Chapter 2682
Simple and Steadfast
Chapter 2682 Simple and Steadfast
Southwest, at the foot of Hengduan Mountain.
From a distance, it looks like you've arrived at the edge of the sky, with towering mountains forming a wall that separates the inside from the outside.
Surrounded by these towering, undulating peaks, one is surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it impossible to distinguish east from west.
early morning.
The thin mist drifted aimlessly through the mountains and forests, constantly encroaching on every blade of grass and tree on the mountain, driven by the cold wind.
At the same time, the thin mist made the cold wind even more penetrating.
At the foot of this quiet mountain, a group of people counted the time as they emerged from the camp.
The entire camp covers dozens of acres, and many rooms are simply built with wood and covered with a layer of tarpaulin. There are no windows or electric lights, just like a primitive tribe.
However, the camp was well-organized. Those who lived in large communal rooms were on the outer perimeter, while their families lived inside. Unmarried men and women were separated by a wide dirt road.
clang clang
The sound of a broken bell rang out in the middle of the camp.
A group of people stood under the broken bell, each wrapped in tattered cotton-padded jackets, occasionally rubbing their sleepy faces.
"Old Zhu, your team really made a splash this time."
"They actually made six meters in one day! Amazing!"
One person tightened his cotton coat, and although he spoke with praise, the tone of his words was quite sour.
"Haha, this is all thanks to the hard work of our comrades."
"It's all thanks to the hard work of our comrades."
Old Zhu spoke fluently.
Yesterday, he led a team to excavate a cave. They happened to encounter an area with weak rock strata, so he mobilized the entire team to work together, and they managed to excavate six meters in one day.
This is the best result we've achieved so far.
The fastest record before was 4.2 meters, which was maintained by Team One, and that record had been held for almost two years.
The one speaking is Lao Liu, the captain of Team One.
"Old Liu, this thing depends not only on skill, but also on luck!"
"What can you do if the third team finds a good spot?"
Old Wang, the captain of the second team standing to the side, was equally envious; this was a genuine achievement.
I sent a telegram to my superiors last night, and I estimate the reward will be issued in two years.
Of course, it was just a small reward, and the team leaders didn't care much about it.
But this honor will be recorded in your file.
If anything good happens in the future, just look at the files.
As a result, the team set a record, isn't that a highlight?
Even when we're just chatting, people have things to talk about.
As the group continued chatting, doors began to open in the barracks not far away, and workers wearing tattered cotton-padded coats appeared one after another.
The workers stretched their backs and moved around, occasionally greeting those around them.
Gradually, more and more people gathered at the entrance.
Then these people lined up into four teams according to their assigned areas.
In no time, the four lines were in place, and then, led by the officer on duty, they walked toward the broken bell.
On the other side of the barracks, a dozen or so women were cooking rice porridge, preparing breakfast.
Several large pots were simmering with whitish rice porridge, and on top of them were steamers made of unknown grass and wood, containing cornbread cakes.
At this moment, the woman, having finished her work, sat on a wooden post nearby, occasionally patting the dew off her trousers.
"Sister Shan, has your husband replied again?"
A middle-aged woman, not very old but with a weathered face, asked the question.
Sister Shan was wearing the same cotton-padded jacket as everyone else, but what made her different was that her short hair was tied up with a gray leather belt, which made her look very capable.
This leather cable tie was put in with the money his wife handed over last year.
There were two in total, one for her and one for her youngest daughter.
Even so, having such a leather strap here has become the envy of everyone.
"He's busy, he doesn't have time to reply to letters."
Sister Shan raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear; her calloused hands were full of strength.
Here, men are treated like animals, and women are used like men.
They were not only responsible for the food of the entire camp, but also helped carry soil in their spare time, and sometimes they had to rush to help when danger came.
"Sister Shan, I heard that Secretary Li asked you all to go to Beijing. Why aren't you going?"
A person standing nearby asked.
"Yes, that's Beijing! I really want to go and see it."
Once the topic was brought up, a group of women immediately started talking.
Sister Shan just smiled and said, "Why go there? We'll go when we're done here."
"Otherwise, even if I went, what would I say if they asked what I did for a living?"
"If you run away before finishing your work, people will say you're slacking off."
Sister Shan spoke calmly, and the women around her nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Once we open up this tunnel, we can be proud when we go to Beijing!"
The woman who spoke first clenched her fist and spoke loudly.
Others echoed this sentiment.
Seeing that the group in front of her had already been assigned tasks, Sister Shan quickly stood up and said, "Alright, let's get to work!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately went to the pot, ready to eat.
"Comrades!"
At the front of the line stood a young man of medium build with a serious expression.
"Our superiors instructed us to break through the No. 8 mountain by the end of the year and connect it with the No. 9 mountain."
"Do you have confidence?"
"have!!!"
Bang bang bang bang
The hearts of the people were burning with fervor. Even in the freezing cold, even though the rocks in the mountains were harder than steel, nothing could dampen their revolutionary enthusiasm. They would even carve a hole in steel.
"Comrades, the road to victory is right beneath our feet."
"come on!"
