Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Sisters Feng Jinlian and Feng Jingui carried a large bundle and saw their little sister off. Along the way, they ran into lots of uncles and aunties, who cheerfully greeted Feng Xia. Feng Xia smiled back warmly, nothing like the moody girl she was around the Fengs.

When they reached the village entrance, a sudden jingle of bells rang out behind them. Turning around, they saw Feng Chun riding a bicycle, a red scarf wrapped around her head, which looked kinda cute against the snow. But the bike skidded badly, wobbling all over the road, making everyone nervous she'd wipe out any second. Feng Chun breezed past Feng Xia with her nose in the air, then turned and said, sweet on the surface but totally baiting her, "Xia girl, want me to give you a ride? Walking to town to catch the bus won't be easy."

No sooner had she spoken than a military vehicle roared ahead. A big military pickup truck appeared imposingly, and the young soldier in the driver's seat waved enthusiastically at Feng Xia, signaling her to hop in.

Feng Chun's face went red, then white, then every color in between. She'd just said Feng Xia would have to walk to town, and now a military truck came roaring in. Feng Chun's face burned like she'd been slapped a few times. Mortified, she pedaled like crazy, desperate to get as far from that truck as possible.

Feng Xia didn't even look her way. She just waved at her two sisters, and the military truck made a sharp turn and sped off. Feng Jinlian and Feng Jingui stared at the tire tracks, feeling lost. Feng Jinlian put her hand back in her pocket and felt something odd at her fingertips. Pulling it out, she found a ten-yuan bill. Feng Jingui found one too. Looking at the crisp new bills, the two sisters couldn't hold back anymore; hot tears streamed down their faces.

Feng Xia curled up in her seat, working on her superpower, though to the kid soldier, she seemed to be sleeping. He was seriously impressed—she could sleep on a road this bumpy. He'd even heard the loud "thump" as her head hit the vehicle's wall, but the girl didn't even open her eyes. All he could do was admire her.

The ride back was slower than the trip there, and they arrived at the base around one in the afternoon. Feng Xia slung a large bundle over her shoulder and went straight back to Old Lady Wu's place.

The old lady had been eagerly waiting for Feng Xia's return, though she didn't show it outwardly. But when she heard the key turn in the lock, her joy just burst out.

"I fried some radish balls on the stove, and there's braised rabbit meat. If you're hungry, go heat it up," Old Lady Wu said casually. "I also buried some sweet potatoes. You want some?"

Feng Xia's smile got wider, dimples showing, and her voice was sweet as honey: "Oh, Grandma, you're so good to me. I want to eat everything. I'll go heat it up in a bit." She then took out a rabbit-fur vest from her bundle and held it up in front of Old Lady Wu. The old lady was elderly and stooped, with the petite build of a southerner, so Feng Xia's size fit her well.

Feng Xia handed over the rabbit-fur vest: "Grandma, try it on. If it doesn't fit, you'll have to fix it yourself." Old Lady Wu wanted to refuse—such a warm, good item should be kept by Feng Xia herself—but when she met those clear, bright eyes, she couldn't say a word. Her heart felt like it was soaking in warm water, soft and tender, and her eyes got all dry, like she might cry. She quickly took the vest to try it on, dabbing her eye with her sleeve as she turned.

She'd told Feng Xia to heat up the food, but the rabbit meat was already kept warm on the stove. Feng Xia wolfed down half a basin of rabbit meat with steamed buns, while Old Lady Wu sat by the fire in her rabbit-fur vest, occasionally glancing at the girl eating heartily, her eyes full of love.

After eating, Feng Xia first went up the mountain, then carried a basket of things to Old Gentleman Wan Fulin's house.

Wu Xingzhou and Wan Fulin were sitting by the stove, roasting peanuts and drinking tea. This cold winter was one of the few times all year they had a break. In a few days, it would be the New Year, and the military would celebrate together, sometimes putting on performances, making it lively and keeping the lonely souls from getting too down.

Feng Xia showed up and didn't stand on ceremony. She ate a few roasted peanuts and drank a cup of hot water. Wan Fulin adored this little disciple immensely, and Wu Xingzhou was also very satisfied. Feng Xia was now fluent in Russian and the language of the Cherry Blossom Country. If it weren't for Wan Fulin always watching her, Wu Xingzhou would've recommended her for a job at the Foreign Ministry. This girl had a good head on her shoulders, a sharp mind, and the makings of a big shot.

