Crossing the Western Tianshan Mountains

Chapter 165 Ice and Snow World

Wu Yongjie and the other three had a good harvest. The first round of dry firewood they picked up was just enough for Portela and Yerlan and the others to use. The oil tea was also cooked and the naan was baked. The team members were also called over to eat. The group of ten people sat around the fire drinking oil tea and eating naan, which they found surprisingly delicious.

Yan Zhuoyu sighed, "If I ever leave Xitian Mountain, I will miss the oil, the rice, the people, the milk tea, and the naan here."

Li Jianguo said, "Then we'll come back and visit when we have time."

Wu Yongjie asked Portela and Ye Erlan, "If we come back again, will you entertain us?"

Portela said, "If we can save our sheep this time, we will roast them whole every time you come and make sure you enjoy them."

Portela was still worried about his sheep.

Ayiboli was equally worried and said to Yeerlan, "Have you told your sister? Ask the doctors to take special care of our sheep. After all, we have a much better relationship with the people in the camp. We are old friends!"

Yerlan was a little embarrassed. In fact, Yerlan and Nurlan were cousins, and Gulinar was Yerlan's sister. However, no matter how good their relationship and the camp were, it still felt wrong to say it so bluntly. Ayiboli said this as if he was taking the back door.

This really made Wu Yongjie laugh. He said, "Yes, yes, yes. Everyone has such a good relationship with the camp. I guarantee that everyone's sheep will be safe. Don't worry, there's no need to say any of this. We've thought of it in advance."

Yeerlan blushed, Ayiboli looked a little proud, and Borat said, "We also welcome you to come often. Even if the tunnel has been repaired, as long as you come, we will definitely treat you well. We are just worried that you will never come back."

Wu Yongjie said, "No, no, this Xitian Mountain is a place I will never forget. Even when I am in my seventies or eighties, as long as I can walk, I will come to Xitian Mountain for a visit."

Hot oil tea and hot naan warm the heart, stomach, and body, making them perfect for battling the cold. Wu Yongjie said, "They say there's an antidote to any poison within three inches of the body. The antidote in Western Tianshan is hot milk tea, naan, and air-dried mutton! It's so comforting!"

...Botra smiled and said, "You Han people are not bad. Life is so hard, but you are so happy! A little bit of food makes you very satisfied."

Haha, this guy actually started to laugh at Wu Yongjie and the others!

……

As for the survey results, neither Yan Zhuoyu nor Li Jianguo could speak. They just buried their heads in their food and ate. Afterward, they said, "We have to go west again tomorrow. We need to determine the length of the cross section."

Although Wu Yongjie wasn't a surveyor, he had worked on the project for so many years and had seen nothing new. Even if they didn't say it, he already understood that a glacier had indeed been discovered on the tunnel construction site. The size of the glacier was still uncertain. It could be large or small. If it was large, the consequences would be unimaginable...

Wu Yongjie nodded, "We will head west tomorrow, taking our belongings with us."

Then he asked Ayiboli, "Can we continue westward?"

Ayiboli looked around and said, "That area to the west is where the sheep don't go. The mountain god is always roaring there, and the sheep are frightened."

When Wu Yongjie heard this, his heart sank.

He had seen the roar of the mountain god when he encountered a water-bearing layer in the tunnel. This meant that there must be a glacier to the west, and it was an active glacier with a large number of water-bearing layers, which was very dangerous.

But it's hard to tell from Ayiboli's words. We have to go to the place and find out. But we have to pay more attention to safety when we move.

After careful consideration, Wu Yongjie said, "All the technicians will wait here tomorrow. Ayiboli, Yeerlan, and Portela, I will go and investigate the situation first."

Li Jianguo and Yan Zhuoyu immediately understood what Wu Yongjie meant and were stunned for a moment. Ayiboli said, "Why is that? This trip back and forth takes time, and it's wasting your time on your work."

Portela was younger, but he already understood. He said, "Captain Wu cherishes his own people. He wants us shepherds to fight to the death."

This sentence made Wu Yongjie feel embarrassed. He swallowed the naan in his mouth with difficulty and said, "It's not exactly what you think. For our project, the safety of the technicians is indeed the top priority. Without them, our project can hardly move forward. Their safety must be put first. Moreover, our local people, whether it is Ayiboli, Portela, or our Yeerlan, after all, grew up in the Western Tianshan Mountains.

Being familiar with everything in the Western Tianshan Mountains, one will be more sensitive to danger, so when facing danger, one has a greater chance of survival.

I just want everyone to be safe and work."

Portela said, "If I die, will you give my family a lot of money?" He didn't know how to describe this "compensation" and could only say "a lot of money".

Wu Yongjie was resistant to this transactional dialogue, but the reality was that the herders were more direct than he was. He said, "If you die for our project, we will compensate your family with approximately 500,000 yuan."

Portela didn't know how much five hundred thousand was and said, "How many sheep is that?"

Wu Yongjie said, "About 3,000 sheep."

Portela said, "Then I'll go."

Portela said, "I only have 200 sheep now."

Ayiboli said, "I can go, but Yeerlan can't go. Let him stay in the camp."

Wu Yongjie said, "Okay."

Several technicians' eyes turned red when they heard their conversation. After dinner, Li Jianguo and Yan Zhuoyu approached Wu Yongjie and said, "Let's go together tomorrow. We are not that stupid. We can take care of ourselves and will not get hurt."

Wu Yongjie's tone was rather somber, but unquestionable. "You must obey the leadership's instructions. There's no need to discuss this further. We'll discuss it when we get back. And you can't sit idle. Continue surveying this area tomorrow and explore in the opposite direction. I know the tunnel must be rerouted, but we'll try to make the curve smoother and avoid any hard turning points. That won't work."

Li Jianguo and Yan Zhuoyu said, "We understand."

That night, the wind and snow were raging. Even the snowflakes turned into knives. Under the influence of the wind, they seemed to be able to make a hole when they hit the ground.

Wu Yongjie wrapped himself tightly in the sleeping bag, but still felt the wind coming from all sides. Finally, he sat up. He knew he couldn't sleep in this situation.

If you fall asleep you will freeze to death.