RPAGF Chapter 135 Skiing
Chapter 135 Skiing
Chapter 136 Skiing
I got up early and made a quick breakfast. While we were eating, Tao Xiang came back once. She was pouting and didn't say anything. She looked unhappy. Song Che asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing was wrong.
She came again around noon, this time without pouting and in a better mood, but she was in a hurry and ran away again shortly after returning.
After that, he stayed at Zhang Shushu's house and didn't miss it at all.
Song Che stayed home for two days to finish his part-time job, and then stopped taking on other jobs. After this week, he would focus on his studies and prepare for the competition.
Xia Li was also busy with her own things. When she had free time, she was busy carrying bricks; when she got tired, she continued researching her magic. It seemed she had made some progress; she could now inscribe even more powerful magic circles that she could use to attack people.
The kind that hurts a lot when you hit it.
Unfortunately, this world has no magic at all, so she couldn't make any further improvements.
—Perhaps, it would be better if magic didn't exist in this world.
Xia Li carries bricks every day, then studies. In the evening, she would look at her broom for a while. She kept the broom very well, and it sat on the balcony of her bedroom without any dust.
She felt she needed to make some changes; she couldn't focus all her attention on magic. Making money was more practical, and so was studying.
Xia Li is still the same Xia Li, except that she is about to become a qualified modern person.
Or rather, she already is.
It's time for our agreed-upon skiing trip.
Now that the season is almost over, this is the last chance to ski. If we don't go now, we'll have to go to a place much farther away. Jiang Shuo took the initiative to charter a car, and the four of them rushed over to the ski area in no time.
This time, with Jiang Shuo around, there's no need to find a coach; you can just ask him if you encounter any problems.
When we parked the car in the parking lot at the foot of the mountain, the sun had just risen.
Song Che pushed open the car door, and a blast of cold air rushed in, carrying the scent of sunshine and the chill of snow. He took a deep breath, feeling the coolness in his lungs, and his whole body became clear.
In the distance, white ski runs stretched down from the mountaintop, their slopes appearing gentle enough for beginners to enjoy. The ski lifts slowly ascended, like ants trailing white threads. Someone was skiing down from a high point at great speed, kicking up a cloud of snow behind them, while another person nearby recorded a short video of the transition.
-
"We're here!" Jiang Shuo jumped out of the passenger seat, stretched out a big yawn, "Ouch, my back is about to fall apart after sitting for an hour."
Zhang Hanyu climbed out of the back seat and kicked him.
"Why are you fighting? Who was sleeping the whole time?"
"Even sleeping is tiring; I dream about driving."
"How was the car driving in your dream?"
"It's fine, but it's out of gas."
Zhang Hanyu rolled her eyes, too lazy to pay him any attention.
Song Che went around to the trunk and took out the equipment bags for everyone. Xia Li stood beside him, watching him struggle with the load, and went over to lend a hand.
"What's wrong?" Song Che asked.
Xia Li thought for a moment.
"A bit heavy?"
"It's not heavy, I can carry it."
Xia Li nodded, but still reached out and took the lightest bag from his hand.
"Then I'll carry this."
Looking at her, Song Che felt that Xia Li was becoming more and more sensible. These were all small things, but she had the attitude, and her attitude was particularly serious.
A group of people walked towards the visitor center. Snow was piled up on both sides of the road; the areas that had been trampled on had turned gray and hard. The untrampled areas were still white and loose, like a layer of icing sugar.
Xia Li walked slowly, looking around as she went.
She had seen snow.
In Hit, after walking through the snow for so long and digging through so many holes, that snow was the snow of forbidden magic. Her magic couldn't protect her body; her fingers would freeze painfully at the slightest touch. That was a different kind of snow.
Snow is gray; it is the magic of desolation and death.
The snow here is different.
White, bright, and crowded with people. Some were taking pictures, some were playing around, and some were squatting there making snowballs. Laughter, shouts, and voices mingled together, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere.
"The snow here," she paused, then said softly, "isn't cold."
Song Che was stunned for a moment.
"Aren't you cold?"
"Hmm." Xia Li nodded. "It doesn't look cold."
She stared at the snow in the distance, her eyes shining.
He suddenly understood what she meant.
"Let's go inside first." Song Che followed her gaze for a while. "Change your gear, it'll get hot soon."
The visitor center was quite crowded, with people in ski suits walking around everywhere. Some were clearly beginners, holding their skis unsure of how to handle them. Others were experienced skiers, moving nimbly and quickly putting on their gear and heading out.
The group found the area to change equipment and put their bags down.
Jiang Shuo started taking off his coat, saying as he did so, "Let me tell you, there's a trick to wearing this. You can't wear too much, and you can't wear too little. If you wear too much, you'll sweat, and then you'll get cold when you start skating. If you wear too little, you'll get cold and want to go back before you even start skating."
Zhang Hanyu was undermining him from the sidelines.
"You were dressed perfectly last year, and you still fell 88 times, didn't you?"
Jiang Shuo glared at her.
