Fang Chengguang said, “This is a confiscated illegal gun, not registered. Take it with you. I’ve heard there are wolves and tigers there, so it might come in handy if there’s danger.”

Cheng Rushan had a service weapon for his previous trips, but since he no longer needed to go on such trips and wasn’t a guard, he didn’t carry a gun with him.

Also, using a service weapon required reporting and explaining every time it was fired, which was tedious and troublesome.

So Cheng Rushan accepted the gun.

The bullets for this type of handgun were standard, and he had some spare bullets he could bring along.

Jiang Lin came in after washing up and wiping her face.

Fang Chengguang said his goodbyes, “I have a task tomorrow and will leave before dawn, so I won’t see you off.”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “It’s okay, go back and get some rest.”

She watched Cheng Rushan calmly disassemble the gun and put it into a cloth cover, then place the cloth bag into the compartment of his large backpack.

Cheng Rushan smiled at her and patted her head, “Just carrying it for safety’s sake.”

Jiang Lin hugged his solid waist and asked, “Have you been there before?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “Yes, I’ve been. Beidahuang is not desolate at all; it’s vast, open, and fertile. There’s a lot of delicious food—braised roe deer meat, roasted venison, stewed tree frogs, grilled wild chicken, old head fish, and various freshwater fish…”

He smiled, looking at her with lowered eyes.

Seeing her eyes brighten with anticipation, all her previous worries seemed to vanish, replaced by excitement for the food.

He kissed her gently and then helped her onto the bed.

Jiang Lin was still dreaming about all the delicious food and said, “We need to take care of Auntie’s issue and make sure to enjoy a few good meals before we come back.” No matter what, she wasn’t going to starve herself!

This was her little motto in life.

The next morning, Cheng Rushan went to the train station early.

Using his military officer’s credentials, he helped Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei board the train and get their tickets checked in advance.

They were in a sleeper car, so there was no need to deal with crowded conditions.

Cheng Rushan and Jiang Xinglei had eaten egg buns and noodles at home, but Jiang Lin couldn’t eat so early in the morning.

Cheng Rushan pulled a warm egg from his pocket, “Have some.”

Jiang Lin took the egg.

As they were leaving, she saw Yan Runzhi handing Cheng Rushan a small bag of boiled eggs, probably about ten or so.

Jiang Lin took the egg but wasn’t hungry, so she took off her shoes and rested on the bunk.

In their compartment, which had four bunks, she was the only one there; someone had just left, and the others had not yet arrived.

Jiang Xinglei came over to sit across from them and chat.

Soon, a train attendant came by with hot water, providing excellent service.

After the attendant left, Jiang Xinglei said with a smile, “This train is really nice.”

Jiang Lin replied, “Try sitting in a hard seat and see how you like it. You might not even get hot water there.”

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Jiang Lin wasn’t in the mood to play cards with Jiang Xinglei.

She asked him to go read or chat with other passengers in their compartment.

People who could afford to travel in sleeper cars usually had some status or capability, so talking with them could be quite enlightening.

She looked at her book for a while but grew tired of it and turned to Cheng Rushan.

He wasn’t afraid of the cold and had already removed his coat.

With his long legs and slim waist, he was quite a sight.

“Have an apple,” Cheng Rushan said, peeling one and handing it to her.

Jiang Lin patted the space next to her, “Come here, let me lean on you for a bit.”

She wasn’t sure why, but these past two days, she had felt particularly fond of him, her voice soft and tender, making his heart flutter.

Cheng Rushan hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her, pulling her into his arms, and reading aloud to her.

During the day, time seemed to pass quickly, but by around ten at night, the train turned off the lights for sleeping.

The soft sleeper compartments had their own doors, which made it dark and quiet enough to sleep well.

Although the train had heating, it didn’t always work well at night.

As the train traveled north, it got colder.

By the time they passed Shanhaiguan, the windows were covered in thick ice, and when the warm air inside met the cold glass, a slight cold breeze would blow.

Cheng Rushan slept for a while and then went next door to check on Jiang Lin.

