Chapter 71

Chapter 71

This morning, apart from a half-hour break in the middle, the team did not stop for a moment. By noon, even the most obedient of the young students could no longer hold on, sobbing and sitting in the snow, refusing to get up.

Chu Ya turned back to look for Shen Juanjuan, seeing him lying on the ground with the group of young students, his eyes closed and groaning, which made Chu Ya's heart ache.

During lunchtime, the children lay directly on the snow, forming a large, dark cluster. Although they only rested for one or two hours, the supervisors still set up a fire to warm their cold hands and feet.

Chu Ya boiled a pot of hot water, found three basins, and had these young students soak their feet, several pairs of white, frozen little feet hurriedly stretching into the basins.

"My feet hurt so much, my hands hurt too, everything hurts." Shen Juanjuan lay in Chu Ya's arms, whining and coquettishly.

"I never want to go on a hike again, never ever." Chen Hongliang, while soaking his feet, leaned back on the ground.

"Whimper..."

"Wang Xiaoxi, don't cry."

"I want to go back, I want to return to the orphanage, whimper..."

Chu Ya whispered in Shen Juanjuan's ear, "Do you want me to carry you this afternoon? Or should Shen Wangwang carry you?"

Shen Juanjuan, despite complaining about his sore feet, hesitated when he heard this. He looked around at the other children and replied softly, "I can walk very well. They are all walking, so I will walk too."

Chu Ya patted his head, "Alright then."

Chu Ya looked at the sprawled-out children and the twenty carts loaded with supplies, feeling that continuing like this was not feasible. Even if Cloud Peak hadn't noticed them, many children wouldn't be able to endure such a long walk.

He surveyed the steep Keke Mountain beside him, then looked at the twenty carts, calling over the Black Wolf and whispering a few words to it.

The Black Wolf turned its head, climbed up the smooth cliff face of Keke Mountain, and quickly reached halfway up. The upper part of the mountain was less slippery, and it soon disappeared into the barren woods and snowy forests. Chu Ya walked over to Rong Chen nearby.

"What? Throw away all the food?" Rong Chen looked at Chu Ya in surprise, and the few supervisors beside him also showed shock.

Chu Ya nodded, "We have twenty carts. If we discard the food and reduce unnecessary items, we should be able to free up seven or eight carts. This way, the students can take turns resting in the carts, reducing the pressure of the intense hiking."

"But what do we eat if we throw away the food?"

Chu Ya lifted his chin and pointed to Keke Mountain, "Isn't it full of food up there? We have guns and quantum beasts; relying on Keke Mountain, we won't have to worry about food."

Rong Chen hesitated, "What about after we leave the Keke Mountains? What do we eat then?"

Chu Ya said, "We'll figure something out by then. Otherwise, we can't even leave Keke Mountain now."

"That's true. Even if we pull these foods, what good would it do? The children will collapse one by one," a supervisor agreed.

Rong Chen looked at the pile of carts and bit his lip, "Alright, let's eat the best things at noon. We won't keep the soybeans and sweet potatoes, and we'll steam buns with flour for them to eat."

"Steamed meat buns," Chu Ya suggested.

"What?"

"My quantum beast went up the mountain to catch mutants. We can steam meat buns later."

"Alright, start kneading the dough and prepare to steam the buns," Rong Chen instructed the other supervisors, "Also, steam some buns. Whatever isn't eaten can be distributed, with each person carrying a few; it won't be heavy."

The Black Wolf soon dragged a half-dead mutant back to the camp.

It was a deer mutant, but its body resembled a robust bull, with antlers sharp as steel spikes and barbs at the ends. It was still alive, thrashing its limbs in struggle, and only the Black Wolf could drag such a creature down the mountain.

The Black Wolf dropped the deer mutant on the snow outside the camp, and the supervisors, knives in hand, surrounded the fierce-looking mutant, eager but hesitant to approach. The students crowded around to watch but were driven away by the supervisors.

When Chu Ya arrived, he saw a supervisor extending his knife-wielding hand cautiously. Suddenly, the mutant turned its head, opening its mouth filled with fangs and lunging forward, scaring the supervisor into falling backward, kicking frantically to retreat. The Black Wolf, lying nearby, leisurely licked its paw, occasionally glancing over with a smug look in its eyes.

"I'll get the gun, wait for me."

"The students are too close. Is it appropriate to shoot?"

"…Is it more appropriate to stab with a knife?"