"That's a technical problem, not a problem with the clothes. Besides, how could it be 88 times? You should at least prepare a draft before you make this up. Do you think my butt is made of iron after falling so many times?"
"The technical issues are what we really need to reflect on; they have nothing to do with how many times it's been dropped."
"This is my best skill level; falling while skiing is normal for me. You're just trying to pick a fight with me!"
The two of them started again.
Song Che ignored them and focused on his equipment. He took out his snowsuit, shook it out, put it on the chair, and then began to take off his jacket.
Xia Li stood to the side, watching the two couples changing their clothes. Song Che had taken off half of his clothes when he noticed she was still standing there.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Li looked down at the equipment bag in her hand.
"Can you help me put it on?"
Song Che was stunned for a moment.
"Won't?"
"I will," Xia Li said, turning her gaze away. "But I want your help."
Song Che looked at her, noticed the two lovey-dovey people behind her, and understood immediately.
"Okay, I'll help you."
He put down his equipment, walked over to her, and opened her bag.
The white snowsuit fit him perfectly and looked nice. He took it out, shook it open, and lifted it by the shoulders, ready to put it on Xia Li.
"Take off your coat first."
Xia Li took off her coat and handed it to Song Che. Song Che took it and put it aside.
"Reach out your hand."
Song Che began dressing Song Che like a nanny.
Xia Li reached out and slipped her hands into the sleeves. Left, right. Song Che pulled the snowsuit up a bit so she could slip it on over her shoulders, and her upper body was now dressed.
"Zipper yourself."
Xia Li looked down at the zipper pull, pinched it, and pulled it up. It got stuck halfway up, so Song Che reached out and helped her fix it, and the zipper was working smoothly.
Xia Li pulled it to the top and looked up at him.
"alright."
Song Che took a look.
The white snowsuit she wore made her silver hair appear even more striking. The zipper was pulled up so high it almost touched her chin, completely covering her neck.
"The zipper doesn't need to be zipped up that high."
Xia Li looked down and pulled the screen down a little.
"so?"
"Um."
Next came the snowshoes. Song Che asked her to sit down and brought the shoes over. The two people next to them had just put them on and walked past them. The two seemed to have a good relationship, like Zhang Hanyu and Jiang Shuo, joking and teasing each other as they walked.
Song Che glanced at it once or twice, then continued speaking.
"Button this up like this: button the bottom first, then the top. Button it tight, otherwise it will slip off."
Song Che had done a lot of research beforehand, and he knew how to put on the equipment. He explained and demonstrated as he put on his own shoes.
"Give it a try."
Xia Li took the shoes and bent down to start fastening them.
—She actually can too.
Finally, the snowboards. Song Che took the boards and placed them on the ground.
"I'll take this first and wear it outside. It's hard to walk in it now."
Xia Li nodded.
She stood up and took a couple of steps in place. The snowshoes were a bit heavy and made a clattering sound when she walked, which took some getting used to, but overall she was done and ready to play.
"It's a bit heavy."
"You'll get used to it," Song Che said. "Once you start skating, it won't feel heavy anymore."
It glides along, like it's flying.
Jiang Shuo was already dressed and fully equipped, standing there like a soldier going into battle. Holding his skis, he called out to them, "Ready? Let's go!"
Zhang Hanyu was also dressed and adjusting her goggles. She was also wearing a white snowsuit, with her hair tied in a ponytail peeking out from behind her hood.
"What's the rush? Everyone's not here yet."
"I'm in a hurry, I want to go skiing!"
"You want to ski? You want to fall down."
How do you know I'm definitely going to fall?
"Because you are Jiang Shuo."
Jiang Shuo cursed and swore, saying that this time he would open her eyes to something new.
Song Che smiled and shook his head, picked up Xia Li's snowboard, and then picked up his own.
"Let's go."
Several people walked out.
Pushing open the glass door, another blast of cold air rushed in. The sun was already higher, shining brightly on the snow, making it dazzlingly white.
Xia Li narrowed her eyes.
Song Che handed her the goggles.
"Put it on."
Xia Li took it and put it on.
The world turned a pale brown, and it wasn't so shaky anymore.
She looked around and suddenly realized that Jiang Shuo and Zhang Hanyu had already walked quite a distance. The two were walking and joking around. Jiang Shuo tried to grab some snowflakes and throw them at Zhang Hanyu, but Zhang Hanyu dodged and grabbed a handful back, throwing it at him instead. Jiang Shuo was hit and yelled.
"They—" Xia Li paused, "aren't they cold?"
"It won't be cold if we make a fuss," Song Che said.
Xia Li thought for a moment and nodded. She actually wanted to make a scene, especially after meeting many people and experiencing many things. Those she was close to seemed to enjoy making a scene, teasing and joking with each other. But why was Song Che becoming more and more respectful to her?
He used to call her an idiot.
I hardly ever criticize her anymore.
The two walked forward slowly.
The snow was soft and crunchy underfoot. The sun was shining on me; it wasn't cold, but rather a little warm. In the distance, the cable car was still climbing, with people sitting on it, their legs dangling and swaying back and forth, chatting.
