HLnovel Chapter 501 Spring Ploughing
Chapter 501 Spring Ploughing
After more than two months of arduous pursuit, both the Fu family army and the Northern Yuan soldiers were already exhausted, and their physical and mental strength were about to reach their limits.
In the boundless desert, the flying yellow sand ravages people's sight.
The Fu family army pursued the traces of the Northern Yuan army again and again, but each time they could only watch the enemy disappear in the vast sea of sand.
The soldiers were exhausted from the day-to-day carpet search. Just when everyone felt hopeless,
Suddenly, the scouts in charge of the investigation came at full speed and brought exciting news:
"Report to the general! An oasis was found thirty miles away!"
This good news was like a long-awaited rain after a long drought, instantly igniting the morale of the Fu family army vanguard.
The soldiers cheered excitedly, and the excitement surged like a tide.
Without waiting for Fu Huaian to give an order, they could not wait to spur their horses and gallop forward.
A distance of thirty miles is nothing to a well-trained cavalryman.
The sound of horse hooves resounded through the sky, raising clouds of dust.
Not long after, a vibrant and green oasis appeared before everyone's eyes, seemingly unreal.
The crystal clear lake water sparkles charmingly under the sunlight, and the lush green grass on the shore sways in the wind.
The extremely thirsty war horses smelled the scent of water, they neighed and rushed to the lake impatiently.
However, the battle-hardened Fu Huaian remained vigilant.
He knew that this road was full of traps and dangers, although the scene before him looked beautiful and peaceful.
But no one can guarantee whether there is a fatal crisis hidden in it.
Fu Huaian dismounted and approached the oasis cautiously, carefully checking everything around him.
He squatted down, gently stroked the tender green grass, and observed the subtle changes in the grass;
Then he went to the lake again, scooped up a pool of clear water, sniffed it, and carefully checked whether there was anything unusual in the water.
Fortunately, after a careful inspection, nothing suspicious was found this time.
Whether it was the sparkling lake water or the green grass that was regaining vitality, everything seemed so normal, with no signs of being poisoned or ambushed.
This time, there were no soldiers to stop the horses. They just lowered their noble heads and drank the crystal clear lake water to their heart's content.
The same was true for the soldiers. If the weather had not been a little chilly at this moment, they would have been unable to hold back and would have plunged into the lake to take a cold shower.
Fu Huaian also raised his head from the river and wiped the cold water off his cheeks.
Then his gaze turned to the lake.
At this time, the sun sets, and the sunset glow dyes the entire lake red like blood, which is beautiful.
Fu Huaian was also moved, and couldn't help but sigh: "The smoke is rising straight up in the desert, the sun is setting over the long river, Li Bai is sincere and never deceives me!"
But at this moment, an inappropriate voice suddenly came from the side:
"Oh, my young master, how come you still have the energy to compose poetry at this time?
If we don't find the remaining large forces of Ben Yali, the compressed biscuits we carry will not last for too long.
Should we consider turning back first?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly waking Fu Huaian up.
Indeed, since they set out on the journey to pursue Ben Yari, they have experienced countless guerrilla battles, large and small.
Although the enemy's number far exceeded theirs, they were able to break free from the enemy's encirclement each time and escape danger time and time again thanks to their advantages such as agility and strange tactics.
Although there were casualties on their side, as there is no way war is without casualties, the Northern Yuan army suffered even greater losses.
But now, the reality is that they are facing a dilemma. Food and grass are about to run out. If they cannot find the supply team in the rear or the movements of the Northern Yuan army as soon as possible, they can only go back.
At this moment, Fu Huai'an was extremely eager to completely wipe out the Northern Yuan Army in one fell swoop, thereby eliminating the long-standing hidden dangers in the northern border and returning peace to the people living on the border.
He knew very well that if the elite cavalry led by Ben Yali and Tai Alu were not wiped out, the Northern Yuan Dynasty would be able to take advantage of the chaotic situation in Guanzhong and invade, and the consequences would be disastrous.
However, the reality is often not smooth sailing.
No matter how unwilling Fu Huaian was, he knew that he couldn't act rashly on impulse.
Because his father often warned him: "As a military commander, you must not be young and impetuous.
The most taboo thing is to take the risk of tens of thousands of soldiers' lives."
If they continue to be so radical, they will most likely fall into Benyari's trap, resulting in the army being isolated and deep in the enemy's territory, and eventually being caught in a dangerous situation surrounded by enemies on all sides.
