A generation of soldiers begins with Feng Yuxiu traveling through time and space with Xu Sanduo

Chapter 183 Qinling Mountains
"If you want instant noodles, boxed lunches, or melon seeds, please let me know soon—" The shouting sounded as if it was squeezed out from an old bellows, hoarse and rough, and plunged into the noisy carriage.

The staff pushing the carts hunched their backs and struggled to move around in the narrow aisle that was barely wide enough for one person. The metal frame of the dining cart bumped into the seats from time to time, making sharp noises. Every step they took seemed like a difficult struggle with the crowded space.

The wheels and rails collided non-stop, and the "clang clang" rhythm became the background sound of this journey.

The snoring sounds came one after another, high and low, long and short, some like rolling thunder, some like whistles, mingled with the pungent and choking smell of dry tobacco, making the air in the carriage thick and sticky, making it suffocating.

Feng Yuxiu's eyes were fixed on the seat opposite, where several migrant workers were sitting.

Their hands have been severely carved by time and labor, and the cracks are like the cracks in a dry riverbed, so rough that their original appearance is almost unrecognizable.

They were struggling to break open their steamed buns, which were as hard as stone. Each push made veins pop in their arms. They sipped water from rusty iron kettles, the spouts making subtle noises against their cracked lips. The soles of their canvas shoes were caked with dried cement, like a crust. The white stains of sweat and alkali on their trouser legs, like winter frost, silently spoke of the hardships of their wandering and working lives.

There seem to be plenty of job opportunities these days, but most of them are tough jobs that break a person's spine.

Workers like these who run around at various construction sites make a living every month amidst flying dust and roaring machines, and their money is earned through hard work.

At the end of the month, they have to carefully send most of their income back to their rural hometown to their wives and children who are staying at home.

For them, saving is not a choice, but an instinct to persevere in this difficult life, and it has become their shared "tradition".

The dining cart slowly moved in front of Feng Yuxiu. He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and took the initiative to speak: "My two leaders, we still have a whole day to go. How about eating a little? We came in such a hurry that we didn't even bother to bring food."

Wang Jianguo, the platoon leader of the Red Third Company, had just reached into his pocket to take out some money when he froze. A Ningxia native, his skin had been tanned by the Gobi Desert's harsh weather for years, and his right knuckles were thick and misshapen from years of gripping a shovel.

Wang Long, the secretary of the regiment headquarters, replied in a thick Guangxi accent: "Comrade Xu Sanduo, you have said a lot today." As he spoke, he habitually narrowed his left eye, as if looking through the sight on a gun, accurately measuring the weight of each word.

They were both very quiet along the way. In the 702nd Regiment, Feng Yuxiu had a bad reputation.

Not to mention the deaths he had, his eccentric, almost "shit-eating" personality alone spread throughout the entire regiment.

Everyone felt that he was like a piece of ice that could not be warmed up, and no one wanted to get close to him. There were plenty of comrades in the army who were easy to talk to, so why bother to provoke such a "thorn"?

But now Feng Yuxiu took the initiative to talk, and as the two of them were leaders, it would be inappropriate for the conversation to remain silent.

After all, once you get there, you're unfamiliar with the place and might run into any difficult situations. If you keep being stuck like this, it will be difficult to carry out your work in the future.

Wang Lung had been starving for a long time, and as soon as he opened his lunch box and the aroma of food wafted through his lungs, he began to devour it. Even as his mouth was full, he pricked up his ears, listening curiously.

In fact, the cadres of the 702nd Regiment were all curious about Feng Yuxiu, the "King of Soldiers". He had outstanding abilities, but was always immersed in his own world, like a fog, making people want to find out the truth.

Feng Yuxiu casually glanced at the eight people at the junction of the carriages, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said, "Maybe he didn't like to talk before and was an introvert."

After hearing this, Wang Jianguo and Wang Long seemed to be under a spell and stared at Feng Yuxiu with disbelief in their eyes.

Introvert? The man who single-handedly took down a group of thugs was introvert? The man who ran to division headquarters and caused chaos was introvert? The man who held his comrade's urn, his expression as calm as a deep pool was introvert? How could this be possible!

"Eat, eat." Feng Yuxiu looked at their expressions and just urged them softly.

-

"Brother, did you see that? These three guys are obviously rich guys. They bought such expensive lunch boxes without blinking an eye. This trip is much more lucrative than the one at the end of last year!" A thin guy with shifty eyes, like a slippery snake, quietly approached the ear of the fat-faced man. His voice was very low, but greed overflowed from his words.

"Why are you in such a hurry? We have finally come across such a 'fat sheep', don't scare him away. Look at that box, how can an ordinary object be wrapped in red satin cloth? It must be very valuable." The big man called Big Brother stared at Feng Yuxiu and the other two with eyes as big as copper bells. The greed in his eyes was like a hungry wolf seeing its prey, and he couldn't wait to pounce on it and bite it.

