Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty Nineteen Years
In 1980, Mr. W returned to Xinjiang again.His itinerary has three purposes, one is to conduct a deeper research and excavation on the Gumugou cemetery, and the other is to hope to find the Xiaohe cemetery while continuing to search for Zha Haiyang's body. The XJ Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology and the museum received the discoverer of the ancient tomb ditch with the highest standards.
Mr. W's entourage included Japanese archaeologists. They won two positions in the archaeological team on the condition that they carried the most advanced archaeological excavation equipment at that time.At the welcome dinner, Zhong Weihong, who was already working at the XJ Museum at that time, was entrusted by the leader to deliver a welcome speech to Mr. W.
Zhong Weihong stood up and bowed deeply to Mr. W.The first thing he said was: "Mr. W, welcome back to Xinjiang."
Before he could say a word, Zhong Weihong's eyes turned red, and he choked up for a moment, unable to speak.
Except for the Japanese foreign guests present, everyone knew the experience of W leading the team to the northern Xinjiang for archaeology a year ago, and also knew about the sacrifice of Comrade Zha Haiyang. Everyone was silent.Zhong Weihong raised her face slightly, restraining the agitation in her heart.
"No matter what, the courage to seek the truth and the truth will not disappear. Salute to the comrades who have passed away and those who continue to move forward!"
Zhong Weihong briefly ended the welcome speech, and everyone raised their glasses and drank it down.
The dinner was simple but warm.The leaders of the Institute of Cultural Relics and the museum frequently toasted Mr. W. For both parties, they were both friends and colleagues. This time meeting, it is indispensable to have a drink and talk about the exciting Gumugou cemetery site.The discovery of the Gumugou cemetery shocked the world, and for a while the previously unknown northern Xinjiang became the focus of the world's archaeological and cultural circles.Its greatness lies not only in showing early humans' cognition of astronomy and calendar, but also in the footprints of human changes and the history of cultural integration in the Eurasian continent.
At that time, the director of the XJ Institute of Cultural Relics was Yilders, who sat on Mr. W's left, and discussed with Mr. W his views on the Gumugou cemetery in Chinese with a distinct accent.At this time, a tall, thin and handsome young man came over.
"Mr. W, I have admired your name for a long time, and I am very glad to meet you." He reached out and shook Mr. W's hand firmly, and at the same time nodded slightly to Yildez. Mr. W looked at the young man in front of him. His youthful eyes were shining brightly, exuding ambition and great desire to know.
"I was fortunate to read your excavation report on the Gumugou cemetery site for the first time. Combined with Bergman's memoir, I have an idea."
"Oh," Mr. W sat up straight and looked at the young man seriously, "tell me."
"The ring in the Gumugou cemetery should not only be a formal simulation of the sun, but also have the meaning of the cycle of life and death inside. If it is just a symbol of the calendar, there is no need to use the form of 'collective burial' that you pointed out. Expression. They do not need to participate in the physical body, they can record the meaning of the calendar and the worship of the sun directly through the structure. Such a form of participation in life, in which the true meaning expresses a belief. This belief transcends Life and death, in the concept of early humans in northern Xinjiang, a certain value orientation is more important than life in this world. At the same time, the numbers 6, 7, 12, 36, and 42 must be very important, and they frequently appear in Gumugou cemeteries and small rivers In the remains of the cemetery. Starting from the numbers and the Kalu and Tocharian inscriptions, more secrets about this cultural circle can be deciphered."
W laughed: "It seems that you have a lot of ideas. Cultural circle—why do you use this word to describe Xiaohe Cemetery and Gumugou Cemetery?"
The young man also smiled: "I have a bold guess. Bergmann found no traces of human life around the Xiaohe cemetery. In other words, this is an isolated cemetery site. And you are in the ancient tomb ditch There are also no human settlements found around the cemetery. Considering your inference that the Gumugou cemetery is a collective sacrificial burial for sacrifice and calendar symbolism, I think the conclusion that the Gumugou cemetery is not an independent site should be tenable. From your report According to Bergman’s memoirs, Xiaohe Cemetery and Gumugou Cemetery have a lot in common. For example, belief, such as the special meaning of numbers, such as burial baskets, etc. Therefore, I think that Xiaohe Cemetery and Gumugou Cemetery are A common cultural circle, they belong to the same ethnic group."
Mr. W pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said, "Isn't this conclusion a little early?"
The young man’s eyes looked at Mr. W eagerly, and his tone was still humble and persistent: “When Bergman discovered Xiaohe Cemetery, he named it Xiaohe Cemetery because he named the tributary between Kongque River and Tarim River that he passed through. It is Xiaohe. Just near this tributary, he found this thousand-coffin mound. How did the ancestors of the Xiaohe cemetery bury their dead in the desert far away from the settlements? Transportation was a problem thousands of years ago, especially in the Gobi Desert I think they must have used a tributary to transport the corpses by boat. It is even possible that this tributary is the canal they dug. They have spent so much trouble transporting the corpses and burying the remains in a special way, it must be related to Their beliefs are related. And this belief, or part of the belief, is reflected in the Gumugou cemetery."
Mr. W laughed out loud, turned his head and said to Yilders: "The waves behind the Yangtze River drive the waves ahead. Look at the young people nowadays, their ideas are active and well-founded, but Ruijin is not lacking in prudence. It's really different. Young man," Mr. W's eyes fell on him again, "What's your name?"
The young man's face was slightly flushed because of Mr. W's praise, and he replied in a low voice but forcefully: "Qin Sanyu."
Yildez stood up, pulled the young man with a smile, and said to Mr. W: "Let me introduce to you, Qin Sanyu is one of the people recommended by our cultural relics institute to participate in your archaeological activity. Don't look He is only 28 years old, but he is already well-known in our institute and in the archaeological circles of Xinjiang. Xiaoqin," Yilders patted him on the shoulder, "it is a rare opportunity to study hard with Teacher W."
Qin Sanyu stared into Mr. W's eyes and said softly: "I will. I have been looking forward to this for a long time."
According to the pre-plan, Mr. W's team stayed in Urumqi for three days, then went eastward from Korla and entered the Gobi area.Qin Sanyu and Zhong Weihong are members of the team. In addition to them, the team also includes two Japanese archaeologists, Mr. W's assistant and other Chinese staff.Since Mr. W's trip was a state-funded project, after entering the Gobi, the Malan base sent personnel to guard him as usual.
Considering that there are Japanese staff members in the team, the guard officers and soldiers sent by the Malan base are specially equipped with a female soldier with Japanese expertise. W's archaeological team soon arrived at Gumugou cemetery as scheduled and started the second round of excavation and research.
