Mei walked beside the two-humped camel, her feet raising small clouds of dust. The caravan had been traveling the Silk Road for three months, and they still had a long way to go. Her father was a merchant bringing silk, spices, and tea from China to distant lands.
"Father, when will we reach the next oasis?" Mei asked, squinting against the bright sun. "Two more days, daughter," he replied, checking the position of the sun. "We must keep moving."
The caravan was made up of fifty camels and thirty people. Everyone had a job. Mei helped cook rice and vegetables for the evening meal. She also cared for the smallest camel, a young one born just before they left home.
At night, the caravan stopped to rest. The merchants set up tents in a circle for protection. Mei loved listening to the men tell stories about the places they had visited. Some spoke of great cities with towering walls. Others described mountains so tall they touched the clouds.
One merchant from Persia taught Mei words in his language. Another showed her coins from distant kingdoms. Mei kept a special coin in her pocket—it had strange writing she couldn't read and a picture of a king she'd never heard of.
"The Silk Road connects the whole world," her father told her. "Because of traders like us, people everywhere can enjoy things from faraway places." Mei looked up at the stars and imagined families drinking tea her father had carried across deserts and mountains.
The thought made her smile. Somewhere far away, people were tasting the flavors of her homeland. Mei knew her hard work mattered, and she felt proud to be part of the long caravan that linked distant lands together.