She was sound asleep, huddled up as if she couldn’t handle the cold.

He felt her blanket, which was cool, and her feet were cold.

So he took off his shoes, sat down beside her, and placed her feet in his lap to warm them up.

Jiang Lin, feeling the warmth, instinctively snuggled closer, trying to get even closer to him.

She wouldn’t stop until she was completely nestled in his arms.

Cheng Rushan’s heart softened seeing her cling to him. He decided to take off his cotton-padded jacket and lie down in a sweater.

The soft sleeper compartment was wider than the hard sleeper, so he could lie down on his side and make some space.

As soon as he lay down, Jiang Lin, sensing the warmth, immediately snuggled into his arms.

Her feet were nestled between his legs, her head against his chest, and her little hands found their way under his sweater, seeking a comfortable spot.

She pressed closer and rubbed against him, finally making contented sounds.

Cheng Rushan was deeply moved by her closeness, feeling a sweet, painful sensation of intense tenderness.

They spent two nights on the train, and on the third morning, they arrived in the city.

Before they got off, experienced passengers advised Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei to bundle up well.

“Daughter, make sure to wrap up tightly, or you’ll freeze and cry!”

“Don’t rub your nose or ears if you get too cold, or they might fall off!” someone joked with them.

Finally, they disembarked.

On the train, Jiang Xinglei half-jokingly complained about the cold, saying it was getting colder and colder.

But when they stepped off the train into the biting, cold wind, the icy air cut through their layers of warm clothing, leaving him shivering to the bone.

“Oh my gosh!” He instinctively tried to go back onto the train.

Cheng Rushan grabbed him back, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Xinglei watched in disbelief as his eyelashes and the hair on his forehead turned white from his own breath freezing instantly.

Even with a cotton hat on, his nose protested immediately, feeling painfully cold and sore.

Before they left, Cheng Rushan had prepared warm gear for Jiang Lin, including cotton pants with knee pads, the thickest cotton coat issued by the army, a new cotton-padded jacket, a military coat, a woolen neck gaiter, a sheepskin hat, and finally, a cashmere scarf.

She was wrapped up like a ball and could barely move.

Cheng Rushan, on the other hand, was also well-prepared, wearing his military coat and cotton military hat, and had a face mask on.

Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei were bundled up so tightly only their eyes were visible, but their neck gaiters quickly became damp and uncomfortably cold from their breath.

Cheng Rushan said, “Let’s transfer to the next train.”

He had timed it so they wouldn’t have to wait long and could catch the direct train to the farm.

Jiang Lin, heavily bundled, moved very slowly. To make it to the train on time, Cheng Rushan ended up carrying her.

Jiang Lin: !!!!!

Cheng Rushan carried Jiang Lin and a large bag, while Jiang Xinglei carried a quilt and lunch box.

They couldn’t keep up with Cheng Rushan, who moved faster.

Jiang Xinglei even slipped and fell, but luckily, the thick quilt prevented any serious injury.

Friendly passersby immediately helped him up and advised him to be careful.

They still had to endure another four hours on the train to reach the farm, followed by a transfer to a car, tractor, or something else to get to the farm headquarters.

By noon, they finally got off the train, but there was still a distance from the train station to the regiment headquarters.

There were no tractors or cars available, as the cold made engines prone to stalling or freezing.

In the end, they took a horse-drawn carriage.

Beidahuang is actually a whole area in the Heilongjiang reclamation district. It has vast, fertile land and is one of the country’s major grain-producing regions, supporting countless people.

Since the founding of the country, it has been developed into over 110 large farms.

As far as the eye can see, the sky is blue, the land is vast, and the roads are flanked by endless white snow.

Large patches of white birch forests are scattered around.

Unfortunately, Jiang Lin was so cold that she just wanted to get inside a warm room. She felt like her blood was freezing.

The driver of the carriage wore a sheepskin coat and hat, wielding a whip and calling out rhythmically to the two large mules.

The mules wore brass bells around their necks, jingling pleasantly and clearly.

