Seeing Xu Xinghe's unyielding attitude, Lin Hui's anxiety was almost overflowing. She began to offer even more tempting terms, "Xinghe, think about it again! Lao Li and I have no children in this life. If you recognize me as your godmother, all our assets and connections will be yours! Lao Li has a lot of influence in the General Staff Headquarters. Whatever research you want to do or whatever resources you need, we can help you get them!"
She believed that money and connections could always win people over.
Little did they know that Xu Xinghe was once the daughter of Shanghai's richest man, and what kind of wealth and luxury hadn't she seen?
The wealth that Lin Hui mentioned was nothing more than insignificant material possessions in her eyes, not worth being moved by at all.
“Sister-in-law, I don’t care about money or connections.” Xu Xinghe’s tone remained calm. “I just want to quietly grow my herbs and study my medical skills. I don’t want to get involved in too many things.”
Lin Hui wanted to say something more, but looking at Xu Xinghe's calm eyes, she swallowed her words.
She suddenly realized that this seemingly delicate girl had a strong sense of resilience and independent thinking.
All the temptations I offered were like punches landing on cotton in front of her.
As Xu Xinghe watched her increasingly anxious expression, her discomfort grew stronger.
Lin Hui's enthusiasm was too deliberate. From secretly touching her medicinal herbs before to now desperately trying to claim kinship and throwing out all sorts of conditions, the whole process reeked of being eager for quick success and instant benefits.
She disliked this feeling very much.
If Lin Hui weren't Director Li's wife, she probably would have already suspected that he had ulterior motives.
But for someone of Director Li's rank, the background check on his wife must have been very thorough.
Moreover, the two have been married for so many years, Lin Hui is probably a good person, otherwise she would have been arrested long ago.
"Sister-in-law." Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe stood up, her words clearly implying that she was being asked to leave. "I appreciate your kindness, but the matter of recognizing relatives is really not possible. If you have nothing else to do, I still need to organize my notes on medicinal herbs, so I won't entertain you any longer."
Lin Hui was both angry and anxious, but she still suppressed it, "Then...then I won't force you. Think it over carefully, and come to me anytime when you've figured it out."
After saying that, she turned and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
As she reached the alley entrance, Lin Hui glanced back at Xu Xinghe, a ruthless glint in her eyes.
If the gentle approach doesn't work, it seems we'll have to think of another way!
Not long after Lin Hui left, the sky suddenly changed.
The clouds, which had been carrying a faint glimmer of light, were swallowed by darkness, and a howling wind swept in.
Immediately afterwards, large raindrops began to fall without warning, quickly turning into a torrential downpour.
The rain pounded on the roof and awning with a deafening roar, as if it were about to flood the entire military headquarters.
Xu Xinghe walked to the window, looking at the world outside shrouded in torrential rain, her brows furrowed tightly.
The rain came suddenly and violently, which would definitely affect the railway repair and mountain reinforcement work. She couldn't help but worry about the safety of Lian Xiao and the soldiers.
In such terrible weather, they are still working on the mountain. Won't they encounter any danger?
The sound of the rain was like a drum, dull and persistent.
Xu Xinghe was already somewhat tired, and amidst the monotonous and loud sound of the rain, she slowly began to feel sleepy.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until she finally drifted off to sleep.
At the scene of the mudslide, soldiers are braving the rain to reinforce the mountainside.
They were soaked in rain and sweat, their trousers and shoes covered in mud, but they all gritted their teeth and persevered.
He kept swinging the shovel and hammer, wanting only to stabilize the slope as quickly as possible and prevent a secondary landslide.
The dense curtain of rain blocked our view, and the mud beneath our feet became even wetter and stickier.
A young soldier was stacking sandbags at the edge of a slope when his foot suddenly slipped, and he fell backward uncontrollably.
He was startled and instinctively reached out to grab the grass roots beside him, but the grass roots, soaked by the rain, were already loose and could not support his weight at all, breaking off with a snap.
