In the 1960s,
Tao Yuan sat on the bed in a daze. He Liyuan brought in some water, helped him take off his shoes and socks, and then put his feet in the water.
"How's your reconnaissance going? When will the fight start?" Tao Yuan suddenly asked.
"We need to block them right away to fight them. Now we can't even encounter them, so it's hard to start a fight," said He Liyuan. "Those bandits are very cunning and know the environment better than we do. They are very good at escaping and hiding."
Tao Yuan nodded. "They grew up in these mountains, so they naturally understand how to rely on these mountains to protect themselves."
"But this is only temporary. All exits are blocked. It's basically impossible for them to leave this mountainous area. They're just wasting time with us."
"But those people can survive in the mountains no matter what, they just can't live well," Tao Yuan said. "We absolutely have to find those artifacts they've hidden, so we can't let them all die. We have to leave some alive. This mission is truly no small feat."
"Our most important task is to capture the bandit leader Shanjia Wang alive. His subordinates may not know where the cultural relics are hidden, but he definitely knows." These words are not confidential, and Shanjia Wang himself has probably guessed it, so it's okay for He Liyuan to talk about it with Tao Yuan.
"Pangolin King?" Tao Yuan said, "Do you mean the king of pangolins?"
"Yes, I heard from the militia that the man can move freely in these mountains, and nothing can stop him. As long as he enters the mountains, no one will be able to find him. Moreover, this man is not only fierce and violent, but also very durable. Even if we catch him, it will not be easy to get any information from him."
"Really?" Tao Yuan smiled and said, "If you can capture him alive, let me meet him. I guarantee within ten minutes, I'll make him say everything he hates to say."
"Really?" He Liyuan looked up at him.
"I can not only make medicines that can save lives, but also medicines that can torture people and even make people lose their minds. There are so many poisonous insects and weeds here, which makes it easier for me to use local materials."
He Liyuan helped him dry his feet and put them on the bed, then took off his own shoes and socks and put his feet in the water. "Prepare the medicine there first. I will definitely catch him as soon as possible."
"No need to rush. It's better for you to take it step by step. Don't be hasty. Put your own safety first." Tao Yuan pulled the quilt over him and then instructed him seriously.
"I understand. I will be careful. I still want to spend my whole life with you. I can't bear to die." He Liyuan said.
"What's with the life and death thing? Don't say that again." Tao Yuan was unhappy. Being a soldier was a high-risk job, and he didn't like to hear him say that.
"Okay, I won't say it anymore." He Liyuan saw that he was unhappy and hurried to coax him.
After He Liyuan went to bed, Tao Yuan snuggled into his arms and quickly fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Tao Yuan's brain system suddenly beeped. The system would only sound a warning when his life was in danger. Tao Yuan opened his eyes suddenly and smelled a faint smell, mixed with the night plant odor, making it difficult for ordinary people to distinguish.
"Brother Liyuan, get up quickly!" Tao Yuan pushed He Liyuan.
"What's wrong?!" He Liyuan sat up immediately.
"There's smokescreen! Get the soldiers up and put a bucket of water in each tent. I'll be there with medicine soon. Remember not to turn on the lights. Even a little light at night might lead to being discovered. So you have to act quietly." Tao Yuan got out of bed, walked to the wooden box he brought, fumbled for the key, opened it, and began to search inside.
As soon as Tao Yuan finished speaking, He Liyuan rushed out. He went to the nearest tent to wake up the soldiers, assigned them tasks according to Tao Yuan's instructions, and then asked them to wake up the soldiers in other tents.
Tao Yuan carefully ran out with the medicine bottle. After running outside, his vision became a little clearer. With the help of the moonlight, at least it was not completely dark in front of him.
"Brother Liyuan?" Tao Yuan called softly while standing outside the tent.
"Here, come in." He Liyuan opened the tent curtain and reached out to welcome Tao Yuan in.
"Is the water ready?" Tao Yuan asked.
"Get ready, sister-in-law." A soldier came in from outside carrying water.
