between clouds and mud

Chapter 37
At the end of July, the big river flowing through the valley began to swell. This time the flood broke down the embankment upstream, and the steep slope at the foot of the hill was also washed away by the sweeping flood.

Braving the heavy rain, Xiaolan was completely drenched.In the drowsy sky with lightning and thunder, she tried her best to avoid under the tree, and the umbrella in her hand was torn by the strong wind. She lost the handle of the umbrella and ran towards the police station against the heavy rain.

The ground was full of yellow mud ditches, and she stumbled as she ran.It was extremely difficult for her to walk this familiar journey.

"You girl." The policeman on duty at the police station already knew her, and brought her closer with a big umbrella: "Team Zhang has a job, so you came to him in such a heavy rain to make trouble?"

Xiaolan's lips were purple from the cold: "I didn't come to look for him, I want to report the crime."

The flood suddenly rose this afternoon. Zhang Fang went to Jiming Mountain to inspect it early in the morning, but she has not come back yet.

Jiming Mountain is a severely flooded area. Zhang Fang has not returned yet, and she cannot be reached by calling her mobile phone.

Xiaolan was worried and ran to the police station to report the crime.

But now it is too late, there is heavy rain, and rescue supplies are limited. Considering the casualties and risks, the police must wait for the rain to slow down.

When Zhang Jiaxiang heard the case, he cursed: "Damn."

Because just after receiving the news, Jiming Mountain was washed away by the flood and a landslide suddenly occurred.

After Zhang Jiaxiang asked her route and direction, he rushed out in the rain on a motorcycle.

There were too many puddles along the way, and he couldn't remember how many times he fell, and the handlebars of the motorcycle were crooked.

When he got to the place where the car couldn't pass, he tied the lifeline and crossed the river.At this time, Zhang Jiaxiang had only one thought in his mind, Zhang Fang must not have any accidents.

After many years of training in the army, Zhang Jiaxiang has rich experience in field combat and survival, and such a harsh environment cannot stop his pace.

The rain has gradually subsided, but the sky is pitch black.

Zhang Jiaxiang shone a bright flashlight and shouted at the top of his voice.

Looking at the turbulent river, he felt fear, for fear that Zhang Fang might be washed away by the water.

Zhang Jiaxiang yelled back and forth several times at the landslide. He knew there was a danger of a second landslide and he should stay away as soon as possible, but he was even more afraid that Zhang Fang would be buried here.

After confirming that no one was there, Zhang Jiaxiang searched for a relatively safe area.

At this time, in the ravine on the mountain, Zhang Fang, who was covered in mud, was curled up in a ball. She had lost her temperature from the cold in Repulse Bay, and she was a little unconscious.

Until she faintly saw the light of the flashlight in the night, she wanted to respond hoarsely, but her throat was drowned by the wind and rain and she couldn't make a sound.

Before she was about to pass out, she felt a warm embrace hugging her tightly.

Zhang Jiaxiang turned over and jumped into the gully, feeling her body was icy cold, he reached out and patted her face, trying to wake her up.

"I'm hot. Hot." Zhang Fang didn't have much strength to speak, and the heat on her body made her feel like a fire.

"You are not hot." Zhang Jiaxiang hugged her tightly, her body was as cold as an ice cube: "You are hypothermic, this is a symptom of hypothermia."

"Don't sleep." He spoke loudly, trying not to make her faint: "Zhang Fang, you must stay awake and not sleep."

Zhang Fang was trembling all over. She didn't have much strength, so she could only let him wrap her up. The rain was still falling next to her, and it seemed to be raining heavily again.

"Brother Daxiang." She recognized the person in front of her, her tears mixed with the rain, and her voice was trembling: "I won't sleep"

Zhang Jiaxiang observed the surrounding terrain with a bright flashlight, and bent down to pick Zhang Fang up from the gully. His steps were tripped by obstacles that were hard to see in the darkness from time to time.

When he fell down, he lay under his body and tried his best to protect the girl in his arms.

After climbing and rolling, they escorted people behind a rock, where the wind was leeward, and the rain had slowed down a lot.

Zhang Jiaxiang took out a stick of glucose from the rescue bag on his body, pinched her mouth open, and forcibly fed it: "Glucose, replenish your strength."

