Chapter 5: The Stance, Embrace the Ball, Push...

The sun leapt out of the darkness, awakening the silent wasteland, yet it failed to rouse the members of the pioneering team sleeping inside the bright yellow tent.

Mi Tang, returning from training at the neighboring E4 camp, called everyone to get up and begin the land reclamation.

“Officer Mi, isn’t this too early? It’s not even dawn yet,” Corn said, barely able to keep his eyes open. This was far too early!

“Ha—why don’t you open your eyes before talking to me?” Mi Tang laughed at Corn’s grogginess. With his eyes tightly shut, it was no wonder he couldn’t tell the day had broken.

“Hurry up and get up to till the land. I’ll go wake the others.”

Everyone had enjoyed a peaceful sleep, but none had truly rested enough. Still, since Mi Tang had called, no one dared to stay in bed. They fumbled in the dark, dressed with their eyes closed, rubbed their faces, and went outside.

Gu Xiaomai drowsily finished dressing and wanted to wash her face to wake up, only to realize she was no longer the same Gu Xiaomai who had lived in a peaceful and happy era.

Her spirits sank momentarily, but hearing Mi Tang urging everyone outside, she rallied herself and got out of bed. Suddenly, she noticed her body felt much lighter; all the exhaustion and pain from the night before had vanished, even the redness and swelling in her palms had disappeared.

Could it be that a good night’s sleep had restored her body?

Delighted, Gu Xiaomai grabbed a hoe and rake from under the bed, clenched the day’s ration of nutritional supplement between her teeth, and hurried out to meet Jiang Chen’an and Corn.

Seeing Corn’s sluggish demeanor, Gu Xiaomai asked with concern, “Corn, you look like you haven’t fully woken up.”

Corn yawned, “I got too excited last night and slept late.”

Gu Xiaomai couldn’t imagine what had excited him, but she smiled and told him to go to bed earlier tonight.

Today, Jiang Chen’an and Corn assigned Gu Xiaomai to continue breaking up the soil and clearing weeds, then to rake the previously tilled land.

They worked all day, and by noon Gu Xiaomai’s morning vigor had completely faded. When she lifted her hoe to break a large clod of earth, it barely reached her knees.

Exhausted and disheartened, she wiped away a bitter tear. This pioneering work was incredibly hard.

The soil was simply too tough; after an entire day, not much had been turned. The faster teams, filled with robust young men like Zhang Tao’s and Liang Fei’s groups, had barely managed half an acre with their teamwork.

Liang Fei was the “big guy” Corn had mentioned before when they formed teams.

The slower groups, like Gu Xiaomai’s, barely covered half an acre.

At day’s end, Gu Xiaomai collapsed onto her bed, unwilling to move. At first, she could still hear the men outside joking and chatting, but gradually even the voices from Liu Ju and the others in Tent 5 faded away.

After she fell asleep, the rough little bead inside her body once again condensed a millet-sized droplet of liquid, just as it had the previous night, circulating within her and finally entering her bone marrow.

The next day, amid the shouts of training slogans and the constant sharp “pa-pa” sounds from soldiers in the neighboring E4 camp, Gu Xiaomai opened her eyes.

Rested and in good spirits, she stretched luxuriously, realizing that all the fatigue and soreness from yesterday had vanished—she even felt more energetic than the morning before. It was as if she had fully “recharged” overnight!

This did not quite resemble the symptoms of those she had known who suffered from bone marrow extraction or excessive blood loss.

Gu Xiaomai sat on her bed, pondering for a long time but failing to understand what was happening.

All she could conclude was that something strange was going on with her body.

She decided to set the mystery aside for now.

Determined, Gu Xiaomai got up to exercise.

Based on yesterday’s experience, although resting a night restored some of her physical “blood volume,” this recovery was short-lived and depleted by mid-morning.

Perhaps combining this with health-preserving exercises and medicinal diets would be better?

Unfortunately, she lacked any resources for herbal remedies, so maintaining her health through exercise alone was more feasible.

Stepping out of the tent, Gu Xiaomai walked north and began practicing Tai Chi.

The initial movements—raising, embracing the ball, pushing...

If she were to name the health exercise she was most familiar with, it would be the Five Animal Play, which Old Chai next door frequently led her through in childhood.

But now, the Tai Chi she had chosen in university physical education classes suited her better.

It not only nurtured body and mind but also regulated qi and blood flow, promoting circulation.

More importantly, it had a defensive quality, enabling her to protect herself in this unfamiliar place.

Mi Tang returned from E4 camp training and saw Gu Xiaomai practicing Tai Chi.

The military also taught Tai Chi, but for those who regularly dealt with corrupted creatures like him, it was considered weak in actual combat, lacking the decisive force and dominance of a lethal strike.

Especially for someone like him, a strength-type ability user, the benefits from Tai Chi were limited.

He had initially thought that leading the pioneering team would be boring, but after just two days, he had seen one person smoothly performing Tai Chi and another wielding a whip as if it were an extension of their arm.

This pioneering team was truly a gathering of hidden talents—none were ordinary!

When Gu Xiaomai finished her form, Mi Tang turned back to the tents and called everyone to start preparing the land for sowing.

