Section 2 - "Fei

Carrying a large backpack and dragging a suitcase, Chen Fei stared blankly on the spot for a while, figured out the electronic map and prepared to leave according to the walking navigation instructions. Just as he lifted his foot, he heard someone shouting.

"Hey, I forged this path—planted these trees. If you want to pass by here, leave behind a toll!"

"Stick 'em up—boys to the left, girls to the right, anyone else just stand still."

"Take this seriously, it's a stick up!"

Then there was a burst of giggling and laughter.

Chen Fei looked in the direction of the voices and saw a row of little heads lined up on the nearby ridge, making faces and sizing him up.

Turns out it was a group of brats playing a prank.

"Ali, Amier, Maowli, you guys are acting up again. There was the sound of a gyroplane just now—who has come?"

A pleasant female voice came over, and those mischievous heads disappeared in the blink of an eye, scattering like mice who had seen a cat.

"Hey! Hello!"

Chen Fei took the initiative to call out loudly.

"Are you... the new teacher?"

A young girl appeared in Chen Fei's vision, with a ponytail slung to one side, standing on the other side of the ridge, graceful.

"No, I'm not a teacher," Chen Fei quickly waved his hands and pointed in the direction indicated by the electronic map, then continued, "I'm heading to the 911 Aircrew Base."

That 911 Aircrew Base, the one he had warned about the double-seated tricycle gyroplane on the public radio channel, was his destination.

"No?"

The girl was clearly disappointed, but she quickly adjusted her mood, looking Chen Fei up and down, and asked, "My name is Shen Fei, Shen with the three drops of water, Fei of grass and fragrance."

In the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area, the most common are the indigenous Patan People or the Ta Ethnic Group, Taimuli People. Visitors from the northeastern direction, like Shen Fei, are a rare sight, even more minority than the minority ethnic groups.

"Hello, I am Chen Fei, Chen from the east, and Fei of right and wrong."

Having traveled thousands of miles to the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area and unexpectedly meeting a fellow countryman, Chen Fei's mood suddenly improved.

At least here, he was no longer alone.

Moreover, both their names shared the phonetic "Fei," which in a way, was also a kind of fate.

"That's right, fellow countryman, I'm happy to meet you, Chen Fei!"

The young girl crossed the ridge, approaching Chen Fei with one deep step followed by a shallow one.

Meeting a fellow countryman brings a welling of tears—there's a sense of kinship that spontaneously arises.

With the surname Chen and name Fei, speaking fluently without stuttering, with proper pronunciation—textbook level—plus black hair, black eyes, yellow skin, she was most likely a fellow countryman.

Chen Fei thought about the mention of "the new teacher" and connected it with those kids who had been pretending to be bandits, so he tentatively asked, "Shen—Miss Shen, are you here... teaching?"

Shen Fei nodded with a sweet smile and said, "That's right, I'm the primary school teacher here. I teach all subjects, and I'm also the principal, the school doctor, the chef, and the nanny. I have to do everything. This isn't a place to chat, come with me!"

She immediately led the way for Chen Fei.

Chen Fei stole a glance at the girl, whose youthfully graceful face bore a few traces of mountain wind and sunlight.

For a young woman to teach in this remote mountain area filled with Patan People and Ta Ethnic Group, sheer impulse and passion alone would not be enough to persevere.

Chen Fei said emotionally, "It really isn't easy at all!"

"There are some things that simply need to be done by someone, right?"

Shen Fei had no complaints and remained very optimistic.

At this moment, the two of them had just crossed the ridge to see a large courtyard enclosed with walls made of concrete and stone.

Several simple buildings served as both classrooms and dormitories.

In the front courtyard, a concrete flooring was laid out, a basketball hoop erected, and two concrete tables for table tennis. In the back garden were patches of thriving green vegetables, with various trees scattered here and there, even a greenhouse, and right next to it, a sheep pen and chicken coop, with bleating and clucking sounds intertwining, creating a sense of peaceful contentment.

The light of civilization shines upon the world, but not every corner is equally bright. There are always some remote places that seem as though time has flowed backward, appearing just like they did over a hundred years ago, as if isolated from the world.

