Chapter 9 – The Mission
When Xia Lu Nong asked this, he was desperately hoping his brother would say no.
Since he had woken up, he was all too aware of how dangerous the outside world really was.
His brother looked at him for a moment, then silently nodded.
Xia Lu Nong stared at his brother. “Didn’t you say it’s dangerous out there? Why are you still going?”
“Your brother Xi Nian leading the team alone would be dangerous. If I go with him, it won’t be.” Xia Huo Qu reached out and ruffled his hair. “We’ve been on plenty of missions before you woke up, and nothing happened. I know what I’m doing.”
Xia Lu Nong stayed quiet.
He sat under the eaves, staring down at his feet, scrubbing them as if they were big, muddy radishes.
Xia Huo Qu ruffled his hair again. “I’ve already talked to Liao Cheng. While I’m away, he’ll keep an eye on you. If you have any problems, just go to him.”
“Oh.”
“We’re not leaving until tomorrow. I’ll bring you back something tasty.”
Xia Lu Nong became even more dejected and muttered, “I’m not greedy. I don’t need you to bring me anything.”
“If everything goes smoothly, we’ll be back in six or seven days,” Xia Huo Qu said. “You’ve always wanted to take a stroll outside the base, right? When I get back, I’ll take you out for a walk nearby.”
Xia Lu Nong looked up, frowning. “Don’t make promises, brother. I don’t want them.”
“Alright, I won’t say anything.” Xia Huo Qu smiled. “Do you want steamed eggs for dinner tonight?”
“No!” Xia Lu Nong said, “The regular meal is fine.”
He didn’t feel like eating anything.
However, dinner turned out to be more elaborate than usual. Yan Xi Nian had the cafeteria make a special dish — a plate of fried small dried fish, about fifteen in total, stir-fried with dried chili and vegetables, filling the room with a delicious aroma that made Xia Lu Nong’s mouth water.
Even though he blamed Yan Xi Nian for taking his brother away, he resisted the urge to eat. He didn’t want to touch anything that came from Yan Xi Nian, and stubbornly avoided looking at the small dried fish.
Yan Xi Nian glanced at Xia Huo Qu, silently asking what was going on.
Xia Huo Qu personally picked up a piece of dried fish and placed it in Xia Lu Nong’s bowl. “Try the fish. Brother Xi Nian and I caught these last year during one of our trips. I’ve already eaten all of mine, and only your brother Xi Nian has some left because he doesn’t eat at the base often.”
“Oh.” Xia Lu Nong responded dryly but still accepted it.
He didn’t really want to eat. Thinking about the two of them leaving the next day, he didn’t want to dampen the mood and was afraid that his brother might worry about him while he was gone, which could lead to trouble.
Xia Huo Qu said, “It’s true that it’s dangerous out there, but there are also plenty of supplies to collect. Sometimes you come across some really good stuff.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t be like that.” Xia Huo Qu sighed. “Haven’t you heard everyone call me Vice Captain Xia? Leading teams out is part of my job. I’ll be careful.”
Yan Xi Nian also added a piece of fish to Xia Lu Nong’s bowl and said, “It seems like you don’t trust me, Lu Nong.”
“That’s not true.” Xia Lu Nong forced a compliment, “Brother Xi Nian you’ve always been amazing. You used to be my idol.”
And he wasn’t just being polite.
Yan Xi Nian had always been a top student, even learning Wing Chun (kungfu) in extracurricular classes, and he’d represented the country in competitions. He was a straight-A, all-around prodigy.
Xia Lu Nong used to love tagging along behind him and his brother, watching them play basketball, instruments, or video games.
He followed them everywhere like a little shadow.
Yan Xi Nian asked, “So, I’m not your idol anymore?”
Xia Lu Nong poked at a piece of sweet potato in his bowl and stayed quiet. After a long pause, he gave the faintest of nods.
“That’s settled then,” Yan Xi Nian said. “But no matter what, I’ll make sure your brother comes back. Trust me this one time.”
