It was not that the little fellows had never seen snow before. The snow they encountered in Jili Province was not small.
But compared to the snow they saw now, the snow at that time was really nothing. What white snowflakes were floating, what six-petal flowers were dancing in the air.
Nonsense, it was all nonsense. The current temperature was the warmest in the past half a month. It gave people a very comfortable feeling, the kind that made them want to sleep.
The sky was dark, but it was different from the darkness when there was heavy rain. The darkness during heavy rain was darkness, just like the dark sky. But now it was not. They could still feel some gray, and the blacker color was the snow. It was like a piece of white paper. First, a layer of ink was brushed, then a brush was dipped in water and lightly painted again. The snow that had formed into a ball was dipped in thick ink again and dotted on the paper.
Affected by the air pressure and vision, the little fellows panted a few times and looked at each other. They all knew that there was going to be trouble.
"Ha, everyone can make a snowman. Look, it's so sticky. If you have a snowball fight, you don't need to hold it hard. Just gently gather the snow and it will become a snowball. This is a day full of joy and liveliness," Xiao Bei said to the other eight partners.
Little Yuan hurriedly chimed in. "Yes, yes. That's great. When the temperature drops a little and it really starts to get cold, the snow will stick to the vertical wall. Then, with a little wind, the legendary snow wall will appear. What's missing?"
"Missing a slope, it will become a snow slide," Xiao Nan added.
"It will also stick to the roof. When the four sides of the house are piled up, we can play slide after slide. It's best if it's at a forty-five-degree angle. Yes, forty-five degrees. If the angle is too big, it will scare people." Xiao Hai did not fall behind.
"I, I say …" Xu Yilong was frightened by the snow in front of her. When she heard Xiao Bei and the others' words, she frowned and asked, "Don't you know what will happen if it snows for four hours?"
"Only you know?" The nine little fellows asked in unison.
"Uh!" Xu Yilong choked.
Xiao Bei rolled his eyes at Xu Yilong and said, "Just now, we were talking about a possible problem. The viscosity of snow is high. In the early stage, the ground temperature is high and the degree of crystallization of snow is low. In the middle stage, the falling snowflakes and the snowflakes in the air will continue to absorb heat. If this continues, it will get colder and colder, and the wind will blow.
Then, the snow on the roof became harder to slide down. When the snow in other places piled up, the force of the wind and the weight of the snow piled up increased. Once the angle between the snow and the ground reached 45 degrees, the snow on the roof would gradually increase in thickness.
Therefore, there are two outcomes. One is that the house collapses, and the other is that the people are stuck in the house and can't get out. The latter is suffocated to death, and the former is to see if they can be crushed to death, and then hope that they won't suffocate to death. "
"Then … then …"
"What's that? Temporary tent. "Xiao Bei didn't continue talking to Xu Yilong, but turned to instruct the people around him.
Two minutes later, a simple tent was set up. There were people supporting it and no ropes were used to secure it. They were going to leave soon, so it was not worth it to secure it.
When the little fellows entered, someone had already prepared a map, so there was no need for instructions. The map was a military map, and the markings were very clear.
"Where are we?" Xiao Bei asked.
Xiao Zhu looked around and used a pencil to point to a place. "Here. The place closest to us and most likely to be dangerous is here, Kai Guang County, Xiao Yuan."
Xiao Yuan rolled his eyes and said as if he was recalling, "Last year, Kai Guang County sent a statistical report. There were 206 households, 1492 households, and 65,500 arable land …"
"We don't need to know the arable land and the output. That means that there are 1,500 people in the same situation as us, or the environment is worse than ours? Fortunately, we are next to the river, and the paddy fields around us have already been harvested. There is a lot of yellow mud, so the output is probably not high. At most, we can have one-third of the harvest of the paddy fields in San Shui County, right? "Xiao Bei's small hands drew on the map.
Xiao Yuan and the others nodded. Xiao Yuan originally wanted to argue and say, "Why don't you let me say the output? Then, you can judge for yourself." But considering that business was more important, there was no time to argue, so he held back.
"What do we do?" Da Nan and Xiao Bei asked at the same time.
Xiao Fang held her chin with both hands and stared at the contour lines on the map. Then she said, "Let them come out. We will force our way forward to the Yellow River bank. Look, it is also marked as farmland, and it is a large piece of land. The difference in height is only 6 meters, and the average height is 0.45 meters. It is considered flat land."
"Ok, we will force our way forward, 20 li. At the same time, send people to Kai Guang County at the fastest speed and let them go. It is also 20 li. If we rush with all our might and take a long detour, half a day should be enough, right? We will first set up the tents and wait for them to come. "
Xiao Bei made his decision and looked at the others. The eight little fellows nodded in agreement.
