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Qiao Zhuang's eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, hurriedly ran to the road and started asking around for Qiao Yu's whereabouts. If they could not find Qiao Yu, the two of them would have a hard time when they returned home.
Sister-in-law, do you think Qiao Yu really stole something from someone else and hid it away?
Jiang Ye asked.
I can't say for sure. In any case, if she didn't do it, why would people talk so much about it? They make it sound like it's real,
Liu Ying said after thinking for a long time.
The two of them made their way to the entrance of the village as they could not find Qiao Yu even after searching the entire village. Both women were so tired that they sat under the tree to rest. They still had to continue the search later and if they did not succeed, they would have to go from house to house to ask.
Sister-in-law, if we still can't find her, we'll get a beating when we get back. What can we do?
Jiang Ye asked anxiously.
Liu Ying was anxious as well. Although she did not hate her third sister-in-law, she was a little annoyed by Jiang Ye's simple-mindedness. Although her second sister-in-law, Wang Qin, was conniving and always scheming against the rest of the family members, Wang Qin was a smart person and easy to talk to. On the other hand, although Jiang Ye was honest, she was so honest that she had become like a fool.
Stop being so noisy! Aren't we looking for her! Even if we really can't find her, Father won't blame us. If she has already run away, who can find her?
Liu Ying frowned and glared at Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye stopped talking and looked around silently, afraid that she would say something that would anger Liu Ying.
Sister-in-law, do you think Qiao Yu is already at home? Or perhaps she's at someone else's house.
Jiang Ye said.
She? She wouldn't dare to go home, but like you said, it's not impossible for her to go to someone else's house. That kid next door has liked Qiao Yu for a long time. Don't tell me she is hiding at his house,
Liu Ying said as she looked at Jiang Ye in shock.
The two of them immediately went to look for Qiao Yu. If she was really at the house of the kid next door, things would get out of hand. It would not sound right if an unmarried girl went to the house of an unmarried man to eat and drink for free. If word got out, all the women in their family would be mocked and ridiculed. This matter must be handled properly.
The fact was that Qiao Yu did not go to anyone's house, but she did not stay idle either. While going to work, she secretly slipped away and went to Qiao Mei's house to wait for Qiao Mei to head out so that she could cause some sort of accident and make Qiao Mei fall or get injured. She thought it best if she could put some scratches on Qiao Mei's face.
Qiao Yu waited there leisurely the entire day but did not manage to do anything and could only go home to find something to eat. Before she could enter the house, she saw her eldest and third sisters-in-law running out in a panic and heard her father cursing in the house. She got so frightened that she turned around and ran away, not daring to go home at all.
Liu Ying and Jiang Ye searched the entire village but could not find Qiao Yu, and they could only go home nervously. As soon as they entered the house, Qiao Zhuang looked at the two of them.
Where is she?
Qiao Zhuang said.
She… Father… We didn't… didn't find her…
Jiang Ye stammered as she stood at the door.
Liu Ying hid behind Jiang Ye and did not dare to make a sound, afraid that she would be implicated if she moved.
Sure enough, just as Jiang Ye had said, Qiao Zhuang picked up the big tea pot beside him and threw it at them.
What's the point of coming back if you can't find her! What's the use of having you around! Useless things! You have mouths to eat but all the food is wasted on you!
Qiao Zhuang pointed at the door and berated them.
Ah!
Ah!
The two of them cowered at the door in fear. They would be faulted if they went out, but if they did not go out, they would get beaten up. It was a dilemma for them. At this moment, the eldest son, Qiao Fu, and the third son, Qiao Wang, did not dare to save their wives. Anything they did at this time would make Qiao Zhuang unhappy. It was quiet in the house and no one dared to do anything as any little noise would attract Qiao Zhuang's attention.
Qiao Yu waited in the mountains behind her house and only returned home quietly in the middle of the night. She pushed the door open a little and saw that there was no light in the house, so she thought that everyone was asleep.
Sigh… Fortunately, they're all asleep…
Qiao Yu was about to close the door softly and return to the west room when the house was suddenly brightly lit with the entire family sitting near the fireplace.
Qiao Yu nervously turned around and stared at the group of people near the fireplace. She was really like a lamb entering a tiger's den and could neither run nor walk away. She could only watch helplessly as Qiao Zhuang walked up to her with a big stick.
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Well? You still know that this is your house?
Qiao Zhuang stood in front of Qiao Yu with a big stick.
Qiao Yu kept retreating until she hit the door and there was nowhere to go. She watched helplessly as her fourth brother, Qiao Liang, and fifth brother, Qiao Gang, walked towards her and pressed her down to bend over the bench. Qiao Zhuang raised his hand and brought the stick down.
Ah! I was wrong, Father!
Qiao Yu screamed.
The other women in the family could not bear to see Qiao Yu get beaten up and they all turned around and closed their eyes.
How dare you go out and say that I didn't give you food!
Qiao Zhuang hit her again.
Ah! I didn't say that! Father, I really didn't say that!
Qiao Yu sobbed and struggled.
Qiao Zhuang did not listen to Qiao Yu's explanation. After a few strikes, Qiao Yu wailed and struggled in pain. It was already past midnight and the village was quiet. Occasionally, there would be miserable yells, but the sounds eventually stopped later.
The next day, everyone was discussing which family had carried out a beating, resulting in such miserable screams in the middle of the night. The person must have been beaten half to death.
These words quickly reached Qiao Mei's ears. It had crossed Qiao Mei's mind that Qiao Yu would get a beating, but she did not expect Qiao Zhuang to be so angry that he actually beat her up so badly. He really did not treat Qiao Yu like his own child. From what she heard, Qiao Yu would not be able to get up for at least a month or two. Qiao Mei did not feel any pity at all and only felt that Qiao Yu deserved it.
Qiao Mei was setting off for Gushan in three days' time. There was still one last step to the cultivation of the wild ginseng, so she had to complete it quickly. It was an important thing to save people and it was best if there were no injuries. However, it was better to be safe than sorry so she still had to be prepared.
Qiao Mei returned to the cave again. The two remaining wild ginsengs from last time had grown quite well and looked good. Through the transmission of energy, Qiao Mei could feel that the two wild ginsengs were very happy to see her. She could already communicate with the plants and they could develop feelings for one another.
Qiao Mei carried on with the energy exchange. This time, she continued with the results from the last time and did another 500 rounds, making it a total of 1,500 rounds. In the end, the two ginsengs could not make it and wilted. Qiao Mei planted the small wild ginsengs she had brought into the ground which still contained the roots of all the wild ginsengs that had gone through the 1,000 rounds previously. After the flowers bloomed and withered for 1,400 rounds, there were still three wild ginsengs left.
Qiao Mei showed an excited expression and counted the three wild ginsengs one by one. She told them,
The three of you should try to make a good showing, work harder and see who can last until the end.
The few wild ginsengs seemed to understand Qiao Mei's words and rushed to grow up to compete with their own wild ginseng brothers.
Qiao Mei did another 30 rounds of energy exchange. One of the wild ginsengs could not make it and disintegrated into ashes to provide nutrients for the other two wild ginsengs.
You two can do it!
Qiao Mei said and did 70 more rounds of exchange.
In the end, only one wild ginseng survived. Qiao Mei looked at the last wild ginseng happily and felt a sense of relief. She took a few ginseng roots and wrapped them in a red cloth. As for this ginseng king, Qiao Mei did not want to wrap it up. It would be too much of a shock if someone found out that there was a 1,500-year-old wild ginseng.
Ever since Qiao Mei began to grow wild ginseng by doing energy exchange, there was always a faint medicinal fragrance on her body. It was not obvious at first, but as she increased the number of times she exchanged energy with wild ginseng every day, the smell on Qiao Mei's body became purer and more obvious. By now, there was basically no smell anymore. The smell was only obvious when she was close by and the fragrance was a very restrained one.
Not only that, but Qiao Mei also realized that she seemed to have obtained the characteristics of wild ginseng and became good at hiding.
People who had picked wild ginseng before would know that they could not be in a hurry to dig it up after discovering it. They had to tie a red string around it first, or else the wild ginseng would escape. If they did not tie a red string around it, it would be very difficult for the picker to discover it. The ginseng would diminish its presence so that no one around it could sense its existence.
These were not the only effects of the wild ginseng. Not only did Qiao Mei emit a strange fragrance and her sense of presence decreased, she also recently discovered that her body felt much better. Initially, she had a sore waist during her pregnancy, but now, her body felt good and she did not feel any discomfort at all.
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Recently, after dinner, Qiao Mei would go to Auntie Dong's house for a chat or follow Auntie Wang to the area under the tree at the village entrance to chat with the other women. After many experiments, she realized that she could indeed hide her sense of presence.
When she ran into Auntie Zhou on the way, Auntie Zhou seemed not to see her and she had to shout twice to get attention. She tested it a few times before confirming that it was effective and felt relieved.
Qiao Mei was playing with a watermelon seed in her courtyard when she suddenly realized that a sharp point had sprouted from the watermelon seed. Qiao Mei looked at the seed in her hand in surprise. She only knew that she could speed up the growth of seeds in the soil, but she did not expect that she was able to directly cause the seed to germinate and grow.
Qiao Mei went to the mountain behind her house and found some vine seeds. After some energy exchange, the vine seeds sprouted in Qiao Mei's hands and grew larger. She could shape them and wave them around at will.
It's so magical!
Qiao Mei exclaimed.
The small vines could be made into all kinds of shapes in Qiao Mei's hands, but she was not so proficient in it and it all felt very unfamiliar. She tried again and again, learning to communicate with the seeds and accurately controlling how much energy to be given. Then, Qiao Mei could turn the vine into a thick whip which freely followed her commands.
Qiao Mei was amazed by the ability of the pendant, but she also began to think about how many other functions there were that she did not know about. After repeated experiments, she realized that the vine whip could only be used once. After one use, she would have to use a new seed. This was probably the only drawback.
I'm a person with magic now, hahaha.
Qiao Mei laughed and looked at the vine in her hand.
When Qiao Mei got home, she started experimenting with shaping the growth of the vines. After all, a small vine was useless and she needed many more vines.
During her free time, Qiao Mei would stay at home and sew clothes. She had not finished making the clothes and school bags that she promised the children the last time. In one day, Qiao Mei made four simple school bags. To put it bluntly, she just sewed up the opening of a cloth bag and attached a long rope and called it a school bag.
