Xu Xinghe did not continue into the town, but instead turned back to the military headquarters.
Instead of going directly to Jiang Linchuan, she first went to find Xiao Li, who was in charge of patrols at the military headquarters.
Xiao Li is quick-witted and reliable, and he is always willing to run errands for the families of military personnel.
"Xiao Li, I need to ask you for a favor." Xu Xinghe called Xiao Li to a secluded corner and lowered her voice, saying, "Find someone to keep an eye on Feng Qiushi and Teacher Shen in the village. No matter what they do, whether they go out, meet people, or anything else, follow them quietly and don't let them find out. If you hear anything, tell me immediately."
Xiao Li paused for a moment, then nodded. "Don't worry, Comrade Xu, I'll keep a close eye on them. Is there something wrong with them?"
"It's not certain yet, but their actions today are strange." Xu Xinghe didn't say much, only reminding him, "You must be careful and don't let them notice."
After arranging the surveillance, Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the courtyard.
On the other side, Feng Qiushi and Zhang Qiang had just returned home when they quickly closed the courtyard gate.
Feng Qiushi leaned against the door, his chest still heaving. "That was too close. Luckily you arrived in time, otherwise I would have definitely been exposed."
"Now you're scared?" Zhang Qiang frowned and handed her the cloth bag containing the medicine. "Xu Xinghe is so smart, she must have noticed something's wrong. For the next few days, let's not go out, and don't even think about going to town to see Shen An. Let's keep things calm first. If she finds out we're in contact with Shen An, we'll be in big trouble."
Feng Qiushi took the cloth bag and nodded.
She knew now was not the time to take risks, so she could only remain still and wait for things to calm down before trying to make contact.
As for Xu Mingli... he's a grown man, even if he's injured, he should be able to survive. He can't just starve to death, and he took so much money with him when he left.
Little did they know that Xu Mingli was huddled in a corner of the abandoned livestock shed, his stomach growling with hunger.
He waited for a day and a night, but Feng Qiushi did not appear. There was no food or even water available.
Even more tragically, he had no money and couldn't even afford to go out and buy something!
"Feng Qiushi! Zhang Qiang!" He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with venom. "It must be you two who colluded, thinking I was in the way, and deliberately didn't come to rescue me! You wait, if I get out of here alive, I'll definitely kill you two scoundrels!"
He struggled to his feet, the pain in his calves still lingering, but anger gave him the strength.
He looked at the pitch-black night outside the shed, determined to survive no matter what!
...
The next afternoon.
It was still a sunny and beautiful day.
Xu Xinghe was reading and taking notes. She had just written a few words when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
The sound of military boots hitting the ground was exceptionally clear, mixed with the soldiers' hushed shouts, "Quick! Secure the stretcher! Get him straight to the hospital!"
Hospital?
Has someone had an accident?
Xu Xinghe's heart tightened, and she put down her pen and quickly walked to the courtyard gate.
On the main road of the military headquarters, several soldiers in military green training uniforms were carefully carrying a simple stretcher. Under the military overcoat covering the stretcher, one could vaguely see legs wrapped in thick gauze, with dark red bloodstains already seeping into the edges of the gauze.
The soldiers, their faces filled with anxiety, hurried toward the hospital.
Many military wives came out to watch the spectacle, whispering amongst themselves.
"Isn't that Comrade Zhou Chengmu? How did he get injured like this?"
Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed Sister Li beside her, and asked, "Sister Li, what exactly happened? How did Comrade Zhou suddenly get injured?"
"It's all because of that big tiger on our mountain! I heard some villagers went to pick wild vegetables and saw a big tiger swaying at the foot of the mountain. They were so scared that they ran over to report it. The military was worried that the tiger might come down the mountain and hurt people, so they immediately sent Comrade Zhou with several soldiers to investigate. They also specifically notified all the villagers not to go up the mountain recently, but..."
