The hoarse and rough voice was like a knife cutting across a whetstone, but in this foreign country in the west, this voice sounded so friendly.

"You are too vigilant..."

The knife left his shoulder. Xiao Ran turned around and saw his second uncle putting the Guanshan knife back into its sheath with a smile.

"manager……"

Next to the second uncle, Liu Shengli, who had dark circles under his eyes, said hello to Xiao Ran, and he came too.

Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign country, someone whom he had been with day and night, made Xiao Ran feel warm in his heart.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Ran asked.

"After the second uncle read the letter, he asked me to close the store and said he wanted to come to Western Xinjiang..."

Liu Shengli glanced at his second uncle timidly, with a bit of sadness on his face.

The second uncle laughed and said: "I saw that you didn't bring some things. I guess it was because the train was inconvenient, so I drove to bring them to you. We traveled day and night, taking turns driving, and we arrived in Urumqi early this morning, ahead of you.

For a few hours.”

Liu Shengli said in a low voice: "It was mainly me who drove it..."

The second uncle patted the brim of Liu Shengli's hat: "I know, I'll give you the bonus when I get back."

Xiao Ran took the Guanshan Sword. The blade had been wrapped tightly in cloth by his second uncle. At first glance, he thought it was a scroll painting.

The second uncle gave Liu Shengli a wad of money and sent him to drive to a guest house to be accommodated. He also told him that if he didn't wait for his uncle and nephew to come back in three weeks, he should go back to Beijing first and someone would arrange for him.

The arrangements were made like his last words. Liu Shengli hesitated and couldn't bear to leave. In the end, he was kicked in the butt by his second uncle before driving away.

The second uncle picked up his backpack and said to Xiao Ran: "I will try my best to follow you, just do your own thing."

After that, he left without looking back and disappeared into the crowd of people as before.

When Xiao Ran returned to the small restaurant, he saw that everyone had already stood up and was about to leave. The fat man even specially packed a naan with minced barbecue for him.

Seeing him come back, the fat man handed him the naan and said, "Hurry up and have another bite. I heard that if you go into the desert, you can only eat dry biscuits and meat."

The group then took a ride to Saiwu Village near Bosten Lake and found a small inn to rest first. According to Liu Gang, he had a friend who knew a local old man who sold livestock, named "Asheti Amati".

It is also known as "Anliman", which means a living map of the desert.

After a long time, an old man wearing a dirty sheepskin coat and a broken felt hat was brought to the inn. His dark and thin face was covered with a messy black and white beard, full of the vicissitudes of life that had been polished by the desert wind and sand for many years.

For some unknown reason, he had a frightened expression on his face from the moment he entered the room until he came in front of everyone.

When Hu Bayi proposed to enter the desert, An Liman silently took out his pipe and held it in his mouth, saying hesitantly: "Well...actually it's not possible. The windy season is here. Hu Da must be blamed for entering the desert...

"

His tone was a rejection, but also a bit tactful. Hu Bayi was also an old man in the world. Hearing this tone, I felt that this old man might want to make conditions. But for this kind of person, if you come up, just discuss it with him and let him

It means that he only knows how to speak like a lion.

So Hu Ba said with a serious face: "We are cadres sent from above to work for the country. The local government should cooperate with us. If you don't agree to be a guide, we can only report to the local responsible agency. Your camels and

The donkey will be confiscated."

He showed Professor Chen's letter of introduction to An Liman and pulled Shirley Yang's sleeve behind him.

Shirley Yang understood and added: "If you are willing to be a guide, we will not treat you badly. I will buy all your animals at double the price. When you come back from the desert, these animals will be returned to you, and you will keep the money."

"

An Li smoked his cigarette bag and looked over and over at the letter of introduction. Then he returned the letter to Professor Chen and said with an embarrassed look on his face: "I can't understand it either. Just say so. You want to enter."

The desert, Hu Da blames you for causing the trouble. But don’t drive the car, bring a camel, Hu Da likes camels!”

Hu Ba nodded and explained to everyone: "I agree with this. Camels are desert boats with strong carrying capacity. They are not as easy to get stuck in the sand as cars. They can also avoid sandstorms, quicksand and other natural disasters. Old camels can also search for

Water source. Camp and rest at night, and the camels can also serve as sentinels to guard against sneak attacks by wolves."

The conditions have been finalized, and An Liman will go back to select camels. Hu Bayi arranges for everyone to buy supplies for the desert, and they must prepare them for ten people.

When An Liman heard Hu Bayi's words, he turned around and shook his head: "Ten people can't do it. It takes eleven people..."

The fat man slapped his forehead: "This old man really has experience. He needs to prepare enough supplies for one person as backup supplies."

An Liman shook his head: "I'll take one person with me, so it takes two people to take you into the desert, otherwise Hu Da will be unhappy..."

The fat man muttered: "You have such a big temper, why are you so unhappy at every turn..."

Hu Bayi reassured everyone: "Eleven is eleven. More people can help each other. There are more of us, so there is nothing to worry about."

Eleven? Xiao Ran was a little confused. He himself was the extra one, so why did An Liman still have people accompanying him?

On the afternoon of the next day, An Liman led the camel to the door of the inn, and everyone began to load the supplies onto the camel. This included about a month's worth of food and about half a month's worth of water for eleven people, as well as

Several large leather pockets of yogurt soup.

According to An Liman, drinking water can be replenished at several oases and underground rivers halfway along the way.

In addition, there are other equipment and materials for the expedition. Each camel carries a heavy load. An Liman requires everyone to only rely on their legs for the early stage, and then ride camels according to the situation for the rest of the journey.

Behind the camel team, An Liman's companion, wrapped tightly in a turban and fur gown, quietly helped load the camels with supplies.

He passed by Xiao Ran and raised his eyes to look at Xiao Ran. When their eyes met, Xiao Ran immediately knew who he was.

"Two...ahhh!"

Xiao Ran wanted to call his second uncle quietly, but he didn't expect that his second uncle stretched out his hand and pinched his waist, causing him to cry out softly in pain.

The big man next to him, Du Chujian, heard the sound and asked, "Xiao Ran, are you okay?"

"It's okay... I got stepped on by a camel." Xiao Ran squatted on the ground with a look of pain on his face.

Turning around to look at my second uncle, he walked to the back of the camel caravan as if nothing was wrong with him.

When no one was paying attention, he slipped to the camel at the back and asked his second uncle in a low voice: "How did you get in?"

The second uncle said: "I heard you said yesterday that the Anli was full, so I found a car and came over early. After scaring him, he agreed to take me with him, and I also promised to give him my share of the reward.

"

It turns out that this is the case. No wonder An Liman was worried from the beginning and was not so strong in refusing to enter the desert. It turned out that his second uncle was planning ahead again.

"Set off!"

Before they could chat any more, team leader Hu Bayi gave the order to set off.
Chapter completed!