"Bring it here." Tao Yuan heard the sound of the bucket being put down, fumbled around for a moment, poured the medicine in, and then said, "Wet your towels in the water and cover your mouth and nose. Those bandits will definitely come for a night attack. Hurry and replace the soldiers on duty. They are outside and must have inhaled a lot of smoke!"
Tao Yuan placed several bottles of medicine in He Liyuan's hands and said, "Tell the soldiers in the other tents to do the same. Also, send someone to the Wolf Squadron to wake them up as well."
"Oh my gosh! Captain, give me the medicine." Wang Songming had already tied a wet towel and quickly walked to He Liyuan, extending his hand to him.
He Liyuan put the medicine in his hand and he rushed out immediately.
He Liyuan put the other bottles of medicine in the hands of the second platoon leader and asked him to take them to other tents. Then he took Tao Yuan back to his own tent.
"Just stay here. Don't be afraid if you hear gunshots later. I'm here and will never let those bandits rush over." He Liyuan pushed Tao Yuan to sit on the bed and was about to turn around and leave.
"Wait a minute!" Tao Yuan pulled him back and gave him another bottle of medicine. "If any soldiers feel weak, let them smell this. Also, be careful yourself."
"Got it." He Liyuan shook his hand vigorously, then quickly left with the medicine bottle.
Tao Yuan put his legs on the bed, hugged the quilt and sat up, took out his gun from the clothes next to him, and then placed it beside his legs. In order to be on the safe side, military doctors also have guns.
About half an hour later, Tao Yuan heard the first gunshot, which was like a tear in the silent night, and then the sound of gunfire and bullets began.
Tao Yuan hugged his body, closed his eyes, and carefully determined how far away the bandits were. Amidst the incessant gunfire, there was the occasional sound of exploding grenades. The grenades must have been thrown by the soldiers; no matter how strong the bandits were, they couldn't have thrown them.
After about two hours, the gunfire gradually subsided, and the sky outside was already beginning to lighten. As the sky began to brighten, the bandits must have retreated. They had probably assumed that even if they woke the soldiers, the smoke would drift towards them, making it easy for them to attack. Their familiarity with the mountainous terrain meant fighting at night was advantageous. However, they had no idea that the soldiers would be able to hold out for so long, and instead, they suffered heavy casualties.
Another hour passed, and a little orange sun appeared on the horizon.
Tao Yuan put on his coat, got out of bed, put his gun into the holster, walked to the door of the tent, lifted the curtain and looked out.
There were soldiers running outside. Tao Yuan walked out and looked for He Liyuan.
Seeing He Liyuan standing there looking down the mountain, Tao Yuan walked over to him and asked, "Are there any soldiers injured?"
"No." He Liyuan turned to look at him and said, "They must have suffered a lot of casualties. They attacked last night, and it seems they felt very confident, so they sent a lot of people. They must have wanted to wipe us out. Fortunately, you discovered it in time, otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous."
"This mountain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There are only two ways up the mountain. Even if it would be more advantageous for them at night, as long as the soldiers are awake, they will not be able to attack."
"Go get some sleep. The fight is over and it's daybreak. Those bandits won't come here to die now." He Liyuan looked at him and said.
Tao Yuan shook his head. "I can't sleep. I want to go pick some herbs after daybreak. After this lesson, I think we should make more medicine and give it to every soldier to carry with them, just in case. Just like last night, if every soldier inhaled a lot of smoke, I only have that bottle of medicine that can make them recover quickly. Even if they recover in time, it will take a long time."
He Liyuan thought about it and agreed. Those bandits had lived in the mountains for many years and were more familiar with those herbs than they were. They could use them at will, while they still needed to make more preparations.
"The soldiers will go down to search in a while to see if there are any bandits who are lying in ambush because they are injured and cannot move. You should go and rest first, or go tomorrow." He Liyuan said.
Tao Yuan thought about it and felt that it was not a good idea to go to collect herbs today, so he agreed and said, "Then I will go lie down for a while."
"Go." He Liyuan knew that he hadn't slept all night either, and touched his face with heartache.
