Chapter 354
She kept her eyes on the face of their proctor, ignoring the heat of the day as the radiant sunlight crept into every corner, bathing the whole world in a warm glow. Lu Xinyi could hear her classmates complaining about the sudden change of plans on their training camp.
There were conflicts in the hotel that they were supposed to stay in. The Silver Leaf decided to drop thirty students of the special class at one of the remote areas near Jiang City to fend for themselves for a week. This would also force them to be creative in planning meals.
“Even though we are camping here in a week, that doesn’t mean wilderness cooking could be difficult. There are so many tools and kitchen gadgets out there to make your cooking experience delightfully easy… and even fun as you prepare a simple gourmet meal trailside on a mountain pass. Even if you run out of food in the middle of nowhere, it’s not the end of the world if you know just a few tips and tricks about wilderness cooking.”
Their proctor adjusted his sun visor cap to protect his eyes from sunlight while watching the students wipe their sweat because of the heat.
“Now, I want all of you to group into five and prepare three meals each day for a week, using any edible items you can find in this wilderness. Each meal will let you earn twenty points so you better take this activity seriously.”
The next words were lost for Lu Xinyi as she wondered what her husband was up to or if he was aware of her whereabouts. When she left the inn, she was still mad at him and her brother for starting a fistfight. Her brother had apologized, but she was still fuming at him at the moment and refused to talk to him.
Her eyes scanned the area around them. The wilderness excited her. She couldn’t wait to take a walk and feel the forest floor beneath her feet.
Thick tree lines on her left sheltered so many small animals with their spreading canopy of green. The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam—damp, too. Even if so many hours have passed after it rained, the soil remained wet—slowly releasing its heady fog.
Outside their cabin, the powerful rays of sun lit everything. The only movement was the occasional birds startling in a tree or a squirrel dashing up a nearby trunk. The sound of running water in the brook had the same hypnotic quality as music.
Lu Xinyi took in all the air her lungs could hold and expel it slowly. These hikes in the forest were like a trip out of her life, a visit to somewhere the measuring of time was done only by the rising and setting of the sun.
“Xin Jiejie, we’re going to be teammates this week.” Tang Lilou appeared beside her with a wide smile gracing on her lips.
Lu Xinyi nodded. The class had been grouped into five with Tang Lilou and Meng Jiao joining her team again. Their other three classmates started to discuss their plans with her ex-best friend while she and Tang Lilou chose to check the area.
“Xin Jiejie, what are we looking for?” Tang Lilou asked as she followed Lu Xinyi at the trail leading to the forest.
“Checking if we could really find something we could eat for a week,” she mumbled, but it was enough for the younger woman to hear. “There should be a river nearby. We’re lucky if we find fish to cook later.”
A minute later, the two arrived at the riverbank. The river had a strength that was reflected in the trees. It continued to flow with confidence. The trees near them stood tall, with trunks reaching into the blue above, light filtering through the leaves like perfect stained glass.
In the heart of the forest, the idle river carried all the debris that fell from above slowly downstream. Large boughs sprouted from the trees and reached into the murky water as if trying to scoop up the swarming fish.
Although the water was deep, one could see the underwater wildlife flourish in the shallow part. Swamp-like vegetation and old, rotting trees crept into the river’s edge and created slimy pools of debris from withered leaves and twigs.
“There are carps here.” Lu Xinyi pointed at the swarming fish at the shallow part where they stood.
“Great! Then maybe we could come up with some dishes using it.” Tang Lilou nodded her head and started to think about different recipes she could remember using the carp as its main ingredient.
While she was deep in her thoughts, Lu Xinyi started picking up dry twigs they could use to build a bonfire later. The proctor brought some cooking utensils and herbs and spices with him, but she hadn’t seen a camp stove they could use.
When they came back from the river, their teammates had already finished and settled to their assigned cabin. They decided to split their group into two. Three of them will find the items and ingredients outside while the other three will prepare and cook the meal. They would switch the task for every meal so each of them would experience the same task.
Lu Xinyi agreed easily, not finding anything suspicious about their plan. This time though, Lu Xinyi missed the way Meng Jiao’s eyes flashed with mischief; and she was left vulnerable. Tang Lilou didn’t miss the way Meng Jiao looked at her cousin.
Meng Jiao, although she didn’t come from a wealthy family, had been pampered by her parents since birth. She’d always choose the best or the most expensive ones. Since when she had stayed in a remote and dirty place like this?
The moment she stepped inside their designated cabin, she couldn’t help but frown. However, since she would be sharing it with her fellow classmates, she suppressed her inner thoughts and followed the rest outside after putting down all of her luggage in her room.
