“Bending one’s back to the task until death” means devoting oneself entirely until the very end.
To put it more literally: sparing no effort until life ceases.
The Shanghai Brand Phoenix and Peony Print Bed Sheets were known for their durable fabric, smooth texture, and long-lasting freshness even after repeated washing. Yet when Liang Xin pressed her cheek against the sheets, she noticed they had worn down to a fine fuzz, and her vision quickly blurred with tears.
When she recalled these sheets again later, she was kneeling with a broad perspective that should have made the wear less noticeable. Yet she clearly saw how the deep red peonies on the supposedly durable sheets had faded, the tightly woven threads were slowly breaking, and the intricate phoenix patterns had become completely distorted.
Liang Xin wept.
In her memory, she had never cried like this before.
Tears falling incessantly.
She cried until her voice grew hoarse, clinging to Lu Chongfeng and begging for mercy.
Pleading proved useless, so she adapted to the situation and showered him with endless praise.
From the rising sun to the blazing noon, until the setting sun cast crimson hues across half the sky.
Liang Xin fainted.
Only to be quickly roused again.
Lu Chongfeng brought a pen and paper, permitting her to lie prone on the bed instead of speaking, demanding she write about how satisfied she was with his attentions.
“My hands… have no strength.”
Lu Chongfeng leaned over Liang Xin’s slender back, nibbling her delicate earlobe. She immediately grasped the pen, her humiliated voice rasping like a broken gong, “I’ll write, I’ll write.”
A crooked stroke appeared on the paper before the pen tip suddenly halted, piercing deeply through the stationery and leaving an ink blot that spread outward. Liang Xin clenched the pen between her teeth, crumpling the paper with her nails. Lu Chongfeng slid his well-defined fingers forward, replacing the pen cap between her lips with his own digit for her to bite while his other hand smoothed out the paper again.
Urging her to continue writing.
Liang Xin bit down hard, leaving tooth marks encircling his finger.
Yet he mimicked her earlier actions, his fingers moving like thermometers, probing between her lips.
Tearfully pressed against the stationery, Liang Xin attempted stroke by stroke, her writing crooked and chaotic. As sunlight fully transformed into sunset glow and the room darkened, she still hadn’t managed to form a single character.
Her position instead left her deprived of any means to resist with hands, legs, or mouth, leaving her completely at his mercy.
Truly, when the apprentice masters the craft, the teacher suffers.
Finally, Lu Zewei nibbled Liang Xin’s delicate earlobe, guiding, hinting, and coercing step by step.
On the paper, Liang Xin wrote: Special Merit Citation.
Lu Zewei finally nuzzled her nose, kissing and gently biting.
Then buried his face in the hollow of Liang Xin’s neck.
They couldn’t leave the next morning because she simply couldn’t wake up.
When Liang Xin finally stirred, every bone felt as if it had been crushed, her body not only aching all over but lacking a single patch of unmarked skin.
Liang Xin felt too embarrassed to appear downstairs.
Only after Lu Chongfeng repeatedly assured her that no one had heard anything—since everyone had been away yesterday attending the Military Compound era family commendation ceremony—did she tremblingly descend the stairs.
Hu Fenglian emerged from the kitchen carrying rice. “What happened with Yuan Yang yesterday? Why did he leave without a word, just a note, without even eating a bite?”
Liang Xin looked slightly surprised. Had Wei Yuanyang come yesterday?
Lu Chongfeng silently spooned rice into Liang Xin’s bowl, one scoop after another, laughter glinting in his eyes.
Not only had he not eaten, but he’d left during a storm mixed with snow.
“He said when he stayed over that he’d leave as soon as the rain stopped.”
Chief Lu tapped an egg on the table. “Old Wei should rest assured now. Boys need to be disciplined by the army.”
Liang Xin watched Lu Chongfeng bite off half a steamed bun in one go, seeming to be in high spirits.
“Liang Xin, are you really going to be an army dependent?”
