Huan She's hand stopped, paused for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes and smiled, a smile as gentle and radiant as the first rays of sunlight after a snowfall, gazing at her for a long time. She was touched by his sincere smile, her brows relaxed, and she returned a gentle smile as bright as spring sunshine and as fragrant as a field of flowers.
Hearing the commotion outside the tent, he said, "They're back. Let's hurry and grab some good food." Li Weiying nodded gently and helped him out of the tent. Tuxizhuoer and his men returned with the gazelles they had hunted, and everyone lit a fire to roast the meat. It had been a long time since anyone had tasted meat, and before it was even cooked, people were already scrambling to cut off pieces. Tuxizhuoer grinned and presented a large piece of lamb leg to Huan She. He had led the hunt and caught the gazelles that day, earning him much respect and admiration from the others. Huan She had also praised him, making him extremely proud. Huan She's hands were injured, so Li Weiying used a dagger to slice off pieces of lamb leg and feed them to him, much to the amusement of the Yanqi people. She remained unperturbed and calmly fed Huan She. Roasted meat without any seasoning was usually difficult to swallow, but Huan She ate it with relish, feeling that even the finest delicacies were nothing compared to this, and wishing this wonderful time would never end.
After the mutton was shared, the smoke from the cooking fires thinned, and the setting sun sank deeper. Li Weiying and Huan She watched the red sun slowly disappear, and a sense of melancholy welled up within them. She recited: "The sun and moon rise and set, why do they alternate and fade? My heart is filled with sorrow, like unwashed clothes. Thinking quietly, I cannot take flight." Huan She didn't understand what she was reciting, but he understood "cannot take flight." He drew the short sword she had given him earlier and plunged it into the sand. With a flick of his left fingertip, the sword trembled with a clang. The small black bird adorning the hilt, its beak holding a green leaf, trembled and swayed, accompanying the sword's clear, ringing sound, as if it were taking flight towards the setting sun.
She watched the little bird take flight, exchanged a knowing smile with Huan She.
*
*
*
PS: Guazhou in the Tang Dynasty was located in the area of present-day Anxi County, Gansu Province.
The Yumen Pass was originally located 50 li north of Guazhou, beside the Hulu River, but it is now submerged under the Shuangta Reservoir in Anxi County. The Yumen Pass that tourists visit today is a Han Dynasty site, and the location is different.
Shazhou during the Tang Dynasty is present-day Dunhuang.
Yiwu was a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, located in present-day Hami, Xinjiang.
Yanqi is also in Xinjiang.
Gaochang is located east of present-day Turpan, Xinjiang.
Huan She's military rank was Yihui Xiaowei, a seventh-rank official, wearing light green clothes and a silver belt with nine plaques.
Chai Lingwu was the son of Princess Pingyang, the aunt of Princess Xianyang. Princess Pingyang and her husband Chai Shao led troops in numerous battles, assisting their father Li Yuan in establishing the Tang Dynasty. Later, they were stationed at Weize Pass (present-day Mianshan Mountain in Pingding County, Shanxi Province), the western entrance of Jingxing Pass on the western side of the Taihang Mountains. It was later known as Niangziguan Pass, the gateway to Shanxi and the ninth pass of the Great Wall. Princess Pingyang was a highly accomplished military leader, but unfortunately, she died before the age of twenty-three.
Lines about the sun and moon: From the poem "The Cypress Boat" in the "Airs of Bei" section of the Book of Songs.
Chapter Six
6【The Vast Ocean】
The nights in the desert during winter are no ordinary cold. According to Comrade Zhidao Xiangsi's research, the daytime high in winter is only -20℃, and the nighttime temperature can drop to -40℃. What does -40℃ mean? Since Zhidao Xiangsi has only experienced temperatures of 0℃, she also finds this question difficult to answer. Considering that the Luhua orange juice at home froze into a crisp the other day, I can tell you with certainty that it is extremely cold. (Yesterday, the temperature suddenly soared from 3℃ to 20℃, forcing me to put away all my winter clothes and change to a thinner blanket. As a result, it dropped back to 8℃ this morning, and I was freezing!)
Although a fire was lit inside the tent, it seemed to emit a chilling aura, and cold winds kept seeping in from the tent's edges. Everyone was already exhausted from a long day's journey, and all they hoped for was a little more warmth to avoid freezing. If Supreme Treasure were present, he would probably say: "The night is long, and I have no desire to sleep."
