“Hmm?”
Shen Yueliang answered instinctively,
“No.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she caught sight of Ji Yanchuan’s sharp-profiled face and suddenly realized he must have noticed her little shifting movements in the seat.
As expected of a soldier.
His eyes were practically like surveillance cameras.
Shen Yueliang immediately became even more afraid to move around.
In a small voice, she explained,
“I’ve never ridden in a vehicle like this before, so I’m not really used to it.”
Whether Ji Yanchuan believed her or not, he didn’t say anything further.
Shen Yueliang simply assumed he believed her.
After all, they were just passing strangers.
They probably wouldn’t meet again after this.
As long as she hadn’t left an especially bad impression, she didn’t care much beyond that.
Relaxing a little, she felt more at ease.
Staring openly at an officer was still something she couldn’t do.
His eyes were simply too sharp.
So she directed her attention out the window instead.
Unfortunately, that only made her feel worse.
Just half a day ago, she had been a fashionable young woman living in modern society.
She was used to skyscrapers, luxury cars, beautiful women, and handsome men.
Now…
As far as the eye could see, there was dirt.
Endless green fields surrounded scattered mud-brick houses.
Members of the production brigade worked enthusiastically in the fields.
There wasn’t a single bicycle in sight.
Instead, she occasionally saw old yellow oxen lazily swishing their tails.
Simple.
Far too simple!
Shen Yueliang felt her poor heart could barely handle it.
Perhaps the aftereffects of transmigration had finally kicked in.
She silently closed her eyes, unable to bear looking any longer.
Originally, she only wanted to rest quietly for a while.
What she hadn’t anticipated was just how terrible the roads of this era were.
Her backside repeatedly left the seat as the vehicle bounced.
She was tossed up and down, swaying left and right.
Then, after one particularly violent bump, her head slammed directly into the roof.
She resisted the urge to complain about someone’s terrible driving skills.
Instead, she silently gripped the seat beneath her.
Since she didn’t say anything, Ji Yanchuan naturally remained unaware.
The jeep continued rattling down the road for several hours.
Shen Yueliang thought that he was helping her out of kindness.
If she started being picky now, it would be too much.
So she endured it quietly.
They had departed from the military compound in the afternoon.
All the way, they chased the setting sun.
Now the sun hung low in the western sky, and darkness was gradually descending.
Shen Yueliang glanced around.
After driving for so long, the scenery outside had shifted from barren countryside to slightly more developed areas and then back to even greater desolation.
There was no village ahead.
No shop behind.
As she observed their surroundings, the vehicle gradually slowed before finally coming to a stop.
“We’ll stop here to resupply, eat something, and rest. Then we’ll continue driving through the night.”
Ji Yanchuan removed the keys and got out first.
After driving for such a long time, even his legs felt sore.
Standing beside the jeep, he stretched casually.
Then, by chance, his gaze landed on the passenger seat.
Shen Yueliang no longer felt like talking.
The seat cushions were hard.
The roads were terrible.
At this point, not only did her legs feel as though they no longer belonged to her, but her backside felt borrowed as well.
Even moving slightly made her tailbone tingle.
Life was hard.
Still, she didn’t want to delay their journey.
Gritting her teeth, she lowered her left leg first.
It felt manageable.
Then she used it to support herself as she climbed down from the jeep.
Unfortunately—
The moment her foot touched the ground, a wave of prickling numbness shot through her leg.
The sensation surged all the way to the top of her head.
Shen Yueliang immediately face-planted onto the ground.
The fall was solid and spectacular.
Even Ji Yanchuan hadn’t expected it.
By the time he reached her, Shen Yueliang was already kneeling on the ground.
“Can you stand?”
He extended a hand to help her.
His hand was large.
His fingers were long.
The kind of hand that looked both powerful and reliable.
Shen Yueliang hadn’t forgotten that this was the 1970s.
They weren’t related.
How could she casually grab a male comrade’s hand?
“Yes!”