Hu Fenglian’s expression kept shifting between worry and relief. “Being an army dependent is tough. It’s nowhere near as comfortable as living in the Military Compound. Why don’t you think it over? Although if you go and keep an eye on him, I’d feel more at ease about Chongfeng, but…”
“Mom, I’ve been a soldier for over ten years. Isn’t it a bit late to start worrying now?”
Lu Chongfeng didn’t want his mother disrupting their new family life. “We’ve already packed everything.”
Liang Xin looked up at her mother-in-law, suppressing her dry throat to sound normal. “Mom, I should go. He still needs to take his medicine regularly. Someone should be there in case anything happens.”
“See what a wonderful wife I found for you! If I hadn’t found her for you, you couldn’t have found someone half as good as Liang Xin even with a lantern!”
Lu Chongfeng nodded vigorously like pounding garlic, pouring a cup of brown sugar water for Liang Xin.
Liang Xin shot him a glare.
The luggage was indeed all packed, waiting to be taken by the Transportation Company. Hu Fenglian said no more and turned to continue preparing things for her son and daughter-in-law in the room.
She came out after a while.
Handing Liang Xin a stack of money coupons.
“Mom, that’s not necessary.” Liang Xin refused. “Didn’t you say nothing can be bought there? Besides, you’ve already given me plenty of money.”
“Take it.”
Hu Fenglian forced the money and coupons into Liang Xin’s hand. “Precisely because nothing can be bought there, you need to buy whatever you can. The camp under Jiangkou base has no side businesses or factories. Most family members in the division and regiment make matchboxes, process shoe uppers, or load coal cars. After you arrive, if the organization wants to assign you work, don’t take it. Use the money I gave you to rest peacefully at home.”
Liang Xin’s throat felt tight. She finally nodded and put the money away.
“I’ve been promoted to regiment-level officer. My monthly salary, including military rank and service length subsidies, is over a hundred. The grain ration is 45 jin per month, plus meal subsidies and non-staple food beans.” Lu Chongfeng, seeing his mother’s concerned look, worried she might scare Liang Xin out of going. “I’ll hand over all my salary to the leader. She won’t go hungry.”
“Alright, alright.”
Hu Fenglian held Liang Xin’s hand reluctantly. “Since you’ve decided to go, hurry to the Family Committee to handle the household registration transfer procedures. Don’t delay any longer.”
Lu Chongfeng accompanied Liang Xin to the Family Committee.
Chairman Liu, who had been pondering for three days how to guide and educate Liang Xin – this peculiar underachiever in the Military Compound – into becoming the brightest sunflower in the compound, was completely stunned when he heard Liang Xin wanted to transfer her household registration. He stood frozen in place for a long time.
“You can’t leave!”
Lu Chongfeng: “?”
Immediately scowling, “What do you mean?”
Chairman Liu took a step back, swallowing hard. “I mean, I can’t bear to see Liang Xin go! Liang Xin, I’ve already arranged suitable labor competitions for you to participate in. How can you suddenly decide to be an army dependent?!”
“Thanks to Chairman Liu’s excellent guidance, I feel I cannot choose the comfortable life in the Military Compound and must accompany the soldiers to their posts, enduring hardships.” Liang Xin spoke slowly, “Chairman Liu, rest assured, after joining the army, I will never forget your ideological education. I will strive to improve myself and fulfill my duties as a military spouse.”
Not even a ghost would believe that!
But under Lu Chongfeng’s fierce glare, Chairman Liu dared not say anything else. Instead, he reluctantly praised Liang Xin with insincere words about her willingness to endure hardships with the army. After giving her high praise, he signed the document with a complicated expression.
He could only watch helplessly as Liang Xin took the processed paperwork and left the Family Committee.
Chairman Liu stamped his foot in frustration.
That night, Chief Lu’s guard started the car and parked it in front of the Lu family’s building.
