Chapter 76 It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s that I can’t bear to leave you
Three to five days. They had enough fuel, and barely enough food and water. But what if it was more than ten days? What else could they do besides wait for rescue? Now was the time when their willpower and physical strength were at their strongest. Waiting until three to five days later, when food and water were exhausted, to find a solution would undoubtedly be a far cry from what they had now.
Only thirty kilometers would elude them, but these thirty kilometers were an insurmountable chasm. The three of them fell silent, and the car was completely still. The wind had died down a bit, and their field of vision had widened slightly. They could see objects within seven or eight meters.
Tong Zhongyuan looked at the dim sky outside the car window. It’s not that there is no solution, but solutions are created by people.
"Now is the time to drive out and go as far as you can," he said.
Azati looked at him in shock: "I can't find the way back now."
"There's a compass. The archway is marked with longitude and latitude. As long as you walk in that direction, you'll always be able to get out."
Azati still objected: "No, we will get stuck in the quicksand and our car will be buried by the wind and sand."
Tong Zhongyuan looked at him and said, "I'll get out of the car and walk over. I'll check along the way. You just need to drive along the path I've taken."
"No!" Qin Tian blurted out.
Tong Zhongyuan glanced at her, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"I'll be fine. There's a 10-meter safety rope in the car. Even if I get stuck in quicksand, just throw the rope to me and I'll be safe. This is the best way."
"No!" Qin Tian repeated. She didn't know how to refute him. He was always right, but she knew it was wrong. "We'll just wait here for help."
Tong Zhongyuan smiled and looked up. He took a few sips of water and put on goggles.
"I don't like waiting."
He reached out to unlock the door, but Qin Tian grabbed his hand with flames burning in his eyes.
"Then I'll go down too."
Tong Zhongyuan stopped moving, he knew that if she said it, she would definitely do it.
"Why are you going downstairs? To accompany me?" He laughed.
"You and I will take turns leading the way, changing roles every 20 minutes." She answered seriously without being disrupted by his rhythm.
Tong Zhongyuan took off his goggles and said helplessly, "You know this is impossible. I'll come up when I'm tired. You don't need to replace me."
"Why not? Each person takes turns for 20 minutes, which is more efficient. You also said that there is no danger." She refuted him with his reasons.
"I can't let you go down and clear the way," he said without hesitation.
"What's the reason?"
"No reason. Just no."
"Is it because I'm a woman? Do you think I don't have the energy for 20 minutes?" she demanded.
"No! I know you are in good physical condition, but this situation is not appropriate!" He was speechless.
"If this situation isn't appropriate, what situation is appropriate?!"
He held his forehead weakly. There it was again, her damn stubbornness. The real reason she had to tell him wasn't because she was a woman, but because she was the woman he liked.
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Azati quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Stop! How about this? My brother and I will take turns driving and leading the way. My brother's idea is great. As long as the sandstorm isn't too severe, we can easily cover 10 kilometers a day. If we go fast, 20 kilometers will be no problem. If everything goes well, we'll be able to leave tomorrow."
"Then let the three of us take turns." Qin Tian did not give in.
Tong Zhongyuan's face darkened.
"Sister," Azati observed, "Uyghur girls are just as good at riding and shooting as men. My girlfriend is a superb rider, even stronger than men. But I'm here, so I don't let her do any heavy work. I'm not as good a rider as she is, but I don't dare chase her while riding, for fear of startling her and making her fall off. I'll look after my brother."
Azati originally thought that his advice was very good, reasonable, and not wrong at all. But strangely, after he said this, Qin Tian and Tong Zhongyuan fell silent. Tong Zhongyuan turned his head away and looked out the window. Qin Tian lowered his head, his hair covering his face. Azati felt that the Han people were really bad at coaxing people. At this time, if he just said something along the lines of what he had just said, how could the beautiful girl still have any temper? If Ayimu was angry, he would definitely be able to make her happy.
Tong Zhongyuan silently put on his goggles and mask and said softly, "I'm going downstairs and will be back later."
Qin Tian didn't say yes or no. Instead, Azati responded. Tong Zhongyuan opened the door, and the wind and sand rushed in with a whistling sound.
He looked at the compass, walked forward step by step against the wind. The moment he closed the car door, Qin Tian raised his head, leaned against the window and stared at his back.
Azati couldn't understand. As expected, you shouldn't try to guess what the Han people are thinking. He didn't have time to think about it. He waited until Tong Zhongyuan was five or six meters away, started the car, and slowly followed him.
Qin Tian counted the time, watching Tong Zhongyuan struggling in the sandstorm. Every step he took pierced her heart, shocking her and causing her pain. She spent every second trying to control herself from opening the door and rushing out.
After 20 minutes, Tong Zhongyuan showed no sign of returning and continued to drive. Unable to bear it any longer, she threw herself into the driver's seat, passed Azati, and honked the horn.
The horn echoed in the desert for a long time. Tong Zhongyuan glanced back and pointed forward. Qin Tian knew what he was talking about. He was saying that he could go a little further. But she couldn't. She was on the verge of losing control. If he didn't come back, she would lose control of her next move.
Azati saw that she was really anxious, so he jumped out of the car and motioned Tong Zhongyuan to switch with him. Tong Zhongyuan had no choice but to get back in the car.
Tong Zhongyuan returned to the car, swirling with dust. When he took off his glasses, sand and dirt fell. He didn't bother to fix his hair; he had to get off the car later anyway.
Qin Tian saw Tong Zhongyuan as always well-dressed and neat, except for the two days he'd been ill and unable to care for himself. He had never looked like this before. His face was covered in goggles, his hair was a mess, covered in sand, and his lips were starting to crack and peel.
Azati started forward. Tong Zhongyuan flipped from the driver's seat to the passenger seat, turned around and said to Qin Tian, "You drive? I'll take a break."
Qin Tian looked at him silently. After spending so much time with him, she had become able to read his mind. He was afraid that she would get off the bus, so he looked for something she could do to get involved.
"Okay." She saw through it but didn't say anything. She climbed from the back seat to the driver's seat. She took out the lip balm and gave it to Tong Zhongyuan. "Your lips are chapped."
She drove slowly behind Azati. Azati was more familiar with the desert terrain and walked faster. Tong Zhongyuan was observing his movements. At this rate, they could cover half the distance before dark.
Azati and Tong Zhongyuan took turns getting out of the car to lead the way. Qin Tian didn't mention her role in leading the way, and instead focused on driving. Tong Zhongyuan quickly mastered the desert's characteristics, matching Azati's speed. They didn't return to the car until nightfall. Tong Zhongyuan asked Qin Tian to rest in the back seat while he and Azati took turns driving every three hours. The desert's nighttime temperatures were very low, and the enclosed car needed to be ventilated regularly to prevent exhaust gas poisoning. The vehicle couldn't be left in one place for too long.
Qin Tian only said one sentence: "Either I will be on duty tonight and you can have a good rest, or I will open the way with you tomorrow. You choose one."
The night merged completely with the sandstorm. Their car, shrouded in the eerie darkness, circled slowly and alone across the desolate expanse of sand dunes.
Tong Zhongyuan opened his eyes in the back seat, staring silently at the angle of the driver's seat. In the darkness and silence, Azati's monotonous snoring blended with the engine's hum. Qin Tian's profile was a silhouette in the reflection of the dashboard, a dreamlike illusion.
What is she thinking about tonight? Where will she go tomorrow?
Let's drink to the east wind and be at ease. The flowers will be even more beautiful next year, but who will share them with me?
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