Friends who know some about Xinjiang should know that the northern part of Xinjiang (Northern Xinjiang) is rich in aquatic plants, with forests, grasslands and lakes everywhere, and the climate is better. The southern part (Southern Xinjiang) is far behind, basically barren mountains, deserts and Gobi. However, some people vowed to claim that an oasis with rich water and grass was found in the depths of the Gobi in southern Xinjiang, where Mongolian compatriots lived. That person is the protagonist of today’s story, Lao Li.
It was 1993. Old Li worked as a driver in a bureau in Ruoqiang County. Ruoqiang County is located in Bayingoleng Prefecture, on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, with a very remote location. So far, the population there is less than 80,000. But this county is huge, equivalent to the area of five Zhejiang provinces, and it is truly vast and sparsely populated. Of course, the vast land here is entirely Gobi barren mountains and deserts.
It was one day in the summer of 1993. Lao Li sent a bureau leader to Korla to catch a train to Urumqi for a meeting. The desert highway had not been completed yet, and it would take two days at the earliest to travel from Ruoqiang to Korla. After sending off the leader, Lao Li took another day off, and then drove back to Ruoqiang.
After a day, it went well. But in the afternoon of the next day, seeing Ruoqiang approaching, the road ahead was indeed blocked by the construction team. Going forward and asking, it turned out that the mountains on both sides of the road collapsed, blocking the road. Can only use the sidewalk. Lao Li had no choice but to turn to the sidewalk. Although it is a sidewalk, it can only be called a rut strictly. Because the collapse came suddenly, the master of the road maintenance section could only use a large truck to roll a trail in the valley on the side to bypass it as a temporary passage.
That side road is also really difficult to walk. Lao Li drives a normal Santana. It’s okay to drive on the asphalt road. But here, the road is extremely rugged, and Lao Li’s Poussin can only Drive slowly, there is a danger of overturning if you are not careful. After driving for about two hours, I haven’t gone out yet. Old Li panicked. Why is this path so long? Is it a mistake? Lao Li stopped the car and stretched out his head to look out the window. At this look, Lao Li found that the track marks in front were gone! !
How is this possible? Obviously followed the rut marks? Why is it gone? Lao Li panicked, got out of the car and looked at the road he had walked. Only the traces of his car! Old Li thought, that’s awful, it’s a fork. So, Lao Li turned the car again and drove back to find the terrible track mark. Lao Li drove back for seven turns, but he couldn’t find the tracks on the sidewalk. Lao Li is also a veteran driver, and he is convinced that he should be walking in the right way, but why is the road gone? Old Li was puzzled. After spinning for about an hour, seeing the darkness go down, I couldn’t find the way. Old Li had to admit that he was lost. At this time, he was already hungry and thirsty. The water in the car had been drunk long ago. At that time, mobile phones were far from widespread. Old Li knew that if he couldn’t get out of here today, it would be bad.
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Just when the tired old Li was about to despair, he suddenly foundThere is a very hidden path down the mountain. Old Li was overjoyed, there is hope if there is a road! No matter how much, Lao Li drove to the entrance of the small road. The road was very narrow, at the gap between two mountains, and could only accommodate two cars passing by side by side. Lao Li didn’t think much, and drove the car in.
This is a downhill section. After Lao Li drove for an hour, it was already dark. In the faint valley, only Lao Li was walking on this mysterious road. Old Li was a little scared in his heart, but he firmly believed that this road would definitely lead to people. It is strange that this road has been downhill all the time, and the slope is quite steep. Looking at the topography, this road seems to lead to a basin, but Lao Li has stayed in Ruoqiang for more than ten years and has not heard of any basin. But now I don’t allow Old Li to think too much about it. The top priority is to drive to the end.
After driving for about half an hour, Lao Li suddenly felt that his eyes suddenly opened up. The mountains on both sides were gone, and it became a huge downhill, and there were no roads. Among. And where this downhill leads, Hei Youyou can’t see anything. Old Li’s heart is cold, is it wrong again? But now that
has come here, let’s continue down the slope.
Due to the downhill slope, Lao Li can drive easily. I don’t know how long I drove, Lao Li was already hungry and thirsty. When Lao Li was almost unable to hold it, he disappeared from the downhill. The car drove on the flat ground and finally reached the dense pine forest! It’s weird, Ruoqiang is a well-known poverty-stricken and rainless county in the country, where is the pine forest? Lao Li got out of the car, only to feel that his feet were soft, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be grass!
Lao Li looked around, where is this? There are dense pine trees all over, and he is actually in the pine forest! There must be people with pine trees and grass! Regardless of fatigue, Lao Li put the car in place (the road ahead was gone) and walked towards the depths of the pine forest.
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After walking for a while, I saw the light, and Lao Li finally saw hope and approached the light. It turned out to be a yurt, and Lao Li knocked At the door, an old Mongolian lady walked out of the yurt. Old Li made a gesture to explain her experience. The old lady was kind enough to let him into the yurt and made him a bowl of tea. Lao Li looked around. The facilities in the yurt were very rudimentary. There was no electricity. It was illuminated by a kerosene lamp of unknown age. A portrait of Genghis Khan was prominently hung. It seemed that only the old lady lived here. Old Li made a gesture to explain that he would stay overnight tonight. The old lady smiled and agreed. Pointing to himself, and to the outside of the yurt, posing for a sleeping position, Lao Li understood that the old lady had let him live in the yurt tonight, and he was looking for another place to live. Old Li was very moved, the people here are so simple.
This night, Lao Li had nothing to eat, so he fell asleep after drinking a few bowls of tea. Early the next morning, Lao Li got up and went outside. Once again, he was stunned by the beautiful scenery around him. This is a grassland and pine forest in the mountains, full of greenery everywhere. There are a few yurts sparsely in the distance. Sheep in the distant mountainsIn the middle of the meadow grazing, several Mongolian herders rode to the distance. After a while, the old lady came back and brought him milk tea and shortbread. Old Li was hungry a long time ago, and gobbled it up.
To eat and drink, Lao Li gestured and asked about the way out. The old lady shook her head. Old Li was a little disappointed. He asked several Mongolians around, but they didn’t know. Old Li thought it was weird, wouldn’t they go out? Lao Li couldn’t help it, he couldn’t delay, anyway, he was full and he decided to find his way.
Lao Li took the kettle from the car and poured a kettle of water from the old lady. When I got in the car, I came to the downhill road I came in last night. Old Li thought, find the way back, maybe there is hope, but not come back again. When he reached the intersection of the downhill road, Lao Li looked at the beautiful grassland and pine forest again. He couldn’t figure out that there was such a beautiful land deep in the desolate mountains. With emotion, I drove into that mysterious road.
The uphill is more difficult, and it took Lao Li for a long time before he came out from the end. Because it was still early and he was full again, Lao Li was in good spirits. After turning a few turns, he quickly found the rut marks on the sidewalk. Lao Li followed the rut and drove out without getting lost this time.
Back to Ruoqiang, Lao Li asked a lot of people, but he didn’t inquire about the place. They also thought that Lao Li was joking, how could there be grasslands and pine forests in this arid ghost place? Lao Li had no choice, so he didn’t ask.
Later, Old Li drove to the place where he lost his way and wanted to find that piece of land again, but strangely, the downhill road in the valley was no longer found.
Until now, Lao Li still misses that dreamy place. He believes that the mysterious and beautiful grassland is still hidden in the deep mountains near Ruoqiang, hidden in an unknown place deep in this state-level poverty-stricken county known for its drought and water shortage.