Chapter 80: Setting off to gather resources, an unexpected encounter...
Chapter 80
Commander Fang really didn't know. She checked the time and said, "It depends on how the stationed team arranges it."
"It'll probably be here as early as today, or at the latest tomorrow."
Opening the mountain in September is all about timing; if they're later than Jishi, it means they won't get the good stuff.
However, it depends on when that certificate can be obtained.
Commander Fang hadn't expected things to happen so quickly; Division Commander Chen had completely abandoned any semblance of martial ethics. Meanwhile, he sent Qin Mingxiu with Political Commissar Xiao to the city's supply and marketing cooperative...
Qi Donghan has already led his men to assemble at the entrance of the garrison, indicating their intention to travel to both sides. The garrison personnel will first conduct field training and data collection in the Lingdong mountain area, which will take time.
By the time they finish collecting the data, the documents here can be processed. To put it bluntly, this is about seizing the time difference.
As soon as the team's work chant sounded, almost everyone started packing their bags.
Twenty minutes later, everyone gathered at the entrance of the garrison, forming a long line of heads. This was only a third of the people; the rest were responsible for shift changes and transporting goods at the garrison.
In just one hour, the team had already made arrangements to depart.
All I can say is that the stationed team is like a highly efficient machine, precise and rapid.
Meng Yingying and the others followed the group to the entrance. Qi Donghan stood in the center, methodically arranging the vehicles on site.
As Meng Yingying approached, their eyes met.
Qi Donghan, who had been cold and serious, softened his expression for a moment, but it was only fleeting.
"Go to truck number three over there; these are for the performing arts troupe."
Meng Yingying gave a soft "hmm," but after taking only two steps, she turned back to look at Qi Donghan, who had been directing the troops.
When he noticed Meng Yingying turning to look at him, he paused for a moment, smiled gently at her, and said, "Get in the car first."
Meng Yingying nodded. When Coach Zhao called, she quickly picked up her bag and chased after him. However, she couldn't shake the image of Qi Donghan's tall figure and handsome face standing in the crowd from her mind.
Coach Zhao led the search for vehicles; there were too many, from one to eight. This time, it could be said that the Harbin team had brought out all its resources.
There were eight tarpaulin-covered trucks in total, all of them gas guzzlers, some new and some old. Truck number three was relatively new, only two years old; new trucks are more comfortable to ride in.
When they arrived, Officer Xu was already waiting by the third tarpaulin truck. He found Meng Yingying and the others in the crowd and immediately called out, "Over here, Yingying, Coach Zhao, I'm over here."
As soon as she called out, Meng Yingying and the others rushed over. "Officer Xu, why are you still ahead of us?"
Officer Xu glanced at Qi Donghan, who was giving instructions, and whispered, "I happened to be in the canteen at the time. Commander Qi asked the quartermaster to tell me to come to vehicle number three and reserve a seat."
Those present were all intelligent people.
Officer Xu only said one thing, and the rest of them immediately understood. Coach Zhao shushed them and said, "Line up and go up."
When it was Meng Yingying's turn, Coach Zhao whispered to her, "Yingying, when you have the chance, please thank Commander Qi on our behalf."
Meng Yingying nodded, "I know."
"However," she smiled, unwilling to attribute this good thing to Qi Donghan, "even without him, the cultural troupe is all women, and it's their first time going out on a field training and collection mission, so the stationed team would naturally receive preferential treatment."
Coach Zhao thought to himself, "That's hard to say," but he also understood Meng Yingying's meaning; she didn't want to pin this on Qi Donghan.
Whether it is true or not, it will not benefit Qi Donghan.
After everyone was seated on the tarpaulin truck.
Ye Yingtao touched everything, "This truck is much newer than the one we rode in last time we participated in the competition."
Meng Yingying remained silent, carrying her backpack. Ye Yingtao wasn't angry either; she was rather curious, "Will we be able to gather anything in the Lingbei mountain area this time?"
After all, this was their first time going there.
Meng Yingying didn't know either, as she had never participated in such activities before.