Li Weiying shrank back, pulling her fur coat tightly against the cold, so focused on fighting the chill that she didn't hear Huan She calling her several times. Huan She gently pried open her fingers, which were gripping the coat tightly, and said, "Untie it." She exclaimed, "No!" Huan She said, "Don't be afraid, it's just that you need to wear it differently." He helped her take off the fur coat and draped it over her back. He also took off his fur coat and draped it over his own back, saying gently, "Just think of it as riding a horse during the day. I'm injured, so I can't leave you alone." He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his broad, strong chest. The two of them nestled close together, their bodies warming each other. The two fur coats, front and back, enveloped them like a large cloak, making them much warmer.
Although Huan She had already carried her while she was riding in the morning, Li Weiying's heart still pounded as they embraced face to face at night. She felt that her heartbeat was frighteningly loud, so she quickly closed her eyes and dared not think about it anymore. But she could hear his heart pounding faster and faster, accompanied by his heavy breathing.
Both of them sat there, their minds wandering, all night. As dawn approached, Huan She woke up first. Seeing Li Weiying's beautiful face, red and rough from days of wind and sand, he felt a pang of heartache and held her even tighter. She was a light sleeper and woke up immediately. Opening her eyes and seeing Huan She watching her, she shyly closed her eyes again. Huan She said softly, "I'm going out for a bit. You can sleep a little longer." He wrapped his fur coat around her and left the tent.
A biting wind swept over him, calming Huan She's surging heart slightly. He patted his slightly flushed cheeks, smiled gently, and sat down on the sand, watching the sun rise again. He planted his short sword in the sand, letting the small black bird on its pommel face the sun. Remembering what she had said yesterday evening, "It cannot fly," he flicked the blade with his finger and muttered to himself, "How can it not fly?" He heard her laugh behind him, "It insists on flying!" Huan She didn't turn around, just chuckled. She draped a sheepskin coat over him and sat beside him. "Why did you get up so early?" Huan She said, "There are no roads in this desert; I need to find my way." She hummed in agreement, watching the sunlight cast a shadow of the sword, then pulled out her dagger and planted it at the end of the shadow, saying, "Wait a little longer?" Huan She nodded appreciatively.
The small black bird on the sword pommel was still trembling slightly. Huan She said, "This little crow is quite cute." Li Weiying retorted, "It's a black bird!" Huan She argued, "A crow is also a black bird." She said, "This is a swallow. Xiu, a descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu, swallowed the egg dropped by the black bird and gave birth to Daye, who was the ancestor of the Ying surname. Qin, Zhao, Xu, Liang, Ma, Pei, Huang, and others are all descendants of the Ying surname. One branch of the Ying surname served as officials of justice from the time of Emperor Yao, and was called the Li clan. During the tyranny of King Zhou of Yin, Li Zheng was killed for his upright advice. His wife, Qi He, fled with their son, Li Zhen, to the ruins of Yi Hou. They had nothing to eat and survived by eating tree seeds. Later, they changed their surname to Li." She pointed to the green leaf held in the beak of the small bird on the sword pommel, "This is a plum leaf."
Huan She laughed, "The character '木' (wood) makes '李' (plum), but what about '木' (wood) makes '女' (woman)?" Li Weiying, hearing his subtle mockery, replied, "I only know '木' (wood) and '日' (sun) make '果' (fruit)," subtly implying that his name, "Huan," contained both "木" and "日." Huan She chuckled, "We two are like two '木' (wood) making a forest." She laughed too. Huan She continued, "The character '木' (wood) makes '杏' (apricot), '木' (wood) makes '桃' (peach), and '木' (wood) makes '梨' (pear). Hehe, if you ever come to Guazhou, I'll treat you to Guazhou's specialties: Li Guang apricots, Zi Yan peaches, and Xiangshui pears. They're incredibly delicious, bursting with juice with every bite, so sweet!" In this desolate desert, speaking of fruit, both of them were filled with envy.
Amidst their laughter and banter, the sword shadows shifted to another position. Huan She, wondering what to mark, was surprised when Li Weiying untied a jade flute from her waist and placed it at the new endpoint of the sword shadows. The colorful tassels on the flute immediately fluttered in the cold wind. Huan She stared blankly at the "Cao" character knot on the tassels. Beside him, Li Weiying had already drawn a line between the dagger and the jade flute. "This marks east and west." Huan She snapped out of his reverie and drew a perpendicular line from the point where the sword had stood to the line she had drawn. "This marks north and south."
