Chapter 6 (1/1)

Li Wenxiu held the bird with both palms, and felt its soft body, and its rapid but faint heartbeat Using three fingers froently Opening her palo! But next tiain” The bird spread open its wings and flew back into the grass Puzzled, the boy asked, “Why did you release the bird? Didn’t you exchange the jade bangle for it?” He held onto the bangle tightly, as if afraid that Li Wenxiu would want him to return it Li Wenxiu said, “Now the bird can fly and can sing freely, and it is happy” The boy cocked his head and looked at her and queried, “Who are you?” She responded, “My name is Li Wenxiu, what’s yours?” The boy said, “My na, he jus

Su Pu o years older than Li Wenxiu He was very tall, and looked rather hty as he stood in the pastures Li Wenxiu said, “You’re very strong, aren’t you?” Su Pu was very pleased, for this little girl’s casual comment described what he was most proud of He pulled a short knife from his waistband, and said, “Last month, I used this knife to attack a wolf and nearly killed it Unfortunately, it escaped” Li Wenxiu was startled, “You’re that powerful?” Su Pu felt even prouder of hiht, tolves carabbed a knife to chase the wolves away When the larger wolf sa torch, it escaped But with one blow, I injured the other wolf” Li Wenxiu asked, “You injured the smaller one?” Su Pu felt eer wolf hadn’t escaped, I would’ve killed it with one blow” Although he said this, he wasn’t really certain that he could do it But Li Wenxiu believed him wholeheartedly, and said, “The bad wolves want to bite the little sheep, they deserve to be killed Next time you kill a wolf, could you please inform ht! When I kill a wolf, I’ll skin it and give its pelt to you” Li Wenxiu said, “Thank you! I’ll iven his own ive you, and return your grandfather’s mat to him” Li Wenxiu nodded, “That is as well” In both their little hearts, unfulfilled hopes of the future were no different fro a wolf, but acted as if the as already dead

In this way, the two children becaedness and boldness characteristic of Kazak entleness and kindness characteristic of Han wo very wellAfter a few days, Li Wenxiu sewed a little pouch and filled it with malt candy, and took it to Su Pu

The gift had given this little boy a surprise After exchanging the little bird for a jade bangle, he already felt that he had gotten an advantage Kazaks are born honest, and so was Su Pu He felt that he should provide soht on pastures, and caught two Tianling birds The next day, he gave the birds to Li Wenxiu However, his generous gesture wasto Su Pu before he realised that she liked Tianling birds to be free, and not suffering in captivity Su Pu finally understood However, at the bottom of his heart, he felt that her kindness was rather silly, eccentric and laughable

As the days passed, Li Wenxiu’s parents did not appear as frequently in her drearadually lessened More ss caether, they could hear young couples’ ‘question-and-answer’ love songs from far away in the pastures Li Wenxiu found these senti to them frequently, she could hum them without difficulty

Of course, she did not understand what the songs meant Why would a man fall head over heels for a wo your sweetheart’s footsteps ures cause people to suffer sleepless nights? But she could sing these songs ith her clear, irl can sing very well, just like a Tianling bird fro birds had all rated south in search of warhout the pastures, “Oh, my beloved herder, may I kno old you are? When you wander in the desert alone at night, would you mind if I accompany you?” At this point, there would be a short pause in the singing All those who heard the singing thought in their hearts, “After hearing this beautiful voice, ouldn’t want to be your co would continue, “Ah, ood and who’s bad at once For the Gobi Desert to beco needed is a well-matched couple” Flowers bloomed in the hearts of those who listened, and even the coldest, cruellest hearts arether, the Gobi Desert would naturally becory with you” The older people becaer by two decades, while the hearts of the youths filled with joy But Li Wenxiu did not understand the

The one who listened to her songs the s of these love songs from the pastures, until one day, they met a wolf in the snow

The appearance of this as extre, shoulder to shoulder, on a s the sheep scattered all over the pastures

As usual, Li Wenxiu was telling him stories Some of these stories were told to her by her mother, others were told to her by old man Ji, and the rest shestories the best, and disliked the childish tales which Li Wenxiu made up the most But a suspenseful story retold a few times would lose its suspense, thus he was forced to listen patiently to how the little white rabbit could not find itshelped it look for its mother Suddenly, Li Wenxiu toppled backwards with a loud cry A huge grey as baring its sharp teeth at her throat

The wolf had crept quietly towards them from the back, so both children had not noticed it Li Wenxiu had learnt some martial arts from her mother, so she instinctively tilted her head backwards, avoiding the wolf’s bites aie the as, he was so frightened that his legs softened But he i a short knife from his waistband, he threw himself forward, and stabbed the wolf in the back

The grey wolf’s bones were very hard, and the short knife slid down its back, cutting only a little skin and flesh But the grey as realised that it was in danger Letting go of Li Wenxiu, it opened its large s landed on Su Pu’s shoulders, and it attempted to bite his face