Chapter 46.1

Perhaps because she had something on her mind, Su Xi had only slept for three hours before waking up.

She turned her head to look at the seven or eight people sleeping fully dressed on the large mat, she rubbed her aching temples and quietly got out of bed.

She opened the door curtain and found that the sun had already set.

Seeing Su Xi, a skinny dark boy who appeared to be around twelve years old, who had been waiting there, ran over to tell her that the water in the barrel under the eaves was clean and usable.

Su Xi thanked the boy, then went back to her room to fetch her toiletries and went to the barrel to scoop out some water for a simple wash.

Taking a bath was out of the question, as the water supply was very tight.

She only brushed her teeth, then used a small amount of water to dampen a towel to quickly wipe her hands and face, and didn’t use any more water from the barrel.

After she had tidied herself up, the boy who had just left came running back, carrying two black buns wrapped in clean leaves and handed them to Su Xi.

Su Xi wasn’t polite and ate the buns. She needed to fill her stomach to have the strength to help more people.

The black buns were coarse and scratched her throat. Su Xi found them a bit difficult to eat, even though, during the toughest times of the past 60 years, she had rarely consumed such coarse food.

However, the situation was special at this moment, and she couldn’t afford to be picky, nor could she care that drinking the water might not be good for her health.

She scooped some water from the barrel with the leaves, took a bite of bun and a sip of water, and managed to finish one bun with great effort.

Perhaps because she ate too quickly, she let out a small burp and then heard the sound of someone swallowing.

Su Xi turned her head and noticed that the boy had somehow squatted beside her, looking at the remaining bun in her hand with a hopeful expression, occasionally swallowing saliva.

“Here, you can have it.” Su Xi handed the remaining black bun to the boy.

At this time, the bun was quite large, bigger than any Su Xi had seen in the future.

After eating one with the water, Su Xi was indeed somewhat full.

The boy seemed surprised that Su Xi would give him the bun. After hesitating, he still didn’t take it. “My mother said that you are our benefactor, and I can’t be greedy.”

Su Xi didn’t expect the boy to say such a thing. She smiled and directly placed the bun into the boy’s hand. “But I’m full now. Wasting food is shameful. Could you help me eat it?”

The boy held the bun, swallowing his saliva, his large, slightly protruding eyes full of longing. “Are you really full?”

Su Xi nodded. “Yes, I just had a big burp.”

As if believing Su Xi’s words, the boy eagerly began to devour the bun.

His expression made one think he was eating some rare delicacy.

Su Xi felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She stopped looking at the boy and looked up at the sky, softly asking, “How is it outside? Has the rescue ended?”

The boy swallowed the bun in his mouth and grinned, showing a set of white teeth. “A lot of soldiers have come. They are very capable. I heard my father say that most of the people buried have been found.”

The boy used the word “found” instead of “rescued.” Su Xi’s long eyelashes fluttered, understanding the deeper meaning behind the boy’s words that he did not yet grasp.

Her throat felt slightly dry, and she stared blankly at the crimson sunset in the sky.

The remnants of the wind gently brushed, and the sunset cast its shadows.

Who could have imagined that amidst such beautiful scenery, there would be a place on earth so devastated?

Su Xi took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks firmly, and then walked out under the boy’s puzzled gaze.

Having rested enough and gathered her emotions, it was time to focus on saving as many people as possible.

—o—o—o—

When Su Xi returned to the temporary medical station, she found that several more batches of medical personnel had arrived during her three-hour rest.

In just a few hours, due to the increase in medical staff and supplies, almost all the injured had received proper treatment.

Watching the busy yet orderly medical staff, her nose began to feel a bit sour again.

At that moment, she truly understood what it meant for one side to be in trouble while the whole world came to support her.

At that moment, she felt how fortunate she was to be born in such a united and friendly country.

Su Xi pinched the peach wine in her pocket, realizing that she might not be able to contribute much here. She decided to go outside to help rescue people trapped under the rubble.

Su Xi walked toward the area where the building collapse was most severe.

Everywhere she passed was a scene of devastation.

The further she went, the heavier her mood became. The only thing to be thankful for was that in those years, buildings made entirely of pure blue bricks were extremely rare.

