The lights, buildings, and night are all swaying in front of the window. Certain past events passed through her mind like a wisp of smoke.
Over the years, she couldn't help but think of him, and even tried hard to remember that person's outline, voice and smile.
But eventually, the memory slowly fades away. Many of the scenes that left a deep impression on her gradually became blurred.
Especially after she decided to be with Chen Muyun, she didn't allow herself to think about that person anymore. Even if I think of it occasionally, I just put it behind my mind and ignore it.
That was six years ago, she was only seventeen years old and in her second year of high school.
During the summer vacation, she followed her parents back to Yuan County and lived in her hometown in the countryside. It rained very heavily that year, but it happened every summer and everyone seemed to be used to it.
Provincial and county television stations often report where floods have hit, how many houses have been destroyed, and how the troops are carrying out rescue operations.
Ruan Qingqing, who stayed at home studying all day, always felt that these things were very far away from her.
Until one day, her parents went to visit relatives and friends with their elders early in the morning, and she was left alone in the old house to study.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, rumbling as if it was going to tear the sky apart. Faintly, she heard shouting outside.
She felt something was wrong and walked to the door, only to find that the river at the entrance of the village was almost rising to the door of her house. Her face turned pale immediately and she went back to the house to call her parents.
Her parents were in another village more than ten miles away and were also very panicked. Her mother cried and repeatedly told her to stay in the house and not run around, and they would find a way to come back and rescue her immediately.
When her mother wasn't paying attention, her father secretly told her: If the situation doesn't go well, take your cell phone, food and water and run to the top of the mountain.
For a high school girl who had never experienced anything, escaping and surviving the flood alone seemed like a bizarre mission from another world.
However, after a brief panic, Ruan Qingqing began to pack her things quickly. She only carried a small bag containing food, water, a flashlight and clothes.
Suddenly the power went out. She stood at the dark window, looking at the water just a few meters away from her doorstep and the rain falling.
She made up her mind that if the rain didn't stop and the water level rose another meter, she would not wait for her parents or rescuers and would run up the mountain. She had heard that the flood was rising very fast.
When the water level was about to reach the warning line in her heart, several eye-catching red speedboats appeared in the river like divine soldiers.
In the heavy rain, the soldiers held loud trumpets and shouted hoarsely, calling the villagers to get on the boats, and went door to door to confirm.
Looking at another house not far away, I saw a woman holding a child who was rescued and put on the boat by soldiers.
Ruan Qingqing's tears welled up, and she rushed out of the room, standing in the surging muddy water. She jumped up and shouted, "I'm here! Uncle PLA soldiers, save me! Save me!"
A speedboat quickly turned and headed towards her. There was only one person on the boat, sailing against the current, braving the wind and waves, and coming to her.
Ruan Qingqing was already in tears. She wiped her face and raised her head. The man stood up. His tall figure seemed to be able to block all the wind and rain. His thin waistline showed the uprightness of a young man. He bent forward and stretched out a hand to her.
His face was extremely dirty. Ruan Qingqing only caught a glimpse of his eyes, which were very bright and inexplicably reminded her of the cold light on the tip of a knife. He said, "Don't be afraid, get on board."
Ruan Qingqing handed her hand to him, but the boat was shaking, the water was rushing, it was dark, and everyone was frightened. Her legs went weak and she almost fell, but he quickly grabbed her and almost carried her into the boat and placed her at his feet.
Ruan Qingqing wanted to cry again and subconsciously grabbed his trouser leg.
He asked loudly, "Is there anyone else in the room?"
"No! I'm the only one here, no one else is home!"
Perhaps she pulled too hard, he lowered his head and glanced, said nothing, turned around and drove the boat out.
After a while, Ruan Qingqing quietly loosened his trouser legs, looked at the red boats on the water, as well as the camouflaged figures like him, with inexplicable emotions churning in his heart. Silent, but profound.
The cell phone signal was not good and she couldn't make a call. Ruan Qingqing tried several times and finally succeeded in sending a text message to tell her parents that she was fine and had been rescued by soldiers, and asked them not to come back.
After a while, she received a text message from her father: they were also safe, and asked her to follow the soldiers, not to run around, and to contact him again when she got to a safe place.
Ruan Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't dare to move. She sat like a wooden stake, watching the soldier calmly control the boat and sail through the river.
Only then did she realize that he looked to be in his early twenties at most, with a short buzz cut, a full forehead, a high nose bridge, and a straight neck.
She actually called him uncle just now.
Ruan Qingqing wanted to thank him, but the boat shook violently. Ruan Qingqing screamed and subconsciously grabbed his clothes.
The boat was not big to begin with, and she almost hung on him. Ruan Qingqing didn't know what he was thinking, whether he would think this girl was too troublesome.
He just let her hold him, controlling the balance and direction with an expressionless face. It seemed as if all the attention was focused on it.
After a while, he put down one hand and held her loosely to protect her.
Ruan Qingqing suddenly felt safer and buried her face deeply in the camouflage. The thick cloth rubbed against her face, and she could smell his wet breath, which made her feel at ease.
After a while, the shaking finally became less severe. Ruan Qingqing still held his waist, carefully raised her head and looked around.
His hand moved away.
The rain became lighter, the noises around me died down, and the sky seemed to grow a little brighter.
He, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up, with a helpless smile in his voice: "Are you so scared? You're about to break the PLA uncle's waist."
Ruan Qingqing was embarrassed and grateful. She quickly let go of him, shrank back, and thanked him repeatedly.
Then I thought, you look only four or five years older than me, how can you be a PLA uncle?
He finally turned around and looked her in the eye for the first time since she got on board. Heroic eyebrows and eyes.
He said, "Don't worry, there's no way the boat I'm driving could capsize. Even if it does capsize, I can still rescue you."
…
That night, Ruan Qingqing boarded his rescue boat at 10:30 p.m.
Later, his boat never encountered anyone else who needed rescue. Later, when the water level increased, they stayed on a slope for shelter.
The two of them stayed together in the dark, shaking, cold boat for almost five hours.
At around 3 a.m., he finally completed the search and rescue mission and sent her to a temporary shelter. All the disaster victims from nearby villages were sent there.
Ruan Qingqing was very lucky. She saw her parents waiting eagerly in the crowd at a glance. She jumped off the boat and threw herself into their arms.
After they exchanged a few words of excitement and fear, she suddenly came to her senses and looked back. In the vast night and water, there was no trace of his boat or his people.
Later she heard that the troops rushed to the next disaster site for rescue without stopping overnight. Later, no one ever saw the people's soldiers who rescued them again.
——
The lights are coming on.
As soon as Ruan Qingqing got off the bus, she saw a tall and thin figure standing next to the bus stop. He was wearing a black windbreaker, his hair was cut very short, he had fair skin, delicate features, and a sharp gaze.
When she came closer, he just looked at her and smiled. When Ruan Qingqing came up to him, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
Ruan Qingqing struggled for a while, but failed to break free, so she stopped struggling.
Chen Muyun pinched her face, bent down and kissed her, and said, "Thank you for running over here."
Ruan Qingqing: "You have to go to work, so of course I'll come over."
She answered as a matter of course, and Chen Muyun's smile deepened. He took her hand and walked into the quiet and bright night.
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