"If anyone is injured, speak up, and we'll dig you out first!"
Then a few more weak cries rang out.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan didn't leave the space. They could hold out, so it wouldn't matter if they eventually had to leave. With nothing else to do, the four of them started making jerky. The space was full of ingredients, and they worked for hours without stopping.
It wasn't until dark, when they were tired, that Bi Qiaoan and An'an finally lay down on the bed to rest. Shen Yanming still had to "on duty," keeping an eye on the outside.
Four or five hours later, Shen Yanming heard voices coming and going "above" him.
"Here, here! There are many people buried under these ruins. Let's dig here!"
Shen Yanming jolted awake and quickly woke Bi Qiaoan and his two children. The family of four put on thick cotton-padded clothes and left the space.
When they went in, only Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan were there, so when four people came out at once, it almost caused a commotion. Shen Yanming quickly tucked in some construction debris to make room for his family of four.
Reaching out into the pitch-black space, she finally managed to find the smart bracelet, only to find it on backwards, as she and Bi Qiaoan had put it on incorrectly. However, the couple was unaware of this.
Shen Yanming took the bag out of his spatial storage and rubbed it on the ground a few times, making it dusty. Inside were dried meat and pills; he'd take the rest when he needed them.
The stove had gone out long ago because no firewood was added. The food I cooked at noon had frozen solid. It felt icy cold to the touch on my calves.
Shen Yanming, nestled at the bottom, felt his bones were ice-cold. Bi Qiaoan nestled beside him, her warm body pressed against him.
The family of four shivered from the cold and endured the cold for more than two hours before being dug out.
Liang Huaxin looked at the family of four with surprise and said with a smile, "You guys are all unharmed, not even scratched. Yanming, you're such a lucky charm."
Shen Yanming gave an awkward laugh and remained silent. His teeth were chattering, and he felt utterly lost.
"Alright, brother, hurry up and come help." Liang Huaxin patted Shen Yanming's arm and went to dig through the rubble.
Shen Yanming nodded and handed the backpack to Bi Qiaoan. Bi Qiaoan left with An'an and Nuan Nuan, and saw many people squatting in the tents nearby, shivering.
"Come on, sit down and warm yourself by the fire, it's so cold outside!"
"Are you injured? If you are, go to that tent and get it treated."
Bi Qiaoan glanced at it, thanked him, and walked over. Finding Su Sibin in charge, she quickly gave him the powder and pills from her bag.
"So many medicines! Joan, you're really amazing."
Bi Qiaoan smiled and explained, "Everything at home is categorized and placed within easy reach. I just grabbed this bag during the earthquake and got buried. Luckily, I'm alright. Thank you to the brothers and sisters in the security team for rescuing me."
Su Sibin smiled and took the gift, then shook his head: "You've thanked the wrong person. Many of our brothers were buried, and it was the D and C zones that came to help. If it weren't for them, the rescue mission would have had to be postponed."
Bi Qiaoan paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "You're right, we should thank them. Only when everyone in the base is of one mind can it develop better. We're all one family."
Su Sibin arranged for someone to distribute the medicine powder and pills, and Bi Qiaoan said goodbye and left. Then she moved among the tents, searching for Li Wanwan and Qin Yiren.
It didn't take much effort to find the two people inside a green tent. Both were injured, but not seriously. The two younger ones were quite frightened; the tear stains on their faces are still clearly visible.
"Little Egg, Little Red Bean, what's wrong? Let Auntie take a look!" Bi Qiaoan said, reaching out her hands. But the two little ones hid in their mother's arms and refused to show their faces.
She wasn't angry. She gently patted the backs of the two children and waited until they felt better before speaking to Li Wanwan and Qin Yiren.
"How is Ya Jing? Is she hurt?"
"It's alright, he was just a bit shaken. But my brother broke his leg, so my sister-in-law took the kids to the hospital to be with him."
"The hospital area didn't collapse?"
"No, but nobody really dares to stay inside. The conditions here are too poor, making it inconvenient to perform surgery. My sister-in-law had no choice but to go along."
Bi Qiaoan was startled and asked, "Are you seriously injured?"
"It's alright, but I'll definitely need to rest for a while."
"Then when Yanming is done with his work, we'll find some time to go see him."
Li Wanwan nodded: "Thank you, Sister Qiao An."
Bi Qiaoan smiled and discreetly left some food for the two of them. Then she left with An'an and Nuan'nuan; she still had to find Song Wenuan and Zeng Yiming.
Here, Shen Yanming stretched his limbs a bit before joining the rescue. Because he had rested well in the space, he had more energy than the others. He quickly took a leading position, and the group proceeded in an orderly manner.
When Bi Qiaoan returned, it was already past noon. She found Shen Yanming resting in the tent, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and she quickly came over to wipe them away.
"Are you hungry?" she asked softly.
Shen Yanming nodded almost imperceptibly. "I've already arranged for someone to do it. It'll be ready soon."
"How's the situation here? How many people are still missing?"
"There are only about twenty, they'll be rescued quickly. Fortunately, no one died, and the injured have all been taken to the hospital. Have you found Zeng Yiming and Song Wenuan?"
"Yes, they're all fine. Areas C and D were easy to rescue; many people joined the rescue team after being freed. Ming Mengguan is overseeing things there, and I heard that Wen Mengguan is leading people to find a new place to stay."
Looking at the devastation, Bi Qiaoan continued, "Rebuilding on the spot seems unlikely. It's so cold, everyone will suffer from the cold. Wen Mengguan's idea is to see if we can dig caves or dugouts outside."
Shen Yanming nodded: "That's good. Living outside will allow us to spread out, which will reduce the chances of injury should an earthquake or gas eruption occur."
"Who knows!" Bi Qiaoan pouted. "I don't know what happened today, there was a sudden earthquake. The whole sky was gray. Can you smell it? The air smells bad."
Shen Yanming hadn't really noticed this, and he laughed and said, "My nose isn't very sensitive."
Bi Qiaoan didn't dwell on the issue. Seeing the porridge stall not far away starting to distribute porridge, she quickly went up and got a bowl for Shen Yanming. She, An'an, and Nuannuan didn't want any; the three of them would just find a secluded spot to eat, there was no need to fight with others.
Shen Yanming was exhausted from working for so long. The piping hot porridge was brought to him, but it had already gone cold.
He finished his drink in one gulp and let out a satisfied burp. Seeing the worried look in his wife's eyes, he waved his hand and said, "Go eat with the kids. I'll rest for a bit, then I'll have to get back to work."
Bi Qiaoan nodded: "I'll go with the kids and see if there's anything we can do to help."
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