After riding for about half a day, we were getting further and further away from Zhangye, and the scenery on the road became more and more desolate.
The bright moon shines on the Gobi desert, and only clumps of black Haloxylon ammodendron can be seen breaking out of the rocks, demonstrating the strength of life.
The dead Populus euphratica tree has obviously dried up, but it allows itself to remain standing...
While galloping under the Gobi night, the cold wind brought bursts of sounds that sounded like ghost cries, just like the border soldiers who missed their distant homeland while folding their Qiang flutes.
When dawn broke in the sky, we finally saw the most beautiful sunrise!
Throughout the ages, there have been endless famous sayings about the sunset in the northwest, such as "The solitary smoke in the desert, the setting sun in the long river." ’, another example: ‘Thousands of miles away, the smoke is long and the sun is setting, so the city is closed. ’
But who would have known that the sunrise in the desert could be so beautiful, indescribably beautiful?
At this moment, I saw a mountain of earth from a distance. The sunlight shone on the mountain, as if it had been coated with a layer of golden light. In the middle of the mountain was a three-story vermilion building, with densely carved holes on both sides. 's cave.
I couldn't help but take out my telescope and take a closer look, but it turned out that there were various colorful Buddha statues sitting in the cave.
The golden light reflects on the side faces of the Buddha statues, as if they are preaching sutras and teachings, leading us to the Western Buddhist Kingdom!
"This is……"
Lao Jiang pointed his hand: "Boy, this is the legendary Mogao Grottoes, also called Thousand Buddhas Cave!"
Our group of young people were all attracted by the magnificence of the Mogao Grottoes. Yin Ling'er even opened her fingers and counted the caves one by one: "Master, Master, are there really a thousand caves here?"
He Lanxue raised her chin slightly, and her cold eyes gained a hint of reverence.
Xiang Wanli smiled and said: "Masters, why don't we take a rest at Mogao Grottoes! This is half of the home of the Free Commune. I haven't come back to see it in several years..."
The camel held a piece of grass in his mouth and muttered disapprovingly: "Then you really live in a monk's temple."
After galloping for a while, we arrived at the edge of Mogao Grottoes.
When I got there, I discovered that there was an unkempt man in cotton-padded clothes with a beard standing at the door. He was holding a paintbrush in his hand and seemed to be preparing to touch up the color of the Buddha statue.
When he heard the clatter of horse hooves, he immediately became vigilant and found a hatchet from nowhere, which made people laugh and cry.
But it happened that he was such a weak scholar, but his eyes were full of perseverance.
We all dismounted. When we saw the figure of Professor Xiang Wanli, the man's face suddenly turned calm. He staggered towards us and shouted excitedly: "Professor, are you here?"
It's full of disbelief.
Xiang Wanli was also very excited and said with concern: "Shu Hong!"
The two held hands tightly, and although they didn't say much, they were full of sincerity.
This scene made me very curious. With the way this man was dressed, he looked like a gatekeeper. How could he be so respected by a dignified professor from Peking University?
Shangguan Lanyue and the others were also curious about the identity of the sloppy man.
Xiang Wanli smiled and gave it away: "Guess!"
Everyone looked at each other, but they all guessed wrong.
Finally, he introduced to Wan Li: "This is Chang Shuhong. He once studied in France. He is a knowledgeable artist and one of the fighters of the Free Commune. According to the rules, you have to call him Uncle Chang."
Chang Shuhong waved his hand: "Just call me sir."
I was dumbfounded and could not connect him with a French student at all. After all, in my impression, France is the most romantic country. The people who come back from there are fashionable men and noble women. Why is he the only one...
Chang Shuhong seemed to see something and smiled: "As long as there is faith, there is no need for romance."
Xiang Wanli patted Chang Shuhong on the shoulder, his eyes slightly moist: "I have suffered so much for you these years."
In fact, Chang Shuhong was still a handsome and beautiful gentleman back then. He had an elegant temperament and was sought after wherever he went.
Even when he was studying in France, his grades were top-notch. His tutor especially wanted him to stay and promised to make him the most famous artist in Paris.