She sewed the children's names on each of the bags.
Wei, Chao, Qin, Miao
, the words looked quite presentable. She did not buy a lot of fabric, so she made a dark blue top for each of the children. She then embroidered flowers on the girls' clothes, and images of big trees on the boys' clothes.
After Qiao Mei was done, she brought the things to Li Gui's house. Given that she currently had the ability to hide her breath, Qiao Mei was afraid of scaring Li Gui and started shouting out from afar.
Mom! Are you home!
Qiao Mei yelled.
Aye! Mei Mei! What happened?
Li Gui ran out to welcome Qiao Mei.
Are the children at home?
Qiao Mei looked at the empty courtyard. It did not seem like they were at home. If they were, Zhang Miao would have rushed out upon hearing Qiao Mei's voice and called out to her elder sister with her baby voice.
Oh them. They went to the village entrance to play with the other children. Looking at the time, they should be back soon,
Li Gui said as she looked at the sun.
In the past, people could not afford clocks and watches. They would go out at sunrise and return to rest at sunset, they ate and slept in accordance with the colors of the sky.
Then I'll wait for a while. I brought them gifts,
Qiao Mei said with a smile.
They're still so young and yet they have gifts. You're spoiling them too much,
Li Gui said.
It's fine. The children are obedient anyway.
Qiao Mei crossed her legs and lay on the recliner to bask in the sun.
Qiao Mei had asked Uncle Chen from the village, who knew how to do carpentry work, to make the recliner. It was very leisurely to sit in it and rocked away. She had two recliners made, one was at her house and she left the other one with Li Gui so that they could use it if they wanted to lie in the sun.
Not long after, the sound of children playing around traveled into the courtyard. As soon as they entered the house, they saw Qiao Mei sleeping in the sun on the recliner. The children were energetic a while ago, but now they were like kittens, afraid that they would wake Qiao Mei up.
Actually, Qiao Mei was not sleeping at all. She just wanted to give the children a little scare and add more fun in life. Qiao Mei pretended to breathe steadily as she lay on the recliner.
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The children crept up to Qiao Mei and stuck their heads out to look at her.
Elder sister is so beautiful…
Zhang Miao whispered to Zhang Qin who was beside her.
Shh!
Zhang Chao quickly gestured for Zhang Miao to stop talking.
Zhang Wei was about to cover Qiao Mei with a blanket when Qiao Mei suddenly sat up from the recliner and made a face.
Wa!
Qiao Mei said scarily.
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
The four children jumped back in unison and yelled out in fear. Zhang Wei stood rooted to the ground with the blanket in his hands as he looked at Qiao Mei.
Hahahahaha, you guys are so cute!
Qiao Mei lay back on the chair and laughed loudly. Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin had yet to react when the youngest Zhang Miao started laughing for some reason. The other children also laughed along when they saw Zhang Miao's reaction.
Li Gui looked at the children in the courtyard who were all smiling and full of vigor. She had a gratified smile on her face to finally see the children so happy.
Alright, alright, I won't scare you anymore. Guess what I brought you today?
Qiao Mei deliberately covered the big black cloth bag to prevent the children from seeing what was inside.
It's… it's watermelon!
Zhang Miao raised her hand and said excitedly.
You only know how to eat, fourth sister. I'm guessing it must be the latest sandbag!
Zhang Chao said.
I guess elder sister has got some rice!
Zhang Wei said after some thought.
For a long while, only Zhang Qin did not make a guess on what was in the cloth bag. Zhang Qin was usually introverted. She was a very kind girl but she did not like to talk, therefore she would often be bullied or overlooked by others.
Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Qin and asked,
Qin Qin, what do you think?
Given that Qiao Mei had posed the question to her, Zhang Qin thought for a long time and said,
I… I guess it should be big steamed buns…
You're all wrong! Open it and take a look. Everyone has a share so there is no need to fight.
Qiao Mei handed the cloth bag to Zhang Wei and let the older Zhang Wei do the distribution.
When he opened the bag, he saw four sets of clothes and four cloth bags. The children took them out lovingly and could not bear to put them down. The boys were not so particular, and Zhang Chao immediately put on his new clothes and carried his school bag before running to the water vat to check out his reflection in the water.
Elder sister! It looks so good!
Zhang Chao grinned so widely that his smile almost reached his ears.
Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao only carried their bags and carefully rubbed the names on the bags. Zhang Wei stood at the side and looked at the clothes embroidered with the image of big trees as if it was a treasure.
Elder sister, what is this word?
Zhang Miao asked.
Idiot, didn't elder sister teach you before? That's your name, Miao!
Zhang Chao ran over and said.
I'm not stupid! Stupid brother!
Zhang Miao frowned and shouted at Zhang Chao.
Lalala, come and hit me then!
Zhang Chao ran around the courtyard with Zhang Miao running behind him.
The two children chased each other around, making the courtyard very lively. Among the four children, the eldest child, Zhang Wei, and the third child, Zhang Qin, had similar personalities. They were both calm and serious children. The second child, Zhang Chao, and the fourth child, Zhang Miao, both had carefree and cheerful personalities. The fourth child, Zhang Miao, was also the troublemaker at home. Although she was young, she came up with all kinds of ideas and always caused Zhang Wei to have to help the children deal with the aftermath of the trouble they caused.
Elder sister, you made all these for us. Isn't it tiring for you?
Zhang Wei said as he looked at Qiao Mei.
I'm not tired. I made these for all of you to wear to school. Do you like it?
Qiao Mei said.
I like it!
Zhang Wei nodded.
Qiao Mei turned to look at Zhang Qin and asked,
What about you, Qin Qin? Do you like it?
Zhang Qin nodded and said,
I like it. Thank you, elder sister.
The boisterous laughter in the courtyard made Li Gui come out to see what was going on.
Alright, alright, it's time to wash your hands and eat. Stop fooling around, you two! Don't bump into your elder sister!
Li Gui said as she pointed at Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao.
When they heard that they might hurt Qiao Mei, the two children immediately stopped what they were doing and stopped rowdily chasing each other. They walked back in an orderly manner as if they had done something wrong. In their eyes, they could do anything except things that could hurt Qiao Mei. They must protect Qiao Mei well and not let her get hurt.
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Qiao Mei stood up and waved the children over, bringing them to wash their hands.
Hey, there's nothing wrong. Wash your hands then go and eat,
Qiao Mei said.
Xiao Wei, go and get your Grandpa Qiao Qiang. Let's eat together,
Li Gui said to Zhang Wei.
Aye! Alright!
Zhang Wei folded the clothes and put them into his school bag before carrying it and running out. He did not say anything and kept everything to himself. The truth was he was overjoyed, and actually more worried that nobody would see the school bag that Qiao Mei made for him.
Qiao Qiang was sitting in the courtyard when he saw Zhang Wei rushing over.
Grandpa! Come, let's go to my house for dinner,
Zhang Wei said.
Why are you in such a hurry?
Qiao Qiang smiled and stood up to walk back with Zhang Wei.
Grandpa, look. My elder sister Mei Mei made this for me.
Zhang Wei showed off his small cloth bag.
When Qiao Qiang saw the look on Zhang Wei's face, he grinned and said,
Aiyo, let me see. This looks really nice. Even grandfather doesn't have one. Your elder sister Qiao Mei is really good to you.
Yes, and I'm not the only one who has it! We all have one!
Zhang Wei jumped around happily.
Qiao Qiang was happy to see this. He had brought Qiao Mei up from young and she had since grown up, but now there were new children who called him grandfather and hung out around him. Although they were not his biological grandchildren, having the children playing around in his courtyard brought a lot of happiness to him.
As the saying goes,
Happiness is the best cosmetic
. Ever since the children came, Qiao Qiang had been smiling more. When he had nothing to do, he would make toys for the children and bring them out to play. This in turn made up for the fact that the children previously did not have a kind elder to bring them around.
When they arrived at Li Gui's house, it was time for dinner. Everyone gathered together happily and Qiao Mei was relieved to see such a harmonious atmosphere.
After dinner, Qiao Mei had a private conversation with Li Gui in the courtyard.
Mom, I might go to the capital for about a month. I'm worried about my grandfather being at home alone, so I'll have to trouble you to visit him more often.
Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui worriedly.
Although Qiao Qiang could do everything by himself and no one in the village dared to bully him, she was still worried and had to repeatedly remind everyone to help her take care of him before she could feel at ease.
The capital? Why are you going there?
Li Gui looked puzzled.
My husband is coming back from his mission. I want to go to the capital to visit his parents with him,
Qiao Mei said.
Li Gui thought for a moment and went into the house to take out 20 dollars and stuffed it into Qiao Mei's hand. She looked at Qiao Mei firmly and said,
Mom is useless. This is some money that mom has recently earned. Keep it and buy something to eat on the way. Don't go hungry and don't think of mom as a nuisance.
Qiao Mei did not lack money, but looking at the look on Li Gui's face, Qiao Mei knew that it represented the love a mother had for her daughter.
Alright, I'll accept it,
Qiao Mei said.
Don't worry. During that period, I'll get Zhang Wei to ask him over for dinner. Otherwise, if he feels too tired to come by, I'll get Zhang Wei to send the food over. We can also go over to cook and eat with him occasionally. You can rest assured about it,
Li Gui said.
Alright, then I shan't worry about it anymore. You also have to take good care of yourself and don't let anyone bully you,
Qiao Mei said.
Aye, don't worry.
Li Gui nodded.
Qiao Mei was going off to Gushan with all her luggage tomorrow. Once she had settled everything at home, she started to pack her luggage. Qiao Qiang sat at one side and watched her doing her packing with mixed feelings. He did not know what to say and constantly felt uneasy. He felt that it was too dangerous for Qiao Mei to go to the capital alone.
Mei Mei, if there's really no other way, then let your Uncle Chen Hu go with you.
Qiao Qiang frowned and looked at Qiao Mei.
As Qiao Mei kept the blanket, she said,
Grandfather, so you're still so worried about me. Uncle Chen Hu's soldiers might not even be as strong as me.
Qiao Qiang thought about it and had to agree with her. Qiao Mei could indeed protect herself with her strange super-strength, but it was different now from before. Previously, her looks did not attract any attention, but now that Qiao Mei was so beautiful and outstanding, even if she was really capable, what could she do if she was targeted by villains.
