Chapter 24: Water, Rubber Soles, Chests and Deputy Regimental Commander

  Ye Haodong was now using the rope made from Liu Hongsheng's pants to tie up *'s neck, dragging the exhausted and bent-over * with bound hands along the way back. The desert had not a breath of wind, and the scorching sun was baking the earth, making the several-hour journey seem like an eternity without water. Aiguli trailed behind, carrying her gun listlessly, like a small tail. All three people were being tormented by the fierce sun to the point of losing their human shape.

  When they had walked halfway, he finally couldn't hold on and fell headfirst into the desert. Ye Haodong was also pulled down by the rope tied to him, and he too had no strength left, the taste of thirst was really unbearable. Ye Haodong turned his head to look at Aiguli, Aiguli's lips were also dry and cracked, Ye Haodong suddenly thought of the idiom "to moisten each other with foam". He wanted to laugh. This guy opened his clothes, relaxed and lay on the scorching sand, waving his hand: "Comrade Xia, take a rest, you can move around freely now."

  It's all like this, and you still don't forget to be poor, just like the people in the capital. Having seen many people from all over the country, Aiguli gave Ye Haodong a white eye and thought to herself.

  After a while, Ye Hao suddenly remembered something and walked to the front, kicking it with his foot to confirm that the guy was indeed dizzy. He then walked quickly for several steps to a sandy hillside in a shaded area, where he used his hands to dig a hole rapidly. When the hole was nearly one meter deep, the water vapor stored under the sand was exposed. He took out a transparent raincoat and unfolded it to cover the top of the hole, placing his rubber-soled shoes in the middle position. Under the scorching sun, the water vapor condensed on the raincoat, and soon many small water droplets had formed on it. The droplets eventually gathered at the lower middle position and dripped into Ye Hao's shoes one by one. In less than half an hour, a shoe-full of water was collected. Ye Hao took off the raincoat, removed his shoes, and held them in front of Aiguli, grinning mischievously: "Drink a mouthful quickly, it's still warm, fresh wonton soup."

  Aygul looked at the miracle he created, and was amazed by Ye Haodong's vast knowledge and calmness. Looking at the water-filled plastic shoe sole, Aygul didn't feel disgusted, but instead felt a little moved, shaking her head: "I'm not thirsty, you drink it."

  Yeh Hao picked up his shoes, took a swig, and laughed: "My shoes may not be smelly, but at least they're not to your taste, little girl. How about you wear your own shoes?"

  Aygul weakly asked: "How are you so energetic? Don't you worry that we won't be able to get back?"

  Ye Haodong waved his hand and shook his head: "Absolutely not, I've calculated my own fate, I still have 70 years of great luck to go through, this is just the beginning, you wait and see, soon the people searching for us will arrive."

  Aiguli looked at him drinking water and asked with some envy: "Your method, can you get water without using the sole of your shoe?" The little girl was so thirsty that she couldn't accept the fact that shoes were used as a cup.

  Ye Haodong looked her up and down, sneering: "I have no choice but the soles of my shoes, you're different, there's something on your body that might be even more useful than shoe soles, and it's guaranteed to be very clean."

  Aiyiguli weakly said: "Where? Apart from the soles of shoes, anything is fine."

  Ye Haodong didn't say a word, his eyes fixed on the little girl's not-so-small chest, that pig-like expression, almost drooling. This guy was trying to distract the little girl, but his appearance really made people dare not compliment him.

  Aiyiguli gave him a glance, understanding his intention. She lightly lifted her clothes, revealing her snow-white belly and back, and put her hands behind her back to unbutton the clasp on her chest, handing over the pendant she was wearing to Ye Haodong. From start to finish, there wasn't a hint of shyness or embarrassment. This made Ye Haodong feel greatly surprised, thinking, Is this still the little girl who would blush when seeing me?

  This guy took the cup that still had the girl's body temperature and fragrance, quickly followed the previous method to make another one. Before long, the two cups of sponge were full of water. Aiguli elegantly took out the cup from the hole, facing her mouth, and squeezed out the water inside. She did this twice in a row, and finally quenched her thirst. The third time she put the cup into the newly dug hole, Aiguli was no longer thirsty. She took out the wet cup, looked at Ye Haodong's thirsty eyes, smiled shyly, didn't say anything, and handed over the cup in her hand. Ye Haodong was instantly petrified, staring motionlessly.

  Aiguli stamped her foot and cursed: "Are you stupid? Can't you tell that's the taste of shoe soles?"

  Ye Haodong finally came back to his senses from being petrified, chuckled and hastily took over the cup cover from the girl, lifted it up against his mouth and squeezed out the water to drink.

  Aiguli watched him finish the water in the thermos, finally feeling a bit embarrassed. Changing the subject, she pointed to the unconscious person on the ground and asked: "What do you plan to do with him? Give him some water?"

  Ye Haodong's eyes slanted sideways as he tilted his head: "No way, if you're thirsty to death, it serves you right. People haven't even had a drink yet, what's the point of reasoning with this beast."

