Chapter 132: The Frightened Horse

A horse‑pulled Snow Plow like this can only be found in the north.

Facing the frequent mountain‑and‑road closures, even the Railway Branch has three Snow Plows, two of which were taken to Gongzhuling to clear snow.

Looking at the only remaining Snow Plow, a big horse stands beside it wagging its tail; Lu Cheng thinks it's nowhere near as good as a jeep.

Although the jeep that drove up has all sorts of problems—sudden stalls or unexplained breakdowns—it at least can shield against wind and snow.

This Snow Plow can protect nothing; with night temperatures below minus twenty degrees, we'd freeze to death halfway.

Lu Cheng sighs and unconsciously looks at Tian Shukuan.

"Comrade Tian Shukuan, I think we should stay here for a night, wait until tomorrow to see the situation; if the snow ahead is cleared, we can continue driving the jeep."

Tian Shukuan replies reluctantly, "What if the road is still impassable?"

"Impassable?" Lu Cheng thinks for a moment, "Then we'll take the Snow Plow again."

Tian Shukuan quickly shakes his head, "That won't work; we'd miss the deadline for delivering the data, which would delay production."

Seeing Tian Shukuan clutching his satchel tightly, it must contain the crucial technical maintenance data.

Lu Cheng says helplessly, "But it's midnight, the road's invisible, the weather's freezing—tell me, is the data more important, or life?"

As long as Tian Shukuan voluntarily gives up delivering the data, Lu Cheng can't be blamed for failing the mission.

But he still underestimated Tian Shukuan's resolve.

Tian Shukuan, still holding the satchel, climbs straight into the Snow Plow with a determined expression.

"Of course the data is important. As long as we can get it there and resume production immediately, I'm willing to die on the road. If you won't go, I can go alone."

Lu Cheng freezes for a moment, suddenly at a loss for words.

Indeed, in these times many people willingly sacrifice for the collective good, even fearlessly.

For example, Lei Zhan Ge… and many unsung contributors unknown to others.

Lu Cheng, forced to act, tosses the whip to Da Kui and says to Tian Shukuan, "Wait a moment; we'll go like this, we'll surely freeze to death, so we must prepare some supplies."

Tian Shukuan nods vigorously, pleased.

Lu Cheng shakes his head and then goes to a Railway Division Comrade to request supplies.

He asks for three Military Coats, three pairs of cotton shoes, two blankets, one mattress, one cover, plus necessary dry rations, matches, etc.

This Railway Division isn't affluent; seeing Lu Cheng take away a huge pile, the junior comrade in the warehouse gets very upset.

"Group Leader Lu, you must return them after use."

"Ah, will do, will do, don't worry."

Lu Cheng's verbal promise sounds fine, but he never intended to return them; risking so much, asking for supplies is nothing.

Fortunately, the horse‑pulled Snow Plow is a heavy‑load type; placing the items on the wooden rack, the three of them sit aboard, leaving some space.

Da Kui and Tian Shukuan sit on the laid‑out bedding, curled up inside their Military Coats.

Since we're not driving, relying on the Snow Plow, we probably won't reach the destination until tomorrow night—still an optimistic estimate.

Not daring to waste time, he fits the horse with a harness, Lu Cheng wraps his Military Coat, straps knee guards, then wraps the brim of his dog‑skin hat, exposing only his eyes.

Fully armed, he swings the whip with his gloved right hand, cracking it against the horse's rear; the whine slices the night, and the Snow Plow darts out like an arrow.

None of the three notice, nearly being thrown backward; fortunately Da Kui's footing is steady, reaching out to block Lu Cheng while pulling Tian Shukuan.

After stabilizing his posture, Lu Cheng cracks the whip again, and the horse speeds up.

In this ice‑bound landscape, only the Snow Plow works; Lu Cheng was unskilled at first, but after a while he could drive it fast and steadily.

Fortunately the packed snow reflects, and with a flashlight they don't have to stumble blindly.

It's night now; in daylight they could go even faster.

Perhaps it's Tian Shukuan's first time on such transport; together with Da Kui, the two shout excitedly.

But after less than half an hour, the cold overwhelms them; after inhaling frigid air, both soon wilt, curling on the rear wooden rack, wrapped in blankets, shivering.

"Comrade Tian Shukuan, we've only just set out; if you regret it, we can turn back— the Railway Division dormitory has heating, warm beds, and hot showers, how comfortable!"

"Why endure freezing out here in the dead of night; we might even encounter a Bear Blind and get eaten."

Lu Cheng, while coaxing Tian Shukuan to simply give up, wonders why endure such suffering.

He drives the horse at a much reduced speed; he can't keep it at high speed— it's night, visibility is poor, terrain complex, and a sudden ditch could make braking impossible.

Tian Shukuan clutches his satchel tightly: "I'm not afraid; struggle entails sacrifice. Even if a Bear Blind appears, I can feed myself to it, and you can keep the data and press on without worrying about me."

"As long as the data reaches the Steel Factory, we'll achieve a great victory!"

Lu Cheng is speechless, truly wanting to call him a fool.

Being a Train Police is like that—running north to south, you meet all sorts of people.

But a young person like Tian Shukuan, willing to devote his life to the collective, is still rare.

"Da Kui, is it cold?" Lu Cheng calls out again.

"Cold!"

Niu Da Kui has always spoken plainly; when he says cold, it truly is cold.

Lu Cheng, while urging the horse, encourages, "Hold on a bit longer; when we see a wind‑sheltering Mountain Ridge ahead, we'll rest there."

Tian Shukuan takes over, "I'm not tired; let's not rest. We don't even know if we can make it in time, so we shouldn't waste time."

Lu Cheng glances back, "You're an iron man, you feel no fatigue! But the horse still needs a break; it's not a machine—if we push it to death, we'll just freeze here."

Tian Shukuan forgets the argument; hearing Lu Cheng's words, he says nothing more.

Now urgency helps nothing; a horse isn't a car—it needs water and grass just like a person.

And this horse is collective property; any loss is unacceptable.

About two hours later, Lu Cheng estimates it's around three A. M.; the horse can't keep running.

Fortunately, far ahead a vague dark silhouette looms— surely a forest, perfect for wind shelter.

Lu Cheng gives the whip one final swing, urging the horse to push harder so they can reach the front and rest.

Giddyap!

The horse also seemed to see hope of rest, it flung out its four hooves and galloped wildly across the snow, sending snowflakes flying in all directions behind it.

As the forest drew nearer, just then the horse seemed to be startled by something, suddenly stopping in place, raising its forelegs and letting out a whinny.