The bark of this tree seems to have been ripped off...

Is it for eating?

Wei Ran didn't find the answer in his heart, even though he already had the accurate answer in his heart.

"Comrades, gather firewood and light a fire! Let's have a good rest here!" Squad Leader Liu, who seemed to have also touched the trunk of the tree, gave the order.

"yes!"

Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa were the first to respond. They worked together to take out the slope tent from the bamboo basket carried by Wei Ran and set it up under the tree.

Not caring about rest, everyone searched in the dark for anything to burn. Squad leader Liu also took out tinder and fire sickle, and then asked Nurse Ji to take out candles.

In the repeated collisions between the fire sickle and the flint, sparks appeared on the tinder. After the sparks were blown away, they struggled to light the tallow candle that was chanted in the copper gourd.

With this rare firelight, Wei Ran was able to see clearly that the bark of the pine tree they selected had indeed been stripped off, and there were even obvious marks of being scraped by a knife on the dry trunk.

Correspondingly, this tree is obviously no longer alive.

"Duh!"

Just as he was looking at the tree with his copper ladle, Squad Leader Liu had already picked up his anti-Japanese sword and chopped it on the trunk.

When the knife went down, the blade got stuck on the tree trunk. When Squad Leader Liu pulled it off, he found that the gap was still wet.

In other words, until the fire is completely burned, the tree cannot be used as firewood.

"Don't let the fire go out"

Squad leader Liu gave instructions and led Wei Ran to another tree not far away, and the others also came over.

This tree is the same as before, most of the bark has been removed. Even if there is still some bark on the top, you may have to climb up to reach it.

After circling the tree, Squad Leader Liu shook his head and walked towards the next tree, followed immediately by Wei Ran and others.

"Squad leader, what are you looking for?" Li Zhuang asked in a low voice.

"Congguang (Songming)"

Monitor Liu explained while walking around the tree and then walked towards the third tree.

This time, when Wei Ran brought up the light of the candle, Squad Leader Liu finally raised his anti-Japanese sword and slashed hard at the base of a dry and incomplete branch on the trunk of the pine tree that had also had its bark stripped off.

Go down.

At the same time, he also explained, "We have a business there of cutting fir trees and cutting pine oil. No matter what kind of thing it is, it can be easily ignited, even if it is wet, it doesn't matter."

As he said that, Squad Leader Liu had already cut off the second knife.

As a small piece of stubble the size of a scallop flew away, the exposed area also showed a brownish-red color under the candlelight.

Bending down to pick up the fallen wood stubble, Squad Leader Liu threw it into the bamboo basket he was carrying behind him.

"Let me do it!"

Before Zhang Erwa finished speaking, he had already snatched away the anti-Japanese sword and chopped it down on the peeled pine tree trunk. Li Zhuang and the little lama were busy picking up the brown-red firewood that flew out one by one.

stand up.

As everyone took turns to chop, pieces of pine seeds rich in oil were collected into bamboo baskets, and many pine branches were also chopped.

"Now we still need something to start the fire. Candles alone are not enough."

As Squad Leader Liu spoke, he had already taken out the cigarette pouch from his waist, unplugged the cigarette holder and pot without thinking, and then chopped the cigarette rod in half with an anti-Japanese sword.

With the help of this kindling material rich in nicotine and tar, the moist pine seeds were finally ignited smoothly, and the tallow candle was blown out by the fire and returned to Nurse Ji.

As more and more pine trees were ignited, more damp pine branches were ignited one by one, and finally a bonfire was lit under the canopy of the pine tree where the camp was set.

After handing over the task of taking care of the bonfire to Nurse Ji, the others returned to the tree where Song Mingzi was found, and continued to take turns wielding their machetes, cutting off the not-so-large crown of the tree, and working together to drag it back.

"Let's eat the belt."

As Squad Leader Liu spoke, he placed a copper gourd filled with water on the bonfire. Then he took an anti-Japanese sword and carefully scraped the cut branches, removing the bark and the layer inside.

The starch-rich fibers are scraped off and collected together, carefully crushed with the handle of a knife and thrown into the pot.

"Are these edible?"

Wei Ran, who was still chewing the piece of leather belt in his mouth, poured the rest of the leather belt into the copper ladle and couldn't help but ask.

“Eatable”

Monitor Liu said matter-of-factly, "During the famine years, my parents and I survived by eating tree bark. If we had a millstone that could grind the bark, it would taste pretty good!"

Gulu...

Wei Ran couldn't help but swallow the saliva that smelled like leather. He was really hungry. This hunger was far different from the hunger he felt when Leningrad was besieged.

At that time, although they still had to eat and drink, they didn't have to travel. But now, in addition to the same lack of food and clothing, they also exercise a lot every day.

In his wild thoughts, the bonfire, which was not that big at first, became more and more prosperous. Enough bark was thrown into the pot, and even Squad Leader Liu threw half a stick of beef jerky from the fire and a pinch of coarse salt into it.

While waiting for his stomach to be filled, Wei Ran took off his soaked leggings and took off his straw sandals. He leaned his wrinkled feet, which had already been soaked and had many wounds, against the bonfire - just like that.

Like everyone else.

"Did you smell it..." Nurse Ji, who was also baking her feet, asked suddenly.

"I smell it," Zhang Erwa answered first, then raised her finger and pointed in the direction, "It's floating over there."

"Let's have a good rest first. Let's go over and take a look tomorrow." Squad Leader Liu said, and at the same time ended the topic from the other side.

"I don't know how long it will take us to get out of this grassland," Nurse Ji started a new topic.

"soon"

Squad Leader Liu said firmly, "Comrades, we will be able to get out soon, and the army will definitely be waiting for us in front! So everyone must grit their teeth and persevere, and must not fail at the last moment!"

"Maybe they are on the other side of this hill." Zhang Erwa said in a joking tone.

"That's good"
Chapter completed!