When the Black Wolf turned its head, it met Chu Ya's gaze, its expression stiffening.

It turned away, pretending not to see, staring at the snow beside it. After a moment, it glanced at Chu Ya again, reluctantly getting up and pouncing, pinning the mutant under its paw and biting through its neck.

"What happened? Why did it die on its own?" a supervisor asked in surprise.

"It must have been bitten to death by Shen Wangwang."

"Shen Wangwang?"

Hearing the name "Shen Wangwang," the Black Wolf suddenly released the mutant's neck, looking at the supervisor with displeasure. The supervisor, unaware of the Black Wolf's glare, laughed, "Shen Wangwang is Chu Ya's quantum beast, very brave. We dare only pick small mutants with guns, but only it can catch such a large one."

The Black Wolf paused, unsure whether to be angry, its expression somewhat peculiar.

"That's right, not only did it catch this mutant for us, but it has also been pulling the carts and carrying several children along the way. One quantum beast is worth several people."

"Not just several people, we couldn't catch such a large mutant even if we worked together."

"Our orphanage has been eating meat lately, all thanks to Shen Wangwang."

"Truly an amazing quantum beast."

...

The Black Wolf sauntered to the side, glancing at Chu Ya as it walked, then peeked at the area where the young students were, its eyes full of regret.

Chu Ya walked over and rubbed its head, "You did a great job. I'll tell Shen Juanjuan all these praises."

The Black Wolf looked away, seemingly indifferent as it lay down on the empty ground, but its ears kept twitching, unable to hide its pride and joy.

"Shen Miaomiao." Shen Juanjuan's voice came, and Chu Ya turned his head to see him running towards him excitedly.

"Slow down, don't fall."

Shen Juanjuan ran up close: "Do you know what we're going to eat later? Do you know?"

Chu Ya pretended not to know, reaching out to brush the snow off his head: "What are we going to eat?"

"Dumplings!" Shen Juanjuan jumped excitedly, "Dumplings, the manager said they would be filled with nothing but meat."

"Nothing but meat? That sounds great."

Cheers erupted from the camp, and Shen Juanjuan pointed in that direction: "Look, everyone is so happy, they're going to eat big dumplings, all-meat big dumplings."

Actually, Shen Juanjuan had been eating meat for some time, so he wasn't really craving it. However, the children at the welfare home, even though they could taste some meat, always got limited portions. When they heard the manager say they could have all-meat dumplings, everyone was thrilled, and Shen Juanjuan also felt excited and happy.

"Let's go back first, we can talk on the way." Chu Ya took Shen Juanjuan's hand and led him back to the camp. Shen Juanjuan kept talking: "I just helped Lin Duozhi put on his shoes, I tied them with a nice bow."

"That's good." Chu Ya praised.

"Someone knocked me down and told me not to block the way. I was a bit angry and wanted to push him over, but I held back and just beat my backpack instead."

Chu Ya: "...Good job."

The Black Wolf had been listening with its ears perked up. After hearing Chu Ya praise Shen Juanjuan twice, it angrily dug a deep trench in the snow with its paw.

"Roar!"

Chu Ya turned his head and glanced: "By the way, do you know where the filling for the dumplings comes from?"

"Where does it come from?"

"It's from the Mutants that Shen Wangwang caught on the mountain earlier. The managers were saying..."

The Black Wolf lay back down contentedly.

Knowing they were going to eat dumplings, the older students behaved more conscientiously than ever before. Some gathered firewood, while others watched over the younger and middle-aged students to prevent them from running around. There were even people stationed near the makeshift toilets, reminding students where the pits were to avoid falling in.

Chu Ya led a group of young students to the bonfire, seeing several older students holding basins of flour, sniffling as they prepared to knead the dough. He stepped forward and took the basin, kneading the dough himself.

This lunch was incredibly abundant. Not only were there enough meat dumplings for everyone, but they could also drink steaming hot meat soup. All the children ate until their bellies were full; some lay on the snow, patting their stomachs and savoring the taste.

When they set off again, six empty carts appeared on the snow. Each cart could hold ten children, and Rong Chen divided the students into three teams: Team A rode in the carts, while the other two teams walked and pushed the carts, switching every half hour.

Each time they moved camp, the managers would shovel snow to cover their tracks. Now, a few managers looked at the discarded soybeans and sweet potatoes, their eyes reddening with pain.