On the other side, the logistics chief was also asking Qi Donghan, "Commander Qi, will we be able to collect any mountain products this time?"
Even the quartermaster was unsure. "You count them, we've sent out eight fuel-guzzling vehicles this time. If we don't manage to collect any mountain produce, the fuel costs alone could wipe out the canteen's food budget for the entire month."
At that time, let alone steamed buns, there won't even be cornbread left.
Qi Donghan raised his hand to check the time, 10:58. He said calmly, "We don't know yet whether we can collect any mountain products. We'll have to go there to find out."
Seeing that the hands of his watch pointed to eleven, he said, "Let's go."
"Quartermaster, you go with the last car and make sure the last four cars don't go the wrong way. I'm in car number one and I'm in charge of the first four cars."
"Remember, personal safety is the most important thing under any circumstances."
The quartermaster nodded.
He went to the eighth car, and Qi Donghan shouted for Xu Wenjun to go to the fourth car.
Xu Wenjun was still a little hesitant, "Couldn't you arrange for me to go to car number three?"
Car number three belongs to a female member of the performing arts troupe. If he could get a seat in it, he might even be able to exchange a few more words with Comrade Ye Yingtao.
Qi Donghan looked up at him and said, "You're dreaming. If you can keep an eye on car number three while sitting in car number four, you can also keep an eye on the cars behind you."
"It's a total of 33 kilometers from where the team is stationed to the Lingbei mountain area. Can we ensure that there are no problems along the way?"
Xu Wenjun instinctively straightened up. "Yes."
As soon as he got on the bus, Gao Chunyang, Liu Mang, and Chen Shuisheng followed Xu Wenjun to bus number four.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Qi Donghan saluted Commander Chen, who was standing next to him, and said, "Sir, I guarantee that the mission will be completed."
Commander Chen nodded. "Have a safe journey."
Political Commissar Xiao also said, "I'm waiting for your good news. If you collect the supplies, don't wait. Send them back immediately. I'll have someone arrange for them to be delivered directly to the supply and marketing cooperative for inventory."
Qi Donghan nodded, "Yes."
After saying that, he braced himself with his arms and nimbly climbed into the passenger seat of the tarpaulin truck, a position reserved for the commander-in-chief.
They've all left.
Political Commissar Xiao suddenly asked Division Commander Chen, "Sir, do you think they can succeed this time?"
The eight tarpaulin-covered trucks practically brought out all the resources the team had.
Commander Chen shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that the organization's allocation for this month hasn't come through yet."
"It's not just our stationed team; other stationed teams haven't received it either."
"Old Xiao, if the funding from above doesn't come through soon, our team will run out of food."
After that, the only option was to further reduce staff, but reaching that point was something no one wanted to see.
The tarpaulin truck drove westward along the bumpy mountain road. After only forty minutes, the people in truck number three were already feeling the strain.
"This road is terrible."
The one who spoke was Li Shaoqing, who had always been pampered and had never suffered such a loss before. The others remained silent, but their expressions were also quite unpleasant.
However, they encountered another dirt slope, and when the tarpaulin-covered truck bed shook, the smell of yellow earth mixed with the smell of engine oil rushed in.
Ye Yingtao immediately let out a "waah" and leaned against the window frame to dry heave.
Yang Jie was in a similar situation. She was older, and her physical condition was not as good as it had been a few years ago. Her face was as white as paper, and she was also experiencing acid reflux.
Like Ye Yingtao, she started gagging repeatedly, but couldn't vomit anything.
Meng Yingying immediately took out a green tangerine from her bag, peeled it in half, and handed one half to each of them, saying, "Quick, smell it first!"
She handed the oranges to Yang Jie and Ye Yingtao.
The tangy aroma of the peeled orange instantly filled the entire carriage.
Ye Yingtao sniffed, the sour smell suppressing the churning in her stomach.
She couldn't resist taking a bite of an orange segment. The moment her teeth touched it, the orange pulp burst into juice on her tongue, and the sour taste instantly cleansed her stomach. Even her breath carried the crisp, refreshing scent of the green peel.
