The most challenging job was patching the tire—those bite-sized holes weren't just simple punctures from nails. Chang Dong was utterly frustrated and finally decided to go with a makeshift repair. At a professional auto shop, they'd need sanding, baking, and specialized equipment, but now everything had to be done by hand. With just a torch and glue, any slight technical lapse would scorch the undamaged parts of the tire. Ye Liuxi didn't interrupt him, simply stepped back and kept an eye on the scene. In the periphery of his vision, Fei Tang approached hesitantly. "Anything?" Fei Tang nodded, about to speak, when Ye Liuxi suddenly remembered something: "Didn't you used to know Chang Dong?" "Yes." "Then, wasn't Chang Dong well-liked among people?" Fei Tang's eyes nearly rolled to the ceiling: "How could he be? He's so arrogant—he barely looks at me." It suddenly struck him why he'd always wanted to see Chang Dong get beaten up—how could there be any fruit without a prior cause? Ye Liuxi simply didn't believe it. Fei Tang said, "Really, my elder brother from the east used to... Wow, that's the kind of person who's like, 'Three years without a single sale, and when he finally does, he'll enjoy three years of it.' The prestige he carries—he even brings joint U.S.-China scientific expeditions and multi-national exploration teams, and sometimes he has to ask them to come. When I used to know a few wealthy entrepreneurs who wanted to visit remote, uncharted areas, they'd bring their money right up to the table, only to find no conversation happening. I had to act as a mediator—literally, I ran myself into the ground. Now, when I talk about it, I still feel frustrated. 'He's so hard to communicate with,' my colleagues tell me. 'He's so high-minded—almost like a "Sand Leopard." Does he just come off as impatient or unyielding? What's the point of fighting the desert when he's not even a heavyweight player himself?'" "It's not the same at all—this time, things have changed so much," Fat Tang lowered his voice. "West Sister, I'm saying this straight, don't scold me for being clumsy. Since the incident with the chrysanthemum, he's been completely reworked. I used to call him Dongge, and then suddenly I'd find myself yelling at him for being such a mess. Now, I think he's actually decent—manageable." With that old-fashioned tone, Ye Liuxi glanced at him sideways. "What do you want from me?" Fat Tang had already started speaking, then paused, realizing he'd forgotten what he wanted to say. "Um... actually, just now, Ahho came to me. West Sister, you've deducted so many points from him—what do you intend to do now?" Ah, yes—the point deductions. As far as he remembered, the old sign had lost 39 points, Ahho had lost 24, and even the fries had lost 12. Ye Liuxi thought for a moment, then gestured toward Ding Liu who was nearby. "Liu, come here." The character "Li" with a rhotic ending sounded as though something light and tickly was brushing against the back of her throat—slightly itchy, sticky, and smooth. Ding Li dashed over in a swift little run, completely willing to do so. "... When the car was ready to go, the three maps were submitted. Potato had limited reading skills, but had filled the pages with numerous annotations. Ye Liuxi carefully reviewed them and went to Chang Dong with the maps. Chang Dong took out a pen and a notebook, listened attentively to her description, and then drew up new maps. Ding Liu and the others gathered around to listen. 'We should head all the way west... The market where Ah He and her family originally lived was called Xiao... Yangzhou...' Chang Dong paused: that name was quite fitting—should the interior region continue to emulate the exterior, there would be no shortage of 'Little Shanghai' or 'Little Xi'an' in the future. 'Ah He mentioned that when they fled for safety, they left Xiao Yangzhou and only ventured out during the day, moving slowly and intermittently, eventually arriving here after about ten days. By driving, we should make good time.' Ten days... Chang Dong mentally calculated: on average, a person could walk about 30 kilometers a day. With a car, the journey that would take ten days on foot should be completed in just one day." He marked the mileage on the route map: "The tires are dragging, so we can't drive too fast. I think it'll take at least two days to reach our destination." Ye Liuxi continued: "Between markets, the countryside is quite deserted. The locals seem to agree