Year: I planted trees in Saihanba

Dear readers, I really can't take it anymore, so I'm taking another day off today.

Finally, the author reminds everyone to take precautions when going out.

……

The next morning, Saihanba was still not fully awake.

The soft sunlight gently pierced through the thin clouds.

It draped this land in a dreamlike golden veil.

Summer, like any other day, I got up early.

They stretched their limbs in the open space of the old campsite, breathing in the fresh air filled with the fragrance of earth.

Then he strolled leisurely toward the new campsite, intending to go to the canteen for breakfast.

At the same time, Meng Yue also came out of the dugout.

As soon as she looked up, she saw Xia Tian's figure not far away.

In an instant, a surge of heat rushed to her cheeks, and her face flushed uncontrollably.

Her eyes became evasive, and she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to straighten the hem of her clothes.

Summer, as usual, greeted everyone with a gentle smile on her face.

"Good morning, Comrade Meng. Did you sleep well last night?"

When Meng Yue heard the voice, her heart tightened.

His fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes as he stammered in response.

"Good morning, Commander Xia, I... slept quite well."

The voice was so soft it was like a mosquito buzzing, revealing an undisguised unease and nervousness.

The two walked towards the cafeteria side by side.

Throughout the journey, Meng Yue deliberately kept a small distance from Xia Tian.

She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her head slightly lowered, and every now and then she would steal a glance at Xia Tian out of the corner of her eye.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, we got our food and sat down.

Meng Yue's gaze kept drifting uncontrollably towards Xia Tian, ​​who was sitting opposite her.

The morning light streamed through the window and fell on Xia Tian's face, outlining his resolute yet gentle features.

As Meng Yue gazed at the scene, the feelings that had been quietly growing within her intensified under the gentle morning light.

But at that moment, her boyfriend's image appeared in her mind without warning.

Those familiar faces and the heart-fluttering feelings of that summer intertwined and pulled at each other.

It instantly killed her appetite; she mechanically poked at the food in her bowl with her chopsticks, but couldn't get it to her mouth.

After breakfast, everyone went to their respective work stations one after another, just like yesterday.

Summer still took Mengyue to the nursery.

"Comrade Xiao Meng, what's wrong?"

On the way, Xia Tian keenly noticed that Meng Yue's condition was not right.

Out of concern for his comrade, Xia Tian asked a question.

When Meng Yue heard Xia Tian's question, her heart skipped a beat.

He lowered his head in a panic, trying to hide his unusual behavior, and mumbled something.

"No...it's nothing. I probably just woke up a little too early this morning and my head is a bit dizzy."

After saying that, he managed to force a smile.

Xia Tian frowned slightly, her eyes filled with worry.

He stopped, looked at Meng Yue intently, reached out and touched her forehead, and said.

"You don't have a fever. If you're feeling unwell, don't push yourself. Let's go back to camp and rest."

Meng Yue became even more nervous because of Xia Tian's sudden action.

Her cheeks burned, her heart pounded, and she instinctively took a step back, stammering in response.

"I'm really fine, Commander Xia, I can keep working."

The two arrived at the nursery, and Meng Yue tried her best to focus on the work at hand.

But her mind wasn't on it at all; images of Xia Tian and her boyfriend kept flashing through her mind.

The tools in her hands seemed to be out of control, and her movements became sluggish and clumsy.

Xia Tian observed Meng Yue silently from the side. Although he did not ask any further questions, he knew in his heart that Meng Yue must have something on her mind.

……

In the nursery.

Summer and Meng Yue chatted from time to time, but Meng Yue kept getting distracted.

Seeing this, Xia Tian put down his tools, walked to Meng Yue's side, and asked softly.

"Meng Yue, you really don't look well today, what's wrong?"

"We're comrades, so we can talk about anything that's on our minds."

Meng Yue looked up and saw Xia Tian's concerned eyes, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

She opened her mouth, wanting to express her inner turmoil, but the words stuck in her throat.

"Commander Xia, I...I'm really fine. It's just that I've only recently arrived in Saihanba and haven't quite adjusted yet."

Meng Yue avoided Xia Tian's gaze and lowered her head to continue working.

Xia Tian sighed helplessly and didn't ask any more questions, but silently observed Meng Yue's every move.

Soon it was lunchtime, and Xia Tian and Meng Yue sat down to rest on opposite sides.

Summer wanted to show concern for Meng Yue, but she didn't know how.

The work continued into the afternoon, and Meng Yue's condition showed no improvement whatsoever.

While watering the saplings, she accidentally knocked over the bucket, splashing water on herself and her summer shoes.

"I'm sorry, Commander Xia, I..."

Meng Yue apologized hastily, her eyes reddening.

Xia Tian looked at her, her heart filled with heartache.

"Don't panic, Meng Yue, it's nothing serious."

"If you're really not feeling well, then stop working and go rest for a while."

Meng Yue bit her lip and said stubbornly.

"I can do it, Commander Xia. I don't want to delay my work."

Summer had no choice but to take extra care of her and try her best to help her with some of the work.

