"I'm afraid there might be times when I can't come back or inform you, and you'd worry."
After Qin Nian finished speaking, Yang Yufen waved her hand dismissively.
"I understand your work, dear. Don’t worry about me. Actually, I have something to tell you too."
Yang Yufen had initially thought Qin Nian was referring to work obligations, but upon realizing it was out of concern for her, she brushed it off.
"Aunt Wang and I have been helping out at the agricultural research institute. It’s a light job with decent pay, and the hours are flexible—nothing like your busy office schedule."
"Won’t it be too exhausting?"
Qin Nian couldn’t help but worry.
"Not at all! It’s just like exercise for me—I’m used to this kind of work."
"As long as you’re happy, Mom. But please don’t overwork yourself just for the money."
Seeing her mother-in-law’s genuine enthusiasm, Qin Nian didn’t press further.
"Nian, let me be honest with you—we still have some savings at home. It’s not a fortune, but it’s enough for daily expenses. And in case of emergencies, I’ve also kept some gold aside."
Qin Nian nodded in understanding.
Due to the extreme weather, the affected areas were widespread. Yang Yufen and Aunt Wang went to the agricultural institute daily to assist, and the staff there gradually grew familiar with them.
"Granny Yang, Aunt Wang, we’ll need your help again today."
The two women took the seeds they were tasked with planting—today’s job was sowing and covering them with soil.
At the camp, a few children had developed mild colds from the erratic temperatures. Aside from one unlucky child who’d been hit on the head, the rest were fine.
Hu Jun and Shen Xianjun breathed a sigh of relief. After reporting the situation, three new recruits were sent home, while the rest stayed obedient—no one wanted a black mark on their record.
The training grew even more rigorous, leaving the kids sunburned and tanned.
"Rip—"
A sound tore through the air. Under the tree, Li Wen, waiting in line to climb, looked up and saw the military-green fabric split open—revealing Li Wu’s plump, pale backside.
Every sun-exposed part of his body had turned dark, except for his buttocks, creating a stark contrast.
Li Wu instinctively tried to cover himself, while Li Wen quickly dodged.
"Thud—"
A heavy impact followed.
"Oww!"
Li Wu howled in pain.
"Why didn’t you catch me?"
He glared at Li Wen, who looked up at the sky, wishing he could cover his face. This was his own brother—his flesh and blood—but the embarrassment was unbearable.
"Just stand up first. Grandma already reinforced these pants twice. I told you not to wear this pair today, but you were lazy yesterday. Now look what happened."
Following the principle of self-reliance, despite their young age, the boys washed their own clothes.
Li Wu had skipped laundry the night before, too tired after training. When the pants tore slightly, he ignored it. That morning, Li Wen had tried to stop him from wearing them again, but Li Wu wouldn’t listen.
"They’re just going to get dirty anyway. I’ll wash them tonight. Who knew they’d rip so easily?"
Li Wu clutched his backside.
"You can’t climb like this—you’ll be spotted instantly. Let’s use these leaves as camouflage. Hand me the knife."
Li Wen assessed the situation and made a decision.
They’d made grass skirts before, so Li Wu quickly helped gather foliage.
Today was a training exercise. Three kids drew red sticks and stayed at the camp while the other seven had twenty minutes to hide. Over the next two hours, anyone found would be punished with extra laps and laundry duty for the winners. Those who remained undetected would win.
If any of the three seekers failed to find anyone, they’d face the same penalty.
The hiding area was limited, leaving the kids to strategize.
"Are we just staying here?"
Li Wu adjusted his leafy skirt, finally covering his rear.
"No. We’ll set up a decoy here, cover it with dry leaves, then hide in that thicket over there."
Li Wen pointed to a cluster of small trees surrounded by dense bushes.
"Jump straight in and crouch wherever you land. Don’t make a sound."
Under Li Wen’s direction, Li Wu gritted his teeth and leaped—only for a dry branch to jab his backside. He nearly yelped, but Li Wen, landing beside him, clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Stay down."
"A branch stabbed me!"
Li Wu whined.
"Maybe next time you won’t slack off. Use your hat to cover it. We’ll ask Dad to fix it later."
Li Wen pressed a finger to his lips. Li Wu quietly adjusted his hat and rearranged the grass on his head.
"I’m getting sleepy."
After what felt like hours—and several caught grasshoppers—Li Wu suddenly spoke up.
"Then take a nap," Li Wen suggested after a pause.
"Great! You keep watch."
Li Wu immediately slumped against his brother.
Soon, he was snoring, drool dripping from his mouth.
Li Wen wrinkled his nose and reached to wipe it away—when a sudden explosion rang out. His hand jabbed Li Wu’s eyelid instead.
"Wha—? What happened?"
Li Wu flailed blindly before clutching his eye in pain.
"No idea. Something just blew up."
Li Wen hid his hand behind his back.
In the forest, Hu Jun and Shen Xianjun reacted instantly, blowing their whistles and sprinting toward the sound.
Their faces were grim when they met on the path.
"Sounded like an old landmine. Could be a leftover from the past."
"One detonated. No telling if it’s isolated or part of a field. We need to sweep the area immediately."
Arriving at the scene, they found the injured—not a recruit, but a trainer. A young soldier was sobbing nearby.
"Boo-hoo… The instructor pushed me out of the way and got blown up!"
Shen Xianjun swiftly applied first aid to stop the bleeding while Hu Jun stabilized the wounded man’s head with his folded jacket.
Medics arrived shortly after.
"Stop crying and help carry him back for treatment!"
Shen Xianjun kicked the recruit into action.
He and Hu Jun then inspected the blast site, their expressions darkening.
Only one explosion—no chain reaction—but that didn’t guarantee no other hidden threats.
"Stand guard here. I’ll report back and request a clearance team."
Hu Jun ordered. Shen Xianjun nodded.
Historical remnants—this land still concealed too many forgotten dangers buried underground. No matter how many sweeps they conducted, some always slipped through.
The two curious boys tried sneaking toward the commotion but were caught halfway and hauled back to camp.
"Stay put, all of you!"
Li Ying exhaled in relief once the last two were accounted for.
"Training’s dismissed for today. No one enters the woods."
After herding the children, she hurried off.
"Did you two go toward the explosion?"
Hu Zhenghao approached his younger brothers.
Li Wu nodded.
"See anything?"
The other kids crowded around, eager for details.
"Nope. We got dragged back before we got close."
Li Wu sighed, disappointed.
