This shout, as though it had grown wings, rapidly spread from the rear to the front. The entire troop was instantly fired up, the enthusiasm of the soldiers rapidly ignited. Everyone excitedly hugged each other, cheers rising and falling, filling their hearts with surprise and excitement. Even the cruel sea of death did not seem so frightening.
"General, the porridge is here — —" Xu Zhen ran all the way, his face flushed with excitement. He held a wooden bowl in his hand, and inside it was steaming hot porridge. Underneath the steaming clear soup, there were a few grains of rice and highland barley.
These rations had been kept for the sake of the injured Li Wuling, even though they had been traveling light and sparsely. And cooking porridge in the desert where a drop of water was as precious as gold was an extremely extravagant thing. In order to save Li Wuling, the five thousand soldiers did not complain, scrambling to offer up the precious water in the water pouch.
The Turkic girl sat on the carriage, watching such a scene, could not help but frown, her eyes blank. This kind of mutual help and love, in the eyes of the Turks who worshipped the nature of wolves and believed in the law of the jungle, was almost unimaginable.
Lin Wanrong and old Gao worked together to support Li Wuling, while Xu Zhen blew on the boiling hot porridge until it was cold, before carefully sending it into Li Wuling's mouth.
As the hot porridge entered his throat, Li Wuling recovered some strength. He chewed a few times, swallowed, and finally drew a long breath, slowly opening his eyes.
"Little Li, how are you?!" Seeing him open his eyes again, Hu Bugui could not contain his joy, wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, and asked joyfully.
Li Wuling's lips were pale, but his sallow cheeks revealed a long-lost smile, weakly saying, "Brother Hu, brother Gao, I'm not dead?!"
"No, no, how could you die? No, how could you die? You haven't married yet. No one can take your life, hahahaha — — "Old Gao opened his mouth and laughed heartily. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Li Wuling grunted, softly saying, "I'm fine, brother Lin, brother Gao, brother Hu, how are you?!"
"Good, good," Lin Wanrong smiled and patted his head. "We all eat and sleep, and are living a happy life. After you've fully recovered in two days, us brothers and Xu Zhen will be able to help you. We will take you on horseback, to see Lop Nor, to tour Mount Tianshan, to do some world-shaking things. What do you say? "
"Alright," Xiao Li-zi's face lit up with excitement. "I love doing great things with Big Brother Lin. He didn't know if he had taken advantage of her. But I can guarantee that I won't be at a disadvantage. That's what my Aunt Xu said! "
Did Miss Xu say that? Why did she have to tell Little Li about this? Isn't this destroying my reputation? Lin Wanrong broke out in a cold sweat. Everyone looked at each other. They couldn't help but laugh out loud. The happy mood spread in everyone's heart.
Li Wuling woke up, and the heavy stone in Lin Wanrong's heart was finally lifted. The soldiers who had been marching continuously and facing this sea of death were swept away. Everyone was in high spirits and their morale soared. Li Wuling's awakening at this critical juncture was like a shot in the arm for them. Everyone was full of enthusiasm. His confidence to walk out of the Sea of Death was at an all-time high.
Little Li had been asleep for many days. His body was weak. After drinking a few mouthfuls of porridge and saying a few words, his eyelids were heavy and he fell asleep again. The deep sleep at this time was a self-reaction of the body's mechanism. It was a sign of gradual improvement. Although he had not fully recovered, it was only a matter of time.
Lin Wanrong and Old Hu carefully moved him onto the carriage. Gao Qiu then carefully examined his injuries and listened to his pulse and heartbeat. Finally, he beamed with joy and said with emotion, "As long as you recuperate well, within three to four days, Xiao Li-zi will be able to walk. Sigh, although I don't like the Turks, I have to say that this Yueya Er is really capable. Previously, she pulled Xiao Li-zi back from the gates of hell. That was already miraculous. This time, she said that Xiao Li-zi would wake up in three days and he really woke up. I can't help but be impressed! "
Old Gao was a quack doctor. Although he was not good at treating illnesses, he was still a martial arts expert. He said that Li Wuling would be able to walk in three to four days, so he should not be wrong.