Skyscrapers were even more impossible, so ninety percent of the homes were built with yellow mud mixed with crushed stones.

This also greatly reduced the number of casualties.

Though the houses were gone and the money was lost, it didn’t matter; as long as they were alive, there was still hope.

Su Xi moved forward, passing through areas that had already been cleared by the rescue teams.

Many local villagers had also spontaneously organized themselves to lend a hand to the soldiers.

Just when Su Xi thought she couldn’t be of much help, she heard shouts coming from a distance.

Su Xi listened carefully and heard many people shouting slogans together: “One, two, three! Pull hard! One, two, three! Pull harder! Don’t let go!”

Using her excellent hearing, Su Xi could even faintly hear the cries of children amidst the noise.

Without thinking of anything else, she rushed towards the direction of the sounds.

A few minutes later, when she arrived at the scene, she found not only the soldiers working together to lift a massive brick wall but also many anxious onlookers in the crowd.

What surprised Su Xi even more was that she saw her fiancé, Xie Zhen, among them.

Xie Zhen was working alongside a dozen soldiers to lift the enormous wall.

They were all straining so hard that their faces were flushed red and veins bulged from their necks.

Su Xi realized that in this era, there were no modern rescue machines as in the future; everything relied on the soldiers’ physical strength.

Looking around, even though everyone wore protective gloves, the bloodstained gloves revealed what these soldiers had endured.

Su Xi, who rarely cried, felt an overwhelming urge to weep as she looked at the scene. At this moment, her throat felt as though it were being choked, causing her deep discomfort.

She climbed over the rubble, disregarding the attempts to stop her, and carefully moved towards Xie Zhen.

Perhaps the numerous voices below calling for Su Xi to come down were too chaotic and distracting for the soldiers working hard.

Xie Zhen furrowed his brows tightly, turned around, and was momentarily surprised to see Su Xi. Then, with a stern face, he said, “What are you doing here? Go back quickly.”

Su Xi understood that her fiancé was worried about her, concerned about the risk of aftershocks following the earthquake.

But how could she leave, especially seeing the man with a scruffy beard, bloodshot eyes, and dry, cracked lips bleeding?

It was clear that he hadn’t rested a moment since starting the mission, which pained Su Xi deeply.

Even though she knew he was shouldering a great mission, she couldn’t bear to leave him at this moment.

Su Xi gritted her teeth and swallowed back her tears.

She couldn’t cry, but she also couldn’t leave. Su Xi buried her head and continued climbing, soon reaching his side.

Despite his disapproval, she pulled out the remaining half-bottle of peach wine from her pocket, opened the cap, and held it to his mouth. “Stop talking and drink this.”

Once the bottle was opened, Xie Zhen smelled the strong aroma of peaches and recognized it as something special. He took a large gulp directly from his fiancée’s hand.

As the wine entered his stomach, his exhausted body, after more than thirty hours of continuous rescue, seemed to rejuvenate almost instantly.

This was a function that the previous peach wine didn’t have. He licked his dry, cracked lips but asked no questions.

Instead, he looked at his equally exhausted comrades, hesitation flashing in his eyes.

Su Xi noticed his concern and, unconcerned about his worries, she took the initiative to speak. “This is medicinal wine made with many precious herbs. It’s a good thing. You should share it with the soldiers later. Just give each of them a sip; there isn’t much.”

Before setting off, she took with her the medicinal wine, Su Xi had already prepared herself that there was a big chance that she would need it. She wasn’t a saint, but she couldn’t just watch these most precious people exhaust their lives.

Anyway, she would firmly claim that the wine contained numerous precious herbs and was extremely rare.

Moreover, since the soldiers would only drink a sip to temporarily restore their energy, their bodies wouldn’t undergo significant changes.

She believed that many experienced traditional Chinese doctors had such capabilities.

Xie Zhen’s eyes briefly showed delight, but he looked at Su Xi with some hesitation—he was still feeling uneasy.

Su Xi smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay, I’m confident.”

After saying this, Su Xi moved to Xie Zhen’s side, took over his position carrying the heavy load, and told him to feed the wine to the young soldiers.

