Lan Luoyun didn’t have time to think.
She immediately shouted to everyone:
“Wake up!”
“The ground under the bridge is collapsing!”
Some people who were still awake had already felt the earth beneath them sinking.
They jumped to their feet and rushed outside.
The others quickly realized what was happening and began fleeing as well.
Lan Luoyun immediately took Dabao, Erbao, and Lin Nancheng into her space.
Everyone was in complete chaos.
Even the guards were busy trying to escape.
Nobody noticed where the family of four had gone.
The entire bridge collapse lasted less than five seconds.
Those who reacted too slowly never made it out.
They were buried beneath the fallen bridge.
Lan Luoyun remembered that in her previous life, they had also spent the night beneath this bridge due to various circumstances.
Back then, the original owner and Lin Nancheng had both been asleep.
By the time they woke up and tried to run, it was already too late.
The two adults had desperately shielded Dabao and Erbao.
Even so, the children were injured.
The original owner suffered even worse.
Large stones from the collapsing bridge crushed her body, breaking multiple vertebrae.
Not long afterward, she died during the exile journey.
That was why this time, Lan Luoyun had immediately brought her family into the space.
The four of them could enjoy a proper meal and rest before returning.
After all, everyone outside was still frantically trying to survive.
The bridge was continuing to collapse.
Chen Laoda and the guards had no time to worry about anyone’s whereabouts.
The family entered Lan Luoyun’s villa.
Interestingly, the robot servant was nowhere to be seen.
Lan Luoyun simply cooked several steaks and opened a bottle of red wine.
Meanwhile, Lin Nancheng happily devoured a bowl of extremely pungent luosifen (river snail rice noodles) and opened a bottle of cola.
Lan Luoyun laughed.
“Nancheng, I never expected you to enjoy food with such a strong flavor.”
Luosifen happened to be one of her favorites too.
Apparently, they would get along just fine when it came to meals.
Dabao and Erbao lay comfortably on the sofa.
They drank warm milk while watching cartoons.
The two children couldn’t have been happier.
After eating and drinking their fill, Lan Luoyun checked the time.
It was probably safe to return.
This time, however, she didn’t reappear beside the collapsed bridge.
Instead, she chose a location near a nearby farmhouse not far from the disaster site.
Knocking on the courtyard gate, she called out:
“Hello?”
“Is anyone there?”
After a moment, an elderly man emerged and opened the gate slightly.
The moment he saw their prison clothing, he assumed they were escaped convicts.
He immediately tried to shut the door.
Lan Luoyun quickly explained:
“Please don’t be afraid, Elder.”
“We aren’t escaped prisoners.”
“We’re exiles passing through.”
“We spent the night beneath the bridge nearby because we had nowhere else to stay.”
“But the bridge suddenly collapsed.”
“A lot of people are trapped underneath.”
The old man remained silent.
Lan Luoyun could tell he was still listening.
So she continued:
“Elder, could you lend us some farming tools?”
“We need them to dig people out.”
After hearing her sincere explanation, the old man finally opened the gate again.
He handed over two shovels and two hoes.
“Thank you, Elder.”
“We’ll return them as soon as we’re done.”
The old man waved dismissively.
“Just go.”
He clearly didn’t want to become involved.
In troubled times, ordinary people preferred to avoid trouble whenever possible.
Lan Luoyun thanked him again and hurried back.
When they returned to the collapse site, Chen Laoda was already searching for them.
The moment he saw them carrying tools, his face brightened.
“I knew you two were still alive!”
“So you went to find tools!”
He slapped Lin Nancheng on the shoulder and immediately began acting like old friends.
Nearby, Concubine Chu and Third Concubine had been digging through the rubble while crying.
When they heard Lan Luoyun’s voice, they rushed over.
Only after confirming that Lin Nancheng, Dabao, and Erbao were unharmed did they finally relax.
Some people still had family trapped beneath the bridge.
They no longer cared about anything else.
Many had begun digging with their bare hands.
“Meng Laosan!”
Chen Laoda barked.
“Take these tools and start digging!”
At his command, several guards joined the rescue effort.
Lan Luoyun stepped forward.
“Officer, I know a little medicine.”
“I can help treat the injured.”
Chen Laoda immediately agreed.
There wasn’t much else she could do at the moment anyway.
Several people had already been pulled from the rubble.
Lan Luoyun first checked each person’s breathing.
She needed to determine who could still be saved.
One victim had no pulse.
No breath.
Nothing.
She looked at the young man standing nearby.
“Bury her.”
The woman was his mother.
She was already dead.
The young man refused to accept reality.
He grabbed Lan Luoyun and begged her to save his mother.
“Your mother isn’t breathing anymore.”
“There is nothing I can do.”
“There are others who still have a chance.”
Then she moved on to the next victim.
The young man became furious.
He believed Lan Luoyun was refusing to help.
If she truly knew medicine, why wasn’t she saving his mother?
He grabbed her collar and threatened her.
If she didn’t save his mother, he would kill her.
Lan Luoyun understood his grief.
But she couldn’t allow him to vent his pain on her.
“Let go.”
“I’ve already explained.”
“Your mother cannot be saved.”
“Stop wasting time that could save someone else.”
At that moment, another family nearby began shouting for her help.
Someone they had rescued was still alive.
Lan Luoyun shook off the young man’s grip and headed over.
Unexpectedly, the young man picked up a rock.
He raised it and aimed directly at her head.
Fortunately, Lin Nancheng saw everything.
Without hesitation, he kicked the young man’s leg.
The man immediately fell to the ground.
At least he stopped causing trouble.
The rescue efforts continued.
Anyone who still had a chance was treated by Lan Luoyun.
Eventually, Old Madam Lin was pulled from the rubble.
When the bridge collapsed, Madam Su and Lin Nanhao had only cared about escaping themselves.
Neither had bothered helping the old woman.
Lin Yixiao had been seated near the edge of the bridge rather than beside his mother.
By the time he tried to run back and save her, the panicked crowd had blocked the way.
The moment Old Madam Lin appeared, Madam Su immediately shouted:
“Lan!”
“Hurry up and save your grandmother!”
Pulled out alongside the old woman was Madam Han from the Second Branch.
The moment she heard Madam Su’s demand, she became furious.
“Oh, really?”
“When the collapse happened, weren’t you sitting right beside Old Madam Lin?”
“Then how is it that your entire family escaped without a scratch?”
“While she ended up buried underneath the bridge?”
“What exactly were you all doing?”
Madam Han’s words struck directly at the truth.
Madam Su’s face became ugly.
Even Old Madam Lin began glaring at her.
“Madam Su!”
“When we lived in the Lin residence, I always supported you!”
“And now that we’ve fallen into hardship, you abandoned me?”
Despite being buried under rubble for so long, the old woman still sounded remarkably energetic.
Honestly, she didn’t seem seriously injured at all.
Madam Su immediately exploded.
“You’re blaming me now?!”
The two women began arguing fiercely.
Seeing this ridiculous scene unfold, Lan Luoyun simply ignored them and began treating Madam Han’s injuries instead.
Everyone else watched the argument like a theatrical performance.
The quarrel grew increasingly heated.
Then, suddenly—
Madam Su picked up a rock lying nearby.