paddock

When we arrived at the place where the locals regard Haizi as the "god of heaven", the accompanying local guide asked us to temporarily camp nearby.Before entering the desert, they have to perform corresponding rituals.

The ceremony was somewhat complicated, and Yuan Ning knew nothing about it, so he could only watch with Ai Yan and the others.After the preparations were complete, the leading guide took out a banner, on which was a picture of a single tree without leaves, and the bare branches bent into strange shapes, which looked strangely beautiful.

Drums, mallets, and sticks are indispensable for Changcang people to hold sacrificial ceremonies. In the vast yellow sand and beside the green water, the desolate and distant drums sounded loudly, as if tearing the eternal silence in the wind and sand.The locals sing the ancient summoning tune in their unique language. Others cannot understand the meaning of the calling tune, but for them it is full of strong feelings passed down from generation to generation.

Pray, invite the gods, offer sacrifices to the gods, descend to the gods, send the gods off, and invite blessings.

A series of ceremonies were complicated and lengthy, but Yuan Ning and his party did not disturb them.There are some things they may not understand, but respect.

Compared with Ai Yan and the others, Yuan Ning's feelings are deeper.For the first time, he saw those light spots that only appeared on the Lingquan side floating in reality.

Those spots of light rose and fell with the wind, and finally gathered on the huge reef and fell into the hundreds of springs.Clear springs are still gurgling out of the springs, and the swirling spring water surges rhythmically like the pulse of this land.

Is this the reason why these springs have not been cut off after thousands of years?Yuan Ning restrained his mind and took back his gaze from the spring.

This kind of ceremony may not be that important. What is important is that these local guides are in awe of the desert and grateful for nature. This kind of awe and gratitude has been passed down from generation to generation, making them cautious and vigilant when traveling, so Nature can avoid distress and return safely.

The beliefs of the people after returning have become more firm, telling the younger generation after generation to do so, which makes this praying process a real "ritual".

After the local guide finished the ceremony, everyone enjoyed a rich meal together.

Eat and drink enough and start moving forward.

Yuan Ning has never really been to the desert. When he was really surrounded by golden sand dunes and looked around with golden sand everywhere, he felt how insignificant human existence is.He didn't fall behind, and followed the experienced Ai Yan and others.

Professor Qin and Sima Hong were very determined, holding a locator and discussing together, trying to find something based on the archaeological discoveries over the years and the records in ancient books.The accompanying guide knew their purpose and was not very optimistic: "The sand dunes can walk, and they can bury everything. Even if there was something here thousands of years ago, after so many years, the things underneath can't be dug out."

Sima Hong and Professor Qin looked at each other and sighed.They also know this.Desert archeology generally exposes the relics buried under the yellow sand due to wind force, sand dune displacement and other reasons.

A guide next to him with an old cigarette in his mouth said, "I do know a place that fits what you said. Walk forward for four or five hours, and you can see the remains of a river. I didn't see it when I went there a few years ago. I've talked to people, and they all say it's new, so it's just emerging. If it wasn't buried when we went over, you might be able to find something."

Ai Yan said, "Uncle Ao Deng, is what you said true?"

The wrinkle on the face of the guide whom Ai Yan called "Ao Deng" moved, glanced at Ai Yan, and said: "I also want to know its secret."

Seeing that Uncle Ao Deng was about to light his cigarette, Ai Yan gently persuaded him: "Uncle Ao Deng, since you are about to set off, you should stop smoking, as this is not good for your lungs." Smoking, even the best lungs can't handle it.

Uncle Ao Deng didn't say anything more, but silently threw the cigarette away, crushing it into the sand with his feet.

Yuan Ning understood at a glance that many guides came for Ai Yan's face, and that Uncle Ao Deng was able to tell what he knew because Ai Yan was with them.The locals are prepared for outsiders and have a natural resistance. If they are unfamiliar with the place and come to track it down, it will definitely not be so smooth.

Yuan Ning was very interested in the desert, and followed closely beside Ai Yan and Uncle Ao Deng, listening to their chat about the desert.The journey was a bit long, and Professor Qin and Sima Hong couldn't keep up with their physical strength. They stopped and rested a few times on the way, walked and stopped, and passed through the vast sand sea in the bright autumn sun, and came to a long sand dune .

The sand dunes stretched far away in Yuan Ning's field of vision, as if trying to divide the vast desert into two halves.He trekked up the sand dunes with Uncle Alden, and it took a lot of effort to get up the sand dunes.On the sand dunes, the field of vision suddenly widened.Professor Qin and the others are still not following. Yuan Ning looked back and felt that Professor Qin and the others were as small as little ants.

Yuan Ning turned his gaze away and saw Uncle Ao Deng watching from a distance.Looking closely at Yuan Ning, he found that there was a centipede-like scar on Uncle Ao Deng's neck, extending from his ear to his chest, as if he was about to cut off his head.

Yuan Ning looked forward along Uncle Ao Deng's gaze, and saw a dry river lying in the distance, with no traces of human activities, nor the turbulent waters of the past.

Yuan Ning felt that the fish on the other side of Lingquan suddenly showed very intense emotions.He froze for a moment, and found that the originally clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds.It was clearly a bright autumn day, and the heat from the sand was uncomfortably dry, but the strong wind suddenly blew black clouds over.

Yuan Ning asked Uncle Ao Deng nervously: "Do you want to hide for a while?"

Uncle Ao Deng said: "Why hide, the rain won't come down."

Yuan Ning was a little puzzled.

Uncle Ao Deng said: "If the rain can fall, this place won't be a desert for so many years."

It's just that the sky is full of dark clouds, and you can still see lightning flashing across the sky. It's not good to stop on the sand dunes.Uncle Ao Deng led a group of people to walk quickly down the sand dunes and found a relatively safe place.

People who come to the desert for the first time can't help looking up at the wonders in the distance.

After the thunder, the rain began to float down, but there seemed to be a natural barrier above the desert. The rain had disappeared before it fell, and even the shadow could not be seen.Yuan Ning stood quietly on one side, trying to talk to Yu'er, but couldn't understand what Yu'er meant, and could only guess from Yu'er's emotions that there might really be a relic here.

It's just been so many years, is there anything else to be found here?

The dark clouds in the sky dissipated after a while, and the aura that covered the sky and the sun just now seemed to have never existed before, only a few residual clouds floated above the clear blue sky.

Yuan Ning followed Uncle Ao Deng to the side of the river, and Professor Qin and the others also took out various instruments and tools they brought, and started exploring in all directions around the river.Guided by the fish, Yuan Ning stopped in the middle of the river.

There are still traces of wind and sand raging in the dry river, and its original appearance cannot be seen.Yuan Ning squatted down and carefully brushed away the fine sand on the river, and after a while he saw a stone appearing in front of his eyes.There were some jade objects pressed under the stone, and Yuan Ning felt a tremor in his head when he touched it lightly.

Those jade fragments piled up scatteredly under the rocks disappeared from Yuan Ning's eyes in the blink of an eye.Yuan Ning could feel Yu'er's sadness, and he asked with concern: "Yu'er, are those your friends?"

"Yes, those are my friends." Yu'er's voice actually appeared in Yuan Ning's mind, "My friends from a long time ago. They want to rescue our best friends with others, but our best friends My friends did not come back to life, but the jade pendants they housed were shattered because of this. They had no shelter and died soon. I just got some memories of them, and I also remembered many things that I had forgotten."

It was just a very simple story. The hero and the emperor once called each other brothers, and even said that "the throne should be separated from you".

The difference is that the heroes have many adventures and extraordinary abilities, as if they were born to be different from ordinary people.He had never had power and status in his heart, and he didn't know that he would be feared because of it.

His abilities are too frightening, his popularity is too frightening, and everything he has shown has become the root cause of dissatisfaction and murderous intentions in the hearts of former best friends.

When he found that he had become an obstacle to the arrival of the peaceful and prosperous age, the hero died calmly, leaving only some rural anecdotes.

It is said that the jade pendant carrying the spiritual spring has the magical ability to raise the flesh and bones of the dead. The creatures who were once protected by him wanted to donate the jade pendant to resurrect him, but found that he had no intention of coming back to life.Lingpo has no intention of survival, even if the road to resurrection is in front of him, he will not take it.

Such a person, even if the records about him have not been erased from the history books, I am afraid it will attract countless doubts.Is there really such a person in the world?

Yuan Ning was just thinking about it, when Sima Hong's voice suddenly came from not far away: "It's here, it must be here! I can feel it, he must be here!"

Professor Qin advised Sima Hong to calm down.

Yuan Ning thought of the "phantom" who once taught him how to play chess. "Virtual Shadow" saw the current world through his eyes, and said goodbye to him with a smile.

The world is constantly changing, the dead are dead forever, the living will stride forward, and the new era will replace the old era.

Sometimes life and death will not be so important.

Forgotten and remembered also become less important.

Yuan Ning walked to Sima Hong's side, and echoed, "Yes, it's right here."

Sima Hong was just talking to himself like a demon, but after being affirmed by Yuan Ning, tears suddenly began to fall.He knelt down on the ground, kneeling on the yellow sand all over the ground, grasping the dry and fine sand.

"He's here." Sima Hong cried.

After thousands of years, the thing that has been dreamed by the soul for life and death has finally come true, which is considered a great thing.

At this time, the sky suddenly fell fine rain.

Instead of dissipating in mid-air, the rain fell to the dry sandy ground.The plants hidden in the desert have always been tenacious. If there is five or six rains a year, they will drill out of the ground immediately after the rain. The vitality is amazing.Yuan Ning looked up, and saw green shoots sticking out between the gravel and fine sand, fresh and tender green leaves swaying gently with the wind, as if greeting travelers in the desert.

Yuan Ning felt the sudden coolness, and subconsciously raised his head to look in Uncle Ao Deng's direction, but saw Uncle Ao Deng chasing a cloud in the sky.The rain stopped soon, and even their clothes were not wet. Bright light fell from the clouds, landed on the vast yellow sand, and also fell on the scar on Uncle Ao Deng's neck.Uncle Ao Deng suddenly took out an old cigarette and stood there alone to smoke.

