Years turn into wind

Chapter 224: Going deep into the enemy camp

Under cover of darkness, the squad swiftly crossed the dense mountain forest. Cheng Yuwei kept her flashlight beam extremely low to avoid attracting the enemy's attention. She clutched a simple map, constantly adjusting her direction. The only sounds she could hear were the rustling of leaves and the occasional distant growl of a beast.

"Sister-in-law, if we go any further, we'll be close to the enemy's surveillance area." Zhang Qiang, the soldier in charge of the outpost, turned around and whispered.

Cheng Yuwei paused, pondered for a moment, and then pointed to a stream on the map. "We'll follow the stream. The vegetation here is dense, and the enemy's line of sight will be easily blocked. If you encounter a patrol, immediately hide in the bushes by the stream and avoid being exposed."

Everyone nodded in understanding, and the team continued on their way.

Sudden change in enemy situation

By midnight, the team was less than three kilometers from their target village. Footsteps sounded from the front, and everyone stopped immediately, quickly hiding in the bushes on either side.

Several enemy soldiers with guns walked slowly over. Their steps were unhurried and they obviously did not notice Cheng Yuwei and the others.

"It's too quiet," Cheng Yuwei whispered, "They should just be on routine patrol, but we can't let our guard down."

After the patrol passed, everyone reunited. At this time, Cheng Yuwei discovered that there were faint flames in the direction of the village, which were piles of burning firewood.

"The enemy may have already taken control of the village," Cheng Yuwei frowned, "We have to try a different strategy."

Disguise and infiltrate

Cheng Yuwei opened a small bag she was carrying, which contained a few worn-out coarse cloth clothes and simple farm tools.

"Put these on and hide your weapons. Remember, from now on, we're villagers. If anyone asks, stay calm and say we escaped from a nearby mountain village." As she distributed clothing, she assigned tasks. "Zhang Qiang and I will carry the food bags into the village, and the others will stay outside to provide support. If you notice anything amiss, immediately use matches to signal an alarm."

They quickly changed their clothes, leaving their once neatly dressed outfits in tatters. Cheng Yuwei smeared dust on her face, adding a slightly timid look, looking like a peasant woman fleeing a disaster.

They followed a path along the edge of the village and quietly approached the village entrance. At the entrance stood two enemy soldiers with guns, vigilantly watching everyone who came and went.

Cheng Yuwei pulled Zhang Qiang along, deliberately hunched over, and limped towards the guards. Her face was filled with fear, and she said in a voice tinged with tears, "Sir, please be kind! Our village has burned down, and we have nowhere else to go. We're just looking for some food to save our lives..."

The two enemy soldiers looked at each other, and one of them waved his hand impatiently: "Go, go! Get out of the way!"

Cheng Yuwei pretended to thank him repeatedly and quickly took Zhang Qiang into the village.

Crisis in the village

In the village square, enemy soldiers were cooking over a fire, while several officers sat around chatting. Several wagons laden with supplies were parked nearby, suggesting they were using the village as a temporary base.

Cheng Yuwei looked around and quickly noted the enemy's deployment. Zhang Qiang whispered, "Sister-in-law, our food and fodder are hidden in those carriages."

"Don't be impatient." Cheng Yuwei lowered her voice, "There are too many of them. If we act now, we will die."

She led Zhang Qiang slowly toward the village granary. The guards were more lax than expected, and the enemy soldiers didn't seem to take the "fleeing villagers" seriously.

Cheng Yuwei suddenly had an idea and pretended to fall down at the door of the granary, wailing: "Ouch, I twisted my ankle!"

The enemy soldiers guarding the granary came over after hearing the noise, their faces filled with disgust: "What are you doing? Get away!"

Zhang Qiang took the opportunity to help Cheng Yuwei up and quietly put a piece of cloth behind the enemy soldier for marking. Cheng Yuwei pretended to be panicked and nodded repeatedly: "I won't dare to do it again, I won't dare to do it again!"

Escape and preparation

Cheng Yuwei and Zhang Qiang successfully left the village and drew a simple map of the village's defenses. When they returned to the rendezvous point, the other team members had been waiting for a long time.

"Sister-in-law, how are you?"

"We've found the food, but there are too many enemies. We can't just rob them." Cheng Yuwei pointed to the mark on the map. "There's a clear break in their guard tonight. We can take advantage of this opportunity to sneak in and quietly remove some of the supplies from the food carts."

"But if the enemy finds out that the food has been stolen, they will definitely chase us," Zhang Qiang said worriedly.

Cheng Yuwei's eyes were firm. "We will split into two groups. The main force will move ahead, leaving a small number of people behind to distract the enemy. After they lose us, we will circle back and reunite with the other troops."

Everyone understood that this plan was fraught with risks, but there was no better alternative.

The action begins

Late at night, the team sneaked into the village quietly and took away several bags of urgently needed food and medicine from the grain cart as planned.

Just as they were about to evacuate, an accident happened.

"Stop! Who's there?"

An enemy soldier approached with a torch and spotted Cheng Yuwei and the others as they were about to leave. He shouted loudly, attracting the attention of the surrounding enemy soldiers.

"Retreat quickly!" Cheng Yuwei commanded the team members while quickly throwing the burning torch in another direction, trying to confuse the enemy's vision.

The enemy reacted quickly and began searching everywhere. Cheng Yuwei led the team to nimbly shuttle through the alleys of the village, using their familiarity with the terrain to repeatedly shake off the pursuit.

Finally, the squad successfully broke out of the village and returned to the mountains. The pursuers behind them gradually dispersed, and the dawn light rose quietly.

Cheng Yuwei sat on the ground and gasped for breath, looking at the food and fodder she brought back, her eyes full of fatigue, but more of relief.

"Sister-in-law, you are a miracle." Zhang Qiang said with emotion.

Cheng Yuwei smiled tiredly: "It's just luck. This time, we won another small step."

But she knew in her heart that this victory was only temporary. The real test was still waiting for them ahead.