Chapter 28: Official, Too Warmhearted
Song Liang Zhuo was wading through water with a crowd of people, pushing a wooden boat filled to the brim with grains, clothing, blankets and mattresses to the high ground area north of the village.
This area was called the Holy Turtle Hill by the villagers. Actually, it wasn’t a hill but a mound protruding from the field. Due to the fact that many years ago when there was a flood, this place saved a large portion of the village’s people, it had always been regarded as a holy hill by the villagers and was revered and worshiped as such. Not only did no one take any soil from here, there were even people that filled in soil at the high ground every year, so after many years, this place really became a short little dirt hill.
The men had already carried grain to the Holy Turtle Hill several times, so everyone was extremely tired. Seeing the sky lighten and that the water level had lowered quite a bit, they all decided to stay here and rest.
Song Liang Zhuo sat at the outermost circle, feeling a bit helpless as he looked at the river water below. He was still a step too late. If managing the river had occurred to him when he first took office then such a big village wouldn’t have to face such a misfortune. The only good was, the water wasn’t too much. The other neighboring villages were also quite a distance away, their topography higher than here so their lives would probably not be endangered.
Cai Yun who did not leave with the earlier crowd sat next to Song Liang Zhuo a bit timidly. From the time they had waded out from the yard when Song Liang Zhuo was doing his inspection rounds to now, Song Liang Zhuo had been expressionless.
Cai Yun snuck a peek over for the umpteenth time, and finally could not resist explaining in a small voice: “Da ren, Cai Yun just, just wanted to accompany da ren.”
Song Liang Zhuo didn’t seem to have heard and continued to stare at the turbid water, seeming a bit distracted.
“Da ren, Cai Yun, Cai Yun…… Is da ren angry with Cai Yun?” Cai Yun bit her lips and hung her head as she continued.
Song Liang Zhuo’s brows slightly knitted. His head slightly turned towards a direction and he carefully listened.
Lu Li Cheng brought a deep-fried doughcake over and handed it to Song Liang Zhuo and said: “Da ren, don’t worry. No one was injured and Madam, along with the rest of them probably already entered the city.”
Song Liang Zhuo slightly frowned. He glanced at Lu Li Cheng but didn’t speak.
“Could it be da ren……”
Song Liang Zhuo lifted his hand to interrupt him, stood up and walked forward a couple steps to carefully listen. After a while, he said: “Are you sure there’s no one left in the village?”
“There’s no one. The governor already notified each and every family and household. Although this evacuation was sudden, but there was no one overlooked.”
Song Liang Zhuo restlessly paced back and forth and spoke, frowning: “Don’t you hear Xiao Qi’s voice? She’s crying, crying ……”
Song Liang Zhuo pressed his lips together and stood next to the water, listening carefully.
“Perhaps da ren is worried about Madam. I’ve already handed her to w.a.n.g Zhi, there probably wouldn’t be any problems.” Lu Li Cheng glanced at Cai Yun who had her head down and frowned.
Song Liang Zhuo stood next to the water for a long time. The faint sound of a whistle carried over and Song Liang Zhuo’s face immediately turned pale as he shouted loudly: “Boat, hurry. There’s someone!”
Song Liang Zhuo didn’t wait for them to finish pushing the boat down before jumping in the water. After stumbling out a few steps he was pulled up the boat by a st.u.r.dy man. Lu Li Cheng saw his expression change so drastically and knitted his brows, asking: “Did da ren hear something?”
“Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi came back again.” Song Liang Zhuo clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
“How can that be possible?” Lu Li Cheng looked towards the extending water surface and his brows knitted tightly. After being silent for a while, he lightly laughed and soothed: “Perhaps you misheard.”
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head, took a deep breath before opening his eyes. From the water he fished up a piece of wood to help paddle the water.
“Is Song da ren worried about Madam?” The boat man comforted: “She’ll be fine. Madam left first with that procession of people.”
The moment the words were spoken, the whistle sound carried over clearly. Song Liang Zhuo’s hands which were holding the wooden plank began to tremble. If he catches her, he must give her a heavy beating! She already got out, why did she still come back!
The boat man was also shocked to hear the sound of the whistle. He no longer dared to neglect and hurriedly paddled forward.
There were a lot of debris in the water. Because a tree fell in the middle of the road, the boat could not pa.s.s for a while. The man was a bit anxious and knelt at the head of the boat to move that tree trunk but Song Liang Zhuo had already jumped into the water. Getting past the tree trunk by going underneath it, he said: “I’ll go over first. If it’s not possible, it’s fine if you guys take a detour.”
Song Liang Zhuo hurriedly walked forward. As he looked at the water that had risen to around his chest his heart became a mess. Xiao Qi’s height is small, please don’t have drowned! The sound of the whistle was gradually fading. Song Liang Zhuo hurriedly pushed forward until he, next to the tree that was several dozen feet big, saw that head exposed above the water. Just a head, if the water was just a few inches deeper it could suffocate that mouth and nose. Song Liang Zhuo’s heart suddenly contracted and his brisk walking changed into a small run.
In the water it was simply not possible to run. Song Liang Zhuo only leaped out a few steps before falling into the water. Song Liang Zhuo borrowed the buoyancy of the water to stand with difficulty and didn’t dare to walk too fast anymore. He forced down the frenetic feelings in his heart and pushed forward.
Xiao Qi’s face had already turned pale, that clay whistle didn’t emit any sounds anymore. Xiao Qi’s chin was on top of the tree, her cheeks were still puffing and puffing, as if she was trying hard to blow the whistle. It was just that she didn’t have anymore strength to blow.
Song Liang Zhuo reached out with a trembling hand to take away that red horse and said in a stern voice: “Who let you come back? Did you want to die?”
Xiao Qi’s entire body was trembling nonstop. She had stood in the water for almost two hours, even she did not know how she was about to endure it. Xiao Qi’s head slightly faced upwards looking at the sky, her eyes were empty and without spirit. Her chin already had a small hole from being pressed against, deep enough that there was even a slight bit of blood.
Song Liang Zhuo held her waist and lifted her up. He couldn’t hold it back and his eyes turned a bit moist. Song Liang Zhuo hugged her as he leaned her against the tree. His hand gently rubbed her face as he repeated said: “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. I’m here. Xiao Qi, don’t be scared.”
Xiao Qi continued blowing out of habit, not reacting towards Song Liang Zhuo’s words at all. Song Liang Zhuo could not bear to look any longer. He supported her head, letting her rest on his shoulder.
Song Liang Zhuo tilted his head to the side and gently kissed Xiao Qi’s hair, ears, and lips as he softly mumbled: “Xiao Qi, wake up. Don’t be scared. Xiao Qi, wake up.”
Xiao Qi’s wide open eyes slowly returned to their senses. But her first reaction was to shove Song Liang Zhuo while hoa.r.s.ely wailing: “Scram. I don’t want you, I don’t want you anymore. Waaaah, I hate, I hate you.”
Xiao Qi’s throat was already hoa.r.s.e to the point that it couldn’t make any sound. Shouting like this, to Song Liang Zhuo’s ear was like the sound of sandpaper grinding across wood, hoa.r.s.e to the point that it made his heart ache unbearably.
“Xiao Qi, don’t shout anymore, Xiao Qi. Rest a bit.” Song Liang Zhuo tightly hugged her and said with a trembling voice: “It’s my fault. I should have, should have…… Haaa(sound of sigh), Xiao Qi, don’t be scared. I won’t ever again, never again.”
Xiao Qi’s strength was exhausted and powerlessly leaned in Song Liang Zhuo’s chest sobbing. Song Liang Zhuo held Xiao Qi’s cheeks and gently rubbed, but didn’t see that pale color improve.
Xiao Qi shivered as she spoke: “Official Song, I don’t want you anymore. I, I hurt. Don’t want you anymore! Really, don’t want you!”
Song Liang Zhuo pressed against her forehead and softly rubbed, saying gently: “It won’t hurt anymore, it won’t ever hurt again. Xiao Qi, don’t be scared.”
The boat had already approached. Song Liang Zhuo lifted Xiao Qi up to Lu Li Cheng, then he was also pulled onto the boat by the boatman. Xiao Qi trembled into a ball in Lu Li Cheng’s embrace. When Song Liang Zhuo got into the boat he wanted to take her, but Xiao Qi hugged Lu Li Cheng’s waist and wouldn’t let go.
“Xiao Qi?” Lu Li Cheng softly called.
“Don’t want. Hate him. Don’t want him anymore.” Even Xiao Qi’s voice was shaking.
Song Liang Zhuo looked at Xiao Qi who was in Lu Li Cheng’s embrace and lower his eyes, pained. He softly sighed then told the man pushing the boat: “Send me out first. You guys also should get out as soon as possible.”
When the boat got to shallow waters, Xiao Qi had already fallen unconscious. Song Liang Zhuo jumped off the boat and waded out of the water carrying Xiao Qi.
“Official Song, want me to go with you? The road is pretty far away!” The man shouted.
“No need.” Song Liang Zhuo turned back to nod at Lu Li Cheng: “Advisor, thanks for your trouble.”
Song Liang Zhuo’s feeling were complicated as he carried Xiao Qi. He should scold her for not understanding self-preservation, but he knew faintly in his heart. She came back, it was definitely because she was worried about him, she came back to find him!
Song Liang Zhuo lowered his head to look at the person in his embrace that was cold to the point her entire body was purple. It was the first time he felt so utterly helpless. If back then he had built the dam earlier there wouldn’t be a day where the water overflowed; if back then he didn’t, for some unfathomable reason as if the demons and G.o.ds were at work, go to the Qian family to propose marriage, Xiao Qi also wouldn’t have been soaked in the water for this long; if back then he didn’t marry her, didn’t tease her, she also wouldn’t, for his sake, not care about her life.
Song Liang Zhuo sighed and said softly: “Xiao Qi, I won’t ever let go again. Please don’t hate me.”