Baiyun rushed over to check on the three of them.
They breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that they hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
Before she could say anything, Grandma Tiedan, with one hand on her hip and the other grabbing the sobbing, bruised and swollen Tiedan, blocked the gate of the courtyard with a menacing air.
Grandma Tiedan pointed at the triplets, spitting as she spoke, "You've gone too far! You three little brats! How dare you beat my Tiedan like this?! You bastards with no parents to teach you a lesson! I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents!"
As she spoke, she reached out to grab the little boy who was closest to her.
Bai Yun stepped in front of the triplets, spreading her arms to protect the children, her voice rising with anger, "Stop! What do you think you're doing?!"
Grandma Tiedan glared at her, "What are you still doing! You think you can just let it go after hitting someone?"
Da Bao, neck stiff and fearless, shouted, "He insulted us first! He said we don't have a mother! He said our mother was swept away by the water and fed to the fish! He deserves to be hit!"
Erbao and Xiaobao chimed in, "That's right! Auntie, it was Tiedan who started talking about our mom! He deserves to be hit!"
Upon hearing this, Baiyun's eyes instantly turned red with anger, and she abruptly turned to Grandma Tiedan, "Aunt Li! Listen to this! Is this what your grandson is saying?!"
"Did you teach them that?! My sister is missing, and you're all gossiping and cursing her behind her back?! The children are being corrupted by you!"
Zeng Chunlan rushed over upon hearing the commotion and, just in time to hear it, immediately pointed at Tie Dan's grandmother and scolded, "That's right! Granny Li! Have some decency! Xiao Guan did it for the factory and to save people! Now that the person hasn't been found yet, you two are spewing filth and cursing someone to death?! How shameless!"
Mei Dandan also joined in, her face full of disdain, "That's right! Look what you've turned Tiedan into! Such a sharp tongue at such a young age! He deserved to be beaten! He's just being a smart aleck and then he blames others for hitting him?"
Grandma Tiedan was bombarded with accusations from several military dependents, all of whom were capable—one was the director of the family committee, and the other was a military doctor. Her momentum immediately waned, but she didn't hold back her barbs:
"I...I didn't teach him! What does a child know! Besides...Guan Wenru has been in the river for days! No one's seen, neither alive nor dead...Can't people even tell the truth?! You..."
"Shut up!" Zeng Chunlan interrupted sharply. "What do you mean by telling the truth?! Xiao Guan just hasn't been found yet! Commander He and his troops are searching day and night!"
"If you dare spout nonsense here again, wait until Commander He returns, and he'll give your little Li a good talking-to! See if your little Li will be punished!"
He Yanzhi is the regimental commander, while Tie Dan's grandmother's son is only a deputy battalion commander.
So Zeng Chunlan's words hit Tie Dan's weak spot. A hint of fear flashed across her face, and she tugged at Tie Dan, who was still sobbing, with a fierce but weak expression.
Then he retreated, cursing, "Hmph! Fine! You outnumber me! I can't afford to mess with you! A bunch of bastards protecting their own! Tiedan, let's go! Let's get away from these motherless bastards! They're bad luck!"
After saying that, she grabbed Tie Dan and slunk away from the No. 1 courtyard.
As they walked away, the military dependents immediately gathered around to comfort the triplets.
Zeng Chunlan squatted down and wiped the dust off Da Bao's face, speaking softly, "Da Bao, be good, don't listen to that old woman's nonsense! Your mother is a hero, she'll definitely be alright! Maybe some kind person saved her and she's recovering from her injuries!"
Mei Dandan patted Erbao and Xiaobao's heads, "That's right! Erbao and Xiaobao, don't be afraid! Your mother is very lucky! Your father will definitely find her!"
The triplets listened to the comforting words, their lips trembling, and nodded, forcing back tears.
Zeng Chunlan stood up, pulled Baiyun aside, lowered her voice, and asked with a worried expression, "Baiyun, your brother-in-law... didn't come home to rest again last night, did he?"
Bai Yun gazed into the distance, her eyes reddening again. She nodded heavily, "Yes... I came back to see the three children, but didn't even eat before going out again..."
Upon hearing this, the military dependents around them exchanged glances and couldn't help but sigh heavily.
A silent worry and heaviness filled the air.
Is this person dead or alive?
......
At this moment, in a simple villager's home dozens of miles downstream, the lights were dim.
He Yanzhi and several other equally exhausted soldiers surrounded a dark-skinned old farmer.
He Yanzhi's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse and urgent as he pointed to a point on the map, "Fellow villager! Are you sure?! Around this location? Do you see two people? Holding a piece of wood? Can you make out if they're a woman and a child?!"
The old farmer nodded vigorously, gesturing, "I'm sure! The rain was lighter that night, so I went to the river to check on the flooded crops!"
Right there in that river bend! A thick log floated down into the white water! On it...on it looked like two figures were clinging to it! An adult was clinging tightly to the log, and on their back was a smaller figure...like a child!
The water was too strong and fast; it swept past in the blink of an eye! I couldn't see her face clearly, but judging from her figure and clothes… it looked like a woman with a child!
The battalion commander immediately looked at He Yanzhi, his voice carrying a glimmer of hope, "Regimental Commander! The timing matches up!"
He Yanzhi's heart pounded wildly, almost bursting out of his chest. He abruptly stood up, all fatigue vanishing. "Go! Get to that river bend immediately! Notify Team Two! Search along both banks downstream, focusing on that area! Hurry!"
The soldiers moved swiftly.
Despite their exhaustion from the past few days, He Yanzhi and the others braved the darkness and mud, trudging along towards the river bend the old farmer had pointed out!
...
Several hours later, the sky began to lighten.
On the rocky beach downstream of the turbulent river bend described by the old farmer, they found a huge piece of driftwood that had been washed ashore, half-buried in silt and weeds.
The battalion commander pointed at the driftwood and shouted, "Regimental commander! It's driftwood! It really is the kind of driftwood the villagers were talking about!"
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