Qiao Qiang still felt that it was not safe. Qiao Mei's current appearance was more problematic than before. Previously, when she went out, he was not worried about her being targeted by others. The way that Qiao Mei looked in the past, she also did not seem like a nice person at all.
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The way that Qiao Mei looked now, people would get ideas about her even if she just stood there. If anything were to happen to her on her way, he did not think that he, an old man with half his body already in the grave, would be able to stand it.
As Qiao Qiang had kept staring at Qiao Mei for the past few days, he did not notice that Qiao Mei actually had only a very faint sense of presence now. His mind was filled with worry and melancholy.
Mei Mei, why not let your Uncle Chen Hu accompany you. If I ask him personally, he will definitely agree. Don't find it troublesome,
Qiao Qiang said to Qiao Mei with a frown.
Grandfather, don't worry. I'll get a ticket for the direct train from the county city to the capital. Once I reach the capital, I'll find a phone and call you. I hope that's fine for you,
Qiao Mei said.
Qiao Qiang thought for a moment and knew that Qiao Mei did not want to take his advice at all. He would just have to let her be. Whatever she did, she must have her own reasons. Qiao Qiang sighed and nodded, indicating that he would compromise and go along with Qiao Mei's plans.
Qiao Mei smiled happily and was about to enter the room when she was stopped by Qiao Qiang again.
Mei Mei, you have to put a cloth around your head and don't let anyone see your face. Wear something tattered, or else there will be thieves targeting you,
Qiao Qiang reminded her repeatedly.
Qiao Mei giggled and saluted.
Alright! I promise to complete the mission!
Her action made Qiao Qiang laugh out loud and caused him to recall the person he was in the past. Qiao Mei was relieved to see Qiao Qiang looking much happier and went into the room to pack the things she wanted to bring.
The fabric that Qiao Mei bought some time ago had not only been made into clothes, but also into an exquisite backpack. Qiao Mei had embroidered her favorite flowers and plants on it, and had also sewed a compartment inside the backpack to specially store the small boxes containing the wild ginsengs. She was afraid that if she carelessly opened the bag during her travels and let someone see them, it would cause trouble for her.
Hmm… Let me think. What else should I bring?
Qiao Mei said as she looked at the stack of things on the brick bed.
Everything was laid out on the brick bed. There were three sets of new clothes, a change of shoes, a few boxes of wild ginsengs, and all kinds of food and supplies given by the other villagers. It was chock full of stuff. In the end, Qiao Mei picked out the most important things to take with her, including the 1500-year-old wild ginseng roots from the mountain and a lot of vine seeds.
Qiao Mei chose not to do what Qiao Qiang had mentioned. She felt that by covering her face with a cloth, she would attract more attention. It would be better to just look ordinary. Qiao Mei went to the hospital to buy a surgical mask to put on, as she felt that the effect would be the same as covering her face with a cloth.
After Qiao Mei arrived at the county city, she took a bus to the provincial city as the direct train to the capital departed from the provincial city. Once she arrived at the capital, she would give her grandfather a call before transferring onto a train to Gushan. Basically, all train transfers to other places were done in the capital.
Qiao Mei made sure to dress in plain black clothes. In this era, people who traveled around for business were mostly men and very few women could make their own way to someplace far away.
She had already been delayed by Qiao Yu's matter for too long over the past few days and had left the village a day later than she had planned. She was not afraid that there would be criminals on the way. If there were any people who harbored any ill intentions, she would just beat them up and cripple them. It did not matter if she had to compensate them. She had plenty of money and the one thing she did not lack was money. However, money could not buy time and she was very anxious about being delayed for even a second.
Xia Zhe, you must wait for me. You must be safe,
Qiao Mei muttered to herself as she looked out of the train window.
Wearing a mask in the train saved her a lot of trouble, but Qiao Mei was not an immortal and had no choice but to eat and drink at intervals. Every mealtime, there would be people staring at her and talking about her. There were even people who tried to hit on her.
Little girl, where are you going?
A stranger walked over and asked.
Qiao Mei pointed at her ears and then at her mouth, and then waved her hand at the stranger to indicate that she was deaf and mute and could not speak or hear what he was saying.
When the man understood what she was trying to say, he frowned and sighed as he said,
Oh, what a pity.
With that, he turned around and left. After witnessing that, everyone on the train lamented that Qiao Mei was actually deaf and mute despite being so beautiful. They felt that the heavens were really fair, that the heavens had given someone beauty but took away everything else from her. After that, no one bothered Qiao Mei anymore.
Qiao Mei was also happy to be left alone and free from all the trouble. This way, no one would disturb her.
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After arriving in the capital, Qiao Mei went to an outdoor phone booth to call Qiao Qiang. There was a problem with the phone line at home, so Qiao Mei called the brigade directly.
Hello, who is this?
Wang Qin said.
Wang Qin was usually the one handling these small matters in the village while Zhao Liang was in charge of the important things. Zhao Liang would only answer the phone if Wang Qin was not around.
Qiao Mei lowered the pitch of her voice and said,
Hello, I'm looking for Zhao Liang.
Wang Qin looked at the phone receiver in confusion and said to Zhao Liang,
Zhao Liang, it's for you.
Zhao Liang was also a little puzzled. He did not have any relatives out of town, so he had no idea who could be calling him.
Who is it?
Zhao Liang said.
I don't know. The person didn't say but was just looking for you.
Wang Qin put the phone receiver aside and returned to her desk.
Zhao Liang picked up the receiver and said,
Hello, who are you? I'm Zhao Liang.
When Qiao Mei heard that it was indeed Uncle Zhao, her voice returned to normal and she said sweetly into the phone,
Uncle, it's me, Qiao Mei. Don't make a fuss about it, I'm just calling to ask you to tell my grandfather that I'm in the capital and to give him some reassurance.
Zhao Liang naturally knew about the feud between Qiao Mei and Wang Qin, so he simply said,
Yes, yes, I understand. I will go, don't worry.
Alright, uncle, I'm leaving.
Qiao Mei hung up after saying that.
Zhao Liang also hung up the phone. Wang Qin, who was at the side, stared at Zhao Liang a few times. She was curious about the person who called, but she did not dare to ask, afraid that her question would cause trouble. After all, the recent matter regarding Qiao Yu had already made her lose face in the village.
Zhao Liang hurriedly went out to look for Qiao Qiang and informed him about what Qiao Mei had said on the phone. Qiao Qiang finally felt relieved after hearing that. After bidding farewell to Zhao Liang, he went to Li Gui's place to bring the children for a walk at the village entrance.
Two days later, Qiao Mei successfully arrived at Gushan. There were many people coming and going at the train station. She looked at the color of the sky and then at the expressions of the people around her. She could not bear to think about the tragedy that would happen in two days.
Qiao Mei quietly got the plants around the train tracks to break the tracks so that no one would be able to enter Gushan henceforth and the number of casualties would be reduced. It would be best if Xia Zhe had not arrived at Gushan yet.
She recalled that the news had reported that the area near the train station was hit most seriously. At that time, the sky was dark as if there was going to be a storm. Everyone ran into the houses in the area to get shelter from the rain, but it took only a few minutes for all the houses to collapse and no one survived.
Now that the train tracks were broken, there would be fewer people gathered here and more people would remain alive. Qiao Mei headed straight for a village after leaving the train station. Based on the memories of the original owner of the body, Qiao Mei remembered that there was a village name on the money transfer receipt. Based on the name in her memory, Qiao Mei asked around and finally arrived at the village.
Strange things had been happening over the past few days. There were always big rocks rolling down the mountain and the animals in the forest had also started to become restless. Some of the forest animals had even entered the village. The birds in the forest had also been chirping a lot recently and even the domestic fowls were also all very restless.
She had initially wanted to go and check out the other villages to see if they were in the same situation, but she did not even have time to do much in this village, so there was no way for her to get involved somewhere else.
After walking around for a day, Qiao Mei felt that going on foot was not a viable solution. Qiao Mei bought a bicycle at a low price in the village and rode it around. She realized that it was not just this village, but many other villages were witnessing the same phenomena.
Many villagers who lived at the foot of the mountain had suffered losses both big and small. Some people had seen their houses collapse, while others had had their courtyards destroyed. The desks of the county leaders were filled with documents about these disastrous matters and the phones in their offices had not stopped ringing.
These things did not just happen in the villages. Many roads in the city suddenly had huge holes appearing in them and there were cyclists who even fell into the holes with their bikes and got injured. It was as if the ground had collapsed due to the loss of groundwater. Some of these holes even put buildings in danger, as some old low-rise apartment buildings which had been in disrepair for a long time began to tilt to one side. The government immediately evacuated the people from these buildings which eventually saved them from the disasters that followed.
168
The next day, the same issues occurred at even more low-rise apartment buildings. The government made an interim decision to evacuate everyone to an open area outside the city and set up tents for these people to stay outside for a period of time. They would arrange for people to return to their homes only after repair and restoration works were completed.
At first, there were people who did not want to cooperate and even kicked up a fuss at the ground floor of their building. There were even people who had already left the city but insisted on returning to their homes to retrieve their valuables. However, before these people could resist for too long, the building collapsed with a loud sound. It scared everyone so much that they did not dare to think of it as a minor issue anymore and they actively cooperated with the government's arrangements.
Qiao Mei had not been idle during this period of time. She sat at an empty plot of land to take a rest, feeling a little tired.
A few sinkholes in the city had indeed collapsed due to the loss of groundwater, but most of them were caused by Qiao Mei scattering a large number of plant seeds into the ground, making them reproduce and grow quickly and incessantly taking root inside the ground. Then, when Qiao Mei absorbed the energy of these plants, the instant withering of the plants would cause a hole underground, causing the ground to collapse.
There were tall buildings everywhere around the city and there were no plants providing energy for her to absorb. After making sinkholes over the span of a few days, Qiao Mei was starting to feel that she was unable to do as much as she would like. If she went back to the village to absorb natural energy before coming back, it would be too late. Right now, Qiao Mei was racing against time.
Sigh.
Qiao Mei took a breath and lamented.
Qiao Mei looked at the pendant hanging on her chest. The originally crystal clear pendant now looked a little dull and lackluster. It seemed that the energy was indeed unable to support her in creating more sinkholes.