Tao Yuan knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, but it would be good to lie in bed for a while to rest his mind. He also wanted to think about how to prevent the bandits from using smoke again.
The sun has risen high in the sky, and a group of soldiers who went down the mountain to investigate have returned.
Wang Songming and his friends sat under a big tree, still feeling frightened.
Ren Xiuyang said with a serious face, "Last night was so thrilling. I've never been so scared since I joined the army."
"We were almost killed by those bandits. How can I not be scared? Fortunately, my sister-in-law discovered it in time. Otherwise, when those bandits came up, we were all drugged and we would have been slaughtered by them." Wang Songming was also scared. He felt that Tao Yuan saved him again and saved all the soldiers once.
"This mountain is not that low. How did they get the smoke up here?" Ren Xiuyang was puzzled.
Gu Yu looked at the mountain opposite and said, "Use the wind direction. People who live in the mountains all year round must be able to identify where the wind is passing. Burn a particularly strong drug on the opposite mountain, and when the wind blows over, it will bring the smoke with it."
"What should we do? If the wind blows again, we won't be able to tell it! Sister-in-law also needs to sleep at night. What if he doesn't find it next time?"
There are many kinds of plants growing on these mountains. The fragrance of the plants becomes stronger at night, and the intoxicating smoke is also fragrant and sweet, which he can't tell at all.
"Sister-in-law should have a way. He is so good at making medicine. After this experience, he will definitely make some preparations." Gu Yu said, "Those bandits have learned a lesson this time. The possibility of using the same method again has become very small."
………………
Two days later.
Wang Songming and some soldiers walked out of the temple wearing masks, holding their heads high and looking particularly impressive.
Ren Xiuyang, Gu Yu, and some other soldiers from the Wolf Squadron were standing outside watching them.
"How is it? Does it look good?" Wang Songming said as he pulled the mask on his face.
"It's so beautiful! This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful mask. Compared to the big white cotton mask, this mask is much more beautiful!" Ren Xiuyang said as he was about to take off his mask.
"What are you doing?!" Wang Songming slapped his hand away and said, "This is mine."
"I know it's yours, so I just want to take a look. Don't be stingy. Can't you even let me take a look?" Ren Xiuyang looked like if you don't let me see, I'm going to snatch it away.
"Okay, okay, take it and have a look. Just a little snack, don't get it dirty." Wang Songming had no choice but to take off the mask and hand it to him to have a look.
The soldiers gathered around and looked at the mask in Ren Xiuyang's hand.
"It's really beautifully made. This is the first time I've seen a camouflage mask, and it's three-dimensional."
"A mask of this shape will definitely not press on the nose."
"It looks good, but it covers half of my face. I wonder if it's breathable?"
Wang Songming said, "Although it's a tight mask, it's much more breathable than a white mask and it's not hard to breathe at all. And there are medicine packs inside. My sister-in-law said these are more effective than gas masks. Even if those bandits release poison gas, we won't be afraid. But these medicine packs need to be replaced every few days."
Ren Xiuyang touched the mask and indeed felt the interlayer, but this layer was not thick and felt very soft.
"Soldiers on guard at night will not be afraid of smoke and poison gas if they wear this mask. As long as they are not hit by the smoke, the bandits will not be able to get close to them," said Wang Songming.
"Do we have any?" Ren Xiuyang asked quickly. "We also have to keep watch here!"
"Why are you in such a hurry? You won't be short of anything. My sister-in-law is still working on it. It will take some time." Wang Songming said.
"I'll go see how my sister-in-law is doing and whether she needs any help." Ren Xiuyang threw the mask back to Wang Songming and ran into the temple.
"Hey, you!" Wang Songming quickly grabbed the mask and tried to catch him, but failed. He could only stop the other soldiers who also wanted to go in and said, "Don't all go in. It's not nice to disturb the doctors and nurses. Just let your platoon leader go in and take a look. Don't all follow him in."
After Wang Songming finished speaking, he and Gu Yu also walked in. He wanted to go in and watch over Ren Xiuyang to make sure he didn't cause any trouble.
