Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Even if I sacrifice my life, it is difficult to save
The lingering emotions and the tangled and helpless feelings all dissipated with Pei Zhiji's light cough.
In her delight, Lu Suizhu said to Wu Lianjin, who was filled with deep affection, "My cousin treats me very well, and I feel relaxed and happy when I am with you, but I can't..."
Before he finished speaking, Wu Lianjin feigned a light laugh and said, "It's okay, cousin, you can take your time to think about it. You don't have to respond to me right away. I can wait."
He pursed his lips dejectedly and planned to go to the silk shop in the rain. Lu Suizhu held an umbrella and saw him out.
The rain was almost up to the calves. The situation was so severe in the sunken houses on high ground, and the situation would be even worse in the low-lying areas. There was a river in front, and because it was convenient for irrigation, many villagers had their fields planted along the river and settled down here.
Due to the continuous heavy rain for several days, the originally clear river water has turned muddy and yellow, and the low earthen houses are half flooded. With the naked eye, you can see the floating branches and broken tiles in the rushing water, and the rolling rocks.
"Ah, come! Someone come quickly, Xiaoyuanzi, Hu Ni, Fuman, Caicai was washed away by the water!"
Someone on the river bank shouted for help.
"They were just playing peacefully a moment ago. What a disaster! Their parents are so careless."
All the people in the county who could swim had gone to help County Magistrate Shen build the dam, leaving only the elderly, women and children here.
When something happened, everyone was busy calling for help. Xiao Yuanzi and Fuman's parents also rushed over in a panic. Seeing their children being washed farther and farther away by the water, they felt very disappointed. Their lips trembled and they turned around like a headless fly.
Yuanzi's father took off his short undershirt and was about to dive into the water, but was stopped by the villagers: "Yuanzi's father, you are a landlubber. It's useless even if you jump in."
The crying was so miserable that Yuanzi's father's tears and snot were twisted together. He held his head and cried on the ground, beating his head: "Wow, what should I do? This is our only daughter. If her mother knew, I'm afraid she would be in trouble."
There were two boys and two girls floating in the water. They looked about the same age, their bodies rising and falling. They were getting closer and closer to the raging river, drinking mouthfuls of dirty muddy water.
The scene before her was so terrifying that her pupils dilated. She took off her coat and ran into the muddy and sandy rapids in front of her.
There was only one thought in my mind: I must save them and not let them become orphans without parents.
"That must be the daughter of County Magistrate Shen. That's great, that's great. She can swim and the child can be saved." The villagers bowed and cried as if they had met a fairy. Those who had enough strength broke off some thick branches in the shallow water in case of emergency.
When you first go down, the water is just above your knees and you can still move forward with difficulty. But when it reaches your chest, the water flow becomes uneven and the headwind is so great that you have to paddle hard and avoid scattered debris, driftwood and iron plates.
She gasped with difficulty, rescued Xiao Yuanzi, and carried her to the shallow water. The villagers all helped to rescue her.
After sending Hu Ni back and then turning back again, her wet clothes became heavier and heavier. The rain hitting her body was like falling stones, smashing her bones all over her body. Lu Suizhu gritted her teeth and moved forward, and finally sent Hu Ni to his parents.
After going back and forth, their physical strength was exhausted. The river was rushing fast, and the originally shallow water area was no longer above the knees. Everyone had no choice but to retreat.
When Lu Suizhu held Cai Cai, her eyes were already out of focus and her arms were weak and twitching severely. Her parents cried and thanked her, and knelt down in front of Lu Suizhu.
She gasped for breath, her chest felt heavy, but she didn't even have the strength to wave her hands. Her calves were numb and almost numb, but she could still feel the surging white waves splashing against her back.
"It's over! Fuman was washed into the river. Damn it! This is the end!"
The terrain was originally low-lying, and the incessant heavy rain completely connected it to the river. Fuman was pushed up by the rapids and then fell heavily. He could not hear any cries for help and was not sure whether he was alive or dead.
"Miss Shen, please save Fuman, he is only six years old." Fuman's mother almost fainted from crying. She knelt down, held Lu Suizhu's hand, and kowtowed and begged over and over again.
"Fuman's mother, please get up quickly. We know you're feeling bad, but the water is really too deep to save us. Soon this place will be flooded too."
Six years old, she was only six years old. Lu Suizhu swallowed her dry saliva, turned around expressionlessly, supported herself with her knees, and poured her legs into the water. The crazy water was like a death spell, raging and arrogant. She felt colder and colder as she walked, and Fuman was getting farther and farther away.
She can hardly see it from so far away...
Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm from behind.
Pei Zhiji had just recovered from a serious illness and had walked such a long distance by water, so he had little strength in his hands. But this made it impossible for the exhausted Lu Suizhu to struggle.
She turned her head and calmly pried open Pei Zhiji's hand that was holding her forearm, muttering, "I'm going to save Fuman, save Fuman."
The river water ahead was high enough to cover an adult's head. Pei Zhiji grabbed her tightly and refused to let go: "Fuman is already beyond saving. If you go there now, you will die. Come back with me."
Both of them were soaked, their vision blocked by the heavy rain, the ground was gray and hazy, the rapids were swaying under their feet, and every time they spoke at the top of their lungs, a steady stream of water flowed from the corners of their mouths into their throats.