Unlike the active Qin Sanyu, Zhong Weihong is still taciturn. Mr. W attached great importance to these two young backbones. He not only personally guided their excavation work, but also conducted extensive exchanges with them on methodology and archaeological culture.Qin Sanyu often asks Mr. W questions. Some questions make Mr. W think deeply, and some make him dumbfounded.Qin Sanyu's thinking is different from that of Zha Haiyang or Zhong Weihong.Zha Haiyang is a kind of romantic thinking based on literature, which is generally rigorous and conservative.Not to mention Zhong Weihong, he only believes in textual research.And Qin Sanyu's thinking is leaping, bold and sharp.He is not afraid of failure and dares to ask questions, which makes Mr. W both love and headache.
During the second excavation and mapping of the Gumugou cemetery, what interested Qin Sanyu and Zhong Weihong most was the most advanced scanning equipment brought by Japanese archaeologists.In 1980, the spatial information system of GIS had begun to be used in foreign archaeological work, but the technology was immature and the scope of application was very limited.For remote sensing archaeology, another advanced technology, under the circumstances at the time, China's technological level and economic strength were also unable to support it.Although remote sensing archaeology can make a comprehensive analysis of the geomorphology of local sites, save manpower and material resources, and is highly efficient, the special political and military significance of the Lop Nur area and technical limitations prevent this latest archaeological method from being adopted.
In contrast, the scanning equipment brought by Japanese scholars is the most feasible and practical equipment.Theoretically, through 3D scanning, close-range photogrammetry and other technologies, contour maps and 3D images with different effects can be obtained.The plan and section drawn by traditional archaeological exploration and relics are two-dimensional, and the orthographic projection method cannot reflect the object three-dimensionally, and it is difficult to show the elevation change of the site, and the selection of the section and the measurement process are likely to cause large errors .Through 3D scanning technology, not only can the 3D coordinates of any point of the ruins be obtained, but it is also accurate and convenient.Through the introduction of Cangze Mingbu, Qin Sanyu and Zhong Weihong learned some basic knowledge of 3D scanning.Of course, under the historical limitations at that time, the processing speed of the scanning equipment was very slow, and the data processing was not as perfect as it is now.Even so, Qin Sanyu was still inspired by this state-of-the-art technology and was full of interest.
The two Japanese scholars, Akiho Aozawa and Nao Ono, speak Chinese fluently, almost as good as China.They were very happy to introduce the equipment they brought and the latest foreign archaeological technology knowledge to everyone, and conducted a physical demonstration.
Qin Sanyu, Zhong Weihong and the others gathered around the monitor, excitedly waiting for the data coming from underground.The cascading burial method in the Xiaohe cemetery gave everyone hope that there might be a second burial in the ancient tomb ditch, and there were surprising discoveries underground.
However, the signal received from the receiver connected to the gray screen monitor was a disappointing flicker of horizontal lines.Akiho Cangzawa and Nao Ohno tossed and tossed for two days, and finally had to come to the conclusion in frustration: there was an anomaly in the magnetic field here, which seriously interfered with the scanning equipment.
At the same time, Chinese personnel have long been involved in manual mapping and calibration and intensive investigation of missing items.
"Humans are still more reliable than machines." Qin Sanyu thought silently in his heart.
About a week later, the second excavation work in the Gumugou cemetery basically came to an end.Based on the detailed foundation of the last excavation, this activity is mainly to check for gaps and make up for gaps, and further research.Two Japanese scholars, Akiho Canozawa and Nao Ono, were deeply shocked by the Gumugou cemetery, and felt like they had found a treasure, but they were always troubled by the inability of 3D scanning equipment to be used.
It was night, Mr. W called a meeting of the whole team, and announced the next work plan and grouping plan at the meeting.
"After a week of work, comrades from various places and departments in our temporary collective must have gotten to know each other. Our secondary excavation work in the Gumugou cemetery is very efficient. On behalf of the project team, I would like to thank all colleagues who participated in the work At the same time, considering the relationship between funds, manpower and material resources, further work is imminent. Our next work will be divided into two groups, and we will search for the Xiaohe cemetery separately. You have already obtained relevant information about the Xiaohe cemetery. I hope you will check it carefully and study it carefully. , strive to make the name of the Xiaohe cemetery appear in this year's major archaeological discovery."
Qin Sanyu, who was sitting below, poked Zhong Weihong, and said in a low voice, "Did you already know that we will group up to find the Xiaohe cemetery? Do you know the list?"
Zhong Weihong said in a muffled voice, "We are in a group, with Teacher W."
Qin Sanyu bit her lip and hesitated for a moment: "Where's Xia Chi?"
Zhong Weihong looked at Xiachi not far away, then looked back at Qin Sanyu, and finally managed to hold back a sentence, "He is an interpreter sent by the army, so he must be on the same team as those two Japanese experts."
Qin Sanyu laughed: "Come on, the Chinese of those two Japanese still has a Beijing accent, so there is no need for translation at all."
Zhong Weihong smiled slightly: "She has a political mission, don't you understand? She understands Japanese and must always follow Japanese scholars. Lop Nur is a special area."
Mr. W is already announcing the group list. As Zhong Weihong said, both he and Qin Sanyu have been assigned to Mr. W's group.Xia Chi, whom Qin Sanyu paid special attention to, was indeed in another group, and his face was a bit disappointed.Zhong Weihong looked at him and said in a low voice, "Give up, everyone is married."
Qin Sanyu was a little surprised, leaned over and asked in a low voice: "How is it possible, she is so young."
Zhong Weihong stood up and patted Qin Sanyu's shoulder sympathetically: "Xie from the Malan base told me. Let's go, the meeting is over."
Qin Sanyu stood up reluctantly, and walked out of the tent with Zhong Weihong.Before he went out, he turned his head and glanced at Xia Chi who was talking to the Japanese expert, with some disappointment in his eyes.
For Qin Sanyu, it was a bit difficult to sleep that night.Since his college days, he has never been without shy or bold suitors.As the class monitor and the red and professional representative, his handsome appearance, simple life style, and hearty personality all made him the darling of fate.In college, he had a secret relationship with a girl. At that time, campus love was not a glorious thing.But how can the world or rules stop two young and fiery hearts?
But the reality is far crueler than the dream.After graduation, Qin Sanyu was assigned to work in Xinjiang, while the girl stayed in Beijing.A year later, Qin Sanyu received a breakup letter.This was not beyond his expectation. In fact, when he waved goodbye to the crowded Beijing platform, he already knew in his heart that it was a farewell.During his several years of working in the Institute of Cultural Relics, there were many enthusiastic leaders and colleagues who introduced him to his girlfriend.There is a piece missing in his heart, and it seems that he can't mend it anymore, so he procrastinates again and again, and in a blink of an eye he is an older youth.
He thought that he would dedicate his life to the cause of archaeology, and he would have no time for other things.It was not until he met Xia Chi that he suddenly realized this idea, and a place in him that had been dead came alive again.
Just the name Xia Chi, and just a week, Qin Sanyu could no longer restrain the fiery heart beneath the calm appearance.He rolled over on the bedding, a little irritated by the headache from insomnia.
