Chapter 6 Chapter 5 The First Night in the Desert

We got up at four o'clock in the morning, and three army desert vehicles were parked at the entrance of the guest house, waiting for us to leave.Li Renxi, who passed the trip to Bosten Lake, was very excited, busy up and down to dump supplies and equipment on the car.I think he probably doesn't know that the place we are going to is in two completely different directions from the paradise on earth like Bosten Lake. Those who came to meet us were three soldiers from the Feilong Special Forces, Xiao Wang, Xiao Zhu and Xiao Qi, who were the drivers of the three cars respectively.They were smiling, and although their voices were not high, they spoke concisely, with distinct military characteristics.Xiaoqi rejected our suggestion to bring our own guide, saying that they have been stationed here for more than a month, and they already know the local situation quite well.They were only ordered to escort us into the Yingpan area, and ordinary people who did not have permission were not allowed to enter.

Professor Tan accepted Xiao Qi's seemingly suggested but actually ordered, and we squeezed into three cars respectively.Wei Datou was somewhat disappointed with Xiao Wang and Xiao Qi.Because they look very normal, except that their skin is a little dry, but their faces are still rosy, and their voices are no different from ordinary people. Li Dazui whispered: "The special forces are not superhuman forces. Their military uniforms never wear red underwear and capes. Brother, there are no Spider-Man and Wolverine in the real world. They are human beings just like us." Seeing that Datou Wei ignored him, Dazui Li turned his head and said to me, "He always brings a model of Superman with him every time he does his field work. If Lao Wei had studied physics, he would have made his own transmitter to communicate secretly with aliens." .”

I couldn't laugh, but Xiao Wang, who was driving next to me, laughed so hard that he couldn't help but laugh. After leaving Korla, the convoy drove southeast along the north bank of Kongque River on a rough road.As the journey progressed, the surrounding scenery became more and more desolate.The desert has become the most common picture outside the car window. At the beginning, the remnants of beacons that occasionally flashed would make us marvel, but then they gradually became numb.Seeing that the oasis turned into a large expanse of dead Populus euphratica forest and reed marshes, even these dead plants could no longer be seen, only the endless desolation.

In the evening, we entered the semi-desert and semi-Gobi area.On this road, which is not considered a road at all, the car was driving extremely hard.After the Peacock River dried up, the river bed remained.We follow the ancient river course.The Kuruktag Mountain in the distance stands quietly, without green, and there are strange rocks everywhere.In the huge and empty world, the sound of the wind rang in my ears. After the Yadan landform began to appear, Li Dazui and Dou Miao became excited.They took the opportunity of urination and touched a few stones to get on the car.Li Dazui pointed to the small hills that have been polished into various strange shapes by wind and sand for thousands of years and said: "Look, junior sister, that is the so-called Yadan landform. People often think that the Yadan landform is caused by wind, but in fact It's only half right."

"That's because the formation of the Yadan landform is firstly the weathering and destruction of the surface." Wei Datou was suffering from motion sickness, but he still interjected weakly, "The sediment at the bottom of the water is after the water source is exhausted, and the layered structure of the mudstone is in the wind and sand. Under the influence of temperature difference, layers peel off and collapse in blocks. At this time, wind, water, and water play a role in scrubbing, and the loose sand layer accumulated between the mudstone layers on the surface is gradually transported to the distance, and the original flat surface becomes undulating. , Concave and convex alternately, the prototype of the Yadan landform was announced. Yadan is the name of the Uighurs for 'precipitous hills with steep walls'. After Mr. Chen Zongqi discovered this landform, he called the smaller landform Yadan, and the larger form The landforms are called Maisai, which are actually different stages of Yadan landforms. By the way, Mr. Chen Zongqi participated in the 18-member Lop Nur inspection team in 1930."

