Chapter 208
“I’m right here on the front line, and I’m strong enough to be of help,” Song Nianchu said firmly.
The man looked her up and down, his gaze settling on her slender shoulders.
“Little comrade, we’re truly grateful that you’re willing to help. But during rescue operations, we also have to ensure your safety. The work on the front line is extremely dangerous—I can’t let you take part.”
From the way he looked at her, Song Nianchu knew he was judging her by her appearance.
Still, she couldn’t really blame him. Anyone seeing her for the first time would find it hard to believe how strong she was.
Song Nianchu didn’t argue. Instead, she decided to show him through action. After all, facts spoke louder than words.
She swept her gaze around and finally spotted a large rock nearby. She walked over to it.
“Little comrade? What are you—” The man noticed what she was doing and was just about to ask when he suddenly saw her bend down and wrap her arms around the boulder.
“What are you trying to do? That rock is wedged in place. I’ve already sent someone to get tools. Don’t move it for now.”
But before he could finish speaking, Song Nianchu suddenly exerted herself. The massive rock, which had been completely immovable, was slowly lifted off the ground in her arms.
The expression on the man’s face froze. He even held his breath.
Holding the rock, Song Nianchu looked around and found an empty patch of ground. She walked straight over and dropped it with a heavy thud.
The rock struck the ground with a tremendous boom. The man felt the earth beneath his feet tremble.
Song Nianchu looked over the spot she had chosen and seemed quite satisfied. She briskly dusted off her hands, then raised her head to look at the man across from her, who still hadn’t recovered from his shock.
“Leader, do you think I can stay on the front line now?” Song Nianchu asked with a smile.
The man stared at Song Nianchu as his thoughts gradually returned.
“Y-yes… you can.”
“…”
The leader hadn’t been wrong. Rescue work on the front line was indeed extremely dangerous.
The dam farther behind them had not yet been completely sealed, and water continued pouring out nonstop. Some of the injured were trapped beneath rocks and submerged in the water, making the rescue effort several times more difficult.
At first, everyone had urged Song Nianchu to leave as soon as they saw a petite young woman like her coming to help with the front-line rescue. But after witnessing her strength, they all fell silent.
Later, whenever they encountered something too difficult to move themselves, they would call for Song Nianchu.
By the end of the day, Song Nianchu had rescued twelve trapped civilians. Five had suffered minor injuries, five were seriously injured, and two… showed no signs of life at all.
Those bodies had been submerged in the water for so long that they were already somewhat bloated when they were pulled out. Their appearance was honestly quite horrifying.
In her previous life, Song Nianchu had hardly ever seen a corpse. She had been somewhat unaccustomed to it at first, but by later on, she had become numb to the sight.
It wasn’t until the sky had grown completely dark that the soldiers from the mess unit came to announce that dinner was ready.
Only then did everyone get up and make their way toward the open ground.
They all dragged their heavy legs along, and many of the soldiers were injured as well.
Even with Song Nianchu’s stamina, after working all day, she felt completely exhausted.
As soon as she returned to the camp, she dropped onto the ground without bothering to check whether it was clean.
After all, they were probably the dirtiest people here by then.
“Comrade Song, this is your meal.” The leader from earlier personally brought Song Nianchu a serving of food.
A large bowl of rice was topped with the fish canned goods she had brought along.
“Thank you, Leader.” Song Nianchu immediately accepted it.
“No need to be so formal. My surname is Zhao. You can just call me Captain Zhao.” Zhao Yuanshan sat down beside Song Nianchu as well.
“Captain Zhao.” Song Nianchu didn’t stand on ceremony and called out to him with a cheerful smile.
“Hey.” Zhao Yuanshan answered readily.
He was holding the same meal as Song Nianchu. After tasting the canned fish, his pupils suddenly brightened.
“Comrade Song, this canned fish you brought tastes wonderful.”
“Does it? The people in our village make it themselves,” Song Nianchu said with a smile.
“You make it yourselves?” Zhao Yuanshan was even more surprised.
“That’s right. Our village is currently expanding its factories, too.” Song Nianchu nodded.
“That’s truly impressive. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely visit your village and take a look.” Zhao Yuanshan hadn’t expected to encounter a village with its own factories here.
“Of course. When the time comes, I’ll be sure to give you a proper welcome, Captain Zhao.”
“Then it’s a deal.”
“I wonder when things here will finally be over.” Song Nianchu looked into the distance. The electrical facilities in the area had been completely knocked out, so they could only rely on external sources for lighting.
She could still hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. Judging by that, the breach in the dam still hadn’t been sealed.
Zhao Yuanshan followed her gaze.
“Don’t worry. The authorities have sent over a large number of technical personnel, and they’re already working on a solution. As long as they can seal the breach in time and stop the flow of water, the rescue effort afterward will become much easier.”
“Mm.” Song Nianchu nodded, then remembered what Meng Yingying had said earlier. “Captain Zhao, do you know the name of the leader in charge of repairing the dam?”
“I didn’t ask. We’re all handling separate assignments, and I only happened to see him briefly when I went over there earlier.” Zhao Yuanshan shook his head.
“I see.” Song Nianchu lowered her voice slightly.
“Why do you ask? Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I was just wondering how much longer the dam repairs will take.”
“Don’t worry. They’re professionals. There won’t be any problems.” Zhao Yuanshan reassured her.
“Mm.” Although Song Nianchu answered that way, a trace of wariness appeared deep in her eyes.
She planned to investigate tomorrow during the day. She had only just arrived, and if she asked too many questions, it would be difficult to avoid arousing suspicion that she had ulterior motives.
After dinner, Song Nianchu didn’t rest either. Although the darkness made rescue work inconvenient, there were still many injured people at the camp. She had learned some first-aid skills in the modern era, so she spent the first half of the night helping treat the patients.
It wasn’t until the second half of the night, when Zhao Yuanshan came over and told her to get some rest, that she finally found an empty bedroll and lay down.
She must have been exhausted from the day’s work, because the moment she lay down, she fell asleep.
When Song Nianchu woke the next morning, the sky was still dim.
The soldiers, exhausted from the previous day, lay sprawled about or leaned against one another as they rested.
Song Nianchu didn’t wake them. She rose quietly, intending to go take a look at the dam.
However, before she could get close, someone stopped her.
“What are you doing here? This place is dangerous. Leave at once.”
Song Nianchu looked at the man in front of her. He was tall and thin, with a pair of thick glasses perched on his face. He appeared to be somewhere between thirty and forty years old.