"Xia Pond."
He whispered this poetic and picturesque name silently in his heart.Her tall and beautiful figure jumped out of the desert vehicle, her smile was as bright as the sun in May.He reached out to her and held her fingers only to find that they were cold.
"Don't worry, although my hands are a bit cold, I'm in good physical condition and won't hold you back." She looked at him with a smile, not knowing that his hesitation and pause were because he was amazed at her beauty.
Qin Sanyu covered her head with her hands in pain, and curled up into a ball in the cold night air, as if she could warm her icy limbs by doing so.
"She's married. Give up, Qin Sanyu." He said to himself.
As if blessed by heaven, Qin Sanyu heard good news after getting up the next morning.Because the two Japanese scholars were about to leave the Gumugou cemetery, they went down to the construction site overnight to take additional photos. This directly caused Akiho Cangzawa to catch a cold and develop a high fever.As a last resort, Mr. W decided to send a car to send the two Japanese scholars back to Korla for recuperation, and readjusted the personnel distribution of the two groups.Considering that Xia Chi is a lesbian, W transferred her to this group with relatively strong staffing, and transferred another researcher and soldier Xiao Xie to another group.
Qin Sanyu tried his best to restrain his joy, tidied up the packages and equipment as if nothing had happened, and got into the car with Zhong Weihong.
Zhong Weihong looked out the window, a little silent.
Qin Sanyu followed his gaze, and the Populus euphratica wooden piles in the ruins of the ancient tomb ditch illuminated by the morning sun were faintly discernible, layer upon layer pushing toward the center.The gravel has a golden glow under the reflection of the sun, which looks warm and dazzling.
"Do you think it is possible for us to find the Xiaohe cemetery?" Qin Sanyu asked.
"I don't know." Zhong Weihong shook his head, "Actually, I want to find Cha Haiyang's body more than Xiaohe cemetery."
Qin Sanyu looked at Zhong Weihong's expression, and asked hesitantly, "Why?"
Zhong Weihong sighed slightly, and said in a low voice, "This is what I promised someone."
Sensitive Qin Sanyu seemed to understand the endless far-reaching behind this slight sigh, he patted Zhong Weihong on the shoulder: "Life is always unsatisfactory, ha ha." At this time he saw Xia Chi outside the window, once he saw She, his eyes can never leave.Carrying a package, she nimbly jumped into the second car.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Qin Sanyu asked Zhong Weihong in despair.
Zhong Weihong didn't speak, just closed her eyes and sat quietly on the seat to rest.Qin Sanyu realized that this was the end of the conversation, that he had to put an end to this idea forever, even though the pain in his heart was growing day by day.
The tributaries connecting the Kongque River and the Tarim River discovered by Bergman back then have disappeared over time and landforms, and his book "Xinjiang Archeology" is also vague about the exact location of the Xiaohe cemetery.Like last year, the team led by Mr. W was in trouble again.
The sunshine at the end of September shone brightly on the Tarim Basin.The warmth of the day was in stark contrast to the biting cold of the night. The archaeological team moved slowly in the Tadong area, trying to find clues about the Xiaohe cemetery and Chahai's corpse.
Qin Sanyu has long been familiar with the known information about the Xiaohe cemetery, so he also knows that whether he can find the Xiaohe cemetery or the place guarded by the devil deep in the desert, luck is the main factor, otherwise Mr. W will not be able to find it. You won't be so obsessed with obsession and get nothing.
Zhong Weihong's face was always calm.Having found nothing in the desert for several consecutive days, Zhong Weihong didn't seem anxious, but her eyes never stopped observing the outside world.
"Tell me the story of Zha Haiyang. I heard that he is a top student in P University?" Qin Sanyu sat beside Zhong Weihong and asked curiously.
Zhong Weihong glanced at Qin Sanyu, and said calmly: "There is nothing to say."
"I really envy him." Qin Sanyu was not deterred by Zhong Weihong's indifference, and said to himself, "He is close to Mr. Ji Xianlin, the master of language, which is very convenient for the research of Kalu Wen and Tuhuo Luo Wen. Wait, what's that? Stop!"
Not only Qin Sanyu, Zhong Weihong also saw the Populus euphratica stake protruding from the ground about two feet high.This stake is not a dead Populus euphratica remains, but a man-made stake that has been simply carved.
The strange thing is that this wooden post is cut into a column shape, and there is no other carving on it except a simple swastika pattern.Everyone gathered around the stake, deeply curious about this small stake that appeared alone in the barren world.
"Maybe this is a road sign?" Qin Sanyu put forward his own opinion.
Judging from the shape of the wooden pile, it has been standing here for a long time.The weathered and rotten wooden surface is vicissitudes and silent in the warm light of dusk.
"There is only such a wooden pile standing on the surface here, and it doesn't seem to have a large-scale remains." Mr. W pondered, "But the swastika pattern is not a general pattern. It once appeared all over the world. Faith represents the meaning of light and life.”
Zhong Weihong crouched in front of the stake, observed carefully, and after a while he opened his mouth to express his opinion.
"Mr. W, I think this swastika pattern is related to the culture of the Gumugou cemetery. Sanyu also talked to me about his views these days, and I agree with his inference that the culture of the Gumugou cemetery and Xiaohe cemetery are a cultural circle. The swastika is a symbol of faith, which means that the Populus euphratica stake should not have been erected here by accident. However, this stake was erected by humans in the early northern Xinjiang, or after the opening of the Silk Road, and the Western Regions became a place for Buddhist cultural transportation It is still up for debate as to where it must pass. In any case, I think this place is worth exploring."
Teacher W nodded and looked up at the sky: "Well, I also have the same idea. Let's camp here tonight and rest, and tomorrow we will use this stake as the center to explore the square within a diameter of five meters."
Although there was no harvest, the stake still gave the archaeological team hope under the current situation.Everyone got out of the car and began to set up tents.
During the meal, Qin Sanyu heard that Xia Chi's hand was injured when he was pitching the tent from Xiao Xie Na, and he felt a little worried.After eating, he flipped through "Xinjiang Archeology" in the tent while listening to the movement outside the tent.
"Xiao Qin," Mr. W lifted the door curtain and walked in, his face full of excitement, "another team has received news that they dug up a female mummy in the Tieban River downstream of the Kongque River."
Qin Sanyu stood up suddenly, and his originally depressed mood was suddenly stirred up: "Really?"
Mr. W nodded: "That's right. It's definitely an early human mummy."
Qin Sanyu's voice became urgent: "What burial customs? Are there many relics? How is the mummy preserved?"
Mr. W laughed: "You are in a hurry, everything is still unclear, and they are also very excited. Tonight, I will set off with Xiao Zhong to check the situation at the Tieban River. You stay Here, assist Teacher Wu Ying in the excavation work."
