If you drive from the direction of Weishan Ma'anshan Township Government along a rugged road beside the Waijiao River towards the Heihui River in the west, you will surely see a place locals call Olive Slope by the roadside. The first time I passed Olive Slope was in winter, when it was barren and withered, appearing merely as a steep hillside by the road—ordinary and unappealing. But locals who know this place call this stretch of road the 'Internet-famous road.' Many people passing by like to slow down, take a few more glances, or even step onto this sloping hillside, sit on the rugged rocks, and listen to the wind echoing through the valley.
It wasn't until we were fortunate enough to encounter a rare clear moment after rain during the rainy season, stopping the car by the roadside without any plan to wait for a friend to join us, that we saw Olive Slope bathed in soft light under the sunset, different from before, dazzling and brilliant. Before we arrived, we didn't know how long it had rained here or how long the sky had been clear. We only knew that the Olive Slope illuminated by the setting sun had no barrier or separation from the pure sky, as if it had crossed the thick atmosphere, floating in the vast universe like a bright green flying carpet.
A large herd of yellow cattle emerged from the higher jungle, scattered on the sunlit slope to continue grazing on the lush and tender grass of the rainy season. The gentle touch of the sunset added a warm orange hue to the herd. Their already bulging bellies made them especially attached to this season and the wilderness of this season. The herdsman sat in the shadow of a large tree on the farthest slope we could see. When we took more than ten minutes to laboriously approach him, he was making a series of admonishing sounds that only the cattle could understand to prevent them from straying. The copper bell around the lead cow's neck was as clear as a flowing stream, but he sat motionless on a stone in the shade. He was an old villager from Shakumo Village on the opposite mountain. We had written about this village before, so we chatted with him a bit more. I met him first, and Long Ge also met him when he returned from higher ground and talked with him for a long time. It was he who told us the name Olive Slope.
This picture reminded me of the exquisite scenery of the Alps in the movie 'Heidi and Grandpa.' The herdsman we met was the grandpa, but where did Heidi go?
After returning home, Long Ge asked me if I knew how old the uncle was. I didn't ask, but guessed he was in his 50s. Long Ge shook his head and said incredulously that the old man was over 70. This is the magic of the wilderness: while people outside the mountains spend time and effort seeking the power of technology to delay aging, the wilderness casts its spell, and those living in it unknowingly possess this power. Looking in the direction of the herdsman's gaze, how could such pure and innocent wilderness not make people healthy and happy?
Olive Slope spreads out unobstructed along the winding cement road, but what we saw was not all of it. Our friend didn't know when they would arrive, so we had enough time to wander on Olive Slope in its most beautiful season. Behind the herdsman, a clear stone path slanted upward to higher ground. We climbed up with effort and saw another flat grassland covered with gravel, absorbing the gradually thinning light of the sunset, exuding a rich scent of grass. Scattered stones, for unknown reasons and at unknown times, occupied the entire grassland, chaotic and disorderly. The scratches left by the wind on their surfaces seemed like mysterious scripts—perhaps this was their communication with nature, the creator.
On the south side of Olive Slope, there is a cliff, at the bottom of which flows the ceaseless Waijiao River. Between the cement road and the cliff, there is also a small strip of grassland, much smaller than the grassland on the north side of the road, but you can sit on large stones and quietly watch the river flow into the distance. Olive Slope is also called Red Soil Slope, probably because of the bright red soil here. After the rain, Olive Slope becomes exceptionally soft. Much of the soil between the grass has been washed into the Waijiao River by the rain, forming small mud pits. Only the sturdy grass remains in place, like isolated islands. Without the grass roots anchoring it, Olive Slope would have long become a true Red Soil Slope.
Standing on the stones of Olive Slope, no matter which direction you look, you will see endless wilderness bathing in the pure setting sun, waiting for the moon to return.
