Chapter 4

Ye Liuxi said: "Oh..."

The tools were laid out on the table, and just for the decorative chisels, one would need round, semicircular, plum blossom, herringbone, and star-shaped designs. The pushing knife and the leather were at hand, and the mnemonic for the facial masks seemed to echo in my ears

Changdong returned to the hotel first

In this town, such businesses are not operated independently; they are essentially consolidated by two main entities. Local residents are reluctant to engage in this line of work, and the women involved come from outside the area. They form groups based on regional affiliations, with distinct northern and southern factions, each under the leadership of major bosses.

Holding the photo between two fingers, with the wrist turned at an angle, the front of the photo facing Changdong: "Don't you suspect that this photo is a forgery by me?"

Sunny was bewildered; her sisters all had English names like Mary, Amanda, and Kelly. She had never heard of Ye Liuxi—this name sounded like a real name. Who would use a real name as a pseudonym? What if the news got back to her hometown? How embarrassing that would be

The golden yellow flesh is juicy and the melon fragrance is refreshingly pleasant

Ye Liuxi smiled gently, her tone soft yet firm: "It is not difficult to find a guide into the Lop Nur, but you will not find a second person who knows where the body of Kong Yang is."

Chang Dong made a sound of acknowledgment; he only listened and did not speak. Sunny had to keep talking, and this kind of companionship was quite exhausting

The term "Yadan" actually originates from the Uyghur language, meaning "steep earthen mound." This type of terrain is widespread in the northwest, with some formations being particularly notable, such as the "Devil's City" located west of Dunhuang, known as Sanlongsha; the "Wind City" near Karamay, called Wuerhe; and the "Human Head Mound City" near the Shule River.

Chang Dong took out three one-hundred yuan notes from his wallet and pressed them down with a teacup: "I just arrived here and want to open a shop. I am not familiar with the local area, so I would like to chat with someone in the industry to gather some information."

Chang Dong stood still, with the sunlight warming one side of his face

She was accustomed to various guests with big bellies, bald heads, and bad breath, and did not feel that encountering someone like Chang Dong was a stroke of luck. The seniors had repeatedly advised: "Those young and handsome ones, do they lack women? You need to be more vigilant; the more they fit that description, the more abnormal they are: handsome, seemingly clean, gloomy, calling for service yet not in a hurry, with some peculiar interests..." You need to be more vigilant; the more they fit that description, the more abnormal they are: handsome, seemingly clean, gloomy, calling for service yet not in a hurry, with some peculiar interests...

She hesitated a bit: "Shall I... go take a shower first?"

Chang Dong reminded her: "During the day, she sells melons at the street corner"

When it reaches the folk, it becomes shadow puppetry

In the past two days, his mind has cooled down, and he is not in a hurry to report to Ye Liuxi: it was she who traveled a long distance to Xi'an, watching three shadow puppet shows, bringing along a magazine containing his "scandals," and concealing a strange photograph of Kong Yang.

She had just finished a round of work, cut the melon for herself, and was looking down as she took a bite when she noticed someone leaning over.

Chang Dong sat down on the sofa and brushed away the leather shavings left after carving on the cowhide: "Three hundred for the night, what about companionship?"

As long as she can lead him to the remains of Kong Yang, it does not matter whether she is a melon seller, a courtesan, or even male or female

Chang Dong replied: "A woman's intuition is very accurate. I want to propose to Kong, and although I haven't told her, she guessed it and specially bought a new dress for this occasion"

Willow leaf eyebrows, apricot eyes, a tiny cherry mouth

There are also lesser-known ones, large and small; sometimes while off-roading, a small area suddenly emerges by the roadside, and that too is a yardang.

Ye Liuxi squinted her eyes at him. The corners of her eyes were naturally slightly raised, and when her gaze flickered, it always seemed to carry countless mischievous thoughts. Yet her smile was quite deceptive, making nine out of ten people perceive her as harmless

Sunny walked in, her gaze slipping to the coffee table in the living room, where a row of over ten chisels gleamed coldly, causing her heart to skip a beat and making her even more anxious

Chang Dong pondered: "Slightly thin, pure... still leaning towards sexy..."