After taking a series of measures, he continued to hug her tightly. His body was as hot as iron, which made her gradually warm up.

The sky was still thundering and lightning, and from time to time a bolt of lightning pierced the sky. In the light and shadow, Zhang Fang saw that the lines of his face mixed with the rain made him more resolute.

After gaining strength, Zhang Fang also hugged him tightly.

At this moment, in the lonely barren mountains, the river not far away is a raging flood, hovering on the edge of the passing of life, a strong sense of security wraps around her, and she can't help herself at this moment.

Zhang Fang regained her physical strength, her rationality could no longer suppress her emotions, her heart flooded like a river, and she whispered every word in his ear: "Brother Daxiang... I like you."

Although her voice was small, it exploded in his ears like thunder on the ground.Zhang Jiaxiang's heart stopped beating for a short time, and then started beating violently.

He knew that people with hypothermia were distracted and unconscious: "Talking in sleep."

"It's not a dream." Zhang Fang's tone was very firm. At this moment, she faced her heart directly: "I have been waiting for you, take the initiative."

Zhang Jiaxiang's arms tightened for a moment, and he couldn't help feeling distressed when he looked at the thin girl in his arms.

After hearing her words clearly, his heart trembled, but he couldn't face his own heart.

Because of myself, it is true that I am not worthy of such a good Zhang Fang.

He avoided answering: "Next time, the weather is bad, so don't run around."

The two hugged tightly, Zhang Jiaxiang had five sticks of glucose on him, and he reckoned the time to feed her, it would probably be able to survive tonight.

Both of them held their spirits up and did not close their eyes.

The sky was finally getting brighter, and her vision was clear. Zhang Fang looked at the desolation in front of her in a daze, and couldn't help crying.

The tree that the farmer has cultivated for two years, the honey pomelo tree that has just passed its flowering period, and the stumps that were destroyed in front of her.

Zhang Jiaxiang knew that this was her painstaking effort. Looking at the scene after being ruthlessly ruined by the wind and rain, the two remained silent for a long time.

The search and rescue team also came up with a stretcher, Zhang Jiaxiang hugged her horizontally, and walked towards the team through the wind and rain.

Xiaolan was anxious and squatted at the rescue station.She saw search and rescue personnel carrying stretchers over, some were alive, and some were cold corpses.

At this moment, she was worried that her life was so fragile.

It wasn't until quarter past nine that Xiaolan saw Zhang Fang's figure in the stretcher, and after going to confirm that she was fine, she let go of her hanging heart.

Zhang Jiaxiang, who was behind the crowd, limped over. His body and face were covered with wounds, his clothes were torn by branches, and his arms were still bleeding.

Xiaolan went over to help him distressed: "Why don't you use a stretcher?"

"The relief supplies are limited." Zhang Jiaxiang didn't try to be brave, and used her strength to support him.

Seeing that the little girl was in tears, Zhang Jiaxiang explained: "I have been a soldier, and my physical endurance is higher than the upper limit of ordinary people."

After saying this, Xiaolan cried even harder: "That's human too."

Zhang Fang was recuperating in the ward of the Town People's Hospital, and Zhou Song made soup every day to take care of her.Every time before entering the hospital, she always shrinks a little. The smell of disinfectant in the hospital makes Zhou Song feel uncomfortable.

She often ran into Brother Daxiang at the door of Zhang Fang's ward, but she didn't see him go in.

Brother Daxiang's hands were wrapped in gauze, and his forehead was also wrapped in a circle. He looked more serious than Zhang Fang.

Zhou Song was a little worried and went to greet him, Zhang Jiaxiang smiled and waved his hands: "I have a trauma that looks serious, but it is actually a flesh injury."

Sometimes Sister Xiaolan would also come to the hospital. Once when she was lying at the door, Zhou Song heard the two talking.

This piqued her curiosity.

In the ward, Chen Xiaolan saw that he was looking at Zhang Fang's ward all the time, and she began to suspect: "Do you like Zhang Fang?"

Zhang Jiaxiang didn't speak, neither responded nor denied.

This attitude roughly demonstrated Xiaolan's thoughts. She made a few awkward remarks, and continued: "Zhang Fang had other men before, and she had a relationship with him before. She was not a virgin for a long time."

Hearing this, Zhang Jiaxiang was a little surprised at first, and then became angry: "Don't talk nonsense."