Hu Bugui also nodded, "Just based on medical skills, this Turk girl is indeed skilled. Moreover, she saved Xiao Li-zi's life. I, Old Hu, am also very impressed."
Hearing them talk about Yujia, Lin Wanrong then noticed that ever since Li Wuling woke up, everyone was cheering and their eyes were all on Xiao Li-zi, ignoring the Turk girl. Just now, before they rescued him, she was still in the carriage. But now, she was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, this was the vast desert of the Sea of Death. No one was worried that she would escape.
After settling Li Wuling down, the few of them jumped down from the carriage. The setting sun shone on the yellow sand. In the twilight of Lop Nor, it was a rare sight to see a gentle face. The wind and sand gently blew against Qiaoqiao's cheeks. It was like the soft hands of a young girl. The horizon in the distance shone with a golden radiance.
Taking advantage of the time when Li Wuling woke up and everyone was resting, Lin Wanrong checked the supplies again. If there were no accidents, they could barely last for another four to five days.
He walked from the front to the back of the group and was about to turn back. Suddenly, he heard a long and drawn-out music drifting by. It seemed to be resentful, mournful, lingering and unforgettable.
On a sand dune in the distance, the setting sun slowly set. It was like a round red basin, cutting into the flat surface of the ground. A graceful figure quietly stood there. That graceful figure, in the bright red setting sun, outlined a faint black shadow, as if it was a watercolor painting.
The yellow sand fluttered against the hem of her dress. She quietly gazed into the distance, as quiet as a grain of sand in the desert.
"Withered vines, old trees, dusky crows, small bridges, flowing water, old roads, west wind, thin horses. As the sun sets in the west, the heartbroken man is at the end of the world — good poem, good poem! "
A noisy voice came from behind, accompanied by a few frivolous high-fives. The Turkic girl put down the jade reed and a faint smile appeared on her lips. She lightly snorted: "As expected of a dusky crow. At least you have some self-awareness."
Lin Wanrong laughed dryly. He scuttled up the sand dune and stood beside her: "The divine doctor is really in a good mood. In this vast desert, you still have the mood to look at the setting sun and appreciate the jade reed. This boorish man really admires you."
"Boorish man?! Old Wo, it's rare for you to be humble. "The Turkic girl coldly mocked.
"Is being a boorish man meant to be humble?" Lin Wanrong was shocked: "That's because they have no taste. I've been a boorish man for a long time. I can't be meticulous even if I wanted to!"
The man's lips curled into a faint smile. Yu Jia had seen him for a long time and had some understanding of his temperament. Whenever the bandit saw this smile, he would think that he was up to no good. The girl softly spat and put the small jade reed back into her bosom.
"This, for you!" Lin Wanrong took out the golden knife and handed it to Yu Jia.
It was rare for a bandit to be so generous. Looking at the shining golden knife, the Turkic girl hesitated for a moment.
"You, are you really going to return it to me?" Her face was full of doubt.
"Of course. Did you think that my nickname of 'Honest Little Husband' was just for show?" Lin Wanrong looked at her with dissatisfaction: "This knife is on me. Other than trimming my nails, it's really useless. I said I'm returning it to you, so I'm really returning it to you. You don't have to be too touched. This is what you deserve. "
What am I touched about? Yu Jia glared at him a few times. Listening to his first sentence, there was some sincerity, but the second sentence was truly showing off after getting a bargain.
Yu Jia hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and tightly gripped the golden knife. She lightly pulled it twice. For some reason, the golden knife didn't move at all. She pulled it twice more, but it was still the same.
"Why are you holding it so tightly — let go!" The girl angrily shouted, her face bright red.
"Oh, I thought you didn't want it anymore!" Lin Wanrong giggled and loosened her hands naturally. "Doctor, why are you so concerned about this knife? Could it be that there's some secret hidden in it?"