After Feng Xia shared some interesting stories from her visit home, she shoved the wild rabbits and pheasants she'd caught into Wan Fulin's hands. He didn't want to accept them—his little disciple was so thin, she should keep them to nourish herself. But Feng Xia took them straight to the kitchen. The old gentleman had started using the kitchen again because it was inconvenient to go to the cafeteria in winter. She greeted Guard Sun at the door and then ran off. Wan Fulin couldn't bear to scold his little disciple; this was all her heartfelt gesture! He couldn't resist showing off to Wu Xingzhou.

Wu Xingzhou: ...

Feng Xia had also given me wild pheasants and rabbits! What are you showing off for?

Next, Feng Xia took a bag of cooked chestnuts that Feng Jinlian and Feng Jingui had packed and went to Regiment Commander Qian's office. As the New Year approached, the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly tense. Regiment Commander Qian frowned, with dark circles under his eyes, looking unwell. Chen Hua was in a similar state, his face full of exhaustion. When they heard the knock, they simply said, "Come in," their voices noticeably hoarse.

Feng Xia placed the bag of chestnuts on the table, and Qian Jun didn't stand on ceremony, peeling one to eat.

Qian Jun: "Back already? How was it at home? Everything okay?"

Feng Xia: "Everything's fine. But there's one thing I might need to trouble you with, sir."

Qian Jun frowned: "What is it? Don't cause any trouble."

Feng Xia smiled brightly: "How could I? I just promised an old uncle in the village to help find someone." She then described Zhang Fusheng's appearance in detail. If Old Zhang had been there, he would have heard her repeat his words exactly.

Qian Jun nodded, agreeing to handle it. Chen Hua looked at the young girl with a complicated expression. He really didn't want her to get involved in this matter. Feng Xia was sharp and had invented the silencer, earning the leadership's favor. The silencer had been mass-produced in the past few days and was planned for use in this operation. In his opinion, such a dangerous mission was no place for a young girl.

Feng Xia sensed his gaze and smiled at him. Qian Jun's expression was also complicated. This mission was a matter of life and death. Should Feng Xia really go?

"It's not too late for you to back out now," Qian Jun said coldly.

The dimples at the corners of Feng Xia's mouth appeared faintly, and her eyes sparkled with spirit: "We agreed, didn't we? I have to go."

Qian Jun felt helpless, his head starting to ache again. He rubbed his temples and waved his hand: "Get out, now. We leave tonight. Go back and sleep!"

Feng Xia curled her lips slightly and turned to leave.

At eleven o'clock that night, moonlight and snow reflected off each other, making the forest not too dark. A group of soldiers in black uniforms moved like a winding snake, crawling forward, making very little noise.

At the very front was a slender young girl, moving like a nimble cat, leaving only faint footprints in the snow. In front of her, a black snake slithered through the snow. Feng Xia infused Little Black with her superpower, suppressing its instinct to hibernate, and had it lead the way.

Silently, they approached the outskirts of the Cherry Blossom Country's military base. Perhaps because the Flower Kingdom had shown no action against them, or because their New Year was approaching, the guards were lax. At that moment, there wasn't even a patrol outside the base.

Only two watchtowers stood, with searchlights occasionally sweeping bright beams across the snow in front of the base, leaving no room for concealment.

"I'm going. Wait for me."

Lin Feihu nodded, gripping his gun tightly.

Feng Xia moved like a ghost. She wrapped herself in a white cloth and drifted as if treading on snow, leaving no trace. Under the glare of the two searchlights, she boldly reached the base's outer wall, then folded the cloth and climbed up the watchtower in a few swift moves. The Cherry Blossom Country soldier on duty felt a strange chill behind him, then a sharp pain in his neck, and he fell into eternal darkness.

In the other watchtower, the Cherry Blossom Country soldier yawned boredly, thinking of the lively New Year celebrations back home, when he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. The pain numbed his nerves, spread to his heart, and his body stiffened like a clay figurine, collapsing straight to the ground. The searchlight twisted its beam as no one held it steady.

With one watchtower's light extinguished and the other's beam skewed, Yuan Biao knew Feng Xia had succeeded.

He made a gesture, and the team behind him followed closely. A venomous snake had instantly infiltrated the base.

Tonight, this base would be destroyed by them.