Traveling through an ancient military camp: Bao'er's survival song

The commotion outside continued, and Granny Li had already run out to plead for them. But no matter what they did, they couldn't stop the two soldiers who came to take him away. A moment later, the two soldiers lifted the curtain and came in: "Li Baobao? Stop your damn sissy nonsense! If you're afraid of going to the battlefield, why did you become a recruit! Get up right now, or I'll throw you in jail if you dare to desert!"

Li Baobao's mother followed closely behind, pleading with the two soldiers and even giving them some money before they agreed to give her a moment to prepare.

"Little Bao, do you remember how your mother taught you to handle your period?"

"mother……"

“Although you haven’t had your period yet, it will come eventually. You’re sixteen now, so if you get your period in the army camp, don’t panic. There’s a menstrual belt that I’ve prepared for you in your bundle. If you start bleeding, don’t be afraid. Just fill the belt with ashes or wood ash, and it will be fine in three to five days. Luckily, you’re going to be a cook, so we’ll stay for a year. After a year, whether you find your older brother or not, you must come back, understand?” Li Baobao’s mother handed the bundle to Li Bao’er and gave her many more instructions before leading her out of the house.

Unable to escape the military camp, Li Bao'er was on the verge of tears.

She walked along the path of the recruits, eating either choking dry rations or coarse grain porridge that choked her throat.

Li Bao'er desperately wanted to escape.

But she dared not.

She knew that even if she managed to escape, she would have to hide in the wilderness under an assumed name. Along the way, the leader kept scaring the new recruits with the consequences of desertion, letting Li Bao'er know that although this was ancient times, there were still complete records of household registration and travel permits. Li Bao'er felt that she was not capable of surviving in the wilderness as an unregistered person for the rest of her life, so she might as well stay in the army camp for a year.

Yes, Li Bao'er just wanted to survive. She had absolutely no ambition whatsoever for a time traveler like herself. Not only did she not know how to make gunpowder, soap, or glass, she also lacked the essential historical knowledge required of a time traveler. She was merely a taciturn test engineer, unable to recite ancient poems or discuss national policies. Her only skill was explaining that 01 is 1, 10 is 2, 11 is 3…

Li Bao'er, who was sleeping on a large communal bed with a group of men, really wanted to bite the corner of her blanket and cry. Why did she have to encounter such a terrible thing as time travel? And why was she always stuck in this cycle of being transported back and forth?!

As a modern female STEM student surrounded by technology, she couldn't understand those kids who fantasized about time travel: what's wrong with the new era that our ancestors sacrificed their lives for?

Thinking of the soft Simmons mattress in her bedroom, the braised pork and boiled fish, and the fragrant bathroom where she could take a shower every day, Li Bao'er finally couldn't hold back her tears and they fell.

Life is indeed one hardship after another. Now in dire straits, Li Bao'er's only wish is that she not run into that general who was trying to kill her again, and that she can just live a peaceful year in the military camp.

The recruits finally arrived at their destination. Li Bao'er was assigned to the cooks' group, and her mentor was an old man surnamed Zhang, who was in his fifties or sixties. Although this old man was a squad leader, he only had three soldiers under his command, so when Li Bao'er arrived, she became the fifth soldier in the group.

Although they were in the cooks' group, the food in the military camp was basically a porridge made of dry rations and water, with some wild vegetables. Every other day, they would stew a pot of boiled meat with a gamey smell. It was basically not a skill-intensive meal.

Li Bao'er, this newbie, usually does mostly chopping wood, starting fires, washing dishes and basins.

However, there were indeed advantages to Li Bao'er being assigned to the cooks' group. She no longer had to sleep in a large dormitory with a dozen or twenty men. The five cooks had their own rooms. Although they were still sleeping in a dormitory, at least it had evolved into a smaller dormitory, right? The snoring and sweat of four men were less impactful than the snoring and sweat of twenty or more men.

Li Bao'er was filled with hope again, thinking only of diligently chopping wood and being a good younger brother, and then getting out of there as soon as possible after a year.