"Pass down the order. Prepare in three minutes. Assault Unit and Formation Breaker, move out. Light equipment, diagonally to Kai Guang County. Gather the others to the rendezvous point. Over." Xiao Hai gave the final order.
Outside, they began to move. The two most mobile units began to prepare. They had three minutes to pack their bags and tie up their legs.
Two minutes and forty-seven seconds later, the troops set off. They ran forward. Everyone had a machete. Behind them were simple medicines, axes, ropes, and chisels. They had to walk in a nearly straight line through the rivers, hills, valleys, short withered grass, and thorny bushes that might appear in front of them.
According to Xiao Bei's plan, from here to the front was 20 li. From Kai Guang County to the front was also 20 li. The location of Kai Guang County was almost parallel to the rendezvous point, so the difference wasn't too big. The rescue team walked in a roughly diagonal line. From here to Kai Guang County, it was about 30 li.
The weight of the two units was less than ten kilograms. Based on the usual forty kilometers march of the protection team with 25 kilograms of weight, one kilometer was two li. On average, they used four minutes and fifteen seconds to calculate. Including the influence of the terrain, there was no problem for them to advance one kilometer in six minutes. One and a half hours to reach the rendezvous point was also under the condition of conserving a certain amount of energy.
This speed would make the Tang Empire's other local armies dumbfounded. However, in the eyes of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, it was just a pass. It was impossible to get a better result. The main reason was that there was no satellite navigation. At the same time, it was impossible for there to be so many powerful teams. The entire protection team only had about six hundred people.
When it was snowing, they would break through 30 li of complicated terrain in an hour. They would also complete the initial tactical deployment and set up a simple position for the follow-up troops.
This kind of person had little to do with training. It was talent. The real special forces, such as the Beret Hat, Triangle Prefecture, Alfa, China's Divine Sword, Manchurian Tiger, and a few other elite soldiers in the military region.
As for the Snow Leopard, it was just for fun. Compared with the non-elite girls in the women's special forces, it might be equal. However, when it met a female special forces member like Wang Juan, the Snow Leopard was not enough.
Xiaobei and the others naturally knew what kind of team they were leading. There were only about a hundred of them who could meet the requirements of his brother and sister. However, they were not sent out. It was meaningless. It was not like they were fighting a war to seize an advantageous terrain.
Xu Yilong was envious. Her family also had their own guards. Not to mention the small number, the individual quality of the guards was not good. Compared with the two camps, the difference was like heaven and earth. Moreover, it was in the basement.
Looking at the watch, he smacked his lips and said, "From the preparation to leaving the camp, it took more than two minutes and forty seconds?"
"Yes! It can't be helped. Who would have thought that there would be a special situation? It's a little slow. After all, it's not the most powerful hundreds of people in the family. They worked very hard. No one is perfect, right? "Xiaobei defended the team he sent out in front of Xu Yilong.
Xu Yilong bit her lips and lowered her head. She had nothing to say. It was too shocking. She already knew that the protection team was strong and had followed them for a period of time. However, she had never encountered such an emergency situation. Looking at Xiaobei's embarrassed look, it seemed that the team's reaction was really slow. It was not like this.
Xiaobei took out the leggings and went outside the tent. He handed one to Xu Yilong and said, "Come, let's tie the leggings too. I don't need to teach you anymore, right?"
"No, no, I know what to do." Xu Yilong naturally understood. She tied her leggings very seriously, took two deep breaths, and prepared to move forward with the team.
It took an hour and a half for the team to advance to the gathering point. The main reason was that there were supplies, and there was even a part of the supplies that were slowly catching up behind.
Xu Yilong, who was panting, felt very fortunate. She walked along the river. Although the road was not very good, it was much better than when she followed them to India. She actually persevered. It was just that her throat was a little itchy, and her face was numb and numb.
Looking at Xiaobei and the others, their faces were not good. A ninety-minute march of twenty miles was still a lot of pressure for them. It was a kilometer in nine minutes. It was not running on the asphalt road or the rubber field. It was running with one foot and one foot, and it was very physically exhausting. If it were the officials in the Capital Palace, running the same distance in the same time would make them vomit blood.
Xiaobei waved to the person who was taking care of her, and the person immediately replied, "Understood, let's set up camp."
The group of people began to get busy slowly, and they could be considered to have eased their bodies. The little ones also controlled their breathing and walked around, adjusting their body's circulatory system. No one spoke.
After five minutes, Xiaobei rubbed her face and said, "I feel like I'm going to explode from panting just now. It's so uncomfortable. My throat is about to lose feeling. It's still numb and cold. Let's use steam to smoke it later."
