36: I can endure this kind of hardship.

"Alright, alright."

Grandma Xiao nodded.

Lu Jing, called upon by Regiment Commander Wang, also nodded. He stood up and followed Regiment Commander Wang outside.

"Niannian, keep the remaining chickens and rabbits. Your Aunt will ask your Uncle to make two cages for them, so you can raise them."

In those days, every family was reluctant to eat meat every meal. Now with so many chickens and rabbits, Godmother and Niece could have a meat feast from time to time.

"Aunt, you all take half of these chickens and rabbits back later," Xiao Niannian said.

Hearing Xiao Niannian's words, Cheng Yu quickly waved her hand in refusal.

"That won't do. You caught all these. We've eaten today, we can't take any more."

"Aunt, my brothers and I caught these together. They put in much more effort than I did."

"Niannian, keep them for Godmother and yourselves to eat. You all need to nourish your bodies more."

Cheng Yu looked at Godmother Grandma Xiao and Xiao Niannian's thin figures, feeling deeply pained. With so many Wild Rabbits and Wild Chickens now, perhaps they could improve their health a bit.

"Aunt, please listen to me. Take half of these back with you."

"Yes, listen to Niannian."

Grandma Xiao also said with a smile.

"Aunt, I'll take my brothers to the mountains again tomorrow to catch more."

Cheng Yu couldn't argue, so she had to agree.

She sighed inwardly, Grandma Xiao and Niannian were both kind and generous people. In the future, she and Old Wang must take good care of Grandma Xiao and Niannian.

Cheng Yu then remembered Xiao Niannian's enlistment.

"Your Uncle said you're enlisting. Are you going to the Cultural Troupe?"

Cheng Yu had always thought Xiao Niannian was going to the Cultural Troupe. The female soldiers in the Cultural Troupe had good benefits. After a few years, they might even be recommended for promotion or go to university.

"No, I'm going to the field unit."

What?

This child Niannian isn't going to the Cultural Troupe, but to the field unit?

"That's too tough."

Old Wang came from a field unit, and it had been so tough for him these past twenty years. Could a gentle child like Niannian endure such hardship in a field unit?

"Niannian, it's really hard. Why don't you stay in the Cultural Troupe? Let your Uncle try to find a way for you..."

Normally, Cheng Yu was never willing to pull strings. But Xiao Niannian was different; she was her Niece now, and since she had no daughter, she treated her like her own. She had received a call from Old Wang before, saying that Niannian and the others had arrived. She had even thought about finding Niannian a job at the school. If Niannian wanted to teach, she would also find a way to arrange it for her.

Old Wang said Niannian wanted to enlist, and she had always thought it was for the Cultural Troupe. She specifically brought it up today, originally thinking of asking her good sisters in the Family Courtyard to help Niannian with special training. If Niannian liked to sing, she would teach her singing, or dancing. She thought Niannian was a smart child and would definitely learn quickly.

But she never expected Niannian to go to a field unit, just like Old Wang and the others. How exhausting would that training be?

"Aunt, don't worry. I know it will be tough, but I will persevere. I can endure such hardship."

Hearing Xiao Niannian's words and seeing her determined eyes, Cheng Yu nodded.

"Then Aunt will look forward to it."

A while later, Regiment Commander Wang and Lu Jing killed the rabbits and Wild Chickens, plucked their feathers, and walked in carrying two of them.

Wang Jiang and Wang He also ran in behind them.

"Come, come, Godmother, I'll make these rabbits and Wild Chickens spicy, and add some side dishes..."

"Grandma, I'll do it," Lu Jing said, walking towards the kitchen.

Soon, the sound of chopping meat echoed.

Xiao Niannian felt that Lu Jing seemed to treat Grandma a little differently. Perhaps it was because of his Adoptive Father that Lu Jing was so good to Grandma.

Thinking of the clothes Grandma made for Lu Jing. Grandma's craftsmanship was truly excellent, and she cut them very quickly, able to make them in two or three days.

In the morning, Xiao Niannian was still sleeping when she heard shouts from outside.

"Sister."

"Sister, are you awake yet?"

"Sister, we're going to the back mountain."

"Sister."

Hearing Wang Jiang and Wang He repeatedly call out "Sister," Xiao Niannian woke up. She opened her door and saw them looking at her with anticipation.

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao He, come eat some pancakes."

"Thank you, Grandma."

Grandma Xiao had already prepared breakfast. Seeing her two God-Grandsons just now, she immediately offered them pancakes. She knew these two children would come early to call her Granddaughter, so she had made their breakfast too.

"I'm going to wash up."

After washing up, Xiao Niannian took the pancakes and led her two younger brothers towards the back mountain.

"Sister, we need to hurry. The children in the courtyard aren't awake yet."

"They don't know where our traps are yet, so we need to go quickly."

Listening to their words, Xiao Niannian hummed in affirmation.

After walking for more than ten minutes, they entered the back mountain and went to the first trap, where they saw a Wild Chicken that had been stunned.

"Sister, there's a Wild Chicken."

"What a big Wild Chicken."

Wang Jiang and Wang He happily ran over. They removed the rope and stones from the Wild Chicken, tied it up, and put it into a sack.

When they reached the second trap, they saw a Wild Rabbit that had fallen into the pit, pressed down by several stones, and also bound by ropes. The rabbit was still struggling.

"Sister, you're amazing."

"Oh my god, Sister, this trap is too good."

Wang Jiang and Wang He felt that the person they admired most was no longer their father, but their older sister, Xiao Niannian.

Their father couldn't use a slingshot to hunt Wild Chickens and Wild Rabbits, nor could he make traps to catch rabbits.

Out of the ten traps, all of them had catches, each weighing three to five jin.

"Sister, I declare you the person I admire the most, most, most."

"Sister, you are also the person I worship the most, most, most."

Hearing their words, Xiao Niannian smiled. Then she heard footsteps, and noticed several people walking towards them, her smile vanished.

She recognized Lu Jing's footsteps.

So early, what were they doing in the mountains?

Lu Jing, with a few people, heard Wang Jiang and Wang He shouting something from afar.

Lu Jing's gaze fell on Xiao Niannian, who was standing nearby.

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao He."

"Uncle Lu."

Hearing these two boys call him 'Uncle,' and recalling how that Gu Nian boy had called him 'Uncle' before, while they all called Xiao Niannian 'Sister' but insisted on calling him 'Uncle,' did he really look that old?

Seeing Lu Jing's expression slightly change, Xiao Niannian narrowed her eyes.

"Uncle Lu, look, these are the traps Sister helped us make! We caught ten Wild Chickens and Wild Rabbits! My sister is so amazing!"

Lu Jing looked at the Wild Chickens and Wild Rabbits they held up, then at the nearby trap.

He walked towards the trap.

"Uncle Lu, we're restoring the trap now, look..."

Xiao Jiang and Xiao He quickly restored the trap to its original state.

Lu Jing looked at the trap. He took out a stone and threw it at the bait.

"Snap."

As soon as the stone hit the bait, it was struck by another stone from the side, falling into the pit. Several ropes immediately bound it tightly, and the branches and other things from above instantly crashed down.