Xia Lu Nong frowned and said, “Just bring my brothers back.”
Yan Xi Nian caught the hidden meaning in his words. “Alright, we’ll both come back together.”
Xia Huo Qu added, “It’s dangerous, yes, but it’s not that bad. We all value our lives. Don’t scare yourself with wild thoughts.”
Xia Lu Nong muttered, “If only I could transform into a beast, I’d go with you.”
“You will someday,” Xia Huo Qu said, putting more food in his bowl. “Now eat up.”
After dinner, the three of them chatted for a while. Once their food settled, Xia Lu Nong was sent off to bed.
With everything on his mind, he tossed and turned half the night, unable to sleep. The next morning, he woke up groggy and found the sun already high in the sky.
The house was empty, with only him left.
On the table in the living room, there was a stack of food tickets, and two bags of rice were placed on the couch. His brother had left a note telling him not to hold back — to exchange for whatever he needed.
He stood in his slippers in the living room for a long time before slowly wandering around the house.
Breakfast was ready on the table, water had been fetched, and the kettle was filled with hot water.
He had no idea how early his brother must have gotten up.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he grabbed his hoe and went to the field, where he pulled weeds, watered the plants, and caught pests.
After coming back to eat, he tilled the soil and watered the fruits and vegetables in the courtyard again.
Day after day passed like this.
One morning, just as he was coming back from the field with his hoe, he saw a middle-aged woman standing outside his house, someone who looked vaguely familiar.
Xia Lu Nong walked over, giving her a curious glance.
“Are you Xia Lu Nong?” the middle-aged woman asked. “I’m from the committee, in charge of coordinating this area. You can call me Aunt Hu. So, you know everyone has to take turns doing base tasks, right?”
Xia Lu Nong hesitated before nodding.
He’d heard about this “service duty,” but no one had ever assigned him anything.
Aunt Hu let out a breath of relief and smiled. “I was wondering how to explain it to you, but it’s good you already know. The base is running low on firewood, so the higher-ups have decided to cut a batch next week. Since you’re not in good health, you can help tie the bundles on the Great Wall to receive them.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
“From Monday to Wednesday next week, make sure you get to the section of the Great Wall behind the house by 7 a.m. You’ll know it when you see it. It’s easy to recognize.”
Aunt Hu pulled a small notebook from her bag, opened it, and handed it to Xia Lu Nong, along with a pen. “Here’s your task log. Sign here to confirm I’ve notified you.”
Xia Lu Nong examined the notebook closely. It had a form with details of the task, location, and time, followed by a signature section.
Several people had already signed, many of whom he recognized.
He carefully signed his name and returned the notebook to Aunt Hu.
“Alright then, I’ll be off. Don’t forget next week,” Aunt Hu said.
Xia Lu Nong nodded and offered, “Would you like to come in for some water?”
“No, thanks.” Aunt Hu chuckled warmly. “I’ve got more people to notify. Maybe next time. You should come visit me sometime too. I live near Triangle Square. And if you ever need help, feel free to come to me.”
Xia Lu Nong thanked her, and Aunt Hu shouldered her bag, waved, and walked off, her straw hat bobbing as she headed down the path.
Xia Lu Nong watched her until she reached another house and started talking to the family before he turned around and went inside.
After having breakfast at the cafeteria, Xia Lu Nong checked the sky and, seeing that it was still early, decided to make a detour to Liao Cheng’s house.
Liao Cheng had just finished washing clothes and was carrying a bucket of laundry back when he saw Xia Lu Nong and quickly greeted him, “Haven’t seen you for a few days. How are you adjusting?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded and got straight to the point. “Brother Liao Cheng, I’ve been assigned a base task next week. Is there anything I should be particularly mindful of?”
“So soon? What’s the task? What did Aunt Hu tell you? Fill me in.”
“The base has run out of firewood, so they’re organizing a team to cut wood. I’ll be helping out by tying the bundles on top of the Great Wall and assisting there.”