Qin Sanyu took a step forward, and originally wanted to propose the idea of taking him with him, but was blocked by Mr. W's words.He lowered his head in disappointment, closed the book and put it aside.
Mr. W saw his ideological struggle and patted him on the shoulder: "Xiao Qin, this side is equally important. I let you stay here in the hope that you can gradually take charge of the archaeological excavation work. I am very optimistic about you. If you are lucky If it’s good, I hope to gain something here.”
Qin Sanyu nodded and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Teacher W."
What Mr. W and Zhong Weihong went to investigate overnight was the famous mummy who was later called "Loulan beauty". In 1980, Qin Sanyu missed one of the most exciting moments in the history of archaeology.In retrospect, this made him deeply regret.However, what really made him regret was accepting Mr. W's decision to let him stay behind.
His fate was profoundly changed from that moment until the end.
In the early morning, Qin Sanyu and the team members started the excavation work. After Mr. W, Zhong Weihong and soldier Xiao Xie left, there were only five people left in the group.Teacher Wu Ying is the person in charge, and others include Qin Sanyu, Xia Chi, Zhao Ming and Sun Ziqiang.Zhao Ming and Sun Ziqiang are associate researchers and members of Mr. W's project team.
Qin Sanyu assisted several teachers to mark a five-meter range centered on the wooden stake. After simple sand removal, they began to use picks to break through the hard saline-alkali soil.Because of his hand injury, Xia Chi did not participate in labor and was in charge of logistics work.
Throughout the morning, they only dug out a layer about 1.5 meters deep within two square meters.Unlike the Gumugou cemetery, there are almost no traces of human remains here.Everyone is a little depressed, but there is still a glimmer of hope.
When eating at noon, Qin Sanyu sat next to Xia Chi with a lunch box in his hands, and asked with a careless expression, "How is your hand?"
Xia Chi smiled, revealing two dimples: "It's nothing, I blame myself for not being careful."
Qin Sanyu plucked up her courage and finally asked, "I heard you are married?"
Xia Chi was a little surprised, but then smiled heartily: "Yes. By the way, this is a photo of my daughter." With her long, white fingers, she took out her military ID card from her pocket, which contained a photo, and handed it to Qin Sanyu.
Qin Sanyu felt his mouth dry, and after glancing at the photo, he forced a smile and said, "You are a pretty girl. You have been stationed in Xinjiang for many years, and the father of the child will have to work hard."
Xia Chi replied naturally: "He is also a soldier, stationed in Xinjiang, and the child is taken by her grandparents." After that, she stood up and looked into the distance, her voice was full of confidence and expectation, "The weather is very good recently , God take care of us, hope we can dig something out."
Qin Sanyu sighed slightly, and also stood up: "Yes, I hope to dig out something."
Another dull afternoon.They expanded the scope of exploration and tried to excavate and detect, but there were no results on this unchanging saline-alkali land.Thinking that Mr. W was present at the Tiebanhe excavation site with Zhong Weihong to check the newly unearthed mummy, Qin Sanyu was filled with disappointment.
In the evening, Lao Wu, who was in the same tent, went to bed early.Probably due to excessive physical labor during the day, Lao Wu snored almost as soon as he fell down.Qin Sanyu turned his back and read with a flashlight, for fear that he would disturb Old Wu's rest.It was about one o'clock in the morning, and Qin Sanyu finally felt tired.He closed the book and secretly prayed in his heart that he would not suffer from insomnia tonight.
At this moment, he heard a slight sound outside the tent, which lasted about five seconds.He sat up and listened for a while, but when there was no more sound, he thought he was delusional, shook his head and smiled wryly, and was about to lie down again.Then there was another voice.
"Who's out there?"
At this moment, Xia Chi's voice came from the tent next door.Probably not very sure if there was anyone outside the tent, her voice sounded a bit hesitant.
Qin Sanyu's heart tightened, realizing that the strange noise he heard just now was not a hallucination.Obviously Xia Chi heard it too.He hesitated for a moment, put on his coat, opened the door curtain, walked to the entrance of Xia Chi's tent and asked, "Xia Chi, are you still asleep?"
Qin Sanyu's voice was very low, he didn't want to let other people in the team discover this somewhat awkward or ambiguous scene at this moment.
Xia Chi's voice seemed to be a long sigh of relief, and he put on his coat and walked out.Under the moonlight, one could clearly see the white mist of Xia Chi's breathing. She was blown by the cold wind, revealing her white forehead under her bangs, making her more beautiful and charming.
"Hey, it's you. I was a little scared just now. What do you want from me?"
Xia Chi's voice was much more relaxed, just a little reproachful.Qin Sanyu understood that she didn't blame him for coming to her in the middle of the night, but that she was really frightened when she heard the sound just now.
Qin Sanyu shook his head, and said in a low voice: "I only got up when I heard your voice. I was in the tent just now."
Xia Chi's face turned pale, and his voice trembled slightly: "Just now I heard some voices, it seems that...someone was wandering outside my tent, that's why I asked the question."
Qin Sanyu knew that Xia Chi wasn't lying, but he didn't want Xia Chi to worry, so he comforted him: "This place is so desolate, it's not easy for you to have guests come to visit. You must have taken the wind as something else It's quiet."
At this moment in this barren desert, the vast sea of sand grains and the ever-changing bright moon looked at each other silently, and the five-person camp seemed so small and lonely in this huge world. The joy of being alone with Xia Chi turns into the sadness of loss and loneliness alternately.
Xia Chi didn't notice the complex expression on Qin Sanyu's face, shook his head and said, "No, it's not that simple. Just now I... I saw a black shadow flashing past through the gap in the tent."
Qin Sanyu couldn't help shivering, he regained his composure, and after thinking for a while, he whispered: "I'll go to Zhao Ming's tent to see if everyone is there."
The flashlight shining from between the fingers entered Zhao Ming and Sun Ziqiang's tent.The two of them were sleeping soundly, one was grinding their teeth, and the other was snoring rhythmically.Qin Sanyu took back the flashlight, and whispered to Xia Chi: "They are both here, and Old Wu is in my tent. I checked just now, and there is nothing suspicious around the camp."
"Then... maybe I made a mistake, sorry." Xia Chi sighed slightly, turned and walked towards his tent.
"Wait, Xia Chi..." Qin Sanyu blurted out instinctively, causing Xia Chi to stand there in surprise, looking back at him.
Qin Sanyu's face was hot for a while, and he gritted his teeth fiercely and asked, "Is he treating you well?"
Xia Chi didn't react for a moment: "Who is he?"
Ai Ai was unwilling to speak out during Qin Sanyu's period, but Xia Chi immediately understood.Her pale face turned rosy, and the original expression of fear was suddenly dispelled by the internal injury of wanting to hold back her laughter.She finally couldn't hold it back, covered her belly and laughed, squatted on the ground and said, "Hey, how do you archaeologists make up their brains? Of course my wife is very kind to me, we are childhood sweethearts—— What are you worried about?"