"Me too. I almost couldn't help but breathe in oxygen earlier, but I managed to pull through. If I can avoid breathing in oxygen, I won't. Otherwise, my body will become dependent on it," Xiaoyuan said as she gently rubbed her throat.
The other seven little ones were also uncomfortable, especially the feeling of the snow melting on their faces. It was really unforgettable.
However, they did not complain, nor did they cry and shout that they did not want to leave. After all, they were the ones who gave the order. Moreover, they had many experiences of hypoxic exercise in the past. Although it was uncomfortable, it would be fine after a while.
The first tent was set up, and someone inside boiled water. Xiaobei and the others went in, rubbed their ears and faces, and waited for the water to boil to moisten their throats.
The tents were the same. They were round and had a pointed top, similar to the Turkic tents. The difference was the material. The Turkic tents were made of leather, and then felt.
Part of Xiaobei's tent was made of chemical materials, part of it was canvas, and part of it was thin and soft leather. Such a combination was light, good quality, and had a strong heat retention. It was also easy to assemble and disassemble.
As for why it was not a rectangular tent with a triangular top or a flat top like the military tents from Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's era, it was because they had already considered that the northwest wind was very strong. At the same time, they might encounter snowy weather. Therefore, they used round tents, which had strong wind resistance.
Otherwise, if they encountered strong winds, the rectangular tents would either be blown away or crushed. It was not easy to dissipate the force of a large water caltrop building. Many buildings in areas with strong wind and sand were built with large curved tops. It was impossible for people who could build domed buildings not to be able to build buildings of other shapes. It was all experience. Otherwise, unless you lived in a pyramid, such as in Egypt.
The reason was because the wind was strong and there was a lot of sand. It was like wrapping one's entire body when wearing clothes. In order to live better, just like how northerners knew how to make kang beds, southerners knew how to use hammocks.
Before Xiaobei and the others set out, they had already considered everything. The economic development of the various places along the way, what to plant and breed in the latitude, how to deal with unexpected situations, what to exchange for the things they ate from other people's villages. They had considered all the details, including things that were not planned. For example, Xiaobei had given them two sets of hand-cranked heaters to generate electricity.
While the little guy was doing the construction work, the Assault Battalion and the Formation Breaker had also arrived at Kaguang County.
Kaguang County did not have tall city walls. There was only a circle of outer city walls, made of yellow mud. It was probably built before and had not been maintained.
The snow had not been falling for long. The short city walls were not completely covered. Withered yellow weeds could be seen on the walls, bent to the side by the wind.
Most of the buildings in the county were made of the same materials as the city walls. Yellow mud mixed with hemp and grass piled up. When it reached the roof, it would become beams. There were not many buildings with tiles. Most of the buildings were made of yellow mud mixed with weeds.
There were also some people who were lazy. They directly dug out a hole under a small mound. Inside, they built into a cave like house. Outside, they used a fence to enclose an area, which was considered a courtyard.
Every house and every household was separated by a certain distance. There was a path between the courtyards. Those who raised pigs and sheep had pens, those who raised chickens had cages, those who raised cows had cages, those who raised horses had stables, those who raised horses had stables, those who raised horses had stables, and those who raised donkeys randomly found a barn.
Accompanied by the sound of dogs barking one after another, the people in the county immediately understood that outsiders had come. If it was the people of the county, the dogs would not bark in groups during the day.
The County Magistrate of Kaguang County was a local. Normally, the court did not allow local people to govern the county. However, Kaguang County was an exception. The population was really too small.
If it was in the past, it was still okay. There were about 1500 people, which was not much less than other counties. However, there were not so many people in Kaguang County ten years ago.
It was not easy to wait for the children to grow up and give birth to more children. When the population was about the same, there were more people in other places. Thus, Kaguang County was still a county below.
The County Magistrate was naturally a secondary eight rank. His rank was not even as high as Liu Fei Fei of Old Willow Village in Hongnong County.
The roads were not easy to travel. The people were relatively poor. Other than coal, there were no other special products that could make a name for themselves.
When doing things locally, the people's feelings were more than the law. Things like theft and robbery did not exist.
Who would be willing to be an official in such a county? Everyone was afraid that they would not be able to avoid it. Twenty years ago, Sun Mao, who was in his thirties, went to the state's examination. He easily became a Juren. He remembered that he only answered one question and did not know whether it was right or wrong.
On the day that he became a Juren, he became the County Magistrate of Kaguang County. The Ministry of Personnel evaluated him every year and gave him good results. However, they did not allow him to change his position. He had been the County Magistrate for twenty years. His subordinates were the children of a few families. They were considered as bailiffs. He did not have the position of a Registrar.