  "Aygeri: 'He's been unconscious all this time, how are we supposed to leave?'"

  "Leave? Where are we going to go? We're lost, silly girl. Let's wait here, I reckon it won't take long for the search planes to arrive. This thing may look worthless to us, but it's a treasure in the government's eyes. They won't give up until they get their hands on it."

  Aiguli muttered: "Then he should be given a mouthful of water."

  Yeh Hao Dong smiled and asked: "If he's dead from thirst, won't you be free from his nonsense?"

  Aiguli shook her head: "It's nothing, he'll wake up and it won't be a big deal, I've managed to catch him with my own hands anyway. You're handing over the gun, aren't you just giving me credit for this?"

  Ye Haodong: "I'm afraid that if the government's army sees me, a suspected fugitive, holding a gun, one of them might get nervous and shoot me dead."

  In the distant sky, the roar of a helicopter started, and Lu Dingjiang, the chief of staff of the division, sat on it and saw at a glance the huge distress signal drawn by Ye Haodong on the sand. "Over there, low-flying, that looks like a distress signal."

  Three days later, Ye Haodong, who was rushed to the hospital in Shiweizi City after 'fainting' on the spot, finally returned home from the hospital.

  Inside the team headquarters of the cotton mill prison camp. At night.

  He Ruqiu looked at Ye Haodong's wronged face and scolded with a smile: "You little rascal is undisciplined, the master department sent you over to educate you, but it was wrong?"

  Ye Haodong: "Education is not wrong, it's just that Vice Principal is too lazy to think of an excuse. Even Xiaoyi Guli didn't faint, how could I, a grown man, faint and need emergency treatment?"

  Luo Sibao: "Ye Haodong, although you are a prisoner and the object of our surveillance and reform, from the moment I met you until now, I...I...I have to say that I really admire you!"

  Ye Haodong was amused by his silly mouth and frankness, bursting into laughter: "Got it, Comrade Luo Gan, you'd better save that mouth of yours for shouting slogans, you're not fluent in sentimental talk."

  Lin Xiangwu walked over and patted Ye Haodong's shoulder, saying in a nearly tone: "You've worked hard, Ye Haodong."

  Li De Lu and Zhao Er Jie also said some comforting words. Liao Ming Hui, although the direct leader of the miscellaneous group, had the smallest official position. When it was his turn to speak, He Ruo Qiu waved her hand and said: "There's someone who wants to see you alone, so we'll withdraw first. You must pay attention to follow the prison rules, don't talk or move randomly, do you understand?"

  Ye Haodong nodded in agreement, and the others quietly retreated.

  The inner room of the team department was He Ruoxiu's rest room. A middle-aged man with a big school military rank came out and asked directly, "Are you Ye Haodong?"

  Ye Haodong stood up straight, just about to report, when the man waved his hand, indicating that he should relax and not be too formal. Ye Haodong thus very casually plopped himself down in a chair with a fart.

  The principal was somewhat surprised by Ye Haodong's performance, he put his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Xiao Lu says you're a very clever young man, I also think you should be number two, but now how do I look at you, it seems like you're not living up to your name, do you have any grievances?"

  Ye Haodong took a glance at his blue-eyed and big-bearded companion, who was sitting there with an air of nonchalance, and replied straightforwardly: "Yes!"

  The principal heard this and couldn't help but laugh, asking with a grin: "Oh? I really did guess it right, tell me, what do you have to complain about?"

  Ye Haodong said loudly: "The teacher's department is unfair in handling this matter, I didn't get the corresponding reward."

  The principal asked: "Do you know who I am?"

  Ye Haodong: "The renowned Deputy Commander of the Mai Ti Gongjiang, the pillar of the Agricultural Eighth Division, the Uyghur hero who saved Commander Wang's life on the battlefield against bandits. In the entire division, you are the only one with blue eyes and a big beard. You flatter me by saying I'm clever, but I still can't recognize you."

  Ma Ti Gong Jiang La sat down in the chair opposite Ye Hao Dong, smiling and asking: "Then what conditions do you think should be given to you, for you to feel that the handling of things by the Master's department is fair?"

  Ye Haodong shouted loudly: "I want a reduced sentence! The more the better!"

  Ma Ti Gong Jiang didn't pick up where he left off: "The words Xiao Gu Li said, were they all taught by you?"

  Ye Haodong pretended to be stupid: "What can I teach her? She's a cadre."

  Ma Ti Gong Jiang burst out laughing: "I still know how many pounds my own daughter weighs, those words she didn't have the level to say, you gave most of the credit to her in order to protect her, don't tell me you little brat didn't think about getting familiar with me?"

  Ye Haodong curled his lip: "You're a bit too blunt, aren't you? Why say it so directly? I'll tell you this, no matter whether you end up helping me or not, I won't regret helping Xiao Guli."

  Ma Ti Gong Jiang seemed nonchalant, but suddenly asked: "Do you like her?"