It was done.
Seeing signs that the man was finally regaining consciousness, Sang Zhi finally let out a breath of relief. Just as she rose to leave, a buzzing sound like an electric current suddenly surged in her mind. She shook her head, and the noise vanished.
She hadn't taken two steps before her wrist was seized. Despite the man having just escaped death, his hand gripped her like an iron vice, causing her pain. With one sharp tug, her sleeve slipped down.
Jiang Yan had drifted into a semi-conscious state while she was performing CPR. By the time her lips pried his open and a sharp, stinging pain radiated from the tip of his tongue, his consciousness had already snapped back. He tried to see who it was, but his vision was swimming with sparks. In his daze, he only caught a glimpse of a red maple-leaf birthmark beneath her right shoulder before he was unwillingly pulled back into darkness.
***
No sooner had Sang Zhi left than a man and a woman appeared. Mao Xiaojun and Sang Yun entered the room, their expressions conflicting when they failed to find the pair who had supposedly "eloped."
"Damn it, did Wang Daqing dare to play me? If I catch him, I’ll break his dog legs!"
He assumed his accomplice had double-crossed him and taken the person away alone. He was currently spewing profanities.
A look of relief, however, hung on Sang Yun’s delicate face. Still, being a cautious person, she glanced at the man lying senseless on the hospital bed before pulling Mao Xiaojun out of the room. Her cousin’s "disappearance" had much to do with her own maneuvering. It couldn't be helped; who told her to stand in the way of her own path?
She had been startled when she first heard the girl was missing, fearing Sang Zhi might have slipped away on her own. But upon learning that Wang Daqing had also vanished, her mind was put at ease. She didn't care about their situation and urged Mao Xiaojun to buy tickets for tomorrow, thinking they might still be able to recoup some losses.
"Right, I have to go find that brat!"
After shooing away the meddlesome man, Sang Yun returned to the room and reappraised the man on the hospital bed. His upper body was half-naked, his shoulders broad and his waist narrow. His fit physique lacked an ounce of excess fat, his muscles and bones clearly defined. Matched with his swarthy, handsome face and height of nearly 1.9 meters, he was practically bursting with a wild, vigorous energy. She had heard the broadcast, but she hadn't expected him to be this good-looking.
Just as she was blushing and her heart was racing from the appraisal, several people surged into the room. Coincidentally, as they entered, the man on the bed opened his eyes.
Feng Xiangdong was stunned to see his boss wake up. Once he collected himself, his tears broke through the dam. "Boss, you’re not dead! Thank god, thank god!"
In truth, while on the way to find the doctor, he had already prepared for the worst. What healthy person could be brought back after stopping breathing for over ten minutes? Fortunately, the heavens were watching and had allowed his boss to escape the catastrophe.
After finishing his examination, the duty doctor praised them, "The acupuncture points were hit with precision; the patient is out of danger. However, he still needs to go to the hospital to have his external wounds treated."
"Right, we'll go, we'll go! I also need to properly thank the doctor who saved him."
The station manager scratched his head. He had been broadcasting on the platform the whole time and hadn't seen any passengers report themselves. Could it be…
The group looked at Sang Yun in unison.
Sang Yun felt her throat go dry and her heart pound violently. Judging by their words, this injured man was a deputy commander. To have climbed to such a position at such a young age meant his future was boundless. And on top of that, he was so handsome. She knew her opportunity had arrived.
After locking eyes with those dark, cold, and sharp pupils, she blossomed with her most refined smile.
"Hello, comrade soldier. It was fate that allowed me to save you, and it is my honor."
In the past, she wouldn't have had the nerve to claim credit for someone else's work, but who told the room to be empty when she walked in? Furthermore, while she wasn't at the stage of treating patients independently, she had seen cases where dying people recovered on their own. Perhaps that’s just how soldiers were? The world was never short on miracles. Only a fool would fail to treasure an opportunity in their grasp.
Feng Xiangdong thanked her again. "Comrade Sang, are you here to see someone off or on official business? Why are you here?"
