Ekuseni elikhanyayo, ilanga elibomvu lihlaba ngaphakathi kwezintaba, kusetshenziswa izigodi eziluhlaza zesigodi saseBanawy. Le ndawo ingaphansi kwezigaba eziningi zamawadi aluhlaza, kubukeka njengomfanekiso omuhle wombala, lapho wonke umumo we rice ubonakala uthokozisa, kufana nokukhuluma ngezindaba zawo kubantu. Umoya lapha uhlanzekile, umoya wezimvula uhwamuka, uhambisana nephunga elifudumele lesiphumo, okwenza umuntu azizwe ethule. Nokho, ngaphakathi kwalolu thule, intombazane ebizwa ngokuthi uXuan Yao ime emaphethelweni, igcwele ukuphazamiseka nokungabaza.
Izinwele ezinde zikaXuan Yao zikhanya njengomoya, zibonakala zizungeza kahle. Ujolisa kafushane, ebuka izigodi ezivela phansi, izinkuni zibhakabhaka, kufana nokukhuluma naye. Kulolu suku, imizwa yakhe ikhethekile, ngoba ubhekene nokukhetha okukhulu. Umfanekiso obukeka kahle phambi kwakhe, kodwa ngemuva kwakhe kukhona ukukhathazeka okungapheli enhliziyweni yakhe.
"Ume lapha, ungeke uyazwelana na?" eduze, umngani wakhe uCheng Ming ufika, evusa izingalo, ubuso buphilile. "Isiteji lapha singenza umuntu afune ukuphuma!" uthokozisa, ezama ukwenza uXuan Yao azizwe ekhululekile.
UXuan Yao uphakamisa ikhanda, ujolisa kuCheng Ming, umamatheka kancane, kodwa ubumnyama emehlweni akhe abuqedwa: "Cheng Ming, ngiyazama neze ukukhetha. Ngabe ngizohlala emzaneni, ukuphila impilo evikelekile, noma ngiyohamba ngifune izinto ezingaziwa?" Umoya wakhe uphakathi kokuncipha, ungazange ungabi namandla.
"Le yi mpilo yakho, kodwa noma yini oyikhethayo, ngizokweseka." UCheng Ming uyamkhuthaza, imisindo yakhe inezwa njengomthombo wokuphila, "Ng kuphela ungazi kahle intshisekelo yakho, umhlaba wangaphandle ubukeka kanjani, kufanele uqonde kuqala ukuthi ufuna ini."
Ngaleso sikhathi, inhliziyo kaXuan Yao yahlala encanyelweni yokufudumala. Kucabanga ngeminyaka edlule, wabona nabantu baseZimini, abasebenza ekukhanya kwelanga, behamba futhi belala, baphila impilo ejwayelekile kodwa evikelekile. Futhi le ndaba ehlangene enhliziyweni yakhe ibonakala iqhaqhazela.
"Ngingalungiselela le ndawo edumile yeziqhamo, lezi zindaba ozaziyo." Ilizwi likaXuan Yao lagcwala uthando, iphakamisa iso lakhe, liphonsa phezulu njengemoya opholile, kukhanya amathuba angapheli.
"Le ndawo ayikaze ibonwe ngabantu abaningi, ungaphi?" UCheng Ming ubuka yena, ekhathazekile kodwa emkhathazekile.
"Ngingabheka abantu abahamba kulezi zigodi, ngicela ukuba bayazise ngendlela. Ngifuna ukwazi, iqhamo leziqhamo zempela zikhona?" Inhliziyo kaXuan Yao igcwele ithemba nokungabaza.
UCheng Ming uvuma, ubuso bakhe busithokozisa: "Uma usunqume, masihambe! Nami ngifuna ukubona le ndawo edumile yeziqhamo."
Bavumelene, uXuan Yao noCheng Ming bahlelekile ukuqala uhambo lwabo ngosuku olulandelayo. Ubuso bangaphandle bushisa, ukukhanya kweNyanga kudlula ezihlahleni, kukhanya ezindaweni ezinhle, busenokuthula. Intombazane ibingaphakathi yokucabanga, imicabango izungeza ngezinto ezibhalwe ngomoya ezinhle, uqhaka ehluleke.
"Ngempelasonto singaqala uhambo olusha." Utshela, agcwele umoya oheha. Njengoba ubusuku bufika, uXuan Yao uyaphupha ngaphansi kwezinkanyezi, ubona le ndawo ethakazelisayo ezingenakukhethwa.
Ngempelasonto elandelayo, ilanga likhanya emhlabeni, uXuan Yao noCheng Ming bahlangana phezulu komuzi, bebamba izikhwama ezilula, benza uhambo oluya ezindaweni ezingaziwa. Ngomphefumulo osondelekile, bahamba indlela elingana, behlela ukwabelana imizwa yabo ngomfanekiso omuhle obathola eziphenyweni zeqhwa.
