Chapter 36: Urgent! Rushing into the Military Camp at Midnight  

“Mom…”  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s entire body ached. His consciousness was hazy, caught in a dazed state between sleep and wakefulness.  

He could only lie weakly on Jiang Rou’s back.  

His frail body bounced slightly with every hurried step Jiang Rou took.  

Faintly…  

He seemed to feel his mother’s presence.  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s mother had been labeled as a madwoman by everyone due to the torment she had suffered.  

But even madwomen had moments of clarity.  

When she was lucid, she would look at Zhou Xiaochuan with eyes full of love, gently caress his cheek, and softly call his name: “Chuan’er, Chuan’er…”  

Most of the time, though, she had to bear the responsibilities of a rural woman—working in the fields.  

Back then, Zhou Xiaochuan was still very little, too young even to walk.  

His mother would use a cloth strap to tie him onto her back and carry him along while she worked in the fields.  

Just like now, he would rest against her shoulder…  

When she moved, his small body would jolt up and down with each step…  

It was his mother…  

“Mom…”  

“Mom, I’m so cold…”  

“Mom, it hurts so much…”  

The little wolf cub, who had always been stubborn, gritting his teeth and refusing to make a sound, could no longer endure it in his delirious state.  

At last, a pained whimper escaped from his lips.  

It hurt so much…  

The entire day, he had been enduring the spasms in his stomach, holding back the pain.

This kind of pain was something even an adult might not be able to endure.  

Yet, the little wolf cub had held on for so long.  

Zhou Xiaochuan kept his eyes tightly shut. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye, blending with the rain that the fierce wind swept across his face.  

“Xiaochuan, what did you say?”  

Jiang Rou carried Zhou Xiaochuan on her back, pressing forward without stopping. She was gasping for breath, each intake of air deep and strained.  

The storm showed no signs of letting up.  

The cold wind and icy rain lashed against her body, stinging like sharp needles.  

Amid the blurry chaos, she vaguely heard Zhou Xiaochuan’s voice.  

But the surrounding noise was overwhelming—wind howling, rain pounding, trees rustling—making it impossible for her to hear clearly.  

She called his name a few times but received no response.  

“Xiaochuan, hold on a little longer. We’re almost there, we’ll be there soon.”  

As Jiang Rou spoke, she clenched her teeth tightly.  

If she let go for even a second, she might collapse under Zhou Xiaochuan’s weight.  

After all, the original owner of this body was a delicate, pampered young lady with hardly any strength. The fact that she had carried Zhou Xiaochuan for such a long distance was already nothing short of a miracle.  

As Jiang Rou pushed through with sheer willpower—  

At last, they saw the entrance to the Military Camp.  

“Sister Rou! We’re here! We made it to the Military Camp!”  

Zhao Guifen was the first to cry out in excitement.  

Jiang Rou took a deep breath and adjusted her grip, shifting Zhou Xiaochuan higher on her back to secure him more firmly.  

They hurried forward.  

But as soon as they neared the entrance, they were stopped by the sentries on duty.  

After all, this was a heavily guarded Military Camp, not a place where ordinary civilians could enter as they pleased.  

The sentries stood straight and unmoving in the storm, rifles slung over their shoulders. Without a word, they raised their hands and gestured for Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen to leave.

“Comrades, please step back. This is a Military Camp. Unauthorized entry is not allowed.”

Jiang Rou was still gasping for breath, too exhausted to even speak.

Fortunately, Zhao Guifen was there to help.

“Comrade, it’s me! I am Zhao Guifen, the wife of your Second Regiment Commander, Zhao Guosheng. Look at my face—don’t you recognize me?”

As she spoke, Zhao Guifen shone the flashlight on her own face.

She occasionally visited the Military Camp to deliver meals to Zhao Guosheng. As long as she registered, she was allowed inside, and the sentry had seen her a few times before.

So he immediately recognized her.

