Winter pasture

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Journey for two or three days

All of us got up early when started. When dawn was a little, we began to pack up, load camels, catch up with horses and flock sheep together. Neighbors also helped us. At 7 am, the troops set out. My horse was pulled by Hu Lun Buick. It was so difficult for me to climb to the horse and brace when dragged saddle and clutched horse mane( because of too thick clothes…). At this time, grandma (Juma’s mother, who lived in the north of Ulungur River, the settlement in spring and autumn in this winter) went under the horse to draw chaparajos, which made it tightly cover ankle. I didn’t feel nervous by her carefulness and gentilesse. Right now, being dawn with fresh air, flock of sheep or goats got around to the road in the distance. Jiama shouted to me not far away for following. Waved and said goodbye to other people, I kicked horse belly and hurried with jog. The journey was two or three days. Jiama, the girl of 19-year-old and me were in charge of camels (30 camels) while flock of sheep or goats (near 500 sheep or goats of three families) and domestic animals were managed by Xin shen Buick, the close priest neighbor and Hu lun Buick, the partner for three days. Juma and his wife would reach by bus after 3 days, being ready for tons of foods, feeds and ice cubes. Compared with flock of sheep or goats, we walked faster to hasten to encampment and set up the temporary trilateral tent with preparation for the arrival of a large body of animals by hot tea. They slowly followed behind, gnawed withered grass and unmelted snow. It is hard to trudge, and they must eat things. In the morning, camels, flock of sheep or goats and livestock were walking together. They crossed suspension bridge above Ulungur River in formidable array, then went across the road of the south part of Ulungur River to climb to the gravel highland in the south. There was the boundless hilly country. After one hour, we were far away from villages near Ulungur River and came to the wilds. The world was left a dirty road with slight trace besides the rolling earth. When the sun was just coming up, sky was spacious. For a long time to go, but there was no rest, the animals felt uneasy. Sheep followed by goats, and the younger animals followed by the elder. Horses weren’t’ willing to go with cattle, but horses had to come together with horses-chasing and hiding, and a little confusion happened from time to time. Camels without threading through nostril were good for nothing, and they stopped for eating at the sight of small grass as big as finger, and fell behind without knowing on the way to a long journey. Two men cried out angrily to handle animals that were running left and right.

Only flock of sheep or goats throughout followed us, moved ahead and crowded together tightly without a little distance from the team. Camels with line of nostril were also obedient, which became a long group and run with no complaint. Camels in front were burdened with things.

I was responsible for pulling camels. In general, camels were friendly to me except biting my hat. It is easy to pull camels just to clench the rein, even so two camels were lost along the way——half a kilometer once. Heard the shout of Jiama, I found that I just pull a section of rope. At this time, rope was loosed, followed by one camel, and other camels stopped in the far distance, wondering the reason for no management.

Alas, no way. I wore too many clothes, and the neck couldn’t move but being straightly hardening, without nodding, looking up or turning head (it is good to cure cervical spondylosis). If I wanted to observe the situation behind me, I must rotate the whole horse.

As to riding a horse, it was undoubtedly that horse was running, but I felt exhausted. The reason was that I carried so many things as follows: whip, horse reins, camel reins, thermometer (to keep abreast of changes in temperature, and it is not available to shove in the pocket), cheese (eat as I like), camera and DV. As a result, beside of losing camels, I was hardly to lose horse rein——if so, that will be a great trouble for me to pick it up! For safety's sake, I tied horse rein around my wrist, fastened thermometer in glove and banded camel rein to gag rein, held cheese in my mouth as well as hang camera and DV on neck, sounding jingle like a Christmas tree.

It was a journey for three days, thus, there were one hump was on camel’s back, several bedding and mattress, two house frames, a few surface mats, a pitcher of water, large package of foods, one stove of iron sheet, two chimneys, several sets of dishes, a nip of birch-bark (for striking a fire) and a large bundle of firewood——it is rare to find firewood on the Gobi desert but only the chopped straw.