Li Dazui looked at Old Wei resentfully, and said angrily, "Can't you just calm down for a while? Why is a student of archeology so pushy?" Wei Datou raised his hands in surrender: "I was wrong. When I get out of the car and get stuck in the sand, I will be the first to push." While speaking, the car sank into the sand again and stopped.In the cold wind, everyone wrapped their coats tightly, squeezed behind the car with their messy hair, and pushed the car together, shouting. Archeology is actually a manual job.We have reached a consensus on this point. With a bitter face, Li Renxi mingled among the crowd and struggled to get on the car.Probably all the mutton calories he made up for were used to top the car.

At this moment, I heard a slight sound not far away, followed by a howling sound like a wolf.Li Renxi was within my line of sight, and through the dim light, I saw that his bitter melon face had turned into a carrot face, extremely pale. We've all heard that voice.In this empty and deserted area, the voice is like a ghost chasing people for their lives, or like a hungry wolf waiting for an opportunity in the dark. Wei Datou stammered: "The heat expands and the cold shrinks... There are often inexplicable sounds in the Yadan landform, which has a scientific explanation. It is recorded in "Shui Jing Zhu"..."

At this moment, the car was pushed out of the bunker and started. No one listened to Wei Datou's "Approaching Science" column, and jumped into the car as quickly as possible.Everyone's movements are comparable to velociraptors, rolling and crawling, without aesthetic feeling at all. After the car started again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. In a world where there are only whispers in the wind, it seems that the only safe place is to sit in a car. The three desert vehicles are like three little ants, driving in the boundless desert.The omniscient and omnipotent pride of human beings is so insignificant in this world that it is not worth mentioning.

Those who have read "Buddha Kingdom" will know that in the third year of Long'an in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (399 A.D.), monk Faxian and his party set off from Chang'an to Tianzhu to learn Buddhist scriptures.This is not only a religious and cultural trip, but also a life trip.They walked in the boundless desert, crossed the sand river, and crossed the Taklimakan Desert, following life and death all the way, with the dead bones as landmarks, and finally walked out of this place of death.In Fa Xian’s records, we can see the lingering fear in his heart after walking in the desert sea. Thousands of years later, even an old fox like Bergman sighed when he was on the edge of the desert, this is a place haunted by devils.

What touched me the most was that when Fa Xian and his party finally left the desert and reached the Kunlun Mountains, the extreme cold froze to death Fa Xian's companion, Hui Jing.Huijing said at the end of his life: I will not be resurrected, so go quickly, don't die here. When I read that Faxian caressed the corpse and cried bitterly, and finally had to put down Huijing's corpse, and walked forward with three steps and three turns, I burst into tears in the library of S University. I was so sad that even the administrator couldn't stand it. Come over and hand me a tissue.This was once reduced to the laughing stock of Wei Datou and Li Dazui, and they made fun of it from time to time.It was probably the only time I cried in their memory, so it is especially worth remembering.And when we finally entered the camp area and walked with the Gobi desert while guarding the Kuluktag Mountain and the dry Kongque River ancient road, Lao Li and Lao Wei were silent.

