My tomb robbing past

First visit to ancient tombs

The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of Second Uncle's laughter. I saw a thin layer of dew on my military coat, and the campfire had already gone out. I threw off the heavy coat and sat up, feeling a bit of a sore throat, likely a sign of an impending cold. Uncle came over with a bowl of ginger soup, "Drink this, and eat something. We're leaving soon!"

That ginger soup was really something; it made me sweat all over. I was sweating nonstop until we reached our destination. For breakfast, we had compressed rations, which were incredibly dry and hard to swallow, and we weren't allowed to eat more than one piece. Everyone was given just one block. I finished mine in a few bites and told Uncle, "I'm still hungry!"

Uncle handed me some more ginger soup, "Drink this! These are American-made compressed rations; they are very filling."

I didn't believe him at all, but after a few sips of ginger soup, I realized that stuff shouldn't be eaten in large amounts. My stomach was so bloated I felt like throwing up! Since waking up, I hadn't seen Grandpa, except when he came out of the car to relieve himself, then he disappeared again.

The car kicked up dust as it drove over the Gobi Desert, obscuring the view behind us. This part of the Gobi was very desolate. I asked Little Uncle, "Little Uncle, how could anyone be buried in such a barren place?"

Little Uncle glanced at me, "You don't get it. Many years ago, Xinjiang was a sea, then it turned into grassland. Then came the herding, and the sheep ate all the grass. The herders moved to new pastures, which led to desertification over time, turning into what you see today. When the herders died, they needed to be buried, and it's best to bury them in places they used to live. Wealthy ones would have some burial goods, while the poor ones would just be wrapped in a felt blanket. So, we look for graves in such places."

I nodded thoughtfully and eagerly asked, "Little Uncle, how much further do we have to go?"

Little Uncle said, "We have to arrive by ten in the morning, or we'll have to spend the night there. Many things can happen overnight, so we must leave before dark."

I got interested and asked, "What's the reason for that?"

Little Uncle said, "You're so dense! Think about it, unless it's a large tomb, we should be able to finish a small tomb within the day. If not, we'd be very unprofessional. If it's a large tomb and can't be dealt with in a day, we must retreat a few kilometers away to sleep. Otherwise, if some clueless person sees us at night and spreads the word, we'd all be in trouble."

I snorted, "Can't people see us during the day?"

Little Uncle raised his voice, ready to argue, "If they can see us, don't you think we can see them too? How about I leave you at a high point to keep watch this time?"

I had nothing to say, stuck my tongue out, "I don't want to! I want to see what an ancient tomb looks like!"

Little Uncle laughed, "During the day, even if we set off fireworks in this desert, no one alive would know. But at night, it's different. Many people avoid the heat and travel at night! Haha, kid, use your brain a bit more!"

I stopped talking to him, feeling like an outsider. I lit a cigarette and started smoking slowly. Little Uncle seemed intent on teasing me, "Can't you see I'm out of cigarettes? Don't you know to offer me one?"

Angrily, I lit one for him. He looked triumphant, like a victorious antelope with horns, driving the car erratically.

We finally arrived at our destination. The car stopped in a hollow, surrounded by desolation, with some parts turning into desert. My heart started pounding as I tugged on Second Uncle's arm, "Where's the tomb? I don't see anything!"

Second Uncle said, "You fool, nomadic people's tombs were marked with wooden stakes. After hundreds of years, do you think that wood could survive?"

Unwilling to give up, I argued, "But what about the tomb itself? They wouldn't have buried the people and leveled the ground to look like the Earth's surface, would they?"

Second Uncle said, "There! Look at that mound! That's it!"

I looked where he pointed, and sure enough, there was a medium-sized mound, with some parts sunken in. I helped Little Uncle and the others with the equipment while Grandpa and Uncle smoked by the tomb. After a while, I realized I wasn't even qualified to help with the heavy lifting. Knowing my place, I stepped back and watched the busy group. Uncle set up a geological surveying instrument not far away, probably to mislead any potential passersby into thinking we were just surveying the land. Shovels and other tools were brought out, and Grandpa called out, "Everyone, put on your work clothes!"

We all ran back to our respective cars to change into waterproof suits. Wearing them was incredibly uncomfortable, suffocating even, and as soon as we started moving, our bodies were soaked with sweat. Little Uncle poured a jug of water over his head while Second Uncle drank most of a jug. I couldn't decide whether to pour the water over my head or drink it. I washed my face symbolically and then joined them in the rush.

The day was blistering hot, with only a few large white clouds in the sky, and the scorching sun baking the ground and tormenting me.

Uncle and Second Uncle started digging furiously. I initially thought they were going to excavate the entire tomb but saw them digging at a 45-degree angle from the base of the mound. Sister Hua, in her waterproof suit, looked incredibly graceful, her every move harmonizing beautifully. Every time she moved, I felt her ample chest might burst out like a startled hare. Feeling ashamed of my thoughts, I quickly went to help with the soil removal. The Gobi was full of rocks, so progress was slow initially; after more than an hour, we had only dug about half a meter deep and just wide enough for one person. During this time, Second Uncle poured water over his head while Little Uncle drank. Their actions soon switched around. Uncle, however, never stopped for a moment.

At first, I carefully inspected the soil they dug out, hoping to spot a few gold coins, but to my disappointment, there was nothing but rocks and one dung beetle. Feeling frustrated, I wanted to give up. Grandpa, in his waterproof suit, walked around the area, occasionally inspecting the dug-up soil, each time only taking a glance. Time slipped away with each bucket of soil. At noon, we rested for an hour, ate a bit, and then resumed digging.

The afternoon sun was even more scorching, every inch of skin felt like it was on fire, but no one stopped. I don't want to brag about my toughness, but I had to keep going. Finally, Grandpa took one last look at the soil and said, "We're almost through! Be careful now!"

While I was dumping soil, I asked Sister Hua, "Why did Grandpa say we're almost through?"

Without even looking at me, Sister Hua replied softly, "Because there's no more rock in the soil, which means we're reaching the compacted earth layer. Kid, you'll learn in time."

I said, "Oh." Second Uncle and Little Uncle started taking turns digging. They dug for a bit, then listened to the surrounding sounds, then dug some more. Eventually, a dull thud came from the layer of soil they were working on. Sister Hua adjusted the lamp, directing its light onto the soil layer. Second Uncle stopped digging, touched the soil, and muttered, "Metal?"

Grandpa replaced Second Uncle, touching the soil as well, "Burial goods? Haha!"