After Lu Chongfeng and Liang Xin got in the car, Chief Lu stood by the window with a stern expression, saying, “Do well when you get there.”
Hu Fenglian leaned against the window, “Chongfeng, listen to Liang Xin in everything. Mind what you say and what you don’t, control your tongue properly. Don’t hold Liang Xin back or make her suffer because of you.”
“Understood, Mom.”
Promotion, wealth, and the wedding chamber.
Most importantly, from now on, he wouldn’t have to see that annoying fly Wei Yuanyang anymore.
Lu Chongfeng’s face shone with the triumphant satisfaction of having his wish fulfilled.
Chief Lu suddenly lowered his voice, “Your Uncle Wei is from the 16th Army. The new company commander who came to pick up Yuan Yang is from your 6th Company, 22nd Regiment, 11th Division. After new training ends, he’ll probably be assigned to the 16th Army. You’re not allowed to cause any trouble.”
The triumphant satisfaction vanished instantly. Lu Chongfeng nearly cursed in front of his father.
“Mom, Dad, we’re leaving.”
Liang Xin waved to her parents.
The military vehicle drove away from the Lu family’s building.
From the Military Compound to the train station.
After three days and nights with almost no sleep, her body completely falling apart as if every bone was screaming in pain, Liang Xin finally managed to board the train to join the army.
Fortunately, Lu Chongfeng was a regiment-level officer. The seating arrangement for this assignment wasn’t ordinary hard seats but a soft sleeper compartment with four berths.
Two sets of upper and lower bunks were covered with snow-white bedding.
Liang Xin collapsed onto the lower right bunk, not even wanting to move a finger. She tilted her head to watch Lu Zewei storing luggage on the upper bunk. As he lifted the luggage, his upper body leaned back, his chest muscles taut and prominent under the white shirt, his narrow waist firm and powerful, showcasing the man’s strong core strength.
His legs under the military trousers were robust and long, walking with an air of purpose.
If those military trousers were removed and he knelt on the bed, his thigh muscles would bulge with the forward and backward motion of his core.
Thinking of that intensity, Liang Xin subconsciously curled her toes and shuddered.
Facing the retreating back of the man casually carrying a thermos, Liang Xin muttered under her breath, “Damn your illness!”
The soft sleeper compartment had spring mattresses. The air conditioning was just right in the cold weather. Liang Xin turned over and lifted the blanket, yawning as she was about to sleep when the compartment door slid open. Thinking it was Lu Zewei returning, she instead heard a woman’s voice: “Oh?”
Liang Xin turned her head to see a man and woman standing at the compartment door, both around thirty years old.
The male comrade wore a four-pocket officer’s military uniform, while the female comrade wore a green high-neck sweater under a blue cloth-padded jacket. Their demeanor showed a composure that couldn’t be cultivated in poor peasant or ordinary worker families.
Their eyes held obvious surprise as they looked at Liang Xin.
Lying in the white quilt, Liang Xin appeared somewhat childish in her drowsiness, her delicate and timid look making her seem not yet twenty.
This compartment was designated for county-level cadres. They had prepared themselves to meet middle-aged officials, never expecting to encounter a young girl.
“Excuse me.”
A deep voice came from behind. The man in military uniform instinctively shifted his shoulder, but Lu Zewei didn’t pass between them. Instead, he patted the soldier’s shoulder, gesturing for him to move toward the female comrade, then brushed past the soldier’s shoulder to enter the compartment.
“Have some water.”
Lu Zewei poured hot water into the thermos lid and handed it to Liang Xin. “Are you cold?”
Liang Xin withdrew her gaze from the two people, shook her head, sat up to take the lid, and drank the water.
The couple at the doorway entered the compartment. The female comrade naturally sat on the bed while the male comrade, much like Lu Zewei earlier, busied himself tidying up.
“Hello.”
The female comrade addressed Liang Xin, pulling several candies from her bundle and placing them on the small table beneath the window. “We just got married. Since fate has us sharing a compartment, please have some wedding candies.”