After finishing work in the evening, Xia Tian and Meng Yue returned to the camp together.

On the way, Xia Tian and Meng Yue walked side by side, the atmosphere somewhat silent.

Meng Yue's mood grew heavier and heavier; she knew that her feelings for Xia Tian had quietly changed.

But she couldn't let go of her boyfriend who lived far away.

"Commander Xia, do you think... it's possible to balance love and work at the same time?"

Meng Yue suddenly asked.

Summer paused for a moment, then thought for a second and said,

"I think it's possible, as long as the two people understand and support each other."

"Just like us, we all came here with ideals for the greening of Saihanba."

"At the same time, I also gained camaraderie among comrades on this land."

"The same goes for love. As long as both parties work towards a common goal, there shouldn't be any conflicts."

Meng Yue felt a mix of emotions as she listened to Xia Tian's words.

She knew Xia Tian was right, but her own situation was so complicated.

Back at the camp, Meng Yue didn't chat with everyone as usual.

Instead, he went straight back to his dugout, lay on his bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Summer lingered at the campsite for a while.

He was also thinking about Meng Yue's behavior today.

He vaguely sensed that Meng Yue seemed to have different feelings for him.

But he was unsure and didn't know how to deal with this potential relationship.

Night fell again, and the Saihanba camp was silent.

Meng Yue tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, her mind constantly intertwining with Xia Tian's words and her boyfriend's image.

She didn't know what to do.

Should she follow her heart's longing for summer, or hold fast to her long-standing relationship with her boyfriend?

Amidst this turmoil and pain, Meng Yue's tears silently streamed down her face, soaking her pillow.

Her future, like this pitch-black night, is full of unknowns.

……

Life on the dam was like a still pond, without a ripple.

Even Wu Yansheng, who was usually very arrogant, was subdued by Xia Tian's tyrannical power.

They gradually restrained themselves.

I just don't know if he's faking it or if he has ulterior motives.

However, Wu Yansheng was indeed cleaning the camp's public areas in a very proper manner.

They didn't do anything else out of the ordinary.

Da Kui still felt uncomfortable about the interaction between Ji Xiurong and the pretty boy Yan Xiangli.

He felt extremely resentful, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Meanwhile, the meteorological station on the dam was almost completed.

Wu Yansheng and his team have almost finished their field investigation.

Everything is ready now, except for the final push.

Once the seedlings from the dam are transported up, we can officially start planting the trees.

Although Xia Tian didn't have much hope for these seedlings at all.

However, he didn't want to dampen the enthusiasm of these college students.

Before Feng Cheng recovered, Xia Tian always took Meng Yue with her to help out at the nursery.

However, he could sense that Meng Yue seemed to be deliberately distancing herself from him.

Although Meng Yue's behavior was no different from usual.

However, Xia Tian still keenly sensed Meng Yue's aloofness towards him.

However, Xia Tian didn't want to ask directly about it, so she just went along with it.

That morning, after breakfast, Xia Tian called out to the group who were about to leave.

"Comrades, after you finish eating, don't rush to leave."

"Let's have a short meeting."

"Alright, comrades."

"You all did a very good job with your tasks."

"According to Comrade Yan Xiangli's observation, there will be a spring rain in a couple of days."

"This is a rare opportunity to plant trees, so please be prepared."

"I received a notification from the Forestry Bureau yesterday."

"They said the saplings will arrive tomorrow, so please be prepared."

"Everyone, take a rest today. Tomorrow we'll get down to planting trees."

Summer turned her attention to the college students.

"Alright, that's all for now. Everyone, you can all go home."

After Xia Tian finished speaking, she left the cafeteria first.

He was going to check on Feng Cheng's recovery.

Taking Meng Yue to work is certainly a sight to behold.

However, Meng Yue was a girl after all, and she was completely incapable of doing tasks like carrying water.

So during this period, all the work of carrying water fell on Xia Tian's shoulders.

In the past, Feng Cheng would always accompany him when fetching water.

Now I'm all alone.

Meng Yue, a girl, initially insisted on going with Xia Tian to fetch water from the water source.

Although the water source is not too far from the nursery, it is definitely not close either.

At first, Meng Yue was able to keep Xia Tian company, albeit reluctantly.

As time went on, even the delicate Meng Yue couldn't take it anymore.

So in the summer, Mengyue was left in the nursery to take care of the seedlings.

He then went to the water source to fetch water by himself.

"Feng Cheng, are you feeling better?"

"Xia, I'm much better now. It wasn't a big deal to begin with!"

"My cheeks still hurt a bit when I chew, but it doesn't stop me from working."

"If you hadn't insisted that I rest, I would have wanted to start working much earlier."

Feng Cheng looked at Xia Tian as she walked in and answered her question with a smile.

"It's good that you've recovered almost completely."

"Okay, you'll come with me to the nursery to work today."

"okay!"

Feng Cheng readily agreed and got up from the kang (a heated brick bed).

"After staying here for a few days, my body feels like it's going to rust."