“Why such a heavy task?” Liao Cheng quickly hung the washed clothes on bamboo poles. “No way. Tying the wood on the Great Wall involves lifting it up and down with ropes. You’re too skinny to manage that. Don’t go. I’ll talk to Aunt Hu and take your place.”
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t sure if it was truly necessary for him to do base tasks. But hearing Liao Cheng’s words reassured him that everyone really had to contribute.
He smiled and said, “No need, thank you, Brother Liao Cheng. It’s just tying firewood. It shouldn’t be too heavy. Let me try first, and if it’s really too hard, I’ll ask for your help.”
“It’s no problem. I can switch with you for now, and once you’re feeling better, you can take over next time,” Liao Cheng said. “I’ve got nothing much to do lately anyway.”
“Let me give it a try first. If it’s too much, I’ll let you know.”
Xia Lu Nong firmly declined Liao Cheng’s offer to help.
When Monday arrived, Xia Lu Nong finished breakfast early, packed a water bottle, and headed up to the Great Wall.
Upon reaching the top, he found that the wall was even wider than he had imagined — over two meters thick and solidly built.
Several people were already standing on the wall, both men and women. They were all thin, but not the frail kind of thin — rather, they had a wiry strength to them.
Xia Lu Nong smiled at them.
Everyone greeted each other.
With his fair skin and youthful appearance, Xia Lu Nong stood out among the group.
They were curious about him, bombarding him with questions, and he answered as best as he could.
Someone offered him a cigarette, but he politely declined. After a bit more small talk, the conversation shifted to other topics.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t really follow the conversation and soon found his attention wandering to the view outside the wall.
It was his first time here and the first time he had seen what lay beyond.
In his imagination, the outside world would be filled with mutated animals — creatures with two heads or three legs.
But that was far from reality.
Everywhere he looked, there were plants — densely packed, layer upon layer, towering high, some reaching over a hundred meters, completely covering the ground below.
As far as his eyes could see, there wasn’t a single patch of bare earth.
The plants were a chaotic mix, with broad leaves, narrow leaves, and needle-like leaves of all sizes.
Huge vines twisted and coiled around the trees like giant pythons.
The colors were just as jumbled. Besides green, there were yellows, reds, browns — all sorts of hues, so chaotic that they might trigger a sense of unease in someone with a fear of clusters.
He rubbed his arms, then looked down. The dense plants were crawling up the outside of the wall, vines creeping all over it, while various grasses and trees grew from the cracks between the stones.
Now, he understood why the wall needed to be over two meters thick. If it weren’t, the plants would overrun it in no time, leaving no chance for repairs.
“Alright, time to get to work!”
A voice called out from behind him.
Xia Lu Nong snapped out of his thoughts and turned around.
Everyone was getting up, stubbing out their cigarettes, and gathering together.
Xia Lu Nong joined them.
The leader pulled out a small notebook and said, “Today I, Liao Quannan, will be organizing the woodcutting. Any objections?”
He scanned the group, and seeing no one protest, he continued, “There are thirty of us here, and the target is 500 pounds of wet wood per person per day. That means we need to gather a total of 15,000 pounds today. Let’s get it done early so we can head back sooner. I’ll now assign the tasks.”
“Five people for the woodcutting group: me, Niu Chao, Zhao Linjian, Zhao Lucheng, and Zhang Gangding. Fifteen for the transport group — ten outside the wall, five inside…”
“Eight for the hoisting group… two for the bundling group: Xia Lu Nong and Hao Juanlian. Any objections?”
Since Liao Quannan had taken on the toughest job himself, no one had any objections.
He looked around and said, “Just to clarify, any personal items you find while cutting wood don’t need to be handed in. But don’t slack off or go looking for things on purpose, or your task will be voided, and you’ll have to work an extra day as punishment.”
Everyone nodded.
Someone called out, “Don’t worry, Liao. This isn’t our first day on the job.”
“Exactly.”
“Good, then that’s settled. Stay alert, watch out for each other, and let’s get it done as quickly and safely as possible!”
Thanks for the chapter 🙂