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

Li Bao'er's scream woke up the other four members of the cook team. They all got up and surrounded Li Bao'er, asking her with concern what was wrong.

Li Bao'er sat there panting heavily, her mind still filled with the horrific image of herself being stabbed like a hedgehog and the general's ferocious grin. After a while, she came to her senses, but pretended to be fine, saying that she had just had a nightmare and would go for a walk to calm herself down.

Zhang Laoda told Bai Xiaosi to accompany Li Bao'er outside. The military camp was under defense at night, and if Li Bao'er, a new recruit, wandered around outside on her own, she might be accidentally injured by the guards on duty.

Li Bao'er didn't wander around aimlessly. She habitually walked to her usual place where she chopped firewood. Two months of familiarity with the place made her feel safe there. She went to their woodpile, lay down, and stared silently at the cold crescent moon with her hands behind her head.

Bai Xiaosi was still chattering on and on beside him.

Li Bao'er ignored her completely, and she lost all interest in playing the straight man.

Li Bao'er couldn't understand why.

Why do I always run into this general in this vast world?

Why does this general always want to kill me when we have no grudge against each other?

During the day, although the general did not kill her again, Li Bao'er could feel the deep malice emanating from him.

Is it really because the general has a grudge against Wu Peng'en, and because I insulted Wu Peng'en, that the general spared me for once?

Thinking of this, she interrupted the incessant chatter of Bai Xiaosi and asked, "What personal grudges do our general and Grand Tutor Wu have?"

Bai Xiaosi, who was also lying on his back with his hands behind his head, told Li Bao'er about the true and false rumors between the general and Grand Tutor Wu, and finally asked, "What? Was your nightmare related to them?"

“Oh,” Li Bao’er made up a story following Bai Xiaosi’s words, “Well, I dreamt that Grand Tutor Wu wanted to kill me. It was so bizarre. I don’t even know him.”

"Hey, you just cursed Wu Peng'en a few times. Ask around in our camp, who hasn't cursed him? You little bean sprout, you're quite the schemer. Who do you think you are to be remembered by a Grand Tutor? You're just spouting nonsense." After mocking Li Bao'er, Bai Xiaosi asked curiously, "So what did Wu Peng'en look like in your dream? Was he handsome? Rumor has it that Wu Peng'en was so handsome that he could fill a cart with fruit. Hey? But you're quite handsome too, even though you're still a bean sprout now. Once you grow up, you might be able to fill a cart with fruit! At least a winnowing basket with fruit! Hahahahahahaha!"

Li Bao'er didn't answer what Wu Peng'en looked like in the dream. Instead, she asked Bai Xiaosi with great interest, "You also know the phrase 'a cart overflowing with fruit'?"

Bai Xiaosi chuckled twice, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Looking like a scholar, huh? That's what everyone says, you get used to it after hearing it so many times. You know that too?"

"Hmm... I've heard of it."

After that, Li Bao'er didn't want to talk anymore. She stared at the starry sky and repeatedly pondered the grudges between the general and Grand Tutor Wu.

The night in the military camp was cool as water, with autumn insects chirping low and mournful, as if playing their final death song for the insects' lives as winter approached. Li Bao'er rested her hands on her head, gazing at the sky. The night sky, like ink-stained silk, was filled with dazzling starlight, deep and mysterious; the Milky Way, like a silver veil, stretched across the entire firmament, like a mysterious path in this vast universe. This was a beautiful sight unseen in the neon-lit modern city.

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