nucmednet Chapter 411 Rescued
Chapter 411 Rescued
Wang Jinqian looked at the corpses being dragged ashore, her face turning pale, but she still forced herself to stay calm: "I'll go with you, maybe we can see if there are any people still breathing."
Cui Jiu nodded, leaving two people to look after the caravan and provisions, while he led the rest of the men to carefully inspect the riverbank.
Sure enough, several sections of the embankment collapsed, and the soil was eroded into ravines, exposing the rubble and grass roots underneath.
Several body retrievers stopped what they were doing and looked at them timidly when they saw that they were dressed in fine clothes.
"Fellow villager, when did the water rise? How is things in Chuzhou now?"
Cui Jiu stepped forward and asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.
A weathered man sighed, "It rained heavily all night the other night, and the water rose in the latter half of the night. The water in Chuzhou City was waist-deep, and I heard that many houses collapsed..."
"However, I heard that a female official risked her life to lead people in reinforcing the dikes and protecting the safety of the people, but she disappeared after the flood!"
"Alas, what a pity to waste such a good official!"
"Indeed, it's truly admirable that such a frail woman possesses such courage!"
“Those of us outside the city, we were either swept away or ran to higher ground. It was good enough if we survived.”
Cui Jiu's heart sank. Just as he was about to ask again, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a "corpse" half-buried in the mud and sand on the riverbank not far away. The finger twitched slightly.
The movement was so subtle that if he hadn't been looking closely, he would have thought he was seeing things.
"There!"
Cui Jiu pointed sharply to the riverbank, his voice urgent, "Quick! Go check it out!"
He was the first to rush forward, followed closely by the guards and Wang Jinqian.
It was a woman, her blue dress soaked through with mud and clinging to her body. Her long hair was disheveled and plastered to her face. Most of her body was sunk in the wet mud, with only the faint rise and fall of her chest proving that she was still alive.
"Still angry!"
The female physician beside Wang Jinqian knelt down, placed her fingertips on the woman's wrist pulse, and spoke very quickly.
"The pulse is weak and the breathing is faint. It's due to drowning and hypothermia. We need to treat him immediately!"
Without thinking twice, Cui Jiu carefully helped the woman out of the mud, wanting to see her face clearly.
He gently brushed aside the woman's wet hair, and when that face, covered in mud yet still vaguely recognizable, came into view, Cui Jiu was struck dumb, his entire body frozen in place.
Those eyebrows, those features... how could it be her?
"Lord Shi... Lord Shi!"
Cui Jiu gasped in shock, her voice trembling, "How did you get here?!"
He had served his master for many years; how could he not know the depth of his young master's feelings for Miss Shi! He would never mistake her for someone else.
"How did she end up in this desolate place after being swept away by the flood? Could the female official they're talking about be the one who caused this disaster in Chuzhou?"
"What's wrong with you? Someone, someone come quick!"
When Cui Jiu came to her senses, a huge panic surged in her heart. She didn't care about the difference between men and women, nor did she care about the mud and wetness on her body.
He took off his outer garment and carefully covered the woman with it, then bent down and picked her up in his arms.
The woman's body was as light as a feather, and she was ice-cold. She shivered slightly in his arms, but remained unconscious.
"Miss Wang, come quickly!"
Cui Jiu carried the person and walked quickly towards the convoy, while giving orders to the guards behind him in a stern voice.
"Search carefully! Search along the river again, see if there are any survivors. If anyone is still breathing, bring them back to life!"
The guards dispersed in response, and Cui Jiu, carrying Lord Shi, walked unsteadily to Cui Yu'an.
He was usually calm and capable, but now his face was pale, his breathing was unsteady, and his arms holding the person trembled slightly: "Young Master..."
Cui Yu'an was standing by the cart checking the grain and fodder list when he saw Cui Jiu's appearance and the woman covered in mud he was carrying. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong? Cui Jiu, you're unusually flustered today. This girl..."
Before he could finish speaking, his gaze fell on the woman's face, and he suddenly stopped.
Why do those eyebrows and eyes look so familiar?
Cui Jiu said urgently, "Young Master, this girl is... she is Lady Shi, an old acquaintance of my young master. I don't know why she was swept here by the flood!"
"I humbly request that the young master make an exception and allow Miss Wang's physician to treat Miss Shi; her life force is too weak..."
"Lord Shi?"
Cui Yu'an frowned, moved closer, and reached out to brush away the remaining strands of hair on the woman's face.
When he saw that face clearly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his youthful nonchalance vanished instantly, replaced by shock in his voice, "It's her?!"
Isn't this the Miss Shi who saved his life when he was trapped in the mountains and had a high fever?
He always remembered what she looked like, but later he only knew that she had entered the court. He never expected to meet her here, in this way!
How did she end up in this flood?
Cui Yu'an lost all interest in teasing and quickly stepped aside, saying, "Quick! Help her into the car! Miss Wang, thank you for your help!"
The female physician beside Wang Jinqian had already received her mistress's orders and quickly followed with her medicine box. Upon hearing this, she immediately nodded and said, "Young Master, rest assured, I will do my best."
Cui Jiu, carrying Lord Shi, carefully stepped onto the carriage.
The carriage was lined with soft cushions. He gently laid the person down, and Wang Jinqian immediately stepped forward, unbuttoned the man's soaked clothes to check his injuries, and then took out silver needles to prepare to administer acupuncture.
Cui Jiu stepped outside the car, staring at the tightly closed curtains of the carriage, his heart still pounding.
He looked up toward Chuzhou, where the dark clouds seemed to foreshadow the dangers ahead.
Their master urgently summoned reinforcements, and Lord Shi was caught in the flood. This trip to Chuzhou was likely to be more difficult than they had anticipated.
Cui Yu'an walked to his side and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, the female doctor next to Miss Wang is very skilled, Miss Shi will be fine."
The boy's voice carried a calmness beyond his years, "First, have people gather the surviving victims together, give them some dry food and water, and ask them about the specific situation in Chuzhou City."
"When the girl wakes up, she may know more."
Cui Jiu took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and bowed, replying, "Yes, Young Master."
The wind still carried moisture, blowing across the muddy riverbank, along with the sighs of those retrieving corpses and the sobs of the disaster victims in the distance.
Cui Jiu looked at the busy guards and the survivors who had been gathered together, and gripped the jade pendant at his waist.
No matter how dangerous the road ahead, they must deliver the grain and medicine to Chuzhou, and they must protect Lord Shi and the young master to ensure their safe passage through this calamity.
Inside the carriage, the female physician's silver needles had already pierced the acupoints, and a faint blush finally appeared on Lord Shi's pale face.
Cui Yu'an stood by the car, gazing in the direction of Chuzhou, his eyes gradually hardening—this time, he was determined to protect the girl who had once saved him.