Xie Zhen, trusting in Su Xi’s strength, relaxed and began distributing the peach wine to each soldier.

While Xie Zhen was giving out the wine, Su Xi asked, “If you need to move these brick walls, why don’t you call more people?”

One of the young soldiers who had just drunk the wine and was marveling at the rapid recovery of his strength looked at Su Xi and said, “Sister-in-law, others can’t help. We’ve observed that the bricks in the collapse below are stacked and it was too unstable. If we don’t coordinate well, there’s a high risk of a secondary collapse.”

Su Xi listened to the soldier’s words and began to think.

This was the most prosperous area in Baxin County, so the buildings here were all small brick houses, and people in this era valued solidity.

The bricks were not only solid but also exceptionally thick. Through the thick brick walls, Su Xi could clearly hear the increasingly faint cries of children from below.

Although she had a bad premonition about why only children’s cries could be heard, she knew that people had to be rescued.

In the midst of her thoughts, Xie Zhen had already made sure that each of the soldiers, who were unable to free their hands, had a sip of the peach wine.

One of the young soldiers remarked, “Sister-in-law, this medicinal wine is amazing. I feel full of strength now. We should be able to lift this wall now.”

“Yes, me too. I was so exhausted my legs were trembling, but now I feel strong enough to fight a bull!”

“If you can fight a bull, I could fight a tiger.”

“……”

The soldiers chatted and boasted, their mood lightened after two heavy days.

Thanks to the miraculous medicinal wine, they gained some much-needed vitality.

Xie Zhen took the remaining half-bottle of medicinal wine and stuffed it back into Su Xi’s pocket.

He reached out to take over Su Xi’s position carrying the heavy load.

Su Xi refused, “I’ll do it. You all step back. I can handle it alone.”

Xie Zhen : “…”

The soldiers looked at each other in confusion, wondering if they were imagining things. What did Sister-in-law just say?

Su Xi turned to Xie Zhen and said, “You know my strength. Even if you all work together, you won’t be as stable as I am alone.”

It was like building with blocks—one person could be more stable than many working together.

Xie Zhen still hesitated; the wall was just too large.

Su Xi frowned, “There isn’t time. The children’s voices below are getting weaker. Once I move this largest outer wall, you can quickly get people down to rescue them.”

Xie Zhen knew that Su Xi was right, but dealing with the safety of someone he cared about made even him, who was usually decisive, hesitant.

In reality, he knew the girl’s method was the most correct.

“What are you still hesitating about? Don’t forget, I’m also a soldier,” Su Xi said with a determined look, urging Xie Zhen.

Her words struck him like a hammer in his heart.

Xie Zhen’s expression instantly hardened, and his gaze became sharp. At that moment, Su Xi was not just his fiancée but also a capable soldier in his eyes.

The man’s expression was serious: “Are you confident?”

Su Xi met his gaze firmly and replied, “I guarantee I’ll complete the task.”

Xie Zhen suppressed his worries, “Then go ahead.”

He should trust her; his fiancée was not a delicate flower needing constant protection but a recognized outstanding soldier.

Still, he added one last piece of advice, “Be careful!”

Su Xi chose a position near the road, taking the best spot measured by a soldier who had been dazed by their conversation.

Xie Zhen then assigned additional soldiers. With Su Xi, there were a total of eight positions, each one stationed at an angle around the wall to support Su Xi in case of failure.

He and the remaining soldiers put on their gear and prepared to descend at any moment for the rescue operation.

Although the soldiers couldn’t understand the team leader’s decision, obeying orders was a soldier’s duty.

So, even though the soldiers thought it was absurd to have Sister-in-law lift the wall alone, they still took their designated positions as arranged.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Su Xi—this petite, delicate young girl.

Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she spread her legs, assumed a stable stance, and lifted her delicate white hands.

Using her abdomen to brace against the edge of the wall, she exerted force. The brick wall, which required the combined effort of several men to move, measuring five or six meters in length and three or four meters in width, was slowly lifted in front of everyone’s eyes.

As Su Xi struggled to lift the enormous wall, her face flushed with effort, taking slow, deliberate steps backward, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The onlookers below were stunned and gasped in shock at this astonishing sight.