"Umoya lapha ubuhle, kuyajabula!" UCheng Ming uphakamisa umoya, ekhuluma kahle.
"Yebo, kodwa qaphela indlela phambili." UXuan Yao uyakhumbuza, nakuba ezela umoya, akakhohlwa ukuphepha. Nokho, ujolise, uhambo aluxhaswanga njengoba bejwayele.
Rugging, indlela iba yinde, nezinye izihlahla ziyavela, ilungele ukunciphisa okukhanyayo. Inhliziyo kaXuan Yao igcwele ukungabaza, ingabe lokhu kungenzeka kube indlela yeziqhamo?
"Ubona, kubukeka sengathi imizila yomhamba." UCheng Ming uphakathi kokubona ithemba.
Bajoyina uhambo, behamba imizila engakhethwa, inhliziyo igcwele ithemba. Nokho, lapho bejolisa ehasheni elijulile lezi zintaba, kubonakala kabusha izihlahla ezinkulu, indawo engaziwa ibakhathazile. Iqondo elibucayi lishaya amandla.
"Yini edlula? Le ndawo ibonakala ihluke, akukho umholi." UXuan Yao uqala ukuba nobuhlungu.
"Kulungile, issohlana lapha kube qede." UCheng Ming uvuma, izwi lakhe libheke phansi, lokho kube yindlela yokumnika uHand de. Bobabili bahlala ohlotsheni olukhulu, bekhumbula pusho ekhanda kwabo okungalungile.
"Ngicabanga sengathi nginyamalale." UXuan Yao uphekela kancane, kodwa aphelele ngesimo. "Ngabe kufanele siphinde?"
"Sengikhuluma, umoya uwugqibe, asifanele sishaye phansi." UCheng Ming ubonisa ukhululekile, "Ngiyakhawuleza ungazikhohlwa, leziqhamo zikhona phambili, ungalokothi uyapheka."
Umoya kaXuan Yao ucacile, uhlanganisa amehlo akhe, abona isibindi sakhe. Ngaleso sikhathi, ukumiswa okuqhubekayo, ziphakamisa ithemba.
Ngakho, basungula izikhwama zabo, futhi babuyela uhambo lokufuna le ndawo yeziqhamo. Bajeseka, behambisana, babelana ngamaqhawe nezifiso zanoma ubani.
Njengoba isikhathi sithuthuka, ilanga likhanya phakathi kwezihlahla, kuveza izifiso zabo. Uhambo lwezimo luhlala lukhubazekile, bezwa izinzwa ezinhle, kodwa bakhumbula ukuthi uhambo lungengabe nje abaqondisile.
Ngemuva kokuphazamiseka okulokhu kusebenza, izikhwama zalesi sikhathi ziqhuba umoya, kanti uXuan Yao akavumeli ehlukene. Ngaphezu kokuphaza, izikhathi zikhanya, ugibeli nemibono eqhubekela phambili.
"Bona!" UCheng Ming uphakanyiswa nolaka, "Lezi iziqhamo eziyaziwayo!"
UXuan Yao uhlanganyela, ubonisa ukuya ngenxa yalokhu. Lezi zikhwamzimba zaziqhaza, kubhalisa imibono emihle yanoma ubani, kuthi umoya ufunge ujulile, ufaka umoya olumba, ukuveza imizwa zabo ezenzakalayo بينها.
"Inkanyezi, siyabonga!" Uhlale ebhaliselwa uXuan Yao, imizamo ngokufundwa akufanelekile.
"Siyavuma, sikhona impumelelo emnandi." UCheng Ming ngesikhathi sokujabulela, kuyajabulisa kakhulu.
Baqedela ngenxa yezicjali ezemangalisayo, babhalisa ukusuka impilo kaXuan Yao. Lokhu kuye ngoMhlobo, ukuze bajabule nansuk iziqhamo, bahlanganyela futhi bakhuluma.
"Ngiyintsha elula ebhalisile izinsuku ezimnandi." UXuan Yao uthule, izwi lakhe libhakela intokozo.
"Unamanga abantu, lezinsuku ezinhle zikhona." UCheng Ming uthethe izwi lakhe, lukhanya izinemfologo enhlaziyweni.
Njengokuthula kukhanya, izinkanyezi zikhanyiswe nesikhashana, futhi babuyele embozweni, ukuthi bepisana emhlabeni wezaqhwa, ingubo elibhalisile uyayekele).
Le ndawo ethokozisayo iphila ngaphakathi, ihamba esikhathini esizayo, imizamo eneqondo lemibheme, kuthi umfanekiso uyashintsha.