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Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Rescue 4
So, they just left her like that?
Tong Yao suppressed her doubts. Seeing that the old lady had a large piece of skin ripped off with the bloody wound clotted, which could easily get infected if not treated well, she reminded her, "Old lady, you should go to the disaster relief base too! They have tents and food there."
The old lady shook her head indifferently, saying, "I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t found my little kitty yet, I won’t leave without it."
Finding this strange, Tong Yao couldn’t help but ask, "Old lady, where’s your family?"
Although this earthquake had occurred at night and the disaster was severe, it was unlikely for an entire family to have been affected. Moreover, based on the old lady’s demeanor, she didn’t seem like someone who had lost her entire family.
"The little kitty is my family, I’m trying to find it, aren’t I?"
The old lady muttered and wandered off. Unable to shake a peculiar feeling, Tong Yao could swear the old lady’s expression seemed off when she heard the word ’family’. As Tong Yao’s doubts grew, an old man in his sixties walked up to her, mumbling to himself and seemingly talking to her at the same time.
"She has no family. Thirty years ago, she had a boyfriend whom her parents disapproved of. As a result, the man sneaked into her house with an ax at night and hacked her parents and her siblings. She has remained unmarried since and kept some cats as company, they are her family."
Gazing at the old man, Tong Yao had the impression that his eyes were teary and his voice shaky as if he was heartbroken. She couldn’t help asking, "Old sir, where’s your family?"
The old man chuckled in surprise, "I am an old bachelor. My parents passed away a long time ago. I have no family left." And then he walked away towards the direction where the old lady had gone.
Watching their bent and simple figures diminishing from her sight, Tong Yao seemed to understand something.
"Tong Yao."
When she heard a familiar voice behind her, she turned around to find Gu Hongwei approaching. After several days of non-stop rescue work, he now looked paler. His body was disguised in dirt, except for his relatively clean face, his hands were roughened by work, and his fingers studded with black sores.
However, he still exuded an aura of a sunny and elegant scholar.
Tong Yao raised her brows in confusion, "I thought you are at the disaster relief base?"
Gu Hongwei stopped about a meter from her, and upon ensuring it was indeed her, he heaved a sigh of relief, grateful that he had been mindful enough to double back.
He said, "That nurse named Qian Niannian told us that you had gone to the disaster relief base in search of Si Chen. So we went to Shuitang Town. But along the way, I got worried and decided to come back to check. I didn’t expect you to be still here."
At first, he didn’t doubt Qian Niannian’s words, but on the way, when Niu Gang mentioned Tong Yao and noted how uncharacteristic it was for her to leave without saying anything, Gu Hongwei grew suspicious. Hence, he decided to come back and check, only to find that Tong Yao really hadn’t left.
Whether out of the connection they shared as villagers, the gratitude he owed to her for funding his education, or the responsibility he felt to take care of his companion, he felt obliged to come back to ensure Tong Yao’s safety.
He was glad he did so, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been safe for Tong Yao, a girl alone in this place.
"I wonder why all of you disappeared when I returned from rescuing someone, so Qian Niannian played tricks." Tong Yao put her hands on her waist and grumbled, "You can’t trust that bitch Qian Niannian. She has always been eyeing me with enmity. I didn’t expect her to use such petty tricks even under these circumstances. Once I return, I’ll deal with her."
Over these days, Tong Yao had been calm and diligent. She gave the impression of a quiet and elegant lady. Gu Hongwei was taken aback at her unexpectedly spicy side, as he had never interacted with girls before.
After letting off some steam, Tong Yao dropped her arm and asked, "Are you heading to Shuitang Town now?"
Gu Hongwei nodded, "Yes, Zhou Shi’an and others have gone ahead. If you want to go to the disaster relief base to look for Si Chen, I can accompany you there. Then I’ll head to Shuitang Town."
After giving it some thought, Tong Yao made a swift decision, "I’ll go with you! The area affected by the disaster in Qing City is vast, and there must be multiple temporary disaster relief bases. It’s uncertain whether Si Chen is there or not. Moreover, I came here to help with the relief, not specifically to find him. It’s all good if I bump into him, and it won’t matter if I don’t."
"Alright, let’s set out now." Without wasting any time, upon hearing Tong Yao’s decision, Gu Hongwei led the way to Shuitang Town.
Despite their quick pace, by the time they reached Shuitang Town, night had fallen. It was impossible to distinguish directions by the light of a flashlight.
Having no choice, they spent the night huddled under a half-collapsed wall. The next day, as soon as a faint light appeared in the sky, they set off to find Zhou Shi’an.
To their dismay, Gu Hongwei, who had only covered half the route previously, only knew the general direction and was unfamiliar with the road. They couldn’t find Zhou Shi’an but stumbled upon another village that had been overlooked by others.
The village was nestled by mountains at its back, which collapsed during the earthquake burying many people. Of the roughly thirty households in the village, more than half didn’t make it out in time. Despite the vigorous rescue efforts of the survivors, only about a dozen people were saved. Several others were still trapped.
The rescue work was extremely challenging because they didn’t know where the people were buried.
Upon seeing the situation, both of them immediately joined the rescue efforts. Tong Yao saw some dogs on the side of the road. Suddenly having an idea, she bent down to whisper in the dogs’ ears. Following the lead of the smart furry creatures, they managed to rescue several more people.
*
The day before.
When Yu Shiya and others arrived at the rescue base, they bumped into the medical team who were about to leave for Shuitang Town. It would have been just a simple passing encounter, but then Si Jun spot a familiar figure in the crowd. That person also noticed them and walked out of the team.
"Where are you guys headed?" Si Jun asked.
Si Chen, carrying a medical box on his back, replied, "We are heading to Shuitang Town."
After spending three days in Qing City, Si Chen, like the others, was covered in dirt and dried bloodstains except for his clean face and hands. He looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, indicating he hadn’t rested for days.
They were the first medical team to arrive here and had borne much harsher conditions than those who came after them.
Si Jun nodded thoughtfully. Just as he was about to say something, Yu Shiya beat him to it, abruptly saying, "We should not delay him any longer. Dr. Si, you should set out now."
Si Jun glanced at Yu Shiya, and then, just as Si Chen was about to leave, he blurted out, "Have you seen Tong Yao? She came to Qing City before us with the volunteer rescue team from the city."
The calm Si Chen’s face changed abruptly upon hearing this, he asked, "Where is she now?"
