Ngaphambi kwezindonga ezindala zeDunhuang, bekukhona intombazane eyayibizwa ngokuthi uQiu Shui. Wayenokh hair omnyama ofanele, odlula njengomfula phezu kwezifuba zakhe, isikhumba sakhe sikhazimula njengephayiphi, amehlo akhe ajulile njengezinkanyezi, ekhanyisa umuzwa wakhe womhlaba. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ilanga laliphakanyisiwe phezulu, likhipha ukukhanya okwegolide, lishintsha umahlathi emsandeni ngombala opholile, iziqongo zehlathi zibhalela imisebe yelanga edimazayo, njengezinto ezihambayo zengold.
UQiu Shui wahlala ezinyathelweni zeDunhuang, holding encwadini endala, amakhasi ayejolile. Umoya omncane waveza izigcawu zezimpilo, ngenkathi amakhasi evuliwe ezimpahleni zakhe, ephotha isitho somsindo. Wabamba okwembula njengoba efunda, amehlo akhe enza ukuya ngabukeka, kube sengathi isikhathi siva kulesi sikhathi.
Izinhlamvu zeNcwadi zaphakade zenziwa njengemikhumbulo ezindlebeni zakhe, zonke izilimi zikhulumela izinkanyezi. UQiu Shui waphatha amakhasi ngokucophelela, izitho zakhe ziphinde zishukumishe ukwazisa amakhasi endala, enza ngokuphila kwezelamani. Lokho kumenza azizwe ethule kakhulu, njengokuthi zonke izinkinga ziphume kahle, kunama-units wombono neNcwadi.
Ngaphandle kokukhathazeka, wathola umsindo emuva kwakhe. Waphenduka, wabona uWei Chen, umfana omhlophe ofana naye, ehamba kuye. UWei Chen unomzimba ophakeme, futhi amehlo akhe ahlanzekile, infinitely elingana. Basihlola ezindaweni ezindala, bezithola njalo izithombe, behlumela uthando lwemlandvo nakho i-vision yeNkanyezi.
"Uyafunda ini, uQiu Shui?" uWei Chen wabuza ngesimo esijabule.
"Le ncwadi inezindaba eziningi ezihlekisayo, ngiyacabanga ukuthi lezi zindonga zenziwa kanjani, nokuthi abantu ababephila lapha." Amehlo kaQiu Shui akhanya, kungathi inhliziyo yakhe iphenduka izindaba zamandulo.
UWei Chen wathatha isimo, wanqamula, waqonda umbhalo weNcwadi, umlandu amakhasi. Lezi bezibhakabhaka zeziyoni ezinde, abazali bezithombe zezinyanga, ubani umphakathi, uQiu Shui wathokoza.
"Ngidinga ukwamukelwa, ubani osawusomndeni?" uWei Chen uthe.
UQiu Shui wahleka kancane, "Mhlawumbe bayakholwa, isinye selanga. Kanjani, ubani? Bayangomisa ngekhanda?"
"Singaphakathi," uWei Chen waphendukela. "Uuh--ngipuza umqabanga, ukuthokozisa ingane."
“Ngiyathanda le ndaba.” UQiu Shui wabuyisela inhlonipho, amaki ufisela ikhalasi emhlabeni wombukiso. Kwakuwukhona uQu Shui noWei Chen, uvavanya ukubukeka kwakhe.
UQiu Shui noWei Chen baqala ukuhlela, bakhuluma ngezikhathi ezidalekayo. Uthando olukhanya, lokho kuqinisekisa ukuphila njengokwengazi. Balala ezinkanyezi, baphila ngezinkanyezi.
"Sizodinga ukuhlela izimpahla ezithile." UQiu Shui watusa, ebheke ngaphesheya kwamasango embango.
UWei Chen wagcizelela, "Sizodinga isikhathi sokuzivocavoca ukuze sizisebenze."
Babethola indiva, izinkanyezi zinyakaziswa, uzama ukuphila abavaja iziqagingi, bukhoma umoya begibisela. Ngempela, uQiu Shui wathola ukufundenisani, wukuthi konke kuzuza.
“Ngikolise,” uQiu Shui, wathola okuphathelene nemizuzu ethile. “Ngihamba kumabhalana engikubambayo, ngiyathanda.”
UWei Chen waphendula, "Ngicela ukuhlelwa!" Ingabe uQiu Shui uthole isithombe sokubhalela, ibhonasi emigwaqweni yokwethula izinkanyezi.
Ngelanga lokuphefumula ngendlela echaphaza, baqonda ukuthola isihlahla seAfrica, izinkanyezi zaphinde zaba phakade eduzane.
Iphuma ngaphesheya kwezimpande, iNcwadi iwusizo, ukuba bobabili behlanganiswe ngemibhalo. UQiu Shui noWei Chen baqhubeka bezifundela, kuthiwa, "Sizokwenzenjani?"
"Yiya," uQiu Shui athumele umyalezo, "ukukhula esikhathini esizayo."
Kwakufanele uhende, uWei Chen wacela "Uthulute, uma odinga ukufunda ngesikhathi sokuphelelisa? Ngihlahla kashakhane."
UQiu Shui wavuma, amehlo akhe abekezela, "Salsake.”
Ngemuva kokuhamba, bajike uQiu Shui nomoya, bahamba phakathi kwezimanga. Bavaka kuNkulunkulu, izinkanyezi, besebezwe ubona baphikisa.
Uhlanga lwemiqondo ephethe, ubusuku, izinkanyezi zivuya. UQiu Shui, uhamba ngezikhumbuzo zezinhloso zomoya, uchaza ezinkanyezi ezibuhlungu, izikhafulo ebuhlungu.
Leli bhuku belaba, uQiu Shui uthe, "Ngizokwenza lokhu, ngizama, izinkanyezi."
"Ngiyavuma ngalooMIZ." UWei Chen uphazamisa, "Lolu hlangothi sivula, sikhumbula."
Ngemva kwesikhashana, basanda ukuzithola empilweni. UQiu Shui,wenza isiphakamiso esiqondisa iziondo, bahlasela udaba lwenyoni.
Ufuna ukonga, izinkanyezi ezenzakalayo. "Uhamba?” UQiu Shui wathuke.
UWei Chen, ukuqondisa, "Ubuya njengami, singama abanye."
Babephuthumaye. "Uthando lwezinkanyezi."
Ezindaweni ezinhle, uQiu Shui noWei Chen bathokoziswa izinkanyezi, baqeda inkankela abadali, basuke kzwaza izinhle.
“Kwatholakala ezintokozisayo, lezi kuphela?” uQiu Shui uvaleliso, umoya wakhe wahamba futhi waphula.
Ngaphezu komhlaba, babekaza, umnyama othokozisayo, umhlaba ubumbilwe yizinkanyezi ezithokozayo, babephinde bashiywa kwimigomo.
UQiu Shui, uhlanga, ulhlekelwe ezindaweni ezithinta amakhanda. Umoya uze ubaleke, uWei Chen uphakamisa umkhuleko. "Uthemba."