Su Xi couldn’t afford to think about anything else. While she could bear the weight of the wall, the uneven distribution of the load and the need to maintain balance made it extremely difficult, especially the pressure against her abdomen, which made breathing painful.

She could feel a worried gaze fixed on her—it was Xie Zhen’s. At that moment, she was too exhausted to even spare a glance in his direction.

She couldn’t dare to look up, fearing that if she saw her loved one, she might break down and cry. People became especially vulnerable in front of those they loved.

So, Su Xi kept her head down, biting her lower lip tightly, and with sheer willpower, while the other soldiers helped to support the wall, she moved quickly backward.

The crowd below, though shocked by the scene, still had some individuals start directing the evacuation, clearing a space for Su Xi and the others.

The effort was grueling and painful, especially with the burning sensation in her chest and lungs. The time seemed to stretch endlessly, making every moment feel like an eternity as Su Xi, numb with exhaustion, struggled to maintain her balance and inch backward.

In reality, it was only about a minute, and they finally managed to move the massive brick wall to a cleared area.

After safely lowering the brick wall, Su Xi was completely spent and collapsed onto the ground, her face turning pale instantly.

Xie Zhen’s eyes were red with concern, and he was about to rush over recklessly.

Su Xi shouted at him, “I’m fine. Go down and rescue people. I’m just exhausted.”

Xie Zhen halted a few meters away, relieved to see the color returning to her face. He finally sighed in relief.

“Are you really okay?” the man asked one last time.

Su Xi forced a smile and shook her head to indicate she was fine.

Seeing this, Xie Zhen relaxed and gave her a weak smile in return.

He then abruptly turned around his back to everyone, looking resolute and determined. “Second squad, follow me down to rescue people.”

“Yes!” The soldiers who had been preparing with Xie Zhen swiftly began to climb down.

Once their voices disappeared, Su Xi could no longer hold back and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

This scene nearly made the nearby young soldier shout in alarm. Everyone quickly gathered around Su Xi, ready to call for help.

Still, Su Xi grabbed one of them, shaking her head and signaling silently, “It’s okay, don’t call anyone. Don’t let Xie Zhen worry.”

Su Xi knew she had overexerted herself and injured her lungs. Fortunately, the problem wasn’t severe. She fumbled with trembling hands to retrieve the remaining peach liquor from her pocket.

The young soldier’s eyes were red with worry. The awe he once held for his Sister-in-law was replaced by anxiety.

He took the remaining peach liquor from Su Xi’s pocket, opened the bottle, and handed it to her.

After forcing down a sip, Su Xi felt a bit of relief from the chest pain. She took a few more sips from the bottle, carefully wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and then glanced towards Xie Zhen’s direction.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m much better now, just a bit of internal injury. You should help Xie Zhen. I’ll just rest for a while.”

The soldiers were reluctant to move, wanting to stay by Su Xi’s side.

However, among the onlookers, a few women came forward. One of them, a round-faced woman covered in dust, crouched beside Su Xi and spoke to the soldiers, “You go ahead and help. We’ll watch over her. This girl is so impressive, she must be some kind of strongwoman, right? You all are the benefactors of our Eight New County, so we’ll definitely take good care of her.”

At that moment, an elderly man appeared with a bamboo bed, a simple smile on his face as he waved to the soldiers, “Come, move the girl to the bed and take her to see a doctor. This girl is amazing.”

The soldiers, seeing that Su Xi was still lying on the dusty ground, were eager to help and quickly moved her to the bed, preparing to get her medical attention.

The young soldier who had handed Su Xi the bottle of liquor, after getting her consent, carefully lifted her onto the bamboo bed.

However, Su Xi declined the soldiers’ offer to have her sent away. She could feel her internal organs healing rapidly, and her strength was gradually returning. Although she appeared severely injured, there was no major harm.

She believed that, aside from the effects of the peach liquor, her half-demon constitution played a significant role in her swift recovery.

Su Xi then sent several soldiers to assist Xie Zhen and his team.

After some discussion, two soldiers remained to guard Su Xi while the others went to the site where Xie Zhen and his team were working, keeping a close watch on the situation below.