Zhao Guifen quickly continued,

“This is Jiang Rou, Comrade Jiang. She is the wife of your Third Regiment Commander, Zhou Chongshan. She just arrived recently. This little one is Regiment Commander Zhou’s son. He is seriously ill and needs a doctor immediately. We had no other choice but to come to the Military Camp in the middle of the night, hoping that Military Doctor Pei could take a look at the child…”

She briefly explained the situation.

The sentry saw Zhou Xiaochuan’s pale face and his expression twisted in pain. Without hesitation, he made a decision.

“Xiao He! Come over here and take over the post. I’ll take these two ladies to the infirmary.”

After arranging the guard duty, the sentry led Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen into the Military Camp. At the same time, he took the unconscious Zhou Xiaochuan from Jiang Rou’s back.

With the weight off her shoulders, Jiang Rou could finally catch her breath.

However, since Zhou Xiaochuan’s condition was still uncertain, the heavy stone weighing on her chest did not ease in the slightest.

…

Inside the Military Camp.

The infirmary.

The infirmary was rather simple and crude, but at least it provided shelter from the wind and rain, and there was a bed for Zhou Xiaochuan to lie on.

The on-duty military doctor’s surname was Pei. He appeared to be around fifty or sixty years old, clearly an experienced doctor.

Upon seeing the situation and listening to Jiang Rou describe the symptoms, Doctor Pei quickly grasped the severity of the illness.

With a serious expression, he measured Zhou Xiaochuan’s temperature and conducted a physical examination.

Jiang Rou did not interrupt him. Instead, she pulled Zhao Guifen outside to the corridor of the infirmary to talk.

“Sister Guifen, thank you for coming with me so late. I need to stay here to take care of Xiaochuan. The other child at home… I’ll have to trouble you to look after them.”

“What are you thanking me for? I’ll head back right now to take care of the child. But you…”

Zhao Guifen glanced up and down at Jiang Rou.

She truly hadn’t expected that such a delicate and frail-looking young woman could carry Zhou Xiaochuan on her back for such a long distance.

Jiang Rou had carefully protected Zhou Xiaochuan, yet she herself looked like a drenched chicken.

Water dripped from her entire body, not a single spot was dry.

Soaked and disheveled, Jiang Rou’s face was pale, making her appear even younger—like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl.

Zhao Guifen felt a pang of heartache just looking at her.

Jiang Rou understood the look in Zhao Guifen’s eyes.

She shook her head and said: “Sister Guifen, I’m fine. I can hold on.”

“Alright then, I’ll head back first. Take care of yourself. Don’t let the little one recover only for the big one to fall ill.”

After a few words of caution, Zhao Guifen braved the heavy rain and left.

Jiang Rou returned to the infirmary once again.

Military Doctor Pei was holding a small medicine vial. With a slight twist of his fingers, there was a crisp snap as he broke the ampoule. Then, he prepared the syringe.

The cold liquid medicine was injected into Zhou Xiaochuan’s arm.

First the injection, then the IV drip.

Military Doctor Pei skillfully handled the medical instruments. When the needle pierced the back of Zhou Xiaochuan’s hand, the unconscious child whimpered in pain.

“Mm…”

“Xiaochuan, don’t be afraid.”

Jiang Rou immediately moved closer, gently holding Zhou Xiaochuan’s other hand, soothing him in a soft voice.

Only after Military Doctor Pei finished his work did Jiang Rou finally ask,

“Doctor, how is my child?”

When Military Doctor Pei heard Jiang Rou’s words, especially the phrase “my child.” his gaze lingered on this disheveled yet frail-looking young woman for a few extra seconds.

Jiang Rou was drenched from head to toe, but her eyes were bright as she looked at him—filled with deep worry and tenderness for the child.

Military Doctor Pei had been a veteran doctor in the Military Unit for years. He had heard countless stories about families and knew the personal affairs of several regiment commanders quite well.

The sentry had mentioned earlier that this was the wife of the Third Regiment Commander, Zhou Chongshan.

Zhou Chongshan, that rough and rugged man—where did he get the good fortune to marry such a kind and capable wife?