In the half morning, climate was warming, we have already walked away from the uninterrupted closed country and entered into the open and wide Gobi desert, being studded with dried-up and tenuous vegetation. Flock of sheep or goats and domestic animals slowed down their steps——time for dinner! Jiama and me speeded up to lead camels towards southwest.

Cloud was changing irregularly in the forward visibility and moving away in the east and west. With the vast firmament and endless earth, we kept silent. We had more silence than tiredness. Wind was more and more stronger, blowing in the heaven and the earth. I wore respirator, tied bandelet, covered collar and also buttoned the earflaps of political label, just showing the sew whose width was as long as half finger; the world was narrow and oppressive, but safe. In no time, spectecles glasses were covered by a layer of white gas breathed out from mouth and nose, then the white gas was increasingly denser, and nothing can be seen except the blurry shadow of Jiama. However, it was no need to see——the world is unimpeded, and horses were keeping moving on. Just getting started, I picked off glasses and wiped lens, then later I was disinclined to do so but to sit still and wait time pass by.

Across the dull and bleaker wilderness, the topography was changing gradually. There was the vast salt marsh that was slightly sunken. After half an hour, camels walked into the leeside of highland at the west edge of salt marsh. When I saw Jiama turned over and got down from a horse to move forwards camels, I felt happy. We reached the destination and today’s route was over!

When I dismounted from a horse, I was assigned a task by Jiama: acting as hitching post. Consequently, all horses and camels were pulled by me and walked up and down, unlocked camels, pull down packages and turned on furnace and so on. When Jiama was free, saddle was unloaded, and so was the heavy burden of camels, then we could move around by removing load. At the beginning, we paced up and down nearby, and went far away little by little.

Just for riding a day, my face and hands were all cracked, being painful. I wanted to wash them, but no water, the pitcher of water has become ice dam, with no drop of water. There was a bag of wet tissues, but they were frozen like a piece of iron sheet that were too hand and stiff to open.

Jiama went for snow, and I burned stove, but the stove of iron sheet was crushed flatly. I intended to seek for stone to smash, but the biggest stone found was not as big as the nut by searching for half a day…I had to stamp by feet and hold between the fingers, finally, the chimney was opened and the hard cover was on it.

Fire was made on the stove, and Jiama also carried half bag of snow. To melt snow, we used a big tin basin full with ash, dust and deadwodd(pressed under the firewood). I was curious about how to wash it, as a result, she didn’t wash it but to pour the snow in.

After the ice was melted, I carefully washed face and hands, then, the hard skin became softer and comfortable. In addition, moisturizer packaged by pipe sharp couldn’t be crushed——it was also frozen. When burning tea, we seized time to build temporary tent. The process of building was simple, just to relatively pull open by two house frames (post-and-paling like gridding), hold together, bind tightly at the upper end and cover mat. It was not steady to support two rows of houses at will. The slack and perfunctory stand was steadily maintained on the floor, which was difficult to shake.

There was a little thicker layer of animal manure in the earth's surface, seeming a encampment has been used for many years. Next, I drove horses advised by Jiama. Horses reached earlier than flock of sheep or goats. She pointed to the east and specially asked me to run back a big dark horse. I scrambled to their feet and ran for ten meters then returned back, and unzipped trousers——feet couldn’t turn by thick trousers.

I felt light as a swallow after taking off trousers, but my feet were stumbling along, then I changed the Black rubber shoes that were bigger than my actual size. At this time, my powered increased suddenly to throw the heavy restraint , rushing out of a far distance at one stroke. But when I run in front of the horses, all of them were black and big…thus, it was impossible to take back all but only to chase to the blackest one.