As dawn broke, Yanqi people hurriedly came out, and seeing Huan She and Li Weiying already outside the tent, they turned and ran back to the tent. Watching them rushing about, she asked Huan She, "The shoes worn by Han people have upturned toes to prevent them from stepping on their long lower garments while walking, and also to project a refined and dashing image. The Hu people don't have this worry about lower garments, so why do their boots also have upturned toes?" Huan She said, "Ah? I hadn't thought of that." Seeing one Yanqi person after another rushing to the tent, he suddenly burst into laughter. Li Weiying said, "You must have figured it out now, tell me why!"
Huan She laughed so hard he almost choked, stammering, "Oh dear, but I told you, don't blame me... hahaha." She said, "Go ahead and say it, I won't be angry." Huan She suppressed his laughter, "I think it's probably because the Hu people travel through the desert all day, and the sand is loose and soft. When they relieve themselves, they always have to grab onto something to maintain their balance, and there are no trees or grass around... so they can only grab onto... oh dear... I told you I won't be angry." Li Weiying laughed and punched his arm, Huan She dodged, "If you hit me again, I'll die." She quickly asked, "Did I hit your old wound? Does it hurt?" He chuckled, "If you hit me again, I'll murder my own family..." He quickly swallowed the last word. She smiled gently, not angry at all, "You're good at everything, except for this mouth of yours." Huan She said, "Life is short, you always have to find some fun." Her face darkened upon hearing this, and Huan She also stopped laughing. The two were silent, just then Luo Kebu called them to eat, so they went into the tent.
The next two or three days were spent traveling. Besides the vast expanse of yellow sand, the Great Sand Sea also boasted some stunning scenery. There were the Dragon City landforms (now called Yardang landforms) resembling broken walls and ruins; low stone mountains in various colors of red, yellow, black, and purple; fallen and dead poplar trees stretching for miles; and clumps of ephedra growing close to the ground. There was a place piled high with natural spheres of all sizes. Tuxizhuoer had previously made a slingshot using sheep sinew and tree branches and was worried about not finding any projectiles. Now he had collected many small stone balls to keep. Even Huan She said that if so many stone balls as large as several faces were put into a projectile machine, he wondered how powerful it would be. There was another place covered with shells left over from millions of years ago. Just flipping over a stone revealed ancient plants that were as graceful and beautiful as lotus flowers. It was truly a testament to the vicissitudes of time. Li Weiying sighed, "The Great Sea Path isn't just the path through the Great Sand Sea; it truly is the path through the Vast Ocean. The person who named it was right." The most delightful surprise was finding a rocky beach, covered with glittering jade and agate stones of various colors. Everyone frantically picked them up, even Huan She and Li Weiying couldn't resist joining the crowd and collecting as many as they could.
Everyone was overjoyed. Even though Bachitu thought he had lost everything, he made an exception and brought out the two sachets of strong Western liquor he always carried to treat everyone. Li Weiying forbade Huan She to drink, fearing it would worsen his injuries. Huan She pleaded, "Good wife, please let me off the hook. I've always had a huge alcohol addiction, and I've endured it for so long. I'm afraid I'll die of craving before I even succumb to my injuries. You really care about me, so please let me have a cup." She couldn't persuade him otherwise and had to agree. The men drank heartily, quickly emptying the two sachets. Huan She, still craving more, complained of his unsatisfied state.
The joy of finding treasure and the revelry kept everyone fast asleep that night. It wasn't until Dreidwood, the first to rise the next day, cried out in alarm that everyone woke up.
Upon leaving the tent, Delaidiwo discovered that all the horses that had been tethered were gone. Shocked, they then realized that the Turkic captain was also missing. A closer look revealed that he had secretly escaped the previous night while everyone was drunk, stealing three sacks of water and two legs of lamb. It was likely he had ridden the lead horse, so the other horses had followed. This blow was like adding insult to injury. Firstly, without horses, they didn't know how long they would have to travel through this vast desert. Secondly, as they progressed, snow became increasingly scarce, and the group, fearing they would run out of water, had been extremely frugal, saving up five sacks of water, three of which were now gone. Their food supplies were also running low, making their journey across the desert nearly impossible. Several Yanqi men, who had always despised the Turks, immediately turned their anger on Tuxizhuoer and tried to shove and beat him. Huan She stepped forward to block Tu Xizhuo'er and shouted, "Don't blame him. It was my negligence, and the responsibility lies with me. I apologize to everyone." He raised his short sword and struck his thigh wound heavily, and blood immediately gushed from the wound. Li Weiying cried out in alarm and quickly bandaged it to stop the bleeding. Seeing this, no one dared to say anything more.
