Bashang Grassland(壩上草原) is situated at the north of Beijing(北京), the scenery in autumn is fantastic, what makes Choumeizai unforgettable is not the beautiful scenery, but a wonderful encounter with a grandpa shepherd...
Few years ago in Bashang Grassland, while Choumeizai was taking pictures of the sheep in a desolate valley, a thin old grandpa came towards Choumeizai, gibbered something not Putonghua, but similar to Putonghua.
Did this old man want money? Choumeizai did not have any Renminbi in his pocket, so a bit anxious.
Grandpa kept gibbering, but looked kindly, Choumeizai started to know what he was saying, he asked, 'Where are you from?'
'Hong Kong.' Choumeizai replied.
The two spoke back and forth, together with some body gestures, both exchanged some backgrounds with each other, grandpa was 70 years old already.
Choumeizai took some photos for grandpa, when grandpa saw his face in the photo, he was happier than seeing his sheep, unfortunately it is not Polaroid but a digital camera, Choumeizai could not give him a photo.
The evening was coming, the grassland changed its color from tender orange to tragic purple, cold wind swept, made Choumeizai shivered, so he asked, 'You live here, are you cold?'
Grandpa smiled, and said, 'Cold, but...not scared.'
Choumeizai smiled bitterly, 'I am from the south, cold weather scares me to death!'
Somehow, Choumeizai found that this conversation was a bit sad.
The sky was getting darker and darker, the sheep gathered and walked inside the pen silently as if they had a clock.
Time to leave, so Choueizai said, 'I should go now.'
After a stay, grandpa gibbered something, but Choumeizai didn't understand.
'What?'
Grandpa repeated, 'Sain Bainvv.'
Choumeizai found out afterwards, ‘Sain Bainvv’ in Mongolian language means 'How are you?'
‘Sain Bainvv.’ Choumeizai then went forward, grabbed the steel-like hands of grandpa, although Choumeizai wore gloves, the southerner still felt the force and warmth of grandpa. Choumeizai repented afterwards, he should have taken off the gloves.
The wave of sand in the valley turned purple, beautiful but sad.