Sun Mao gradually understood the intentions of the Imperial Court. They did not send people over. The locals would govern the locals. It was fine as long as they did not cause trouble for the Imperial Court. After the evaluation every year, there would be merchants passing by who would bring gifts from the Imperial Court.
More than ten years ago, Sun Mao would occasionally go to the state capital to ask for gifts. He also wanted to develop the county and let the villagers live a good life. However, the officials of the state capital wrangled with each other. They would praise him and give him a few strings of money.
Every official of the state capital was very warm to him. They had many words of encouragement. They meant that they believed that he could be a good County Magistrate and lead the people of the county to a happy future. He could overcome all difficulties and make Kaguang County prosperous.
Six years ago, life in the Tang Dynasty was gradually getting better. Sun Mao was completely enlightened. He no longer asked for charity. He planned to be a good County Magistrate and find a way out. He could not continue to be poor. He had so much authority in the county and had to show his worth.
Hence, he ran to the state capital telegraph office and sent a telegram to the capital. He hoped that there would be someone powerful who could come up with an idea for him. In the telegram, he emphasized his authority in the county. He meant that no matter what the person who came up with the idea said, the county would definitely carry it out.
While he was at it, he also asked for ten strings of money from the state capital, as well as a lot of low-quality four treasures of the study. When he returned to the county, he had someone build a room for him to teach the children in Qi County, even though he himself did not know much.
He planned to train a few educated children to go out and make a living. When they had the ability, they would come back to help the county. He wanted to let the officials who knew that he sent a telegram to the capital to ask for help know that the people of Kaguang County did not lack integrity.
However, just as he planned to train a few children, in the spring of the second year, a two-story restaurant opened in the county. It was called … Between the Clouds and the Water.
When the restaurant opened, six waiters and two chefs lined up neatly in front of the restaurant. At that moment, Sun Mao and the people of the county felt that the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed.
Since the day the restaurant opened, it hadn't sold a single dish or a single bowl of wine.
The waiters took turns to teach the children in the county. The chefs ran around the county, bringing in seeds from the outside. They bought lambs, piglets, chickens, ducks and geese seedlings, and cattle.
They began to teach the locals how to raise livestock and how to increase the yield of the land.
Kaguang County still gave the outsiders the impression that it was poor. It was still an inferior county. Only the people of the county knew that when spring came next year, the county would start to send large amounts of meat to the outside world.
The fifty year old Sun Mao felt like he was thirty years old. His whole body was full of energy. Once he sold the livestock and poultry that he had raised for five years, the county would have money. Then he would help Between the Clouds and the Water create an ethereal design for the people outside to spend money in the county.
The idea was good, but when it started to snow today, Sun Mao looked at the sky and was dumbfounded. He thought back to a snowstorm in his childhood. At that time, it was similar to the one in front of him. It snowed for a day and a night. The houses collapsed, and there were endless cries. All the animals that he raised froze to death.
His grandfather and uncle had died in that snowstorm. The survivors dug up corpses and things in the snow, starving and freezing for an entire winter.
"Mao 'er, hurry up and think of a solution. These old bastards have finally realized that this snow won't stop for at least two or three days." A few of the county's elders came over and said to Sun Mao, who was standing in the snow in a daze.
Sun Mao's face was blank. His mouth was wide open, but he couldn't make a sound. His withered hands were covered in blue veins and trembling. The wind was blowing. His ears were filled with the howling of the wind, and the laughter of children who didn't know what disaster was.
After half a minute, Sun Mao shouted hoarsely, "God, you can't bear to see us do well. We just had a little bit of hope, and now you're pushing us to our deaths. Who will help us? Who will help us? "
"Mao 'er, Mao' er, don't panic. Let's talk to the people Between the Clouds and the Water. God won't be happy if we talk to them. Don't be afraid, we're not afraid. Let's talk to the people Between the Clouds and the Water. Find Xiao Bao and Cuckoo."
The old man's voice trembled as he tried to persuade Sun Mao. His eyes were filled with sadness and a glimmer of hope.
The other old men nodded in agreement. Faced with such a natural disaster, they really couldn't think of any other solution. They could only pin their last hope on the eight people Between the Clouds and the Water, as well as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, who were far away in the capital.
When Sun Mao and the old men found the workers and cooks, the eight people were organizing the people in the county to gather supplies and livestock. They planned to gather them together so that they could be easily used when the snow was over.
No one cared about the noisy children for the time being. They had to first decide whose houses were sturdy enough to stay in while the less sturdy ones would be torn down as soon as possible so that they could take out anything that could be used to keep them warm.