She let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes still red, but she finally smiled with a sense of relief, "Yingying, are these oranges your magic cure for motion sickness?"
Although Yang Jie didn't say anything, she held half an orange peel under her nose, clearly unwilling to take it away.
He looked much better.
Lin Qiu, who was standing nearby, also came over, took a deep sniff, and immediately yelled, "Give me half, my head is throbbing!"
Meng Yingying took out a green tangerine from her bag and handed it to her, saying, "This is the last one."
"Everyone should share this; if it's not enough, there's nothing left."
These were given to her by Qi Donghan before he left yesterday. There were only two left, but luckily she doesn't get carsick, so she was fine.
Lin Qiu happily accepted it, not forgetting to leave half for Meng Yingying, and then divided the rest among herself.
After peeling the orange, she deliberately rubbed it in her palm, causing the essential oil on the orange peel to splatter out and be blown away by the howling wind.
Instantly, it suppressed the pungent smells of gasoline, sweat, and dust in the car, leaving only the fresh, sweet scent of orange peel after the rain.
At the back of the car, Officer Xu couldn't help but take a deep breath and exclaimed, "This smells even better than mentholatum!"
With the orange peels, everyone persisted for a long time.
The car sped along, kicking up clouds of dust, and drove almost unimpeded. Forty minutes later, it finally arrived at the foot of the Lingbei mountain area.
At noon, when the sun is at its highest, there is still a slight chill in the air in the Lingbei mountain area due to its high altitude.
The tarpaulin truck screeched to a halt, and the mountain shadows finally loomed overhead.
We've arrived in the Lingbei mountainous area.
The sky in September is high and blue, and when the mountain wind blows, the pines rustle and rush into people's ears.
At the foot of the mountain was an open slope, with wild grass reaching above the calves. In the distance, dense forests stretched out in layers, so green they were almost black, with only the occasional chirping of insects.
To be honest, this kind of place is really scary. If Meng Yingying were alone, she would never come to a place like this.
The deeper into the mountains, the more dangerous it is.
However, with so many people around, she wasn't so afraid. Qi Donghan was directing from the front, and the dense crowd was orderly, which actually lessened Meng Yingying's fear of the deep mountains.
When the third tarpaulin truck came down, Meng Yingying jumped off. As soon as her heels touched the ground, the thick pine needles crunched under her feet.
She looked up at the mountain, sunlight filtering through the trees, dappling her face and making her squint. She took a deep breath, the air filled with the fresh scent of pine needles.
"Get ready, rest for ten minutes." Qi Donghan's voice came over. "The cooks should distribute the cornbread. You have five minutes to eat and five minutes to take care of your personal needs. After ten minutes, two people will stay here to guard the vehicle. The rest of you will come up the mountain with me."
As soon as he said this, the quartermaster arranged for someone to bring down a large iron pot, which was filled with cornbread.
Clearly, before he left, he took all the cornbread from the canteen in one pot; when the iron pot couldn't hold it all, he even used an enamel basin to make up the difference.
Clearly, whether it's an iron pot or an enamel basin, these will be important tools for their meals going forward.
When Ye Yingtao received the steamed buns, she sighed. Meng Yingying shook her head at her, "Eat it. It's already very good to have steamed buns to eat when you're out here."
It's better than going hungry.
Ye Yingtao wasn't complaining; she'd just been eating cornbread for years, and she couldn't stand it anymore.
But obviously, that's how it is now.
They ate their cornbread and sipped the water from their water bottles, cherishing every drop. When they came, each person only brought one bottle of water. Water was a strategic resource on the mountain; if they drank it all at once, there wouldn't be any left.
They were eating cornbread when a car rumbled loudly over there, and everyone instinctively looked over.
Then they saw the vehicle of the Jilin City garrison and stopped behind their car. People got out of the truck, and the first one to get out was none other than Commander Cao.