Huan She said, "Tuxizhuoer is just a child. He hunted gazelles, and everyone got a share." The others, remembering this, felt ashamed. Huan She continued, "For now, let's put aside our grudges against me and work together to overcome this difficulty. There are sixteen of us; no matter what, we must get out of the desert. No one can be missing." Turning to Baqitu, he quickly said, "Kekert is right. We must listen to him to return home." Luo Kebu, who admired Huan She the most, immediately added, "Have you all forgotten how Keert saved us? Anyone who crosses him, I'll be the first to chase them away."
After suppressing the anger of the crowd and calming down Tuxi Zhuoer, Huan She calmly made arrangements. Before finding the next water source, everyone's daily water intake was strictly rationed, and food was also rationed. With fewer horses to carry the loads, the goods and equipment were shared by everyone except Li Weiying. Huan She even took on the heaviest tent for himself.
The weather was bad that day; the sun was nowhere to be seen, rendering the method of orientation useless. Huan She hesitated for a moment, then found a piece of wire that had once pierced his palms and was later used to secure the corners of the tent. He broke off a short section, sharpened one end to resemble a needle, and hung it from the wooden frame where the water was boiled with a thin thread. Just as he was about to speak, Li Weiying silently handed him a silk handkerchief from her bosom. Huan She smiled slightly, thinking, "Weiying, you always understand me." He rubbed the needle repeatedly on the handkerchief, then gently released it. The needle, suspended on the wooden frame, swayed slightly, indicating north and south. He looked up at her with a smile, but her expression was grave. Huan She didn't say anything more, slung the packed tent over his shoulder, and said, "Let's go." He had only taken a few steps when the weight on his injured leg caused him to stop and gasp for breath. Li Weiying was so anxious that she wanted to relieve him of his burden, but he gently grasped her small hand. "I'm fine. It's just that I haven't moved around for a long time, and my thighs are all flabby. Can you find me a stick?" She found a wooden stick used to hold a kettle to boil water, and Huan She smiled and leaned on it. "This is good. But you mustn't laugh at me for being the Old Man of the South Pole." She nodded reluctantly.
The weather was freezing cold, his clothes were thin, a sandstorm raged, visibility was poor, and his injured leg made walking difficult. When he finally stopped to rest, Huan She was so stiff and aching that he leaned on his wooden crutch, but he was almost too weak to sit down. Li Weiying helped him sit down to warm himself by the fire, and he ate some dried mutton, which helped him recover a little. Seeing that she hadn't said a word, Huan She asked, "Are you angry with me?" She said sadly, "I'm not angry, it's just that seeing you torturing yourself like this..." She stopped mid-sentence. He said, "I was a little injured, but I've almost recovered. I'm perfectly healthy, you don't need to worry. Don't believe me? I used to be a first-class warrior in the garrison of Guazhou. I won first place in archery, horsemanship, and swordsmanship competitions every year, to the point that the commander of the vanguard forbade me from participating anymore. What a pity, what a pity." She said, "You don't seem like someone who cares about fame and fortune; winning or not winning awards isn't important to you."
Huan She was pleased to hear her praise him: "I don't really care, but the first place winner gets a fine wine. According to the imperial regulations, a prince receives nine dou (a unit of dry measure) of wine per month, officials of the fifth rank and above receive four and a half dou, and those below the sixth rank receive nothing. I'm only a seventh-rank official, so I have to buy my own wine. The military pay is limited, only enough for basic brews. If I win first place in the competition, I can drink the finest sake. The sake awarded to the first place winners of each competition is different." She smiled and said, "Then I'll have to ask you what kind of wine you've drunk. Jiannan Shaochun, Yingzhou Fushui, Lingnan Lingxi, Fuping Shidongchun, Xunyang Pengshui, Hamaling Langguanqing..."
He proudly said, "I've tried them all. There's also Yicheng Jiu Niang, Hedong Qianhe Putao, Xingyang Tutao Chun..." At this point, his expression turned somewhat somber: "My uncle once bought Tutao Chun by chance and was overjoyed, saying it tasted just like the local Xingyang. Unfortunately, he had already passed away by the time I got my name..." He then smiled bitterly: "It's fortunate that my uncle passed away early, otherwise, if he saw me as a fugitive today, he would probably be furious."
