Chapter 205 A Miracle!

They may seem ordinary, but they always manage to pull out life-saving items in dire situations.

Commander Wang suddenly had a sudden realization: Comrade Xia might be such a master, descending from the heavens with divine troops to save Xiaoshan Island.

Xia Qianqian felt a little embarrassed by his gaze: "Commander Wang, you're too kind. It's all what I should do."

At this moment, Lu Zheng walked over. He knew that no matter how careful Xia Qianqian was today, Commander Wang would still notice something amiss, so he quickly came over and changed the subject.

"Commander Wang, the enemy will definitely come back tomorrow. They suffered a loss last time, and this time they're probably serious. We need to plan our defense in advance."

Commander Wang's smile froze instantly. He said in a deep voice, "You're right. We've seized so much of their equipment this time, which has definitely pushed them to the limit. Next time they come, they'll probably bring out all their heavy artillery and turn the small island into a sieve."

He looked up at the dark sea, as if he could see the outlines of enemy ships through the darkness: "They were trying to wear us down before, but now that they've lost patience, they'll definitely launch a fierce attack. We need to reinforce our bunkers, conserve our ammunition, and move the wounded... to a safer place."

Commander Wang had no time for pleasantries with Xia Qianqian. He called over the battalion and company commanders, and dragged Lu Zheng into the tent—the light from the lantern cast long shadows of the group.

The battle map was laid out on the wooden crate, and the rustling sound of a pencil scratching across the paper, mixed with the howling sea breeze, was exceptionally clear in the night.

Xia Qianqian gazed at the light shining from inside the tent, reaching to the horizon, knowing that this night was destined to be sleepless.

She quietly retreated behind the rocks, drew a line in the air with her fingertips, and slipped into the Peach Blossom Spring. An'an was lying in her little cradle, whimpering. As soon as she saw her, she stretched out her soft little hand and grabbed the hem of her clothes.

Xia Qianqian sat on a cushion, breastfeeding. The scent of milk mixed with the fragrance of peach blossoms temporarily diluted the smell of gunpowder. An'an had finished eating and was sleeping peacefully, her little head nestled against Xia Qianqian's chest.

When she came out again, Dr. Zhang was squatting on the ground pounding herbs, and the crushed Panax notoginseng in the stone mortar emitted a bitter fragrance.

Xia Qianqian rolled up her sleeves, mixed the crushed herbs in the correct proportions, and applied the hemostatic powder to the sterilized gauze.

Dr. Zhang looked up and saw her, then quickly lowered his voice and said, "Comrade Xia, why don't you go and rest for a while? We're here. An'an hasn't seen you all day, she must miss you."

Xia Qianqian's hands didn't stop moving, her fingertips brushing against the cool gauze, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes: "It's alright, I'll prepare some more first-aid kits. If a fight breaks out tomorrow, there will definitely be many wounded. An'an is very safe in Peach Blossom Spring, with the Wolf King watching over her."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Xia Qianqian, Dr. Zhang simply started pounding the pestle in the mortar, making a loud thumping sound, and his assistant also sped up his work.

Both of them were determined to work harder so that Xia Qianqian could have less toil.

In the middle of the night, Xia Qianqian and Doctor Zhang carried a lantern to inspect the wounded soldiers' camp. The tents were quiet, and the wounded soldiers were covered with soft cotton quilts, some with faint smiles on their lips.

Xia Qianqian squatted down and gently tucked the blanket around the young soldier with the broken leg. She touched his feverish forehead with her fingertips and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that his fever had subsided a bit. She then tiptoed out.

The lantern in the combat tent was still lit, its light leaking through the seams of the canvas like scattered silver.

Xia Qianqian rubbed her dry eyes and whispered to Doctor Zhang, "You two stay here tonight to watch over the medicine. I'm going back now and will come back first thing in the morning."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the secluded spot behind the reef, and with a thought, she entered the Peach Blossom Spring.

As soon as she stepped into Peach Blossom Spring, Xia Qianqian slumped onto the futon, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

But the sight before her made her burst out laughing: the wolf king had somehow jumped onto An'an's little cradle, its massive body curled up on the outside of the bed, its paws resting on the edge, like a dutiful guard.

An'an's little feet kicked the wolf king's nose, and her little hands gripped the wolf's tail fur, making the wolf king shake its head, but it dared not move an inch.