However, when Commander Cao saw the Harbin garrison setting up camp at the foot of the Lingbei mountain area, her expression changed drastically, and she jumped halfway off the vehicle. "What are you doing here?"
Only a small group of people knew about the Jishi team's collection efforts in the Lingbei mountain area, and each year they brought only the most experienced members.
Therefore, they didn't send many people; at most, three carloads would be the limit, and they also had to ensure that these people kept quiet the whole way.
Therefore, she was absolutely certain that their lucrative route in Jilin City could not have been leaked by their own people.
No one answered Commander Cao.
Commander Cao glanced through the crowd, but unfortunately, she couldn't spot Qin Mingxiu. Nevertheless, she still suspected that Qin Mingxiu had leaked the information.
"Did Qin Mingxiu tell you?"
Still no one answered.
They naturally wouldn't expose their shortcomings in such a situation.
Seeing that the time was up, Qi Donghan called out, "Three minutes to get everything ready, then we'll head up the mountain."
Upon hearing this, Commander Cao rushed over and blocked the middle of the main road. "Commander Qi, isn't this inappropriate?"
"This was first discovered by our team stationed in Jilin City, and we have been collecting samples here for many years."
"Commander Qi, there are other mountains nearby. I suggest you go to other places."
Qi Donghan stood still, looking directly down at Commander Cao because of his height. "You've been here collecting samples before. Is this your Jishi garrison?"
Commander Cao was speechless.
Qi Donghan said calmly, "Since it's not, then make way."
It is a consensus that all the mountain resources in the three northeastern provinces can be collected by every resident of the three northeastern provinces.
However, under Commander Cao's command, the Lingbei mountain area became the private property of their Jishi garrison.
Even if word gets out, Commander Cao and his men will still be in the wrong.
Seeing that they couldn't stop them, Qi Donghan and his men were about to leave when Commander Cao suddenly called out to Meng Yingying, "Meng Yingying, did Qin Mingxiu tell you this?"
From the moment Shen Qiuyue hanged herself, Qin Mingxiu completely lost faith in the Jishi Cultural Troupe.
Aside from the fact that Qin Mingxiu told Meng Yingying, Commander Cao couldn't think of anything else.
Meng Yingying paused, "No."
The answer was crisp and straightforward, without the slightest attempt to conceal anything: "Commander Cao, instead of getting hung up on who told us, why don't you go up the mountain to collect the information now?"
"After all, no secret lasts forever. Maybe besides the team stationed in Harbin, others have also discovered the advantages of the Lingbei mountain area?"
As soon as she said this, Commander Cao's expression changed. She immediately realized something and said to the soldiers who should have been setting up camp, eating, and resting, "What are you still eating? If you keep eating, all the good stuff on the mountain will be snatched up by the Harbin garrison. Let's go after them now."
Upon hearing this, Commander Xiao frowned. "If the soldiers don't eat and rest well, they might not be able to handle the long physical labor up the mountain later."
Commander Cao gave him a cold look. "If we fail to complete the mission, how will you explain it to the higher-ups?"
Commander Xiao fell silent for a moment. After a long silence, he said to the soldiers who had just gotten off the vehicle, "Take out your rations and eat as you walk."
Although everyone was unwilling, obeying orders was their duty while stationed in the unit.
They had no choice but to agree, but Commander Cao didn't realize that this silent discontent was already spreading silently in everyone's hearts.
They soon reached a fork in the road at the top of the mountain, where a pine forest was covered with pine cones. Qi Donghan was about to tell everyone to stop and collect the pine cones.
He saw the supply and marketing cooperative's purchase list; the purchase price for red pine nuts was 15 cents per pound. An adult could collect 80 to 100 pounds a day if they were lucky.
They have a lot of people, so the total number is definitely not small.
"Stop collecting pine cones in place."
No sooner had he said that than the people from the neighboring Jilin City garrison came chasing after them, and Commander Cao also spoke up, "Collect pine cones on the spot."
This is a battle to seize supplies.
The two sides fell silent instantly, and Meng Yingying and the others looked over.