After recognizing him, her smile took on a hint of meaning, and she surprisingly began by complimenting him: "Aren't you pretending to be an old man anymore? This looks quite handsome, doesn't it?"

Upon waking, it was already noon, and Chang Dong went directly to find Ye Liu Xi

It is so exhausting to do this, you have no idea. In our line of work, we are up all night, and our skin suffers because we always have to stay up late and wear makeup. Look at my face, I am only 22, but once I remove my makeup, my complexion is sallow, and people say I look over 30...

Finally pressed the doorbell and put on a professional smile

Changdong had a good sleep, and in his dream, a great sandstorm arose. The sand flowed like golden mist, rolling over the asphalt surface of the Taklamakan Highway, while clusters of red willows held the yellow sand together, forming mounds several meters high.

Chang Dong bent down to pick up the card, paused for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed the number left on it

She racked her brains, bringing up everything related: "Most of us commute late at night, and it's quite dangerous to walk home in the dark. Last year, several of my friends were followed by a pervert, who was described as having a very pale face..."

The sound lingered, clearly indicating satisfaction with him. He turned around, picked up the watermelon knife, and with a swift motion, cut a slice from half of the melon.

When I opened the door to enter the room, I saw a colorful service card wedged under the door. I bent down to pick it up and casually threw it into the trash can

Kong Yang's new clothes, a crimson long dress, worn for the first time and also the last mourning attire, there was no time to take a single photograph, yet it floats before my eyes in this picture, amidst the wind carrying the Yadan sand and dust

Sunny is quick-witted: "Same price, not cheap, because coming to you tonight means I won't be able to take on other jobs."

That night, in the tent at the campsite, she put on this outfit for the first time and asked me if it looked good. Before I could give my opinion, I heard the wind bottle clattering outside.

Snow falls in large quantities, not in the manner depicted in the photograph; frost is the condensation of water vapor, which occurs around sunrise; the photograph was taken at noon, when the sunlight is so strong that the frost has long since melted

Sunny gestured to him: "It's that kind of soft leather covering the face, with only the eyes and nose exposed, at night, how frightening it is. Fortunately, nothing serious happened... Later, we had more travel expenses, hiring a car for pick-up and drop-off, 10 yuan for a one-way trip..."

As the conversation continues, one begins to lament again

How can it be seen

Ye Liuxi pressed on aggressively: "Why can't this grayish-white be the frost and snow that has fallen?"

Most objects in this world, whether tangible or intangible, outlive humans, which makes life seem rather dull for people

Chang Dong seems a bit interested: "Pockmarked face?"

I see, Sunny let out a sigh as she sat down on the sofa opposite: "Boss, it's not that I'm saying this, but if you want to open a shop like ours, you have no chance; you won't be able to get a foothold."

Changdong said: "Dragon City"

She must also have her own demands of him, but is merely being cryptic. He does not wish to be led by the nose; the matter of collecting the body has been pending for two years, and there is no need to rush.

She did not recognize him at first glance

Ye Liuxi was very satisfied with this response: "For the second question, where is the Yadan in the photo?"

Chang Dong caught it with one hand, did not sit down, and took out that photograph from his pocket with the other hand

He cannot discern what type Ye Liuxi belongs to; she resembles a pendulum suspended in the air, sometimes tilting to the left, sometimes to the right, yet all of it is a disguise, unable to conceal the demonic aura emanating from her.

So, where is the Yadan located

Anyway, it's not a trade secret; Sunny spoke at length, without any structure, saying whatever came to mind

The person answering the phone sounded like a professional customer service representative, asking: "What type would you like, sir? Slim or full-figured? Innocent or sexy? We can filter it first to save you from being dissatisfied later."

She revealed the matter, and as a result, Chang Dong no longer wanted to investigate Ye Liu Xi's background

Ye Liuxi handed him the melon and said, "Take me to Longcheng, and I will help you find the body of Kong Yang."