However, there were still many low-rise buildings and houses in the city. Many people still felt that what was happening had nothing to do with them, that only the high-rise buildings were in danger and that the low-rise houses would not be affected. Qiao Mei needed to create more sinkholes in order to save more people.
Qiao Mei opened her backpack and took out the seeds of the ginseng king from home. She sprinkled them on the ground and induced their growth, and then absorbed the energy contained inside them. These seeds were all wild ginseng that could grow to a thousand years old and their energy was not something that ordinary wildflowers and weeds could emulate.
Qiao Mei took out the vine seeds and managed to locate a water drain. She scattered the seeds into the drain and began to induce their growth. The vines quickly grew and covered the entire city's drainage system. If she were to make more sinkholes, even though no one would think that it had anything to do with her, she would still miss out on many people. It was better to do this so that she could reach everyone.
Qiao Mei kept watch on the time and continuously urged the vines in her hand to extend further. With Qiao Mei's current ability, she could already sense plants within 20 kilometers, but for an entire city, this span meant that there were still areas that she could not manage to cover.
Qiao Mei could only stretch as far as she could feel.
Not enough… not enough… still not enough,
Qiao Mei muttered to herself.
Qiao Mei induced the growth of wild ginseng and vines with one hand and used her other hand to constantly absorb the energy of the wild ginseng. Her entire body was emitting a sparkling green light and in less than 15 minutes, she was already drenched in sweat and her lips had become pale. Her hands and feet also began to tremble without her knowing. Many plants had already turned to ashes before she could absorb their energy.
Qiao Mei looked at her watch and then at the sky.
It was time.
Qiao Mei shook the vines violently and the vines kept hitting the drainage pipes all the way to the end. Soon, the remaining people in the city felt the violent tremors, each stronger than the last. Everyone ran out of the house and instinctively went to take cover in a wide open area.
When she was done, Qiao Mei reabsorbed the energy from the vines and collapsed to the ground while panting heavily. There were still about 20 minutes before the real danger arrived, and she hoped that what she did would be effective enough to be able to save more people. She had already done her best.
Qiao Mei quickly lost consciousness and blacked out onto the ground. Then the violent shaking started after 20 minutes.
The world seemed to spin away and the sun and moon went dark as if they lost their light. The mountains and rivers appeared to be roaring as huge rocks rolled down and dust filled the air in an instant. In just 25 seconds, the entire city was in ruins.
The plants around Qiao Mei spontaneously surrounded her, forming a cocoon-shaped protective barrier that silently shielded Qiao Mei and her children, and reduced the impact of the tremors from the ground. At the same moment, the pendant quietly emitted a dark green light that was slowly being transmitted to the surrounding plants.
Chapter 169
After the earthquake ended, the plants around Qiao Mei dissipated into ashes and scattered in the air. Some of these ashes landed on Qiao Mei's body as she silently planted a wild ginseng seed under her body to slowly induce its growth and absorb its energy. After doing this, she regained some strength but was still too tired to move. In the end, Qiao Mei closed her eyes and fell unconscious.
Soon, the other local governments heard about what had happened at Gushan and the places close by quickly sent troops to help with the rescue. Half an hour later, the first rescue team arrived.
The troops were instructed to divide themselves into various teams to search the entire city for survivors, check for casualties and make arrangements for rescue.
People who were still alive gathered in groups to seek warmth and to comfort one another. There were people who knelt on the ground crying after seeing their homes in ruins. There were also people who lamented that they were really lucky to still be alive, while there were others who spontaneously helped everyone else in whatever way they could.
If not for the small earthquake that happened before the big one, they would have died under the ruins.
Four hours later, the various teams finished checking all the places in the city. The process was much faster than they had expected.
Report! There are no deaths at the moment. Some of the injured parties have already been transferred to safe areas!
one of the team leaders reported.
Xia Zhe nodded and mentally noted down the number of injured people and the location to carry out the evacuation.
Xia Zhe looked at his brother-in-arms, Zhang Yong, who understood what he meant and said,
Same here. There are no casualties and everyone has been evacuated to a safe area.
Xia Zhe finally relaxed his serious expression, but there was still a frown between his eyes.
Everyone, take a ten-minute break and then go back to the city to conduct a full-scale search again. You must not miss a single corner! You must make sure that everyone has been rescued! Do you understand!
Xia Zhe shouted.
Understood!
all the soldiers replied loudly.
Everyone, rest on the spot! Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu, Zhuang Hua! Step forward!
Xia Zhe ordered.
Yes!
the three men replied in unison.
Just as he was about to go to the tent to discuss the subsequent plans, a soldier rushed over.
Report!
Speak.
Xia Zhe looked at the soldier standing in front of him.
There's someone in the ruins over there,
the soldier said, pointing to some ruins in the distance.
Xia Zhe followed him and saw that there was indeed someone lying motionless on the ground.
Quick! Medic! Rescue!
Xia Zhe shouted at the medics in the distance.
Xia Zhe squatted down to check if Qiao Mei was still breathing and if she had a pulse. At this moment, Qiao Mei felt someone touching her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the face that she had been thinking about day and night.
Am… am I… dreaming?
Qiao Mei subconsciously reached out to touch the face of the person in front of her.
After confirming that Qiao Mei was alive, Xia Zhe tilted his head slightly to avoid Qiao Mei's hand and let the medics go forward to rescue her.
Arrange for treatment immediately and do your best to treat her,
Xia Zhe said, making the arrangements calmly.
Before Qiao Mei could see clearly whether the person was actually her loved one, she was already being carried away on a stretcher. She wanted to get up to ask about it but was pressed down on the stretcher by the medics.
Let me take a look…
Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, she was already secured to the stretcher.
Don't move around now. We need to see if you are injured. We're from the medical unit and we're giving you treatment. Don't worry, you'll be fine!
a medic said to Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei thought to herself,
Of course I know that I'm fine, but I want to see if that person is Xia Zhe. Can you not stop me!
Xia Zhe had turned away to deal with the danger in the area, so Qiao Mei had no choice but to receive treatment as she was told. She lay on the stretcher and fell asleep again.
The entire troop methodically made arrangements for the rescue and relief efforts. Xia Zhe and his brothers-in-arms were so busy that they did not even have time to eat as they threw themselves into the disaster relief efforts. In the end, they only recalled the main unit after searching the entire city three times. Even then, they still arranged for a small team to take turns to search around and ensure that they did not miss anyone.
Qiao Mei also slowly recovered her strength in her sleep, as the lost energy slowly returned to her body.
Chapter 170
Qiao Mei slowly opened her eyes and gradually had a clear idea of where she was. Her surroundings were all white and there were many identical beds around her. The people on those beds looked more seriously injured than her. Some of them were wrapped in bandages and some were in casts.
It appeared that there were still some people who did not manage to make it to the open space in time and still got injured. However, it was not possible for Qiao Mei to save so many people single-handedly. She had already done her best.
You're awake,
a medic said to Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei was about to get out of bed when she was stopped by the medic.
Hey! Don't move. I'll have to give you a checkup before you can move around.
The medic carefully checked Qiao Mei's various joints and physical indicators. He only allowed Qiao Mei to move around after confirming that there were no abnormalities.
Alright, you can go to the temporary base outside the city.
The medic packed his things and prepared to move on to the next patient.
Wait, what's the base outside the city?
Qiao Mei asked with a puzzled expression.
It's the place where the disaster victims are currently being held. We're still in the city and it's not safe. You need to evacuate to a safe area,
the medic said.
Yes… Thank you, I understand now.
After saying goodbye to the medic, Qiao Mei began to think about how to stay inside the current camp. It was not easy to find Xia Zhe, so she could not leave so easily.
She quietly walked out of the tent and went around the area to see if there was anything she could do to help the troops. She had barely taken two steps before she ran into Xia Zhe who had come to take a headcount.
You? Are you fine now?
Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei coldly.
Qiao Mei did not dare to say that she was doing fine as she still wanted to stay here. If she was sent out of the city, it would be difficult for her to come in again.
I… I'm still a little dizzy…
Qiao Mei pretended to be weak and reached out to hold her forehead.
Xia Zhe sized up Qiao Mei. She did not seem to have any external injuries, and the medic had already told him that this person was fine and could be transferred.
Qiao Mei saw that Xia Zhe was indifferent to her and reached out to tug at his sleeve. She said in a sweet voice,
Can I…
Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Xia Zhe frowned. Why did this voice sound so familiar? Qiao Mei immediately became alert and stopped talking. She pretended to faint and fall against Xia Zhe.
Xia Zhe hurriedly caught hold of Qiao Mei, but as they were of opposite sexes, Xia Zhe called out to the female soldier who was closest to him and said,
You, come here! Send her to the infirmary!
The young soldier immediately came over to help her up and they limped their way to the infirmary. Qiao Mei was secretly happy that he was not overly concerned about unfamiliar women and thought that he deserved praise for it.
When Qiao Mei arrived at the infirmary, she quickly woke up and said to the young soldier,
Thank you for sending me back. I feel much better now.
Hearing her sweet voice, the young soldier thought of her as a gentle and kind little girl, and did not suspect that she was pretending to be sick. The soldier said to Qiao Mei,
You're welcome. It's what I should do.
By the way, please tell me where I can get some water as I want to wash up.
Qiao Mei touched her face and sighed as she looked at the two inches of ash on her hand.
Given that they were both girls, the young soldier also knew that it was really uncomfortable to be dirty all over. She pointed to the tent at the other end and said,
There's a temporary water tank over there, you can get some water to do a simple wipe down or something. However, there's not much water so you can't take a shower, but you can wash your face though.
Qiao Mei nodded and said,
Thank you. I'll be careful about the amount of water I use. Don't worry.
The young soldier had other tasks to do so she bid a simple farewell to Qiao Mei and returned to the troop.
Qiao Mei took a basin to get some water and wiped herself clean with a towel before washing her feet. Water resources were very precious now, so she had to make full use of them as much as possible. After washing up, Qiao Mei looked like a completely different person from before. When she came out of the water storage tent, she was aware that there were many pairs of eyes staring at her.
Even if Qiao Mei had the ability to conceal her presence, she was now among the army troops and this was a place with more male soldiers than female soldiers. No matter how inconspicuous she tried to be, she was still very eye-catching. Many soldiers were stunned by the sight of her. They had not heard that there was such a beautiful girl among the people rescued.