that outside the markets and at night, the area belongs to spirits and ghosts—so it's best not to travel at night; you must reach your lodging before sunset." Ding Liu murmured: "It sounds just like *Liaozhai Zhiyi*." Ye Liuxi said: "Once the sun sets, you'll find no more inns—those inns are called 'Red Blossom Trees.'" Fei Tang was surprised: "Red Blossom Trees? And they have a chain network?" "There aren't many trees in the Gobi, so it's unlikely that every tree blooms red. Therefore, these trees are artificial—placed along the road, with red ribbons tied to their branches, making them appear blooming. When you see such a tree, you know there's an inn nearby, and you can wait beneath it. Before sunset, the inn staff will come to collect the tree and escort guests back. So, lodging must be arranged early "Gao Shen furrowed her brows: 'Even if there's no tree, can't we just find a hotel and stay there?' 'No, do you know why the market is safer? Because the market has capable individuals who can ward off spirits and ghosts—thus, they remain untouched. Outside the market, however, there are no houses, since any structure becomes a target. Hotels are therefore located underground or in hidden spots. Once the red-flowered tree is gathered, where would you even look?' Ding Liu listened intently, murmuring softly: 'This sounds thrilling.' Suddenly remembering something: 'Ms. Xi, aren't the people who dare to open a red-flowered tree on the road all capable individuals?' Ye Liuxi replied: 'To be safe, hotels always hire one or two capable individuals to stay on duty. Still, don't expect too much—absolute safety is something no one can guarantee. After all, you might end up at a black hotel.' Chang Dong asked her: 'How do you pay for your stay at the hotel?' “People say the times are tough now, and store owners prefer guests to exchange items for lodging,” she glanced up at the sky. “It’s about time—we should be getting ready to leave. Hurry up and pack your belongings, don’t forget anything, ours, or the ones stored in the cellar.” The last sentence carried a subtle implication. Fēi Táng suddenly caught on: “Miss Xi, are we moving out and taking away all their things?” “Of course not,” Fēi Táng’s breath still hadn’t quite settled. “Only the useful ones. The old mats and worn-out quilts? We’ll leave those behind.” Fēi Táng felt his scalp go numb: “Then… what about them? What will they do when we’ve taken everything?” Yè Liú Xī said: “When they locked us outside the cellar, what did we do? Didn’t we manage on our own? That’s the message we’ll send them.” Fēi Táng stood speechless. He followed Gāo Shēn Dīng Liǔ down to the cellar to sort through things, and after one trip, finally couldn’t bear it anymore—he didn’t dare find Y "Dong, please tell Xi sister—well, I'm not being overly kind. Honestly, they're getting older and older, and there's nothing to eat around them. If we cut off their food supply, how can they possibly survive? It just doesn't feel right." Chang Dong smiled, paused, and asked, "Did Xi sister specifically ask you to move everything?" Almost exactly, Fat Tang nodded: "Yeah." "Did she keep a close eye on you throughout? If you accidentally left something behind, did she say what would happen?" Fat Tang quickly thought through the details, then suddenly had a flash of insight, his face turning bright with excitement: "Ah, Dong, you're saying—?" Chang Dong said simply: "I didn't say anything." Fat Tang nodded vigorously: "I understand. I understand." He then turned excitedly to head off. Chang Dong called him back: "Fat Tang, if Ahe's uncles and aunts aren't affected, it's already a good sign. But if they do get hurt, their food supply will inevitably run out—by then, they'll still have no way to survive. How long can they last on just two handfuls Fei Tang was momentarily stunned. Chang Dong got back into the car, while Ye Liuxi lounged lazily in the passenger seat, disheveled and unceremonious, saying, "I have a question." "Go on," she replied, her eyes half-closed, watching the windshield. Outside, a narrow road with several bends would take them out of the village. "Why are today's men so tender-hearted? Tender-heartedness may not be a blessing—it's a curse, really. I should have warned you of that long ago." Chang Dong countered, "Isn't being tender-hearted a great fortune?" Ye Liuxi turned to him, puzzled, "Huh?" "Few people are born with a naturally compassionate heart. Most people, when starving, won't