By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 77 The Bed Cart's Principal Role

The air was cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of earth and grass.

The stars overhead seemed to have been washed clean, so bright they were dazzling. The starry sky, which is unseen in the city, was indeed so bright here.

When you're away from home, you'll find friends everywhere.

Li Younan naturally didn't eat alone; he shared his food with the girl, who generously brought over her own self-heating hot pot.

During the conversation, I learned that the little girl's name was Liu Zhixin, and her nickname was Zhizhi.

Li Younan helped Liu Zhixin (Zhizhi) rearrange her "soulful" tent, tightening the ropes and hammering in the tent pegs, finally making it look like a place to spend the night.

She breathed a sigh of relief, her face flushed slightly with embarrassment, and whispered, "Thank you, Brother Li," her voice barely audible.

The warm yellow light enveloped them both.

Zhizhi brought out her delicate hand-cranked coffee grinder and small pot again, studying how to brew coffee according to the instruction manual. Her movements were still clumsy, and a few beans spilled out and rolled into the grass.

Li Younan leaned against the folding chair, holding a thermos filled with freshly brewed black tea, which was a little too hot to drink. A mountain breeze blew by, and the chirping of unknown insects in the distance rose and fell. The campsite was so quiet that only the faint puffing of the gas lamp and the dry rhythm of her grinding soybeans could be heard.

"do not move."

Li Younan suddenly said.

She was grinding coffee with her head down when she heard the sound and instinctively stopped, looking up at Li Younan in a daze.

The glow of the camping lamp enveloped half of her body, a few strands of hair on her forehead fluttered in the wind, and her eyes shone brightly in the light, with a hint of bewilderment.

Li Younan picked up the camera that had been lying beside her, and before she could react, the shutter clicked twice crisply.

She then realized what had happened, her face flushed red, and she frantically tried to cover her face and smooth her hair, groaning, "Oh dear! I..."

“It’s good,” Li Younan put down the camera and showed her the screen, “It has soul.”

In the photo, she looks like a startled little animal, frozen in a moment in the warm light, her eyes clear yet a little silly.

Li Younan added, "If you mind, I'll delete it..."

She leaned closer to look, stared for a while, and slowly a smile crept onto her lips. She seemed to want to say something but didn't, only muttering softly, "...I wasn't ready at all."

Then she continued to immerse herself in making her coffee, only now she moved more quietly, occasionally stealing a glance at the camera.

As night deepened, the chill intensified.

The flame of the gas lamp also appeared much softer. Zhizhi finally gave up her grand plan to brew coffee, yawned, and crawled into the tent she had painstakingly set up.

Li Younan also packed his things and climbed into the Land Cruiser.

The back seat was folded down two-thirds as planned, forming a makeshift bed about 1.2 meters wide. Li Younan opened a drawer, pulled out a mattress and laid it on top, then pulled out a light and soft quilt.

The car window was lowered a crack to let in some air, and a fine mosquito net was then fastened over it.

The night in the mountains was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard. The mat beneath me was just the right firmness, much more comfortable than I had expected.

My eyelids felt heavy, and I quickly drifted off to sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but I was awakened by a rumble of thunder.

The thunder roared like a giant stone roller rolling over the distant mountains, its sound echoing heavily. Then, without warning, large raindrops began to pelt down, pattering against the car roof and windshield.

Li Younan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked at the small tent diagonally opposite outside the car window.

The gas lamps had long been extinguished, leaving only a faint light, probably from a cell phone screen, shining through the tent fabric. In the torrential rain, the small tent looked particularly flimsy and pitiful.

It had indeed stood firm, but now it swayed violently in the wind and rain, like a paper boat about to capsize. A pale bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the night, and almost simultaneously, a thunderclap exploded overhead! Boom—

"what--!"

A short, startled cry pierced the sound of rain.

Immediately afterwards, the faint light inside the tent began to flicker violently, and the zipper was frantically ripped open.

A small figure, clutching a pillow and a blanket, emerged from the tent and was instantly drenched by the torrential rain.

She stood in an ankle-deep puddle, looking around blankly, her wet hair plastered to her face.

The lightning flashed again, clearly illuminating her disheveled face, where it was impossible to tell whether the liquid was rain or tears.

She saw Li Younan's car.

Li Younan quickly climbed into the driver's seat and drove a short distance towards her. He then rolled down the window, and rain and cold wind immediately rushed in.

"Brother Li... Brother Li!"

Her voice trembled with tears, "My tent...it...it feels like it's floating! Water...water is coming in!"

"Get in!" Li Younan leaned out and opened the passenger door.

As soon as she got into the car, she brought in a damp, cold, and muddy smell.

The car door slammed shut, instantly shutting out the deafening sound of the torrential rain outside.

The car was immediately filled with a damp smell.

She sat in the passenger seat, dripping wet, her hair clinging to her forehead and cheeks, shivering from the cold. Clutching her equally wet pillow, she stared out the car window at her tent, swaying in the wind and rain, seemingly about to be swept away at any moment.

His eyes were filled with lingering fear and frustration.

"Clean."

Li Younan tore off a few tissues and handed them to her.

She smeared haphazardly on her face, sniffling, looking disheveled and pitiful.

Zhizhi then turned her head and looked at the back seat of the car. When she saw the small bed that was neatly made up and looked particularly secure under the car's interior lights, she was clearly stunned for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly, and the panic she had just felt was replaced by a more complex blankness.

Is there a bed in the car?
It looks... much more comfortable than the uncomfortable sleeping mat in her soul tent?

Li Younan didn't say anything, unbuckled his seatbelt, and climbed into the back seat. Under Zhizhi's stunned gaze, Li Younan grabbed the release handle near the headrest of the back seat, and pulled and pushed it forcefully.

Click...squeak—

With a soft mechanical whirring, the remaining third of the rear seats slowly folded forward and lay flat. The entire rear compartment instantly opened up, forming a flat bed that almost reached the back of the front seats and was a full two meters long!
“Look,” Li Younan patted the thick, flat mattress, then looked up at Zhizhi, who was completely dumbfounded and had her mouth slightly agape in the passenger seat, “It can be like this… more spacious.”

It was just a simple, blatant display of wealth, with no other meaning.

Outside the car, torrential rain poured down, relentlessly washing over the world.

Inside the vehicle, camping lights softly illuminated the spacious, flat bed that had appeared out of nowhere.

Zhizhi hugged her wet pillow, looked at the big bed, then turned her head and looked through the water-stained car window at the tent of her soul, which was teetering on the brink of collapse.

She didn't speak, she just blinked blankly, then blinked again.

The soul equipment that she had been so proud of just moments before suddenly seemed less appealing in front of this comfortable, spacious, and dry car bed.

(End of this chapter)