171
In the distance, Xia Zhe was discussing the subsequent arrangements on the deployment of the disaster victims with Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua. As he spoke, he realized that the three men were not paying attention to him at all, and that his surroundings had also become very quiet.
What are you guys doing? Why are you in a daze during the meeting?
Xia Zhe frowned and said to the three men.
Hey, big brother, look at that person. How is she so beautiful.
Zhao Wu looked at Qiao Mei in the distance in a daze.
Xia Zhe turned around and saw Qiao Mei who was still wearing the same clothes, but with her face revealed after washing away the ash from herself. She had fair skin, small and exquisite facial features, and a pair of big sparkling eyes that made people feel protective about her.
Xia Zhe was stunned for a moment, but he continued to instruct the three men on the follow-up arrangements. However, none of the three men were focused on the mission anymore. Xia Zhe was so angry that he closed his notebook and gave each of them a kick.
Don't you need to do any work anymore and just look and look and look! Don't you all know what's the real and important matter at hand?
Xia Zhe lectured the three of them.
Qiao Mei saw all of this and thought to herself,
Yes, as expected of my man. He's so handsome even when he's angry. He's simply too charming.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a big smile, so Xia Zhe had no choice but to settle the issue with Qiao Mei before he could carry out the mission. Otherwise, the soldiers under him would all be distracted.
Comrade, what's the matter?
Xia Zhe frowned at Qiao Mei.
Nothing's the matter. I just want to help in whatever way I can.
Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe.
Xia Zhe sighed and handed his notebook to Zhang Yong before he turned around to leave. As he walked out, he said,
You guys arrange it for her. I'm going to carry out the mission.
Xia Zhe had already disappeared without a trace, but Qiao Mei still stood there staring in the direction where Xia Zhe had left.
Hey, stop looking. My big brother has got a wife,
Zhuang Hua said as he stood behind Qiao Mei and also looked in the direction Xia Zhe had left.
Huh? Big brother?
Qiao Mei looked at Zhuang Hua in confusion. Could this be Xia Zhe's younger brother? She had only heard from her grandfather that Xia Zhe had an older brother, but she had never heard of a younger brother.
Zhuang Hua was puzzled. Wouldn't most people focus on the fact that his big brother was already married? It was really strange that this person was more concerned about his relationship with Xia Zhe.
Yes, we all call Xia Zhe big brother. Everyone calls him that because he's the most capable among us,
Zhang Yong explained.
By the way, what's your name?
Zhao Wu asked.
Me… my name is… my name is Zhang Miao!
Qiao Mei said, thinking on her feet.
Qiao Mei thought to herself,
I'm sorry, Miao Miao. I'll borrow your name first. I really have no choice as I can't let your brother-in-law find out that I'm actually his wife. If he finds out that I'm Qiao Mei, he'll probably force me to go to a safe place.
Zhao Wu muttered to himself,
Zhang Miao… Zhang Miao… What a nice name! Zhang Miao! Miao Miao!
Zhuang Hua hurriedly gave Zhao Wu a kick. He had just met the girl and he was already calling her Miao Miao. How shameless of him. Even if he did not mind, the girl would mind him doing that.
Zhao Wu was about to turn around and settle the score with Zhuang Hua when he heard a shout from the cookhouse,
Mealtime!
Zhao Wu put aside the fact that he had not taken revenge for the kick just now and brought Qiao Mei to the dining area.
Look at this kid, he has gone crazy thinking about women. He even wants to woo her, and he hasn't even asked her if she has a partner,
Zhang Yong said to Zhuang Hua as he looked at Zhao Wu's back view.
She looks like she's only 17 or 18 years old. How old is this Zhao Wu, how can he still have the cheek to want to partner her.
Zhuang Hua looked at Zhao Wu's departing figure and shook his head.
Sigh, let's go. Nothing will happen anyway. If he delays the mission, just wait for big brother to give him a beating,
Zhang Yong said.
Hahahahaha. Come, let's go eat.
With that, Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong caught up with Zhao Wu and Qiao Mei.
At the moment, there was only rice and no vegetables. The vegetables had all been given to the soldiers at the front line, so everyone consciously took very little of the side dishes. However, just the rice alone felt completely different from usual. It tasted especially fragrant today and even had a little sweetness to it.
Chapter 172
Zhao Wu had wanted to turn around to say something to Qiao Mei, but Zhang Yong hurriedly pushed Zhao Wu and said,
Hurry up and eat, just eat!
Zhao Wu did not get the chance to say anything, so he took his bowl and filled it up with rice before handing it to Qiao Mei and said,
I guess you must not have eaten for a few days. Quickly eat more. Don't stand on ceremony!
Zhang Yong and Zhuang Hua were dumbfounded. It turned out that Zhao Wu was not stupid at all. His method of wooing girls was much better than theirs. The pressure from the competition was on.
Qiao Mei smiled and took out a large tea jar from her backpack. However, the large tea jar did not look like one as it had long been flattened. Qiao Mei took it in her hands, fiddled with it for a while and returned it to its original shape. The few men were dumbstruck by what she did.
They did not think too much about it though and it did not cross their minds that Qiao Mei was exceptionally strong. They only felt that Qiao Mei was quite pitiful and that her family should be very poor. Big tea jars were usually very sturdy so for a little girl to be able to reshape it easily, it must be a really cheap item.
Aren't you going to eat?
Qiao Mei asked curiously when she saw that the three people behind her were still staring at her after she took her food.
Ah! Yes, yes, yes! Let's eat, let's eat!
Zhuang Hua came back to his senses and quickly went to get his food.
Qiao Mei looked around for Xia Zhe. It was mealtime, so why was he not here to get food? Not long after, she found Xia Zhe in the crowd. He also looked over, but he was not looking at Qiao Mei. Instead, he looked at the three people who were getting their food behind Qiao Mei.
Xia Zhe had just taken his bowl and was walking over when Qiao Mei stopped him.
Are you going to eat? Can I eat with you?
Qiao Mei blinked her big eyes and asked.
Xia Zhe did not even look at Qiao Mei. He dodged to one side and walked forward, saying,
It's not convenient.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe's indifferent departing figure and was overjoyed, though Zhao Wu found it strange that she was still so happy after being rejected. Zhao Wu walked up to Qiao Mei and said,
Comrade Zhang Miao, don't go after my big brother. My big brother is already married and he's also about to become a father.
That's right. Our big brother really has a wife. We're not lying to you,
Zhang Yong echoed.
Qiao Mei smiled and said,
So what if he has a wife? It doesn't matter even if he does!
After saying that, she skipped over to Xia Zhe's side and sat down. Zhang Yong and the other two men also followed her and sat around in a circle. Qiao Mei opened her backpack and took out the pickled radishes that she had made at home.
Here, try this,
Qiao Mei held out the jar and appeared to offer it to everyone, but in fact, she had positioned the jar right in front of Xia Zhe.
Zhao Wu, Zhang Yong, and Zhuang Hua did not care about that. They each took one and started eating.
Huh? This taste? Why does it taste so similar to the one that sister-in-law sent to big brother?
Zhuang Hua looked at Zhao Wu to see if he agreed.
Eh? That's true. The taste is really quite similar!
Zhao Wu said as he picked up the pickled radish with his chopsticks.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and asked,
Aren't you going to have one? It's very delicious.
Xia Zhe turned away and hurriedly finished the remaining rice in his bowl. He stood up and said,
I don't like it. Anyway, I'm finished with my meal.
Qiao Mei was grinning from ear to ear as she held the jar of pickled radishes. She wondered who was the one who had written in the letter that he loved pickled radishes the most. Qiao Mei closed the jar and put it back into her bag.
Zhang Yong and the rest were still hankling for more, but since she had already put the jar away, they were too embarrassed to ask her to take it out so that they could have more.
Qiao Mei looked at the departing Xia Zhe and thought to herself,
It's really like what my grandfather said. He's a gentleman and it seems that he can still resist the temptation when presented with an attractive woman. I must reward him well when we get back.
Zhao Wu stood up and blocked Qiao Mei's view as he said,
Don't look at my big brother anymore. My big brother really has a wife and her cooking is much better than yours. Don't think about my big brother anymore.
Qiao Mei laughed and said,
Better than me? Hmph, I don't believe it. I'm so young and good-looking, so why not me. Just wait and see.
The other three people there held their foreheads and sighed. There were three men of different characters in front of her, and their looks were not considered ugly, so they could not understand why she did not take a fancy to any of them but only had her eye on their big brother instead.
Chapter 173
After finishing their meals, Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua did not chat with Qiao Mei anymore. They still had to go on patrol in the afternoon to ensure that there were no remaining victims nearby who had not been rescued. They had to make sure that nothing and no one was left out.
Qiao Mei followed closely behind Xia Zhe silently. In another hour, there would be a second earthquake. At this point in time, Qiao Mei could not leave his side at all.
Qiao Mei followed Xia Zhe wherever he went. By now, many people in the troop could tell that this young lady had taken a fancy to him and he got very annoyed with her.
He had always had many admirers who stared at him every day. In those days, he did not care that they looked at him, given that he was not married yet. However, it was different now. He now had Qiao Mei and she was even bearing him a cute child. If anyone gossiped or complained behind his back about him having loose morals, his career path would be ruined and his wish to have Qiao Mei join him as a military spouse would be dashed.
Xia Zhe was so irritated that he grabbed Zhao Wu, who was next to him, and said,
Find a reason for her not to follow me. She can follow anyone, but just don't bother me.
Zhao Wu nodded and said,
Okay, boss. Leave it to me.
Comrade Zhang Miao, go back to the camp with me. The rest of us have to go on a mission later and it's not convenient for us to bring you along,
Zhao Wu said in a serious manner.
It was rare for Zhao Wu to take a serious tone when speaking to Qiao Mei and she glanced sideways at Xia Zhe, who was commanding the troop in the distance.
He wants to chase me away huh,
Qiao Mei said.
No, I'm the one who's worried about you.
Zhao Wu did not say that it was Xia Zhe's order, but for his own selfish reasons, he made it sound like he was the one who was concerned about her well-being. In any case, he knew that his boss would not blame him.
Qiao Mei frowned and lowered her head in deep thought. If she was sent back to the camp now and it got too dangerous when the earthquake happened later, who could guarantee Xia Zhe's safety? She could only feel at ease if she followed Xia Zhe herself, but she could not use the excuse that she wished to follow Zhao Wu. If her identity was exposed, it would only cause more trouble.
