Fireplace on the Mountaintop Dispels the Highland Chill · Starry Mountain and Moon Shadow Homestay

Shortly after dawn, I arrived at the lobby and heard the crackling of burning wood. A young man from the homestay was half-kneeling in front of the granite fireplace, pouring alcohol onto the pine branches dampened by last night's snow – the heavy snowfall had soaked the stored firewood. The moment the pale blue flames leaped up, he quickly retreated out of the camera's view. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the snowy ridge of Yaomei Peak was shedding its dark hue. As Peng settled into the sofa, a Tibetan girl quietly appeared, holding hot tea: "Drink slowly." Later, my friend asked her age, and she replied, "20," her eyes clear and her cheeks flushed with the characteristic high-altitude redness... Twelve hours earlier, our SUV had crunched over black ice at an altitude of 3,800 meters. The sound of tires crushing the ice still echoed in my ears. Remembering that the three homestay staff members were already waiting for us in the parking lot when our car stopped, I later realized their attentiveness at this high altitude. I also recalled asking one of the young Tibetan women after dinner last night if she could help us light the fireplace in the lobby early the next morning so we could take some photos... Now, through the viewfinder, I saw the steam from the fireplace climbing along the wooden beams. The sounds of other staff members busily preparing breakfast for guests, the crackling of the firewood, and the collapsing snow from the eaves intertwined into a wondrous rhythm. As we descended the mountain, the outline of the homestay gradually faded into the swirling sea of clouds in the rearview mirror, while my phone's photo album held the true miracle: the warm imprint of human professionalism and restraint amidst the thin air and harsh cold. This day marked the 329th city I've "unlocked" since I started exploring China in 2020. It was also a short but memorable experience from the past five years. I will return again, and next time, I will record it with even greater care.