"Ah!" A short cry of surprise was swallowed by the torrential rain.
The soldier's body slid rapidly down the slippery slope, scraped by pebbles and branches along the way, but he couldn't stop at all.
Bang!
His head slammed heavily against a protruding, sharp rock, and blood gushed out instantly, staining the surrounding mud red.
The torrential rain continued to pour down, washing away the bloodstains on the hillside and obscuring the sudden tragedy.
The surrounding soldiers were all focused on their work, and the rain was so loud that no one noticed his situation.
More than half an hour later, a soldier went down the slope to retrieve tools and found the already cold body next to the rocks.
The soldier screamed in anguish, "Help! Someone's in trouble!"
When their comrades nearby heard the news and rushed over, they were all stunned by what they saw.
The young soldier's eyes were still open, blood seeping from the wound on his forehead, but his body was already stiff and lifeless.
The rain pelted his cold face, as if mourning this young life.
"Quick! Report this to Political Commissar Wang!" someone shouted hoarsely, realizing what was happening.
The two soldiers immediately responded and, braving the torrential rain, sprinted down the mountain towards the temporary command post.
The muddy mountain road was slippery and difficult to walk on. They almost fell several times, but dared not stop for even a moment.
At this moment, Political Commissar Wang was organizing the investigation report at the command post. His desk was covered with dense notes and interrogation records of the suspects, and smoke swirled around his nose.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door to the command post was kicked open.
Two soldiers covered in mud stumbled in, rain streaming down their hair and clothes.
"Political Commissar Wang! Something's happened! On the mountain... a comrade has slipped and fallen!"
Commissar Wang suddenly stood up, and the pen in his hand fell to the paper with a thud, the ink spreading into a black stain.
His face was grave. He grabbed his raincoat, threw it on haphazardly, and strode towards the door. "Let's go!"
The torrential rain lashed at him, instantly soaking his cheeks and collar.
Two soldiers carried him and ran frantically towards the scene of the accident on the mountain.
The mountain road was more difficult to travel than expected. Mud filled our shoes, and the torrential rain blurred our vision. We could only rely on the soldiers' directions and vague outlines to find our way.
Finally, they arrived at the scene.
Several soldiers stood around the rocks, their expressions filled with grief.
When they saw Political Commissar Wang arrive, they all stepped aside to make way.
When that young body came into view, Political Commissar Wang stopped abruptly, his eyes instantly reddening.
The young soldier huddled by the rocks, his face still bearing a trace of childishness.
He had been in the army for less than a year and was not even twenty years old yet.
Political Commissar Wang slowly squatted down, extended his trembling hand, and gently closed the soldier's eyes.
He sees this scene several times a year.
Mudslides, flash floods... every time a natural disaster strikes, they can only rely on manpower to carry out rescue, reinforcement, and protection.
Without advanced equipment or convenient tools, they could only build a defense line with their own flesh and blood.
Accidents are always inevitable, but every time he sees a young life slip away like this, his heart is still breaking.
But for the safety of more people, and for the sake of ordinary people living in peace, they had no choice.
This is the belief that has sustained Political Commissar Wang for many years.
Rainwater slid down his cheeks, indistinguishable from tears.
He wiped his face, stood up, and his tone returned to its usual calm, "Leave this to me. You all go back to work and reinforce the mountain according to the original plan. We absolutely cannot allow another mudslide to occur!"
His gaze swept across each young face, and he emphasized, "Everyone, pay attention! Make sure every step is firm and every movement is careful! From now on, form groups of three and watch out for each other. I don't want to see anyone else get into trouble, do you all understand?"
"We heard you!" the soldiers responded in unison, their voices filled with suppressed grief, yet still resolute.
They gave a standard military salute to their fallen comrades, then turned around and threw themselves back into the reinforcement work amidst the raging wind and rain.
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