It was nighttime.
Mi Xaing 'er was sleeping on a small bed. Facing the window, she could see the starry sky and the crescent moon.
Yun Laohu was lying on his hospital bed, facing her. All he could see was the woman's exquisite back.
It was a different scenery, but the same happiness.
The moonlight was heavy.
It was past midnight.
Suddenly …
Mi Xaing 'er was awakened by a tremor. She was only stunned for a second before she felt that the bed, window lattice, and everything around her were shaking crazily. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were like leaves in the wind, swinging out of control.
There was an earthquake.
There was an earthquake.
Mi Xaing 'er instinctively sat up and quickly glanced at the bed. She knew that Yun Jingting's leg was injured and that it was inconvenient for him to move. She did not even have time to put on her shoes. She directly pounced over, opened her arms, and used her back to protect him.
Yun Jingting was a soldier. His reaction was quick, and his movements were fast. He half sat up like lightning. His pitch-black eyes were like a pool of deep water. They met her anxious gaze. In a flash, the two of them could only see each other's eyes. Everything outside their bodies no longer existed.
Yun Laohu knew that Mi Xaing 'er was protecting him. He did not think too much about it. It was completely out of his will. He twisted his waist and pressed her under his body. As he used too much strength, his wound was affected. His leg hurt to the bone. He gritted his teeth and did not make a sound. He was stunned as he protected the woman's small body in his arms.
There was a "Pa" sound.
The power went off, and the surroundings were pitch black. The buzzing sound of the hospital bed and furniture rubbing against the ground could be heard. It was ear-piercing and eerie, as if a huge monster was moving in the darkness.
The tremor lasted for more than ten seconds before it returned to normal.
Someone was running wildly in the corridor.
"There's an earthquake. Evacuate quickly."
"There's an earthquake. Everyone, protect yourselves. Those who can move, try to move to the spacious area outside."
Yun Jingting gently pushed Mi Xaing 'er's shoulder. "Hurry up and leave."
He knew in his heart that no one could predict the strength of the next aftershock. The sooner they left the ward, the safer they would be.
This was common sense to save oneself and escape.
How could Mi Xaing 'er not know?
However …
She didn't leave.
She did not have the slightest thought of abandoning Yun Jingting and running for her life. On the contrary, the more dangerous the situation was, the more she wanted to protect her husband in front of her. "Wait here. I'll go get the wheelchair and be back soon."
"Don't!"
Yun Laohu grabbed nothing but air. Mi Xaing 'er had already swiftly grabbed the crutch and stuffed it into his hand. Without wasting a minute, he ran out of the ward.
The corridor was pitch-black, and the scene was chaotic. In the darkness, there were people pushing and shoving, scrambling to escape. It was no wonder. How many people could remain calm in the face of natural and man-made disasters?
Mi Xaing 'er took a deep breath. She clearly remembered that there was always a spare wheelchair at the end of the corridor. She identified the direction and ran to the window. When she saw that the wheelchair was still there, she felt relieved. She quickly pushed the wheelchair back to the ward.
When she entered the door, she saw that Yun Jingting had already walked to the door with his crutch.
Mi Xaing 'er held his arm and carefully placed the man in the wheelchair. Only then did they leave through the hospital's emergency passage.
When he arrived at the open space in the courtyard, he looked around. All the windows in the inpatient area were dark, and only a few emergency lights were on in the corridor. The courtyard was full of people, whispering to each other and discussing. They were guessing the origin of the earthquake and sighing at the thrill of the early morning.
Yun Laohu grabbed her wrist. His fingertips were trembling slightly. His voice was no longer as calm as before. "Are you okay?"
Almost at the same time …
Mi Xaing 'er also looked at him. "Are you okay?"
The two of them nodded at the same time.
Their eyes met and they smiled in relief. They only felt that the warm smile could spread to their hearts. It was as if the distance between them had been pulled closer. They were so close that they would never be able to separate themselves.
Everyone stood in the square for about an hour. Their fear gradually subsided. Only then did they return to the ward in a scattered manner.