Since they got on the bus, these eight people have been focusing on Feng Yuxiu and the others.

They have been doing robbery in the north for several months without any harvest.

I was extremely unlucky during the Chinese New Year this year. I tried several jobs in a row, but they all ended up being extremely poor. I didn't make a single cent.

Now that I have finally caught someone who looks wealthy, I have to seize this opportunity no matter what.

-

"Xu Sanduo, cover it." Wang Jianguo looked up suddenly and found that the red cloth on the box containing the ashes had been torn in half at some point, like a glaring wound.

Feng Yuxiu glanced lightly into the distance, then slowly and steadily closed the box with both hands and held it in his arms again.

A complex emotion flashed across his eyes, as fast as a meteor across the night sky, and he murmured, "Xue Lin, ah Xue Lin, don't blame me for using you as 'bait'."

The train clanged along the tracks, and time seemed to be stretched countless times, becoming thick and dull.

The twenty-plus-hour journey in this hard sleeper car was a nightmare. The sour stench of vomit, mixed with the nauseating stench of feet, permeated the carriage, seeping into every corner and making one's stomach churn.

Passengers sitting in their seats felt as if their buttocks were covered with sharp thorns. Every time they moved, their whole body ached and they felt uncomfortable. They could only change their posture from time to time to try to relieve this endless torture.

"Is there anyone from Gansu getting off?" The conductor shouted at the junction of the carriages, his voice full of fatigue and anxiety.

Feng Yuxiu slowly opened his eyes, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, which were originally full of fatigue, like a flame suddenly ignited in the darkness.

"We're here, we're here." Wang Jianguo and Wang Long stood up, their bodies stiff as boards after sitting for so long, their faces filled with relief. But when their eyes fell on the box in Feng Yuxiu's arms, their expressions instantly became solemn and stern, as if covered by a layer of frost.

"Let's go, get off the bus. We still have to take the bus for two hours, and then we have to hike to the foot of the mountain." Wang Jianguo spoke, his voice low but steady, with a reassuring power.

"People from the local armed forces are waiting for us in the county town," Wang Long added.

The three of them got out of the car, and the fresh air outside rushed into their nostrils, like a stream of clear spring, instantly washing away the dirt in the car, and their originally numb sense of smell seemed to be reborn.

"Let's go to the county town to change clothes." Wang Jianguo suggested after he got out of the station and looked at the dusty dirt road in front of him and the slightly dilapidated and desolate suburbs.

Wang Long frowned and said, "According to the rules, we should change into our regular uniforms now and be escorted by members of the armed forces along the way. However, this is a small place, so there are not so many rules. But our soldiers cannot leave quietly, and we cannot return home quietly!"

Wang Jianguo then asked, "Have the local authorities notified Comrade Xue Lin's family?"

Wang Long nodded: "Everyone has been notified."

The two men fell silent immediately. They knew in their hearts how heartbreaking the scene would be for the two old men who were about to face Xue Lin. Just thinking about it made them feel as if a huge rock was pressing on their hearts, heavy and weighing them down.

"Xu Sanduo, what are you doing?" The two turned around and were surprised to find Feng Yuxiu had already changed his clothes neatly. Feng Yuxiu's expression was stern, and his tone was firm: "My comrade must go home in a dignified manner. We are soldiers, and we must send him off with military ceremony."

Sadness welled up in his eyes, like a bottomless lake, and he continued, "This is respect for our comrades, and it's also our responsibility."

"I was too conservative. Xu Sanduo is right." Wang Jianguo looked solemn and nodded vigorously.

"We can't let our soldiers go back with cold hearts." Wang Long took a deep breath, put his backpack on the ground, and began to change his clothes.

Wang Jianguo followed suit.

Feng Yuxiu stood upright, like a pine tree deeply rooted in the earth, his hands firmly holding the box. His eyes slowly swept across the distant crowd, sharp as an eagle, not missing a single detail.

At the corner of the public toilet next to the crowd, the eight guys who had been eyeing them on the train were looking over here furtively.

Feng Yuxiu was very familiar with these petty-minded and malicious looks. Ever since he got on the train, he had noticed that these eight people were like lingering flies, always plotting against them.

But at this moment, he was thinking about sending Xue Lin home, so he decided to give these people another chance.

He knew that Xue Lin was an honest child and would definitely not want to see a bloody scene.

The three of them changed their clothes and stood upright on the side of the road, waiting quietly for the bus to the county town.

They stand tall and straight, like three towering mountains. In this somewhat messy environment, they are particularly conspicuous, exuding a majesty that makes people dare not look directly at them.

-

"Brother, it's bad, those three are soldiers!" A younger brother accidentally caught a glimpse of Feng Yuxiu and the other two who had changed their clothes. He was so scared that his face turned pale, as if he had seen a ghost. He blew his nose violently, and the exaggerated tattoo on his wrist flashed by.

