The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the transport station's convoy had already left Beijing, heading in the exact opposite direction from yesterday's trip to a neighboring county.

Li Kaixin sat in the passenger seat, his body swaying slightly with the bumps of the truck.

To dispel the boredom of the long journey and to learn more about the situation, I took the initiative to chat with Master Chen.

"Master, do we have to go to Northeast China every year?"

Master Chen stared intently at the bumpy dirt road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and answered without turning his head.

"Um!"

"That area is sparsely populated and has fertile soil, making it an important granary for the country. Every year after the autumn harvest, transportation stations in various places have to allocate manpower to transport grain. Not only us, but many other transportation stations are in the same situation."

He paused, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. "The problem is, this year's task was assigned much earlier than in previous years. In previous years, it would have taken another month or so."

"I'm afraid the grain requisitioning over there is also tight."

Li Kaixin nodded silently, keeping this information in mind.

that's it.

The master and apprentice chatted casually, from the climate in Northeast China to possible road conditions.

Master Chen's words revealed his familiarity with this route that he had been driving for many years, which gave Li Kaixin a mental preparation that he would definitely be driving this route after he became a full-time employee.

Before we knew it, the sun had risen directly overhead.

At the very front of the convoy, a dark-skinned, lean middle-aged man jumped out of the cab of a truck.

Standing by the roadside, he made a hand gesture, and the entire convoy slowly came to a stop one by one.

The place where we docked was right next to a small stream.

Master Chen gestured for Li Kaixin to look at the person making the hand gesture, and slowly said, "That's Captain Wang, he came from the army, he's very experienced, and he's the team leader of our transportation station."

Seeing Li Kaixin's blank expression, Master Chen continued, "Captain Wang has been busy with family matters these past few days, so it's normal that you don't know him. I'll introduce you to him after this mission is over."

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master! You're so kind to me."

Li Kaixin's blank face quickly broke into a smile, and she excitedly thanked her master.

Master Chen waved his hand, indicating that it was no big deal.

at the same time.

Li Kaixin looked at Captain Wang, who was standing with his hands on his hips, his sharp eyes scanning the parked convoy, and shouting loudly.

"Hurry up and get off the bus, stretch your legs, we still have to travel this afternoon after lunch!"

The voice just fell.

Everyone got off the bus to relax their stiff bodies from the bumpy ride.

Then, they each rummaged through their luggage and pulled out all sorts of metal lunchboxes, most of which were dented aluminum lunchboxes.

They fetched water, gathered firewood, and started a fire with swift movements, clearly having grown accustomed to it all.

Li Kaixin took the initiative to pick up Master Chen's blackened aluminum lunchbox and his own, ran to the stream, and carefully filled them with water.

Wu Tian and Qian Dazhuang were squatting dejectedly in the distance, their faces pale.

"How are you two doing?"

Li Kaixin walked over and asked with concern.

Qian Dazhuang raised his eyelids and waved his hand weakly: "Don't even mention it, I felt like my intestines were going to come out from all the jostling."

Li Kaixin smiled and helped them up: "I'll get you some water. You should move around a bit first, it'll make you feel better."

He helped the two fetch water and then gathered some dry firewood together.

Back by the fire, they placed Master Chen's lunchbox and their own side by side on the makeshift stone stove.

Master Chen sat on a rock to the side, watching Li Kaixin busy himself, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and gazed at the stream, sighing, "The water flow is so much weaker this year. This time last year, it was gushing so loudly, but now…sigh!"

After the meal.

Captain Wang's booming voice rang out again: "Everyone, check yourselves, make sure you have all your gear! Ready to go!"

The convoy roared back onto the road.

In the afternoon, after driving along a relatively flat gravel road, Mr. Chen once again handed the steering wheel to Li Kaixin.

"This road is good. You drive slowly and get a feel for driving again."

"Okay, Master," Li Kaixin replied quickly.

Then Li Kaixin took a deep breath, rubbed his hands together, and steadily took over the steering wheel.

Compared to his first experience in the city yesterday, Li Kaixin was much more relaxed this time. Although the steering wheel was still heavy and shifting gears still required effort, he was able to anticipate the car's movements and control the speed more smoothly.

Master Chen watched from the side, occasionally offering pointers.

After driving through this flat section of road and entering a more bumpy area, Mr. Chen took back control of the vehicle.

It was evening.

The convoy stopped again in a sheltered, open area.

The group skillfully repeated the midday routine: starting a fire, fetching water, and heating up the food.

Li Kaixin, Wu Tian, ​​and Qian Dazhuang got together to chat again.

Qian Dazhuang's complexion has improved a lot, and he is now able to hold his lunchbox and drink the porridge in big gulps.

Wu Tianze still didn't have much energy and ate in small bites.

"Happy Bro, you're really something, haven't you had a single incident all day?"

Qian Dazhuang asked in a deep, muffled voice, his tone full of envy.

"I traveled with my mentor yesterday, and my body adapts well; I was back to normal by the afternoon."

Li Kaixin gave a somewhat Versailles-esque answer.

Wu Tian raised his pale face and sighed weakly, "I admire you, I'm really done for! I threw up all the way yesterday, and I'm still not up today. My whole body feels like it's falling apart, I have no strength at all."

Looking at Li Kaixin's energetic appearance, he felt not only envy but also a hint of inferiority in his eyes.

Night fell quickly, and a cold wind howled, making it much colder than in the city.

After the meal, Captain Wang gathered all the apprentices, including Li Kaixin and the others, a total of about ten young people.

Listen up!

Captain Wang's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice serious.

"We'll take turns on night watch, in three groups! Experienced guards will mentor newbies! Everyone, stay alert, listen carefully! Hold your guns tight!"

Li Kaixin and two others, along with a man named Liu Xiaojun, were assigned to guard the last time slot.

Soon everyone wrapped themselves tightly in their cotton-padded coats by their respective cars and campfires, and lay down fully clothed.

Li Kaixin lay down next to Master Chen's car wheel and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Kaixin was gently woken up by someone pushing her.

"Li Kaixin, wake up, it's our turn." It was the old apprentice named Liu Xiaojun.

Li Kaixin sat up with a start, instantly dispelling her sleepiness; the sky was still as dark as ever.

Wu Tian and Qian Dazhuang were also woken up. Qian Dazhuang was still relatively clear-headed, while Wu Tian looked pained and struggled to get up, groaning.

Liu Xiaojun lowered his voice and quickly instructed, "Spread out and surround the convoy, don't stray too far. Listen for any sounds and watch for shadows. If anyone gets close, warn them first; if they get any closer, open fire immediately, understand?"

"Understood!" the three replied in hushed tones.

Liu Xiaojun patted Li Kaixin on the shoulder, then chose a direction and disappeared into the darkness.

Li Kaixin also chose another direction, holding the rifle in front of him and warily watching his surroundings.

The night was eerily quiet, with only the whistling of the wind through the dry grass and the occasional crackling of the campfire.

Time passed slowly.

Finally, a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, and the surrounding scenery gradually brightened.

Liu Xiaojun appeared from the other side and said to Li Kaixin, "Alright, stop guarding. It's dawn. Let's get ready to eat, and then we'll set off."

Li Kaixin stretched his stiff hands and feet and returned to Master Chen's truck.

......