There was still no call.
Yun Jingting lay on his side on the hospital bed. In the darkness, he hugged Mi Xaing 'er and rubbed his chin against her black hair. The two of them hugged each other tightly. They did not say anything, but they both felt that with this person by their side, no matter what happened, there would be someone to share it with and rely on. They felt exceptionally satisfied.
They held each other's hands just like that.
Until dawn.
The next morning …
Mi Xaing 'er was worried about her family, so she called Siyuan Village. Xu Dongsheng happened to pick up the call. "Uncle Xu, the voice said that there was a big earthquake last night. Our Provincial Capital also felt the tremors. How's the village? Is my mother okay?"
Xu Dongsheng's voice sounded distant and noisy over the phone. "Xiang 'er, you're still in the hospital. How's the Head Of Yun?"
"They're all fine. There are no casualties here. What about home?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time. Xu Dongsheng then said hesitantly, "I don't know if I should tell you. But if I don't tell you, things will get serious. I can't handle it alone …"
Mi Xaing 'er was a straightforward person. She could not bear to hear such ambiguous words. "Village Chief, what happened?"
"After the earthquake last night, there were too many things. It was a little chaotic. I didn't sleep the whole night and was busy calculating the losses. When I went to the village committee this morning, Fu Bowen came crying. He said that your mother disappeared after the earthquake …"
Ah …
Disappeared?
"What happened? Village Chief, tell me clearly …"
Xu Dongsheng hurriedly comforted her over the phone. "Don't be anxious. I'm sending people to look for her now, but there's no news for now. I've asked Fu Bowen. He said that your mother was still around when the earthquake happened. After the earthquake, he fell asleep and did not feel anything unusual. When the sun rose, he looked for your mother all over the courtyard, but she was gone …"
Mi Xaing 'er's heart skipped a beat. "Village Chief, then I'll go back now …"
Xu Dongsheng could only persuade her. "The journey to and fro is quite long. The Head Of Yun is still injured, and the hospital needs someone to take care of her. How about this? Wait a little longer. Give me a call in the afternoon. If we still haven't found your mother by then, it won't be too late for us to make a decision then!"
Mi Xaing 'er thought that this was the only way. She returned to the ward worriedly. Yun Jingting seemed to read something from her face. "What's wrong? Something happened at home?"
Mi Xaing 'er did not want to say too much and make him worry, but she also knew that the other party was meticulous and observant. It was not so easy to completely deceive him.
So she only said half of it. "Something happened at home. The warehouse in the backyard collapsed, and a few roofs fell. My mother can't handle it alone. It's a little messy …"
Yun Laohu did not suspect anything. After all, the Mi family's house was indeed old.
He slapped his forehead with his hand. "Sigh, this is all my fault. I wanted to quickly repair the house in the past, but I didn't have the time. What should we do now? Go home and take a look …"
Mi Xaing 'er pondered for a moment. "Let's wait. I'll call back to the village in the afternoon and ask Village Chief Xu if there's a need to go home. After all, I'm worried about you …"
Yun Laohu waved his hand. "What's there to be worried about? Your mother …"
He stopped talking.
His mother-in-law was indeed worrisome. She was clear-headed one moment and crazy the next. She even had a strange and lively child with her. They could be considered old and young. They really needed someone to take care of them.
Mi Xaing 'er did not say much. It was useless to say anything more. She could only wait until noon to hear the news.
Just like that, she spent the whole morning feeling uneasy. When it was 12 o 'clock, she could not wait any longer. She quickly called the village committee. "Village Chief, is there any news about my mother?"
This time, Xu Dongsheng was also a little anxious. "Oh my, I mobilized the whole village to look for her all morning. I went to every nook and cranny, but I didn't see her. This is what I'm thinking. Did your mother have an intermittent illness again and ran to the back of the mountain? I'll send someone to look for her …"
Go to the back of the mountain?
Mi Xaing 'er knew in her heart that Tang Xiling was not mentally ill. After the earthquake, it was the busiest time. Why would she go to the back of the mountain for no reason?
