Xu Xinghe listened to Lin Hui's gentle comfort, but she didn't actually feel much guilt.
She knew very well that she had already avoided the charge of the mad horse, and Lin Hui's sudden rush was more like an unexpected accident than a necessary rescue.
But she didn't say anything, she just nodded slightly.
Regardless, Lin Hui was indeed injured while protecting her, and her concern for her was genuine. This sister-in-law is ultimately a good person.
She opened her mouth, about to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps pushing the door open.
Director Li walked in with a glass of warm water and carefully handed it to Lin Hui. "Huihui, drink slowly. It's freshly cooled, so it won't burn your mouth."
Lin Hui took the water glass, took a small sip, looked up at Xu Xinghe, and said with just the right amount of concern, "Xinghe, you brought food from home to the disaster relief site and then came back to see me. You must be exhausted after walking such a long way. Go back and rest. You don't need to stay here with me. I have Lao Li to look after me."
Xu Xinghe felt that she wouldn't be of much help if she stayed, so she didn't refuse and nodded, "Then I'll go first. If your wound hurts or you feel uncomfortable in any other way, please have someone call me."
"Okay, drive carefully." Lin Hui nodded with a smile and watched Xu Xinghe turn and leave.
Only after the door closed gently did the gentleness on her face fade, and a hint of calculation flashed in her eyes.
Xu Xinghe is simple-minded. As long as she maintains this so-called goodwill, she won't have any trouble getting the prescription out of him.
On the other side.
The mountain was finally safer after the rain stopped, and the risk of a secondary collapse was greatly reduced.
Political Commissar Wang, along with Jiang Linchuan and several experienced soldiers, trudged step by step through the slippery, sticky mud towards the source of the mudslide.
Before the torrential rains stopped, the mountain was at risk of landslides at any time, so we dared not approach it rashly. Now we can finally investigate the cause on-site and solve the problem at its root.
The mountain road was extremely difficult to traverse; the mud underfoot was covered with weeds, and one could easily slip if one was not careful.
As they pushed aside broken branches and tangled bushes, the scene became increasingly shocking the higher they climbed.
Various boulders were scattered haphazardly in the road, mud still clung to broken tree trunks, and the mountainside was eroded with jagged ravines, as if it had been gnawed by a giant beast.
"Political Commissar Wang, look here!" A soldier suddenly stopped and shouted, pointing to a wide open slope in front of him.
The crowd quickly surrounded them, and the moment their eyes fell upon him, their expressions all darkened.
On the once lush hillside, several large pits of varying depths had appeared, the soil on the pit walls still feeling fresh and damp, indicating that they had been dug out not long ago.
What's even more shocking is that, judging from the thick tree stumps remaining around, there were originally at least four old pine trees growing here.
These pine trees have extensive root systems, with their roots intertwined and deeply embedded in the soil, which are crucial for stabilizing the mountain. But now the trees are gone, and even their roots have been dug up! They were simply left aside without being taken away.
“Something’s not right.” Jiang Linchuan squatted down, touched the soil around the pit, and looked at the tree roots. “These marks are definitely not from natural collapse; they were deliberately cut down. And these pits around here are dug so deep and precisely, right in the weak points of the mountain. It’s obviously to damage the stability of the mountain.”
Commissar Wang frowned as he slowly walked along the landslide area, his sharp eyes scanning every corner.
Although the rain washed away most of the traces, some clues were still left in the crevices and depressions of the rocks.
A rusty saw blade fragment was stuck in a crack in the rock, several rocks showed obvious signs of being pried open on their edges, and there were scattered shovel marks on the ground—none of these were formed naturally.
These traces may seem insignificant on their own, but when put together, they point to a chilling conclusion!
Political Commissar Wang stood on a high point, looking down at the railway below, which had been ravaged by the mudslide, his face extremely grim.
He took a deep breath, his chest churning with suppressed anger, and said in a deep voice, word by word, "So this wasn't a natural disaster... it was a man-made one!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Linchuan and the others looked grim.
They initially thought the mudslide was just a natural disaster caused by continuous torrential rain, but all the evidence before them proved that it was deliberately caused by someone!
Cutting down old pine trees that stabilize the soil and digging up slopes to destroy their structure are all attempts to trigger mudslides during heavy rains. Their intentions are despicable!
"Who would do this?" a soldier couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Political Commissar Wang did not answer, his expression growing increasingly serious.
The ability to pinpoint the weak points in the mountain and to complete logging and excavation undetected during a torrential downpour suggests that they came prepared and are extremely familiar with the environment.
The mudslide happened to cut off the railway, trapping people who wanted to leave the area.
Who is the mastermind behind this trying to trap?
Could it be that they've trapped the General Headquarters?
If that's the case, then the scheme behind it is probably not simple!
He really couldn't think of any other possibility besides the General Headquarters.
"Immediately seal off this area and conduct a thorough search of all suspicious traces. Don't let any clue slip by!" Political Commissar Wang ordered in a deep voice. "In addition, closely monitor the movements of everyone in the town, especially the newcomers. Investigate them one by one and find the mastermind behind this!"
"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison, immediately scattering to carefully search the surrounding environment, leaving no detail unchecked.
The soldiers meticulously recorded and sealed away saw blade fragments, pry marks, and other evidence, striving to find more clues pointing to the mastermind behind it all.
Not far away, Jiang Linchuan greeted Political Commissar Wang, "Commissar, I'll go back and change my clothes first, and then go to town to assist with the investigation later."
Political Commissar Wang nodded in agreement, "Go ahead, be careful, and contact me immediately if anything happens."
Jiang Linchuan turned and descended the mountain, walking briskly towards the military headquarters along the still slippery mountain path.
Throughout the journey, he kept replaying the man-made conclusion in his mind, along with the vaguely emerging guess.
Could all of this be related to the prescription in Xu Xinghe's possession?
After a long time, he finally arrived at the military headquarters and went to the small courtyard.
Xu Xinghe was squatting by the edge of the medicinal herb field, carefully tending to the newly sprouted herbs.
The post-rain sunlight shone on her, giving her a soft glow.
"Xinghe," he called softly.
Xu Xinghe looked up, saw it was him, and immediately smiled, "You're back? Are you done with work?"
Jiang Linchuan walked to her side, his gaze sweeping over her neatly tended herb garden. "Not yet. I'll probably be very busy in the future and won't be able to visit you often."
Xu Xinghe shook her head nonchalantly, her small shovel still turning over the mud in her hand. "I know. The mudslide damaged the railway. Clearing the mud, repairing the tracks, and reinforcing the mountain will definitely take more than a day or two. You can go ahead and do your work without worrying about me."
She assumed his busy schedule stemmed solely from disaster relief, but to her surprise, Jiang Linchuan gently shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's not just about these things."
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