Chasing the Wind in Shaxi: In the time of the Fairy Sister, I met Li Xian's same slow life

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but I was already standing at the Yujing Bridge in Shaxi Ancient Town. The wild flowers growing out of the cracks in the stone slabs were covered with dew, and in the distance, smoke from cooking and mountain mist were lingering. The clouds that Xu Hongdou saw when he opened the window in "Go Where There Is Wind" were now spreading out before my eyes. 8:00｜Ancient stage and Grandma Arui’s shop Walking along the mottled stone pavement of Sideng Street, the wind chimes on the eaves of the ancient stage tinkled. Xu Hongdou, played by Liu Yifei, once looked up at the flowing clouds here. Now the sunlight shines through the six-hundred-year-old wooden carved brackets, making the plaque that reads "The only surviving ancient market on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road" shine. Turning the corner, I came across the shop of Grandma A Rui in the drama. Handmade milk cakes and rose jam were still on the wooden shelves. Amid the creaking sound of the Bai grandma's loom, I vaguely saw Xie Zhiyao (played by Li Xian) carrying a bamboo basket to bring breakfast to Hongdou. 10:00｜Listening to the wind at Xingjiao Temple Pushing open the faded red gate of Xingjiao Temple, the flying figures in the Ming Dynasty murals danced. Sitting under the thousand-year-old Pistacia tree where Liu Yifei and Li Xian had a conversation, I discovered the same perspective in the drama: the shadow of the tree cut the sunlight into gold foil, which was sprinkled on the stone steps in front of the temple where Li Xian sat. The girl I met while taking photos was wearing the same tie-dye skirt as Xu Hongdou and holding the "Youfeng Restaurant" canvas bag that appeared in the drama - it turns out that this place has long become a pilgrimage site for drama fans. 12:30｜Eating a bowl of Xu Hongdou’s noodles on Sifang Street Xiang 12 Western Restaurant on Sifang Street is the prototype of the “Windy Courtyard” in the play. Order the same beef burger as Liu Yifei’s and sit in the old seat where she used to read. The sound of horse hooves clattered past the wooden window, and an old man in a straw hat was leading a horse, overlapping with the scene in the TV series of Xie Zhiyao riding a horse past. The cold shrimps sold by the grandma next door are added with the same rose sugar as in the drama, and they are as sweet as Xu Hongdou’s smile when she first saw Shaxi. 14:00｜Looking for traces along the Heihui River Rent a bicycle and ride along the Heihui River. The willow forest where Li Xian and Liu Yifei took a walk on horseback is just ahead. The river water is as green as emerald, the Bai people on the other side of the river are harvesting in the rice fields, and the wind brings the melody of the interlude of "Go Where There is Wind". They stopped at the meadow where Xie Zhiyao taught Xu Hongdou how to ride a horse, and saw the swing set up by the crew. They swung it gently, and the waves on the river were broken. 16:00｜Read a poem at Pioneer Bookstore Walking through the fields, we arrived at Shaxi Pioneer Bookstore, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. In the special section of poetry collections that Xu Hongdou had flipped through, I found the love poems of Neruda that she read to Xie Zhiyao. The observation deck of the cafe on the third floor faces the roof of the stage. The Milky Way that the two people saw during their night talk in the play has now turned into spots of light dancing between the pages of the book. When I put down the "Where There Is Wind" commemorative stamp, the bells of the caravan happened to ring outside the window. 18:30｜Sunset and long song at Yujin Bridge Dusk is approaching, I return to Yujin Bridge to wait for a sunset like Xie Zhiyao and Xu Hongdou. The old man who had just returned from herding sheep blew a leaf flute, and the sheepdog chased the light spots and jumped into the river water dyed red by the afterglow. Suddenly, the sound of guitar was heard at the bridge head. Several young people were playing and singing the theme song of "Go Where the Wind Is". Among the onlookers, there was a local grandfather in a mandarin jacket who followed the beat - this was a magical moment unique to Shaxi, where tradition and modernity, drama and reality were gently embraced. At night｜Healing philosophy under the stars Stay in the same rammed earth homestay as in the drama, and watch the Milky Way falling into the valley from the terrace. Thinking of what Li Xian said, "Taking it slow is the way to live," I finally understood why Xu Hongdou stayed here. The wind blew the Dongba paper lanterns under the eaves, illuminating the crew's signature board in the corner. Perhaps Liu Yifei's beautiful handwriting was hidden somewhere. When the morning bell rang again, I left with the gifts given by Shaxi: the scent of horsetail flowers on my lapels, the ripples of the Heihui River in my notebook, and the courage to reconcile with time, like red beans, growing from the depths of my soul. This thousand-year-old town on the ancient Tea-Horse Road is indeed the footnote that best understands "Where the Wind Goes" - the so-called healing is nothing more than letting us regain the right to gaze at a cloud and wait for a flower to bloom.