A rainbow appeared near that cloud, and a faint seven-color rainbow bridge hung in the air, like a sigh after thousands of years.

Everyone has their own stories, and everyone has their own obsessions. What people pursue in this world is not just love or power.Maybe there will be a day in the future when things that I don't understand now will gradually become an indispensable part of my life, things that are not important now will become very important things, and things that I don't like now will become things that I like very much .

This is how people are constantly changing and chasing, so that life can become more complete and meaningful.

When Yuan Ning was about to embark on the return journey, Sima Hong was unwilling to leave.Sima Hong stayed until the second group of people arrived, and followed up the excavation of the ruins.Subsequent events Yuan Ning did not know until the end of the excavation that there was indeed a huge tomb site near the river bed, and the owner of the tomb was indeed the person Sima Hong had been obsessed with all his life.Those stories that were lost in the torrent of history have been rediscovered with the unearthed huge cultural relics, showing a brilliant unknown civilization.

In the spring of the following year, Professor Qin and Sima Hong boarded the "Lecture Hall of History" and used cultural relics to tell the story about that person.Compared with the famous historical figures, such a mysterious figure has aroused the interest of many people. For a while, there are people who believe, question, like, and dislike. But even if they doubt, they just doubt some deeds. Should it be placed on this person's head, instead of doubting whether this person really exists.

Yuan Ning did not participate in the recording of this program.

Spring is a busy season, and he went back to Central China to prepare for a party.The purpose of this gathering was originally very simple, that is, Luo Yuanliang brought Nuo Min back to the Yunshan Ranch, and met the old carpenter Tan who taught Luo Yuanliang the carving skills, oh, and Uncle Cheng.Luo Yuanliang has no relatives anymore, and the people at Yunshan Ranch are his family members, who can barely witness his marriage with Nuo Min.

Yuan Ning thought about it and felt that it was very rare for everyone to get together, so he simply invited all the acquaintances and close people over to have a good reunion.So there are people from Zhang's family, people from Yuan Bo's side, and people from Han's family, as well as people from Fei's family, Yu's family, school, and ranch—if the ranch is not big enough, it would be true. There is no way to get so many people together.

Young and physically fit, they start climbing mountains during the day and live directly on the mountain at night.

The view on the mountain is good, and the scenery is also good. When we reached the top of the mountain at noon, the bright spring sunshine sprinkled from the clouds, dispelling the clouds lingering between the distant mountains.

An old tree grows close to the top of the mountain, towering high into the sky, not afraid of the severe cold on the top of the mountain at all.Its roots are deep and steady, and its trunk is thick and strong, with scars left by years of wind and rain.Yuan Ning dragged Zhang Xiuyan up to the tree, and looked up, the mountains in the distance gradually turned bright yellow and light blue, and the air with the fragrance of leaves became fresh and comfortable.And between the mountains, patches of grass are covered with wild flowers of various colors, like a piece of colorful brocade cut into pieces, spread on the ground from far or near, even if only from a distance. Looking down, you can also see the figures of bees and butterflies flying above.

Yuan Ning said, "Brother, shall we go to Changcang next?"

Zhang Xiuyan nodded.

Yuan Ning turned his head: "Will you go to other places in the future?"

Zhang Xiuyan said, "Go."

Yuan Ning grabbed Zhang Xiuyan's hand: "Brother, we will always be together, right?"

Zhang Xiuyan stared at Yuan Ning's childish face, nodded, and kissed Yuan Ning lightly: "Yes, we will always be together."

Yuan Ning put his arms around Zhang Xiuyan's neck, and buried his head into Zhang Xiuyan's neck: "I made this wish every year when I was a child." His eyes lit up, "I hope to be with my elder brother forever. I I thought of something when I saw Changcang people offering sacrifices in the desert. In fact, as you said, many things cannot be achieved by making a wish. But whether it is praying or making a wish, do something Whether it is an ancient and solemn ceremony, it is actually determining what you want, telling yourself what to do, and telling yourself to move forward unswervingly. Brother, I want to do everything we want with you I don’t care what other people think or see about what I do.”

Zhang Xiuyan said "hmm", "I don't care either."

The two of them sat on the tree for a long time, watched the sunset, ate dinner, and sneaked out to play with Baihu and Xiaohei.With Xiao Hei and Treants around, Yuan Ning led the baby ginseng out with confidence and let them have a look at the forest at night.

Ginseng babies are very happy.

When Yuan Ning woke up early the next morning, he heard the ginseng babies lying by the window, pointing out the window excitedly, jumping and jumping: "It's dawn! It's dawn!" Turning around and seeing Yuan Ning sitting up, they jumped together Get off the window sill, run to the window of Yuan Ning and Zhang Xiuyan, and continue to emphasize, "It's going to be dawn!"

Yuan Ning smiled at them and looked out the window.

The sky outside the window hadn't completely brightened yet, only a slight whiteness appeared on the edge of the sky.There is no cloud in the sky, and the crescent moon is still hanging there, as if wanting to meet the warm morning sun.

Yuan Ning smiled and said, "Yes, it's almost dawn."

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College volume·End

【Changcang Roll】