Chapter 1161 - 1034: It’s Good to Be Among the Living!

Chapter 1161: Chapter 1034: It’s Good to Be Among the Living!

At this moment, Zhou Jiao, with whom Zhang Guoqing has walked hand in hand for two lifetimes, Ping’an as well, and even the relatives of the Old Zhang family.

They unanimously chose to distance themselves from the forward command tent, concealing what was already within reach, and immediately engaged in rescue work without rest.

As night gradually fell, a loudspeaker’s voice sounded, "Comrades, let us mourn for the people who perished in this earthquake."

This was a sentence Zhang Guoqing repeated every day. He believed that whether it was a superstitious act to comfort souls or to boost morale, it was necessary.

But this distorted voice, even Zhou Jiao, who accompanied him every night, could not recognize.

By this time, Zhang Guoqing had not closed his eyes for more than a week continuously, and among his communication staff, two had already collapsed, leaving only Xiao Wang following closely behind him.

In just a few days, Zhang Guoqing visibly lost weight, his voice seriously hoarse. Even so, it was thanks to Xiao Wang forcing him to drink some water and eat a few bites of dry food.

Fortunately, neither Zhou Jiao nor Ping’an saw this, otherwise, how could they calmly devote themselves to the rescue work?

Of course, it wasn’t just Zhang Guoqing; all the command officers at the forward command center had bloodshot eyes, visibly losing weight.

Time is life, to save one more person by racing against the clock, everyone is in a state of sleeplessness, facing one corpse after another, and severed limbs...

Under such heavy mental pressure, facing the specific data reported from all sides, who could take it lightly?

Even Zhang Guoqing, who knew history well, while comparing historical data, realized more survivors had emerged in this war against nature, yet the heaviness in his heart was indescribable.

He had gradually heard some rumors and cries from the survivors. He dared not imagine, even more afraid to delve into anyone’s responsibility.

Besides the rumors spread by the couple themselves, there were people who witnessed celestial anomalies and suggested a natural disaster, yet some dismissed it as creating public opinion, counter-revolutionary.

A small number of people, sensing something amiss, fled, but more remained skeptical, choosing to continue working; whom to blame for this?

Often, it’s fate and destiny!

They coincidentally converged just like this.

Working busily until late at night, Ping’an spared a moment to gaze at the still-lit tent in the distance, sighing internally, realizing his father wouldn’t sleep or rest again tonight.

Then he frowned slightly, wondering if he was seeing things or hearing things, as he seemed to hear his mother’s voice during the afternoon’s busy period.

Shouldn’t be!

Given the bloodstains everywhere, how could his mother, who is so obsessed with cleanliness, endure this? He must have been overthinking.

With a shred of wishful thinking, Ping’an leaned next to his buddies, barely dozing off, and dawn was breaking. Remembering what he saw in his dream, he still felt uneasy in the end.

Circumnavigating to the place from yesterday, Ping’an checked the landmarks, quickly finding a familiar elder, learning shortly that his mother had indeed come over.

He was instantly astonished!

If he remembered correctly, what did his mother say before he set off? — Oh, reassure your father, I’ll truly stay at home, waiting for you and your dad to return home safely!

Oh dear, my mother! You’re so bold, does my father know?

Thanking the elder, Ping’an followed the direction pointed by her finger, running all the way to the place, watching a familiar figure bending over to bandage a wound, he was stunned, stood quietly for a while, then silently left.

Since she didn’t want him to worry, why not let him, as her son, go along with her wishes? He only needed to know his mother was not far from him.

One must admit, the son is really like the mother.

As for Zhou Jiao, she already knew her son was in that place, she had also secretly taken a peek, seeing him busy with his buddies, she didn’t plan to disturb him either.

As long as the child is well within her sight, it’s fine! Just like in that tent, as long as the man is okay, it’s fine.

The family of three each busy with their tasks at hand, apart from Zhang Guoqing, who was unaware, no one disturbed him.

Until half a month later, when the rescue work was handed over to the local authorities and Zhang Guoqing began to lead the team back to Beijing, did he learn from Xiao Wang’s mouth that his wife and son left while escorting orphans on that day.

Orphans?

Yes. In this disaster, the most unfortunate were those children.

If not for this damned earthquake, they would still be nestled in their mothers’ arms...they shouldn’t have known about human warmth and indifference so early, shouldn’t have known such pains that even adults find hard to articulate.

Teng Mountain was in chaos, this city turned into ruins had been filled with many policemen and militias by Zhang Guoqing, they could guard against robbers but not the distant relatives of these orphans.

According to the rules he established, all belongings were first inherited by direct relatives, among which one crucial item was for orphans to have their inherited property fully registered, yet it wasn’t enough.

The local education system was severely damaged by the earthquake, losses were considerable, this city short-term lacked the capacity to care for so many children, it wasn’t a long-term solution for the relief units to adopt them.

Thus, timely sending the children out of Tengshan City was extremely important. But some children were only four or five years old, wearing two watches left by their parents on their small arms, even carrying significant properties dug out.

Orphans from poor families were easier to manage, but what about these children? They were like kids carrying golden bowls over the street, could they hold onto them?

Moreover, if they grew up in the welfare institute well, once they became adults, naturally by regulation, they would get their belongings back, but what if they were adopted by so-called "good-hearted people"?

Zhou Jiao and Ping’an escorted orphans away on this day, Zhang Guoqing fully understood their feelings, guessing his wife was still negotiating these details with the relevant departments.

These children had already lost the only kin they had in this world, next, they must not lose the vital support they rely on to survive in the future.

If these issues aren’t raised during this critical juncture, who would care about these poor children in the future?

Whether by reason or coercion, heaven is unfair, someone has to take action.

Regarding his wife and son breaking the rules and running to Teng Mountain secretly, Zhang Guoqing, like his father-in-law Zhou Xiaozheng, couldn’t bear to scold them and could only shake his head helplessly.

In August, Beijing’s weather was still hot, in past years, Zhang Guoqing would feel irritated, resentful of the sultriness, but returning to this familiar ancient capital now...

Seeing the familiar streets through the car window again, the crowded after-work crowd, he had never so deeply felt...

He truly returned to the human world!

Especially smelling the fresh air, no longer under the searing sun with the suffocating stench of corpses in the air, no longer a nasal cavity full of pesticide and other medicinal mixtures.

The human world is indeed wonderful!