When a worker saw Sun Mao, he immediately approached him and said anxiously, "County Magistrate Sun, the snow is very heavy. You have to lead everyone through it. I believe that the capital will soon know of the situation here and send out a disaster relief team."
"How soon?" When Sun Mao lacked confidence, he had no choice but to place his hopes on disaster relief. The Great Tang had always been the fastest in terms of disaster relief, but there was always a time limit. If they could rush over in three to five days, it would be considered a miracle, unless …
The worker also understood. "Around ten days? Half a month? Unless the Fengzhou Eagle Flock moves out, but we don't know where Shuiyun is. There are only eight of us, and we're not emergency personnel, so we can't bring radios. "
The worker was also very helpless. Who would have thought that they would encounter such a situation? Moreover, they couldn't go out. If they wanted to survive the disaster with the locals, it would be best if they didn't get buried in the snow. Houses were usually built at the mouth of a valley or at the foot of a flat mountain. Because of the water source, there were many mosquitoes and wild beasts on the mountain.
If the snow didn't stop, the lower the terrain, the thicker the snow would be.
"Can we run out?" Sun Mao asked without even thinking. After saying this, he sighed and said, "No, where can we run to? We don't even have a place to stay. Look at the sky and listen to the wind. Who can turn the tide? Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, where are you! I can't accept this, I can't accept this … "
Sun Mao shouted at the top of his lungs. The surroundings instantly quieted down. The children also realized that something was wrong. None of them dared to move, and the adults were silent.
The worker pursed his lips and two streams of hot tears flowed down. Five years of hard work and hope were about to be destroyed in a day. What followed was the struggle for life before rescue arrived.
"Boom boom boom boom, boom boom boom boom …" While the people in the county were quiet, a low sound like a drum suppressed the whistling of the wind and snow. It came from the southeast of the county, and the ground seemed to be trembling.
"What … what's that sound?" a child asked in fear. The people in the county looked over, confused and worried.
The worker was stunned. He blinked and shouted, "Footsteps, it's footsteps. The sound of an army running forward. Quick, go and take a look. Where did the army come from?"
After saying this, he took the lead and ran outside. A group of people followed behind him noisily.
When they stood at the entrance of the outermost house, they saw a huge army appear from the southeast of the city. The army rose and fell with the changes in the terrain, but the sound of their footsteps was not chaotic at all.
The people in the army wore mottled green and yellow clothes. They wore leather boots, and their arms were retracted flat. Their right hand held a machete, and they swung it lightly with their footsteps.
"Stand … still!" "Boom boom boom boom" Accompanied by a loud shout, all the movements stopped, and the huge army moved forward as one.
A big flag stood in the middle of the army, flying with the snow. On it, there were nine cute rice seedlings holding hands and surrounding a fire. Two slightly smaller flags stood on the left and right. One of them had the word "sharp" written on it, and the other had the word "trap" written on it.
The people on both sides looked at each other in a daze. The people in the protection team were surprised that the people in the county had gathered to welcome them when they had just arrived. The people in the county were in a daze with different thoughts. They were just talking about who could come and help, and in the blink of an eye, there were people coming. What a big army, what a neat army, and what a familiar flag.
Both sides looked at each other for a while. Just when the people in the army were about to stand out, the county magistrate Sun Mao knelt down first and kowtowed in the direction of the capital. He cried and shouted, "Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, you really did not let us down."
Then he remembered a poem that Wang Juan had copied for people to learn. He shouted again, "Who can turn the tide? Heaven is about to fall, we must rely on it. "
"Hey hey, County Magistrate Sun, County Magistrate Sun, you're wrong. It's not Young Master Xiao Bao's army, it's Xiaobei and Xiaoyuan's." The shop assistant went forward and pulled Sun Mao up by his arm and whispered in his ear.
Haha, hahahaha, we're saved, we're saved. The protection team is here. Clan relatives, look, it's the protection team. Aiya, God, f * ck your mother, you're a grandson, hahaha … a grandson … "
Sun Mao could not get up. He knelt there and shouted and shouted, almost going crazy.
The snow was still falling, but the people in Kaguang County did not have the previous worry on their faces. They did not even think about it. What was the use of a group of soldiers when it was snowing? Could it stop the snow from falling?
They naively thought that as long as the protection team came, it would be safe.
The formation of two thousand people looked like it was made of steel to the people. The children smiled again, and the sky seemed to be bright and sunny.
"Be at ease."