Chasing horse was not so easy as you thought it to be! I couldn’t catch up with them even by 6 feet, but just to stop up around the circle…It was no use to stop up, being so exhausted! For a long time, I ran out of breath to the highland, and the flock of sheep or goats were on the capacious and flat shoal in the north! I had to put aside horse and turn round for going back, given message to Jiama. As a result, Jiama was picking up tent and shouted to me for help in a hurry, then asked for the matter of horse. I didn’t know the reason why she asked me to drive horse abruptly…

Flock of sheep or goats were on the highland in the north, and Hu Lun Buick threw off them with a kilo-meter away from the encampment, going straight towards us, the place where cooking smoke and horses are, with loudly song at top speed. Maybe he was joyful for ending the exhaustion and hardness. Jiama was also affected by him, who was busy with work in the encampment and chiming in with his song.

Although they were songs about grasslands nationality, which resounded through the open field, being different from Kazak song and Mongolian song, the former was melodious and solemn, but the latter one was enthusiastic and luminous, rich in rhythm sensation.

Hu Lun Buick ran in near forward without getting down from a horse, but just to turn a small circle around about the encampment, being satisfied with everything. He turned round and ran to flock of sheep or goats without drinking any water.

When flock of sheep or goats reached, the rest in the encampment was ended. Cylinders were kicked away by men( because of being round without walking), then they hurriedly several bowls of tea to recover from fatigue and mounted a horse again to run back the domestic animals in all directions and focus on the encampment nearby. They were treated in different ways, such as fastening, stumbles, fighting and scolding. When sky became darker, domestic animals were gradually quiet. However, they were still unstable in such a strange place. By now, the horses were discharged saddle for one day’s ride, tied with crupper and gnawed grass themselves. Men got in the low tent, sat all round and drank tea comfortably.

Bowls were frozen as the whole by the water at the bottom, which separate by much strength, and the milk filled in the plastic bottle named “Nutrition Express” was frozen as a lump. Jiama used a little spoon and scraped inch by inch, then milk bulk was filled by water to our cups. The taste of tea was not strong, either was the color. But in the wild, it was enough for us to drink. But it was inedible to drink tea in such a cold weather, and if you drink too slow, it will cold so soon. Butter couldn’t be melted, floating on the tea. Hence, I rapidly drank 4 to 5 bowls of tea, but had to go to toilet frequently.

When day turned into night, I felt sleepy and tired. I also thought that we just sleepy for 3 to 4 hours, and I could stop short of going to bed and closing my eyes. However, it seemed that all of us were not hurried at all or the energy didn’t recover for tiredness in a day. They continuously drank tea by the weak light from flashlights while boiling water, with two jorums of tea and 2 hours! They saw that I was too sleepy to stay up and suggested me to go to sleep. Then, they went on sitting around a little bit of light muffled by night silently. I have already fell asleep, but suddenly woke up with a start and saw they were still sitting…Only later did I know that just Jia Ma and me sleepy at this night, unfortunately we had almost been awake for the whole night. Due to no shepherd dogs for alertness, both of them must be on duty in turns to guard drove and wolves…in such a long night, what would they do except drinking tea?

Jia Ma just put away the tent, and I looked down that there were only the rug and tick with 3-square-meter bed. Wasn’t it too small to sleep for 4 people? It was unlucky to sleep at the edge of the bed. At last, I slept at the edge that night…Slept in such a cold and wile place, I felt anxious. I intend not to get out of fur coat, but thought deeply, It would be prone to have a cold in wearing so many clothes, which was rigid in my body with blood barriers. Thus, I had to just wear short eiderdown outerwear and cotton-padded trousers, and the heavy fur coat was put on the wool comforter. I huddled up under them, felt heavy all over and kept my body unmoved. Before long, both feet were warm.