Qin Sanyu couldn't laugh, he looked at her sadly, watching his soul shattered to the ground by her laughter.He was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's right for comrades to care about each other."
Qin Sanyu turned and walked into his tent.Xia Chi seemed to realize something, and held back his laughter apologetically.She shook her head, as if she wanted to shake off all the unhappiness and anxiety of the night, and get a good night's sleep.
"Xiao Qin, did you get up to work last night?" Zhao Ming, who was standing by the stake, stroked his chin and asked suspiciously.
Qin Sanyu, who walked out of the tent, heard the question suddenly and felt a little guilty. He pretended to be calm and said: "No matter how active I am, I can't get up in the middle of the night to work."
Zhao Ming said to himself: "This is so strange."
His finger pointed to the wooden post: "Look, the depth we dug down yesterday, I made a mark on the wooden post, it was 50 centimeters. But look," he squatted down, and his fingers brushed the holes on the wooden post. Mark, "When I woke up this morning, the saline-alkali ground under the stake mark sank by at least 20 centimeters...someone came to dig it."
Qin Sanyu felt a chill in his heart, realizing that someone really came last night.
Grave robber?monk?Lost?
These possible assumptions quickly floated through Qin Sanyu's mind, identifying the possibility of the truth.
Impossible, Qin Sanyu quickly denied these answers.This is an uninhabited desert, and the nearest mission field is 170 kilometers away.
"Could it be an abnormality on the surface?" Sun Ziqiang squatted down, licked the saline-alkali surface with his fingers, and then shook his head, "It's very hard, and it can't be caused by natural deposition."
Holding the teacup in one hand, Zhao Ming took out a cold bun from his pocket with the other and gnawed on it. He said in a vague way: "There are obvious traces of being scratched and planed on the surface—it seems that there are Lei Fengs in the desert, help us Dig the ground. Hey, I said, don’t any of you suffer from sleepwalking?”
Sun Ziqiang laughed and shook his head while laughing, "Old Zhao, old Zhao, your habit of telling jokes won't change even in the desert."
Xia Chi stood at the side with a pale face, obviously he didn't have a good rest last night.Qin Sanyu felt a little uneasy, he turned his head to look at Xia Chi, and decided not to tell what happened last night.At that time, the relationship between men and women was a very sensitive matter.
Teacher Wu came over, looked at the stake carefully for a while, and pondered: "Anyway, let's work first. If there is no harvest today, we will contact Mr. W and continue to search elsewhere. "Xia Chi, you should do a good job of vigilance."
Everyone faintly felt Mr. Wu's worry, and silently picked up tools and started working.
Around noon, they dug down another 120 centimeters.Qin Sanyu threw away the pickaxe and said to Wu Ying: "Mr. Wu, do you feel it? There seems to be an echo deep underground."
Although Qin Sanyu is young, he has participated in many archaeological excavations in Xinjiang, and has more experience in Xinjiang than others.Everyone was excited when they heard what Qin Sanyu said.Teacher Wu attached great importance to it, and immediately took the hammer from the car, and prepared to use the seismic method for detection.
Qin Sanyu took the steam hammer and took off his jacket: "I'll come. Listen to me."
The seismic method is a non-destructive detection technology combined with the acoustic method, and its principle is very simple.When a heavy steam hammer is struck on the surface of the ruins, the underground will emit echoes in different ways, and the condition of the underground can be judged according to the type of echo.The underground echo without human traces is relatively dull, while the underground pits, trenches, wall foundations, etc. will resonate.
Qin Sanyu spat into the palm of his hand, and swung the sledgehammer to hit the ground several times, with an interval of about 7 seconds between each blow.When he knocked on the ground, Teacher Wu suddenly held down his hand, and everyone looked at the ground in surprise and ecstasy.
"There is a situation." Teacher Wu's face also showed uncontrollable excitement.
The afternoon sun here is warmer than in Urumqi or Beijing.When the sun shines on the body, it is a soft and lazy feeling, especially when the breeze blows, there seems to be no difference between the good times now and 4000 years ago.
The abnormal underground noise made everyone in the archaeological team very excited, which means that another surprising archaeological discovery may be about to be revealed.Everyone swung their picks like crazy and pushed down desperately.
Qin Sanyu asked Teacher Wu: "Should we contact Mr. W and ask for reinforcements?"
Mr. Wu was cautious by nature, and replied: "When we have some clues, we won't be too late to contact you."
In the evening, they had pushed down nearly five meters.Although nothing was achieved before, everyone did not give up hope.When it was almost time to call it a day, Qin Sanyu went down with a pick and brought out a scrap of linen.
Judging from the texture and weave of the linen, it is at least the craft before the Han and Jin Dynasties.Everyone threw away the picks and started digging with handle shovels.With concerted efforts, soon, a thing wrapped in sackcloth appeared in front of everyone.
Judging from the appearance of the bundle, it is very likely that there is a corpse inside.