Looking at the White Rabbit Candy on the table, Liang Xin also retrieved some assorted candies from her bundle and added them to the collection. “We just got married too.”
The female comrade paused briefly, then her eyes lit up. “What a coincidence! We’re truly fated. Let’s not stand on ceremony then—we’ll share in each other’s joy.”
The male comrade, having finished arranging their belongings, turned around and smiled at Lu Chongfeng. “Congratulations.”
Lu Zewei nodded. “Same to you.”
The female comrade unwrapped an orange candy. “Are you heading to Jiangkou for a special mission?”
Liang Xin understood her implication.
Noting their age, she assumed they were comrades who occasionally enjoyed soft sleeper privileges due to special missions, rather than cadres qualified for county-level compartments.
Liang Xin smiled without responding.
The female comrade quickly changed the subject, asking when they had married.
Upon hearing Liang Xin say December 22nd, she exclaimed in surprise, “We got married on the exact same day!”
Liang Xin showed mild astonishment, and even Lu Zewei looked over in surprise.
“What an incredible coincidence.” The male comrade reached out to shake Lu Zewei’s hand, giving it a firm pump. “We’re truly connected by fate.”
Lu Zewei withdrew his hand, glanced at his palm, then stepped out again.
He returned shortly, tucking the quilt corner under Liang Xin’s chin and brushing aside the stray hairs on her face.
Liang Xin caught the fresh scent of Soap on his hands.
Lu Zewei said calmly, “Rest assured, I’m here.”
Across from them, the husband was also speaking softly to his wife, attentive and considerate.
The wife, tucked under her blanket, was clearly still focused on Liang Xin, her face full of curiosity, though she refrained from further disturbance.
Much later, the compartment door knocked.
A comrade in railway dining car uniform peered in. “Comrades, it’s time to order night meals. I’ll read the menu—please order if interested.”
After hearing the varieties and prices, the man opposite remained silent.
Lu Zewei ordered braised beef, Kung Pao chicken, seaweed and pork rib soup, a glass of milk, and four liang of rice, totaling eight yuan and six jiao.
Liang Xin faintly heard the man opposite emit a barely audible intake of breath.
It was indeed expensive.
That amount could buy two full tables of substantial dishes at a state-run restaurant outside.
“Forget it.” Liang Xin yawned repeatedly. “If I get hungry later, I’ll just buy two train lunch boxes at the dining car’s ready-to-serve window.”
Anyway, the food on the train couldn’t be that great.
Lu Zewei insisted on ordering, saying quietly, “You need to nourish your body.”
Liang Xin: “…”
After Lu Zewei finished placing the order, suddenly the male passenger opposite also told the railway dining car staff: “Same as theirs.”
Liang Xin: “?”
Turning to look across, she clearly saw the man’s face—turned away from the bunk—showed a pained expression of reluctance, as if his words had been forced through gritted teeth.
Lu Zewei paid no attention to others’ affairs. He turned Liang Xin’s face toward him and covered her eyes with his hand. “There’s still some time before the meal. Rest your eyes for a while.”
Blindfolded, Liang Xin: “…”
With others in the compartment, they couldn’t turn off the lights. His hand covering her eyes to block the light indeed made it easier to fall asleep than with the lights on.
Within seconds, Liang Xin was asleep.
After some time, an announcement played in the compartment: “Passengers who have ordered meals, please proceed to the dining car now.”
The hand that had been covering Liang Xin’s eyes first opened its fingers slightly, allowing her to adjust to the light before withdrawing completely.
Liang Xin looked at his arm and sat up. “How long did I sleep?”
Lu Zewei rubbed his stiff shoulder a few times. “Half an hour. There’s a washroom in the soft sleeper carriage. I’ll go with you.”
Across from them, the male passenger helped his drowsy female companion up. “We’re going to eat too.”