"The director had such a hard time getting these rations, and now they're just being thrown away."

"There's no choice. The children can't walk anymore. Living things are more important than dead things. Don't think about it, let's bury them."

"Alright, let's bury them."

Shen Juanjuan's second-grade class was Team A, and he squeezed in among a group of excited children. The children in Teams B and C surrounded the carts, countless hands grabbing onto the sides. As Rong Chen shouted to start, they all pushed together, moving the carts forward.

The world was a vast white expanse, and on the snowy ground, only these black clusters moved like ants carrying their homes forward.

The children in the carts were excited, but those pushing the carts were even more excited. The carts began racing against each other.

"They're passing us."

"Hurry, hurry, they were behind us, now they're in front."

"We can't let them, ah, look behind, they're catching up." Someone screamed in fear.

"Let's charge, let's charge faster!"

The carts raced across the snow, the children's screams and shouts echoing through the air. Chu Ya pushed the cart, Shen Juanjuan shouting in his ear, along with the other children around him, making his eardrums buzz.

"Second grade, cheer up, second grade, cheer up." Shen Juanjuan saw the cart behind them getting closer and suddenly stood up, bending over and shouting.

Two children on the cart behind also stood up, stretching their hands forward, frowning and shouting: "Pass them! Pass them!"

Shen Juanjuan stomped his foot repeatedly, waving his arms like he was wielding a hoe: "Second grade, cheer up, second grade, cheer up."

"First grade, cheer up."

"They're catching up, hurry, hurry, hurry!"

...

Chen Hongliang also stood up: "Second grade, cheer up!"

The people around the cart screamed: "Make him sit down, don't let him shout!"

"Cover his mouth whenever he opens it."

Seeing Shen Juanjuan's face turn red from excitement, Chu Ya started running, pushing the cart through the snow. They quickly overtook several carts ahead.

"Ha ha ha, we're so awesome, we're so awesome."

The children on the cart laughed, and Shen Juanjuan turned around to hug Chu Ya's arm. As Chu Ya ran, he looked at the child, whose face was covered in snow, but whose eyes sparkled with joy.

The Black Wolf had disappeared, and the carts on the snowy plain sped forward at an unprecedented speed, the shouts echoing as they moved quickly.

By taking turns pushing the carts, they could rest after walking for a while, and with the excitement of the race, the children's progress was surprisingly fast.

In the evening, they found a safe, sheltered spot to rest. The Black Wolf went to Keke Mountain to hunt Mutants, while the others set up tents and made fires. The children sat by the bonfire, dipping their feet into hot water basins, sighing with relief.

After a tiring day, the children were unusually quiet tonight, even the two older students who usually fought upon meeting had no energy left for a brawl.

After putting Shen Juanjuan and the group of young students to sleep, Chu Ya began discussing the next day's itinerary with Rong Chen and the other managers.

Not long after, he sensed Shen Juanjuan entering his mental domain. He automatically ignored the wild laughter in his mind and focused on the discussion with the managers.

"The speed has picked up today; we can leave the Keke Mountains tomorrow."

"Ha ha ha, you guys are getting more and more, no problem, I can also get more and more, I'll take you all to play..."

The Black Wolf paced at the edge of the camp, its eyes vigilantly scanning the darkness, not missing any movement. It was about to check the other side of the camp when it suddenly stopped, then collapsed onto the snow, convulsing.

A night breeze blew, lifting the tent flap slightly, allowing a thread of mental energy to slip out from Shen Juanjuan, like a nimble fish, and drift toward the dark figure struggling on the ground.

As the mental thread wrapped around the Black Wolf, its convulsions ceased, leaving it breathing heavily. With the gentle caress of the mental thread, it finally calmed down, relaxing its body and closing its eyes contentedly.

On the third day, the team finally reached the gentler terrain of the Keke Mountains. The steep cliffs were replaced by undulating hills.

"Xiaoya, come and see if there's an exit ahead. We can leave the Keke Mountains through that exit," Rong Chen said, opening his notebook for Chu Ya to see during a rest stop.

"Yes, just keep going a bit further."

Chu Ya glanced back and saw Shen Juanjuan sitting among the young students, looking at him. He waved at him.

Shen Juanjuan immediately stood up to walk over, but Chu Ya pressed his hands down, "Stay seated."

Rong Chen winced as if in pain, "Everyone is eager to leave the snow, but the road ahead might be even harder."