She comforted him, "He must be very pleased to see your abilities, loyalty, and sense of responsibility." He nodded, "I think I haven't let my uncle down in my actions." He sighed softly, "Speaking of winning battles, I owe a lot to Zuo Guoyi's guidance. He is my superior, my elder brother, and my mentor. I still remember when he taught me martial arts..." Li Weiying gently patted his shoulder, "Don't forget his kindness, repay him with fine wine, I understand. By the way, you said you drank Hedong Qianhe grape wine. I've heard that Gaochang grape wine is unparalleled in the world, comparable to Persia. When we go there, we must try it." He said happily, "If that's the case, I must make a trip there and have a good drink."
PS:
＊
＊
＊
Many readers are puzzled by the discovery of jade in the desert. I have answered this question before. Today, seeing LUOLUO's question, I am posting my reply to Jiajia back then, hoping to clear up the doubts of all readers who are reading this section.
Jiajia: I carefully researched the information about the Great Sand Sea, so all the plants, animals, and natural landscapes mentioned in my article are real. As for finding jade and agate, these are also things that some modern archaeologists and geologists have personally encountered. But I also wonder, if there are treasures, how could they have been found from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the 20th century? We can't even find good seashells on the beach now. Perhaps the Great Sand Sea route is too treacherous, few people travel it, and it's too long and deep; the Jade Beach is not a must-see for travelers.
During the Tang Dynasty, local winemaking was divided into fruit wine and yellow wine. Fruit wine included the Hedong Qianhe and Putao mentioned above, while yellow wine was divided into clear and cloudy varieties. Cloudy wine was not filtered to remove the lees, leaving behind greenish, ant-like dregs. This is why Bai Juyi wrote in his poem "Asking Liu Nineteen," "Green ant-like new wine, a small red clay stove." Du Fu wrote in his poem "A Guest Arrives," "The market is far, so the dishes are simple; the wine is only old brew, because my family is poor." Compared to the lowly status of cloudy wine, clear wine was much more refined. Li Bai wrote in his poem "The Road to Shu is Hard," "A golden goblet of clear wine costs ten thousand coins, a jade plate of delicacies is worth ten thousand coins," indicating that he was quite well-off when he wrote this poem.
Chapter Seven
7. [Illusion]
As the two were enjoying themselves, cheers came from the Yanqi people. It turned out that the Turkic captain probably couldn't control so many horses, and the horses missed their former master, so three of them ran back on their own.
Bachitu hugged the horse and wept, repeatedly saying, "My dear steed!" He often said that Yanqi had three treasures: fine horses, reeds, and licorice, especially emphasizing that the Yanqi horse was superior to the legendary Ferghana horse, capable of traveling a thousand li by day and eight hundred li by night. Previously, Huan She had compared the Yanqi horse to the standards of military horses, and although it was a good horse, it wasn't as amazing as Bachitu had claimed. However, having spent so much time with the horse, he had developed a bond with it. One of the three horses that had returned had carried Huan and Li before, and the two of them hugged that horse affectionately, calling it their darling. Huan She himself was hungry, but he fed it the last half of his biscuit.
With three horses carrying the goods and equipment, the journey became slightly easier, but the group still had to walk step by step. Huan She's injuries worsened in the bitter cold, especially his leg injury, which caused him to tremble with every step. In the end, he had to rely on Li Weiying's support to barely keep up with the group. He was about to say a few self-deprecating words to her when his weak voice was immediately swallowed by the fierce wind. Her delicate body clung tightly to him; several times Huan She's legs gave way, and it was only with her gritted teeth and support that she managed to keep him from falling.
The others weren't in much better shape. As they struggled to climb a gentle, not-so-steep slope, they were all so exhausted they swayed uncontrollably. Even when Luo Kebu, who was leading the way, excitedly shouted something, the others didn't understand for a moment. He said… camels? Huan She, whose eyes were almost closed from exhaustion, suddenly opened them—camels? Even without Huan She's translation, Li Weiying recognized them. The approaching dark mass in the distance was a herd of wild camels, running swiftly across the vast desert, kicking up clouds of yellow dust. A rough count revealed there were over a hundred of them. The group stared in disbelief, unable to believe that so many wild camels lived in this place devoid of water and birds.
