They hadn't received much training. First, there was snow disaster relief, and then a few days later, they had to go deep into the mountains. Only two of them came from families of hunters, so they were somewhat comfortable in the mountains because of their families' influence. The others, however, were just like frightened birds, which was the norm.

Lin Zhengde looked unwell. He was anxious about the mission, but he was more worried about the children under his command. They were being forced into training time and time again.

They're all about the same age as Jian Dan. Over time, these kids have become like his own children. It would be a lie to say he doesn't care about them.

He hoped they could all become upright soldiers, but from novice to veteran, there is still a growth stage. Like Cheng Chao, who has grown to his current level, this is the result of many years of gunfire and narrow escapes.

"Sigh! Old Cheng, with Cheng Chao not here, this really requires my niece to handle it!"

In his opinion, Cheng Chao was quite capable in other aspects, but in these mountains, it was not necessarily the case.

Having dealt with Jian Dan a few times, he always felt that Jian Dan was truly not afraid of the deep mountains at all.

Otherwise, why would he have let the girl know beforehand? She agreed so readily. But now that Lao Cheng is here, with his protective nature, I doubt Xiao Jiandan will come out unless I convince him.

Seeing that Cheng Jin still had a dark expression, he continued to persuade him.

“Look at you, your niece has this ability, you should be proud. Look at yourself, with that stern face, don’t scare your niece.”

"Get out of my way, that's my niece, not yours. You're calling her that like a close relative."

Cheng Jin became increasingly irritated as he listened. What did his niece have to do with his family's child? What did she have to do with a rough and uncultured man like him?

"Don't you have a nephew? Go back and call your nephew."

"Hey, Lao Cheng, you can't just be concerned about your niece and ignore these little brats. Look how scared they are. If something goes wrong later, it'll be our own responsibility. Can you bear to do that?"

"Oh dear, let me tell you, with my niece's skills, even that kid Cheng Chao might not be able to beat her. Isn't navigating these deep mountains her forte?"

The more he talked about it, the more irritated Cheng Jin became. How could he not know that?

But this is clearly their job, yet they still have to involve the child, which makes him very resentful.

However, he could distinguish between what was important and what was urgent, so he didn't say anything more and knew that this was the best arrangement.

Seeing that he had agreed, Lin Zhengde quickly went to call Jian Dan, since it was better to get this done as soon as possible.

The team that had just returned stayed behind to rest and stand guard at the foot of the mountain. The people who had been on guard duty before went up the mountain with Lin Zhengde leading the team, followed by the two hunters. And then it was simple.

Cheng Jin was worried and wanted to go with them, but Lin Zhengde was right. There were only two leaders in the garrison here, and they couldn't both go to the remote mountains and forests to run around on-site, could they?

Putting aside the potential dangers and those unknown wild beasts for now, the guards at the foot of the mountain will be even more crucial if those people manage to escape again.

Cheng Jin understood everything, but he felt caught in a dilemma, unable to decide what to do or not. Even looking at Jian Dan's smiling face made him a little uneasy.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and go, stop bothering me."

With them guarding the village entrance and the militiamen occasionally taking a stroll, the villagers were now completely afraid to go out. Even those who had planned to go to the commune to buy New Year's goods or visit their parents' homes before the New Year were now keeping a low profile.

In the past, when troops went up the mountain or closed the mountain, it only lasted for two or three days.

Now, things have gotten worse. It's been four or five days, and things seem to be getting more and more serious. The villagers were initially quite curious and gossipy, and they were hanging around the village office every day, trying to find out what had happened.

Over the past few days, the village entrance has been increasingly heavily guarded, scaring people away. They don't dare to ask any questions anymore and just stay at home. They don't dare to say a word outside, for fear of causing trouble with any words.

Not only the villagers, but also Liu Weimin, Liu Jianshe, and the elderly in the village were all worried.

Liu Jianshe was alright, his mindset was stable. He followed the militiamen and patrolled the village entrance at least once a day. Occasionally, he could exchange a few words with Cheng Jin and the others. Cheng Jin was as calm as an old dog without the slightest anxiety, which also calmed him down.

In fact, Cheng Jin got anxious every day they traveled for several days.

Later, to kill time, he simply opened the simple gate and, as instructed, rummaged through the large vat in the backyard, finding a pile of bones and frozen meat.

Thinking of those pitiful teenagers outside, he took the bones, a few pieces of meat, went inside to get a pot, and went back to have someone make soup.

To be honest, in this sub-zero temperature of minus twenty degrees Celsius, a bowl of hot water would warm you up completely, not to mention bone broth, which is rich and flavorful.

"political commissar,"

Although his mouth was watering from the craving, the young soldier was sensible and principled.

"Political Commissar, isn't it forbidden to take even a needle or thread from the people? Doesn't this violate principles?"

Cheng Jin turned to look at him; several people were already swallowing hard, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Then he raised his voice.

"What are you thinking about?"

"That young educated youth is my niece, your Company Commander Cheng's sister. She's one of the people, one of our own. But this 'people' is supporting our work, so don't worry. Do you think I'd lead the way in making mistakes?"

As a new recruit, Jian Dan has rarely been to the military region in the past six months. Only a small number of people know Jian Dan, and these people have been curious about his identity these past few days.

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