Yu Jia's expression became angry. She shoved the golden knife back into his hands: "What secret? Take it back and take a good look! "
"Are you giving me the golden knife?" Lin Wanrong laughed loudly. He reached out to touch the knife: "Then I won't refuse. Ai, to be honest, I don't really like playing with knives! "
"Who gave it to you? Give it back to me!" Yu Jia yelled and snatched the golden blade back. Her beautiful eyes were slightly red, but her face was filled with anger.
Lin Wanrong stared at the knife in Yu Jia's hand and smiled: "That is a different matter. I will return the knife to you. However, I am still very grateful for Miss Yu Jia's kindness."
Yu Jia's expression turned cold, and her face turned frosty: "What are you thanking me for? Don't forget, the one who shot your brother was also a Tu Jue. You killed my people, and we Turks killed your people. Our two races have always been incompatible like fire and water. If you didn't offer something in exchange, do you think I would save an enemy of my people?! "
"Enemy? Miss Yu Jia has spoken well, "Lin Wanrong chuckled and unhurriedly said:" With Miss Yu Jia's erudition, I would like to ask, just what kind of enmity does my Great Hua have with your Turks? Who was it that turned us into mortal enemies? "
His disdainful sneer fell into the eyes of the Tu Jue girl, and she felt that it was full of mockery. But she could not answer this question because the truth was right there. The first to invade China was her ancestors. She gritted her teeth and avoided his gaze: "Don't ask me, I don't know."
Lin Wanrong laughed coldly: "Miss Yu Jia, you have to speak with your conscience. What did your people, what did your ancestors do? How can someone as knowledgeable as you not know?! I think you have selective memory loss. "
"Who are you to care?!" Yu Jia was like an enraged leopard, she gritted her teeth and snorted.
Reasoning with a woman was as difficult as touching the stars in the sky. Lin Wanrong sighed. "Humans are extremely insignificant. We are in the game of history, and all we see is a life and death struggle, and water and fire are incompatible. But who would have thought that a few hundred years later, the two races that were once mortal enemies would live in harmony and prosper together? Compared to the long river of history, we who consider ourselves grand are just a speck of dust. No matter how you jump, no matter how you believe yourself infallible, in the end, you will be buried by history. I am like this, and Miss Yu Jia, you will not be an exception. "
Each of his words came from the bottom of his heart, and even Yu Jia could feel the sincerity and helplessness in this bandit's heart.
It was very rare for him to act like this. The Tu Jue girl was dazed, softly muttering to herself, "Live in harmony and prosper together? Is that possible? "
"The merging of races is the trend of the times. Just like the white bones we see on the Silk Road, the lovers who have lived and died together, is it important who is a Chinese and who is a Turk? Aren't they still helping each other through the difficulties? "
Yu Jia thought. Strangely, she did not argue.
"Several hundred years from now, there will be no more boundaries between the Helan Mountains. The steppe and the interior will become one family, and all the races will live in harmony. There will be me in you, and you in me, and it will be impossible to tell each other apart!"
Yu Jia seemed to be thinking of something and couldn't help but lightly spit, her face red. "What do you mean 'there will be me in you, and you in me'? You bandit, you're too shameless!"
Lin Wanrong was dumbstruck. You call this shameless? The heavens have taken pity on me, you're the one who's thinking wrong. I'm a pure person, and I don't have the slightest intention of profaning you. This Tu Jue girl was truly shrewish, daring to think of anything!
"What are you glaring at me for? That's something that will happen several hundred years from now. How do you know? "The girl snorted with a red face, seemingly a little embarrassed.
If I don't glare at you, should I glare at myself? Lin Wanrong blinked and smiled. "Did you forget that I know how to read the stars and read palms? It can be said that I know five hundred years in the past and five hundred years in the future. I've only told you this enormous secret, so don't tell anyone else! "
Seeing his sneaky look, Yu Jia wanted to laugh, but she held it back. "You've said so much. What do you mean by mixing the races and living in harmony? Don't forget that our two countries are at war right now. If I ask you to give up on attacking my people, will you do it?! "
Yu Jia was indeed a woman with her own thoughts, and this question stunned Lin Wanrong. He thought for a long time and shook his head silently. Living in harmony was only a question in the future, and they still had to fight this war. Only when they felt pain and fear would they be able to calm down and think about the future.