Shen Fei pointed to those carefree, frolicking children and said with satisfaction, "Look, they're here too. I'm not alone."

These lovely children were her motivation to persevere; mischievous and rough as they might be, when it came time for class, they all listened attentively and earnestly, making her efforts worthwhile.

"Apart from those students, you're here alone?"

Chen Fei looked around at the lively farmhouse courtyard.

In this desolate wilderness, the yard was like a paradise on earth.

"Just me!"

Shen Fei nodded affirmatively, then added, "Though it's not very convenient, the locals are all very warm-hearted. Oh right, there's also the Aircrew Base. I often go there to shop; they help me out by picking up some things for me. Are you still heading to the Aircrew Base? It's about to get dark, and the road might be dangerous. There are wolves and bandits. How about you stay here for the night, and I'll have a student take you there tomorrow?"

"Wolves? Bandits?"

Chen Fei's eyes widened involuntarily. How could these students and a female teacher stand a chance against such ruthless villains?

Shen Fei stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Don't worry, there's nothing valuable here, bandits don't come, and they don't rob schools. As for the wolves, the locals hunt them regularly, throwing the carcasses nearby, so wolves dare not approach. Plus, I have a gun, a 95-style replica, second-hand, but it's pretty good."

The 95-style rifle family, with its relatively light recoil, though old, was certainly suitable for a woman's control. With its assured lethality and accuracy, it was more than enough to handle emergencies like bandits and wild beasts.

Shen Fei looked Chen Fei over and said, "Have you made up your mind? I still have a room available!"

"Thank you, but no need, I'm in a rush."

Chen Fei shook his head. Due to delays on the road, he had to report in today; otherwise, the consequences would be severe.

"Alright then!"

Shen Fei didn't insist further but waved to a few little boys running wild in the courtyard.

"Amier, bring my gun, and two magazines, also grab a bag of bread."

"Amier" was one of the brats who had attempted to "verbally rob" Chen Fei earlier.

"Okay, Teacher!"

One of the boys scurried into a room, heels clicking against his backside, and soon emerged, proudly carrying a shiny black 95-style automatic rifle, two filled magazines in his arms, and a plastic bag stuffed full.

Chen Fei's gaze went blank.

Following his look, Shen Fei guessed what surprised Chen Fei and smiled, saying, "Every household here has guns. Firearms and ammunition are essentials for life; kids learn how to handle guns from a young age and know their limits. Don't worry!"

Back in Chen Fei and Shen Fei's hometown, letting an underage child flaunt a lethal weapon in public was unimaginable.

Accepting the 95-style rifle and the magazines from Amier, who had dashed over, Shen Fei handed them to Chen Fei and said, "Take this, consider it a loan from me. It's for self-defense and also a token of trust. You know how to use it, right? Here's the safety, this is the fire selector, and this is the trigger. Remember the safety to avoid accidental discharge. Take the bread for the road; I made it myself, and it tastes quite good."

"I can, I know how to use it, thank you. But what about you?"

Chen Fei quickly took the gun and magazines. Ninety rounds in total should be enough to fend off small bands of bandits or packs of wolves, indeed ensuring personal safety.

"I've got a small revolver and a few grenades."

The kind-hearted local, Shen Fei, shrugged her shoulders.

As the only school within a hundred miles, it was actually very safe. Furthermore, the local customs were fierce; in case of an emergency, they wouldn't stand idly by.

The 95-style rifle from the Aircrew Base wasn't just for self-protection; it was also a memento. Seeing it was like seeing her homeland, or else why would there be a little fish carved from peach wood hanging on the barrel?

The locals had plenty of decrepit AKs, none original. Over the decades, internal stress had released, and the gun bodies had deformed. They were mostly various unbranded homemade copies, and due to low manufacturing requirements, these old rifles had incredible durability.

Regarding sentimentality, almost no one crafted precise replicas, and this one with a peach wood fish tied to the front sight was absolutely unique.

Locals knew at once to whom the rifle belonged.

"Thank you, Teacher Shen, I'll return the gun to you as soon as possible."

Chen Fei thanked her again.

To lend him a self-defense rifle upon their first meeting was a favor he would remember.