What if I just follow behind the team, since I'm able to help you guys and I'm afraid to go back by myself. Besides, you need all the manpower you can get for the rescue mission. If you arrange for someone to send me back, you would lose a person who could be here helping.
Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Wu with bright sparkling eyes.
Zhao Wu gulped and thought about it. He decided that it was better to check with Xia Zhe as it was not in his place to agree to a civilian's request in private. No matter how winsome she looked, he had to abide by the military rules.
Wait for a while, let me ask about it.
Zhao Wu returned to Xia Zhe's side and told him about his conversation with Qiao Mei.
Xia Zhe pondered for a long time and also felt that it was inappropriate to let her go back alone. He thought that what she said did make sense.
Then let her follow us, so long as she doesn't follow me,
Xia Zhe said as he looked at Zhao Wu. He then waved his hand and went in front of the troop.
Qiao Mei looked at the watch in her pocket. There were still 15 minutes before the earthquake and Qiao Mei constantly looked out for the best way to position herself to be able to save Xia Zhe quickly.
Xia Zhe could feel Qiao Mei pacing around behind him, and she was always in a spot where it was the shortest linear distance to reach his side.
Xia Zhe thought to himself,
She has such great observation skills, could it be that I'm her target? Is she seeking revenge? But I haven't offended anyone and I've never met this young lady before. What could be the reason?
It was obvious that Xia Zhe's thoughts were on the wrong track and extremely far from the truth. The good thing was that he kept it all in his head, otherwise Qiao Mei would laugh at him if she knew.
Qiao Mei looked at her watch and noted the time. It was already down to the final minute.
59, 58, 57, 56…
Qiao Mei counted silently in her heart. Before she could count to 30, she heard a loud bang and the ground began to shake violently. Xia Zhe stood on the spot and shouted loudly to evacuate the crowd, but he did not notice that there were still the remains of half a tall building behind him.
Qiao Mei did not have time to think and just ran straight to Xia Zhe's side. She grabbed on to him and threw the two of them to one side, falling into a pit in front of them. The vine seeds which Qiao Mei had thrown out quickly grew and enveloped the two of them tightly in a cocoon-like protective shell.
The wreckage of the half a building collapsed on top of the two of them and the tremors lasted for more than 10 seconds before stopping.
Chapter 174
When the tremors completely stopped, Qiao Mei secretly used the vines to push out a gap so that the two of them could breathe while they were among the ruins.
Are you alright?
Qiao Mei asked.
I… I'm fine. What about you?
Xia Zhe hesitated and said.
Qiao Mei looked at his hesitant expression and felt that Xia Zhe was hiding something from her. She reached out to touch his body, but Xia Zhe frowned and held down her roving hands to stop her.
Don't move!
Xia Zhe growled.
Qiao Mei just used one hand to secure Xia Zhe's hand behind his back and used her other hand to carefully run over his body to see if he was injured.
Xia Zhe struggled but could not break free. He had a strong feeling of déjà vu. Who was this person who was so strong and even treated him in this manner?
Who are you?
Xia Zhe stared at Qiao Mei's face to see if she was lying when she answered.
Qiao Mei finally heaved a sigh of relief after checking on him. She looked at Xia Zhe smilingly and said,
Big brother, who do you think I am?
This was the sweet voice that he would never be able to forget for the rest of his life. The scene from that night seemed to appear before his eyes again. That voice had rung in his ears for an entire night and he immediately recognized it.
Mei Mei?
Xia Zhe looked at the person in front of him in shock, unable to believe that this was the Qiao Mei he had met back then.
Oh my goodness, did you not read the letter I wrote to you? Didn't I write in the letter that my looks have changed?
Qiao Mei said as she leaned her head gently on Xia Zhe's shoulder and gently hammered Xia Zhe's chest with her small hand.
Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei gently. He could now hold her with one arm. He wondered how she lost so much weight in just the few months since he left.
In Qiao Mei's letter, she did say that she had lost weight, but he thought that she had at most lost 20 pounds. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have become the person in front of him.
I remember. But why did you lose so much weight, what exactly did you do at home?
Xia Zhe's heart ached as he looked at Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a smile and said,
Let's see, I do farm work at home and I do a lot of housework everyday including cooking for my grandfather. Now that I'm pregnant, my appetite isn't as good as before, so I guess that's how I lost weight.
Xia Zhe immediately became nervous when he heard the word 'pregnant', and he reached out to touch Qiao Mei's belly.
Do you feel anything wrong with your body? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Move slightly and see if you're injured anywhere.
Xia Zhe tried his best to do a check on Qiao Mei's body in the small space.
Qiao Mei shook her head and was about to say that she was fine when she realized that Xia Zhe had already started to examine her and was carefully checking every inch of her joints and bones for injury.
When he was checking her ribcage, he examined her rib bones one by one, afraid that the bones had been injured by the impact. However, by doing that, he also touched parts of her body that he need not check. The spots where his fingers touched felt as hot as if they had been burned, and from time to time, he would happen to touch Qiao Mei's ticklish spots.
Hey, don't touch me anymore. You're tickling me!
Qiao Mei said as she pouted.
Xia Zhe's face instantly turned red, but he still insisted on giving her a thorough check before he retracted his hand in relief.
Qiao Mei's pregnancy was starting to show. Her slightly protruding belly was not obvious with the type of clothes she wore, but she could still feel the curvature when she reached out to touch it.
Come, feel it.
Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe's hand and placed it on her belly.
Xia Zhe gently stroked Qiao Mei's belly. Given the slight curvature, if he did not know any better, he would have thought that Qiao Mei was just not completely thin and still had some belly fat. However, seeing Qiao Mei lose so much weight, he felt both heartache and excitement.
Her heart ached for Qiao Mei who did not have an easy time for the past few months, being pregnant without him by her side. He wondered if grandfather Qiao Qiang's health had improved and if Qiao Mei had eaten anything nutritious and if the baby gave Qiao Mei a hard time.
At the same time, he was also very excited that he was going to be a father. He tried his best to live up to his own expectation of a good father and he wanted to be a great father for this unborn child.
You've suffered, Mei Mei.
Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei caringly.
Qiao Mei smiled and touched Xia Zhe's face.
It's not hard on me. I feel very happy now. I have you and I have our kid, I'm very blessed.
175
Xia Zhe nodded and recalled the letter his aunt had sent him previously. She had written that most women would get morning sickness by this stage of the pregnancy and would basically throw up whatever they ate.
Do you… do you get any morning sickness, I mean usually.
Xia Zhe found it embarrassing to raise the topic.
Qiao Mei thought about it and realized that she really had not experienced any morning sickness at all. On a usual day, she did not even feel like she was pregnant with two children. She felt no different from when she was not pregnant.
If there were any differences, it was that she ate better, slept better and walked as if she was on wings. She wondered if these counted as feeling differently.
I don't feel particularly uncomfortable,
Qiao Mei said as she shook her head.
Then what about any loss of appetite or any discomfort, such as back pain, joint pain or anything like that,
Xia Zhe asked carefully.
Qiao Mei shook her head, indicating that she did not have any of these symptoms. Xia Zhe frowned and felt that Qiao Mei must be hiding something from him.
I really don't have any of that. I'm in very good health,
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe decided to believe what Qiao Mei said for the time being. He resolved that after they got out, he would put up an application to go back to the capital and get his aunt to give Qiao Mei a full-body checkup to ensure that Qiao Mei's health was fine.
Qiao Mei stroked Xia Zhe's tightly furrowed brows and said,
Don't worry, I'm really fine.
Suddenly, Qiao Mei felt a few movements in her belly. At first, she did not pay much attention to it, but the movements had become very obvious.
Ah!
Qiao Mei exclaimed.
Xia Zhe quickly looked at Qiao Mei, who seemed to be at a loss.
What's wrong, do you feel unwell?
Xia Zhe asked.
I… I think I can feel the baby,
Qiao Mei said with tears in her eyes.
Under normal circumstances, a pregnant woman could usually sense the fetal movement of the baby at around the 20-week mark. Qiao Mei was about 16 weeks pregnant at the moment. Perhaps due to the fact that she had been exchanging energy with precious plants like wild ginseng, the baby had developed well enough to have such fetal movements.
Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
Qiao Mei held Xia Zhe's hand to stroke her belly as she said,
Baby, this is your father.
As soon as she finished speaking, the baby obediently moved twice. Xia Zhe instantly widened his eyes and looked into Qiao Mei's eyes in disbelief.
This is? Is this a fetal movement?
Xia Zhe asked.
That's right. I guess the baby wants to greet daddy,
Qiao Mei sweet-talked Xia Zhe.
Xia Zhe was full of mixed feelings and did not know what to say to Qiao Mei. He only felt that he had not done enough and that he owed Qiao Mei too much.
Although he had been forced into the situation back then, he could be considered to have taken the initiative later on. He also had a responsibility towards Qiao Mei. It seemed that he had to work harder and let Qiao Mei become a military spouse earlier so that he could take better care of her.
Yes, thank you,
Xia Zhe said in a choked voice.
Qiao Mei looked up and stared at Xia Zhe seriously before saying,
I should be the one thanking you, why are you thanking me instead. Besides, we're already married, so there's no need to say thank you.
Yes,
Xia Zhe nodded and said.
Oh right, I read your letter regarding those names that you suggested for our child. Just those words you suggested, there are more than ten people in the entire village with the same names. Hurry up and change them, none of those names are good enough,
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe pondered for a long time before saying,
I have an elder brother, his name is Xia Wen. He's a teacher at the university. Shall we get his opinion on the child's name?
Qiao Mei nodded and said,
Yes, since elder brother is a cultured person, the name he comes up with would be meaningful. But you have to think about it as well. you can't leave everything to elder brother!
Yes, yes yes, I promise you.
Xia Zhe smiled and hugged Qiao Mei.
After the two of them calmed down, Qiao Mei carefully sized up Xia Zhe. This was the person she had been thinking about day and night. She was finally able to see him and both of them were safe and alive.
Fortunately, she arrived in time and there was no delay on the way. Otherwise, she really did not dare to imagine what Xia Zhe would have experienced. As she recalled the earlier scene when Xia Zhe was in danger, she still felt a sense of lingering fear.
