Slowly, night fell. It was not that dark in the desert, as the bright stars illuminated the reflective sand and they could see each other’s faces. So they pressed on until it was about half past ten. Then, they set up tents, lit the firewood which they had prepared in advance and sat down for some food and water. Since it was too dry in the desert, they didn’t have much of an appetite and only wanted water. But they needed to save some water for the rest of the journey.
They made a circle. Sitting next to Xiao Baozhu, Ye Xiaoxian began observing her companions as usual. She was used to taking care of everyone. Somehow, she felt that Ji’s expression was strange. While she was looking at him, he was also surveying her with a trace of greed showing in his eyes. But he looked away immediately. Ye Xiaoxian didn’t know what he was thinking about. According to Tarico, Ji was familiar with the desert and his guidance was essential, so they needed to trust him for the time being.
That night, four of the men were responsible for keeping watch. Wong Wen and Xiao Tieshu kept a vigil before midnight, and Wong Wu and Tarico after that. The others could then have a sound sleep.
Ye Xiaoxian and Xiao Baozhu shared one tent. They lay close to each other because of the cold. Besides, the desert appeared so boundless and mysterious that they felt something was watching them from above. It might be a god, a spirit or something unknown in the desert.
Ye Xiaoxian thought of a TV show about riddles, from which she heard that an ancient city or a tomb was discovered in the desert and that some disappeared in the desert never to be found anywhere, but, after some time, a corpse would turn up. It was also said that the sand dunes would change position at night and trap people.
Ye Xiaoxian wanted to tell these stories to Xiao Baozhu, but she didn’t want to scare her. As such, she could only keep them to herself. Gradually, she drifted off into a light sleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was dawn. They kept on going.
…
Although it was hard going, nothing that Ye Xiaoxian had been worrying about appeared. Although the desert seemed the same everywhere, she had a keen eye for the ripples of sand which could help her distinguish the leeward and windward directions. Occasionally, she saw green plants under which they could find some water, so long as they dug deep.
She had also noticed that Ji often looked up at the sky in the evenings. The pole star and a few constellations were relatively fixed in position, which, according to the textbooks, could guide people in wildness. Still, it was easier to tell the direction in the daytime. The sun was the best guide. She also discovered the rules of the sand. The windward facing sand was more compressed and hard while the leeward sand was softer, and camels’ feet would sink deeper into it. Usually, Ji would take them on a detour around the leeward-facing areas.
If there was a sand dune ahead, they usually had to bypass it. If they stepped on the dune, they might sink easily. To confirm her judgment, she consulted Ji during a rest stop, but he ignored her coldly. This was understandable. After all, it was his precious experience. Why should he tell her? If she mastered the skills, they wouldn’t need his guidance next time. So, she gave up asking Ji and decided to observe by herself.
…
After 17 days, they finally reached Beihui city. It was very close to the capital. They made it their destination because the trading agent to whom Li Chengru had introduced them was also there. Wong Wen and Wong Wu knew the boss of the trading agent and they called him Mr. Cai. Learning that they were Li Chengru’s friends, Mr. Cai appeared more than hospitable. He provided them with stools and water and asked his men to unload the goods. His men were very careful when unloading. They almost took all of the team’s goods as well as Ji’s.
While the others were exhausted, Ji was still energetic. During the rest time, he went to cotton up to Mr. Cai. Since Ji was with the team, Mr. Cai also responded to him enthusiastically.
At that moment, Ye Xiaoxian was very tired and was in no mood for other things. She only wanted water to quench her thirst and a good meal to satisfy her stomach. Being close to the capital, this place was far more prosperous than Qinghe county. There were many snacks from different places, including wontons, dumplings and various southern pastries. Ye Xiaoxian treated everyone to a bowl of wontons. After many days of cold naans, their stomachs were finally warmed by the delicious meat and sweet soup.
That night, they stayed at an inn arranged by Mr. Cai. Each room could fit two people. Ye Xiaoxian felt excited about coming back to the Central Plains and was amazed by the prosperity here. So she went to visit the night market with Xiao Baozhu to buy some presents for other family members.
Since Xiao Baozhu had arrived here, she had been exclaiming, “Sister Ye, I didn’t expect that Beihui would be such a large city. So many people come out at night and they have so many more goods than in our hometown.”
Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “If you keep doing business with me, I can take you to the capital one day. It’s even more prosperous there. Perhaps you will be reluctant to go back by then.”
“Okay! I’ll work hard to see the world with you. Oh yes, I’ll take mom and Baofeng with me when that day comes!” Xiao Baozhu said.
But then, she asked, “Sister Ye, will you marry? If you get married, I won’t be able to be so close to you anymore.”
“I have no interest in that,” Ye Xiaoxian replied. “Why bother to marry? Once married, I will be busy doing housework and taking care of children and won’t have time to earn money. Besides, I can’t find a better man than your brother.”
When she mentioned Xiao Baoshan, her voice became very low. Lately, she had carefully analyzed everything about him. He was so honest, upright and brilliant as a great general. When with her, he had been an exceptionally considerate husband. The letter of divorce had been written to protect her. The more she thought about it, the more she missed him. But sadly, it was too late for her to realize this. He had left her so fast that she hadn’t felt enough of his love.
While she was down, someone patted her on the shoulder. “You’re here!”
She turned around and saw Tarico standing behind her joyfully.
“Why are you here?” she asked in surprise as she placed an agate necklace back down on the stall.
“I heard that you were here, so I also came out to have a look. You know, I happen to be free.” He replied as he spotted the agate necklace.