Jiang Lin leaned against Cheng Rushan, looking up at the deep blue sky.

Eagles soared high, their calls echoing in the cold air.

She hoped her sister could have the freedom to make her own choices, regardless of any constraints or burdens.

……

Around 1 PM, they arrived at the 352nd Regiment headquarters. It was like a small county town, also known as the farm’s headquarters, with six sub-units and several village teams.

They thanked the driver and Cheng Rushan casually gave him fifty cents.

The driver, smiling broadly, said, “What’s this? You think we’re unworthy of your money? No need, no need! You’re guests at our farm. Goodbye!” He drove off with his carriage.

Cheng Rushan advised Jiang Lin to move around a bit to get her blood flowing and then led her carefully to avoid any falls.

Jiang Xinglei followed silently, feeling somewhat left out.

At the regiment compound, Cheng Rushan saw a man shoveling snow and went up to ask, “Excuse me, does Jiang Min work here?”

“Jiang Min? Who are you?” The man, with thick brows and big eyes, narrowed his eyes at the mention of Jiang Min.`

Cheng Rushan was about to say they were her family, but noticing the man’s unfriendly look, he quickly changed his response: “We are from the Education Bureau of X Province. She was accepted into a university but didn’t report there, so we were sent to investigate.”

The man’s expression changed immediately. “She’s not here these days; she’s gone to a platoon for patrol.”

Cheng Rushan asked, “Which platoon? Call her and tell her to come back immediately, or she will be responsible for the consequences.”

“Consequences?” The man furrowed his brows, looking doubtful. “Who are you people?”

Cheng Rushan unbuttoned his coat and took out a military identification card.

He also subtly displayed his assembled gun and dagger strapped to his waist, and calmly said, “We are from the Special Office of the X Province Military District, which handles cases of exam fraud, impersonation, and other illegal activities.”

He quickly put away the identification card.

The man didn’t really see or understand it well, and he had no way to verify whether such an office actually existed in the X Province Military District, so he had to trust it.

“You… wait in the house. I’ll make the call,” the man said, throwing down his shovel and heading off.

Cheng Rushan signaled Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei to go inside and warm up.

He put down his backpack and followed the man.

The man, realizing Cheng Rushan was following him, immediately tried to take a roundabout route to keep away from Jiang Min.

Cheng Rushan quickly saw through his plan and accelerated to catch up, “You must be Platoon Leader Liang.”

Liang Tiefeng suddenly crouched down and swung a sweeping kick towards Cheng Rushan.

Cheng Rushan easily dodged the kick and countered with a kick to Liang Tiefeng’s shoulder.

Liang Tiefeng tried to block but found Cheng Rushan’s leg like iron, and had to step back two paces.

Liang Tiefeng steadied himself and said, “So you’re really from the military. Impressive skills.”

Cheng Rushan said, “What a coincidence, you must be Jiang Min’s partner.”

If it were someone else, they wouldn’t have shown such an expression when hearing Jiang Min’s name.

Even if they knew her, they wouldn’t be suspicious or evasive; they would ask what was going on.

Liang Tiefeng replied, “So what if I am? We’ve put down roots in Beidahuang. We don’t need to go to that university. We have universities here too.”

Cheng Rushan said, “Since she applied to a university in her hometown, it means she has a deep desire to go there.”

“Not at all. What do you know? We were screwed over by the university. We applied to three nearby universities, but your university insisted on admitting her, so of course we’re not going!”

Cheng Rushan explained, “That’s called priority admission.”

Meanwhile, in the regiment office, Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei introduced themselves and asked for help finding Jiang Min.

The staff immediately went to get her.

Soon, Jiang Min came running over.

She was so excited and kept asking if they were really her family, if it was true, if it wasn’t a prank.

How had they come here? Didn’t she say she’d write back to explain?

When she saw Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei, tears instantly streamed down her face. “Linlin, Xiaolei!”

“Big Sister!” Jiang Lin and Jiang Xinglei rushed to her.

The three siblings hugged each other tightly.