Unfortunately, Chang Shuhong accidentally saw a picture album.
That picture album is full of Dunhuang murals. On the murals there are solemn Buddhas, fairy-like goddesses, and lifelike nine-color deers...
Every page amazes him!
He never thought that there was such a place in the land of Hua-Xia. As a descendant of Yan and Huang, he had never heard of it.
What’s even more ironic is that every painting in this album was torn out from the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang by an explorer named Warner in the act of banditry.
At that moment, Chang Shuhong suddenly had an impulse: "I want to go to Mogao Grottoes to take a look!"
As soon as this idea came up, he couldn't let it go. Chang Shuhong resolutely took his wife back to China and came to this inaccessible Thousand Buddha Cave.
When he really stood at the foot of the Mogao Grottoes, he felt that his soul had finally found its home, just like the swallow returning to its nest and the fish returning to the ocean.
He was born to belong here!
So Chang Shuhong had another impulse: I want to stay and protect the Mogao Grottoes!
He refused France's generous treatment. No famous artist could compete with the Buddhas in the sky. He joined the Free Commune and guarded it together with Bai Bing.
The conditions in the northwest are very poor, and Chang Shuhong's wife cannot bear it. She threatens him to choose between marriage and these broken stones, and threatens him to return to the romantic country with her.
Chang Shuhong was silent.
And his wife left without saying goodbye.
It was the love of his life. He rode a horse and chased her to Qinghai Lake, but he never saw the beautiful figure of his beloved.
In the end, he returned to Mogao Grottoes and has been holding on until now!
"I just took a look at it at first, but once I realized it, I couldn't let it go anymore." Chang Shuhong smiled faintly. There was sweetness, bitterness, and consistent determination in this smile.
Having said this, Chang Shuhong searched the crowd and asked Xiang Wanli: "Where is Bai Bing? Isn't he coming back either?"
Xiang Wanli sighed deeply: "No, he just can't come back."
There is a deep sadness hidden in the sentence "I can't come back".
Xiang Wanli briefly recounted the tragedy on the train. Chang Shuhong was slightly startled, but I saw no sentimentality on his face, only deeper determination: "Even if there is only one soldier left, I will protect him." Live here in Mogao Grottoes!”
Chang Shuhong took us on a brief tour of the Buddhist caves and vividly introduced the stories behind them.
Among them are "Sachauna sacrificed his life to feed the tiger", "Five hundred robbers became Buddha" and so on.
We were deeply shocked, and at the same time a heartbreaking feeling spread in our chests. Many Buddhist caves here have suffered devastating damage.
Most of the original beautiful murals have been stripped away, some Buddha statues were blackened by smoke, and there are even messy graffiti on the walls.
Chang Shuhong said sadly: "No one has paid attention to Mogao Grottoes since the beginning. I have approached officials and tycoons for help, but all I got was cold rejection..."
Even ignorant local herdsmen used some Buddhist caves as pig pens to raise pigs. It was only after he and Bai Bing stayed here that the situation changed.
When he heard that our purpose was to bring back the treasure deep in the desert, he couldn't help but be ecstatic: "Okay! This way, Dunhuang will have a real national treasure. More people will definitely pay attention to this place in the future." ”
It only took a few hours for us to go from disdain for this sloppy man to heartfelt respect.
Due to time constraints, we could not stay any longer and bid farewell to him after a while.
Diaoye holds the secret route of the treasure map in his hand. He told us: "The next step is that we will head to Yumen Pass and enter the inaccessible desert from there."
The real decisive battle will also begin from there!
When saying goodbye to us, Chang Shuhong took out the French wine that he had treasured for many years but was reluctant to open it, but he chose to pour the first glass on the ground.
"This glass of wine is dedicated to my good friend, Bai Bing!"
Then he poured a second glass of wine and drank it himself.
“I’ll toast myself with this glass of wine, and I can still stay in Mogao Grottoes.”
Finally he held the third glass of wine towards us.
“One last glass, here’s to all my comrades-in-arms, and I urge you to have another glass of wine, leaving Yangguan in the west without any old friends!”