Yu Jia looked at his expression and knew what he was thinking. She couldn't help but snort. "You brag so much, but in your heart, aren't you thinking the same thing?! Despicable! "
When people were in the game of history, they really couldn't control themselves! Lin Wanrong sighed helplessly. He took off the water bag from his waist and stuffed it into Yu Jia's hand. "Talking about these things is such a headache. Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. This water bag, I'll give it back to you! "
"What are you doing?" Yu Jia was angry and waved her hand. "I don't want something you dirtied!"
Lin Wanrong said seriously, "I swear on my honor, I didn't touch this water!"
"Why didn't you touch it?!" The girl gritted her teeth. "We Turks will never take back what we give away. This is what I'm returning to you. It belongs to you. If you don't like it, then pour it into the desert. "
Only an idiot would pour water into the desert. Seeing Yu Jia stubbornly turn her head away, Lin Wanrong didn't know what to say. They were enemies now, so why were they fighting each other over this water bag? Thinking about this, Lin Wanrong felt strange.
The two argued and argued for a while, but no one could convince the other, so they quieted down.
Yellow sand and red women, the setting sun like blood, this scene was very special. Yu Jia quietly looked into the distance and suddenly exclaimed, "What, what is that?"
Lin Wanrong grunted and looked up. In the distance, on the horizon, shrouded in clouds, slowly, magically, a green forest jumped out. In the forest, there was a grand city with a flag fluttering high. Countless platforms, city gates, carriages and horses, crowns and canopies, all of them were clearly visible. Around the city, a clear river slowly flowed. Herds of horses, cows, and sheep were leisurely grazing. Joyful young men and women were running and singing.
The city that suddenly appeared on the horizon was like a market in the sky, clearly visible as if it was right in front of them. Especially the flowing river, to the people in the desert, it was an endless temptation. Not only Lin Wanrong and Yu Jia, all the soldiers were dumbfounded.
"Where, where is this, is this heaven?!" Yu Jia was intoxicated and mumbled to himself.
Heaven?! A light flashed in Lin Wanrong's head. He jumped up and laughed, "I know, Fata Morgana, this is Fata Morgana!"
"Fata Morgana?!" Yu Jia slightly frowned and looked at him with longing, "What is Fata Morgana?"
This girl grew up on the grassland and had never seen Fata Morgana. What a pity. Lin Wanrong smiled, "There is a poem that says, 'By the sea, Fata Morgana looks like a tower, and Qi Morgana becomes a palace.' The so-called Fata Morgana is actually the sunlight refracting the scenery on the ground and projecting it to the sky far away. That is why we can see markets, cities, mountains, rivers, and people. They are all moving and running, and they look so real. Hou is an ancient flood dragon in China. Legend has it that it can breathe out and create a city. That is why this is called Fata Morgana. "
Fata Morgana, as the name suggested, mainly appeared on the surface of the sea. It would occasionally appear in the desert, but not often. It was understandable that Yu Jia had never seen it before.
Yu Jia hummed and said, "Fata Morgana. This name is very unique. It doesn't seem to be made up. Bandit, you have never been to the desert before. How would you know the origin of Fata Morgana?! "
"Because I am diligent. I read a lot of books. "Lin Wanrong lied without blinking.
"I don't believe you!" Yu Jia laughed. She looked at the scenery in the distance. Her eyes brightened, "There are markets in the sky too, and they are called Fata Morgana! It would be great if I could go and take a look! "
Take a look my ass. The real thing in Fata Morgana is at least a thousand miles away. Where would you go to find it? Lin Wanrong smiled, "Forget it. Maybe our situation is also reflected in the sky. We might become a Fata Morgana in the eyes of people far away!"