The bandit leader heard this and a look of surprise flashed across his face. He spat, "What a damn bad luck! How could I have run into these three evildoers? I didn't see them at first."

"Brother, let's retreat. We can't do this." The younger brother's voice was trembling and crying, and he was secretly glad that he didn't act rashly before.

The bandit leader was silent for a moment, gritting his teeth, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "We haven't been open for business for half a year. If this continues, we won't even be able to afford a hotel. How long will it take to find another target? There are so few rich people in this shabby place, unlike in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. If this deal is successful, it will be worth a dozen deals with those poor guys before."

But the other brothers had timid expressions on their faces. They looked at each other, but no one said a word.

"Brother, this is a soldier..." A younger brother muttered in a low voice, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"What's wrong with being a soldier? Don't forget, when you left home, you all vowed to make a name for yourself with me. When we killed that couple two years ago, you didn't hesitate at all." The bandit leader sneered, the flesh on his face trembling. "You want to escape now? Fine, I'll go alone. If I fail, none of you will be able to escape! I know everything about your family situation!"

"One last question, are you willing to do it or not?" The bandit leader glanced at everyone fiercely. His eyes had become hysterical, brutal and ferocious because of long-term poverty and despair, which made people shudder.

The younger brothers were frightened by the look and trembled all over. After hesitating for a moment, one of them gritted his teeth and shouted, "Brother, let's do it! What are we afraid of three soldiers? There are eight of us! We are all unarmed. We are not Chen Haonan or Shan Ji in the movies who can cut down a street. There is nothing to be afraid of!"

The bandit leader licked his lips, greed gleaming in his eyes again. "Don't worry, they're waiting for the bus. Let's talk about it after we get on it. Once the bus reaches the mountain area, we'll make our move. This one is sure to make a fortune."

-

The bus finally arrived. Feng Yuxiu and the other two boarded. The bus was quite empty, considering it was the starting station.

"Stand!" Seeing Wang Jianguo preparing to sit down, Wang Long reminded him in a low voice.

"Xu Sanduo, hold... sit down." Wang Long turned his head and looked at Feng Yuxiu, his eyes full of concern.

Feng Yuxiu did not refuse. He held the urn and slowly sat down by the window.

Wang Jianguo and Wang Long stood in front of him, like two door gods, blocking any possible pushing and guarding his ashes and those of his comrades.

The eight people also got on the bus through the gap in the crowd.

Their eyes flickered like poisonous snakes in the dark, and they glanced at Feng Yuxiu and the other two from time to time, with no concealment of the malice in their eyes.

Feng Yuxiu slowly closed his eyes and gently stroked Xue Lin's urn. His lips trembled slightly as he murmured softly, "I'm going to make you bleed again. I'll try not to do anything and not give them the chance to bleed."

At this moment, he felt like there were two little people pulling at him in his heart.

On the one hand, Weng Haisheng's consciousness dominated the task of sending his comrades home, which was full of warmth and responsibility.

On the other hand, the murderous aura in Feng Yuxiu's bones slowly awakened in his body, like a beast about to be released from a cage.

Generally speaking, people who carry a very evil aura usually have psychological trauma.

Feng Yuxiu once killed Shen Xue and some martial arts masters. In his heart, that was an unforgettable past.

But he also felt that after being killed by Lu Xuanxin, his sins had been atoned for.

When he came into this world, he firmly believed that he had never killed an innocent person, and those he eliminated were the bad guys who deserved it. Therefore, sometimes, he was particularly open-minded.

The car started slowly and moved forward along the winding mountain road.

Along the way, the bus stopped one after another to drop off foreigners who came to Gansu to work.

The eight people sat in the car, looking out the window, but their minds were all on Feng Yuxiu and the other two, like a group of vicious wolves lurking in the dark, waiting for their opportunity.

When the car reached the slopes of the Qinling Mountains, there were only a few passengers left.

The eight gangsters exchanged glances with each other, and their eyes as they looked at Feng Yuxiu and the other two were filled with cruelty and determination.

"Xue Lin," Feng Yuxiu whispered into the red silk in his arms, his voice as soft as the breeze, afraid to disturb his sleeping comrade, "Let's endure this one last time."

At the moment when the car body was shaking violently on the rugged mountain road, Feng Yuxiu quietly grasped the fixing bolts under the seat with his left hand. His knuckles turned white due to the force. A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, like ice in a cold pond in winter, revealing a chilling murderous aura.

The setting sun gradually set in the west, and the sky seemed to be on fire, dyeing the entire Gobi desert a blood-red color.

In the reflection of the car window, Feng Yuxiu clearly saw eight black shadows slowly rising up and approaching them step by step.

(End of this chapter)