After washing her face in the washroom, Liang Xin followed Lu Chongfeng, who was waiting outside, into the dining car.
The dining car was lined with fixed four-seat tables on both sides, covered with white tablecloths and topped with plexiglass. The windows were spotless, and everything was tidy.
After Liang Xin and Lu Chongfeng sat down, the female passenger pulled her husband to sit opposite them.
The female passenger: “Do you mind?”
Seeing that Lu Chongfeng remained silent, Liang Xin said, “Suit yourselves.”
Lu Chongfeng: “The table can’t hold so many plates.”
The female passenger paused. “Oh, right. Then we’ll sit at the next table.”
Identical meals of braised beef, Kung Pao chicken, seaweed and pork rib soup, a bottle of milk, and four liang of rice were served at both tables.
Lu Zewei handed the milk to Liang Xin.
The man at the next table also gave the milk to his wife.
It had been a long time since Liang Xin last drank milk. She took a sip from the cup, the rich creaminess spreading on her tongue, the slight sweetness instantly easing half the weariness between her brows.
Lu Zewei’s lips curved slightly as he picked up a piece of beef and placed it on the rice in Liang Xin’s bowl.
“You eat too.”
Liang Xin picked up her chopsticks, lifted the mahjong-tile-sized piece of beef—its soy-red surface glistening with oil—and put it in her mouth. It was fatty but not greasy, tender and juicy, unexpectedly delicious.
The man at the next table also picked up a piece of beef for his wife.
Liang Xin glanced briefly out of the corner of her eye, then looked away and continued eating.
The female passenger at the next table said, “If we’d known, we could have ordered different dishes. Then we could have shared a table and tasted more varieties.”
Neither Liang Xin nor Lu Zewei responded.
The female passenger seemed naturally sociable and kept trying to make conversation with Liang Xin, who deflected skillfully, giving only unimportant answers.
After the meal, as soon as Liang Xin stood up, she noticed the man at the next table glancing at the dishes on their table. Seeing there were leftovers, he also put down his chopsticks and stopped eating—even though he had been enjoying the food moments earlier and didn’t seem full at all.
The four of them returned to the compartment one after another.
Liang Xin lay on the berth, patting her belly, while Lu Chongfeng sat by the edge, reading a military manual.
Suddenly, the male comrade across the compartment tentatively asked, “Comrade, are you surnamed Lu?”
As Liang Xin turned her head, Lu Zewei lifted his gaze, his eyes stern.
“I am Xie Kangmei, staff officer of the 11th Division’s Training Section.”
The soldier identified himself, standing up to salute.
Lu Zewei’s gaze paused momentarily before returning the salute. “Lu Zewei, head of the 11th Division’s Training Section.”
The female comrade who had been nearly asleep suddenly turned her head, while the male comrade broke into a smile. “Just as I thought! Actually, when I first entered the compartment, you looked familiar, but I didn’t dare confirm it. It took me a long time to remember—the Liberation Daily… I finally recalled seeing your Tough Bone Company’s photo in the Liberation Daily. You’re the renowned combat hero.”
The female comrade looked at Lu Zewei in surprise, then at Liang Xin. “So you’re not on a special mission.”
Before Liang Xin could speak, the female comrade cheerfully said, “Then you must be an army dependent too? What a wonderful coincidence! Hello, I’m Yu Honghong.”
“Liang Xin.”
Liang Xin was slightly taken aback.
Not by the female comrade’s assumptions—she had already discerned them earlier.
Liang Xin observed the female comrade and roughly understood the background of these two people.
“Liang Xin, you look so young! I initially thought you were on a special mission.”
The female comrade reached out to Liang Xin. “Hello, I’m Yu Honghong. We’ll be neighbors in the dependents’ compound from now on.”
Liang Xin shook hands, calm and friendly.
“I’ve been wanting to say this—your husband is so attentive to you,” Yu Honghong said with a laugh. “I used to think Kangmei treated me well enough, but he’s nowhere near as considerate as yours.”