Someone in the group shouted, and the group neatly stood with their legs apart. A person walked out from the group. Every step was sonorous and powerful, and the snow squeaked under his feet. He walked until he was in front of County Magistrate Sun Mao. Just as he was about to speak, the shop assistant supporting Sun Mao spoke first.
"I'm Zhang Yibin, the supervisor of the construction of Kaguang County. He's County Magistrate Sun Mao."
"Hello, Wang Xuqian, the commander of Assault Unit Two, prepare to evacuate immediately. The main force is waiting by the Yellow River 20 miles away." The person who called himself Wang Xuqian saw that Sun Mao's emotions were unstable, so he said this to Zhang Yibin. He believed that Zhang Yibin could command the local people.
Sun Mao thought differently from Wang Xuqian. He felt that he was very calm and said, "It's already prepared. We'll take the animals with us, but the poultry …"
"Take them with us." Wang Xuqian looked at the sky and the snow on the ground and ordered decisively.
The people of Kaguang County listened and watched from the side. No one interrupted. They only felt warmth in their hearts. Even if the sky fell, they would not be afraid.
With the appearance and addition of the protection team, the packing speed was very fast. The food at home was packed, the new clothes and bedding were packed, and the old things that were not of much value were left behind. They would come back when the snow stopped.
The beams of the houses were abandoned. The firewood was tied into bundles for people to carry or put on the backs of animals. The poultry were released. The heads of the poultry were tied up with ropes and led forward. Occasionally, someone would coax them, and the poultry would line up by themselves.
The sheep could follow orders, but the pigs were the most troublesome. They always ran around, whining and growling for a while before they could return to the line.
Leaving one's hometown to run for one's life was a sad thing, but the people of Kaguang County were full of excitement. The children's faces were red from the cold. They were still playing on the road, and snowballs were flying everywhere.
The speed of the line was very slow, especially the poultry. There were too many of them. Occasionally, some would fall into a hole that was filled with snow, and people would go over to help pull them out. There were also chickens that ran out of the line when people were not paying attention. They did not need to care about them. After a while, they would naturally return when they saw that there was no one to organize them. In comparison, the ducks were much better. They were more organized and stood in a line one by one.
There were also dogs that left home with their owners. They ran around the front and back of the line, sniffing left and right.
It did not look like they were running for their lives. They were holding a large-scale traveling activity. It was very cheerful, very lively, and very warm.
Therefore, the line only reached the Yellow River after four o 'clock in the afternoon. At this time, the snow was already a foot and a half thick. It was already dark early at this time, and because of the weather, the camp was brightly lit. There were more than 30 diesel generators roaring. Someone was adding silencers.
Xiao Bei and the others started to sleep after the first tent was set up. They knew that the task of welcoming them was the most difficult. Especially the children of Kaguang County, they needed someone to play with them.
The people of Kaguang County saw the lights from afar and began to speed up. No one cared if the poultry got lost on the road. Most of them just followed.
When they got closer, the people noticed that there was a soldier standing a dozen steps away. He was wearing very nice clothes. There were red, green, and orange.
The wind whistled and the snow fluttered. The soldier standing guard did not move at all. He was like a pillar.
When they got closer, they saw the snow hitting the soldier's face. The soldier just blinked and did not wipe it away.
The people felt their hearts ache when they saw this. Sun Mao went forward and reached out his hand. He shivered and wiped the soldier's face. He asked, "Child, are you cold?"
"It's okay." The soldier replied. He held his gun with both hands. He was still standing straight.
"I have to talk to Xiao Bei. This is too torturous. Why are you standing guard in such a snowy day? How can there be enemies? "Sun Mao said in his heart.
Just as he finished speaking, a child from the county ran to a place further away and tripped. The thing that tripped him got up and patted the snow off him. He then went back to work and hid in the snow again.
Sun Mao asked in shock, "Is that a person?"
"Yes, a hidden sentry." The person who answered him was Xiao Bei. Xiao Bei had just been woken up and came over rubbing his eyes.
An old man from the county hurried forward and looked at Xiao Bei carefully. He said unhappily, "Xiao Bei, why are you torturing them? You're standing guard and hidden sentry. Aren't you cold? It makes one's heart ache. "
"Just for a while. They take turns every hour. They just have to hold on for a while. Normally, it takes two hours. I saw that there were enough people, so it only took an hour. Heart ache? If they stand or lie down, you'll feel heartache. If they randomly find a place to make a noise and drink, you'll feel your heart palpitate. You'll think, is this the trump card of the Tang Empire? "
Xiao Bei argued and retorted.
Xiao Yuan chimed in, "That's right. The Tang Empire is strong and forged with iron and blood. If the protection team was a little weaker, would you be able to escape so peacefully?"
