By the time everyone had laid out their blankets, it was completely dark.
Everyone was exhausted after a long day of work, and soon some people lay down to rest. Before long, the yurt was filled with the sounds of snoring and some people mumbling in their sleep.
Xu Xinghe lay on the blanket, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
The snoring was too loud, and the smell in the air made her feel stuffy. More importantly, this was the first time she had ever slept in a space with so many people, and she was really not used to it.
After lying there for about half an hour, Xu Xinghe couldn't bear it any longer. She got up quietly, moved to the door of the yurt as quietly as possible, and quietly lifted the curtain to go out.
The wind outside carried the unique coolness of a grassland night, blowing on her face and instantly dispelling the stuffiness inside the yurt, making her sigh comfortably.
She slowly walked along the wall of the yurt, wanting to get some more fresh air, but after only a couple of steps, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the shadows beside her and blocked her way.
Xu Xinghe's heart tightened, and she subconsciously took a step back, looking up at the other person.
He was a young, unfamiliar man, who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was exceptionally tall and strong, wearing a dark blue Mongolian robe with a wide belt around his waist, which made his shoulders appear broad and his waist narrow. He exuded the unique, hearty spirit of a man from the grasslands.
Actually, the young man was just patrolling nearby when he saw someone come out of a yurt. Thinking it was so late, he was worried that the person might be lost or in trouble, so he went up to ask what was going on.
But when he saw Xu Xinghe's appearance clearly, he froze instantly.
Under the moonlight, the girl's features were delicate, and her skin was as smooth as sheep's milk on the grassland, making even the evening breeze seem gentler.
He had never seen such a beautiful girl in his life, and his heart started pounding wildly. He forgot what he had prepared to say.
Xu Xinghe felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. Just as she was about to ask, she saw the young man scratch his head, his face slowly turning red, and he stammered, "Miss...Miss, it's so late, are you going to the restroom?"
His Mandarin had a slightly awkward accent, but it conveyed a sense of honesty and simplicity.
Xu Xinghe paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.
She did need to go to the restroom, but she was too embarrassed to say so earlier.
Seeing this, the young man immediately pointed in a direction not far away, and his tone became smoother, "The toilet is just ahead, in that place surrounded by a few pieces of cloth. Just follow this road, and you'll get there quickly."
Xu Xinghe looked in the direction he pointed and saw a dark shadow in the distance, which did indeed look like it was surrounded by cloth.
But it's the middle of the night, and it's pitch black all around. Only a few campfires are still flickering. What if she encounters any danger if she goes there alone?
She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No need, thank you. I just came out for some fresh air and will be back in a bit."
Hearing her say that, the young man showed a hint of disappointment on his face, but still nodded. "Then be careful. If anything happens, just call out. I'm nearby."
After saying that, he couldn't help but glance at Xu Xinghe a couple more times before slowly walking away, turning back every few steps, and soon disappearing into the darkness.
Xu Xinghe watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but smile.
Although this grassland man looked tall, he was quite honest and simple.
She didn't go any further, but sat down on the ground at the entrance of the yurt and looked up at the stars in the sky.
The nights on the grassland are exceptionally quiet, and the stars are much brighter than those in the forest, densely dotting the black sky like scattered diamonds.
She sat there, enjoying the cool evening breeze and listening to the faint singing coming from afar, and the restlessness she had felt in the yurt gradually dissipated.
Only when a chill ran through her body and drowsiness slowly crept in did Xu Xinghe stand up, gently lift the curtain of the yurt, and go inside.
The snoring from inside the yurt was still loud. She carefully moved back to her spot, lay down, and soon drifted off to sleep to the peculiar background noise.
Just as dawn was breaking, Xu Xinghe was awakened by the noise coming from inside the yurt.
She opened her eyes groggily and saw that the female educated youth and female villagers had gotten up one after another. Some were folding blankets, some were tidying up clothes, and some were taking water bottles outside to get water.
The sounds of talking and footsteps rose and fell, completely shattering the tranquility of the early morning.
"Li Juan, get up quickly! The Naadam Festival starts today, and I heard there's a wrestling competition this morning!" Zhao Xiaoyan called out to her with a smile as she put on her floral shirt, her eyes full of anticipation.
Xu Xinghe rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains outside the yurt, carrying the coolness of the early morning.
She quickly folded the blanket, packed her things into her cloth bag, and followed Zhao Xiaoyan and Wang Lili out of the yurt.
The area outside was already bustling with activity. The male educated youth and male villagers had all finished getting ready and were talking around several oxcarts.
Jiang Linchuan saw Xu Xinghe, walked over quickly, and handed her something wrapped in cloth. "I just borrowed some hot steamed buns from the herdsmen. Have some to tide you over, because you might be staying at the venue for a long time later."
Xu Xinghe took the cloth bag, feeling its warmth on her fingertips. "Thank you."
Not long after, Zhang Qiang gathered everyone and headed towards the main venue of the Naadam Festival.
The main venue was set up on a wide grassland, not far from their yurts, about a 20-minute walk away.
Looking into the distance, one could see that a large number of people had already arrived at the venue. There were herdsmen dressed in Mongolian robes, educated youth who had come to participate like them, and cadres from nearby communes. The dense crowd made the originally empty grassland appear exceptionally lively.
Several red flags with slogans such as "Unity and Struggle, Building the Grassland" were planted around the venue, fluttering in the morning breeze.
Near the entrance to the venue, a simple earthen platform was set up with two tin loudspeakers playing songs on a loop, the sound filling the entire venue.
"Everyone, wait here for now. We'll go watch the competition once it starts!" Zhang Qiang pointed to an open space at the edge of the venue and said to everyone, "Remember, don't wander off. If you get separated, gather at this earthen platform, understand?"
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