Huan She, his voice hoarse, said weakly, "Untie the horses..." He then tugged at Li Weiying's arm, "Go untie the horses, let's catch up with the camels." She suddenly realized that camels were excellent mounts, and hurriedly told Luo Kebu and Tu Xizhuoer to unload the equipment from the only three horses they had. Huan She tried to mount the horse but couldn't manage it. Li Weiying said, "You stay here, I'll go... let's go together." Huan She shook his head, "You... the horse isn't fast... help me..." She knew that two people riding one horse wouldn't be fast, so she had to help him. However, Huan She was heavy and couldn't be helped, so she patted the horse's back and coaxed, "Good horse, good baby, please work a little harder, squat down a little, okay?" She actually told the horse to squat, and Huan She smiled, which aggravated his wound. Fortunately, the horse was familiar with her and obediently bent its legs halfway down, allowing Huan She to climb on. He then led Luo Kebu and Tu Xizhuoer on horseback as the three of them caught up with the camel herd.
Huan She and Luo Kebu both threw out ropes to try and lasso the horses and camels, but the horses and camels were running too fast, and they couldn't catch them. Tu Xizhuoer took out a slingshot and shot a stone ball at it. The wild camels had thick hides and flesh, so they weren't hurt at all. Instead, they were provoked, and several camels that were hit charged angrily at the three of them. Fortunately, they dodged in time, otherwise, if they had fallen off their horses, they would have been trampled to death by the hundred or so camels.
The three men chased after the camel herd, but for a time they were at a loss. Seeing several camels lagging behind and being knocked down by their companions, Huan She had an idea and gave instructions to the other two. Tuxizhuoer quickly rode to the front of the herd, simultaneously shooting at the lead camel with a slingshot. The lead camel retaliated and charged at him. Huan She and Luo Kebu flanked the herd from the left and right flanks, gradually leading them down a slope. Camels have a characteristic of always holding their heads high; while the posture is beautiful, it becomes a disadvantage for their large bodies when going downhill quickly. Huan She estimated that it was about time and shouted to Tuxizhuoer, "Retreat!" Tuxizhuoer darted away from the herd's path. Soon enough, some camels lost their balance and fell, followed by the others who collided and fell, piling up on top of each other on the slope in chaos. Huan She spurred his horse forward from the left rear, placing a rope around the lead camel's neck. Unexpectedly, the lead camel, which had already fallen, suddenly pulled the rope backward. Huan She, who had been chasing after it for a long time despite hunger, thirst, and pain, was exhausted and was immediately pulled off his horse. Seeing the lead camel about to rise and charge at him in a frenzy, Huan She closed his eyes, used his last bit of strength to flip over, and rolled down the sand dune. Seeing this, Tuxizhuoer flicked a large stone at the lead camel's neck, and Luo Kebu also placed another rope around the lead camel, finally subduing it.
Huan She tumbled down the sand dune and landed face down on the sand, unable to get up, his whole body trembling with pain. He was still conscious; when Li Weiying came to his side, he could still manage a soft laugh, but he couldn't speak, coughing up mouthfuls of sand. With Tu Xizhuo'er's help, she helped him sit up, constantly patting and brushing the sand off him. Huan She laughed as he fainted.
When he woke up again, she actually brought him a bowl of sweet camel milk: "Two camels just gave birth last night, and they're both white camels!" Huan She smiled bitterly: "Did I faint all night again?" He thought to himself that he had fainted all night just from falling down, and his health was probably deteriorating day by day. She comforted him: "You're exhausted, you only slept for one night." She fed him the camel milk, "But the mother camels didn't seem to like the babies that didn't look like them. They refused to take care of the calves and even spat on and kicked the other camels. It took them a lot of effort to milk the calves and feed them." Huan She was very uneasy: "I must have scared the mother camels." She comforted him: "Maybe those two camels were giving birth for the first time, so their tempers were bound to be a bit bad. The calves are very cute, do you want to see them?" Huan She leaned on her shoulders and walked to the camel herd. Sure enough, he saw two little white camels with long, blinking eyelashes, big, watery eyes, and slender limbs, which were very endearing. Wild camels are naturally taller and thinner than domestic camels, making these two newborn white camel calves look exceptionally beautiful. Huan She praised, "They have extraordinary physiques..." Li Weiying added, "They are excellent candidates for martial arts!" The two laughed together.