Episode 129: Just the Two of You (1)
The Gobi Desert with an endless horizon.
It was a place where heaven and earth met under the hot sun.
Two children were struggling on top of a camel.
‘This is going to be really crazy.’
Jin-san Yu was sighing behind his granddaughter, who was clutching the reins.
This is because the camel’s steps were very slow. It would have been faster to walk.
“Cheer up, Chorang!”
No matter how loud the rumor was, it was unwavering.
Why do you have to go through all this trouble? If you travel light, it won’t take more than two days.
“So didn’t your grandfather tell you to choose someone strong?”
“Chorangi was the prettiest.”
It was astounding.
No wonder they chose such a dishonest guy.
“Let’s just set them free. “It must be hard for him to take us with him.”
“no! “You promised me.”
It was a promise not to abandon the camel but to hand it over to the first merchant they encountered.
However, no matter how much I washed my eyes and searched, I couldn’t find a single ant baby, let alone a merchant.
I was resentful of myself for being shaken when I heard that the camel was being sold at a low price.
‘I am a sinner for looking down on the desert. ‘I want to kick my past self for agreeing to buy a camel.’
It was my first time in the Eugene Sand Desert, where I had experienced all sorts of hardships. I never thought it would be so endless and desolate.
The two got off the camel’s back to see how it was doing.
On the outside, there didn’t seem to be any major problems other than it being shabby.
He just has a droopy face and only his eyes are half-closed.
Because camels have a different body structure than humans, it was not possible to treat camels carelessly.
“I guess it hurts a bit somewhere.”
“...Choreng, let’s drink water. “Mom will help you get better.”
Yoo Seol held Chorang’s mouth and poured out the last of the water contained in the sheepskin.
“When did you give birth to such a big baby?”
“That’s my baby!”
Jinsan Yu looked at the sky for a moment and calmed his mind.
Then, he slowly patted his granddaughter’s shoulder again.
“Okay, okay. “I think my great-grandson is a little sick. What should I do?”
“Let’s wait here until it stops hurting.”
As it was, it seemed like it wouldn’t move even a single step.
Jinsan Yu, who was watching, couldn’t help but sigh.
But you can’t blame the granddaughter for feeling sad.
There was only one way.
“It can’t go on like this. “Listen first.”
“Yes?”
Yu Jin-san was already grabbing the camel’s butt.
“If you can’t let it go, shouldn’t we just pick it up and run?”
At that moment, Yoo Seol’s gloomy face instantly brightened.
Then, without saying a word, I lifted the front part of the camel.
“As expected, my grandfather is a genius.”
“I’ve heard things like that a lot since I was young. “Now let’s go!”
Contrary to my powerful shout, my insides were burning black.
This was the middle of the Gobi Desert, and there was still a long way to go to our destination.
In this situation, it can be frustrating because the owner and the animal are upside down.
‘I never thought the day would come in my life when I would be able to ride a camel.’
Still, it was a hundred times better than crawling like a slug.
Jin-san Yu put the camel’s pelvis on his head and ran like crazy.
But the hardships were just beginning.
“Wow!”
When I saw my granddaughter running in front screaming in surprise, I felt uneasy.
“baby. “What are you so surprised about?”
“Look over there. “It’s really amazing.”
Did you say that bad things come at the same time?
Yu Jin-san, who was looking at the front without thinking, opened his mouth wide.
“Grandpa, did I do well?”
“Our theory is very strong. “You did a great job finding a place like this.”
“Hehehe.”
The two played by splashing and spraying water.
And then again, they were bringing water into a sheepskin bucket and feeding it to the camels.
Was it because of the early morning popularity? Dozens of nomads were coming out with puzzled faces.
“How did you guys get here?”
“What about adults? “Is it really just the two of you?”
It was natural to be surprised. Two children came to a remote area of the desert.
After hearing the message from his grandfather, Yu Seol responded as he was told.
“We are going to visit our relatives in Dunhuang.”
“Dunhuang? “I have to go another half a day from here.”
It seemed like I had taken the wrong direction.
Joson briefly explained the situation so far in a plausible way.
At that time, an older-looking man looked at the panting camel and muttered.
“It’s truly amazing. “He’s truly amazing to bring his owners here in this condition.”
Yuseol approached and stroked the camel’s head.
“This is our Choraengi.”
“Yes, I have never seen such a magnificent camel in my life. “They devoted all their energy to their masters until the very end, so how could the life of a mere animal not be noble?”
“If I leave it here, can you take care of it so you don’t get sick?”
“Okay, okay. You don’t have to worry about Chorang anymore. “You must be hungry and tired after coming a long way, so just follow me this way.”
The old man in front of me seemed to be the chief of this place.
He took the lead, wrapped his arms around his grandfather’s back, and led him to a tent.
Jinsan Yu silently examined the interior.
There is a long table that appears to be a place to prepare meals and unidentifiable bone fragments.
But what caught his eye was none other than the corner of the tent. This was because several weapons were lying around on one side.
Was it because he was conscious of Yu Jin-san’s gaze? The chief said with a kind smile.
“haha. There is nothing to be afraid of. “It’s just a tool to protect us from desert thieves.”
“...All right.”
Behind the old man, two elders were holding their hands together.
Yu Jin-san’s eyes sank deeply as he looked at them.
The upper body is more developed than the lower body. And the location of the calluses visible on the hand clearly appeared to have been created through stabbing, not cutting.
‘Are they professionally trained in horseback riding martial arts? They are definitely not simple nomads.’
There was no need to show it. Because I wasn’t concerned about who the other person was.
At that time, a bulky middle-aged woman approached carrying two plates.
She looked up and down the story and smiled meaningfully.
“You look very pretty. “Eat a lot and talk more if it’s not enough.”
“thank you for this food.”
Dried meat and milk. And there were some fruits.
Although they were not in abundance, this was very fortunate for those who had starved for several days.
“Grandpa, don’t you eat it?”
Despite Yu Seol’s question, the chief kept nodding his head with a smile on his face.
As soon as the meal was over, a handsome man came up to me and said.
“Well, it’s late at night today, so let’s sleep first and talk about the details tomorrow.”
Eugene San never said he would be staying here today.
Their reaction was a bit absurd, but what can I do?
‘Well, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a day off.’
Even so, I needed a break after going through a hard time carrying a camel.
When the sun came up, I asked for directions to Dunhuang and decided to leave.
“All right.”
Eugene San and his granddaughter were guided somewhere and moved.
Even after the two left, the old man remained seated with his arms crossed.
With his eyes closed, his expression began to change little by little. The way the corners of his mouth went up to the bottom of his ears was even creepy.
After a while.
One of the elders came over and whispered softly into the old man’s ear.
“It was a windfall, boss. How do we handle it?”
“hmm.... When I looked at my younger brother’s muscles, I saw that he was very handsome. “Take him to Yonghwadan as soon as the sun rises tomorrow and negotiate well.”
“What about the girl? “You have a pretty face, so you will get the best price.”
“Leave that child alone. Don’t let anyone touch him.”