This possibility was simply impossible.
This time, she really could not sit still. She put down the phone and thought about it. She returned to Yun Jingting's ward. She was afraid that Yun Jingting would be worried, so she did not dare to say anything. She casually made up an excuse. "I asked the village chief again. He said that my mother was frightened by the earthquake yesterday. Now, she is a little dazed. Fu Bowen is just a child, and he can't take care of her.
How could Yun Jingting stop Mi Xaing 'er? Although she could not bear to part with her mother, her mother's family was also a big matter. "Then you should go back. Don't worry about me. Okay, be careful. Don't forget to give me a call when you reach home …"
She thought for a while and stared at Mi Xaing 'er's face as if she was testing her. "If something really happened at home, go to the county and look for Chief Shen. He and I have a good relationship. He should be able to help …"
Mi Xaing 'er pretended to be relaxed and shrugged her shoulders. "You really worry for nothing. My house collapsed. Why would I need to look for the Public Security Bureau?"
Yun Laohu did not see any flaws in her expression, so she could only give up. "Then how are you going back? Why don't I call the military and ask them to send a car?"
Mi Xaing 'er knew very well that Yun Jingting was not troubling the military at all. She had specially suggested this for her sake.
She quickly waved her hand. "Forget it. You can call the military now. No matter how they arrange for a car, it will not be as fast as me taking the long-distance bus. Don't trouble yourself. I'll leave now. There's a long-distance bus at one o 'clock. I can make it in time …"
Yun Jingting opened his palms and placed them on his knees. "Come over here …"
Mi Xaing 'er walked over and placed her small hands in his palms. In order to reassure him, she deliberately said in a rough voice, "Why are you dawdling? I'm just going back home. What's the big deal? I promise I'll be back as soon as possible …"
Yun Jingting's thumb rubbed the web between her thumb and index finger. He ignored her rashness and said gently, "Xiang 'er, you're going home alone. Be careful on the way home. Don't cause trouble. Oh, and the house is old. It will be dangerous after the earthquake. Don't be careless. You have to find someone who understands to take a good look at it and ensure its safety …"
“”
"Don't be afraid of spending money …"
“”
"Also, you have to settle the matters at home. Don't rush back. I'm here …"
He was like a meticulous and gentle big brother. He was usually a decisive person, but now he was actually a little chatty.
Mi Xaing 'er was touched. She lowered her voice and leaned against him with half of her body. She subconsciously fiddled with his collar with one hand. "Okay, don't say anymore. Both of you are important to me. I can't let go of either of you …"
Yun Jingting sighed. "I'm just afraid that you'll think that way. It's too tiring to run around …"
He didn't say anything else. He held the woman's hand and didn't let go. Every minute he could stay was a minute.
Mi Xaing 'er caressed his face …
She was also worried.
She couldn't bear to leave either.
It seemed that the longer she stayed with Yun Laohu, the more she missed him.
However, she couldn't bear to part with him, so she had to leave.
She couldn't help but kiss the man on the lips. "Then you'll be fine …"
She turned around and left the ward …
She could clearly feel Yun Jingting's burning gaze following her behind.
When she reached the long-distance bus station, she first bought a ticket to the county town. Because there were no direct buses to the village, she could only transfer at the county town.
It was already close to dusk. She felt uneasy. As soon as she got off the bus, she looked for a phone and called Xu Dongsheng. The first thing she asked was, "Have you found my mother?"
The answer she got was still that she couldn't see her.
It had already been a day, and it was going to be dark soon. How could Mi Xaing 'er not be anxious?
She lowered her head and sat on the steps outside the hall dejectedly. Her mind was completely blank, and she couldn't think of anything at all.
The weather was stuffy and hot.
Her mood was even more irritable.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there.
Suddenly, she felt someone patting her shoulder.
Mi Xaing 'er turned around and looked. "Eh, why … why are you here?"
----- Digression —
Who was this person? Where did Mother Mi go?
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