"I didn't talk nonsense." Chen Xiaolan felt wronged: "If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself."

Zhang Jiaxiang warned her: "Regardless of whether it's true or not, don't gossip about people's tongues. She's an innocent girl and hasn't married yet."

In the ward, sister Xiaolan began to cry.Zhou Song turned around and left silently. She took the thermos bucket in her hand and went to Zhang Fang's ward. Zhang Fang was still looking at the materials on the hospital bed. He was really a model worker.

"Let's see, didn't the doctor tell you to rest more?" Zhou Song unscrewed the lid of the thermos and filled a bowl of soup for her.

Zhang Fang put down the materials in her hand, took the bowl, and sighed: "This flood has caused a lot of damage."

"The tree is destroyed, but it can be planted again." Zhou Song comforted her: "The body is important."

"The honey pomelo deforestation area has reached one-seventh. What is even more distressing is that," Zhang Fang said slowly: "In addition to the casualties that have been verified, there are also three villagers who were washed away by the flood. It's a disaster."

"Plant trees when they fall, repair roads when they collapse, but people are gone." Zhang Fang sighed.

This topic is a bit heavy, Zhou Song sat on the side silently, after all, it is a natural disaster, and the world is impermanent.

Linxi Town had just experienced a flood. When I drove to the town, I saw the rescue teams and supplies coming and going, and I didn't care about it. I just thought it was too noisy.

This flood has little impact on Dengxinqiao Township.Knowing this, he was relieved.

His only problem was that the Wick Bridge was flooded and he couldn't get across.

But there are lifeboats and boats to cross the river. Chi Ye asked a few boatmen, and they said that it had to be arranged by the village head.

The boatman pointed him to an old man at the port, who was the village chief.

The village head is an old man in his early sixties, wearing a bamboo hat on his head, and carrying supplies with the villagers. At this time, he just jumped onto the ferry from the lifeboat.

Chi Ye went over to say hello, took out his wallet and asked him, "Hi, how do you rent this boat?"

The village chief looked him up and down: "Are you going to Dengxinqiao Township?"

Chi Ye nodded, he didn't want to explain too much: "How much?"

"You are not a local, do you have relatives?" The village head continued to question him: "Which one are you looking for?"

Chi Ye was a little impatient: "Look for my girlfriend."

"There are only a few female dolls in this village, who is your girlfriend?" The village chief's scrutiny became more obvious, and his tone was full of doubts.

"Just say whether this boat can cross." Chi Ye didn't bother to talk nonsense with him: "I'm alone."

"I'm sorry, but this boat is for emergency rescue and disaster relief, so we don't take idle people away." The village head added: "No amount of money will be sent."

The village chief thought to himself, this young man looks like a young man, who doesn't have eyes.

Seeing his tough attitude, Chi Ye lowered his head and explained, "My girlfriend is Zhou Song, and she's from this village."

The village chief looked at him from top to bottom, from left to right, and snorted awkwardly: "I'm sorry, I won't send it off."

After finishing speaking, the village chief pointed at him again, trembling with anger: "Young man, you are not good at thinking. First, you lack the overall situation, and second, you ruin the reputation of the girl's family."

"Zhou Song, can she have a crush on you?" The village chief said with smoke in his nostrils, "My leg was broken by her."

"You old man, you're not out of your mind." Chi Ye looked at him inexplicably, and he didn't bother to talk nonsense, he threw a stack of banknotes from his bag in front of the village chief: "Please tell me, I'll wait for her in the town."

The two separated for a month, and Zhou Song didn't hear from him at all, as if the world had evaporated.

Chi Ye looked at his phone, he would always click on it immediately if there was an incoming call or message, but every time it was accompanied by disappointment.

He called Jiang Lele, Jiang Lele heard how normal it was, where did the signal come from in the mountains, if you don't believe me, call her yourself.

Chi Ye has been waiting, as long as she takes the initiative to lower her head, he will forget the past.

According to what Jiang Lele said, he dialed the number, but he was not in the service area.

Chi Ye drove for more than three hours that day, and came to the countryside from Changsha. The road was bumpy and it was really difficult to drive.

At that time, Chi Ye proposed to send her here, but Zhou Song said that the road was not easy to walk, which was not a lie to him.

(End of this chapter)