The Southern and Northern factions originally had conflicts, but later another party sought to intervene, which led to the Southern and Northern factions uniting. After driving out outsiders, the two factions began to divide the spoils and delineate their spheres of influence. Sunny, being from the south, refers to the hotel where Chang Dong is staying; this week, the Southern faction is distributing advertisements, and by next week, which is tomorrow, the advertisement for Xiao Ka will need to be replaced.

When she received the call, she was in the card room next to the hotel watching her friends play cards, and she grabbed her handbag and ran away

It was not a tone of negotiation; Chang Dong glanced at it and did not respond

A wind bottle is a glass wine bottle. When camping, a straight rope is pulled, and the wine bottles are hung at certain intervals—this is not only entertaining but also serves to measure the wind. The glass wine bottles have their own weight, and they make such a loud noise that it is certainly not a light breeze

Ye Liuxi became impatient: "How would I know? I only helped you find her, you are just my guide. Do it if you want, if not, then forget it."

Chang Dong said calmly, "Go ahead and tell me."

Chang Dong said: "Come in"

Sunny is very clever: "After saying so much, it turns out you want to inquire about her. The people who will be distributing advertisements here tomorrow are from over there, you can ask them."

As he just lifted the tent flap, he saw the iconic "Goose Head" of the Goose Head Sand Slope being choked by the sandstorm, rising into the sand mist of the night.

It is said that shadow puppetry originated during the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of Han, longing for his deceased favored concubine, Lady Li, had a sorcerer set up an altar to summon her spirit. At night, candles were lit, and a curtain was erected. Emperor Wu could only observe from behind the curtain, where he saw what appeared to be the shadow of Lady Li dancing in the flickering candlelight projected onto the fabric of the tent.

He spoke as he dragged a canvas stool out of the car, brushed off the dust from the fabric, and tossed it over.

She was momentarily taken aback when the door opened

The soil platform here has a heavy saline-alkali composition, with gypsum mud. Compared to other yardangs, its color is more grayish-white. When the sunlight is good during the day, it shimmers like silver, resembling scales, which is why ancient people referred to this place as the White Dragon Mound. Nowadays, it is often included in the same area as Longcheng, and both are referred to as Longcheng Yardang.

Sunny suddenly realized: "Oh, her! I haven't spoken to her before; she often hangs out with those young ladies from the north, so she must be dining over there"

Before the words had left his mouth, he flipped his hand, and that piece of honeydew melon fell straight down

Such a dream is a good dream for him

Chang Dong asked: "There is someone named Ye Liuxi, do you know him?"

Changdong was hit in every way, and moreover, late at night, inside the room, he wore a black baseball cap, with the upper half of his face buried in the shadow of the brim.

Ye Liuxi let out a sneer: "Are we getting to the point so quickly? You don't even want to exchange pleasantries. I was planning to cut some melon for you to eat."

As he continued to carve, Chang Dong's fingers became stiff from the cold. The temperature here continued to drop at night, and the heating from the air conditioner was ineffective, even at its maximum setting. He cupped his hands around his mouth to warm them with his breath and rubbed them together. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a small pornographic card in the trash can

Upon entering the elevator, she took out a small mirror to apply lipstick, press her lips, and touch up her powder. During the time from exiting the elevator to the entrance of Changdong, two buttons of her shirt had come undone, revealing the edge of a pink lace-trimmed bra, and she adjusted her little leather skirt.

Madam Li has passed away, Emperor Wu of Han has passed away, the sorcerer has passed away, but the shadow puppetry has survived, continuing to this day

The lady who came up is named Sunny

In the dream, there is no one, no changes, no sound

Sunny swallowed hard. A few days ago, her boss organized a screening for them, a Korean movie about a perverted killer targeting prostitutes, reminding them to stay vigilant. After watching it, she had nightmares that night, and these past couple of days, she couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid.

It was still early for bed, so Changdong opened the theater box and took out a piece of polished cowhide to carve shadow puppets

Chang Dong still hasn't answered: "What happened with the photo? The Goose Head Sand Slope is very far from the White Dragon Mound. How did the body get there? And how could it possibly be embedded in the clay mound?"

How beautiful it is, isn't it just a chicken maker

Ye Liuxi put down the melon in his hand, casually wiped the corner of his mouth, and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Buying melons?"

Is that so