Ngaphakathi kwemikhakha emikhulu yeGobi, amakhasi egolide akhanya enkanyezini, ekhanya ngokuthokozisayo, njengokungathi izinkanyezi eziningi ziwela emhlabeni. Le miphumela ewula nehlelekile ibhidla izinganekwane eziningi zakudala. UChengyu neNkosikazi uYufei baphakamisa uhambo olukhulu olungakaze lubonakale.
UChengyu ungumfana ogcwele amakhaladi, onomzimba oqinile nogqozi. Enhliziyweni yakhe kubazulu ukukhangela okungaziwa, njalo umDreaming ngelanga lokuba athole izinsiza ezifihlekile kule Gobi. UYufei ungumfana onobuchule, amehlo akhe akhanya njengezinkanyezi, futhi ubukhona bakhe bukhombisa ukuqina nokuba nesibindi. Ukuhlonipha kwakhe uChengyu kube njengamanzi avulekile, kuqhubeka kuphakamisa inhliziyo yakhe.
Ekuvungula komoya, babona iphunga le-Ling Shun, elithi lezi zimbali zikhona ezindaweni zeGobi kuphela. Lokhu kwenza uYufei ajabule kakhulu, amehlo akhe akhanya, kugcwaliswa umdlandla: "UChengyu, kufanele sithole ezinye izimbali ze-Ling Shun, lezi yizimanga ezisemoyeni!"
UChengyu uhleka, ephakamisa umhlwane wakhe, enesimo sokukhuthaza: "Ngokuqinisekile, Yufei. Masihambe sithole! Uma unami, ngiyakholelwa ukuthi noma kunzima kangakanani, sizokwazi ukweqa."
Ihlanga lempelasonto livela, futhi kude phezulu kufudumala ngombala we-orenji, ukukhanya kwangaphandle kudlula kancane. Bana bahlala besebenziseni izandla ngokuhlakanipha kumgwaqo osezintabeni, futhi indawo yonke ibiqhakazile. Umoya opholile ungena, uthwala umoya omugqokayo eGobi, futhi imiphefumulo yabo isitotobela ngokungafani kuyashisa.
Ngesikhathi sobusuku bezinkanyezi, ukukhanya kweNyanga kuphume njenge-silver frost emhlabeni, uChengyu noYufei baqhamuka eduze komlilo, bephatha umsakazo omuncu, ubuso babo bushukuma ngezifundo ezivela emlilweni. Imiphefumulo yabo ibe seduze, imizwa iphenduka uhlanga.
"UChengyu, ucabangani ngalolu suku lweGobi, yiluphi ubumfihlo obufihlekile lapha?" UYufei ubuyela phezulu, ubukhona bumaphakathi kwezinkanyezi, izinkanyezi zikhanyiswa ngenhloso.
UChengyu ucabanga, izwi lakhe liphumelelayo: "Ngifuna ukuba lapha akukhona nje iGobi, kodwa futhi iyindaba eyimfihlo, ilindele ukuba sithole. Kumele sibe nesibindi nokuhlakanipha, sikhumbule ukuze sibhekane nomsebenzi ozalelwa yile ndaba."
UYufei akakhalali, ubuso bakhe bujabulile: "Yebo, sizoba abaphenyi beGobi, sizoshaya ukulala okuhlale kuqhamuka, sizophula imithi yokuphila!"
Usuku olusha lufika, ukukhanya kwezibhakabhaka kwaphakanyiswa ukulala. Bobabili baqala ukuhlela uhambo lwabo, ukukhanya kwasemini kuqhubeka nokukhazimula, kubonakala sengathi izikhali eziningi ziyavuma. UChengyu noYufei baqhosha izikhwama zabo, bahlola amanzi adingekayo nezidlo, belungiselela ukuhamba.
Ngaphandle kwezimpande zeGobi, ukuxoxisana kwabo kuduma endaweni engaphelelanga. "UYufei, uma sithola isihlungu esivela emoyeni, uzokwenzenjani?" UChengyu uphakamisa imibuzo.
UYufei uhleka kancane, izwi lakhe lihlelekile: "Ngizobamba ngesandla sakho, ngizokulandela. Noma sikhuluma kanjani, azikho izinto ezizohamba ngaphezulu."
UChengyu uzizwa efudumele, kubonakala sengathi wonke umoya ulungula izifundo. Uguqula umzimba wakhe, ugcizelela: "Ngakho sizokwazi ukweqa wonke amasha, sigubha ikhalenda elikhulu!"
Ngesikhathi imizwa yabo ibambene, kube nesithombe, izinsimbi ze-razor zathola, imvula yaza ezindaweni, umoya ohlanzekile uthola ukukhetha. UYufei uphakamisa, "UChengyu, masenthule, kumele sithole indawo yokuphuma!"
UChengyu uvuma, ukumisa ngaphandle kwezinye izidingo, uyafunda, iphenjwa ngobuhlakani. UThoko, UYufei, abangani, bathe phansi enqabeni evayo, behamba kancane, uChengyu noYufei bejolisa, ngenhlonipho yezenzo, bazokwazi baphinde babuyisele.
Izingwasonke zinyakaza, uChengyu uphakamisa kuye, uYufei. "Sikhona, Yufei, le Gobi ibalulekile," uxwayisa.
UYufei uhambe, ukuthokozisa komoya kudlula, ubuciko buphakanyiswa. UChengyu ubhula, uXholo uyahlula, ungakubi neze, usombulula uYufei, uYufei uphakamisa izandla zezifundo, uvuma baphumele.
Bawaqhubekela phambili, bezama ukuqhamuka ukuze bazivele. Isikhathi sokukhumbula: "UChengyu, ugama izinhlamvu kusho ukuba uthokoziswe nasemzini." UYufei wis, ububafu bakhe buwohlwa.
UChengyu uhleka: "Ngiyavuma, sizoba abphenyi sezigigaba zethu."
Iminyaka ikhuluma nobungane, iminyaka ibuye, baphume, ngokuhlobisa ithuna, bahlala bezama.
Kwamasonto, ukulungiselela, baqhamuka kunye, belungile ngokuphenya, kanti umoya uqhubeka phansi.