大家有些意外，没有任何形态的棺材，没有随葬品，这个沙漠里突然兀立的胡杨木桩下，孤零零的埋着这个麻布包。
“打开查看！”吴老师简洁地下了指令。
打开麻布包的，是秦三玉。
此前他曾经面对过很多次开棺的经历。从“文革”结束开始，考古界逐渐复苏，政府和各行政区的考古事业日夜发展，秦三玉有幸从大学毕业开始，就参与了“文革”后的中国考古学重启的历程。他野心勃勃，胆大心细，一心想在考古学领域出人头地。
这一次，是他人生中第一次独立开棺，如果将这匹麻布看成棺材的话。他的手指有些颤抖，深深吸了口气，抬头看了看吴老师。
吴老师给了他一个肯定和鼓励的眼神，秦三玉不再犹豫，伸手向麻布包摸去。
“也许我们发现了塔东地区新的遗址？”赵明是乐观主义者，喜滋滋道，“或者搞不好小河墓地就在附近。”
“不像。”孙自强沉吟地看着秦三玉的手缓缓打开麻布，“我有一种不祥的预感。这个情况有点诡异。”
孙自强的话音未落，众人的眼睛已经瞟见从麻布包里露出的黑色一角。大家不再说话，屏息凝气地看着麻布被彻底打开。
当秦三玉彻底将麻布掀开之后，他愣住了。
背后的汗毛顿时竖了起来，心脏在胸腔里狂跳不已，他跌跌撞撞向后退了两步，跌倒在地。
没人对秦三玉的窘态发出嘲笑，甚至没有人注意到秦三玉惊恐而跌倒的身形。大家的呼吸快速起伏着，恐惧和疑惑像是海啸中的恶浪，砸向在场的每个人。
“这，这是什么鬼东西？”孙自强的声音颤巍巍的响起。
No one answered.事实上在场的每个人都回答不了这个问题。吴老师的手有些颤抖地摘下眼镜，擦了擦，又重新戴上，审视着眼前的东西。没错，它依然在那里，虽然死去，却狰狞依旧。
它全身黝黑，身形瘦小，长度约为120厘米。人形头颅小而干缩，手指呈利齿状，嶙峋黑色的皮肤让它的手卷曲着，下肢短小，几乎已经退化。
然而最让人心惊的，是随着麻布包的打开，它的身体也随之伸展开。一双黑色而巨大翅翼在它的身下骤然浮现，像是原本被翅翼包裹的黑卵，在血色夕阳里忽然释放，恣意舒张。
“这是人吗？”夏池的手一直下意识的放在枪盒处，眼睛凝视着地上的一团黝黑，“怎么会有翅膀？”
赵明咽了口唾沫，结结巴巴道：“我，我觉得我们发现了一个新的……物种。”
夕阳渐渐落下，黝黑的带翼人身安静冰冷的躺在坑穴里。大家的惧意和震惊逐渐消退，极力克制着自己的情绪，开始商量下一步的行动。
赵明和秦三玉主张明天进一步向下深挖，或许有其他意外的收获。孙自强和夏池则主张携带这个带翼人身返回马兰基地，最快速度送到乌鲁木齐做进一步研究。
2：2，大家的目光落在了吴应身上。吴应沉吟片刻，开口道：“我先和W先生联系一下，请示后再决定吧。”
令人奇怪的是，那个晚上的无线电仿佛受到某种磁场的强大干扰，一直只有噪声回音。此前虽也有磁场干扰，但一直还算畅通可用。吴应尝试了很久，无线电始终处在不能使用的状态。经过考虑，吴应向队员们宣布，明天清晨起来后整理出发，先行返回马兰基地待命。
“这个东西怎么办？”秦三玉指了指地穴里的带翼人身，向吴老师问道。
“先放这里，老孙，你拍几张照片。三玉，你做一下记录。今晚都早点休息，明天尽早出发。”
苍茫暮色笼罩了塔里木的大地。当孙自强和秦三玉完成了吴老师布置的任务后，落日的余晖在西边隐去了最后一点光泽。
It was completely dark.
“你还会跟我们一起再出任务吗？”
吃完饭后，秦三玉一边向帐篷走去，一边向夏池随意地问道。
“不，这是我最后一次外勤任务了。我将调回内地，批文已经下来了，如果不是这次有日本外宾，组织上也不会派我参加行动。”夏池如是回答。
秦三玉难以掩饰内心的失落，轻轻的“哦”了一声。
大约是为回马兰基地决定而高兴，夏池没有注意到他的表情，她的声音中满是愉快和期待：“就要见到我的宝贝女儿了，我已经两年没见到她了。”
她步履轻盈地向帐篷走去，高挑美丽的背影让秦三玉想起古希腊神话中的女神，那些美却可望不可即的女人。
他微微叹了口气，进了帐篷。
这一夜大家睡得都不踏实。昼夜温差的加剧让旷漠中的风愈发大起来，几乎是呼啸着穿过帐篷的缝隙，微微扫过人们的脸庞。吴老师和秦三玉聊到午夜，秦三玉有关古墓沟墓地和小河墓地文化圈的一些看法让吴老师大加赞赏。最后两人实在困得狠了，终于倒头睡下。
大约到了凌晨一点多的时候，秦三玉忽然惊醒，烦躁和胸闷让他知道自己又陷入了失眠。
他想披上大衣到外面走走，但帐篷外的风声猎猎作响，他怕受凉生病，只得作罢。这样躺着辗转反侧间，他忽然又听到昨夜的异响。只是今晚的动静比昨晚大了很多，越来越响，逼近帐篷。
秦三玉伸手摇醒了吴应，悄声道：“吴老师，您听，什么声音？”
吴应迷迷糊糊间坐了起来，片刻后帐外的异响让他清醒了过来。他一撑手爬了起来，披上大衣道：“走，去外面看看！叫醒其他人，让夏池带上枪。”
今晚的月亮分外大而圆，皎洁宁静的悬挂在半空中。秦三玉无心欣赏沙漠美景，正要叫人时，夏池、孙自强、赵明已经听到动静纷纷跑出帐篷。
这声音似乎并不遥远，他们四处张望，目力所及的范围内却无所获。片刻后，声音更加接近了。秦三玉听到一阵强烈的震颤，仅仅白驹过隙的瞬间，他看到一个黑影张开双翼，腾空而至。
黑影飞行在月亮之前，月光精确的描绘出了它的剪影。巨大的双翅像是死神的翅膀，它张着厉爪，两颗长而尖锐的牙齿在它呼啸间露出，泛着惨白的光。
一直以来，秦三玉的认知世界里一直把善看成是美的，恶是丑陋的，这几乎是全人类的共识。然而在那一瞬间，那个黑暗的剪影让秦三玉看得如醉如痴。力量，速度和决绝，仿佛黑影获得了上天的某种恩赐厚爱，悬浮在空中，它停留在胡杨木桩上空，似乎嗅着下面死去同类的信息。
“吴老师，那边……”赵明的声音已经走调，几乎带着哭腔。
顺着赵明的手指，能清楚地看到营地以西的地平线上，一个庞大的黑影扶摇直上，向已经飞到营地附近的双翼人形物追随而来。那个庞大黑影逐渐飞近后，秦三玉才看清，这是一个无数双翼人形物组成的黑柱，它们密集飞行着，昏暗中看起来像是一个狰狞鬼厉的巨大怪物。