Lu Suizhu didn't know how many times she swallowed the rain, she was already choking with sobs as she shouted: "She is only six years old, she is so young, if she is washed away by the flood or sold to a brothel, how will she survive!" The wet hair was wrapped around her face, and her fan-like eyelashes were full of moisture.
Pei Zhiji no longer tried to reason with her. He bent down slightly, took her arm, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
Their heartbeats collided, and he felt her fear and uneasiness. In the wind and rain, the man's tall body held her tightly, their skin pressed against each other so tightly that it was airtight.
Pei Zhiji's chest was beating strongly, and he placed his hand on the back of her neck: "You've done very well. You saved the lives of three children. Not only will they not be separated from their parents, but they will all grow up well in the future. They will have good studies, good families, and they will all live a stable and happy life in the future."
He put his arm around Lu Suizhu's shoulders and said with all his strength, "Fuman is too far away from us. You and I are both good swimmers. We know that in this situation, even if we sacrifice our lives, it would be difficult to save him. You have already done your best."
The man's body blocked some of the wind and rain, and his voice as cold as jade hit her heart like an echo in a valley. Lu Suizhu finally closed her eyes, and her quiet hands slowly climbed up Pei Zhiji's spine. She grabbed the fabric on his back tighter and tighter, and rested her forehead on his chest, suppressing her sobs.
"Cry, I'm right here with you."
Pei Zhiji has investigated her life experience more than once, and today he witnessed it with his own eyes, which made him feel even more heartbroken. What if he had not come today and had seen her cold and lifeless corpse?
The villagers had all moved away from the high places and had no time to pay attention to the two people hugging each other in the water. Pei Zhiji put his half-wet coat on Lu Suizhu and half-carried and half-supported her to the shore.
Seeing the two people behaving intimately, Suo Ye was a little dazed, until Pei Zhiji ordered him to send Miss Shen home safely, then he came to his senses and obeyed the order.
Then Pei Zhiji turned around and instructed: "I'll go to the surrounding area to inspect the water situation. Let Suo Ye take you back first. Don't think too much." While speaking, his left hand was behind his back. When he pulled it just now, blood came out on the palm of his hand again.
At night, Lu Suizhu drank the ginger soup that Lin Yan had prepared to dispel the cold and took a hot bath, and only then did she feel a little warmer.
The room was filled with eggs, rice, and homemade white flour buns sent by the villagers in the afternoon. The child's parents thanked her profusely, saying that she was a hero who was as good as any man. As soon as the rain stopped, everyone worked together to present her with a plaque.
She still leaned against the window feeling somewhat lonely, and felt a lingering feeling in her heart. She wondered how nice it would be if she could be closer to Fuman today.
In the dim light, Lin Yan was mending clothes. She suddenly asked, "Mom, you and Dad have been looking for me all these years, but have you ever thought that maybe I drowned in that flood a long time ago?
Lin Yan put down her needlework and said, "I've never thought about it this way. As long as my parents have it in their hearts, I will live forever."
The little yellow dog barked a few times, and Lu Suizhu, who was originally leaning against the window, suddenly ran out. Lin Yan, holding the needle and thread in her hand, sighed silently behind him.
After a while, Lin Yan knocked on the door and came in, saying to Pei Zhiji: "I took a set of the master's clothes, all freshly washed. If you don't mind, you can use them as a change of clothes."
"Thank you, Madam Shen. I'm sorry for causing trouble to you and County Magistrate Shen these days." Pei Zhiji took the clothes and nodded in thanks.
"Fang Dian has boiled some hot water. I'll ask her to bring it in later so you can take a bath to ward off the cold after a busy day. You are about the same age as my nephew. You are so extraordinary at such a young age. There must be many girls who are attracted to you. My family must have arranged a marriage for you a long time ago." Lin Yan asked tentatively.
Fang Dian happened to come in with hot water, and since she didn't want to repeat the interrupted conversation, she left.
Shen Yan knew what Lian Jin was thinking. She would be happy if he and Wen Jia could really get married, but she couldn't fully understand Wen Jia's thoughts.
"Don't mind what my mother said." Lu Suizhu lit a few candles with her hands. The rain outside was getting lighter and the moon finally shone with some hazy light.
Pei Zhiji was completely soaked and exuding a cool feeling, obviously having been running around outside all day. He replied, "They truly love you, so why would I mind?"
"How is your injury? Does it still hurt?" Lu Suizhu pulled his hand over to look at it. The wound had been re-bandaged, and it didn't look so scary without blood.
Seeing him standing in front of her alive at this moment, Lu Suizhu still felt a little dazed as if she was drunk and didn't know where the sky was. Her nose was sore and she almost couldn't help but tear up again.
"Life and death are determined by fate. Even if I do die one day, I'm prepared. There's no need to overthink..."
Pei Zhiji held one hand behind his back with a serious look on his face. As he was talking, a bitter medicine was suddenly stuffed into his mouth. He chewed it and swallowed it directly. In the end, he even laughed at himself. The taste was a bit like Coptis chinensis.
But Lu Suizhu had already been angered and left by him.
Late at night, he was working on his writing, with the local customs and maps of the five southeastern counties at hand. He kept revising his water control plan, and stayed awake all night despite the wind and rain.
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