mtl008 Chapter 210 To go or to stay
Chapter 210 To go or to stay
Chapter 210 To Stay or to Leave
After seeing Zheng Laoji off, the first rays of dawn were just beginning to spread across the horizon.
Summer walked toward the new campsite, the autumn wind gently brushing past her ears along the way.
Upon arrival at the new camp.
The advance team and university students have gradually woken up from their sleep.
People moved about in the morning light, some fetching water to wash up.
A new day begins amidst busyness.
After breakfast, the sun had become warm and inviting.
With a heart full of thoughts, Qin Xuemei went straight to Xia Tian.
Her eyes held a mixture of urgency and determination.
Summer sensed her purpose and asked gently.
"Comrade Xuemei, what brings you here?"
"Commander Xia, I'd like to have a talk with you!"
Qin Xuemei's voice was clear and strong.
"Okay, I also have something I want to tell you. Come in and talk."
Xia Tian smiled and led Qin Xuemei into the cafeteria.
The aroma of breakfast still lingered in the cafeteria, and the two found a corner to sit down.
“Commander Xia, I thought about this matter of sending us down to the dam for the winter for a long time last night.”
Qin Xuemei broke the silence first, sitting upright with an unwavering determination in her eyes.
“I know you mean well because you care about us and are worried that we won’t be able to withstand the cold on the dam, but I don’t want to leave.”
Xia Tian nodded slightly, a look of appreciation on her face.
He had a premonition that Qin Xuemei would stick to her own principles.
"I've already guessed what you're thinking. Tell me, why don't you want to go down to the dam?"
"The afforestation project in the Bashang area has just begun, and now is a critical period."
Qin Xuemei spoke earnestly, her pace slightly fast.
"Besides, I just made a mistake recently, and I don't want to go down to the dam at this time."
"It makes me feel like I'm shirking my responsibilities."
"As a college student, I came here with the ideal of building Saihanba."
"If we back down from the dam just because of a little cold, what was the point of all our previous efforts?"
"I don't want to be a deserter."
Qin Xuemei's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, and her emotions became increasingly agitated.
"Comrade Xuemei, your spirit deserves recognition."
Summer's gaze was full of admiration, but her expression also revealed a hint of worry.
"But this is not a question of whether or not soldiers desert."
"Just as Yan Xiangli predicted, this year's Bashang area will be exceptionally cold."
"If you don't go down to the dam, many uncontrollable factors may arise."
"That would be..."
Xia Tian didn't continue speaking, but the meaning behind his words was self-evident.
"Commander Xia, I understand your concerns."
Qin Xuemei's eyes remained firm, and her tone carried a hint of earnestness.
"But we can't give up just because we're afraid."
Summer pondered for a moment, tapped her fingers lightly on the table, and slowly spoke.
"What you said makes sense, but we can't just listen to your opinion on this matter."
"This is not just your problem; it concerns all college students in Bashang."
"In that case, we'll discuss and decide together at the meeting three days from now."
"However, no matter what the final result is, I hope you can be mentally prepared."
“I understand, Commander Xia.”
Qin Xuemei's eyes gleamed, and her tone was unusually firm.
"Even if everyone else decides to leave the dam in the end, I will insist on staying."
"Okay, Comrade Xuemei, I understand what you mean!"
Looking at the determined girl in front of him, Xia Tian silently sighed in his heart.
Qin Xuemei truly lives up to her reputation as the female protagonist in the original work; her level of awareness and understanding is truly remarkable.
"By the way, how is Comrade Ji Xiurong doing?"
"Xiu Rong, she..."
Qin Xuemei frowned slightly, a hint of worry on her face.
"She's still a bit down. She was lost in thought all night and didn't say much."
"I think she may not have gotten over Yan Xiangli's departure yet."
Summer sighed softly and said helplessly.
"It's difficult for outsiders to interfere in matters of the heart; she can only let go on her own."
"Please try to talk to her and give her some advice these next few days. Let me know if anything happens."
"Yes, Commander Xia, I will."
Qin Xuemei nodded.
"That's okay, I'll go back first."
"Okay, you go."
Xia Tian watched Qin Xuemei's departing figure and sighed inwardly.
When Qin Xuemei returned to the dormitory, she saw Ji Xiurong sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly out the window.
The sunlight shone on her, but it seemed unable to dispel the gloom in her heart.
"Xiu Rong, what are you thinking about?"
Qin Xuemei asked softly, her voice full of tenderness and concern, and gently sat down next to Ji Xiurong.
Ji Xiurong came to her senses and forced a smile, a smile tinged with bitterness and desolation.
"Nothing, just thinking casually."
Her voice was weak and feeble, conveying a sense of frailty.