“跑，快跑！”夏池第一个从这诡异壮阔的场景中清醒过来的人，她双手举起手枪声嘶力竭的喊道，“上车！快！”
秦三玉醒悟过来，拔腿开跑时才发现自己的腿已经发软不停使唤。夏池的声音似乎惊扰了木桩上面的双翼人形物，它扭头向营地这边，侧着脸，发出一声奇特而尖锐的叫声。片刻后它扬起双翅，俯身向营地这边俯冲了过来。
秦三玉跟在赵明身后，踉踉跄跄，连滚带爬的向沙漠车跑去。身后传来吴应的惨叫声和夏池的两声枪响，秦三玉回头望去时，吴应的半边脸已经被撕扯掉，露出模糊残破的血肉。吴应的叫声像是被生吞活剥时最后的挣扎，凄厉而惨烈的回荡在沙漠夜空。他手脚并用向前爬了几步，血在沙子上拖出一条粗厚的痕迹。片刻后终于支撑不住，他颓然停在了那里。
跑在后面的孙自强目睹了吴应受难的全过程。他跌跌撞撞一边跑着一边嚎叫，极度恐惧让他的尿液顺着裤管冰冷流下，滴答随行一路。
夏池脸色苍白，在原地站住，克制着惊慌起伏的呼吸，稳住手腕，举起手枪，向双翼人形物瞄准。
孙自强的嚎叫声让他成为双翼人形物攻击的第二个目标。它迅捷而至，在半空中划出一道凌厉的黑线，俯冲到孙自强的脖颈处。
夏池的第三发子弹打出，打中了双翼人形物的右翅。它摇晃了一下，随即身上又中了一发子弹。愤怒激发起的力量让它没有放弃目标，它奋力一扑，咬住孙自强的脖子，将他拖倒后，狠狠撕裂了他的脖颈。随即它转身振翅，凶恶地向夏池扑去。
赵明已经冲进沙漠车，手忙脚乱地发动起来。秦三玉紧随而至，拉开车门，狼狈不堪地扒住椅子，大腿蹭着踏板爬了上去。他大半个身子进入车内，与此同时夏池刚刚打出第四发子弹。
回头望去，夏池一边向沙漠车这边跑来，一边回头射击。双翼人形物的声音不再尖锐，一种让人胆战的低鸣音从它的胸腔里发出，它追逐着夏池，至死不肯放弃。越来越近的黑影庞大飞行群像是听到了首领的信号，齐齐向夏池扑来。
第五发、第六发，直到第七发子弹，那个为首的双翼人形物才踉跄着倒地。夏池握着手枪，全力向沙漠车这边跑来。在她身后，是死神黑压压的身影。
秦三玉声嘶力竭地喊道：“快跑啊，快！”
夏池拼命跑着，并不回头去看那些让人战栗的黑影。赵明咬牙盯着那些黑影追赶的速度，其中一些从密集飞行的队伍中脱离出来，俯身至孙自强和吴应的尸体边啃噬起来。在秦三玉还没有反应过来时，赵明已经踩下油门，沙漠车一阵颤动，像是一叹息的悲鸣，随即向前狂奔而去。
“你干什么？！夏池还没跑到！”秦三玉向赵明吼道。
赵明并不说话，脸色铁青，脚下的油门踩得更深了些，沙漠车抖了几下，更快地奔驰了出去。
“停车！”秦三玉又吼了一声，他抬头从后视镜里看到夏池并没有放弃，依然跟着车后狂奔着。他扭头从后挡风玻璃望去，有那么一瞬间，夏池的手几乎都要碰到车尾，然而人的速度终于还是不敌车速，她的手指在接近沙漠车的极限近距后又被拉开了距离。
她喘息着奋力跑着，与车之间的距离越拉越大。秦三玉伸出手，想制止赵明，哪怕让他放慢速度。然而后视镜里大群的黑影已经压了过来，腐臭腥甜的气息像是让人魂飞魄散的迷药，止住了他伸向赵明的手。
从后挡风玻璃看去，夏池踉跄着又跑了几步后，终于意识到她永远不可能追上这辆车了。她绝望而苍白的脸庞在月光下美得让人心碎。停住脚步后，她凝视了这辆车最后一眼。
她身后的影已经近在咫尺。秦三玉不忍再看，回身用手捂住头，埋在膝盖上。
车后传来远远了第八声枪响，五四手枪里的最后一发子弹。
秦三玉紧紧抱着头，浑身颤抖。他无法遏制自己剧烈的喘息，先是哽咽地抖动了几下肩膀，随即再也控制不住，痛哭出来。
one year later.
依然是九月明媚的阳光，灿烂地挥洒在院落里葱郁的植物上。从秦三玉办公室的窗子，能听到楼下文物所大院里小鸟欢快的叫声，能听到北京南路车来车往的鸣笛声。他始终保持着整洁的习惯，办公桌上的书籍、笔筒和宗卷，一丝不苟依次摆放在它们应该在的位置。
一切好像都没改变。他依然英俊迫人，举止间多了份沉稳。冬天深蓝的中山装，夏天洁白的的确良衬衫，四季就这样悄然轮转了一回。
一切好像都改变了。他被破格提拔，当上了研究室副主任。他和所里一位刚分来不久的打字员结了婚，婚礼简朴而隆重，所里领导都到场祝福他们。他极力想让自己的生活走上轨道，躲避内心时时浮现的恐惧和悲哀。
他始终承受着噩梦和失眠的困扰。半夜醒来时，看到惨淡的月光从窗棂透入，他大汗淋漓，夏池那张苍白而绝望的脸在他脑海中始终挥之不去。他羡慕新婚妻子无知而无忧的生活状态，相比之下，他娇小妻子的最大噩梦不过是菜场的葱又贵了两分钱而已。
九月的乌鲁木齐依然炎热。秦三玉坐在宽敞的办公室里，翻阅着世人所称的“楼兰美女”铁板河发掘报告，心中烦闷而焦躁。他拉开办公桌右下最底的一个抽屉，里面除了一个上锁的铁盒，空无一物。打开铁盒，里面有一个封面印着李铁梅的厚厚笔记本。
这是他的日记。
这是他心灵的出口，是他被噩梦追逐到无路可退时最后的救命稻草。他秘密而深重的忏悔，自我辩白或自我厌弃，都写在其中。
“……当我清醒过来后，意识到我们无法向组织交代。赵明冷静下来，快到35团场时，他叮嘱我，其他三位同志的牺牲是因为我们在寻找小河墓地的过程中遭遇沙暴。我们不能带部队的同志去真正的现场指认尸体，因为那会暴露事实真相。至于W先生，赵明会告诉他那个胡杨木桩下一无所有，我们在第二天就已转移了……”
“我又梦见了她。这次她追上了车子，我把她拉进车内，但很快，怪物又追上了我们，将她撕碎……我竟然会因为这次活动而受所里嘉奖，破格提拔为副主任。疯了，这个世界和我都疯了……赵明早已回到北京，我给他办公室打电话，他总是不接。看来他已决意将我和罗布荒原彻底隔绝。我又何尝不想如此，可是内心时刻的煎熬将我疼醒过来。我知道自己将会受到惩罚，我亦会坦然接受。可是为什么会这样，为什么一切偏偏要发生在我身上？”
秦三玉的眼睛掠过自己熟悉的笔迹，呼吸粗重起来。他拿出钢笔，想在空白的一页上写点什么。烦闷和忧虑却又让他颓丧地放下笔，在室内如困兽般来回走着。
这时，红色的木门外传来几响敲门声。秦三玉调整了一下情绪，朗声道：“请进。”
