Zhao Jingxiang struggled in the icy water, grabbing at things haphazardly, trying to steady himself.
"Big Dog!" Zhou Jiu shouted, trying to rush over to help, but he was firmly trapped by the ship's rudder.
He was extremely anxious and could only watch helplessly as Zhao Jingxiang struggled in the water.
At this moment, Zhao Jingxiang was struggling desperately on the edge of life and death. His lungs felt like they were being filled with seawater, and he felt a sharp pain as if he were being pricked by needles. His blurred consciousness gradually drifted back to the day more than ten years ago when he pushed Er Gou into the lake.
So Er Gou was in just as much pain back then!
Just when he thought he was about to die, a strong hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the brink of death.
"Brother, wake up!"
Zhou Jiuzhen shook Zhao Jingxiang's body violently, his voice trembling with tears.
Zhao Jingxiang slowly opened his eyes, looked at Zhou Jiuzhen's anxious face, and smiled weakly.
"Ergou, we're still alive..."
Zhou Jiuzhen was stunned, his eyes dazzled by the smile on his lips.
When he was a child, his dream was for his older brother to smile at him.
Unexpectedly, more than a decade later, he was finally able to fulfill his childhood dream.
He nodded with red eyes, just as he had nodded to Xiao Ergou more than a decade ago, telling him that his efforts had not been in vain.
Without taking a break, the two immediately threw themselves into battling the storm.
With years of sailing experience, the boatman kept adjusting the direction of the rudder, trying to make the fishing boat move with the direction of the waves and reduce the impact.
Zhao Jingxiang, enduring the pain, helped Zhou Jiuzhen and the boatman stabilize the boat.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe a few hours, maybe a whole day, but the storm finally subsided, and the surging waves slowly returned to calm.
Zhou Jiuzhen, Zhao Jingxiang, and the others collapsed on the deck, panting heavily. Their faces were full of exhaustion, but their eyes shone with the joy of surviving a disaster.
"We survived! We really survived..."
Zhao Jingxiang's voice trembled, and tears mingled with the rain as they slid down his cheeks.
Zhou Jiuzhen patted Zhou Jiuzhen on the shoulder, and thinking of Ling Huanwa, his heart ached even more. "Yes, we're lucky to have survived."
Despite their exhaustion, the two began inspecting the damage to the fishing boat.
The fishing boat's sails were torn to shreds, and the hull was damaged in several places, but fortunately it could still sail with difficulty.
They made some simple repairs to the fishing boat and then headed towards the island.
As their fishing boat slowly approached the island, the island, which should have been full of life at this time, was unusually quiet.
Even on rainy days, wisps of smoke would rise from the village at mealtimes.
But at this moment, the entire island was deathly silent, without a trace of human activity.
Zhou Jiuzhen and Zhao Jingxiang exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.
They quickened their rowing pace, and after reaching the shore, they hurriedly ran towards the village.
The village was in a mess; many trees had been blown down by the strong wind, and the place was deserted and there wasn't a soul in sight.
Zhou Jiuzhen searched house to house, calling out the names of his fellow villagers, but only empty echoes answered him.
"What on earth is going on? Where have all the villagers gone?" Zhou Jiuzhen's voice was filled with fear and confusion, and his eyes were filled with bewilderment.
Zhao Jingxiang also frowned, his face terribly gloomy. "I don't know either, but something big must have happened. Let's keep looking; maybe we can find someone."
Just then, the roar of helicopters came from overhead.
Zhou Jiuzhen and Zhao Jingxiang looked up at the sky and immediately recognized it as the helicopter that Song Panmei was driving.
Song Panmei parked the helicopter in a field not far from the two of them and urged them anxiously, "I specially waited for you here. Hurry up and load the goods onto the helicopter. The storm surge is coming, and the villagers have already gone to the mountain camp to take shelter!"
"Storm surge?"
Upon hearing those three jarring words, Zhou Jiuzhen instinctively blurted out, "Where's my wife? Did Captain Sun bring her out? Did she escape with the main force?"
Finally, he suddenly realized something and excitedly asked, "Have all the villagers evacuated? I'll go check on them house by house again!"
After Zhou Jiuzhen finished speaking, he turned around and prepared to go on the inspection again.
Song Panmei was on the verge of tears, and grabbed him tightly. "Battalion Commander Zhou, don't worry. Da Niu is just like you. If she had known you would patrol again, she would have knocked on every door long ago. You should come back with me now. What will happen to her and the child if something happens to you!"
Song Panmei pulled Zhou Jiuzhen to board the plane, and also dragged Zhao Jingxiang onto the plane with her.
Meanwhile, the other two soldiers on the plane had already loaded the cargo into the cabin.
Song Panmei pushed Zhou Jiuzhen, who was sticking his butt out, onto the plane, as if she was afraid that if they were any later, something bad would happen to them.
"Wait a minute, Shuyao and his wife are still in the family compound!"
Zhou Jiuzhen turned to go back to the family compound to carry the people, but Zhao Jingxiang grabbed him, patted his broad shoulders, and said seriously, "I'll go and bring them over. You go back with Pilot Song first. This plane can't hold so many people!"
"No, saving lives is my duty, and Shuyao is my family. I can't let you put yourself in danger!"
After Zhou Jiuzhen finished speaking, he tried to break free and run to save people, but Zhao Jingxiang, who was of equal strength to him, held him tightly and called his name in a serious voice, "Zhou Jiuzhen!"
Zhou Jiuzhen was stunned, looking at Zhao Jingxiang, who suddenly became agitated, with no idea what was going on.
Because from childhood to adulthood, everyone said that the eldest brother was a block of wood, without emotions, unable to cry or laugh, and never emotionally agitated.
Now, however, he has once again shown his excited side in front of him, which is quite rare.
Zhao Jingxiang tightened his grip on his shoulder slightly, his voice trembling with excitement, "Didn't you hear what Pilot Song said? You're going to be a father, so... you have to get up there safely, to see her, understand?"
Zhou Jiuzhen stood frozen in place, then turned to look at Song Panmei beside him, whose eyes had inexplicably reddened. Seeing Song Panmei nod very seriously, he finally believed it was true!
Song Panmei patted him on the shoulder and assured him, "Don't worry, I'll send a helicopter to pick you up later!"
Zhou Jiuzhen, however, was excitedly muttering to himself.
"I...I'm going to be a dad? I'm going to be a father?"
As he spoke, he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from turning up, and he even made a gesture of holding a child with his hands.
Zhao Jingxiang and Song Panmei exchanged a glance and together pushed Zhou Jiuzhen, who was still in a state of surprise, onto the plane.
By the time Zhou Jiuzhen realized what was happening, he was already sitting in the cabin, the door locked tightly by Song Panmei, watching helplessly as Zhao Jingxiang outside the plane went back to rescue people.
Zhou Jiuzhen pounded on and pried at the cabin window, anxiously grabbing Song Panmei beside him and asking urgently, "Comrade Song, will you send another helicopter to pick them up? Otherwise, my brother won't be able to get to the mountain camp with Shuyao on his back!"
He eagerly awaited Song Panmei's nod and "yes," but instead, he stared wide-eyed as Song Panmei, whose gentle features had suddenly transformed into a gloomy and indifferent expression!
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