Liang Xin smiled faintly, indeed noticing Staff Officer Xie’s expression shift instantly.
Yu Honghong turned to Xie Kangmei. “But I’m still very satisfied with Kangmei.”
Xie Kangmei felt his pride restored, and his expression improved slightly.
Lu Zewei didn’t engage further in small talk with the couple across. He directly tucked Liang Xin’s blanket over her and kept his hand over her eyes. “We still have hours until arrival. Go back to sleep.”
With her eyes covered, Liang Xin yawned and naturally stopped politely responding to the enthusiasm across the compartment, falling asleep within seconds.
Xie Kangmei set down his book. “Section Chief Lu, shall I turn off the light?”
Lu Zewei, holding documents with one hand and covering Liang Xin’s eyes with the other, glanced at his book. “No need.”
After disembarking, a young soldier in uniform held up a sign handwritten with brush ink: “Welcome, Section Chief Lu.”
Lu Zewei approached with their luggage and confirmed this was the driver sent by division headquarters to pick them up.
“Staff Officer Xie, ride with us?”
Xie Kangmei hesitated but ultimately declined. “Against regulations. Only cadres at regimental level and above can use division vehicles. I’m a battalion-level cadre—rules don’t permit me to ride in division cars.”
Liang Xin’s eyebrows twitched slightly as she glanced back at the soft sleeper compartment.
Lu Zewei asked, “How will you get there then?”
Xie Kangmei looked at Yu Honghong. “There’s a direct bus. After getting off, we’ll walk two kilometers to the barracks.”
Lu Zewei said nothing more, guiding Liang Xin through the crowd.
Liang Xin noticed that since leaving their compartment and encountering normal people, Lu Chongfeng not only seemed slightly more reasonable but also spoke much less.
Perhaps it was because he spoke less that he appeared more reasonable.
Liang Xin leaned against Lu Zewei, curious about the military camp, but recalling that Lu Chongfeng had also just been transferred to the 11th Division, she asked, “Have you been here before?”
“No.”
Lu Zewei said, “I used to stay in the northern border region. Jiangkou belongs to the south, situated along the river and near the sea.”
Liang Xin had already felt the humidity enveloping her. Looking out the window, she saw vast farmlands with wisps of smoke rising from rural households.
The vehicle suddenly braked.
Lu Chongfeng immediately stretched out his arm to shield Liang Xin’s chest.
Liang Xin staggered forward before leaning back into the seat.
Lu Chongfeng asked, “What happened?”
The driver replied, “Not sure. The accelerator isn’t responding. Section Chief Lu, let me check outside first.”
The driver got out to inspect the vehicle, scratching his head in confusion.
Lu Zewei opened the door and followed to examine the situation.
The hood was lifted, but there was no movement for several minutes.
Liang Xin slung the military satchel over her shoulder, stepped out of the car, and stretched lazily.
Before her stretched fields and a long river.
The poplar roots along the bank were coated with white powder.
Sunlight danced on the water’s surface, making it glitter like gold.
Seeing the two men still hunched over the engine with no immediate fix in sight, Liang Xin ambled away, her bones feeling loose and relaxed.
“Splash!”
Liang Xin turned at the sound just in time to see a blue figure flash past and plunge into the water, sending spray flying.
Liang Xin: “……”
“Help!”
The wilderness stood empty. The two men by the hood looked up.
Lu Chongfeng’s gaze immediately snapped toward the cry for help, just in time to see Liang Xin toss aside her olive-green satchel and leap into the river. His pupils contracted to pinpoints.
The moment Liang Xin saw someone jump into the river, her first reaction was a skipped heartbeat.
Her second thought was that after falling into water, before clothing becomes fully saturated, a person will resurface briefly. Those few seconds are the golden window for rescue.
The two men were over ten meters away. Even if Lu Chongfeng sprinted at top speed, it would take him at least twenty seconds to reach the spot.