门开了，一个中等身材，腰板笔直的男人站在门口。他深邃的目光望了望秦三玉，开口道：“请问您是秦三玉、秦副主任吗？”
这几日某历史杂志的编辑来信说要拜访，想和他谈谈关于小河墓地文化圈的论点，看是否能做一个专访。秦三玉以为来者是编辑，热情地将他迎进办公室，连声道：“是我。远道而来辛苦了，您……”
他一边倒茶一边瞄着访客。访客三十岁上下的年纪，不算英俊的脸庞上却有一股昂扬的气质，只是神情有些黯然。
他安静地坐在木椅上，双手放在膝盖上，开口道：“我是夏池的爱人，于宽严。”
“咣当”一声，秦三玉手中的茶杯掉落在地板上。杯子没有打碎，里面的茶叶却散落一地。秦三玉有些慌乱俯身拾起茶杯，尴尬地笑道：“见笑了，杯子上有水……滑了一下。”
于宽严站起身来，走到准备重新倒茶的秦三玉身边：“秦主任，您不必客气。今天我冒昧地来打扰您，其实只是想……”他的声音停顿了片刻，神情肃穆忧伤，“想知道夏池最后的时刻是怎样度过的。”
他的目光里有一种让人动容的力量：“女儿迟早会长大，会问她的母亲是个怎样的人，怎样走到生命的终点。我不想用谎言欺骗她，所以请您告诉我实情。”
秦三玉微微喘息了一下，走到椅子前坐下，双手撑在膝盖上道：“于同志，夏池牺牲的时候我们都很难过。我想组织上也将事实真相和你说过。夏池她身始至终，没有愧对人民子弟兵的称号，没有懦弱和失去勇气。”
于宽严点点头：“我知道，夏池她一直是这样的人。请您不要用官话来打发我，我想知道的，只是作为一个丈夫应该知道的真相。”
秦三玉望着眼前的男人，只有失眠时才有的恐惧和焦躁忽然占据了大脑，疼痛像潮水般涌进头颅。他强打精神，集中注意力思考了片刻，开口道：“我们在寻找小河墓地的途中，不幸遭遇了沙暴。夏池同志正和吴应、孙自强一组，我和赵明一组。当时沙暴很大，能见度极低……沙暴渐小的时候，我们找到了他们的遗体。不幸的是，新一轮的沙暴卷土重来，我和赵明同志决定驱车离开，向35团场求救，回头再寻找遗体。可是遗体再也没……”
“够了。”于宽严的声音有些激动，随即平息下来，“够了。”
仿佛为了调整自己的情绪，他走近桌子，拿起茶杯和热水瓶倒了杯水。
秦三玉痛苦地闭起了眼睛，头痛像钻进脑子里的魔鬼，将他折磨得不得安宁。片刻后他睁开眼睛，用力晃了晃头，提醒自己保持风度。
于宽严转过身，两个人的神情都恢复了平静。
“谢谢，这些话我都听过了。”于宽严的声音淡淡的，“不过还是谢谢您。”
他转身向门口走去，消瘦的背影落寞而沉寂。秦三玉站起身来，“您要走？我……送送您。”
“不必了，”于宽严站住脚步，摇摇头，“告辞。”
秦三玉目送着于宽严走出房间、轻声带上房门后，长长吁了口气，跌坐在椅子上。片刻后，他站起身奔到窗前，看到于宽严从研究所的大楼走出，经过院子出了大门。
于宽严在马路对面的公交车站停顿了片刻，似乎改变了主意，没有选择公交车而是步行，缓缓慢步而去。秦三玉的心中像是被什么刺痛了一下，用手捂住脸，顺着窗边的墙壁跌落下来。他坐在地板上，喘息了一会，抬头望着天花板，放任自己的思绪随波逐流，飘荡在罗布荒原和自己命运的上空。
他这样坐了一下午，内心深处不断的和自己对话，谴责和辩解让他几乎失控。直到下班他整理办公桌时才发现，他的日记本不见了。
于宽严走到北京南路的尽头，这里是一个十字路口。其实去哪里对他来说并没有区别，组织上已经找他谈话，希望他今年转业。考虑到夏池同志的牺牲，组织上会为他在老家安排一个体面的工作。
就像走到生命某个时刻，看似很多选择时，其实所有的路都指向最后一条。于宽严站在树下，点了根烟。
他在树下的石凳上坐了一会，心中做了个决定。第二天，他踏上了回库尔勒的路程。
于宽严接受了组织的转业安排。他给女儿写了封信，告诉她今年就能看到爸爸了。回到马兰基地后，他除了指导新兵手下一些基本技能知识，大部分时间都坐在床上发呆。他并没有阅读从秦三玉处带出的日记本，尽管凭直觉他知道真相未必如秦三玉和赵明的叙述。可是夏池已经死了，这是无法改变的事实。他用了一年时间来接受这个事实，一个没有言语，没有遗体的永别。人们常常以为故事或生命的某个转折，会伴以一声轰鸣，提醒你并唤起你的情感或反应。然而真实的情况是，它往往悄无声息，在你不知情的时候已经完成。于宽严开始相信所谓的命运，并接受了它。
夏池死后，他生命的一部分也随之结束。这个让他铭刻一生的女人，他的青梅竹马，他女儿的母亲，他愿意为之付出生命的另一半，像猝不及防断线的风筝从他的生活里永远消失。
当时中国正在进行核爆炸的竖井试验，于宽严所在的7169部队主要负责工程技术支持。在他转业前夕，作为连长他站了最后一班岗，接受了代号为“W7N6”竖井的挖掘任务。
竖井的作业场所在库鲁克塔格山区，这里还是当年苏联专家没有撤退前和中国科学家一起选址敲定的地方。从各项数据和指标看来，在这个仿佛失去生命的山脉环抱中是最适合进行地下核试验的场所。于宽严并没有因为自己即将转业而放低要求，他亲力亲为，带着老兵和新兵蛋子一起下地操作。
库鲁克塔格山脉脚下大都是戈壁。一望无际的黑色石头铺陈在干涸的孔雀河古道边，大风经常卷着沙子从南面席卷而来，让人呼吸都困难。生活艰难而枯燥，更不用说在盐碱地上作业的艰苦。
老兵里有个绰号埂子的小家伙，人很机灵，新兵蛋子们喜欢他，于宽严也喜欢他。埂子是湖南人，每当他吹起家乡的美味，尤其是红烧肉、辣味鱼头时，神采之飞扬，描述之细致，让新兵老兵无不动容，齐流口水。他很快当上了班长，经常拿于宽严吓唬手下。
“怎么着，又不听指挥？等下汇报给于连长，让你们见识见识于连长死人脸的威力！”
当时小兵看到了于宽严走到了埂子背后，埂子却不自知，依然口沫横飞。小兵使坏道：“班长，你就给咱学一个连长的死人脸呗！”
埂子最得意拿手的事情之一就是模仿于宽严。他用手摸着稚嫩的下巴，咳嗽了一声：“那开始了啊！”
说罢，他的两只手将眉毛拉成八字眉，看上去愁眉苦脸，嘴角故意下沉成鲶鱼嘴，压低喉咙道：“最近你们这个班的同志们有松懈情绪。虽然上个月拿到了优秀班，但是人能躺在功劳簿上止步不前吗？嗯？”
那最后一声“嗯”是