Firmament

Cleverness is learned.

- Bai proverb

The midday sun shone on the opulence of Samarkand, baking the city like a giant furnace. The towering mosque is draped in a blinding white light, like a mirror reflecting the sun. The blue-gray stone pavement was hot like fire in the sun, and wisps of green smoke appeared from time to time.

The Grand Bazaar (Khorezm, bazaar) is unusually quiet and full of merchants, losing its former bustle of crowds and shouting business. Almost all of the shops have a large iron lock hanging from the door.

On the south side of the bazaar, there is a shop with a false door. This is the shop of the young merchant Ali's family. He was alone inside cleaning the accounts and goods.

Ali's full name is Ali Abdullah, he is just 16 years old this year, with a slender and tall figure, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose, fair skin, and thick and lush hair. He wore a peaked hat with golden silk thread embroidered with vines, a knee-length white cotton jacket (Khorezm), a light gray collarless cotton shirt underneath, fat blue bloomers on his legs, and half-new black patent leather boots on his feet.

Ali was born in Samarkand into a family of merchants who had been selling tea and spices for generations. Since he grew up to be sensible, in addition to studying and praying in the mosque, he also helped his father sell goods in the store. Now, my father's hands and feet are gradually no longer dexterous, and the three older brothers have been recruited by the state to fight in various places, and the sisters have all married one after another. As a result, Ali took on the task of running the store alone.

Ali sells spices mainly from Southeast Asia and India, some of which are sold to the citizens of Samarkand, and some are re-exported to the Mediterranean coast and Europe. In addition to being used in processed foods, spices can also be mixed with milk in the cold winter. Tea comes mainly from the East. The tea leaves there are suitable for drinking in the hot summer.

Ali's distant ancestors were the Aryan descendants of the East Iranians, who later mixed with the blood of the Turks who migrated west from the East. Despite this, they firmly consider themselves to be the indigenous people of Khorezm. They formed a large family in Samarkand. The vast majority of the family members were engaged in commercial trade, with the exception of Ali's uncle Ahmed.

Ahmad served as the clerk of the royal palace to record the contents of the meetings convened by King Aladdin Mahamat. He especially likes to drink tea, and whenever he has free time, he will visit Ali's house. He enjoyed a rich and delicious tea while telling anecdotes about the palace.

In the past year, as the situation at home and abroad has become more severe and complicated, Ahmed has come less and less often, and each time he has been in a hurry, and the news has become more and more sad: the army of Khorezm has been defeated again and again in front of the army of the steppe country, Ali's eldest brother Yunus has unfortunately died for his country in battle, and the second brother Moussa and the third brother Ayub have fought valiantly against the powerful enemy ...... on the front line

Ali's father and mother are cautious and self-conscious civilians. With tears in their eyes, they prayed earnestly every day, asking the Almighty Huda (Khorezm, Allah) to bless the safety of his children and the peace and prosperity of Khorezm.

Yesterday evening, Ali heard that the army of the steppe country besieging Samarkand had completed the siege of the city, and the army of the 4th Route surrounded the city with great eyesight. He estimated that the business would not be able to continue for the time being.

At noon today, Ali saw that there was no movement in the city and outside the city, and went to the empty Grand Bazaar, intending to put the goods in the store in order, and then close the door and go home to rest for a few days. In the future, let's adapt to the situation according to the development of the situation.

At this moment, there was a chaotic sound outside the shop, which seemed to be the hula running of a large number of people, mixed with frightened shouts: "Run! The people of the grassland have entered the city!" "Juma, where are you? Grandma is here!" and "Grandma, hurry up!

Ali was stunned when he heard the shouting: could it be that they had entered the city so soon......