It was time for them to collect ingredients for today’s meals. Tang Lilou decided to stick with her cousin and chose Lu Xinyi as her partner while her brother, Tang Liang, joined Ye Xieren and Surya Rathore’s group.
“Lou Lou, don’t stray far from Xin Jiejie!” Her brother reminded her before leaving with his team. Tang Lilou stuck her tongue out and pulled Lu Xinyi’s arm to start collecting ingredients.
Seeing that her brother had left, the two decided to head up to the mountain together.
“Let’s go, Xin Jiejie.” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Tang Lilou was excited. It was her first time to visit a place like this and felt that it was an experience she couldn’t miss. Whatever that Meng Jiao was planning against her older cousin—she wouldn’t let her hurt her Xin Jiejie!
As the Silver Leaf decided to step up this activity’s complexity, their proctor took cell phones from everybody so they wouldn’t dare reach the search engine to cheat. Every student would, therefore, be required to use their imagination to produce quality meals using available wild ingredients.
For their security, the academy gave them badges with a GPS chip in it. It was to make sure that even if they lost their way, it would be easy for rescuers to spot their locations.
Lu Xinyi did not care about getting most of the goods. She would treat rare moments to explore the local forest. To get a clear grasp of their surroundings, she surveyed the landscape. The weather was good, and the sky was clear; but from what Kang Wei told her before, it could change anytime without notice.
As the two continue to climb the slope, they spot a small stream in the valley.
“Xin Jiejie, do you think we can get some fish for dinner tonight?” Tang Lilou asked.
“Let’s catch some later. We should get something else besides the fish,” Lu Xinyi suggested.
The two were able to find some root crops, edible flowers, and nuts along the way.
“Eh? Are you sure this is edible?” Tang Lilou peeked inside the bag that Lu Xinyi was holding.
“Of course, these are chestnuts we can snack on later.” Lu Xinyi replied and continued picking up edible mushrooms. “Can you also hold these persimmons for me?”
The younger woman nodded and took the extra bag from Lu Xinyi’s hand. Once Lu Xinyi was done picking up mushrooms, both of them headed to the river before going back to their cabin. They were able to catch five large fish for lunch.
Tang Lilou rushed excitedly to the riverbank, failing to notice the slippery rock wherein she walked. She twisted her ankle accidentally and fell on the ground.
“Lou Lou!” Lu Xinyi exclaimed once she saw what happened to her partner. She dropped her bags and kneeled beside Tang Lilou to check her injury.
Tang Lilou bit her lower lip and winced as her cousin removed her shoe revealing her swollen ankle. She refused to cry although her tears start to brim in her eyes.
“What should we do?” she asked worriedly. They would surely be late for preparing lunch, and with her carelessness, she would slow down their progress.
Lu Xinyi helped her to get back on her feet, but Tang Lilou groaned when her injured foot touched the ground. Seeing no other choice to help her partner, Lu Xinyi knelt down in front of Tang Lilou.
“Lou Lou, I’ll carry you.”
Tang Lilou was surprised. She took a good look at Lu Xinyi’s body and doubt if her cousin would be able to carry her weight. She shook her head, refusing to add another burden to her cousin. She was supposed to help her, but she did nothing but to carry their goods and injure herself.
“But Xin Jiejie…”
“It’s alright. We have no choice. If we don’t arrive within thirty minutes, we will lose the first round.”
Tang Lilou didn’t decline any longer and hopped onto Lu Xinyi’s back. Lu Xinyi started to tread back down the mountain with her partner on her back. It took them twenty minutes before they reached their camp.
As expected the other team had already arrived before them and started their preparation for lunch. Meng Jiao and their other teammates already prepared the kitchen utensils and spices they received from their proctor.
“Sister Lu! What happened to Sister Tang? Is she alright?” One of them gasped as they saw Lu Xinyi carrying her partner at her back.
“She’s fine, but her foot got sprained. Can you please ask our proctor for a first aid kit?” Lu Xinyi placed Tang Lilou on a bench near the bonfire their teammates created.
“Ok!” The woman dashed towards their proctor right away.
“Rest here. I’ll go get something for us to drink,” Lu Xinyi told Tang Lilou. She stood up and headed on their cabin, but on her way, she saw two familiar people talking to their proctor. Two men in their military uniform were listening intently on their proctors’ request.
Lu Xinyi recognized both men. Weren’t they the ones who saved her when Gong Yijun assaulted her before her entrance exam started?