I saw Lao Wei took out a tissue, wiped his glasses quickly, and then wiped his eyes very quickly.I asked him what's the matter, Old Wei hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Junior Sister, if one day you become Huijing, I will never let go of your corpse." Li Dazui immediately spit out the window: "Bah, a dog can't spit out ivory." Then he turned his head and said to me: "Junior Sister, Lao Wei read "The History of the Buddha Kingdom" a few years ago, and only now have I realized it. Come on. This speed is comparable to that of a brontosaurus." Brontosaurus is one of the extinct dinosaurs, with a weight of more than 20 tons and a height of more than ten meters.If the tail of the brontosaurus is injured, it will take more than 20 minutes for it to reach the brain and make a painful "oh".If you compare Lao Wei's reaction time of several years with Lei Long's more than 20 minutes, Lei Long knows that it will probably snow in June. Seeing me pursing my lips into a smile, Li Dazui said seriously: "Junior Sister, no matter who becomes Huijing, you or Lao Wei, I will not let you go, and I will not let you go even if I am a ghost. So for your safety, no one is allowed Go to Kunlun." Old Wei and I finally laughed out loud, sweeping away the haze in our hearts.The anticipation and uneasiness that had been pent up in my heart became more magnanimous as I approached the destination with real steps. Xiao Wang, who was driving, asked curiously, "What are you talking about?" Li Dazui said: "Have you seen Romeo and Juliet?" Xiao Wang nodded: "I've seen the movie." Li Dazui also nodded and said: "That's good, we can communicate. We are the archaeological version of Xiao Luo and Xiao Zhu." Xiao Wang said "Oh", and after a while, he pointed to some vague objects in the distance and said, "We are almost there. Our camp is ahead." Because of the sand, we set off early in the morning on the first day and did not reach the camp until the evening of the second day.At that time, the setting sun was like blood, the golden sky and the yellow ground were connected into one piece, and the sky was deserted.In the silence of everything, it seems that only we and this huge ancient ruins remain in the world. Li Dazui stumbled out of the car and couldn't wait to unzip his pants chain to release the water.While intoxicated, he suddenly turned his head and couldn't help being stupid. "Hello, Professor Tan. Yu Yanyan." Yu Yanyan, who was wearing the uniform of a lieutenant officer, extended her hand to Professor Tan.Immediately, she quickly identified the candidate for the deputy team leader among the group, and reached out to him: "Mr. Chen Wei, hello. I am the team leader of this operation. I will take you to the camp to rest first, and then briefly introduce Condition." Chen Wei silently shook hands with Yu Yanyan, and walked forward behind Professor Tan and Chief Yu. Li Dazui immediately put on his trouser chain, rubbed his hands on his trousers, and was about to rush up to shake hands with Yu Yanyan, but his movements were not as fast as Wei Datou's.Wei Datou had already got off the car and stood guard on Yanyan's only way. He stretched out his hand to her calmly and said: "Yanyan is flying, but it's not as good as its feathers. The son returns home, and he is sent away to the wild. Looking forward, weeping like tears." Yu——Yu Yanyan, a poetic name, is very suitable for you. My Xia Wei Qifang is a Ph.D student in the Department of Archeology of S University. She is unmarried." Yu Yanyan gave him a cold look and walked past.Wei Datou's hand was hanging in the air, not knowing what to do.Li Dazui walked to him with a smile, pressed his arm and said in a low voice: "Brother, your method is outdated." It must be explained that I cannot blame my two master brothers for their gaffes.Yu Yanyan is 1.7 meters tall (by visual inspection) and has a graceful figure. Even a military uniform can't conceal her heroic and charming temperament, like a wild rose in the desert.Her lips are red and her teeth are white, her makeup is naturally white and flawless, her eyes are sparkling and piercing - even Gao Hong and Xiang Zhiyuan looked straight at them. Professor Tan took a stern look at Lao Wei and Li Dazui, and the two hurriedly acted respectfully, followed along with lowered eyebrows.I can't laugh or cry, I have two months to work here in the future, I just hope that the two masters will be less embarrassing. As the commander of this operation, it is a bit unpredictable for Feilong brigade to send a female lieutenant.She seemed to be only about twenty years old, but I found out later that she was actually twenty-nine years old, an outstanding graduate of a military academy master.If you look closely at her hands, it is not difficult to find that the inner sides of the long and powerful fingers and the palms are covered with thick calluses, which is the result of years of hard training. After Li Dazui learned that Yu Yanyan was the commander, he asked Old Wei, "Is it possible that we are the only ones who don't know that history has now reached the post-matriarchal era?" Old Wei spread his hands: "God knows." As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of