sonovelo Chapter 1325: The Opposite Shore
Chapter 1325: The Opposite Shore
Border river.
Wang Xin led a small team, all holding military shovels, crouching at the riverbank digging for wild onions. The dark and slippery road, coupled with extreme cold, made digging for wild vegetables in such an environment far from comfortable.
Moreover, these wild onions look very similar to weeds and particularly like to grow among them. When digging, one must open their eyes wide, bring it up to their nose, and carefully sniff the scent. Only if it has that characteristic fresh and spicy aroma of wild onions can it be put into the basket.
However, thinking about the porridge made from wild onions and how delicious it might be, Wang Xin’s motivation grew, and he dug with even more vigor.
Just then—
Whoosh~
A gust of wind blew by, bringing with it a sharp, cutting coldness and a stinging sensation. Wang Xin crouched down, using his arms to shield his face as much as possible, as the wind was really too painful.
"Captain—"
Suddenly, a low voice from a team member called out to him. Wang Xin perked up his ears and softly said, "Speak."
A teammate said, "On the other side of the river, an enemy presence was spotted."
Wang Xin froze; he tossed the wild onions in his hand to the ground and hoarsely asked, "Which direction?"
His comrade replied, "To the left, behind the stone directly facing us. I saw a shadow flash by with my own eyes; I can confirm that the enemy is secretly observing us."
Recalling Ji You’s previous instruction not to return without digging up 100 pounds of wild onions, Wang Xin said, "Ignore it. Everyone stay down; keep your hands moving and continue digging for wild vegetables."
The teammates understood and acknowledged.
Then.
Still, they remained a team, crawling, digging wild vegetables with military shovels.
But!
Due to the distance and the cover of night, the enemy hiding behind the stone could only see Wang Xin’s group faintly and couldn’t discern what they were doing. Wang Xin’s group remained highly cautious about concealing themselves, only occasionally revealing themselves briefly. As a result, those from the 6th Battalion couldn’t understand where these lurking enemies were hiding, but they were sure they were tucked away on the opposite shore.
One.
Two.
Three.
...
As the wild onions in their bamboo baskets piled up, nearly filling one basket, Wang Xin quietly asked, "How much do you all have?"
"10 pounds."
"About 8 pounds."
"More than 7 pounds."
"I didn’t dig much, about 5 pounds."
...
Hearing all the responses from his teammates, Wang Xin calculated in his mind. They were still about ten pounds short of the 100-pound goal. Wang Xin frowned and said, "Keep digging."
The teammates were puzzled, asking, "Are we really going to keep digging for wild onions and not confront the other side?"
Everyone thought that staying here was to bait the enemy, and now that the fish on the other side had surfaced, were they just going to ignore it and continue digging... digging wild vegetables?
Wang Xin said, "Ji You hasn’t sent any message yet, so keep digging."
"Oh—"
"Got it."
"It’s not time yet."
"Continue using the wild vegetable digging as a cover."
...
The squad members whispered a few words, then continued digging.
However, Wang Xin’s digging occasionally stopped, intermittently digging the wild onions, while he carefully watched the movements on the opposite bank, ready to make a decision should there be any sign of enemy attack.
Just then, a signal receiver pinned to his chest suddenly emitted a slight noise. Had Wang Xin not been constantly aware of his surroundings, he might have missed it.
Without hesitation, Wang Xin connected it.
"Wang Xin."
Two simple words came from the signal receiver on his chest, in a crisp and decisive female voice—Ji You’s voice. Wang Xin’s somewhat scattered thoughts immediately cleared. He perked up his ears and earnestly replied, "Yes, Class Leader Ji You."
"Still calling Class Leader Ji You? It’s now Commander Ji You," teased Cheng Haoyue from the receiver.
Hearing this, Wang Xin immediately broke into a smile, "Has Ji You become a Commander now? Wonderful. That’s the Ji You we know!"
Gu Peiyuan, tied tightly to a stone pillar, had his eyes shut. Hearing this over the receiver, he nearly couldn’t resist jumping up to curse at Ji You.
However, remembering the dull ache in his head, he decided to hold back for now.
Waiting for the opportunity.
Then—
Wang Xin heard Ji You’s pleasant voice coming through the receiver, "How much wild vegetables have you dug up?"
Wang Xin quickly replied, "Reporting to Commander, about 90 pounds so far."
"Oh?"
"Not bad." Ji You was slightly surprised and directly praised him, "Keep it up; dig up 100 pounds before leaving."
Wang Xin paused for a few seconds and said, "We’ve spotted signs of the enemy on the opposite bank. Should we stealthily cross over?"
Ji You squinted and said, "No, your task is to dig wild vegetables, only wild vegetables. Dig to the full amount; disregard everything else."
Wang Xin: "..."
Is digging wild vegetables not just a cover?
Ji You said, "I’m Number One. If anything comes up, call Number One immediately!"
Wang Xin: "Yes."
Then.
Wang Xin continued to lead the team in digging wild vegetables. The opposite shore remained quiet, as if those lurking had completely withdrawn. But Wang Xin knew they hadn’t left, definitely hadn’t.
The team continued to dig for wild vegetables silently.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
...
About ten minutes later, Wang Xin had dug up 100 pounds of wild vegetables and actively contacted Ji You to report the situation: "The wild onions have been dug in sufficient quantity, Commander. What are your next instructions?"
On the other end of the communication, Ji You was very pleased after hearing this: "Good job." He thought Wang Xin was particularly reliable; he always looked so honest and sincere. Not only had he dug up the required amount of wild onions, but he also hadn’t actively asked for any provisions.
So, with a smile, Ji You said, "Now, take your wild vegetables and withdraw immediately to the camp, ensuring you’re not spotted."
Wang Xin: "???"
Wang Xin widened his eyes, "Are we really leaving?" After all the wild vegetables they had gathered, they had been waiting for Ji You to give the attack command. Unexpectedly, instead of attacking the enemy, they had to retreat, back to camp.
Ji You said, "Yes. Be back at camp within five minutes.
Wang Xin said, "Yes!"
Rapidly, Wang Xin led the team and their gathered wild onions, strictly following Ji You’s instructions, leaving the area.
Meanwhile—
The 6th Battalion on the opposite shore had seen no sudden, fleeting shadows from the other side for a while. The people found it odd, exchanged glances, and someone suggested firing weapons across the river.
So.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows were launched, yet there was no movement from the other side!
Hmm?
Have they left?
Or are they hiding secretly?