"Really? We are also Fata Morgana?! "Yu Jia was overjoyed. She turned around and looked at him. Her eyes were full of joy and longing.
Women are the easiest animals in the world to please! Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "It shouldn't be fake. When you look at the scenery on the bridge, the people who look at the scenery are looking at you from above. Isn't that the reason? "
The Turkic girl looked at him. She lowered her head. She said softly, "Wo Laoshi. You don't look like you have studied much. How can you speak so eloquently?! "
I didn't study?! Which eye of yours saw that? I read the picture book that Gao Qiu gave me every day! Lin Wanrong laughed and said with a fake smile, "'Women are afraid of gangsters with culture'! Miss Yu Jia, be careful! "
The girl was startled. She suddenly giggled, "If all the gangsters in the world are as good as you, then we women don't need to be afraid!"
This was contempt, blatant contempt. Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth in anger! Yu Jia shook her head. She sighed, "I didn't expect there to be such a strange scene in the Sea of Death. Others are the mirage in our eyes, and we are the mirage of others. Wo Laoshi. This sentence of yours has described all the phenomena in the world. "
Do I really have such a deep meaning? Lin Wanrong found it strange and laughed!
When the soldiers saw the mirage, they clicked their tongues in wonder. When they thought of Li Wu Ling's awakening, there was a rumor that it was an auspicious sign from the heavens.
After a while, the street in the sky gradually dispersed, and the mirage finally turned into a wisp of mist, never to return. Yu Jia was stunned. She murmured, "A mirage is just a dream. It's all fake!"
The smoke dispersed, and the sandstorm became stronger. The sand and stones hit their faces. The Sea of Death seemed to be angry, and the wind howled. At the place where the mirage had disappeared, a dark yellow cloud floated. It was approaching rapidly from afar, and its angry roars could already be heard in his ears.
"What is this?!" Lin Wanrong asked curiously.
Yu Jia took a closer look, and her face suddenly turned pale. "It's the desert storm!!"
In the blink of an eye, as soon as she finished speaking, the Sea of Death, which had been gentle just a moment ago, suddenly changed its expression. Sand and pebbles flew everywhere, and a strong gust of wind blew. The yellow cloud, with a whistling sound, instantly rushed over. Heaven and earth turned yellow, and it was impossible to see the other party's face from a distance of several feet.
"The storm is coming, the storm is coming. Everyone, squat down, hold hands, and rely on each other — —" Hu Bugui, who was the most experienced in the desert, shouted with all his strength against the wind. Gao Qiu and Xu Zhen had already lifted Li Wu Ling off the carriage, and used their bodies to cover him.
They had experienced several desert storms in the past few days, but the momentum and scale were incomparable to this one.
The whistling wind roared in their ears, and the rapidly approaching yellow cloud gradually revealed its ferocious face. The yellow sand that stretched as far as the eye could see danced in the air. It was like a huge spinning top, roaring as it rushed forward. As it moved forward, it continued to spin at high speed, blowing up sand and stones like a sharp blade.
The sand dune under their feet stirred, as if it wanted to fly into the sky. They could no longer stand, and the sand on their faces choked in their mouths and noses, making it hard for them to breathe.
"Go!" Lin Wanrong yelled, pulled Yu Jia, and turned to run down the sand dune. The whistling wind sounded behind them, as if there was a weight of ten thousand kilograms. The two ran with all their might, and the wind rotated, but their feet became lighter and lighter, as if they were about to leave the ground.
Before they could run more than a few steps, the sand dune behind them rumbled. It was lifted up by the sandstorm. It flew into the sky with a huge vortex, and mixed with the madly dancing sand, forming an even bigger and more violent storm. It leapt towards them.
"Squat down, quickly squat down!" In the raging wind, Lin Wanrong could not even hear his own voice. Every time he opened his mouth. A huge sandstorm poured into his throat, causing him to cough and pant. He grabbed Yu Jia's hand tightly, and used all his strength to shout.