If head is covered in the quilt, I will fell oppressed and lose my breath in a moment. But now, I felt safe and comfortable like chuckling in its mother’s wing. Although this room was small, dark and warm, it can avoid the coldness in, which was like the universe and the seed of apple…

It was so bad to get up at midnight and go to toilet..At that time, even a toe was loath to part with the chilly air! Through a lot of encouragement, I decided to get up and pushed lightly the overlapped mat of triangle tent (luck to sleepy at the edge). I went a long way to discover an entrance to creep out and use great effort to get my shoes on. At this time, I didn’t know whom of the night watchmen, who sat outside the tent and turned flashlight on my wearing shoes, the light was out until I kept down (suddenly the magnificent galaxy flashed over my head!). Once found me turn back , the man turned flashlight on me again.

After suffered the setback, the warm body was lost by the freezing air. Then, I crawled to the quilt and cover tightly; in no time, warmness flowed through the whole body. I felt uneasy when thought of the night watchman who still guarded for us.

At 3 before dawn, I was waken up, and the temperature dropped to the lowest point. Jia Ma made tea by the water poured into thermos bottle in the last night before bed, and took out a large package of boiled mutton prepared by grandma who gave to use when started off. Although it has become an iced, it was still delicious with the warm tea, cracking in the mouth.

By the way, Jia Ma also took along several bags of instant noodles! But, the teacup was too small to boil noodles. Hence, she rived one side of the packaging bag, and poured hot water into the plastic bag directly. Clenching the pocket mouth of the noodles, we expected it a lot. In such a cold day, hot water became cold so soon, noodle were remained hard and dry with oil clot on floating on the noodles soup. We were still “Hu-Ra-Ra” and eating happily.

In spite of the terrible instant noodles, they were attractive in the wild, which was yearned for. I didn’t know what I did before in mistake for staying off instant noodles by other people. I could do nothing but enjoyed the flavor and swallowed saliva. It was good to give more foods to two men who contributed to guarding for us at night.

I actually didn’t know the reason to get up so early because of nothing to do after all, for a hour’s morning tea with nothing to talk during the meal. At most of the time, we just held on the tea bowls and sat still whether it was enjoyable or persistent.

With deep thought, I did have a good sleep and feel so warm, but the night watchmen were exhausted and had to drink the hot tea for a rest.

After ended the pitch-dark morning tea, we started to pull down the tent, pack and loaded camels (the weighted camels were free for several hours and then tied up again). I was in charge of holding flashlight to light up for all with putting my hand to prop up the bag, and we were patient and order.

At 6 am, being white and misty, everything was ready. We checked the number of domestic animals and flock of sheep or goats before climbed up to the horses. Looked back, the encampment was as clean as before with nothing.

We started off towards the southwest and silently marched forward in the first light of morning. The east gradually delivered red, which has become even more and more deep, wider and violent. The east sky was red from the south to the north. At half past six, the sun was rising up from the middle of the red sea of clouds steadily, and sunshine illuminated straightly the earth to make our shadows far away from the wild.

In a long time, the shadow was gradually closer to go back to us, then it turned to the northeastward. Therefore, one days has passed.

The time of day was almost the same as that of the first day, with 8 hours, but the places were more spacious and monotonous. Ju Ma has once reminded me that there is assistance when getting down from a horse, you can firstly find a pit, and let horse stop there; it won’t be too high and steep if you step on the edge of that pit. However, it was so difficult to find a pit on the flat road like finding a hill on the very even land.

Hallucination was usually produced when I was by way of the salt marsh similar to the encampment like that of yesterday: won’t we beat around the bush on the earth! Nevertheless, our direction was always towards the southwest.

Yesterday, Liu Juan just pulled the camel and sat on the horseback followed by the team. Jia Ma assigned me a new task because I was in really good shape: to drive camels. As a result, I was dog-tired… When I arrived at the encampment, both feet felt painful and stiff, which was too algesic to sit on the saddle. The stubbornness and obstreperousness of camel was not worthy of description.

