Red Willow County was located in the northwest, and its geographical location was extremely remote.
There was only one tattered bus in the entire county town. There were two buses in the morning and afternoon every day, from the county town to Hongliu Wa outside the city.
This bus was obviously an old car that had been eliminated from the previous one. The cabin was narrow and stuffy. Only when the skylight was opened would there be a hint of coolness when walking.
However, the clattering sounds made by the car made Liu Xi think that the car was about to fall apart.
The most impressive place in the entire Hongliu County was only a street next to the train station. There were a few old buildings with four or five floors scattered around. Most of the other areas were single-story houses, but there were also some new houses under construction.
The population of the county town was less than 100,000, which was not even comparable to a coastal town. Coupled with the fact that the young and middle-aged laborers went out to work, the entire county became even more deserted.
However, a county like this actually had a railway.
If a foreigner came to inspect the railway network here and saw this kind of infrastructure that did not care about the cost of production, he would probably scold it for being wasteful.
After the car left the county, there was only the Gobi Desert outside. From time to time, one could see the white bones of cattle and sheep. According to the old man beside him, these were all lost and died of thirst outside.
The water resources here were especially precious. The people's settlements were basically gathered near the water oasis.
The destination that Liu Xi was going to, Hongliu Wa, was named after the red willow. It used to be the famous frontier of Jiangnan on the Silk Road in the Western Regions. The origin of Hongliu County was also because of Hongliu Wa. The old county government was also there.
However, as the environment deteriorated, the people of Hongliu Wa began to flee. Currently, only a few dozen households lived in Red Willow Hollow.
When Liu Xi arrived, it was already eight o'clock. Logically speaking, it was one of the busiest times in the countryside, but the entire Hongliu Wa looked lifeless.
Most of the old buildings in Hongliu Wa were buried by the sandstorm. The few that were exposed were also taken down to be used as firewood. There were only a few dozen houses left, surrounding the former county office.
The car stopped at the entrance of the county government. When the two of them got out of the car, they did not stop for a moment, as if they were avoiding something.
The county government had a logo of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The door was tightly shut, and there were some children's doodles on the door, but it seemed to have a long history.
The old man said that there had been no children in Hongliu Wa for a long time. The young people basically brought the children to the county city. The only ones left in the village were some old people.
After this group of old people left, Hongliu Wa would probably be completely buried by the sandstorm.
The old man said,"Little brother, if you don't mind, come to my house and have a cup of tea."
Liu Xi agreed.
The old man's surname was Bao, and he called himself Old Man Bao. He was the secretary of Hongliu Wa.
Although the house was shabby, it was very clean and tidy, as if it had been in the army.
A black-and-white photo of a woman was hung at the most conspicuous spot in the entrance.
Old Man Bao smiled shyly and said,"
"Wife, you left early."
Liu Xi nodded softly.
Old Man Bao hurriedly went to pour tea. The water in the thermos had already cooled down. He took out some tea leaves from the ceramic jar, and each of them was precious.
The tea leaves were very thick, and the taste was not as clear as Jiangnan tea. Instead, it had a very bitter taste.
The water that had already been boiled was still a little settled when poured into the cup.
Liu Xi didn't mind. He picked up the tea and thanked her before taking a big sip.
The tea tasted bitter, but it was very thirsty.
When Old Bao saw this, his eyes were filled with admiration.
Even his grandson, who had been raised by him personally, would dislike this tea when he returned to the village during the new year after living a good life in the city for a few years. He would make a fuss about drinking pure mineral water, completely forgetting that he was raised by this water and forgot to remember the source of the water.
However, this young man, who was obviously pampered and spoiled in the city, did not look down on him at all. He was generous and did not put on an act.
He couldn't help but think highly of Liu Xi.
After drinking tea, Old Bao went to the backyard to prepare his luggage.
There was a bag with bean cakes for animals on one side, roasted naan for humans on the other side, and two water bags.
He pulled out two camels, one big and one small.
The big camel was very docile. When it saw people, it took the initiative to kneel on the ground. Old Man Bao let Liu Xi get on the big camel. He was holding a small camel and carrying a bag.
The two of them were about to enter the desert.
The place they were going to was very far, and the water they brought was definitely not enough. But Old Bao said that the female camel would find a water source, and two bags of water would be enough.
Liu Xi asked Old Man Bao why he didn't ride a camel. The old man said that the small camel's bones hadn't grown well and couldn't bear the force. It was good for his body to walk more when he was old.
Liu Xi took the initiative to get off the camel and said,"I'm still young. It's good to walk."
He didn't take the initiative to give in, because he knew that there was no result in giving in. It was better to bear it together.
Old Man Bao smiled happily when he saw this.
The two of them swam upstream along the Red Willow River.
It was a river, but it had long dried up.
Old Man Bao said that he used to catch fish here when he was young. Now, he had not seen the river water for many years.
Old Man Bao had a lot to say along the way. Wherever he went, he could tell a story.
However, as they went deeper into the desert, both of them felt their lips dry and did not speak anymore.
In silence, the two of them began to take turns riding the camels.
When the two bags of water were almost empty, they happened to encounter a medium-sized sandstorm.
It was already difficult for a person to open their eyes inside, but the camel walked very steadily inside. It was indeed worthy of being called the Boat of the Desert.
The two of them found a water source. It was a very small oasis. There were some other animals nearby. When they saw humans, they fled far away and hid behind the sand dunes to watch the two of them.
Old Man Bao said that there was less water.
Liu Xi said that there would be more in the future.
Old Man Bao was silent. Hopefully.
But could human power triumph over nature? It was probably just a young man comforting himself.
After three days in the desert, some man-made objects began to appear.
He walked in and saw a shooting range with the words " Military Area, Shooting by Unauthorized Person " written on it.
A person in a white protective suit stood at the door to welcome him and said,
"Elder Xu has already greeted us. Liu Xi, welcome to Institute 171!”
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