The Turkic girl seemed to hear his shout. She suddenly bent her legs, grabbed him with her hands, and brought him to squat down.
The sandstorm behind them spun, whistling, and with a force that could uproot them, it spun around them. Lin Wanrong only felt that her body was light as a feather. His body that weighed one hundred and fifty kilograms seemed like it was about to fly into the sky, and become a grain of sand in the desert.
Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth. Once he was sucked into the sky. It would be like entering a blender, and what awaited him, would be a broken body! He roared, and his feet sank into the sand, increasing the friction, and preventing his body from spinning into the sky.
"Ugh —" A muffled sound in the wind. It was soft, but Lin Wanrong heard it clearly.
It was Yu Jia!!
He quickly grabbed the girl's hand, and forced his eyes open in the sandstorm. He saw that the Turkic girl's body was like a willow that had fallen to the side. Her legs swayed in the wind. She was about to be sucked into the sky. But her face was stubborn, and even in death, she refused to ask for help!
This stubborn woman! Lin Wanrong was so angry that he roared. His legs kicked fiercely, and with a wave of his long arms, he pulled her tightly into his embrace.
Yu Jia's body trembled, but she did not care about life or death. Like an untamable wild horse, she struggled fiercely in his embrace.
"What are you doing? Do you want to die? " Lin Wanrong was furious, and he used all his strength to roar in her ears. In the biting sandstorm, he was like a terrifying wolf.
Yu Jia's body froze, and she struggled to open her eyes to look at him. The way this bandit roared was like an enraged god. The Turkic girl's eyes flashed with thousands of colors, and it was extremely complicated.
Seeing that she was no longer struggling. Only then did Lin Wanrong sigh in relief. This Turkic girl was even wilder than a leopard. If he didn't do something vicious, he really wouldn't be able to control her.
In the fierce winds, the two embraced each other, the wind howling in their ears as their bodies bobbed up and down like a small boat on the waves of the ocean.
There was a hissing sound. The robe on Lin Wanrong's back had been torn by a rock, and in the sandstorm, the robe was torn apart and sent flying into the sky.
"Water pouch!" Yu Jia opened her arms and shouted. She curled up in Lin Wanrong's embrace and could clearly see the water bag hanging on Lin Wanrong's waist. Together with the torn robe, it danced and spun in the wind and landed a few feet away from her.
Water was life! Lin Wanrong's heart ached, but he couldn't worry about such things. If the water was gone, he could find more. If the person was gone, everything would truly be for naught.
Before he could finish his thoughts, he felt the weight on his chest lighten. Yu Jia had shot out like an agile leopard, heading straight for the water pouch.
The strong wind whistled, swirling around her body, wanting to lift her up. The Turkic girl threw herself to the ground and reached out with her hand.
Her body was against the wind, and her fingers were only a few inches from the water pouch, but she couldn't touch it. The girl bit her lips so hard that they bled, and her legs fiercely pushed forward. The fierce winds slowly lifted her up, and the water pouch continued to spin. Her fingers were always just a few centimeters from the water pouch, but it was difficult to get any closer.
Just as the winds were about to blow her away, Yu Jia closed her eyes, two drops of tears rolling down her cheeks. Just when she was about to let go of her bosom and go with the wind, she felt her body being pulled back.
A roaring voice resounded in her ear, "Stupid woman, do you not want your life?!"
Tears streaming down the Turkic girl's face, she quickly grabbed the water pouch and tightly hugged it to her chest.
Lin Wanrong's face was covered in dust, and his feet were in the sand as he crouched down and hugged Yue-er's body. At this critical moment, he had rushed over without regard for his life, but he could not suppress the rage in his heart. "Just what do you want? Even if you don't want to live, I still want to live! You're really going to anger me to death! "
"Nothing," the girl roared, her voice several times louder than his, like an angry leopard. "The water I'm giving you can't be missing a single drop. Do you understand? Just like that!! "
After saying this, she tightly hugged the water pouch and burrowed into Lin Wanrong's embrace, burying her head in his chest and refusing to move!
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