Since 12 at noon, we have passed into the closed country where was zigzag. It can be said that we have reached the desert with yellow sand on every side. However, due the rare snow disaster, the pasture was abnormally rich, thus, the desert was downy. Not only flocks and herds, but also field mouse have substantial grass to eat, living prosperously and happily. There were many mouse holes in the desert. Regardless of carefulness, horses were hard to avoid stepping on the holes, thus, they were often suddenly slanting, so were people on their back bumpily.

At 2 pm, camel team stopped in the narrow valley where was full with sticks, ever a more past busy encampment. There was much Haloxylon ammondendron on the highland. It was great! The firewood carried by camels was burnt the better part, and all of us worried that it wouldn’t be enough.

Firewood was enough, but there were 5 matchsticks left… I felt so nervous and were ceaselessly asking Jia Ma: was there any firewood? Was it really no? I was extremely anxious about it, closely watching her to strike a match; when she struck the third one, I took it to match. When the last one was struck… both of us dared not to strike…unfortunately, the last one was also put out when the flame was just shaken out…how strong the wind was!

By now, Jia Ma picked up the bag with a search, then, a lighter was found…Why not let me know at a early time! You surprised me!

We did the same things as those of the first day, such as burning stove and setting up the tent. As the same as that of the first day, the snow was so thin here, therefore, I had to run so far to carry a small barrel of snow on the hill. Jia Ma was able that he turned round and went for walk, and a full bag of snow was in his hand, being performing conjuring tricks!

The melted snow water was very dirty with washings, which was clear after the sediment was down. The young fellows who reached at dusk felt thirsty scooped up water and drank like a fish, gurgling. How cold the water was…However, we came back after drove cattle, we drank more and seemed to not care so much.

It was beset with difficulties for me to drive cattle. I usually stepped on the mouse hole and fell over( The pity mouse was hard to dig the hole…). Before, I got used to cry out the domestic animals while picked up stone and threw away, but stone was difficult to find on the desert. I was forced to collect dry horse manure, but it was so light that the animals didn’t be afraid of it.

The situation was the same on this day. At dusk, we were so busy and nervous. The day was ended until the color of the day was totally dark. We curled up together, closely sat, drank tea and chewed icy meet. Through the light of flashlight, all of us spitted white gas silently.

All of a sudden, Xin Shen Buick started to talk: “This was “thermos bottle”” ——he pointed at it, then saying: “This is “bowl””. ——He also turned the bowl to me in his hand.

He made me surprised a little, thought the two words were known to me, I still carefully learnt again, and he was satisfied to smile. Next, he taught me all utensils for cooking and eating in this simple tent. I have heard that they didn’t believe that I can make it to the end, and wondered if it was suited to be with me be afraid of giving troubles—such as halfway back or go home even I am ill or fall down from the horse…which will make them harmful!

In short, they can take it easy now?

In this morning, when flock of sheep or goats walked with camels, I was in charge of some easy jobs by two men, such as to lead the direction of travel and stop the camels that suddenly broke out. I didn’t know others’ feeling, but I felt satisfied. As a saying goes: “Toad is also useful sometimes.” I was such a man who can do something useful.

Did the same as that of the first day , Jia Ma went to bed very late with me. Two men wrapped bedspread and sat around the darkness and cold air, opening eyes and guarded, with nothing to talk. When we felt the sleepy the most, we took turns to nap. Although the two days were fine, I still felt very cold all the way, especially the windy afternoon. But It was unexpectedly 3 degrees below zero shown in the thermometer! The coldest night was less than 20 degrees below zero. I was doubtful whether there was something wrong in the thermometer! Later, I thought it deeply: maybe the weather was indeed not very cold, we felt wrong while being in the cold so long.

We got up at 3 before dawn on the third day, with more than a hour’s morning tea, and we also pulled down the tent, packed things and installed camels. On the dim light of night, we started towards half of the Orion sinking below the horizon. Meanwhile, the curved moon was in the east.

