C1850 Heading to Ann's Village

At noon the following day, on the mountain road leading to Ann's Village on the western side of Quqing County, the sun beat down mercilessly on the barren landscape, intensifying the heat that hung in the air. A sleek silver-white sports car, Ye Hong's Night Duke, wound its way up the serpentine path.

Motorcycles were a common sight along this route, but cars were a rarity. The motorcyclists