man's eyes bowed her head in this direction, as if thanking the old man for his reminder. Once you walk into that road, you will never want to come out again for the rest of your life. Because the woman on the opposite side walked forward on the same road, the old man added with a smile. That's all. Next, the old man and his daughter-in-law resumed their work in the field indifferently.At dusk, the sky was still clear and blue, but the forest was already dark. The two were still working, and the daughter-in-law raised her eyes inadvertently. voila. Hearing his daughter-in-law's voice, the old man raised his face. Did that woman run into the forest just now? The old man looked back and saw nothing. Nonsense!Your eyes are blurred.I made it so clear to her that she wouldn't go there. But that's what I saw.It seemed that something white was indeed hurrying down the forest road. Don't talk nonsense!I didn't see anything.Is there something wrong with your eyes?The woman just now would definitely not go this way by mistake. Yeah?The daughter-in-law herself was dubious. Seeing the woman in Tokyo, your eyes are not working well. The old man started working in the field again.The daughter-in-law seemed to want to say something, but she didn't say anything. Dad, the daughter-in-law said, it's getting dark, don't do it anymore. OK, I won't do it.Eunuch said. look! The daughter-in-law saw something and suddenly called out. what? Come out a rabbit! When the old man looked there, the rabbit had already got into the bushes, and only the branches of the bushes were still shaking. At this time, the vast night has descended on this boundless forest. (full text)