When Xia Qianqian came in, the wolf king's ears drooped, and he hummed twice in grievance, rubbing his head against her trouser leg as if he were complaining.

Xia Qianqian ran her fingertips down the wolf king's glossy mane and said softly, "You've worked hard these past few days. After this busy period, I'll stew the most fragrant meat bones for you, okay?"

The wolf king's ears perked up instantly, its tail tip swayed slightly, and it finally nodded in satisfaction.

It curled up again, its wolf eyes narrowed into slits, like a lazy big cat. Xia Qianqian watched this scene, a smile spreading from the corner of her mouth to her eyes: she knew that the wolf king truly loved An'an from the bottom of his heart.

She lay on the bed next to her, the fragrance of peach blossoms from the Peach Blossom Spring wafting in the evening breeze like a soft blanket covering her, and soon she drifted off to sleep.

With something on her mind, Xia Qianqian woke up exceptionally early.

I reached for my watch by the pillow and saw it was just past five o'clock.

An'an, who was beside her, just opened her eyes. Her dark, grape-like eyes stared at her, and she pursed her lips, making a soft humming sound.

Xia Qianqian quickly sat up and picked him up. While breastfeeding, An'an's little hands gripped the hem of her clothes, and his little mouth made sucking noises.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xia Qianqian gently stroked An'an's little nose with her fingertips: "An'an, be good, stay here and wait for Mommy, Mommy has to go out and protect the country."

She seemed to see An'an's little head nod slightly, his bright black eyes revealing a maturity beyond his years. Perhaps it was the unique space of Peach Blossom Spring that made him grow up faster than ordinary children?

Xia Qianqian had just stepped out of Peach Blossom Spring with questions in her mind when a sharp emergency assembly whistle pierced her eardrums like needles.

She gripped the strap of the medical kit tightly and rushed towards the wounded soldiers' camp: "Dr. Zhang! What happened?"

Dr. Zhang's white coat was still stained with herbal juice, and he spoke at a rapid pace, like a machine gun: "The enemy has launched a full-scale attack! This time they've really brought heavy artillery! Comrade Lu just ran over through the flames and told me to make sure you tell him—get back to Peach Blossom Spring and hide! These shells could plow the whole island, so you and An'an absolutely cannot get hurt!"

Before the words were even finished, a black and red trail of flame ripped through the morning mist, and the shell, trailing a sharp whistling sound as it tore through the air, hurtled straight toward the top of the wounded soldiers' camp tents!

"Watch out!" Doctor Zhang's face turned pale instantly. He rushed over and pushed Xia Qianqian into the crevice of the reef, using his back to hold her firmly in place.

Xia Qianqian's blood ran cold instantly. Her feet felt like they were nailed to a reef, and she couldn't move. Her eyes were fixed on the approaching shell, and she even forgot to breathe.

The whistling of artillery shells, the roars of soldiers, and Dr. Zhang's heavy breathing filled her ears; all the sounds swirled together and pounded against her eardrums.

boom--!

Amidst the billowing smoke, Lu Zheng, on the other side of the island, watched helplessly as the shell hurtled towards the wounded soldiers' camp, his heart instantly stopping.

His eyes were bloodshot, and a beast-like roar escaped his throat: "Qianqian!"

The figure that was just alive a moment ago, could it have been swallowed up by the smoke of gunpowder? Lu Zheng turned and rushed into the smoke, ignoring the arms of his comrades who were desperately pulling him back, his eyes only on the blasted ruins.

Just as he was about to break through the defenses, a hoarse yet clear voice, tinged with smoke and dust, suddenly pierced through the aftershocks of the artillery fire and entered his ears: "Lu Zheng, I'm alright!"

Lu Zheng abruptly stopped, his blood instantly returning to normal. He stiffly turned his head and saw Xia Qianqian helping Doctor Zhang to his feet from the smoke-filled crevice of the reef. Her hair was covered in pebbles, and her face was smeared with ash, but she waved vigorously at him, a smile of relief on her lips.

"Qianqian!" Lu Zheng's voice trembled, and his eyes instantly reddened. The despair he had felt earlier receded like the tide, leaving only the ecstatic joy of regaining what he had lost.

It's a miracle, it's simply a miracle.