Chapter 334 Weird Parents
Xia Lili stood beside the newly opened mountain path, her eyes closely following the people descending one after another.
The sky was completely bright, and the gravel and dew on the mountain road were gleaming in the morning light.
Xia Lili looked at the people passing by her. She had to ensure that everyone could safely pass through this not-yet-completely stable path.
Most people moved forward cautiously with the assistance of the rescue team. Although the atmosphere was tense, it was full of hope that they would soon escape danger.
Right in the middle of the line, a little girl about thirteen years old with a ponytail was walking down cautiously.
Behind her followed a middle-aged man and woman, probably her parents, who kept whispering to her, "Hurry up, don't dawdle!" "Everyone else has walked far away, you're the slowest!"
The moment Xia Lili's eyes met that girl's, she suddenly felt dizzy.
The hallucination came unexpectedly.
Xia Lili "saw" the girl tremblingly clinging to a rock face as she climbed down. Her father pushed her impatiently, "You're so slow!"
The girl was startled, her right hand suddenly slipped, her left foot stepped on empty air, and she lost her balance instantly. She screamed and fell from the steep slope of nearly three meters high!
She fell heavily into the pile of rocks, and blood flowed from the back of her head.
Xia Lili suddenly came to her senses, her heart beating like a drum.
She immediately walked quickly towards the rescue team member Ah Le who was about to escort the next group of people, and whispered quickly:
"We'll reach the steep slope where we need to rappel down with a rope. You must hold the little girl in the pink coat and don't let her climb up by herself."
Although Ah Le was a little confused, he nodded immediately: "I understand, Consultant Xia."
Not long after, the team arrived at the steep slope of nearly 70 degrees.
Ah Le stepped forward and said gently to the girl, "Little girl, this section is quite dangerous. Let me carry you down."
Before the girl could respond, her mother rushed over and said in a sharp voice, "Why are you, a male team member, holding her?"
"She's already thirteen years old, a grown-up girl. How can she let a man hug her casually?"
Ah Le froze for a moment, and he withdrew his hand awkwardly, his face flushed.
Several people around also looked over, and the atmosphere became a little tense for a moment.
When Xia Lili offered to carry the little girl down the steep slope herself, the girl's mother immediately raised her voice: "Oh no, no! You're a woman, and you look so weak. How can I let you carry the child down the mountain? We can do it ourselves!"
The father also chimed in, but his tone was a little hesitant: "That's right, it's too much trouble for you... Let her crawl on her own. It's okay if she falls a few times. Children's bones are soft and they won't be broken!"
Xia Lili didn't give in. Her voice was steady but carried an undeniable force. "This slope is nearly vertical, and the gravel on the surface is loose. Even an adult would need the help of a rope. I can't allow anyone to pass through unprotected."
Seeing this, the mother hurriedly made up other excuses: "But she is shy! She doesn't like being hugged by people she doesn't know... right?" She pinched the girl's arm hard. The girl shrank back in pain and nodded timidly.
Xia Lili said no more. She took a single step forward, blocking the edge of the steep slope. She looked at the parents with a sharp gaze and said, "If you insist on letting her go through independently, please sign a voluntary waiver."
"Otherwise, according to safety regulations, I have the right to suspend your descent until I confirm that the method is safe."
Xia Lili's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.
The girl's parents were speechless and looked at each other.
In the stalemate, the girl suddenly whispered: "Mom... I'm a little scared of that road..."
"I am the safety consultant for this rescue. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone gets down the mountain safely." Xia Lili's eyes swept over the girl's slightly red arm, then looked at the extremely anxious expressions of the parents, and doubts gradually arose in her heart.
Their reluctance did not seem to be out of concern for their daughter, but rather out of an eagerness to let her take the risk alone.
Xia Lili said nothing more. She took a step forward, half-knelt down, and said to the girl gently but firmly, "Come, I'll carry you down. Let's hurry, everyone is still waiting."
She then turned around swiftly, facing the steep slope, half-knelt down, and motioned the girl to come up.
Under the complicated gazes of her parents, the girl finally lay carefully on Xia Lili's back.
A Le tied the girl and Xia Lili together with a safety belt to prevent the girl from falling.
Xia Lili adjusted her center of gravity, held the safety rope firmly with one hand, protected the girl's legs with the other hand, and descended steadily step by step.
The gravel on the steep slope occasionally rolled down, but Xia Lili's steps were always firm.
In just a minute or two, the two of them arrived safely at the bottom of the slope.
It was not until Xia Lili put the girl down and looked up at the parents who were still standing at the top of the slope that they saw a mixture of stubbornness and embarrassment on their faces. Finally, they began to descend one by one in silence.
No one was injured and no one was left behind.
As daylight brightened, the road leading to safety became visible at the end of the winding mountain path. Sighs of relief and low cheers echoed from the crowd.
However, Xia Lili did not feel at ease at all.
The precognitive vision of the little girl falling and the extremely anxious and obstructive attitude of her parents were like an icy thorn, piercing deep into her consciousness.
Xia Lili looked down at the girl in the pink coat who had been following closely beside her and asked softly, "What's your name?"
"Peng Yiyi." The girl raised her head and spoke in a low voice, with a hint of panic that had not yet faded, but also an instinctive dependence on Xia Lili.
"Yiyi, follow me, we will be safe soon." Xia Lili's tone was gentle but firm.
The next moment, she raised her head, and the tenderness in her eyes was instantly replaced by an unquestionable authority.
Xia Lili turned to the parents who were about to step forward to take the child away, and her voice was clear and strong enough for several nearby rescue team members to hear:
"According to safety regulations, I am directly responsible for the final downhill route. This section of the road has been assessed as extremely dangerous. All minors must be escorted one-on-one by a professional team member. Please cooperate and follow the other team members down in an orderly manner."
The girl's mother was immediately anxious: "What do you mean? I'm her mother, how can I harm her?"
"It's for absolute safety; that's the rule." Xia Lili didn't back down, her arms instinctively draped over Peng Yiyi in a protective gesture. "Captain Bai, please escort these two parents down the mountain. I'll take care of Yiyi myself."
Bai Ling understood immediately and stepped forward, his tone polite but uncompromising: "Please go this way. We will ensure the safety of everyone."
Without giving the parents a chance to argue, Xia Lili took Peng Yiyi's hand and joined the small group escorted by other team members.
Throughout the descent, she never took her eyes off the girl, ensuring she was always within reach of herself or Bai Ling.
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