Qiao Mei could not help but tear up. It was so good to be alive.
Chapter 176
Xia Zhe thought that Qiao Mei was worried that they would not be able to get out. He quickly wiped away her tears and said,
Don't cry, don't worry. Our police dogs are very outstanding. They all recognize the smell on me. Rest assured that they will find us soon.
Xia Zhe comforted Qiao Mei patiently.
In actual fact, what he just said was all a lie. Although many of his brothers-in-arms were with him when he was in danger, half the building had collapsed over the two of them. It was already a fortunate thing that they were still alive, but to clean up the debris would take a long time.
Xia Zhe was a little dazed as he looked at the person in his arms. He had indeed never seen Qiao Mei looking like this. Even when he saw her previously, it was just a quick glance and he did not pay much attention to Qiao Mei's appearance at that time.
Xia Zhe's mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. He not only thought about the uncertainty of when they would be rescued, but also about Qiao Mei risking her life to save him. If it were only him alone, he could survive for three days without eating or drinking. However, now that there was Qiao Mei, as well as the unborn child in her belly, he felt more anxious than ever.
He looked at Qiao Mei in his arms and found himself falling head over heels for her sweet demeanor.
Qiao Mei was actually a stranger to him.
However, strangers would not risk their own safety to save him, nor would they care about him quietly.
Earlier, Xia Zhe had even suspected that Qiao Mei was someone coming here to seek revenge on him. He regretted having such thoughts and misunderstanding such a good woman.
Recalling the earlier scene of danger, he had clearly tried his best to stay away from Qiao Mei, but the moment the aftershock happened, she still risked her life to save him.
Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly as if she was a valuable treasure.
You should loosen your grip or you'll crush the baby.
Qiao Mei gently gave Xia Zhe a push.
Oh, I hope you feel alright.
Xia Zhe had momentarily forgotten that pregnant women could not be hugged tightly.
I'm fine. What are you thinking about as you were so engrossed in your thoughts,
Qiao Mei asked as she stared at Xia Zhe.
Xia Zhe could not tell Qiao Mei his exact thoughts and could only say something else.
Why… why did you come here alone and how did you find your way here,
Xia Zhe asked.
Oh, you said that you were coming here so I came because I missed you too much,
Qiao Mei said vaguely.
Qiao Mei thought to herself,
Am I supposed to say that I came to look for you because I predicted that you would get into an accident?
What about grandpa being left at home?
Xia Zhe asked.
You don't have to worry about that. I've already made all the arrangements for grandfather. I told him that I was going to the capital to look for you and only then did I manage to get everything past him.
Qiao Mei then continued,
Who knew that the moment I arrived and was about to find out where you were, such a thing happened.
Xia Zhe sighed and patted Qiao Mei's head dotingly.
You little girl, how are you so bold to come here alone,
Xia Zhe pretended to say angrily.
Qiao Mei thought for a moment and hugged Xia Zhe tightly as she said sweetly,
Big brother, don't be angry. I was wrong, I just miss you too much. I promise there won't be a next time!
Xia Zhe's face turned red from Qiao Mei's words as he recalled that night again. She kept calling out to him that night, calling him big brother with her seductively sweet voice. That voice was unforgettable and he had wanted to hear it again.
Then why didn't you identify yourself to me, if not it won't get dragged out until now,
Xia Zhe asked.
Hahahaha, I just wanted to test you. Who would have thought that you would really remain faithful throughout and for this, comrade Xia deserves to be praised!
Qiao Mei teased.
Xia Zhe pushed Qiao Mei's head with his hand and said,
You mischievous girl.
And what's that I heard, if I had known that you don't like pickled radishes, then I need not make it for you in the future.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe smugly.
Don't you dare! If you dare to do that, I'll…
Xia Zhe said.
You will? What will you do? Let me tell you, I think those three brothers of yours treat me very well. You'd better feel a little threatened,
Qiao Mei said proudly.
It did not cross his mind before she mentioned it. Now that she raised the issue, Xia Zhe was a little alarmed. Could it be that Qiao Mei really liked his brothers more than him?
177
Xia Zhe lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying in a muffled voice,
If you… if you like them… no! You can't like them! You can't go anywhere!
Xia Zhe originally thought that if Qiao Mei really fancied any of his brothers-in-arms, he would give them his blessings. After all, Qiao Mei was somewhat forced to marry him back then, but now, Xia Zhe did not want anyone else to touch Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei could only be his and she must be his. Any thoughts that Qiao Mei might have of leaving him must be nipped in the bud.
Hahahahahaha, what are you thinking about, I'm already yours. Our child is about to be born, so who else should I be looking for when I only want the child's father.
Qiao Mei giggled as she looked at the jealous Xia Zhe.
Only then did Xia Zhe realize that he had been tricked by Qiao Mei again. It seemed that he was going to be played by this little girl for the rest of his life.
Even after the two of them bantered for such a long time, there was still no sign of the search and rescue team. Xia Zhe touched the wall next to him to get a sense of the structure between the stone slabs. He gave the wall a hard push and realized that they were trapped. They would not be able to get out of danger by themselves.
Generally speaking, all the houses here were quite old and the frames of the houses were mostly not sturdy. However, there were also buildings that had been rebuilt during a later period and it seemed that they had unexpectedly encountered one of these buildings.
He did not know whether to be happy or unhappy.
Sigh.
Xia Zhe sighed softly.
What's wrong?
Qiao Mei asked.
Earlier, Qiao Mei had already used plants to do some scouting. Although they were trapped under the stone slabs, as long as there was movement outside, they would still be heard if they called for help. It was not as bad as they had imagined.
It's nothing. They'll be here to rescue us in a while,
Xia Zhe said and took out a pack of hardtack from his pocket.
Here, this is military ration and it's very hard. We don't have water now, eat it slowly so you don't get choked,
Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei put the hardtack back into Xia Zhe's pocket. This is a life-saving ration and she could not eat it just like that. After all, they did not know how long they would have to stay here.
Put it away first. We can eat it when we're hungry. I'm not hungry now, so don't waste it,
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe nodded and put away the hardtack. Fortunately, the two of them were able to move around slightly within this space and there was nothing directly pressing on them.
Qiao Mei gently shifted her position and used the vines to burrow into the ground to sense the location of the search and rescue team. Then, she gently made a soft sound to attract the rescue dogs.
For humans, such sounds were too soft to be heard, but animals had sharper senses and could distinguish small changes in their environments.
When the rescue dogs heard the sound, they barked loudly and broke free from the ropes to search for Qiao Mei's location.
After sniffing the areas one after another, a rescue dog stood on top of the ruins above Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe and kept barking.
Woof! Woof!
Mei Mei! It's a rescue dog!
Xia Zhe said in surprise.
Help!
Qiao Mei shouted loudly.
Help! We're here! Zhuang Hua! Zhang Yong! Zhao Wu! We're here!
Xia Zhe kept calling out.
When Zhang Yong and the other two men heard the voices, they immediately rushed over.
Boss! We're coming!
Zhang Yong said.
Big brother! Are you okay!
Zhao Wu asked.
We are holding up!
Xia Zhe replied.
Be gentle! Don't let too many people go up and cause a second collapse! Carry out the rescue carefully! There can't be any accidents!
Zhuang Hua said to the search and rescue soldiers beside him.
Yes!
The soldiers carried out the search and rescue operation nervously. They cleared the stone slabs bit by bit and tried to find out more about the structure. Through the gaps, they observed the position and situation of Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei. No one dared to make a wrong move, afraid that they would encounter a second collapse.
Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly and tried his best to shield her with his body to protect her from harm.
Qiao Mei hugged Xia Zhe quietly. She watched Xia Zhe's every move and remembered all of them well. She came to understand that Xia Zhe really cared about her.
After 50 minutes, the last stone slab was lifted and Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were rescued.
Everyone did not think too much about it when they saw Xia Zhe hugging Qiao Mei tightly. After all, their role was to protect the public from harm and ensure that nothing went wrong.
Chapter 178
Then, everyone kept staring as Xia Zhe continued to hug Qiao Mei without letting go. Given that so much time had passed, he should be able to let go now.
Um… Big brother, can you come out now?
Zhuang Hua touched his nose and reminded Xia Zhe embarrassedly.
Xia Zhe immediately came back to his senses and helped Qiao Mei up. The medics went forward to check them for any obvious injuries and carefully examined the joints of their limbs to make sure that there were no problems before leaving.
Xia Zhe got out of the pit first and then reached out to Qiao Mei.
When Zhao Wu saw what Xia Zhe did, he hurriedly jumped into the pit to give Qiao Mei a push. Seeing that, Xia Zhe frowned slightly and pulled Qiao Mei into his arms.
Qiao Mei looked at the jealous Xia Zhe and could not stop smiling.
How are you acting like a child,
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe took Qiao Mei's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to express his displeasure.
As they made their way down the debris, Xia Zhe kept asking about Qiao Mei's well-being. He held on to Qiao Mei all the way down and kept asking her if it hurt, if she was tired, and even wanted to carry her.
Zhao Wu, who was next to him, was unhappy when he saw this. Earlier, Xia Zhe had clearly despised the girl for getting too close to him. He could not understand why Xia Zhe seemed like a different person after coming out from under the wreckage.
Xia Zhe was a married man! It was not proper for him to have his hands over a girl like this!
Moreover, Xia Zhe's wife was always very concerned about Xia Zhe and often wrote him letters and cooked a lot of delicious food for him. Everyone in the camp envied Xia Zhe for having such a virtuous wife.
Apart from us, how are the rest of the people?
Xia Zhe asked Zhao Wu as he held on to Qiao Mei's hand.
We… We don't have any serious injuries or fatalities among us. There are five soldiers who have some minor injuries and the rest are fine,
Zhao Wu said.
Although Zhao Wu was very displeased with Xia Zhe's actions, he was a soldier after all, so he still earnestly answered Xia Zhe's question.
It's good to know that there are no major casualties. The replacement team must continue to search this area and we must not leave anyone behind,
Xia Zhe said with a serious look on his face.
Qiao Mei could not help but stare at the serious-looking Xia Zhe. He looked so handsome like that.
Yes!
Zhao Wu replied.
Zhao Wu accepted the order but did not take any action. Xia Zhe had just taken two steps when he realized that Zhao Wu had been staring at Qiao Mei and her hand that he was holding.