Commander Xiao didn't want to confront the people stationed in Harbin, so he suggested, "Let's go ahead. There's a hazelnut grove up there. Let's go pick some hazelnuts."
Hazelnuts are not cheap, and you can also avoid the people stationed in Harbin.
After being repeatedly rebuffed, Commander Cao sneered, "If the Jilin garrison is afraid of the Harbin garrison, then you can lead your team away right now."
"Let the Harbin garrison see what kind of cowards our Jilin garrison is."
They didn't even react when someone took their territory.
Hearing this, even if Commander Xiao wanted to leave, he couldn't. He took a deep breath and turned to look at his soldiers.
Clearly, Commander Cao's words had stirred up their fighting spirit.
"Commander, we're no worse than the Harbin garrison. Why should we leave just because they've arrived?"
"That's right, this patch of red pine trees is ownerless; whoever picks them keeps them."
"Yes, Commander, we're not leaving. We want to pick pine nuts too."
I'd rather fight for my pride than for the steamed bun.
Now that's settled. Even if Commander Xiao wanted to take the person away, he couldn't. He could only say helplessly, "Then let's start climbing trees and picking pine cones right here."
Everyone used the old method: the soldiers climbed the trees to pick the pine trees. But the pine trees were straight and tall, some ten or twenty meters high. If someone fell, it would be terrifying.
Meng Yingying couldn't climb trees, and her face turned pale when she saw those people scrambling up the trees like monkeys.
Coach Zhao came over to comfort her, "We don't need to climb the tree to pick them. The women can just pick up the pine cones down there. Once you've picked them up, put them in a bag and seal it."
Meng Yingying nodded, put her hat on, and then followed to pick pine cones.
September is the season when red pine cones ripen, and the pine cones on the trees are dropped one by one.
Meng Yingying went to pick them up, but after picking for a while, she felt that this method was not very effective. She thought of the pine pickers in her previous life, who seemed to use poles to knock the fruit down, which was faster.
Meng Yingying went to find Qi Donghan, who was already making arrangements, and he even planned to climb up himself.
There was no other way; after the Jishi Cultural Troupe joined in, everyone felt a greater sense of urgency. If they were even a little slower, they would collect one less tree.
Meng Yingying arrived at this time, "Qi Donghan".
She called him by his full name as soon as she came over, her voice soft and sweet, like it was coated in honey.
This made several people around Qi Donghan look over.
"What's wrong?"
Qi Donghan strode over and stood in front of Meng Yingying, blocking most of her view.
"I know a way to collect pine cones that will be faster than we are now. Do you want to try it?"
Right now, it's all about racing against time.
Qi Donghan: "What method?"
Meng Yingying asked, "Does the logistics department have any long bamboo poles, or wooden poles? If so, give me one. Tie a hoe to the end of the pole, make a T-shape with wire, and sharpen the end. Use it to hit low pine trees. This way, we can reduce casualties."
Climbing a tree that's over ten meters tall to pick pine cones is too unsafe, and it's too slow for one person to do it alone.
Using a long-handled fruit harvester would obviously be faster, cover a larger area, and reduce casualties.
As soon as Meng Yingying finished speaking, Qi Donghan frowned and began to consider the feasibility of the idea. He quickly summoned the quartermaster.
Did you hear what Comrade Gang Meng said?
"Go find two long poles, and take the hoes we brought over to do an experiment."
The quartermaster exclaimed "Yes!" and immediately went to find long poles and extensions. Logistics was his forte, and in no time he had found several long poles.
In forest areas, there is no shortage of tree trunks.
After it arrived, Meng Yingying guided him on how to do it. He did it twice before he finally succeeded.
"Who wants to take it and try it out?" she asked, glancing around at the room.
The quartermaster was about to try, but Gao Chunyang stopped him, snatching the pole and saying, "I'll go, I'm tall."
Qi Donghan stared at him without speaking. Gao Chunyang pretended to be calm, trying to cover up his true feelings, "I just want to win the Jilin City team, that's all."
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Author's Note: I'll try to write an extra chapter tonight.
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