What if I become an elf?

"Crack!"

The rusty metal shovel was inserted deeply into the soft sand.

A sharp lift!

The dark yellow gravel and dust turned up, leaving a medium-sized hole on the ground.

As if he was dissatisfied that the hole dug by the shovel was not big enough, a pair of skinny hands, as dry and wrinkled as tree branches, directly dug in and took out several piles of loess.

This is a skinny old man with white eyebrows and gray face.

He is thin and has a hunched back. A sparse and withered white hair is dotted on the top of his head. His dark cheeks are sunken, his forehead is full of deep wrinkles, and his tawny skin that has been exposed to the sun and wind is particularly noticeable. Rough and rough.

Obviously, the old man's physical condition is not good.

In stark contrast to this, were his twinkling dark eyes.

This is the external manifestation of a person with hope and firm faith.

"Crash..."

The soil was too soft, causing yellow sand to flow inward around the hole that the old man had just dug, and the hole would be filled again in the blink of an eye.

With quick eyes and quick hands, he skillfully bent down to grab a slender sapling from his feet and thrust it into the hole!

"laugh!"

The saplings were firmly planted in the sand.

The sun is scorching,

The old man raised his hand and wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.

"Cough! Cough!"

Suddenly, he bent down and coughed twice. His saliva was mixed with dazzling bloodshot streaks and splashed on the loess.

There was not much reaction, the old man had long been accustomed to it.

After breathing for a moment, he raised his head and looked ahead.

There, dozens of saplings that had been planted just a few days ago had been severely damaged by the howling wind and sand and could not survive.

There was a bit of distress and disappointment in his eyes.

These poplars are already the most drought-tolerant trees on the entire continent, but they still cannot survive in this extremely harsh environment.

One plant dies, one plant dies.

The old man gritted his teeth, his thin body trembling slightly, and extremely exciting emotions lingered in his chest.

Holding the old shovel handle with both hands,

a long time,

He took a long breath and gradually calmed down.

His eyes became firm again, and he didn't say anything. He just silently raised the shovel again and thrust it into the open space ahead.

The scorching sun was shining high, and its blazing light spread all over the sky.

On the endless desolate desert, the old man's figure is so small and fragile.

……

"Ding!"

The metal shovel collided with some hard object, making a crisp sound.

The ensuing vibration made the old man's arm numb slightly, and he almost couldn't hold the wooden handle.

"Did you find any rocks?"

He frowned slightly and looked downward.

I saw a dim green light flashing at the corner of the pothole.

"Oh?"

He looked a little surprised.

He threw the shovel aside casually, bent down and leaned forward.

The fingertips lightly touched the dark green stone, and a warm feeling that was different from sand came from the fingertips.

He rubbed his hands on the surface of the stone, skimming off the yellow sand around it.

Lift it hard!

The whole stone was lifted up by him.

This is an oval stone about the size of two palms, with a dull gray-green color as a whole. Some irregular dark patchy patterns can be vaguely seen through the mud attached to its surface.

"Elf eggs?"

The old man looked at the round stone and murmured.

"It has been weathered like this, and it must have been buried in the soil for decades."

"Maybe he's older than me."

He looked at the elf egg repeatedly and grinned.

"It's a pity, otherwise I could try to be a master trainer."

After thinking about it, the old man used his hands hard and was about to throw the lifeless elf egg aside.

Suddenly, for some unknown reason, he suddenly stopped.

By a strange combination of circumstances, he bent down and picked up the shabby cloth bag placed aside, and gently put the elf egg into it.

"I really saw a ghost..."

He muttered.

……

Under the scorching sun, time passed extremely slowly.

It wasn't until the old man had almost planted a large cluster of saplings behind him that the sky became a little dark.

He raised his head and looked into the distance.

The setting sun, as desolate and dim as blood, blurred and distorted the air, falling on the edge of the sky.

The golden afterglow shone slantingly on the endless desert, and the eyes were filled with clear gold, which looked extremely magnificent and majestic.

But the old man didn't show any nostalgia.

I picked up my bag and carried the remaining rattle-leaf poplar saplings on the ground, then turned around and started walking.

Having lived here for more than 70 years, he knows how dangerous the desert is after nightfall.

The temperature is so different from daytime that it can freeze any unprepared human being into a popsicle.

Not to mention those terrifying creatures that are only active at night.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but speed up his pace.

"I didn't pay attention to the time today. It's a bit late. You have to hurry up!"

Different from the slowness and difficulty during the day,

Approaching the desert of Pangwanshi, time seems to change extremely quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the dim sunset almost completely fell from the skyline, leaving only a faint rim of light, emitting a weak and feeble light.

Fortunately, the old man was not far from his destination.

After only walking for about 10 minutes, I rushed back before night completely enveloped the land.

This is a very small, very shabby village.

Inside, there are simple huts built of bricks and wooden boards.

Due to the flying dust and the occasional sandstorms, the surfaces of these huts are almost covered with a thick layer of yellow sand, like fine sculptures made of sand.

"Lao Lu, are you back?"

The old man, also known as "Old Lu", Lu Hongtai, nodded after hearing this.

"Yeah, it's a little late today."

He responded in a hoarse voice.

The speaker was a middle-aged bald man with a dejected face.

He is the mayor of this small village.

Seeing the saplings carried behind Lao Lu, a complicated look flashed in the village chief's eyes.

Hesitantly, he took a few steps forward and got closer to Lao Lu.

With some expectation, the village chief slowly said:

"Lao Lu, tomorrow is the last bus. Are you... really not coming with us?"

Lu Hongtai did not stop, but silently shook his head.

"But then, you will be the only one left in the village. How could you..." The village chief chased after him, looking anxious.

Before he could finish speaking, Lao Lu suddenly stopped.

Turning around, he stared at the other party with dark eyes.

As if seeing the firmness and determination in his eyes, the village chief stopped trying to persuade him.

He just put his hands on his hips and sighed helplessly and regretfully.

"Ugh……"