Tao Yuan was teaching the nurses how to sew masks. He knew he couldn't do it all by himself if he wanted to provide every soldier with one. The mask-making process wasn't difficult, and the nurses, with their dexterity, quickly learned it. Tao Yuan also had to prepare the medicine for the medical kits, which were in much greater demand than the masks themselves, requiring replacement every two or three days.
After Tao Yuan prepared the medicine, he asked the doctors to help shape it into a medicine bag. The bag couldn't be too thick, otherwise it would be difficult to breathe, nor too thin, otherwise it would be ineffective if it encountered strong smoke.
Tao Yuan looked up and saw them coming in, without stopping his movements. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." Ren Xiuyang said quickly, "We just came to see if anyone needs help."
"You can't help me with these things," Tao Yuan said. "You haven't done sewing masks or making medical kits before, and you won't be able to learn it in a short time. But I do have something I need your help with."
"Sister-in-law, just tell me what you need us to do!" Ren Xiuyang immediately became excited when he heard that he could finally help.
"I don't have enough herbs, so I have to go pick some today. Most of the soldiers from the Brave Tiger Squadron are out for reconnaissance, and Wang Songming and his men have to defend. So I want to ask a few soldiers from your Wolf Squadron to accompany me to pick herbs." Tao Yuan said.
"No problem!" Ren Xiuyang said immediately, "I happen to be on vacation today. I'll take someone with me to accompany my sister-in-law."
"Thank you, I'll go get my things ready and leave in a moment."
"We should be the ones thanking sister-in-law. It is also our responsibility to protect her while she goes to collect herbs." Ren Xiuyang said.
Tao Yuan smiled and nodded, then turned around to get something.
As Ren Xiuyang and the others walked out, Wang Songming said, "I'm telling you, protect our sister-in-law. If she gets hurt in the slightest, our squadron won't let you go."
"Don't worry, I will never let my sister-in-law get hurt even if it costs me my life." Ren Xiuyang promised.
"If I hadn't led the troops to take turns guarding today, it wouldn't be your turn to protect our sister-in-law." Wang Songming said unwillingly.
"Didn't my sister-in-law say before that we are all the same people's soldiers? Your sister-in-law is also our sister-in-law. Why do we have to make such clear distinctions?"
Wang Songming curled his lips and thought, if we count based on kinship, we are the direct descendants, and you collateral relatives are certainly not as close as us.
"I'm going to collect herbs. Remember to take out the steamed herbs and dry them later." Tao Yuan instructed the nurses.
Some medicinal materials need to be steamed and boiled several times before being dried, so that their medicinal properties will be better and they can be preserved longer.
"I understand, Doctor Yue. We will definitely remember it. You can go without worry." The head nurse replied.
Tao Yuan carried his herbal medicine box, a basket for collecting herbs, his tools, and a crossbow, and headed out of the temple. Ren Xiuyang had already called in the men and was waiting for him outside.
Watching Tao Yuan leave, a nurse said, "Doctor Yue is amazing. He knows everything."
"Being able to do everything isn't the most amazing thing. Two nights ago, Doctor Yue discovered the smoke and saved us all. That's what I call amazing."
"I'm still nervous when I talk about it now. I was sleeping soundly at night, and suddenly there were gunshots. I thought those bandits were attacking us."
"Luckily, Doctor Yue stayed in the tent with Captain He at night. If he had also stayed in this temple at night and failed to detect the smoke, it would have been terrifying to think about it."
"If that's what you said, it's a good thing that Doctor Yue and Captain He are husband and wife, otherwise he wouldn't be living in the same tent with Captain He."
"Isn't it fortunate that they are husband and wife? I used to think that Dr. Yue was lucky to marry Captain He. But now I think that Captain He's greatest blessing is marrying Dr. Yue."
Wen Han was sitting alone in the corner grinding medicine powder. When he heard their words, he felt very sad.
Tao Yuan carefully dug out a herb with a small hoe and shovel, then placed it in the herb box. If it weren't for the excessive number of poisonous insects and snakes, these mountains would surely be a favorite holy land for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Not only are there herbs with various benefits, but if you look carefully, you can also find some very precious medicinal materials.