Sang Yun sighed. "It’s nothing to be ashamed of for you all, but I came looking for my cousin. She met some drifter. Our family didn't agree to their relationship, and who would have thought she would just run off with him without a word? My uncle and aunt are both gone; if something happens to her, how could I face their spirits in heaven..."
In two sentences, she cleared his confusion, smeared dirt on Sang Zhi’s reputation, and sculpted a good image for herself. In any case, Sang Zhi had been abducted, and there were no witnesses to prove otherwise.
Feng Xiangdong nodded in agreement. That sounded like a real headache, but he had to take Jiang Yan to the hospital and couldn't help her search for the girl. Before leaving, they exchanged addresses, saying they would come by to pay their respects in a day or two.
As they parted, she looked longingly at Commander Jiang, whose head was slightly tilted, his eyes lowered and his brows knit together. Never mind; with the connection of a life saved, there would be no shortage of dealings in the future. There was no rush.
Once they separated, Feng Xiangdong leaned in close as he helped Jiang Yan to the hospital.
"Boss, why are your lips so red?"
Jiang Yan just opened his mouth, but the sharp pain in his tongue flared up. With a cold face, he spat out a, "Get lost."
***
It was evening, the time for people to get off work, and the residential compound of the Municipal Lumber Mill was bustling. As a professional distribution enterprise directly under the Provincial Department of Materials, the Second Lumber Mill bore the responsibility for organizing the supply of timber for Pingcheng’s agricultural and industrial production and the daily lives of the urban and rural populace.
The company was profitable, so the employees' benefits were decent. The factory even had its own supply station. Since paychecks were issued that day, many were lining up early to buy meat to improve their meals.
Su Xia had just opened her door when Liu Meili from across the hall came over with a piece of paper, asking in a flustered tone, "Su Xia, have you seen Sang Zhi?"
Su Xia had been best friends with the original girl’s mother and had long been disgusted by this family who had usurped her place, so she didn't give them a kind look. However, hearing it was about Sang Zhi, she hurried to ask what was wrong.
Liu Meili handed her the letter and, seeing the neighbors watching with curiosity, began to wail loudly.
"Even though my husband and I took over the jobs from my brother and sister-in-law, we’ve been pinching pennies every month, cutting back on our rations just to send everything back home to raise Sang Zhi. This year, we brought her back to the city, providing her with good food and drink. Not only is she ungrateful, she even eloped with some man!"
Sang Yun, having returned from the station, wore a face full of "worry" as well. She added, "No wonder there were men pestering Sang Zhi these past two days. So that’s why..."
She stamped her foot. "If there was something bothering her, couldn't she have talked it over as a family? Why resort to eloping!"
Since a perfectly good person was gone, one had to arrange a destination for her. Eloping was the best reason to assign to her. After she spoke, many neighbors had an "aha!" moment. There had indeed been many drifters hanging around the compound these past few days; so, it was Sang Zhi who had attracted them. Thinking of that stunning face of hers, it all made sense.
"Shut your mouths, the lot of you!"
Eloping? Su Xia didn't believe a single word of it.
Two days ago, the girl had secretly tipped her off. She had said the factory, in gratitude for her grandmother donating her family’s private clinic to the factory during the public-private partnership era, had specifically arranged a position for her. But later, the girl had been sullen, saying she couldn't take the job after all.
She hadn't gone, but Liu Meili had gleefully announced to the world that her eldest son had been accepted by the factory hospital. If her son hadn't stolen Sang Zhi’s spot, she’d write her surname backward. If even cousins could harbor malice, what more a family with no blood relation?
Yes, Sang Zhi’s biological grandmother had passed away long ago. Liu Meili’s husband had been brought in by Sang Zhi’s step-grandmother.
Su Xia felt distressed and was preparing to go out and look for Sang Zhi. Just as the voices were clamoring with gossip and slander, a clear, sharp voice rang out.
"Eloping? Who eloped? Me?"