When it came to serious matters, Qin Yinzhu returned to her usual demeanor.

"As you can see, the lightly injured are alright. Some of them can walk without any problems. If people around them pay more attention and lend a hand on particularly steep or slippery places, there shouldn't be any major issues."

However, as you can see, that's only a small portion. The others all have leg injuries to varying degrees, and this is downhill. Whether it's a splint or a simple bandage, treated wounds are not suitable for this kind of bumpy collision, because it's not worth causing secondary injury.

Therefore, carrying it on your back is not suitable.

These wounded soldiers need to be stable, so the only suitable method left for safely descending the mountain is the most primitive one: using stretchers, with two people carrying each wounded soldier.

Qin Qinghuai sighed.

"I thought of that too; there really is no shortcut."

"Forget about shortcuts, just this mountain road, it would be a good thing if they could all be safely escorted back. There have been a lot of people and noise around here these past few days. Let me tell you, last night, right behind this house, I heard noises coming from the woods."

"Uh, why didn't you tell me?"

Simple was in the kitchen and didn't hear it at all, otherwise, she might have added another dish.

Just thinking about it, it's a bit hard to put into words, so Qin Yinzhu simply waved her hand.

"Never mind, it's the middle of the night. Knowing there are so many of you here, I'm not that scared. It's just that the sudden noise is a bit creepy. I just wanted to tell you about this so you don't take it lightly. This mountain isn't safe either."

"Dr. Qin, you underestimate me too much. Otherwise, where do you think that pig's trotter you were gnawing on came from? Tsk tsk!"

"Get lost! You just want me to praise your skills and daring, don't you!"

After several days on the mountain, the excavation work was nearing its end.

Such a major accident inevitably brings some regrets and pain. Even though Jian Dan and Qin Yinzhu were just joking around to lighten the mood, everyone fell silent when they saw the twenty corpses neatly laid out.

Human life is sacred, yet it is also something that leaves us helpless.

They could imagine the devastation and despair of the families down the mountain upon hearing this devastating news. With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, this tragedy was a catastrophe for both adults and children.

Jian Dan stood with several medical staff members, looking at this solemn scene, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. These people were fathers, husbands, sons, the pillars of their families, and their parents, wives, and children were surely waiting for them to come home and reunite with their families.

If they had known this devastating news, it would have been like the sky falling down for them.

Even a grown man like Dr. Li felt a heavy weight in his heart, and even kicked at the snow with some irritation.

"What kind of trouble is this? We were finally getting a little better, and then this happens. Is there no end to this?"

Doctor Qin turned around and glared at him, which made him shut up indignantly and turn to kick the tree behind him.

After the accident, they were busy rescuing people. With limited manpower and a race against time, the investigation was not their top priority.

However, while the rescue efforts are underway, almost the entire scene has been excavated, and the situation is now fully clear. It is likely that the cause of the accident will soon be revealed. Regardless of the reason, these lives are gone forever.

Although there were wounded on the return trip, there were many people, and going downhill was much less strenuous. We also didn't encounter any wild animals, so it was much faster than before.

Political Commissar Qin Qinghuai had to go back to make arrangements for the follow-up, so he went down early, leaving people to guard the area and clean up the mess. Jian Dan was the last group of people to go down the mountain with Regiment Commander Lin.

The closer she got to the foot of the mountain, the more uncomfortable she felt. Her longing to return home was not the case at all. Just thinking about her family members made her feel weak and her legs heavy.

Commander Lin was even more so; the guilt in his eyes was almost tangible, and he could barely lift his feet.

The family compound here was indeed in complete chaos, just as they had imagined.

The families of the deceased workers were devastated; the elderly, women, and children wept uncontrollably.

There was definitely a lot of sadness, but there was also a lot of uncertainty and worry about the future. After all, they came here because of this man, their son, their husband, and their father. Now that he was gone, would they be kicked out? Where could they go?

Compared to this, the families of those who survived, regardless of whether they were slightly or seriously injured, felt extremely fortunate. They didn't cry, make a fuss, or feel embarrassed to cause trouble.

Qin Qinghuai and the logistics and women's federation comrades were maintaining order at the scene. The family members of the management committee were also busy. Jiang Ping and some aunts and sisters-in-law, as well as the neighbors of these family members, were all trying to persuade them. In the dead of winter, many of them were covered in sweat.

Commander Lin's forehead veins were bulging, and the bloodshot in his eyes never subsided. Jian Dan sighed slightly; this man was definitely taking all the blame upon himself again.

"Commander, the cause of the accident hasn't been determined yet. Now is not the time to grieve. The families are panicking and losing their minds because their pillar of support has been lost. Now is the time to calm them down. Shouldn't we be considering the funeral arrangements for these people and the subsequent arrangements for their families, and give them some peace of mind?"

This isn't just a logistical issue. Regardless of whether Qin Qinghuai is in charge or not, Commander Lin, being the bastard he is, couldn't possibly ignore something this big.

"Yes, yes, let me think about what's next. We need to make sure they're settled in properly."

The original intention of recruiting these veterans was to provide them with a job. They should have been mentally prepared for this when they chose to be absent, but no one wanted it to happen. Now that it has happened, they still can't accept it.

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