The commoners thought about it and felt that it was true. Why were they not worried when they saw the protection team in the county? It was because they knew that the protection team was the strongest team in the Tang Empire. It was a kind of pride that went deep into their bones.
"Sister Xiao Bei, Brother Xiao Yuan, it's so good to see you. When I was in the county, I was scared. Seeing you guys, I know that we're safe." A little girl of six or seven years old ran over and shouted happily to Xiao Bei and the rest.
Xiao Bei smiled brightly and reached out to cover the little girl's face. He said, "We're safe. We're safe. Our team has more than 20,000 people. Look, they're all tents. No matter how heavy the snow is outside, once you enter the tents, it's comfortable and warm."
"Yes, yes! Sister Xiao Bei, why are their clothes so colorful? "The little girl's eyes turned into crescent moons as she asked.
"Because it's not a war. It's very eye-catching and gives people a warm feeling. If it's a war, they'll all change to white. Did you see the hidden sentry just now? White clothes, white pants, white boots, white hats, white gloves, white masks, and white goggles. Even during the day, if they lie there and don't move, you won't know that they're people. Even their guns are wrapped in white cloth. "
Xiao Bei kept talking and pulled the little girl's hand into the tent. At the same time, he ordered, "Send a report to Yin Province and ask them to transfer to the capital. Tell them that Kaguang County has been settled properly and there's no need to worry."
The other commoners were arranged to stay in the tents. They also brought livestock and poultry. Compared to the entire team of 20,000 people, their 1,500 people were really nothing.
Everything was in order and there were no unexpected situations.
There were more children in the county. There were 360 children, which was close to a quarter of the total population. They were taken care of by Xiao Bei and the rest. One tent could not fit all of them. Someone modified it under the light.
The modification method was to redistribute the brackets of the 20 tents. After that, canvas was laid on top of the entire tent. The main bracket in the middle was raised, forming a large slope outside. It was still a pointed round tent. There was no problem for a few hundred children to stay inside and eat. There was still a lot of space left.
Sun Mao strolled over and was surprised to see such a assembled tent. He muttered, "It's amazing. There are even things that can talk to each other from far away."
"Of course it's amazing." Xu Yilong, who was also strolling over and watching, heard Sun Mao's words and replied.
"The thing that can talk is the legendary telephone?" Sun Mao asked as he pointed to the thing on the back of the person in the group of 100 or so people doing things and the way they talked.
Xu Yilong shook her head, "That's called a walkie-talkie. It can be listened to from a distance. In normal weather, it can reach up to two kilometers. Now, it's estimated that it's only a little more than one kilometer."
"Walkie-Talkie? I've never heard of it. "Sun Mao was even more curious.
"Hehe, there are many things that you haven't heard of. Back then, the former Minister of Revenue, Bi Gou, once said that if you want to know the most advanced technology of the Tang Empire, don't go to the Ministry of Works. Just keep an eye on Xiaobei and the others. The Sanshui Zhang Family and Wang Family put all the most advanced technology on the children.
The tools used by Xiaobei's team are basically modular. There are strong fog lamps and backpack wireless voice communication walkie-talkies. Do you see the two big things placed in conspicuous places? That's called a small tracked hydraulic bridge-laying vehicle. There are only two finished products in the entire Tang Empire. They are both here. "Xu Yilong introduced.
"Why don't you make a large one?" Sun Mao was very thoughtful.
Xu Yilong was stunned and looked at him with admiration. She said, "Because the technology is not enough. It's similar to building a house. It's easy to build a three-story one, but try to build a thirty-story one. The bridge-laying vehicle now can be thrown to any country to study without fear of leaking secrets. They can't figure it out at all."
"Oh!" Sun Mao expressed his understanding and suddenly asked, "What's the bridge-laying vehicle used for?"
"It's used as a bridge. When it encounters rivers and valleys that are not very wide, it will expand into a bridge. It's 5.7 meters long. When building the bridge, it will first put down the folded bridge. When the team goes over, it will be the last to go over. Then, the bridge will be put away. However, the things that go over cannot be too heavy. Xiaobei said that it's a problem with the power system and the material of the bridge deck.
However, it's already very powerful now. The main purpose is to let the small bulldozer and assembled lifting equipment go over. Look at the things that are being assembled now. There are four steel observation towers. They are 12 meters tall. It's fast to assemble and convenient to dismantle. "
Xu Yilong continued to explain.
Sun Mao smacked his lips. "All the good things are used by Xiaobei and the others?"
"Yes. At the same time, we can check the shortcomings of the tools. There are also many small tools. The technical content is not low. How do you feel?"
"I feel that the Seedling Protection Team is really strong. My heart is more at ease." Sun Mao answered.