Xia Zhe frowned slightly and pulled Qiao Mei behind him before asking,
Is there anything else?
Zhao Wu came back to his senses and leaned close to Xia Zhe and said,
Big brother, isn't it not good for you to behave like that?
Not good? What's not good?
Xia Zhe asked in confusion.
It's… it's just that it's not good for you to hold on to a young lady like this. Why not you go and carry out the search and rescue mission while I send her back to the base,
Zhao Wu said seriously after thinking.
Xia Zhe immediately pulled a long face. He kicked Zhao Yong's leg and said,
Hurry up and start the search and rescue mission! What nonsense are you spouting!
After Xia Zhe finished speaking, he grabbed onto Qiao Mei and walked towards the base. Along the way, he took care of her in every way. The soldiers around him were all dumbfounded, but given that it was the battalion commander's own matter, no one dared to ask about it.
Later on, Xia Zhe even carried her in his arms. She refused but it was useless. He insisted on carrying her all the way.
What was going on?
Could it be that Xia Zhe took a hard knock to the head in the wreckage?
Zhao Wu looked at the departing figures of Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei in confusion. At the same time, he felt that Xia Zhe was being unreasonable. He was the one who had taken a fancy to the young girl first so how could Xia Zhe turn the situation to his advantage now.
Zhao Wu was so angry that he did not care anymore and went straight to carry out the search and rescue mission. He turned the anger in his heart into motivation and focused on the rescue efforts.
Xia Zhe carried Qiao Mei back to the base under everyone's gaze. Qiao Mei lay against Xia Zhe's arms, her soft bosom pressed against Xia Zhe's chest as her sweet voice rang in his ears.
Put me down quickly, your comrades are all watching!
Qiao Mei said as she pouted.
Xia Zhe could feel his passion rising as he recalled that night when Qiao Mei had moaned softly under him. That coquettish voice…
Xia Zhe's ears were red, but his expression remained unchanged. He only put Qiao Mei down when they reached the base's rest area.
Even after he put her down, he still held on to her hands. He also hugged her in an unobvious manner.
Chapter 179
Xia Zhe had just put Qiao Mei down and was about to let her rest for a while when he saw Zhang Yong returning with his team in the distance. By right, the search and rescue efforts should not be completed so quickly so why was he back so early?
Why are you back?
Xia Zhe asked.
Zhang Yong had already seen Xia Zhe from afar and also saw him carrying someone. At that time, he thought that it was just an injured person and did not think too much about it.
Zhang Yong wanted to go forward and ask Xia Zhe if he was injured and who the injured soldier was. However, when Zhang Yong saw that it was Qiao Mei standing behind Xia Zhe, he did not bother to answer Xia Zhe.
What happened? Are you injured?
Zhang Yong stared straight at Qiao Mei and asked.
Just as Qiao Mei was about to answer that she was fine, she realized that the man standing beside her had pursed his lips so tightly that it had become a straight line.
Qiao Mei could not help but cover her mouth and laugh. Her chest vibrated against Xia Zhe's back and he pinched her waist in annoyance.
You have the cheek to laugh!
Xia Zhe said sternly to Qiao Mei before looking at Zhang Yong and saying,
She's fine, you don't have to mind her. You still haven't told me, why are you back?
Is she really fine? Have the medics checked her?
Zhang Yong was only concerned about whether Qiao Mei was really safe and sound. He had already ignored Xia Zhe's question twice.
She's really fine,
Xia Zhe said, suppressing his anger.
Qiao Mei, who was behind him, gently held Xia Zhe's hand and drew circles in his palm. Xia Zhe frowned slightly and held Qiao Mei's hand tightly to stop her from misbehaving.
Zhang Yong was a little taken aback by the way they behaved towards each other and asked hesitantly,
You two…
Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei out from behind him and introduced her formally.
This is my wife, your sister-in-law, Qiao Mei.
Sister-in-law?
Zhang Yong looked at Xia Zhe in shock.
Yes, yes, she is indeed my wife.
Xia Zhe looked pleased as he nodded.
When the surrounding soldiers heard this news, they felt relieved. So she was Commander Xia's wife. Then what he did was not surprising.
You! You! You two!
For a moment, Zhang Yong was unable to accept the fact. He pointed at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei as he backed away.
Zhang Yong still could not accept what Xia Zhe said. He widened his eyes and pointed at Qiao Mei as he said,
Then why didn't you recognize her as your wife at first glance?
This question also attracted everyone's attention. That was indeed the case. Why was Commander Xia unable to recognize his wife at first sight? And also avoiding her like she was the god of plague?
Xia Zhe touched the tip of his nose, not knowing how to answer this question.
Qiao Mei came forward to explain.
It's like this. What we had was an arranged marriage between children, so we haven't even seen each other much. The first time we met was on the day of our wedding. Even on that day, I kept avoiding your Commander Xia as I was embarrassed to let him see my face.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe tenderly and continued,
Moreover, I was a big fatty at that time and weighed more than 170 pounds. I've lost weight over the past few months, so it's normal that your Commander Xia can't recognize me.
Qiao Mei was really too embarrassed to say that she weighed more than 250 pounds back then. If she told the people in the troop the truth, they would definitely think that she was lying, because it was very unlikely for anyone to lose more than 150 pounds in just a few months.
Zhang Yong nodded but he was still doubtful. He still could not quite believe that the person standing in front of him was Xia Zhe's wife.
Then why did you lie to me and say that your name is Zhang Miao?
Zhang Yong looked at Qiao Mei plaintively.
Seeing this, Xia Zhe glared at Zhang Yong. Why are you feeling aggrieved? Do you need Qiao Mei to coax you?
I… I just wanted to see if your Commander Xia is really able to remain faithful and be good to me wholeheartedly!
Qiao Mei took Xia Zhe's hand and swung it gently.
So are you satisfied with what you see?
Xia Zhe asked.
Satisfied! Very satisfied!
Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe.
Let's see if you dare to fool around again!
Xia Zhe lovingly tapped Qiao Mei's head with his fingers.
Zhang Yong looked at the two of them flirting away and he suddenly felt that he did not want to hang around any longer.
Chapter 180
Zhuang Hua encountered the follow-up rescue team on his way and so he came back early to rest and make further preparations. As soon as he returned, he saw a smug Xia Zhe talking to a dejected Zhang Yong, with the beautiful young girl standing beside him.
What are you up to?
Zhuang Hua shouted from afar as he jogged over.
The first thing that came out of his mouth was also not a report of the situation to Xia Zhe. He stared at Qiao Mei and sized her up to see if she was injured.
Comrade Miao Miao, are you injured?
Zhuang Hua asked nervously.
Xia Zhe's face instantly hardened. Although he knew that Qiao Mei told them her name was Zhang Miao, he still felt uncomfortable hearing them address her like that.
Xia Zhe clenched his fists. If Zhuang Hua said another word, Xia Zhe would probably not be able to hold back.
Oh, I'm fine.
Qiao Mei said as she hurriedly held on to Xia Zhe's fist.
Zhang Yong turned to Zhuang Hua and said,
That's sister-in-law. Not comrade Miao Miao.
Sister-in-law? What sister-in-law? Isn't sister-in-law in the village? Big brother, you… it's not good to mess around…
Zhuang Hua still did not know that Qiao Mei was Xia Zhe's wife and even understood it as Xia Zhe was fooling around outside.
What are you saying…
Xia Zhe lowered his head helplessly, not wanting to explain this matter anymore.
Oh, I'm not Zhang Miao. My name is Qiao Mei, I'm Xia Zhe's wife. I'm sorry for lying to you when I first came to the military camp. I just wanted to test your Commander Xia,
Qiao Mei explained to Zhuang Hua with a smile.
Once she said that, Zhuang Hua immediately understood the situation. He only lamented that such a nice girl was already married to his big brother. Big brother was really lucky.
Alright, let's get down to business. Why are you all back?
Xia Zhe asked.
Yes, yes, yes. We ran into a backup rescue team on the way and they took over the search and rescue mission. The higher-ups said that we can evacuate now. Our mission is completed and we can just assist them on the side,
Zhuang Hua said solemnly.
What about Zhao Wu?
Xia Zhe asked.
He's still doing search and rescue, finishing up the last bit,
Zhuang Hua said.
Xia Zhe nodded to indicate that he understood.
Their troop was not really a rescue team to begin with, but because they were the closest to this place, they were temporarily dispatched here to carry out rescue missions and help the victims.
While they were still discussing their next steps, Zhao Wu returned from afar.
Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong looked at Zhao Wu with glee and Zhao Wu looked back at the two of them in confusion.
Hmm… Why are you looking at me like that?
Zhao Wu asked.
Hahahaha, it's nothing. We'll gather the team and do a debrief first.
With that, Zhuang Hua left with Zhang Yong, leaving Zhao Wu behind.
Zhao Wu looked at Qiao Mei with a silly smile and said,
Miao Miao, are you injured?
Miao Miao? The veins on Xia Zhe's arm bulged again. He could not help but want to punch Zhao Wu.
Um! Comrade Zhao Wu! I'm not Zhang Miao! I'm your Commander Xia's wife! I'm your sister-in-law! My name is Qiao Mei!
Qiao Mei hurriedly shouted at Zhao Wu.
She was afraid that if she reacted any slower, Xia Zhe would really rush out and vent all his anger on Zhao Wu.
Zhao Wu stared blankly at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei, his eyes darting between the two of them.
After confirming that this matter was true, he touched the back of his head in embarrassment. As he backed away, he smiled awkwardly and said,
Um… Big brother… It's all a misunderstanding! I… I'm also going to the team meeting! Big brother, I'm going off!
With that, he turned around and ran away, not giving Xia Zhe any chance to react.
Xia Zhe stared at Qiao Mei sinisterly. Qiao Mei looked up at Xia Zhe in embarrassment and said carefully with a bright smile,
Don't be angry, big brother. I just… wanted to see if you really love me!
Xia Zhe raised his head and deliberately looked away from Qiao Mei. No matter what she said, he remained unmoved. Today, his brothers-in-arms had really brought out all the jealousy in him.
Seeing that her whining and wheedling did not work, Qiao Mei blushed and stood on tiptoe so that her lips were next to Xia Zhe's ear. She said sweetly,
Then… then how about I let big brother deal with me however you want tonight.