After eight continuous days of land reclamation, amid ongoing cycles of “blood recovery” and “blood loss,” Gu Xiaomai clearly noticed her body’s “blood reservoir” expanding, with greater capacity and endurance.

Unable to distinguish the finer details, she simply told herself her body was improving significantly—and that was enough.

On the ninth day, Mi Tang brought corn seeds to the camp.

“Everyone performed well during the early reclamation phase; most groups have met their targets. I won’t single out the slower groups, but you all need to speed up and finish,” Mi Tang said.

Gu Xiaomai and her two companions knew which team he referred to—their slow progress was evident at a glance.

After so many days, everyone was aware of their situation.

The three silently nodded in agreement to complete the work.

“The first stage of reclamation is complete. Next comes sowing. Our camp is responsible for planting corn.”

After speaking, Mi Tang picked up a purplish-red manual seed planter and handed one to each group.

Curious, Gu Xiaomai touched it. It was metallic, with a color resembling pure copper but feeling different from any copper utensils she had seen.

“This is a manual seed planter for corn. Before use, adjust the screw at the bottom to set the seed depth—about two finger-widths deep. Insert the bottom into the soil, then drop one seed into the top funnel with one hand while lifting the small switch below the handle with the other to plant the seed.”

Mi Tang demonstrated the usage clearly.

“Keep the spacing between seeds and rows about the same as mine. Got it?”

“Got it,” the group replied.

“Once you collect your seeds from me, you can start planting corn. Decide among yourselves who will plant; the rest continue tilling and clearing.”

After finishing his instructions, each team sent representatives to receive seeds.

Gu Xiaomai’s team sent Corn.

Watching Corn’s joyful figure from behind, Gu Xiaomai asked Jiang Chen’an, “Why is he so happy?”

Since Mi Tang mentioned the corn planting, she had noticed Corn’s elevated spirits.

“He’s never seen corn before,” Jiang Chen’an answered, also observing Corn’s back. This was a small wish fulfilled for the boy.

“How could he...” Gu Xiaomai began but stopped herself, deciding it was better not to say too much since she had no memories.

Yet corn, an essential grain, should be common, right?

Why would Corn have never seen it?

Was it his growing environment that prevented him from seeing corn?

Or had corn itself become rare and special, making it impossible for him to encounter?

Lost in thought, Gu Xiaomai watched Corn, who smiled as he carefully cradled a bag of golden corn seeds.

“Officer Mi said this bag contains enough seed for about one acre; any leftovers will be planted in the next plot. If you run out, come get more from him.”

The three headed to the first plot they had cleared—Plot 7.

All cleared plots were numbered by Mi Tang, totaling 33.

Each pioneer had one plot, with Mi Tang himself working five.

All were concentrated in the southwest corner of the wasteland, near the tents.

Corn carefully opened the bag and touched the bright golden corn seeds. “Chen, these corn seeds are really beautiful—just like the walls of our base.”

“There will be more corn in the future,” Jiang Chen’an patted Corn on the shoulder.

“Mm,” Corn replied softly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before standing.

Gu Xiaomai examined the seeds but found nothing unusual—just normal corn seeds.

Yet the two boys’ reactions suggested a deeper story.

Jiang Chen’an and Corn took turns testing the manual planter and, once proficient, left the planting to Gu Xiaomai.

Knowing that the two were helping because of her condition, Gu Xiaomai accepted their kindness without refusal. Clasping her hands in front of her, she beamed, “Thank you both. I will repay your kindness someday.”

Corn grinned, revealing two small tiger-like teeth, and clasped his hands in return. “Little sister, we’ll be waiting.”

Jiang Chen’an, exasperated by their antics, said, “Let’s get to work.”

The two quickly dispersed, with Corn following Jiang Chen’an to Plot 18, the third plot they had cleared, to finish the remaining tasks.

Gu Xiaomai began planting corn, carrying the manual planter and seeds.

Two days later, all 33 plots were planted with corn.

With the first phase of reclamation and planting complete, Mi Tang granted the team a day off.

However, no one dared wander far, fearing the appearance of corrupted creatures. Most simply stayed near camp.

Many rested, exhausted from ten consecutive days of hard labor.

After her exercise, Gu Xiaomai returned to the tent, contemplating a major life issue—how to maintain personal hygiene!

She had once been a girl who cared deeply about cleanliness, but life here had forced her into becoming a little grubby.

Each day, she wiped her face with a torn piece of cloth from her clothes dampened with drinking water.

Wan Chuncui and Wei Xiaoqin were similar but had their own small handkerchiefs.

Liu Ju and Meng Xue, reluctant to use their drinking water, scrubbed their faces dry.

After so many days, Gu Xiaomai understood why most people had dirty faces upon first meeting—they simply didn’t wash often.

She herself felt itchy all over, and her hair was oily when she ran her fingers through it.

She longed to bathe, change into clean clothes, and make herself completely clean again!

Yet in all these days, she hadn’t seen anyone washing their hair, bathing, or cleaning clothes.

Didn’t these people feel itchy?

Didn’t they find their clothes smelled bad after wearing them so long?