Firmament

No one is poor.

- She proverb

Ibrahim's child finally survived. His cold heart felt a rare sense of comfort. He and Manu cooked a few home-cooked dishes, put together a table of full moon feasts, and invited the whole family to eat and celebrate. Everyone ate and chatted while immersing themselves in a joyful atmosphere.

One day, Bai Nuer, the grandson of the white imam, went to Yibrahim's house to play.

Bai Nur said: "The officers and soldiers under Commander Ma have come to our Xixiang. They're going to go from house to house to recruit soldiers. "

After a while, the recruiting officer of Ma Jiajun really came to Niu Ersa's house. He grinned happily when he saw four young and strong young men standing in the courtyard.

The

conscription officer shouted in an encouraging tone: "Ga, young men, hurry up and sign up for the army! If you are young and don't go to the battlefield to fight, do you want to hide at home and be a nest chicken? Choose one of the four people and set off with me three days later." "

Niu Ersa knew that Commander Ma was covering the sky in the northwest region. No one should disobey his commands, or great calamity will befall them. Considering that Ibrahim's children were still young, he discussed with Mai Liyan and decided to let him stay at home to take care of the elderly and children, and send 19-year-old Niu Zhanxiang, 18-year-old Niu Zhanchuan and 16-year-old Niu Zhanhai to the Ma Jiajun.

The villagers asked puzzledly: "Ersazi, everyone is a soldier from one family. You, Amen, sent all three of the Gavas?".

Niu Ersa replied: "Since the government has issued a death order, we ordinary people can only obey it." Most importantly, I want to take this opportunity to let the Gava leave Gayin Dai and go to the outside world to eat. "

The neighbors then asked, "What if you let go of the three strong laborers and do the work of the crops in the field?"

Niu Isa replied, "That little bit of work is not a problem. Ibrahim and I were done with a few handfuls. Although the strong laborers are gone, the number of people who eat at home is also reduced. It's one thing to turn it over and over again. "

Three days later, the three Niu brothers were taken to Hezhou City by conscription officers. They learned to form formations and drills in the recruit camp, and became soldiers of the Ma family army in style.

A month later, the three brothers followed Ma Jiajun out of Hezhou City, arrived at Dahejia in the northwest, crossed the wide river, and came to Jishi County, where the Salur people lived. Soon, they split up. Stay where you are all the way. The other route was stationed in Bayon County, where Hui and Tibetans lived, and later to Pingxi, the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. The third route went to Yushu garrison in the southern part of the West Sea.

Niu Ersa and Mai Liyan didn't expect that after sending away their three lively sons, they felt that something was suddenly missing around them, and they couldn't adapt for a while, and their hearts were empty all day long. They began to regret what they had done. Especially Mai Liyan is worried all day long, the tea and rice are not fragrant, and she misses the children who go out for the first time.

Ibrahim worked hard in the fields every day to minimize the pressure on his parents. When he returned home from work, he always persuaded his parents to relax with a pleasant face. After a while, he found that his persuasion had not had much effect, so he decided to make a trip to Pingxi himself to see how his brothers were doing in the army.

In late July 1921, Ibrahim bid farewell to his parents, wife and children, first came to Bafang, a commercial center in the west of Hezhou, wholesaled 100 catties of Daqing tea specially used to make gaiwan tea, and hired a mule as a means of transportation to set off from Xiguan.

Ibrahim followed the route of the Ma family's army, and at the same time started a tea business along the way, using the income from the sale of tea as food and lodging. He passed through the three villages of Huizang, Fumatan and Baoan in Xixiang, Hezhou, and came to Dahe's house on the south bank of the river. From here, he crossed the river, reached the town of Guanting on the other bank, and climbed over the majestic Lazhi Mountain, and entered the boundary of Jishi County.

At the same time, 13 advanced elements, representing more than 50 members from all provinces of the country, convened the first national congress in a small orange sample building in the French Concession in Shanghai, and unanimously decided to establish a new type of revolutionary political party, determined to overthrow feudalism and capitalism, and create a beautiful society in which everyone is equal. At that time, no one could have imagined that such a very inconspicuous small party would establish a large country in the East after 28 years of bloody struggle, and that it would have a huge and far-reaching impact on the children and grandchildren of Niusa and Ibrahim, on the development of the Sarta people, and on the lives of the ordinary people in the northwest.

At this moment, on the high slope of the loess in the northwest, Niu Ersa, Mai Liyan and many Han people, Salta people, Hui people, Salur people, and security people are working hard to cultivate the loess under their feet, sweating, fighting for their lives, pulling out a little grain from God's fingers, and after crushing, raising the field and sun exposure, they are packed in cloth bags and hung on the girders for storage, counting on it to survive the cold and unbearable winter.

Ibrahim came to Jishi County.

He inquired from the locals that there was a team stationed near Nanguan. He entrusted the mule and the rest of the tea leaves to the innkeeper and hurried to Nanguan.

The vast majority of pedestrians on the streets are Salur men. They were handsome in appearance, wearing white and red brimmed caps, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose, and a thick beard on their cheeks.

Occasionally, one or two women can be seen walking with their heads down. They wore black, dark green hijabs over their heads, and their hair and necks were wrapped inside, revealing only a fair face. Deep eye sockets are set with a pair of large black jewel-like eyes. Keep your eyes on the road under your feet, never looking left or right. They wear kaftans that are black, pink, and green depending on their age. Middle-aged and older women are generally black. Young women who have just been married are mostly pink. The little girl is green.

Ibrahim saw two figures in military uniforms dangling in front of the market from a distance. They are Ma Jiajun's men who purchase beef and mutton.

Ibrahim stepped forward and asked, "I'm sorry for the delay." Are you troops from River State?".

The man replied, "Yes." Do you have an Amen?".

Ibrahim asked happily: "I will ask you a few people." Do you have any recruits named Niu Zhanxiang, Niu Zhanchuan, or Niu Zhanhai in your troops?"

The man thought about it for a moment and said, "There seems to be a man named Niu Zhanxiang." You're looking for him Amen?".

Ibrahim replied, "I am Niu Zhanxiang's elder brother, and I have come from my hometown to visit him. "

The man waved his hand happily and said, "Come with me." "

When Ibrahim heard this, he was relieved. He breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward to help, and carried the beef and mutton with them to the barracks.

When they arrived at the gate of the barracks, the man asked Ibrahim to wait here for a while, and after they put away their things, they helped him find Niu Zhanxiang.