My tomb robbing past

Desert night

The sky had completely darkened, and the car stopped in a low-lying area. Everyone got out. I was excited, thinking we had arrived at our destination, only to hear Grandpa say, “We’ll sleep here tonight and leave early tomorrow morning!”

After saying that, he went back into the car and didn’t come out again. My uncle wouldn’t let me go back into Grandpa’s car, saying he was afraid I’d disturb Grandpa’s rest. I had no choice but to stay around the van. Sister Hua stretched out next to the car, and my second uncle and little uncle went off to find firewood. After my uncle started a fire, he vanished.

Sitting by the fire, I began to feel a bit dejected. This camping trip, which I had longed for, wasn’t as comfortable as I’d hoped. With the wind and sand everywhere, I wondered if I should lie down or sit up. What if a lizard crawled on me and I had to sleep with it? I pondered that camping here felt quite unsafe. Sister Hua handed me a bottle, “Drink a few sips to warm up. If you’re hungry, there’s dried horse meat and naan in the trunk.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a short knife from her combat boots and started sharpening it on a stone. I grabbed a long coat from the car and saw my second uncle and little uncle coming back. Little uncle dropped the firewood and came over with a mischievous look, “Nephew, have you ever seen a desert snake?”

I said, “No!”

Then, little uncle threw a cold, wriggling thing onto my neck. I looked closely and saw it was a snake. I jumped up in fright and hid behind Sister Hua, shouting, “Snake! Snake! Get it away!”

Little uncle laughed so hard he nearly fell to the ground, grabbing the snake in his hand. “This is a good find! It was just lying on a piece of dead wood. I’ve hit the jackpot tonight.”

Saying that, he cut open the snake with his knife. The snake’s belly split open like a zipper, revealing a dark object that fell onto the blade. He eagerly examined it, popped it into his mouth, took a sip of alcohol, chewed rapidly, and swallowed.

This scene made my scalp tingle. I asked Sister Hua, “What… what did he just eat?”

Sister Hua glanced at me and smiled, “It’s the bile of the snake. It’s good for men like you!”

I swallowed hard. Suddenly, a distant, fluctuating wolf howl floated over. I jumped up and huddled closer to the fire, instinctively grabbing a torch from the ground. I remembered that having fire in hand would deter wolves. This only resulted in a burst of laughter from everyone.

Sister Hua said, “Desert wolves, you know, when you hear their howls, they’re actually quite far away. If they were close, they wouldn’t howl. If they wanted to eat you, there’d be several of them. So, sleep easy!”

“What if one particularly brazen wolf came over? Wouldn’t we all be in trouble?” I argued for my caution.

This only elicited more laughter. Sister Hua went to the back of the van, pulled out a knife from the car. It was an Yengijsa, beloved by the Uygurs. Uygurs might go without a wife, but they must have an Yengijsa. The knife was half a meter long, with a brass handle adorned with small gems, gleaming under the firelight. Sister Hua handed it to me, “If you’re really scared, use this for self-defense!”

I took the knife, admiring it greatly. At that moment, it felt like nothing in the world was impossible for me. The sleek blade made my blood boil. I wanted to grab the knife and shout to the sky, “Where are the wolves?!”

But as the wolf howls resumed in the distance, my bravado quickly faded.

Little uncle hummed a song while tending to the desert snake. He found a stick as thick as a pinky, wrapped the skinned snake around it, sprinkled some salt, chili, and cumin, and began grilling, occasionally spraying some wine on the snake meat.

Soon, the aroma of grilled snake filled my nostrils, and the tempting golden brown completely captured my attention. Little uncle noticed me staring at the snake meat and asked, “Min’er, do you know what kind of grilled meat is the most delicious?”

I answered, “Meat grilled over a fire!”

He gave me a scornful look, “That’s obvious! I’m talking about what kind of fuel makes it the best!”

I said, “I don’t know.”

He looked at me with even more disdain, “Saxaul wood! The same wood I’m using! It makes the meat incredibly aromatic!”

Seeing that I had nothing more to say, he continued grilling the snake. After a while, he handed me half of it, “Eat it while it’s hot. Watch out for the bones; they’re like fish bones!”

I took a cautious bite. The crispy, savory flavor mixed with strong spices, and the tender meat under the golden crust made me very hungry.

My second uncle came over, took a naan, and tossed it onto the fire, occasionally sprinkling salt and chili powder. After finishing the snake meat, my second uncle handed me half a hot, crispy naan, “Eat up and go to sleep early!”

I took it and noticed it was crisped to perfection. I took a sip of alcohol and bit into the naan. My second uncle gave me a piece of dried horse meat, “You have to finish this meat and naan tonight, or you won’t have the strength tomorrow.”

I said, “Don’t worry! I’m still growing and will finish it! By the way, where’s Uncle? I haven’t seen him all night.”

He said, “He’s on guard duty! We rotate every three hours. Finish eating and go to sleep!”

I asked, “Second Uncle, where should I sleep?”

Second Uncle looked at me as if I were an alien, “Don’t go back to the car. It’ll be very cold later. Just sleep by the fire, with a few clothes underneath. It won’t be as comfortable as home!”

I had already cursed this place a hundred times in my mind, but I said, “It’s okay! Anywhere is fine!”

Second Uncle gave me a military coat, which I laid on the ground, and then got another round of disdain, saying it was for covering me, not for lying down.

I lay down reluctantly. However, the crackling of the fire was quite annoying, and with the distant wolf howls and the recent snake meal, how could I sleep?

Lying on the foam mat taken from the car, I stared at the campfire, thinking about the day’s events, so different from my previous life. My second uncle had already started snoring, little uncle was sprawled out, drooling, and Sister Hua looked very beautiful, resting against a large rock, sometimes hugging her military coat tightly, with her gentle breathing visible in the firelight.

The most uncomfortable was me, tossing and turning, making the foam mat squeak, but still unable to sleep. As I was about to start counting sheep, Uncle came over, tossing a few pieces of firewood into the campfire. I immediately sat up and gently called, “Uncle! Uncle!”

Uncle came over, and I asked, “Where did you go? Why didn’t you eat?”

He smiled, “I was nearby. I saw you eat the snake. Haha! I was scared the first time I saw a snake too! It’s okay! Go to sleep!”

I saw he was carrying a gun on his back, which looked very cool. I reached out to touch it. Uncle grabbed my hand, “Be careful, it might go off!”

My interest was piqued, so I sat up, “Uncle, let me keep you company for the night watch!”

Uncle said, “Not today. You need to travel tomorrow. If you miss the excitement, I’m not responsible!”

My interest was entirely on the gun, so I asked, “Uncle, what’s this gun called? Where did you get it?”

He said, “It’s called an AK-47. The Russians like it.”

“Can I play with it?”

Uncle put the gun on his back, “This is not a toy for kids. Go to sleep.” Saying this, he pushed me down, covered me with the military coat, and disappeared into the night.

Disappointed, I lay back down and soon fell asleep.