April 17th dawned before the sun. Pig Head dragged himself out of bed at 5 AM, and by 7, he was crammed onto a long-haul bus heading for Changsha.

He arrived in Changsha without incident, taking a taxi straight to the airport.

Heart thumping a nervous rhythm, he tentatively boarded the plane, clutching a worn copy of the Tuibei Tu as he waited for takeoff.

During the ascent, a sudden, brutal crosswind slammed the aircraft; the plane lurched downward several meters with a sickening whoosh, eliciting a chorus of startled cries in the cabin. Pig Head didn't actually shout, but the soles of both his feet were instantly drenched in cold sweat.

By the afternoon, he landed at Xi’an Xianyang Airport. He was met smoothly by his contact, and they spirited Pig Head away to a discreet hotel somewhere in Xi’an.

Once inside the room, he stripped down immediately and headed for the shower.

Mid-shower, the phone rang. Comrade Xue Ye was in Third Young Master's room, holding court. Pig Head, completely naked and dripping wet, scrambled to return the call. After his shower, he bolted straight to Third Young Master’s room.

Drinks... more drinks... and then, still more drinks...

And that, essentially, was the end of it.

April 18th. Someone knocked early in the morning, calling Pig Head for breakfast, but the crushing weight of sleep still held him fast, so he didn't go.

He eventually rolled out of bed at some unrecorded hour, polished off four cans of beer from the hotel fridge, and found something light to eat.

Ah, then came the midday feast hosted by Comrade Jia Zi and Xue Ye from Qidian. Staring at the banquet spread before him, Pig Head deeply regretted whatever he’d managed to eat before leaving. A profound, lingering resentment!

In the afternoon, he mumbled a few incoherent sentences at a reception before sitting stock-still on the stage, his eyes drifting into that familiar, vacant stare, only to be jerked back by a sudden burst of laughter... Uh oh, someone seemed to suggest Pig Head had been spacing out? He somehow managed to talk his way past it...

Dinner followed, an extended affair of eating and drinking. Afterward, he rushed off to the main event: the awards ceremony.

Yes, Tang Chao Lao Wu’s guitar playing was truly excellent.

The ethnic-flavored instrumental piece by the Echo Band was absolutely electrifying.

What surprised Pig Head the most, however, was the appearance of Wu Hongfei, who sang "Cangyang Gyatso Love Song." Pig Head was overcome with unexpected delight... Heh, he'd listened to that song obsessively when he was trying to woo his wife; this was a monumental, pleasant shock.

Teacher Yang Fan’s accordion playing had moments of breathtaking brilliance, but sadly, he retired after only a few pieces. Pig Head could still hear the lingering melodies drifting from backstage, suggesting the old master wasn't quite finished.

When the ceremony broke up, Pig Head, Third Young Master, Fanqie, Jia Zi, and Jiang Nan—who used to work on Jiuzhou—migrated to the hotel lobby for more drinks.

In the end, Pig Head managed to stay standing last, still mostly coherent, and Third Young Master also managed to navigate back to his own room soberly. As for the others... well, some people can hold their liquor better than others.

Heh heh.

April 19th. Pig Head was desperate to get home, so he skipped waiting for the Qidian arranged transport and snagged a private car directly to the airport.

Once airborne again, another hour of flight sent cold sweat prickling over his entire body. He was furious—never flying again, he swore. That hour of psychological burden, the kaleidoscope of nausea and dread, was indescribable.

Finally, the plane punched through the rain clouds and fog to land in Changsha. Boss Jun Dao was there waiting for him... After some lively chatter that afternoon, the high-mountain tea Jun Dao had brought from Taiwan proved exceptional. Dinner was a rustic local spread, equally delicious. And after that? Drinking, drinking, and more drinking...

How much did he drink? Pig Head lost track, but after returning to the hotel, he and Jun Dao sequestered themselves in a room and kept the conversation going for another hour, at least.

He took a quick shower, called his wife, and then collapsed into bed around 2:30 AM.

April 20th. He sprang up at 6:30 AM feeling surprisingly refreshed. After a vigorous wash and cleanup, it was past seven before he ambled downstairs to check out, hailing a cab to the station.

Ugh, it was raining in Changsha, and taxis were impossible to find... Pig Head stood there in the wind and rain, clutching his two bags, staring blankly at the road, suddenly regretting not asking the hotel staff to call him a car. A clear error, likely due to low blood sugar right after waking up. He should have chugged the rest of the beer in the hotel fridge for a quick glucose boost. But to avoid the risk of an in-flight internal explosion, Pig Head stifled the urge.

Before finally getting into a car, he grabbed a bowl of Hunan rice noodles from a roadside stall. Pig Head then drifted his way all the way back home.

I’ve just showered and eaten, and now I’m rushing to post this on the Blog!

A true, honest record of my meanderings. Heh heh!