The young man shouted something, and the four captains in front immediately turned around and led their teams towards the dining area. The young man walked at the very back, and only after everyone had left did he take a letter out of his pocket.
Looking at the date on the envelope, it clearly arrived a week ago, but it's only now being delivered to me.
Of course, he wouldn't blame the postmen; on the contrary, each delivery was a difficult task for them.
Moreover, the number of postmen who have died in accidents has exceeded two hands.
Even so, there are still many postmen walking on this mountain path.
He had also submitted a report to his superiors, but the response he received was very simple.
Their task was to carve roads through mountains.
Delivering letters is the postman's job.
It's all for the mission.
This damn mountain!
The young man looked back at the mountain ridge he had carved out, took a deep breath, and then headed towards the campsite where he would eat.
"Mom, Dad sent a letter."
Having just finished getting his food, with his lunchbox and two cornbreads in his hands, the young man handed the envelope to Sister Shan.
Of course, the envelope was unopened, so he didn't know what was inside.
However, based on his understanding of his father, he would only ask about daily life and talk about work.
He always puts some money in the envelope, so Dad isn't worried about losing it along the way.
When Sister Shan heard that the letter was from her husband, she immediately wiped her hands and took it. Looking at the familiar handwriting, she felt inexplicably at ease.
The two had been together for many years and had gone through thick and thin together. If it weren't for work, they wouldn't have to be separated by distance.
"Sister Shan, you said you didn't have any, come and take a look."
The people around her were egging her on, but Sister Shan just put the letter in her pocket and said, "What are you looking at? I'll look at it after I finish my work."
Everyone immediately burst into laughter, "Is Sister Shan afraid of being seen?"
Is there some secret?
"It's definitely going to be cheesy stuff."
"So what if you say cheesy things? If you want to hear them, go find your men."
Sister Shan waved her hand, and another burst of laughter erupted around her.
After everyone dispersed, the young man returned the lunchbox after finishing his meal. Behind him followed a girl of similar height, with two small braids tied together with two hemp ropes.
"Mom, this is Wang Jingjing."
The young man only said one sentence, and the girl behind him stepped forward shyly, "Sister Shan, hello."
Sister Shan immediately understood what the young man meant.
Marriage is not taken lightly here, but it can also be discussed casually.
Marriage is not casual because people who get married must be able to withstand the 'test,' not only in terms of their backgrounds, but also in terms of their aspirations for the future and shared interests.
It doesn't matter, because as long as the two conditions above are met, and both people are willing, they can form a family.
"Mom, Jingjing and I are planning to be together."
The young man said earnestly, "I was going to tell Dad, but he was busy, so I told you instead."
Sister Shan nodded in agreement. She had heard of the girl before; her family had been poor farmers for three generations. The girl had never been to school, but she was very diligent in her night school.
Although she is not competitive or aggressive, she is gentle and strong, and she is excellent at her work. She is also quite good-looking, making her a good match for her son.
"Okay, Mom, everything's fine here."
Sister Shan spoke earnestly, and the girl's face lit up with excitement.
If Sister Shan disagrees, perhaps the two of them can still get together, but without their parents' approval, life would become very tiring.
Now that my parents have given their consent, I feel much more at ease.
"Mom, Jingjing and I plan to dig this tunnel before we get married."
The young man continued to explain his plans.
Sister Shan then looked at the girl.
Wang Jingjing nodded vigorously, "I agree with Li Bing; we must complete the revolutionary mission first."
"Everything else can be arranged later."
"Moreover, our aspirations..."
At this point, Wang Jingjing looked at Li Bing, and the two nodded together, "Our ambition is to turn this natural barrier into a thoroughfare and work together to build our motherland's rivers and mountains."
Sister Shan smiled with satisfaction, then took off the leather headband. "Child, come here."
Wang Jingjing looked at Li Bing, and Li Bing nodded.
Then, Sister Shan came over, untied the girl's two braids, and quickly tied them into a high ponytail with a leather ribbon. She then looked her over and said, "Pretty."
"Mom doesn't have anything good to give you, so use this strap for now. Later, Xiaobing will give you something better."
Sister Shan spoke with certainty, and the girl blushed, then nodded, "Thank you, Mom."
Hearing the girl call her that made Sister Shan even happier.
"Good, good."
The women who had finished tidying up nearby laughed at the sight, but their laughter was mostly filled with joy and encouragement.
"Sister Shan, I hope you'll have a grandson next year."
"Yes, our team is going to grow even bigger."
As everyone was talking, the young man Li Bing walked up and said, "Mom, I'm going to the front."
He glanced at Wang Jingjing, who nodded, "I, I'm going to work too."
"Go on, go on, be careful."
Sister Shan smiled and said that her son had grown up and was about to get married.
After the two left, the sun came into view, and Sister Shan led a group of women to prepare to start work.
"Erni, take Xiaoya to the back and get some grain."
"understood."
"Xiao Xu, prepare some firewood and plenty of hot water."
"Okay, Sister Shan!"
"Xiaodong, let's go help."
The entire camp quickly sprang into action, and gradually, the sounds of chiseling could be heard coming from the cave ahead, with people occasionally seen pushing carts to transport stones out.
The workday begins.