Chapter 191: The Expedition |
The sun slanted westward.
Jin Hao carried the newly distributed rations, stepping on the scalding outdoor tiles of the residential complex.
He entered the stairwell and climbed all the way to the top floor.
He unlocked the door with his key.
"Mom, wife, I'm back."
Jin Hao placed the black bag in his hand on the shoe cabinet.
A faint medicinal smell permeated the living room.
The walls and windows inside the room were plastered with characters that hadn't been torn off.
The window on the living room balcony was wide open. A warm convection wind blew from the balcony through the living room and into the kitchen.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the old man stopped his motion and peeked towards the entranceway.
"Oh my, our young master is back." Jin Yu put down the palm-leaf fan and hurried forward to help take the bag, glancing inside. "Huh, there's even a lump of meat. Your new boss is really generous."
"Not just that, there's also a small bag of salt." Jin Hao changed his shoes while speaking, then walked over to the bed placed in the living room. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking his sick wife's hand in his.
On the sickbed, his wife's lips were pale, her complexion weak.
She tilted her head to look at her husband, a sweet smile appearing on her face. "Husband, you've worked hard."
Jin Hao's face immediately turned stern, chiding her, "If you think I'm working hard, then hurry up and get better."
"Hehe." The woman giggled foolishly, grabbing Jin Hao's hand and placing it against her cheek. She closed her eyes, gently nuzzling against it.
Looking at his silly wife, Jin Hao felt a lump form in his throat. His other hand gently stroked her forehead.
Since the last world, his wife had somehow contracted this illness. By the time they discovered it, it had already progressed to a certain degree. They had sought out a doctor who diagnosed it as possibly some form of fungal arthritis, but couldn't determine the specific fungus.
They underwent treatment, but unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side. The condition worsened.
All they could do was frequently wash and air their bedding and clothes, keep things dry and well-ventilated, regularly clean and disinfect, eat more nutritious food to boost immunity, and keep her joints warm and protected to prevent catching a chill.
"Don't worry, you'll get better. I heard today that there's a type of card that can treat internal injuries. It can even cure that infectious disease from before. A small illness like yours definitely won't be a problem." Jin Hao's gaze was gentle, the tenderness in his eyes completely mismatched with his two-meter-tall frame.
In the kitchen, Jin Yu took a moment to glance back at the living room, muttering under her breath, "This brat, forgets his mother the moment he has a wife."
"We're having boiled white meat tonight!" Jin Yu called out.
Jin Hao smiled and replied, "Okay."
At the dinner table, Jin Hao held his wife, holding a bowl as he fed her.
Jin Yu asked, feigning nonchalance, "Weren't you supposed to become a blacksmith apprentice? How did they assign you to the Hunting Team?"
"The blacksmith apprentice spots were full." Jin Hao shook his head.
Jin Yu's brows furrowed tightly. "The Hunting Team is too dangerous. If something happens to you, this old bag of bones can't support two people. Why don't you go talk to the leaders, ask them to assign you to logistics, find a safe position?"
Jin Hao fell silent for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. "Mom, it's fine. The Hunting Team is pretty safe too. Guild Leader Qin is different from others. He's not in a hurry to send us to the front lines to hunt. Instead, he has us training every day in a very large martial training ground."
"What use is just training a few moves? They're just fooling you young people." Jin Yu grumbled.
"It's actually quite useful. Mom, don't always assume the worst in people. Whether others are good or bad, I have a sense of it in my heart." Jin Hao thought about how quickly he felt his progress with the spear had been these past two days.
"Suit yourself. You're grown up now, have your own ideas." Jin Yu picked up a piece of the large white meat with her chopsticks.
Jin Hao lowered his gaze. He thought of the news he had inquired about. He heard that previously, a core member of the Qin Alliance had a family member who contracted that very serious infectious disease. It was Guild Leader Qin himself who helped, obtaining a treatment card that helped cure the illness.
Actually, he had lied to his mom. Originally, he had been assigned to the Bladed Weapons Workshop. That blacksmith master had felt his arm and said he was good material for forging.
But he still requested Master Li to get him transferred to the Hunting Team. Because he had asked Master Li, if he worked in the Bladed Weapons Workshop, could he earn the guild leader's appreciation?
Master Li shook his head. He said only on the front lines could there be better opportunities.
So he asked Master Li for help, transferring him to the Hunting Team. In the Hunting Team, there would be more opportunities to show his worth, making it easier to earn the guild leader's appreciation.
After finishing the meal, Jin Hao stood up. "Mom, the Hunting Team can also practice for free in the training ground at night. I'm going over there to train."
Jin Yu looked up, glancing at her son. "Go ahead. Be careful."
After her son left, listening to the gradually fading footsteps, Jin Yu hurriedly got up and went to the balcony. She watched the retreating back of the figure who had left the building unit and was heading towards Building 8. Actually, she had already found out yesterday about Jin Hao actively requesting to join the Hunting Team.
She was his mother. How could she not care about him?
...
"Our target this time is the oasis thirty-six kilometers to the east!"
On the training ground, Qin Ziwen stood on the platform, looking down at the five-row formation below, a trace of emotion flickering in his eyes.
Since recruiting new manpower, adhering to the idea that more sweat in training means less blood on the battlefield, he had been drilling these able-bodied young men.
Fortunately, the training efficiency was quite good. Although these young men hadn't undergone formal military training before, they had over a month of tempering in the wilderness, which had basically stripped away their former naivety.
Replacing it with the unique wildness born of the wasteland.
Compared to when they first crossed over, they now dared to face beasts directly, and under normal circumstances, they could fully execute orders.
This was significant progress.
He didn't expect to train them into fearless, elite soldiers who disregarded life and death in just over a month plus these few days of training.
As long as they could follow orders, that was enough.
"The main purpose of going to the oasis this time is to obtain water resources! And to complete the Hunting Ladder mission!"
"I believe you've all heard that if we fail to complete the mission, we'll be stuck here forever. Although continuing to cross over doesn't guarantee we'll return to our original world, if we stay here, our future lives will be predictable to the very end. So it's not just me fighting; you are fighting for yourselves too."
"Regarding the guild's content, I already told you yesterday. For this expedition, based on your performance, I will select up to five people from among you to supplement and become new guild members." Qin Ziwen addressed the crowd below.
Hearing these words, excitement flashed in the eyes of many below.
Joining the guild would undoubtedly mean becoming new core members of the Qin Alliance, as there were only twenty slots in total.
Qin Ziwen continued, "Of course, I said 'up to.' Perhaps there won't be even one person. It depends on your specific performance. What I want are only the elite!"
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