Yu Yanyan about to enter the tent, and quickly rushed over to lift the curtain with a flattering smile on his face. Yu Yanyan finally smiled at him. Li Dazui was behind him, gnashing his teeth in resentment. There are 12 officers and soldiers in the entire camp, including the three drivers who went to pick us up.There are five desert vehicles and one supply vehicle in the camp.The instruments and equipment of the previous archaeological team are all left here, basically we can roll up our sleeves and work. According to Yu Yanyan's introduction, the archaeological team led by Institute of Qin and Researcher Pei received a tip that the Yingpan cemetery might be attacked by a new round of tomb robbers, so they hurriedly set off here, hoping to catch this important ancient Western Region cultural base being completely destroyed by the tomb robbers ex-rescue excavations.They got here in mid-July and everything is fine.Qin Suo carried an advanced GPS positioning system and a satellite phone with him to keep in touch with the rear. In late July, because Qin Suo and others lost contact with the rear for three consecutive days, the XJ Institute of Archeology and Cultural Relics requested a nearby mission to send staff to search and rescue.The search and rescue team also lost contact with the rear two days after entering the camp area.Relevant departments dispatched a Flying Dragon Brigade with experience in major international search and rescue projects to provide support. During this period, our archaeological excavation team was also looking for contacts through Professor Tan, hoping to enter the camp area. During our stay in Korla for more than a month, the search and rescue special operations team led by Yu Yanyan searched the Yingpan site and all areas within 50 kilometers around it, but found nothing. "When we arrived here, the materials in the tent and the outdoor equipment showed no signs of being stolen. Everything was as usual, which could rule out the possibility of conflicts between the archaeological team and the tomb robbers. In the Yingpan area, there was no major weather change in the local area, and it is impossible for a devastating sandstorm to occur. According to our investigation of the local area and surrounding areas, the possibility of quicksand was basically ruled out. In short, the disappearance of the archaeological team and the search and rescue team It cannot be explained. We have reported the truth to our superiors and suggested that this place should be closed and no more archaeological excavations be conducted until the truth is found out.” Yu Yanyan looked at Professor Tan, and the meaning in her eyes was very clear: What kind of relationship did you squeeze in? Professor Tan smiled slightly: "Small, the reason why there are unexplainable things is because of lack of cognition. We came here to continue the archaeological work. We just stopped. The second is to assist you in your work and find out the truth about the disappearance of Qin Suo and others. I firmly believe that everything will have a scientific explanation. As long as we advance along the path of science, we will definitely gain something. Even if we pay the price. worth it." Although the tone of these words is flat, our hearts are surging.After holding back in Korla for so long, everyone tried their best to dig out something in the camp and take it back to explain.Our thinking is very simple, not as far-sighted as Professor Tan from the perspective of scientific rationality, but the starting point is the same. Yu Yanyan seemed to sigh lightly, and the sigh was fleeting and difficult to detect.Her expression brightened again, and she said with an unquestionable tone: "I understand. Professor Tan, our special operations team will do our best to protect your safety and cooperate with you in your work. There will never be any interference in archaeological work." Happened. But again, in order for our work to proceed smoothly, I would like to ask you to abide by the following regulations." "1. No one is allowed to get sick. 2. My people must be present in each group. 3. Work starts at dawn and ends at dusk. There is roll call at noon and at night. 4. Unauthorized actions are absolutely not allowed. In other words, I don't allow anyone to act alone in this place." Li Renxi raised his hand suddenly and asked, "Officer, your rules are different from Mr. Tan's rules, who should you listen to?" Yu Yanyan smiled at Li Renxi, turned to Professor Tan and said, "Listen to me. There is no doubt about it." Professor Tan nodded: "Acceptable. That's it. Work starts tomorrow morning." She stood up expressionlessly and walked out of the tent.Yu Yanyan followed her, and we could only hear sporadic conversations going further and further away. "I need the work diary left by Qin Institute and Researcher Pei, is it still there?" "Yes, I keep it. There are other archaeological materials, and I will hand them over to you..." Lee In-hee thought for a long time, and said to us: "In Korea, such a beautiful woman has become a star and will not join the army." I gave a perfunctory "oh".At this moment, Wei Datou and Li Dazui are just like Mu