Soldiers spread out around, keeping watch with guns in hand. Although the bandits were avoiding them and clearly didn't want to engage in a head-on confrontation, they still had to be on guard against them getting desperate and suddenly charging at them.
"There's a snake!" a soldier suddenly shouted.
The soldier on guard continued to be on guard, and the other soldiers looked in the direction that soldier pointed.
Tao Yuan also looked over and saw a snake as thick as a woman's forearm. It was winding and stopped there, spitting out its tongue. If it stretched out, it would probably be two or three meters long.
"Move aside." Tao Yuan took out a crossbow from his backpack. He knew he would encounter snakes, so he was prepared.
How could those soldiers dare to move aside? If Tao Yuan was bitten by a snake, they would be scolded to death when they returned. Even if they were not scolded, they could not let him get hurt at all.
"Sister-in-law, that snake is too big and difficult to deal with. Let's go." Ren Xiuyang advised.
Tao Yuan knew they were doing this for his own good, but he wasn't one to get hurt by a snake. Since they wouldn't let him, he had no choice but to walk over on his own.
Ren Xiuyang was about to stop him when he suddenly saw something flying over. Looking closely, he saw that the snake's head and body had separated and were twisting on the ground.
Ren Xiuyang and several other soldiers were stunned. They didn't see Tao Yuan throw the axe, only a shadow flying past and snapping the snake's head. Such a fast speed required considerable strength, and in their eyes, Tao Yuan didn't seem like someone capable of such great strength.
Of course, Tao Yuan didn't throw the axe himself, but used the improved crossbow in his hand.
Tao Yuan picked up a thick branch, took out the knife He Liyuan had given him, sharpened the branch, and walked over to stab the snake's head into the ground. Even if the snake's head was broken, it wouldn't die immediately, so it was still important to prevent it from biting anyone. Without its body, the snake's head alone wouldn't have much strength to break free from the stick.
"Take the snake back and I'll make braised snake slices for you tonight," said Tao Yuan.
When the soldier heard that Tao wanted to cook the snake meat, he immediately walked over and picked up the snake.
Tao Yuan continued his search for herbs. Whenever he encountered a snake, the soldiers watched him. He picked up his crossbow and launched his handleless axe with a whoosh. Not only was it fast, but crucially, it was also incredibly accurate. One strike would surely sever the snake's head. But they couldn't understand how a crossbow could possess such immense power.
After collecting a full box of herbs and also picking up some matsutake mushrooms and ganoderma lucidum, Tao Yuan thought that after he wiped out all the bandits, he would definitely collect more herbs to bring back.
The soldiers dragged the three big snakes and prepared to return.
Halfway through the walk, we happened to meet He Liyuan and his friends.
"Hey, did you catch a snake?" one of the soldiers on He Liyuan's team said. They were scouting in the mountains and hadn't had time to catch snakes. Catching snakes requires skill and patience, and snakes move quickly, making it difficult to hit them with a gun. Even if you do, they won't die immediately. And since they were out on a mission, it wouldn't be a good idea to waste bullets catching snakes.
"We didn't catch it." The soldiers dragging the snake looked at each other and said, "My sister-in-law caught it."
"Sister-in-law can catch snakes?" The soldier asked in surprise. "These snakes are so big, they must be very strong. Did you catch them all?"
"It's not really a catch. My sister-in-law chopped off the snake's head with an axe, and we just went over to pick it up."
What does it mean to chop off the snake's head? Would a living snake just sit there and let someone chop it off? The soldiers who hadn't seen how Tao Yuan chopped off the snake were all confused and couldn't imagine the scene they were talking about.
He Liyuan walked over to Tao Yuan, took the medicine box from him and asked, "How long have you been out?"
"I came out in the morning." Tao Yuan looked up at the sky. "There are a few small ones left. I picked a lot of herbs today."
"Are you tired?" He Liyuan asked.
"Not too bad, not too tired." Tao Yuan said, "I caught a snake today and will cook snake meat when I get home."
The soldiers walked back, holding their guns and keeping alert.
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