"Song Che, um—" Xia Li pointed to the cable car, "Shall we ride it too?"
"Sit down," Song Che said. "Sit down first, then slide down."
Xia Li watched the cable car slowly climbing upwards, lost in thought.
The beginner's area is on the left, a gentle slope, not long and with a small incline. There are quite a few people there; some are instructors teaching, some are parents helping their children, and some have fallen and gotten back up on their own.
Jiang Shuo and Zhang Hanyu were already standing there. Jiang Shuo was pointing to the top of the slope and saying something, while Zhang Hanyu nodded beside him.
Jiang Shuo waved when he saw Song Che and Xia Li coming over.
"Come on, let's warm up first and loosen up our joints so we don't get cramps later."
Zhang Hanyu looked at him.
"You know quite a lot."
"Of course, I've been there."
"Let's see if you fall today."
Jiang Shuo glared at her, "Bao Shuai De."
Song Che, carrying his snowboard, led Xia Li to the side.
"Try your balance first," he said. "You don't need to wear skis, just walk around in the snow and get a feel for it."
Xia Li nodded and took a few steps on the snow.
Snowshoes sank into the snow, pulled out, then sank in again, each step making a crunching sound.
She walked for a while, then stopped.
"and then?"
Song Che thought for a moment.
"Then—" He looked around, "we'll start with the basics, learning how to stand, how to walk, and how to stop."
He put his skis down and stepped on them.
"I'll give it a try first."
He stood on the board with his knees slightly bent, his body leaning slightly forward, and his hands hanging naturally at his sides.
"Like this, shift your weight forward, not backward. Shifting backward makes it easy to fall."
Xia Li stared at his posture for a few seconds.
Then she looked down at her snowboard.
"I'll give it a try too."
She put her skis on the ground and, imitating Song Che, stepped onto them.
The first foot went in, click, and it was in place. The second foot went in, and clicked again.
She stood there, her feet fixed to the board, and suddenly didn't know how to move.
My hands and feet were controlled by the snow.
"And then?" she asked.
Song Che smiled.
"Then just stand there and feel it."
Xia Li nodded and stood there.
I stood there for three seconds.
She suddenly leaned forward, almost falling, but managed to steady herself by waving her hands wildly a couple of times.
Song Che reached out to support her.
"careful."
Xia Li looked up at him.
Her face was mostly covered by goggles, revealing only half of her face and her blue eyes.
"This is not a good place to stand."
Song Che laughed, but he himself was a little unsteady on his feet.
"Yes, it's not easy to stand. You'll get used to it."
Xia Li nodded and continued standing.
Jiang Shuo skated over from the side; he was a decent skater, but clearly not a pro. As he passed by, he called out to them, "Xia Li, Che-ge, good luck! I'll go try it up there first!"
He fell down as soon as he finished speaking.
He plopped down on the ground, his skis sticking up like his feet were pointing skyward.
Zhang Hanyu was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
"Haha, weren't you going to try it up there? Why did you end up on the ground?"
Jiang Shuo struggled to get up, his face covered in snow.
"This snow is so slippery!"
"What kind of snow is it if it's not slippery?"
"you----"
Jiang Shuo wanted to refute, but couldn't find the words.
Xia Li watched this scene and suddenly smiled.
Song Che looked towards Jiang Shuo. Jiang Shuo had already gotten up and was brushing the snow off himself while cursing Zhang Hanyu for being heartless. Zhang Hanyu was still laughing, laughing so hard that tears were almost streaming down his face.
"Yes," Song Che said, "He was still laughing even after falling, just like in the video we watched last time."
Xia Li nodded.
She looked down at her skis, then looked up at the slope in front of her.
"Let's begin."
After speaking, Song Che followed to the side and began to prepare for action.
Xia Li took a step forward, trying to glide. But she didn't take the first step well, lost her balance, and fell to the side.
Song Che caught her, forgetting that he was also a complete novice.
"careful."
They both fell down.
She looked down at his arm, then looked up at him.
They both fell and were a little dazed. They got up and looked at each other. Xia Li didn't laugh, but Song Che laughed first.
The sun shone on the snow, dazzlingly white. In the distance, the cable car continued its ascent; nearby, the laughter continued. Jiang Shuo fell again, and Zhang Hanyu laughed even louder.
If you were to rephrase skiing, it would be like a wrestling match.
Xia Li stood there, supported by Song Che, watching all of this.
She suddenly realized that skiing might actually be a lot of fun, except that her butt felt like it was going to break after falling so many times.
After spending almost an hour in the beginner's area, Xia Li was able to stand on her own, and Song Che was almost the same. Both of them knew a little about the theory. After falling for more than ten minutes, with Jiang Shuo coming over to teach them from time to time, the two of them were basically able to stand steadily in a short time.
Xia Li tried to inch forward step by step, leaving two parallel tracks on the snow with her skis.
I'm gliding a bit slowly, but at least I won't fall. Once I get more skilled, I'll be able to glide faster.
Jiang Shuo spoke earnestly from the side.
"Shift your weight forward a little more—yes—that's it."