Chunfeng, staring at Yu Yanyan's back. This is my first night in the wild in the desert.After arranging all the equipment, equipment, documents and records, we had a hot dinner.Li Renxi complained about the lack of meat, in exchange for a meal of white eyes.Soon he will know that there will be only one hot meal a day in the future, and cold buns for breakfast and lunch.The most important thing in the desert is to save materials, work more, faster, better, and save land.It was not unreasonable for my mother to cry when she heard that I went to the Department of Archeology. From a certain point of view, this is the dirtiest, most tiring, and most disproportionate job I can think of. It is also one of the most dangerous occupations. During the meal, Wei Datou did not forget to strike up a conversation with Yu Yanyan: "Hey, did you know that I may be funded by the National Young Scholars Program Project Fund." Yu Yanyan asked, "What does this have to do with me?" In the first half of his life, Wei Datou always believed that failure is the mother of success, so he was always invincible in the second half of his life.To deal with this kind of embarrassing dialogue, Lao Wei has already handled it with ease. "It has a lot to do with it. If you think about it, our country's future academic research and the talents who will drive the development of society, politics, economy, and culture depend on young scholars like us. Chairman Mao once defined people like us as seven or eight in the morning. Even though I am already the sun at nine o'clock, I still contribute my own light and heat to the society. I came to the camp this time not on impulse, but after deliberation. My plan is through this First-hand information from this archaeological excavation, so that when you graduate with high-quality original research, you will be among the first-class research institutes in China, and then..." Yu Yanyan stood up straight away, and walked out of the tent with the rice bowl she had already eaten. Not without gloating, I said, "Then you can become the assistant to the director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, right?" Wei Datou said: "That is the last step, and there are still many plans in the middle." Gao Hong said coldly from the side: "Forget it, you are just a PhD candidate. Who here has not received a PhD? You think too much." Wei Datou calmly said: "A tailor who doesn't want to be a general is not a good cook. BTW, Liang Ke hasn't got a doctorate yet, don't hurt his young heart." I really want to dig a hole and get in. At night, I lived in a tent with Yu Yanyan and Professor Tan.After a simple wash, I got into the sleeping bag, and it took a while to feel the warmth.There is a big temperature difference between day and night in the desert area, so we always keep several sets of clothes on hand for a long time. Li Dazui lived in a tent with Wei Datou, Dou Miao and others, while Chen Wei lived with Gao Hong and the others.Thousands of people think that no one wants to share a tent with Li Renxi, so they have to fork him to the tent of Xiao Wang and Xiao Qi.Li Renxi muttered, obviously very dissatisfied, but there was nothing he could do. The place where Li Dazui was located must be full of foam and excitement.After hearing the yelling and yelling from their tent, Professor Tan frowned.Yu Yanyan scratched her neck and shouted: "If you don't sleep on time, you will be sent back to Korla with the supply truck next time." Suddenly, everything was silent. Professor Tan smiled slightly, and said softly to Yanyan: "Thank you, good night." She got into her sleeping bag and soon fell into a deep sleep. No matter where Professor Tan is, he can always maintain a noble demeanor, which seems to be an innate instinct.Yu Yanyan probably felt this too, and stuck out her tongue at me: "I like her. Little girl, I'm sleeping too." When Yu Yanyan was not a commander, she had a very cute side. Once she puts on the military uniform and looks serious, she becomes a person who makes people fearful and has a sense of distance. The first night, I didn't sleep well.I had a lot of chaotic dreams, dreaming of my mother, dreaming of Professor Fan, dreaming of Zhou Qian, and the most unfortunate thing was the woman in black.When I woke up from the dream, sweating and panting, I suddenly saw Professor Tan lying on his body and getting up lightly. This suddenly became a multiple-choice question. The answer A is to stay in the warm sleeping bag and let her go out. The answer B is to get up and quietly follow Professor Tan to see what she is going to do. The risk of answer A is that I may miss some secret information because I am greedy for sleep, which must be related to Professor Tan and the Yingpan site; the risk of answer B is that it is very likely that Professor Tan just went to the toilet and there is no secret at all, and I Will have to leave the warm sleeping bag and possibly risk the embarrassment of being discovered by Professor Tan. In just a few seconds, thousands of horses raced through my mind, and I suddenly understood why Schrödinger's cat theory became a nightmare for physicists of the Copenhagen School.The life and death of the cat