She sighed deeply, "But some people just have to go up the mountain for a bite to eat. And look, they've run into danger. Comrade Zhou heard the commotion and, to distract the tiger, deliberately ran to the other side. But he lost his footing on the hillside, tumbled down, and broke his leg! Luckily, the tiger didn't catch up, otherwise he probably would have..."
Xu Xinghe kept her eyes fixed on the stretcher. Zhou Chengmu lay on it, his face as pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He was still giving instructions, "Don't worry about me... Mark the trail of the tiger first, and send two people to guard the entrance to the mountain. Make sure no one else gets close..."
"Sigh, Comrade Zhou is just too reckless!" Another military wife, her eyes a little red, chimed in, "He always came over to help fix all sorts of things before, but this time, he didn't even care about his own safety in order to save people."
Indeed... Zhou Chengmu is a good person.
Xu Xinghe still remembers that on his first night at the military headquarters, it was in the heated kang bed that he came to share.
He helped me several times afterward...
Xu Xinghe watched the stretcher being carried into the hospital gate, her heart heavy.
She turned to the military spouse beside her and said, "I'll go take a look."
Upon arriving at the hospital, the stretcher was hurriedly carried into the emergency room. Several soldiers from Zhou Chengmu's team quickly gathered at the door, their brows furrowed and their expressions anxious as they stared at the closed door.
Xu Xinghe stepped forward, gently patted a young soldier on the shoulder, and asked in a low voice, "Comrade, is Zhou Chengmu... seriously injured?"
The young soldier turned his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion, shook his head, and moved his lips, but no words came out.
When they were carrying the stretcher, he saw that the gauze on Zhou Chengmu's leg was soaked with blood. He was unsure of what to do, so he could only clench his fists and wait for news at the door.
Xu Xinghe didn't ask any further questions and stood silently to the side.
The hospital corridors were quiet, with only the occasional clanging of instruments coming from the emergency room and the suppressed breathing of the soldiers.
Looking at the slogan "Serve the People" hanging on the wall, she recalled Zhou Chengmu's usual taciturn nature, yet his constant willingness to take the lead. Her heart felt heavy, as if something was blocking it.
About an hour later, the emergency room door was finally pushed open.
A doctor in a white coat came out, took off his mask, and looked somewhat tired.
The soldiers at the door immediately surrounded them, bombarding them with questions.
"Doctor! How is Zhou Chengmu?"
"Is his leg alright?"
The doctor sighed, his voice tinged with helplessness. "The situation isn't good. It's a comminuted fracture of the left tibia. It's been immobilized now, and the recovery will depend on how well it goes. If you're lucky, with six months to a year of rest, you can recover about 70-80% and walk normally afterward. If the recovery isn't good, there might be long-term effects, such as leg pain on rainy days, or in severe cases, a limp."
"Aftereffects?" A soldier was stunned, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Then...can he still stay in the army?"
The doctor didn't say anything, he just patted him on the shoulder.
Everyone knew that the military had strict requirements for soldiers' physical condition, and if Zhou Chengmu was left with a limp, he would most likely have to be discharged.
“Sigh, Brother Zhou did this to save someone…” another soldier said in a low voice, his tone full of regret. “He’s been with us since he enlisted, for several years, and now he’s being discharged like this. He must be heartbroken. But the military should give him compensation and disability allowance, since he was injured while on a mission, and it was all to save someone.”
“What’s the use of compensation? He loved the army so much…” The young soldier’s eyes reddened, and he turned his head away.
Xu Xinghe stood to the side, listening to their words, and felt even worse.
She remembered how Zhou Chengmu used to wear his military uniform every day, and now, an accident might force him to leave the place he loved most.
At this moment, Jiang Linchuan came in from outside. Seeing the scene at the door, he first asked the doctor about Zhou Chengmu's condition, and then said to the soldiers, "Everyone, don't worry. The military will study the follow-up resettlement plan as soon as possible. We will definitely not let Comrade Zhou Chengmu suffer any injustice. Now, arrange for two people to take turns guarding him. The rest of you should return to your posts and not delay the patrol mission on the mountain."
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