Esigodini esiyinqaba, ilanga lidlula phakathi kwemithi emikhulu, lihlukanisa imisebe yokukhanya, ibonakala ishisayo kakhulu. Le ndawo imangalisayo ingumndeni kaRunchen, umfana ogcwele amandla, onenhliziyo efuna ukuwina izaziso. Edlula phambili, kuhlala ikakela elibizwa ngokuthi uXiaobai, ikakela enezinwele ezimhlophe okufana nesithonjana, nenhliziyo eqinile nomusa okaRunchen.
URunchen noXiaobai bahlale bephupha ngokuqhubeka nokweqa emhlabeni wezokuncintisana, basebenza kanzima nsuku zonke ukuze bafinyelele lezi zifiso zabo. Bakholwa ukuthi uma bezikhandla, bangakwazi ukuthola impumelelo. Ngosuku olunomoya opholile, uRunchen noXiaobai bahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla, bacabanga ngezinhlelo zabo ezizayo.
“Runchen, kufanele siqale ukufuna amathuba okusebenza, ukuze sikwazi ukuqoqa imali yokwakha amaphupho ethu,” kuyacelwa uXiaobai ngezwi lakhe elikhanyayo.
URunchen uvuma, amehlo akhe ekhanya ngithemba. “Yebo, singaya emaphethelweni esihlahleni, sizobona uma kunendawo edinga usizo. Ngizwa ukuthi bakha kwi-club yezemidlalo lapha.”
Ngakho, baqala uhambo lwabo lokuhlola. URunchen noXiaobai badlula phakathi kwemithi, beya emaphethelweni esihlahleni, baye emnyango we-club yezemidlalo. I-club ibukeka igcwele impilo, odongeni bayo kudweba izithombe ezihlobene nezemidlalo, kwehlelela abezemidlalo abaningi.
“Hey, ngicabanga ukuthi singababuza ngama-job!” uRunchen wethula isibindi, angene kwi-club.
Ku-club, umqeqeshi onesikhumba esiqinile ubeyala iqembu labasubathi abasha. URunchen waya phambili, azame ukuheha ukunakwa komqeqeshi. “Hello, Mqeqeshi! Mina noXiaobai sifuna ukusebenza lapha, sithanda ukusiza ngezinto ezithile. Sihamba ngezinyathelo eziningi!”
UMqeqeshi waphendukela, wamamatheka. “Oh? Nina bobabili? Angikaze ngibone lezi zinhlelo. Ngabe niyiqeqesha impela?”
URunchen uphendula ngokuqiniseka: “Yebo, siyazilolonga, siphupha ngokuqhamuka kwezinkanyezi ezaziwayo."
UMqeqeshi wabheka phansi, wacabanga, “Kulungile, ngiyavuma. Kodwa kufanele nibonise amakhono enu. Lokhu kuzongisiza ukuba ngazi ukuthi niza kanjani lapha.”
URunchen noXiaobai babheka omunye nomunye ngeso elijabulisayo, baxhumana ngokucacile. Bafuna ukuzama, uRunchen waqala ukuzilolonga, kanti uXiaobai uhlezi eduze, ebhucungulualu emathangeni, agibeli emhlabeni, ekwenza kuqhakaza. Lokhu kwenza abanye abasubathi kwe-club bahlale behlonipha.
“Unobukhosi okuphelele, niyinto enhle! Masiyiqale ukuhlunga okanye izinsiza,” umqeqeshi ubejabulile, ewakhumbuza uRunchen noXiaobai.
Ngakho, uRunchen waqala ukusebenza kanzima. Waphakamisa umshini wezokuzivocavoca onzima, ecabanga ukuthi kuyindawo azosebenzela khona. Ufisa ukuphila ezweni lezokuncintisana, enza amaphupho akhe abe ngempela.
Ezinsukwini ezilandelayo, uRunchen noXiaobai baqala ukuphila kwabo kokusebenza. Njalo ekuseni, babefika kwi-club, beqala ukuvuka, bese besiza ukuphatha izinsiza, behlanza izindawo, noma besiza ukufundisa abasubathi abasha. Kancane kancane, baqala ukudala ubungane nabanye abasubathi.
Endaweni ethile, uRunchen noXiaobai babamba iqhaza emqhudelwaneni weqembu. Ngelanga eliphezulu, uRunchen ubukeka ebhokisini, ebambisene noXiaobai, bephokopha imizamo. Bonke bebebumbene, befaka emhlabeni, okwakuhamba ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. URunchen uzama ukufinceza izinyathelo, eshaya kubantu abanembile, evula izandla, ebambisana nabo.
“Xiaobai, kufanele silwe ngezinsuku ezinzima!” uRunchen waqina, amehlo akhe akhanya ngokuqiniseka.
uXiaobai ubhukuda bekubehlanga, abesezitha yimpumelelo. Njengoba umqhudelwano uqala, uRunchen uthola imfudumalo, uzizwa ethe xaxa. Uxoxa nomgibeli ophilayo, echochisa imizuzu.
Emqhudelwaneni, uRunchen uqhubeka edlula imikhawulo yakhe, eqeda nezinsendo ngezinsuku ezinzima. Edlula, uXiaobai uthumele, uthanda ngeji, eqinisa iRunchen ezintweni ezifanele. Bagijima kahle, konke kuhle kakhulu, bangaphula umoya weqembu phakathi kwabo.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngaphakathi kokukhala kwi-stadium, uRunchen noXiaobai behamba phambili, kuthola izimpendulo ezinhle. Izinsuku zabo zikhumbuza uRunchen, umuzwa wakhe ubuhlungu, noXiaobai uyothola uhambo lwakho. URunchen ubheka uXiaobai, akhupha umamukeli, ubambe uXiaobai, uzongena emaphuzwini.
“Xiaobai, siphumelele!”
uXiaobai uphathe, ekhokha imizamo yabo. Ngaleso sikhathi, uRunchen uthola inhlonipho engajwayelekile, uyazi ukuthi le mpumelelo iyinkomba yokusebenza noXiaobai.
Ezinsukwini ezizayo, uRunchen noXiaobai bahlola umhlaba, niphephile kulabo abasha, behlola isikhathi esinembile. Basha, bahlukiwe, kodwa isikhathi esihle ngabe bona, uhamba esibukweni somzimba.
Lapho behlola izinyathelo zomhlaba, uRunchen mana, obhalela ngeingiziyo ezicacile. Yize ngabe ngubani, ukukhokha izinyathelo ezinhle. URunchen ubona impumelelo, kungakholi, kepha impumelelo yodwa yedwa.
Noma ngabe udinga isikhala ngaphezulu, amahora amaningi njengeXiaobai, usakhumbuza ukuzithokozisa kuya eNingizimu. Ngibonga uXiaobai ngokuba khona njalo, ukwakha lolu hambo. Kokubili ebholeni uRunchen, uzomhlangula ekuphumeleni.