"Xuemei, is there something you need?"
“I just spoke with Commander Xia, and he suggested we consider going down to the dam for the winter. What are your thoughts?”
Qin Xuemei looked at Ji Xiurong with concern, took her hand, and tried to convey warmth.
Ji Xiurong remained silent for a while, as if trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts, before slowly speaking.
"I don't know either, I'm really confused right now."
"Xiu Rong, don't think like that."
"I can't wait to say that," Qin Xuemei said, holding Ji Xiurong's hand tightly.
"Yan Xiangli's departure was his own choice and doesn't mean anything."
"We came to Saihanba to realize our ideals."
"How meaningful it is to turn this desert into an oasis."
"We cannot give up our principles just because he left."
"But I really have no confidence now."
Ji Xiurong's eyes reddened slightly, and tears welled up in them.
"I'm really afraid I won't be able to keep going."
"Xiu Rong, you are not alone, we are all by your side."
Qin Xuemei's voice was gentle yet firm.
"No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together."
Ji Xiurong looked up and saw the determination in Qin Xuemei's eyes, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
"Xuemei, thank you. I will think about it carefully."
Her voice was choked with emotion.
"Yes, whatever decision you make, I will support you."
Qin Xuemei said with a smile, her eyes full of encouragement.
Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open, and Shen Mengyin and Meng Yue walked in chatting and laughing.
Seeing the somber atmosphere in the room, their smiles vanished instantly.
"Xuemei, Xiurong, what are you talking about?"
Shen Mengyin asked curiously, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"We're talking about spending the winter in the lower reaches of the dam."
Qin Xuemei looked at Meng Yue and the other person and answered.
"I still want to go home. I really miss my mom so much."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mengyin's expression immediately became somewhat downcast, and her voice softened.
"Life in Bashang is too hard. I want to go back and see my mother."
"I...I'm also a little hesitant."
Meng Yue lowered her head slightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
In the empty dormitory, it felt as if a gentle breeze could blow it away.
Her hands unconsciously clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Her slightly trembling fingertips seemed to express the extreme unease deep within her heart.
My boyfriend wants me to go home to meet his parents this year.
Meng Yue paused, as if she had mustered up a great deal of courage, before continuing.
“I…I miss him too, and this is a big deal, I can’t not go.”
Her voice was choked with emotion, and her eyes were slightly red.
Clearly, these two things are difficult to choose between.
Qin Xuemei looked quietly at the three people in front of her, her heart filled with helplessness and entanglement.
She knew that Shen Mengyin's longing for home was a deep yearning for blood ties.
Like a surging tide, it cannot be stopped.
Meng Yue is standing at a crossroads in her life.
Faced with the difficult choice between love and career, her future with her boyfriend is hanging by a thread.
Every thought she had concerned the future of this relationship and her family.
As for Ji Xiurong, she was deeply hurt by Yan Xiangli's departure.
Individuals are like birds lost in a thick fog, having lost their way.
His eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness, and he was restless all day long, like a soulless shell.
In the afternoon, the sun shone on the land of Saihanba.
The warmth of autumn carried a hint of sunshine, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in Qin Xuemei's heart.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and took the initiative to find Feng Cheng.
This was the first time she had spoken with Feng Cheng face-to-face since the harrowing encounter with the wolf.
"Feng Cheng, I need to talk to you about something!"
Qin Xuemei walked quickly toward Feng Cheng, who was busy at work.
His voice carried a hint of urgency, and his footsteps were slightly hurried.
Feng Cheng stopped fiddling with his tools, straightened up, and dusted himself off.
He looked at Qin Xuemei, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and asked gently.
"What's wrong, Comrade Xuemei?"
"So, are you and Commander Xia also going down to the dam for the winter?"
Qin Xuemei bit her lower lip slightly, a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
She had actually intended to ask Xia Tian, but Xia Tian's aura was too strong, and she didn't have the courage to speak at all.
"Down the dam?"
Feng Cheng felt as if he had heard an unbelievable joke.
His eyes widened, his face filled with surprise and confusion.
"Comrade Xuemei, are you kidding me?"
Winter is the perfect time to store seeds in the snow. Now that we've gone down to the dam, who will store the seeds in the snow?
"If the seeds are not stored in ice, how can we cultivate seedlings next spring?"
"This is related to the future greening of Saihanba, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."
Feng Cheng's tone was firm and serious, and his eyes revealed his dedication and commitment to the Saihanba project.
"okay, I get it!"
Qin Xuemei nodded gently; Feng Cheng's words were like a ray of light.
It not only illuminated her innermost thoughts, but also strengthened her determination to stay in Bashang.
Seeing Feng Cheng's serious expression, she felt a surge of admiration.