Chapter 245: Chapter 242: Crossing the Tidal Flats

The temperature by the sea is at least four or five degrees lower than inland, so the soldiers have to wear coats, but these coats greatly affect their marching speed.

But that’s not the biggest trouble. The big trouble lies in the complex terrain of the coastal mudflats, ditches, and marshes—high in hidden dangers. Also, with the temperature rising, the mudflats have thawed, and the land is now crumbly. Step on it, and you’ll sink into a pit, with mud splashing everywhere.

Ling Chengyan followed the team for the entire morning, and they camped next to a ditch to rest at noon. Some people used their hands to fish, while others found small holes beside the ditch and, using military shovels to dig, they surprisingly discovered small crabs, locally known as dorros.

Another group discovered clams. The clams dug from the mud were covered in sludge, but after washing them, they revealed beautifully patterned shells that felt smooth and somewhat glazed.

The main thing is, these clams are large, many no smaller than the size of the boys’ palms, they’re big and heavy.

“Hey, we’re in for a treat today.” The boys cheered, abandoning the dorros, which were both hard to catch and meaty, and rushed to dig clams.

Geng Wei watched the boys fool around and commented, “Clams are divided by area. This area mainly has these big flower clams. In another area, you might find small white clams. These boys lack experience; they just fiddle with the shells. Actually, where there are big flower clams, there are often oysters. Their taste is also fantastic, just colder. Those with weak stomachs could easily get sick. Hey, if they’re not careful, they’ll be running to the loo.”

Ling Chengyan glanced at him and said, “Is that why you asked them to bring more ginger?”

He spoke dismissively, but actually cared greatly about the soldiers’ health. He’s inherently a good person, sadly cursed with a mouth.

Geng Wei chuckled, “I just mention it, whether they listen or not is up to them.”

Ling Chengyan shook her head and bent down to hook oysters using Geng Wei’s method.

The oysters here are a type of shellfish, sometimes called razor clams. Unlike regular clams with a single siphon, razor clams have two.

The tall Zheng Qianjin almost tossed the freshly washed razor clams aside: “Uh, how come this thing has two legs, it’s scary.”

Geng Wei reached over and grabbed his razor clam: “If it scares you, don’t eat it. Later I’ll find some oysters for you; those are tastier.”

“Geng Wei, how do you know so much? What are oysters? Are they really tasty?…” Zheng Qianjin immediately latched onto Geng Wei, chattering excitedly.

Geng Wei, thoroughly annoyed, shoved him away, saying, “You’ve got to fish for oysters! Trade them with me, no oysters, no oysters for you; they’re not easy to catch.”

Zheng Qianjin eagerly agreed and went off to find oyster holes to fish.

Ling Chengyan gradually learned the knack for fishing oysters, moving the wire hook in and out of the holes a few times and gently pulling out the oyster.

Here the oysters are neglected, all old years of them, dark yellow in color and large in size. The largest is surprisingly half a foot long. After washing the mud off, Ling Chengyan weighed them in her hand, estimating they weighed over twenty grams.

Fishing oysters is still labor-intensive with little yield. After a while, a few people joined Geng Wei to switch to another pursuit. The men took off their shoes, stepped into the water, and followed Geng Wei, wading step by step.

Suddenly, Geng Wei raised his hand: “Stop.”

They obeyed his command to halt, listening to him brief them solemnly, “Oyster shells are razor sharp. When you step down, test first to avoid cutting your feet, or you’ll be hauled off to the hospital. Also, when clawing with your hands, be careful not to get cut. Cuts aren’t just bloody—they contain toxins, causing possible poisoning or infection.”

Everyone agreed, but their expressions showed little genuine worry. After all, how bad can a stationary shell be? More terrifying than a landmine?

But soon after everyone bent down following Geng Wei, someone yelled out. Blood was dripping from his raised finger.

“Ouch, this thing’s really sharp, everyone be careful!”

With this demonstration, everyone’s faces finally showed genuine caution. Nevertheless, some still got cut on hands and feet. Thankfully, with caution, the injuries remained light—just small cuts, avoiding non-combat-related casualties.

After an hour of work, they gained a fruitful harvest and, at lunch, ate an incredibly fresh seafood feast with their portable dry rations.

Ling Chengyan watched carefully, noticing that each mess group added dried ginger when cooking seafood, and some even chewed the cooked ginger, putting her mind at ease.

After an entire day trekking across the mudflats, in the evening, the team left the mudflats and camped in a rare grove.

They left the mudflats because the tide was rising, making it necessary to retreat from the beach to avoid being trapped by the incoming tides.

Moreover, leaving the mudflats reduced the humidity somewhat, making camping on thick dry grass much more comfortable.

Clearing dry grass, they prepared a campfire area and lit a fire.

Ling Chengyan led several people into the grove, passing through the sparse trees to reach a vast, endless expanse of reeds.

Here was a rare premium hunting ground on the plains.

Quickly, Ling Chengyan returned carrying three plump wild rabbits, while others gradually returned with only modest gains of two wild rabbits and a few sparrows.

Cleaning everything onsite, they tossed it into a pot to stew, where Geng Wei mentioned, “Later, I’ll take you guys to catch dorros.”

Zheng Qianjin pouted: “That thing’s really hard to catch, and not that meaty. What’s the point of that effort?”

Geng Wei looked at him with a smile, “When I take you, you won’t need much effort. Plus, the thing isn’t for meat, it’s for the flavor. I’ll teach you a few tricks from old fishermen, yielding tasty and preserving results. You’ll have food until June with no problem.”

Ling Chengyan reminded, “Watch the tides.”

Geng Wei smiled at her, “Don’t worry, we’re not going deeper, just staying on the beach. The water doesn’t rush up fast, we can withdraw with the tide, it’s not dangerous.”

After dinner, they expended all their portable rations, but no one worried about the journey ahead—with such abundant food supplies, what’s there to worry about?

After dinner, many joined Geng Wei for the fun, using torches for illumination instead of their portable flashlights.

Ling Chengyan stayed behind to purify drinking water.

Despite being by the sea, with seemingly infinite water, sea water and coastal mudflat water are mostly saline, far too bitterly salty to drink.

Ling Chengyan discovered this water pond surprisingly while catching wild rabbits. Although the water isn’t sweet, its salinity is low enough to safely purify and boil for drinking.

This allows the existence of trees, reed beds, and abundant wildlife here.

Animals need fresh water resources to survive.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep