Years turn into wind

Chapter 207: Respite at Dawn

Hidden Valley

The valley was almost unsettlingly quiet that night, the occasional chirping of birds and the sound of wind rustling leaves a reminder that danger was not far away.

Cheng Yuwei sat on a large rock, her head bowed as she sorted through the medicine box at hand. Her movements were mechanical and practiced, but her eyes were filled with fatigue. Tonight, she had lost count of how many wounded she had bandaged.

"Sister-in-law, please take a look over here too." A young soldier, holding his calf, walked towards her tremblingly.

Cheng Yuwei raised her head and saw his face full of shame. She waved her hands and said, "Don't be embarrassed. Sit down and let me take a look."

The wound wasn't deep, but it was covered in dirt, and signs of subtle inflammation were clearly visible. Cheng Yuwei carefully cleaned, disinfected, and applied medicine, then tied it up with a clean cloth. "Be careful not to get it wet again."

The soldier blushed and nodded, saying gratefully, "Thank you, sister-in-law. You are really awesome."

Cheng Yuwei chuckled: "As long as you can survive, it is more important than anything else."

She stood up and stretched, but when she looked up, she found Ling Xiaotian standing not far away, looking at her with a slightly frown.

"Why are you still standing there?" Cheng Yuwei raised her eyebrows. "You're seriously injured, yet you insist on being tough."

Ling Xiaotian slowly approached and whispered, "It's not bravado, it's a habit."

"Getting used to it isn't an excuse. Sit down." Cheng Yuwei grabbed his arm without hesitation and pressed him against the stone. She squatted down to examine his left arm. The bullet wound there had been simply bandaged, but the dressing had clearly not yet been changed.

"Who wrapped this? It's such a mess." Cheng Yuwei complained as she unwound the gauze.

"I made it myself, so it's okay as long as it's okay." Ling Xiaotian raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

"Can't you learn to be nicer to yourself?" Cheng Yuwei glared at him unhappily, but her tone was filled with deep heartache.

Ling Xiaotian's gaze fell on her face, and his voice was low but with a smile: "When you nag like that, it sounds like a wife scolding her husband."

"How can I not scold you if you don't listen?" Cheng Yuwei didn't look up, but her hands moved a little lighter.

Soldiers' Night Talk

As the night deepened, a bonfire burned brightly in the camp. Several young soldiers sat around it, chatting in hushed tones.

"My sister-in-law is really amazing. She doesn't look like a delicate girl from the city at all."

"Isn't it? Look at the way she treats the wounds. Her hands are as steady as an old doctor's."

"I heard that my sister-in-law is a doctor of chemistry."

"What does a PhD in Chemistry mean?"

"I don't know, maybe he's a very powerful person in the city."

Several soldiers were talking in low voices, with admiration on their faces.

"Alright, stop talking," the older soldier interrupted in a low voice. "If my sister-in-law can endure this hardship, we can't let her down. We have to travel tomorrow, so let's all go to sleep."

The soldiers nodded, extinguished their torches, and went into the makeshift tents.

Uneasy Dreams

Cheng Yuwei finally finished with the last wounded and dragged her exhausted body back to her resting place. As soon as she sat down, Ling Xiaotian came over and asked softly, "Can you still sleep?"

"I am sleepy, but I am a little worried about tomorrow's journey." Cheng Yuwei leaned against the rock wall and rubbed her temples.

Ling Xiaotian sat next to her and whispered, "Tomorrow I will arrange for a reconnaissance team to explore the route first and try to avoid further exchanges of fire with the enemy."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, then turned to look at him and said softly, "Do you feel that the enemy is chasing too fast?"

"What do you mean?" A hint of alertness flashed in Ling Xiaotian's eyes.

"Someone might have leaked our whereabouts." Cheng Yuwei said solemnly, "Otherwise, with their reaction speed, they wouldn't have been able to track us down so quickly."

Ling Xiaotian frowned, thought for a moment, and then nodded: "I think something is wrong too. I will investigate it thoroughly when it is safe."

The two looked at each other and made a silent decision in their hearts.

Hope in the morning

At daybreak the next day, the team packed up and prepared to continue their journey. The scouts reported that there was no enemy movement on the eastern trail, which made everyone feel a little relieved.

"Sister-in-law, this is for you." A soldier quietly handed over a small package containing some dry food and a bottle of water.

Cheng Yuwei was stunned: "What about you? Do you have enough to eat?"

"I have some, sister-in-law, please take it first." The soldier smiled innocently and scratched his head. "Sister-in-law, you have worked so hard, you should eat more."

Cheng Yuwei felt warm in her heart and said softly, "Thank you."

She put away her rations and followed the group, silently watching the backs of each person. Their exhaustion, tenacity, and kindness gave her an indescribable sense of strength.

Ling Xiaotian walked in front of the team and looked back at Cheng Yuwei. Their eyes met and he gave her a faint smile.

At that moment, Cheng Yuwei seemed to see a ray of light penetrating the haze, which made her heart inexplicably calm down.

new crisis

Less than two hours into the march, the scout ahead suddenly came running back, his face pale: "Sir, enemy sentries spotted ahead!"

Everyone was shocked, and Ling Xiaotian made a quick decision: "Everyone, take cover and prepare for battle!"

Cheng Yuwei quickly squatted down, protecting the wounded around her behind her, and looked around vigilantly.

This time the enemy did not seem to attack rashly, but instead surrounded the team on all sides, intending to trap the entire team.

"Xiaotian..." Cheng Yuwei called his name in a low voice.

Ling Xiaotian turned around and glanced at her, his eyes reassuring: "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."

He turned and whispered a few words to his adjutant, then raised his gun and led several elite soldiers to move quietly to the left wing, preparing to find a breakthrough.

The approach of the enemy indicates that a new round of fierce fighting is about to begin.