In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

Wang Xingguo needed to work overtime because he had just returned to Daheyan on the third day, and the camels had already been prepared there.

They rode slow-moving camels, carrying supplies and water, and it took them a full eight days to reach the town of Malan!

Oil is too precious to transport camels to the town of Malan by vehicle.

When they arrived in Malan Town, Wang Xingguo was completely exhausted from the high temperature, as camels rest at night and only walk during the day.

So they were exposed to the sun for eight whole days, their skin peeled off in several layers, and they ingested countless layers of dust and sand.

Every single person who accompanied him in transporting these camels was so exhausted from the sun that they needed help even to get off the camels.

Wang Xingguo felt that he was incredibly lucky not to have suffered from heatstroke or heat exhaustion.

That is, he had been secretly replenishing everyone's water supply from his spatial storage, otherwise they would have been in even worse shape this time.

Upon seeing the group of people on the verge of death, the soldiers at the base rushed to help them down, carried them into the dugout, and used precious water to wet towels to wipe them down and cool them down.

After a long period of rest, Wang Xingguo finally recovered. He told the unit leader, "I'm handing over the two hundred camels to you intact. Arrange for a vehicle to take us back tomorrow night. I'll never dare to interfere with the camels again. They scorched us for eight whole days; it was too damn awful."

Everyone grinned, knowing that Wang Xingguo was just saying it for show.

In fact, after he came to work here, they knew exactly what he did and what reports he submitted to his superiors.

Every time he came, he carried dried meat, cured meat, and canned goods, doing his part, and everyone saw it all.

Section Chief Wang is a trustworthy and good comrade!

"Time for an extra meal!"

"What kind of extra food do you want?"

"The commander has ordered the slaughter of twenty-eight camels as an extra meal!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xingguo immediately became anxious and hurriedly said, "At least wait until I leave. What if they try to pin the blame for the loss of twenty-eight camels on me? I can't take that responsibility."

A skinny soldier with a strong Cantonese accent grinned and said, "Section Chief Wang, don't worry. Our commander has already sent a telegram saying that all twenty-eight camels that were transporting water ended up in quicksand pits. You won't be the one to take the blame."

Wang Xingguo said, half-laughing and half-crying, "But my camels just arrived. Even if we accurately guide them to the known quicksand pits, it will still take time..."

"Oh, don't worry, the leaders will take care of things. We just need to do our jobs well."

That evening, Wang Xingguo and the others also received stewed camel meat in broth. It wasn't bad to eat; it was a bit like lean beef without the taste of beef, but with a chewier texture.

After a hearty meal, soldiers in the mess hall began to sing: "The five-starred red flag flutters in the wind—ready, set, go!"

Everyone happily joined in: "How loud the victory song is!"

Wang Xingguo smiled and joined in the singing softly: "Sing of our beloved motherland, marching towards prosperity and strength..."

The conditions were harsh, and everyone was very thin, but their eyes were bright.

They knew what they were doing and what they wanted. Difficulties were just obstacles in their way, but they gritted their teeth and pushed through them. Victory was ultimately theirs.

The following evening, Wang Xingguo and his group got into their car and set off back to Daheyan.

On September 14, Wang Xingguo returned to Beijing and first wrote a work report, which included why he applied to purchase camels and a detailed report on the work.

Submit a work report, take your clothes to the public bathhouse for a soak, and rub each other's backs with the staff member you're traveling with.

Around 5 p.m., Wang Xingguo rode his bicycle home. This time, his vacation lasted a full ten days, and he could rest until the evening of the 24th before returning to work.

Li Xiuping, who was cooking dinner in the kitchen, suddenly sensed something and peeked out from the kitchen towards the door.

Upon seeing Wang Xingguo return, Li Xiuping burst into tears of joy.

Wang Xingguo was away on a business trip for more than a month, the longest he had ever been away. Li Xiuping was extremely worried, fearing that something might have happened to him.

In other words, Grandma Li said that Wang Xingguo was on a normal business trip and needed to work overtime, otherwise Li Xiuping really couldn't sit still.

Wang Xingguo threw his bag on the ground and reached out to hug Li Xiuping, who was rushing towards him.

He patted her back to comfort her, saying, "Honey, I'm back. Did I scare you? I had no choice. I had a mission that required me to work overtime, and I've been busy for more than ten days now."

Li Xiuping just buried her head in Wang Xingguo's arms and cried, unable to control her emotions.

Wang Xingguo understood her feelings, so he gently comforted her and wiped away her tears many times.

Li Xiuping suddenly froze, exclaiming in surprise, "Oh dear, I'm cooking..."

After saying that, Li Xiuping released Wang Xingguo and hurriedly ran back to the kitchen. Fortunately, the vegetables had already been soaked in water and hadn't burned.

Wang Xingguo put his backpack away, looked at his sleeping son, and couldn't help but reach out and touch his little face. The little guy waved his little hand reflexively, which made Wang Xingguo smile.

After preparing the dishes, Li Xiuping went to get some cured meat to nourish Wang Xingguo, who had just returned home after a month of hard work.

Wang Xingguo came to the kitchen, put his arm around her from behind, and said, "Wife, I've missed you so much. I wanted to come back, but there was nothing I could do. Work always needs to be done, and I have no reason to refuse."

Li Xiuping nodded and said, "I missed you too. I was so afraid something had happened to you. Grandpa Li came back to the compound and stayed for one night. Then he asked Grandma Li to tell me that you had gone to work overtime. I couldn't help but worry about you too. Thankfully, you came back safely. Although you're darker and thinner, as long as you're back safe and sound, I have no other wish."

"Haha, I didn't even look in the mirror. I'm definitely tanned; my skin has had to be replaced several times from the sun. There's nothing I can do about it. The sun is scorching where I work, and I'm in the sun all day long. The hat I wear gets so hot that I can't wear it for long anymore. But this time, because I worked overtime, my company gave me ten days off, so I can spend some quality time with you and our son at home."

Li Xiuping was quite happy to hear that Wang Xingguo had a ten-day holiday.

"Second sister-in-law, I'm back."

It was the voices of Wang Xingning and her brother; they had come home from school.

Li Xiuping quickly pushed Wang Xingguo away; this guy was up to no good.

Wang Xingguo chuckled and returned to the living room.

"Second Brother, you're back!"

The siblings were very happy, after all, their second brother had been away on a business trip for so long, and they had been worried about him.

Wang Xingguo nodded and asked, "Yes, has your brother gone back to work yet?"

Wang Xingmin nodded repeatedly and said, "He's back. He finished fetching water on the 2nd because it finally rained, so there's no need to send anyone to fetch water to save the crops."

Hearing this, Wang Xingguo laughed and said, "Brother, you've had a lot of bad luck, carrying water for so long."

Wang Xingning sighed, "That's right. It's because my eldest brother's trip to fetch water was too taxing. It's only because of your food allowance, second brother, that our family would have gone hungry. But even with the food, my eldest brother has lost a lot of weight. He looks a lot like you now, second brother, both dark-skinned and thin."