We walked with the imperially rising of the sun. Before the sun rose, the world was like a dream, except for the moon; after the sun rose, the word became real besides the moon. It seemed that the camels and flock of sheep or goats were got used to this trudge, and they moved ahead silently, as well as viewed it as the future destiny without complete knowing it for the last day.

Today, flock of sheep or goats and camels were separated so early. At 8 am, when the team has started to go into the real desert, flock of sheep or goats stopped here for eating their fill!

It was really “The truth desert” where there were barren and high sand dunes in all directions, far and near; compare with the places passed in the former days, this snow land was mottled and thin with higher temperature.

At noon, there was one hours’ trip for me to pull camels and go forward. At that time, Jia Ma chased after the camels that separated far away from us, saying to me : “Be careful on the road and everything goes well!” I looked down the vast earth and felt scary ,but promised him.

Compared with Gobi desert, desert was very dim. I felt confused in other’s pasture where there were chaotic hoof-prints of the domestic animals and the footpath was criss-cross…At the beginning, I can recognize the pathway with the deepest trace and the most hoof-prints, then I moved forward and turned left and right by rein with horses. Afterwards, I loosened rein and let horses go themselves. As expected, they went forward better than me. Through the dry grassland, we came to the very distinct road.

I pulled the camels and walked on the desert lonely and weakly, and the earth was empty, sky was like canopy with cloud in the middle. That was the cloud like step. There were no people all around, being boundless…The feeling was neither bleak nor inspired, being disappointed and silent. For one thousand years, there were many herdsmen who felt lonely and went by this earth.

The winter and barren for half a year, ancestors of Kazakhs who had to choose “Nomadism”, the hard and turbulent pattern of production and life, and shuttled back and forth regularly on the earth year after year, abiding by the natural law. From Altay mountains to the open zone of the north part of Mount Tianshan, herdsmen had to migrate for a long distance every year. With the most removal time, they had to move houses every 4 days in a year. The winter and summer pastures were near Ju Ma’s house, thus, the number of moving house was so little. After counted it, they also had to move houses every 12 days… The life was queasy and hard, and the will was lonely and brave…

In these days, I always asked Jia Ma in the afternoon: “Did you arrive at the place?” by Chinese.

At the beginning, she didn’t know the meaning of “Arrive at”, and I didn’t know how to explain for her. For many times, she reached the encampment and saw me cheering “I have arrived at the place!” She understood it. When I asked her again, she answered to me: “Instead of “Reaching”” or “Arriving at” ——the former word means that it was still early, while the latter one means that it was near.

At half past 12, I saw Jia Ma was far away the road in the southwest obviously and turned to the path in the due south, knowing that we would nearly reach the destination! I felt so happy, and also asked Jia Ma whether we reached the destination or not, smiling by her with no answer. However, this road was endless. When we went across the wilderness along the road, we walked to the end of the sand road and saw that the other side was the vast earth; the road extended along the middle of the earth…how tired we were.

In this day, we walked the farthest and the exhausted because Jia Man saw that I was able in such a day and assigned the thing in driving camel to me totally…

Riding a horse was a drudgery. If you sat on the horse’s back in perfectly good condition——that would be easy for everyone. But if you had to drive cattle, sheep or goats, throw whip, tear rein and kick horse belly continuously as well as shouted and called. Thus, you would feel the bone tired as if beaten by other from head to foot.

When I was agitated and angry to catch these animals to the forward sand dune, I surprisingly found that the other side was the small and black land and Jia Ma was getting down from a horse! She turned head and shouted to me : “Li Juan: we are reaching! We reach today and don’t have to have a trip tomorrow or recently! My father and mother will come here by bus!”

Looking at my watch: It was 3 pm.

At this time, it was beginning to snow and blow wind. Unloaded luggage for the camels, we had solid food, sitting on the baggage in wind and snow to deeply enjoy the happiness for “Stopping the journey”. Although there were many things to do, such as to manage the domestic animals, clear away the dwelling and prepare for supper… we have yet ended the journey, seeming a last stop!