Chu Ya replied, "We still have to pass through other snowy mountains. It will be difficult for the children to climb, but once we leave the Keke Mountains, we can slow down a bit."

Although he was the same age as the older students at the orphanage, Chu Ya usually acted maturely, and Rong Chen gradually stopped treating him like a child, consulting him on various matters. Even now, when he casually referred to others as children, Rong Chen didn't find it odd, nodding in agreement, "Yes, we can slow down a bit then."

"Alright, then let's..." As Chu Ya spoke, he gazed into the distance, his voice trailing off, a look of alertness appearing on his face.

Rong Chen sensed something was wrong and turned to look, but all he saw was a vast white expanse.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instinctively stepping forward.

Chu Ya suddenly grabbed his arm, "Don't go forward." Then he added, "There are some houses ahead."

Following his gaze, Rong Chen finally saw several cottages at the foot of the mountain in the distance. Their roofs were covered in snow, revealing only a small section of gray walls, blending seamlessly with the snowy landscape, making them hard to spot at first glance.

"How could there be houses..." Rong Chen muttered in shock.

"These are outposts. They aren't marked on our practical training maps, and this area is uninhabited, so I overlooked this detail, forgetting that there are outposts at the borders of each region, manned by soldiers from the three armies."

Rong Chen's expression changed, "What do we do?"

Chu Ya looked around, and Shen Juanjuan immediately stood up, "Are you looking at me? Did you call me over? I'm coming."

Chu Ya loudly replied, "I didn't call you, sit down for a while longer."

"Oh," Shen Juanjuan reluctantly sat back down.

Chu Ya gestured for Rong Chen to look at the nearby Keke Mountain, "The previous part of Keke Mountain was too steep for us to climb, but here the slope is gentle, so we can make it over."

Despite it being winter, the trees on the mountain remained lush, their dark green leaves peeking out from under the snow.

"But there are many Mutants..." Rong Chen said.

Chu Ya nodded, "There are many Mutants, but we have no other choice."

Rong Chen clenched his teeth, "Since there's no other way, we'll cross the mountain! Besides, we have you, a B+ Sentinel and a B+ Quantum Beast, plus twelve guns, so we don't need to fear those Mutants."

"Look over there," Chu Ya pointed to the right.

Rong Chen followed his finger but saw nothing, looking back at Chu Ya in confusion.

"There's a path, just covered by snow. I think these outposts have been around for a while, and the soldiers often hunt Mutants in the mountains. Since they have nothing else to do, they've cleared a path into the mountains, which has been maintained by successive generations of outpost soldiers."

Rong Chen looked again and indeed saw a long, blank strip winding through the dense forest, leading up to the mountain waist.

Although the children didn't understand why they suddenly needed to cross the mountain, most of them listened to the managers. After days of seeing the same snowy landscape, the novelty had worn off, and the prospect of crossing the mountain invigorated them.

"Each manager will be responsible for one cart, assisted by two older students, and they will pull the carts over the mountain," Rong Chen scanned the faces of the young students, adding, "It will be very difficult for the younger students to climb, and it's easy to lose someone. So, form teams of five: one older student, two middle-aged students, and two younger students. The older and middle-aged students will be responsible for the two younger ones in their team, making it less likely to lose anyone."

"Is that appropriate? Having children lead children," a manager worriedly asked.

Rong Chen reassured him, "Don't worry. Although our older children can be mischievous, they step up in critical moments. Haven't you noticed that over the past few days, the younger students have mostly just followed along, barely able to walk on their own, while the older children have done most of the work pushing the carts?"

"That's true, I've noticed that too. The older students push the carts, and the middle-aged students guide the younger ones," the manager nodded.

Time was of the essence, and the managers immediately started forming groups, pairing those with blood relations or close friendships first, and assigning the rest.

"Kong Baogang, Wang Long, Lin Xiaoshu in one group, Ye Min, Liu Haitang, Hong Yuanbao in another—"

"Manager! I don't want to be with stinky boys!"

"Manager, I don't want to be with lice-infested kids!"

"What stinky boys and lice-infested kids? Where did you learn that? Hong Yuanbao, go over there, see that sister talking? Go to her... Yes, the one rolling her eyes... Oh, that's better. You older students are the most sensible. When climbing the mountain, make sure to watch over the younger ones and don't let them wander off."

The younger students gathered together, listening intently for their names. When they heard their names called, they raised their hands and were led away by the older and middle-aged students in their groups.