She shouted softly to encourage herself.
Supporting her aching waist, she slowly climbed to her feet.
The overwhelming soreness made her bare her teeth in pain.
Because of that, she completely missed the flash of surprise in Ji Yanchuan’s eyes.
Not that it lingered for long.
He calmly withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened.
“We’re in a hurry, so there’s no time to find a place to eat. I’ll see if I can find something edible in the hills and make do with that. Rest for a while. We’ll leave again in half an hour.”
They had departed too hastily for him to prepare any rations.
The reason he’d stopped here was because a low mountain range lay nearby.
There was a good chance of finding food there.
“No need to go through so much trouble.”
Shen Yueliang turned and retrieved her bundle from the jeep.
After untying it, she found an oil-paper package.
After a brief hesitation, she handed him the thicker of the two packages.
“There’s food in here.”
Ji Yanchuan accepted it.
Looking around, he found a patch of grass not far from the jeep.
Two rocks nearby served perfectly as makeshift stools.
Sitting down, he bent his long legs comfortably and opened the package.
Inside were clean white-flour flatbreads and ten boiled eggs.
Everything was neatly packed.
Ji Yanchuan didn’t stand on ceremony.
There was still a long drive ahead.
Only a full stomach would provide enough energy.
After eating two flatbreads and two boiled eggs, Shen Yueliang finally made her way over, supporting her lower back.
She carried another oil-paper package in her hands.
Ji Yanchuan didn’t pay much attention.
He peeled another egg and popped it into his mouth.
At that moment, the corner of his eye caught sight of the package resting on Shen Yueliang’s knees.
Inside were several steamed buns.
They were greenish in color.
He immediately recognized them.
Mixed-grain buns steamed with wild vegetables.
They could fill one’s stomach.
But whether in flavor or texture, they couldn’t compare to white-flour flatbreads.
More importantly, there weren’t any eggs in her package.
Ji Yanchuan froze.
He watched as a pale hand picked up one of the coarse buns and brought it toward a pair of lips.
Shen Yueliang took a bite.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t as terrible as she’d imagined.
Perhaps because modern society had recently started promoting coarse grains as healthy food.
Although the bun tasted rough and grainy, it wasn’t unbearably bad.
Besides, she had spent the entire day fighting people, running around, and riding in a jeep for hours without a proper meal.
She was starving.
In only a few bites, she finished one bun.
When she reached for a second one—
She grabbed empty air.
Ji Yanchuan moved with astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, the package on her lap had been replaced.
White-flour flatbreads and plump boiled eggs now sat before her.
Startled, she looked up.
Perhaps because twilight had fallen and he was sitting against the light, his handsome features appeared even more sharply defined.
His expression remained stern and difficult to approach.
“I’m a man.”
His voice was calm.
“I don’t need a female comrade accommodating me.”
“Uh…”
Originally, Shen Yueliang wanted to say that since she’d troubled him so much, it was only right for him to eat better.
Then she remembered that soldiers had strict discipline.
Things like not taking so much as a needle or thread from the people.
That was probably what he meant.
“Alright. I understand.”
Ji Yanchuan said nothing more.
He shifted his gaze away from her face and finished the remaining vegetable buns himself.
Taking the opportunity, Shen Yueliang quickly ate a flatbread and two eggs.
When she saw Ji Yanchuan stand up and start walking away, she hurriedly rolled up the paper package and followed him.
Ji Yanchuan stopped.
Turning around, he looked at her.
It seemed like he wanted to say something.
Yet he didn’t.
Shen Yueliang didn’t understand.
When he resumed walking, she followed again.
After only a few steps, Ji Yanchuan stopped for a second time.
The fist hanging at his side tightened slightly.
“I’m going to take care of a personal matter.”
Shen Yueliang blinked.
Then realization struck.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
“Oh!”
“Then… please, go ahead!”
“Take your time!”
“I’m not in a hurry at all. Really, take your time…”
She practically wished she could disappear into the ground on the spot.