Age: My Small World

The expedition team's destination was Gezhou, a place located in Jingchu Province, which required a long train journey to reach.

Yang Jun and the others didn't have to worry about eating or sleeping on the train, since they could take turns.

Finally, after a day and a night on the train, they arrived at their destination, Yiling.

However, to get to the final inspection site, we still need to cross mountains and valleys, and the journey alone will take a long time.

So, as soon as the group of thirty got off the train, they didn't even have time to experience the scenery of Yiling in the city. They hurriedly got into a car that had been prepared in advance and drove off into the mountains, stumbling and bumping along.

Most people could only stay in the back of the cart, where they could sit down and run errands with some dry grass as a cushion, but their legs would go numb after a while.

Moreover, the journey was so bumpy that my butt and body felt like they were about to fall apart.

Even though Gu Yanqing and her assistant Wang Shuqin were somewhat better off, as they were able to sit in the passenger seat, they were still quite shaken around.

"Gentlemen, I'm so sorry, please bear with us, we'll be there soon."

The driver seemed a little embarrassed.

The main reason is that Gu Yanqing and his companion exude a certain air of refinement that makes one take notice; they are clearly people of profound cultural knowledge.

Gu Yanqing's face was a little pale, but she gritted her teeth and persevered.

"It's alright, please drive slowly, sir."

Fortunately, the journey only took two hours, and everyone was eventually taken to the first entrance to the mountains.

"This is where you are going, Red Leaf Village. You can rest here before heading into the mountains. Our guide is also in the village. I'll take you there."

The driver seemed to have been prepared, as he led the group into the village.

It's called a village, but it actually only has twenty or thirty households.

The village has fewer than a hundred people, and the sudden arrival of a group of thirty or forty people immediately drew the attention of many villagers.

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a headscarf walked over quickly, wiping his hands, and said to the villagers, "Stop watching the commotion and go back. This is a guest from the capital. Don't frighten him."

The villagers became even more curious, as they had never been to Yiling and had only heard of the capital city in legends.

This place is deep in the mountains, and it takes two hours to get to Yiling by car, so it's perfectly normal for the villagers to be curious about outsiders.

"Hello, I am Tian Youxi, the captain of this brigade. You can call me Lao Tian. The leaders have already told us what you are here to inspect, and we will definitely cooperate fully."

Tian Youxi waved and invited everyone to go eat first.

The expedition team doesn't need to use the village's food supplies. In addition to bringing their own, Yiling will also provide them with food, so there's no need to worry.

"Captain Zhang, you can take charge of the arrangements."

This time, Gu Yanqing did not make the decision herself, but instead let Zhang Quanjin take charge.

After all, he was the captain of the protection team and had some of the responsibilities of protecting the expedition team, so they were in charge of safety and other arrangements such as meals and accommodations.

"No problem, Professor Gu, you can keep an eye on it."

Zhang Quanjin nodded, and then went to meet with Captain Tian.

The immediate problem is figuring out what to eat and where to sleep tonight. We'll all have to set off again tomorrow morning.

Of course, the supply point will most likely be set up in this village.

And you know what? Zhang Quanjin not only seemed reliable, but he was also reliable in his work, and he quickly arranged the accommodation.

The people were divided into two groups, living in the village's threshing ground and the village's basic office.

The shed was rather simple, and the surrounding area was just made of bamboo and mud. Mosquitoes could get in, not to mention the heat and humidity, so it was given to the men to live in.

The few female comrades were arranged to squeeze into the office area.

The expedition team had experienced a lot, and they were already quite satisfied with the accommodations they had. Sometimes they would even sleep in the grass in the wild. Having a place to shelter from the wind and rain was already a good thing.

So no one made a fuss about it.

Yang Jun, on the other hand, was quite uncomfortable. He was used to having his own room, and there were also bamboo houses to enjoy in the small world. Now, he suddenly had to join the ranks of those living in a dormitory. He really missed it for a while, but he was more uncomfortable. The snoring and teeth grinding sounds coming from the side were extremely irritating.

After a simple dinner, everyone went to bed early, and the night passed uneventfully.

Early the next morning.

Yang Jun sneaked out of the small world, then went into the room and onto the large communal bed, looking like he had just gotten up.

He quickly tidied up his things and went out.

Since the conditions here weren't great, we kept our washing up simple. We just rinsed our mouths and that was it.

After having some more congee for breakfast, the group of thirty people, plus a guide, set off again, this time heading deeper into the mountains, and on foot only.

Yang Jun gave Sun Buyong some special instructions and gave him two bottles of honey water before Sun Buyong took Wei Ye ahead to scout the way.

The guide spoke fluent local dialect, which most people couldn't understand. Surprisingly, Wang Shuqin was able to communicate with him. It turned out that she was also from Yiling, which was why Gu Yanqing had specially brought her along this time.

Wang Shuqin's role as an assistant was only temporary. Previously, she had been conducting water conservancy research in the research lab, and she was one of Gu Yanqing's earlier students.

Choosing a suitable location for building a water conservancy project is extremely difficult. In addition to considering local factors, it is also necessary to make a comprehensive assessment by combining ancient documents and future changes in the landform.

This is why Yang Jun is so professional.

Along the way, Gu Yanqing asked Yang Jun many questions about classical literature on water conservancy, and Yang Jun answered them one by one. This not only made Gu Yanqing even more satisfied, but also showed that Shen Tang's disciple was indeed a man of true talent.

Those who frequently go hiking know that climbing up is easy, but descending is difficult. Often, after reaching the top of a mountain, descending becomes a challenge, especially since they are climbing up along a major river and choosing the riverside side for descent, so they naturally have to be extra careful.

And so, the first day passed, and everyone had only climbed two mountains.

That evening, Gu Yanqing gathered a group of people to start talking and writing again. They were summarizing the problems and what they had seen, which would serve as an important reference for the construction of future water conservancy projects.

"Today is a good start, and I hope everyone can continue to work hard." Gu Yanqing knew she needed to boost morale.

Fortunately, most people nowadays are simple-minded and focused on doing a good job of the project inspection, so they all confidently assured that there would be no problem.

Yang Jun periodically checked on the people around him, trying to find anything amiss, but unfortunately, he couldn't identify anyone who seemed suspicious. (End of Chapter)