At this moment, several captains rushed to speak out:
"Major General, we must retreat! Although the compressed dry food we have in stock can still last for a while, we should also find a way to replenish the food as soon as possible.
After all, only by ensuring sufficient food and grass can we stabilize the morale of the army!"
Hearing this, Fu Huai'an felt his heart tighten and asked quickly:
"According to the current situation, how many days will these compressed dry rations last us?"
“This is really hard to say.
You have to know that this compressed dry food is very different from other dry food!
Its ability to resist hunger is beyond imagination.
Nowadays, as long as the soldiers are not that hungry, they can just eat as little as possible.
Moreover, if you soak this thing in hot water before eating it, its volume will expand many times, and a few bites will fill you up.”
Another captain beside him also quickly echoed:
"That's right, Major General! Sometimes when soldiers are hungry during a march, they just take a small bite and hold it in their mouths, which can last for a long time.
So if we continue to eat frugally like this, we can at least hold on for another ten days without any problem."
Hearing this, Fu Huai'an couldn't help but ask in surprise: "How can you hold on for so long?"
His eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe it. "Just relying on the compressed dry food we brought with us last time?"
The captain nodded vigorously and answered affirmatively: "That's right!"
At this moment, Fu Huaian suddenly realized more clearly and deeply that
Perhaps the greatest credit for the successive victories in this Northern Expedition should really go to Mr. Shen and his daughter.
In his eyes, perhaps people like this are the ones who are truly capable.
At the same time, in Shuntian Prefecture, whether in the court or among the people,
Duke Fu and Junior General Fu pursued the enemy into the vast desert and the news that they had lost contact long ago has spread.
According to the news sent back from the northern border, we only know that two months ago, the father and son of the Fu family each led 10,000 cavalrymen to pursue the remaining troops of Tai Alu and Ben Yali who had fled.
After that, there was no news about the two men anymore. The most recent news was only about how many cattle and sheep Zhou Sheng and the rest of the Fu family army had seized, and how many Northern Yuan soldiers had been captured, while they were temporarily in Buir Lake.
But even a fool knows that the desert is uninhabited, there are no supplies, no water, and only yellow sand everywhere. Once you enter and get lost in it, you will probably be doomed.
And Tangjia Village.
It's the beginning of spring. Before spring ploughing, people have to plow the wasteland deeply and uproot the weeds that have grown after the earth has revived.
Large tracts of land have been left uncultivated again, and the smoke in the air makes people cough.
Shen Youyou wears a mask even when she is indoors recently.
And I would rather not go out than go out if I can.
The little kids, on the other hand, can’t be kept confined once the weather gets warmer, and they run around having fun after school every day.
"Lulu, run slower and watch your step."
"I understand, mother!"
Li Jingshu could only shake his head helplessly as he watched his son disappear again.
Unable to control his son, he could only control his daughter: "Hey, today the village started using the new tap water to irrigate the fields. Many people went to watch the fun. Don't you want to go and have a look?"
After this period of time, the boys from the Nine Tribes and the boys from Tangjia Village have installed many plastic barrels of tap water in every household in the village, as well as by the river and the wells.
From now on, you no longer need to fetch water to water the fields, just turn on the tap.
However, although the principle of the water system for watering the land is the same as that used at home, it is several times larger.
There is no way around it. After all, using a tiny water pipe or faucet to irrigate the ground will take forever.
Today's big buckets look even bigger than the pressure tanks of later generations, and the diameters of pipes and faucets are made the size of large bowls.
The switch of the bucket head is made into a style similar to the steering wheel on a large ship.
At this time, by the river, the men were turning the wheels of the switches vigorously.
"The water is flowing, the water is flowing!"
"Yes, the current is still strong."
"I don't have to worry about watering the land anymore. That's great."
Even Tang Guangzheng rolled up his sleeves, and it looked like he was going to do the work himself.
He stared at the water as thick as a bowl with his eyes wide open, he was so excited and surprised.
The villagers around were also shocked, as if they saw "tap water" for the first time.
But they have been using running water at home for a long time...
The little kids were even more excited. What kid doesn't like playing in water? They clapped their hands, jumped and screamed.
Following the scream, everyone seemed to wake up from their dream and began to scream and applaud.
They stared at the water outlet without blinking, and couldn't help but follow the flow of water and walk along the canal.
A large group of people in the village followed the canal in groups.
Looking back, many people were holding newly modified shovels and repairing the water channel from time to time.
Where there are openings that are leaking, fill them with some soil and pat them firmly with a shovel.
When I saw new weeds growing on the edge of the canal, I removed them meticulously...