"No other thoughts? For example, the prosperity of the Tang Empire's technology? "Xu Yilong asked again.
"I know, but … it has nothing to do with the lives of ordinary people. What hydraulic pressure? Don't we have to take it away after building the bridge? Can it be built on the Yellow River? "Sun Mao was very honest. He said whatever he wanted to say.
Xu Yilong was defeated. She nodded, sighed, and said, "I'll go somewhere else. The snow hasn't stopped yet."
With that, she left. Sun Mao rubbed his face and muttered, "With the Seedling Protection Team, the snow will fall as much as we want. I'm not afraid. What can we eat tonight?"
As the preparations for the night were rushed, there were naturally no stir-fried dishes. The team was very tired from rushing and building the camp. At night, they ate the simplest hot pot. It took a little more effort than stew, but it was not much worse.
The 360 children first took a hot bath and changed their clothes. After sitting down again, they felt much more refreshed. It was even more comfortable than at home.
The older children took care of the younger children. Those who needed milk were sent to their mothers. There were also maids watching by the side. Don't get too hot. Including Xu Yilong, Xiaobei and the others carried dipping sauces in their hands and walked from table to table. They said a few words, ate two mouthfuls of food, and continued at another table.
"Sister Xiaobei, I find that the food you make is really delicious." A five or six-year-old boy stuffed something in his mouth and said to Xiaobei in a muffled voice.
Xiaobei put something on the plate and replied, "I also found out that you eat more when it's delicious … Don't eat too much. Don't be afraid if you eat less. If you're hungry in the middle of the night, you can get up and continue eating. There's enough for you."
"Sister Xiaobei, I know it's not good to eat too much, but I just want to eat." The little boy was very honest.
Xiaobei frowned at Weiwei. Her long eyelashes blinked twice and said, "Do you know what soup is in the hot pot?"
"Water." Several children nearby answered together.
"No ~ right! Can water be so delicious? Our family's hot pot is chicken soup. First, it's boiled and then hung. It looks very clear, but it has a very fragrant chicken leg taste. Then, there's the beef bones. The bone marrow in the bones is all in the soup. If you don't believe me, you can taste it. "
Xiaobei scooped some soup for the little boy. The little boy put it to his mouth and blew on it. He sucked it in and nodded vigorously. "It's really delicious. I've never drunk such a good soup."
"And there's also that thing called nutrition. It's good for your body and makes you strong." Xiaobei continued.
Thus, every child began to drink the soup from a small bowl. The maids added more to the pot from time to time. The soup was indeed chicken soup, but Xiaobei's goal was achieved. After drinking the soup, the children's stomachs took up a lot of space. Even if they ate until they were full, it would be easy to digest.
The children didn't know that Xiaobei was playing tricks on them. After eating their fill, they became sleepy and rearranged their tents to sleep.
Many children lay in their blankets and couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't that they weren't sleepy, but that they couldn't bear to sleep. The wind was still blowing outside the tents. Every two minutes, people on patrol would pass by. The lights imprinted their shadows on the tents and could be seen from inside the tents.
Many children lay down for a while and were about to fall asleep. When they heard footsteps, they opened their eyes and looked at the shadows on the tents. They smiled and enjoyed the sense of security at this moment. It was as if they weren't afraid of anything. It wasn't until they were too sleepy and couldn't open their eyes that they fell asleep.
The next morning, when Xiaobei and the others had just woken up, someone came to report that the telegram had been cut off since midnight. They didn't receive a reply when they inquired about the general situation in Yin Zhou. For some reason, it could be that all the telegrams in the telegram office were broken. It could also be that they were affected by the weather or natural magnetic field interference.
"Ah, it's fine. The snow hasn't stopped yet. Continue clearing the snow in the camp. Anyway, the telegram has already been sent. I believe that the capital has already received the news. Don't wake the children up yet. Let them sleep for a while. I'll go outside and take a look. "
Xiaobei thought about it. It wasn't a big deal. The team had enough supplies, and they wouldn't lack food and drink for the next month.
She wasn't in a hurry, and the capital wasn't in a hurry either. The telegram that came last night was intercepted by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. They didn't send it to Li Longji immediately because they didn't want to wake him up.
There was a court meeting on the fifth day of the New Year. When they were about to go to court, the sun was already high up in the sky. Only then did they remember that there was a telegram last night and ordered someone to send it to the court.
Recommended a book: The author will be 38 years old after the New Year. He probably won't write anything that is too unsocial, so I recommend it.
Book Title: Doomsday Worm Siege (book id = 3056303, book name = Doomsday Worm Siege)
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