must be decided at the moment of opening the box, and I finally made up my mind to tiptoe out of the sleeping bag, put on my coat, and follow Professor Tan from a distance. A soldier was on duty not far outside the tent.Professor Tan nodded to him, probably saying that he was going to the bathroom, and the soldier waved her to go.The wind was calm and the sand was calm that night, and the moon was big and round in the sky.By the moonlight, I saw Professor Tan's figure disappearing in the darkness.I hurriedly followed her and gestured to the sentinel, who nodded in embarrassment and waved me to go to WC with Professor Tan. The air was still very cold despite very little wind.The originally drowsy drowsiness was stimulated by the cool air of the night, and I suddenly became much more energetic.There are no obstacles in the desert that can hide your figure, except for some strange rocks that have stretched across the desert for thousands of years.I can only keep a distance as much as possible, control myself to stay away from Professor Tan, and at the same time keep her out of sight.I am always ready, once Professor Tan is ready to undress and squat down, I will immediately pretend to sleepwalk and turn around and go back to the camp to sleep. Professor Tan didn't intend to stop, and kept heading northeast.After walking about a kilometer, my heart became more and more hairy.The quiet air around seems to hide the souls of Lop Nur who have not been scattered for thousands of years, whispering in various ways.I couldn't hold back anymore, if Professor Tan hadn't stopped, I would have run up to stop her, and pulled her back to sleep no matter what. Fortunately, Professor Tan seemed to have reached his destination and stood down. I looked at her through a small sandbag less than 30 centimeters high.The bright moonlight is as cool as water, shining on the endless desert.If I hadn't stood on such a land and looked up at the starry sky, I don't think I would have had the chance to experience the complex emotions of excitement, emotion, fear, and awe.This was once a land covered with life and prosperity, and it was also a land abandoned overnight by both humans and gods.Even for this night of moonlight, I will not regret everything I have endured for it in this life. I slowly approached Professor Tan, and the scenery in front of her became clearer. It was an ancient abandoned city. The ruins of the ancient Moshan Kingdom that I have sketched countless times in my dreams, fantasies, and conversations suddenly appeared before my eyes.Part of the walls of the ancient city still stand quietly, and the whole city is like a disc with precise scales. The abandoned and dilapidated buildings can still infer the prosperity of the past.When the evening wind passed by slightly, it seemed to be still alive, and those Duanhuan wrapped in wind and sand were breathing in the desert, like the lurking claws of a wounded giant beast. Professor Tan stood in front of the ancient city for an unknown amount of time, then slowly knelt down.I saw her crouching down and burying her face in the sand, stuck to this tormented and mysterious sand.Her shoulders shrugged slightly, and sobs came unobstructed.She is very different from the majestic image of the past, like a young girl returning to her homeland, or like a pilgrim who has finally arrived at the holy place after going through all kinds of hardships, her sobs are both ecstasy and heartbreak. I hesitated for a moment, walked up to Professor Tan, and called softly, "Teacher Tan." Professor Tan didn't seem surprised.I have never seen her panicked, even in this deserted place, when I suddenly appeared, she just said lightly: "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I also knelt down next to Professor Tan, tears glistened on her still charming face under the moonlight.She has sand in her fingers. "Time is a flowing river of sand. I often feel that history can never be a science of quantitative analysis. History cannot be copied or repeated. Liang Ke," she looked at me sadly, "what we are pursuing is a dream .A beautiful dream that can never be reproduced." "Teacher, Confucius said that we should do our best and obey the destiny. Let's do what we can and leave the rest to fate." Teacher Tan shook his head and looked at me. "You are still young, so you shouldn't think about these existential paradoxes." Her eyes turned to the deserted ancient city, and her eyes became fanatical. The secrets of archaeological excavation and document interpretation. But we are all wrong. What it buries is not history. Here, on this land that has experienced life and death, what is buried is the contract between humans and gods!" I always thought that Professor Tan, like Professor Fan, was a staunch atheist, an intellectual fighter cultivated by the proletariat.Hearing this, I couldn't help being surprised, and asked: "Contract? What contract?" Professor Tan raised his eyes, looked at the moon sky, and said in a low voice, "What does the sky say?" God what to say. This is not a question sentence, but more like the soliloquy of a lonely traveler after the four seasons have passed and everything has grown and died.