think of sharing their food. When treated with disrespect or mistreated, their first instinct is to respond with blood for blood. Only when they've received love do they begin to share it—only then can they truly soften. That means, at least in some ways, they've been treated kindly." Ye Liuxi slowly fastened her seatbelt. She realized lately she had been softening herself too. —Finally, the car Fei Tang leaned forward, glancing at the rearview mirror and saw Ah He leaning against the partially collapsed wall, growing smaller and smaller. As he tucked half his rice bag beneath the cabinet and kicked in a few carrots and potatoes, he whispered the news to Ah He. At that moment, Ah He’s eyes suddenly glistened, and she lowered her head, wiping them with her sleeves, saying, “Thank you.” Fei Tang noticed several streaks of blood on her neck, still not fully healed, and felt uneasy. Suddenly, he thought Changdong was right—how could they rely on enough food for just a few meals? Giving someone fish wasn’t as effective as teaching them how to fish. So he found himself speaking at length—how things couldn’t stay this way, people had to find their own way to survive, had to seek safety from disasters, otherwise they’d always fear them; they had to face challenges head-on, dance with the disasters, and grow stronger—this wasn’t difficult at all, just three steps needed to be taken. He didn’t know whether Ah He had truly listened. ... Beyond the deserted village lay endless desert plains, with sand dunes appearing only occasionally. Without landmarks, without directions, without GPS, one could only orient oneself by the sun hanging high in the sky. Fei Tang leaned his head against the window, initially still gazing at the scenery, but soon his eyelids began to stick together, and he drifted off to sleep. “Changdong replied, “This isn’t their fault. The red-flowered trees weren’t many to begin with, and in the wilderness, there were no reference points to follow a straight path. As soon as the wheels veered slightly, they’d drift far off course. Plus, the vehicle moved much faster than walking—missing landmarks was quite normal if you weren’t paying close attention.” Fei Tang felt a bit uneasy. He wasn’t afraid of human figures coming along—he was afraid of the unknown, had to imagine it all, and the more he imagined, the more anxious he became. The sky gradually darkened. This darkness only deepened their sense of resignation. Ding Liu felt uneasy: “Xie Jie, shouldn’t we bring something solid with us?” Ye Liuxi nodded: “At least that’s better than being completely unprepared.” Gao Shen pulled out a field shovel from beneath the back seat and handed one to Fei Tang. Ding Liu felt a little envious—since ammunition was running low, the gun here wasn’t very useful. She especially admired Ye Liuxi’s knife and had been thinking about how she’d get one for herself when they reached the market. The vehicle suddenly came to Chang Dong pointed toward the front. It was too far away to see clearly, only knowing there was a soft, warm red glow there. Ding Liu murmured, "Like a lantern." Fei Tang suddenly remembered a snake deity story he had heard as a child. It said that when the sky was completely dark, two glowing red lanterns would appear in the heavens, along with a long ladder—people would often believe this was the celestial ladder, and that climbing it would allow them to become immortals. But in truth, those lanterns were actually the snake's eyes, and the ladder was the long snake's tongue; those who climbed up were eventually swallowed by the snake. He swallowed a lump in his throat, "East brother, I think that's the mouth. You have to stay steady, oh, East brother, don't—don't—please!" Chang Dong pressed down on the accelerator, "I've never seen a glowing mouth before." ... Finally, they drew near. Fei Tang could now see clearly—it was actually a tree covered in red blossoms, each bloom glowing softly and radiantly. A老 beggar stood under a tree, dressed in a messy, disheveled manner, with a rooster hanging from his belt. In his left hand, he carried a box. When Chang Dong stopped his car, the beggar scattered a handful of rice with his right hand. Immediately, the rooster flapped its wings and pecked at the rice in the air, yet its claws remained tied to the belt, unable to fly free. Chang Dong pressed down on the car window. The beggar smiled at him and said, "You've missed the point too—why not come stay at the hotel tonight?"