Meanwhile, the person in the water had slowly begun to surface.
When Liang Xin saw the girl—about sixteen or seventeen—break the surface, her body moved faster than her mind. She shouted and dove in to save her.
Though the girl had clearly intended to drown herself, when Liang Xin maneuvered behind her, reaching under her armpits to secure a chest hold, the girl’s survival instinct kicked in before Liang Xin could tighten her grip. The girl thrashed wildly, twisting around to grab Liang Xin’s arms, her feet kicking against Liang Xin’s body with desperate force.
Combined with the water’s drag, Liang Xin was pushed completely underwater.
Submerged, the girl struggled even more violently. Clearly unable to swim or hold her breath, she clawed at Liang Xin’s face, forcing Liang Xin to lean back slightly.
The girl suddenly seized Liang Xin’s braid, clinging to it like a lifeline.
Liang Xin felt her scalp sting with pain, goosebumps rising. Suppressing the discomfort, she used the moment to swim closer again, successfully passing under the girl’s armpits and locking her arms around the girl’s chest and back. Kicking strongly with the current, she dragged the girl upward toward the surface.
Abruptly, as if reason had overridden instinct, the girl released the braid and began struggling fiercely in Liang Xin’s embrace.
An average person can hold their breath underwater for up to two minutes.
This girl’s violent thrashes rapidly depleted her blood oxygen levels.
Liang Xin’s own breath-hold was nearing its limit.
If she released the girl now and surfaced quickly for air, she likely wouldn’t be in mortal danger.
But the girl in her arms was already flushed deep red from struggle.
Liang Xin’s scalp tingled with pain, which ironically sharpened her focus. She tightened her hold, stroked powerfully, and kicked desperately upward.
The water ahead grew transparent—they were about to break the surface.
Suddenly, a kick struck Liang Xin. Her already numb and aching hands were forced open. She watched, furious and helpless, as the girl sank rapidly toward the unfathomable river depths.
Her breath-hold was at its absolute limit.
Both saving herself and rescuing the girl had become a race against time.
Fine.
Liang Xin took one last look at the sunlight shimmering on the water’s surface.
She swiftly turned and dove after the young girl who had sunk to the riverbed, her childish features still evident.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!!!”
Lu Chongfeng fired warning shots into the air as he sprinted toward the riverbank.
He tore off his army-green cotton coat and plunged into the water with a powerful dive.
Liang Xin finally caught up with the girl again.
Bubbles were already escaping from the girl’s mouth, and after inhaling water, her face began turning purple.
She needed immediate rescue and CPR on shore.
But the girl’s soaked cotton coat had become heavy, and dangerous undercurrents swirled around them. Liang Xin felt a chill run down her spine. Clutching the girl tightly, she desperately paddled away from the undercurrent, moving laterally toward safer waters.
Yet her movements grew slower and slower.
Feeling the blood in her heart turn cold along with her scalp, Liang Xin tightened her grip on the girl—whose life hung by a thread and whose survival was uncertain even if rescued—mustering every last ounce of strength to kick furiously.
Just as her lungs were about to burst, a whirlpool-like splash erupted above her.
Lu Chongfeng’s black hair and white shirt defied the current as he dove down frantically, reaching out his hand toward her.
Finally, at the moment her lungs gave out, Liang Xin and the girl were lifted to the surface together.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!!!”
Liang Xin erupted into violent coughing first, followed immediately by a gush of nosebleed that splattered across the water’s surface.
Her clothes were instantly soaked with blood, only to be washed away the next moment by the river current.
“They’re out! They’re out! Hurry, throw the rope down!”
Militia cadres from nearby patrols and the Production Team, having heard the gunshots, had gathered on both sides of the riverbank. They helped the three—who had just surfaced in perilous condition—ashore.
After being rescued, everyone saw Liang Xin, blood covering her face like a hero from a movie. Before collapsing, she raised her hand, pointing at the drowned girl and said, “Save her first!”