The Lucky Heiress - Chapter 129
Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Saved i
Translator: 549690339
Inside the pitch-black cave, Xu Zhengyong was trying to dig out the mud and rocks that blocked the entrance.
These mud and rocks, though soft, seemed to be infinite. The more he dug out, the more seemed to accumulate.
Due to the lack of oxygen and the chill, Xu Zhengyong was gradually losing strength.
Wei Mingting said to Xu Zhengyong, “Brother Xiaoyong, take a rest. If you continue like this, your body won’t be able to keep up.”
Wei Mingting sat next to him, sounding exhausted while speaking.
They had been trapped in this cave for four hours, the air inside was growing ever thinner, and the damp and frigid conditions were taking a toll on their bodies.
Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, despite being martial artists and slightly better off, were also suffering. The three villagers who were with them huddled together, and the weakest among them, a nine-year-old boy, was semi-conscious.
In this state, they couldn’t last much longer.
Seeing the three villagers weakly lying on the ground, Wei Mingting felt a sense of guilt.
Even though he had come to rescue them, he hadn’t made it in time, and on their way back they encountered a landslide.
While they managed to find shelter in the cave just in time to avoid being buried on the spot, it felt like they were only delaying the inevitable.
After trying and failing once more, Xu Zhengyong eventually gave up and sat next to Wei Mingting.
The ground was damp, which made sitting uncomfortable. However, when he felt dizzy, sitting down was the only thing that provided some relief.
I don t want to die yet…” Xu Zhengyong said in frustration.
Xu Zhengyong was dejected. He didn’t want to die. He hadn’t fulfilled his promise to Ruoruo, he hadn’t filially piety to his parents properly, and he hadn’t heard Xiumei call him ‘brother’ yet.
Was he going to die here today?
“I understand how you feel. I don’t want to die either. I’m not afraid for myself but I worry about my family…” Wei Mingting said.
Wei Mingting was also in distress. If he were to die, what would happen to the
Wei family? What about his wife, son, and daughter?
Xu Zhengyong glanced at Wei Mingting. He had always respected Wei Mingting as a military general, for his tactical skills, martial arts skills, and his compassion towards people.
However, he felt that Wei Mingting was not a good father, as he had allowed Ruoruo to be bullied.
Thinking of Ruoruo, Xu Zhengyong said, “I still have an unfulfilled promise…” The couple from the village huddled together, sensing their hope of survival was dwindling, soft sobs could be heard.
Just when everyone inside the cave had given up hope, a small light suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave.
Was it an illusion?
Why was there light?
Had the envoy of the underworld come to take them away?
Having never experienced death, they were unsure how the ghost envoy would appear.
At that moment, voices could be heard from outside the cave.
“Can anyone inside hear us? General Wei, Deputy General Xu!”
Hearing the voices, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong quickly stood up.
“We’re here!” Wei Mingting replied with all the energy he could muster.
“Hang in there, General Wei. We are going to start digging to get you out!” Came the response from outside, followed by the sounds of shovels and pickaxes.
Soon, a third of the blockage at the entrance was removed, revealing a gap large enough for a burly man to squeeze through.
Save those people first!” Wei Mingting said to the man who had entered.
The man nodded, then hoisted the unconscious boy out through the gap. He was carefully received by the rescuers above and successfully rescued.
Next came the boy’s parents, and finally, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong. Once they were outside, they found out that their rescuers were Wei Jinyi and Ruo. Both Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were filled with surprise and joy. The words “Sister Ruoruo” were on the tip of Xu Zhengyong’s tongue, but he swallowed them back.
Usually, regardless of how his parents corrected him, Xu Zhengyong shamelessly called Ruoruo “Sister Ruoruo”. But at this moment, on the verge of life and death, he refrained from calling out.
Upon catching sight of Ruoruo, his instinct was to rush over and talk to her. He knew, however, that he couldn’t do so with outsiders present. To do so would only risk damaging Ruoruo’s reputation.
Ruoruo’s gaze was also on Xu Zhengyong. Seeing his excited expression and his mouth opening then closing without making a sound, she guessed his intentions.
She was somewhat relieved. Brother Xiaoyong had grown up, he wouldn’t act recklessly without considering the consequences anymore.
Although Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong didn’t say a word to each other, their connection was evident in their eyes, which did not escape the notice of Wei Jinyi, who was standing next to Ruoruo.
“Jinyi, Ruoruo! How did you know we were here?” Wei Mingting exclaimed in surprise, but also in relief.
Your sister heard of your peril and she insisted we come to find you. It was she who discovered you were buried at this location,” explained Wei Jinyi.
“Ruoruo, how did you know we were here?” Wei Mingting asked his daughter.
Ruoruo explained, “I thought about the situation from your perspective. If you knew there was danger, you would choose a safer path to enter and leave the valley. After observing the surroundings, I thought that you might have chosen to follow a small path on the western side.”
“After following that path, I found a dagger, which was brand new and unlike anything the villagers would have. This led me to guess that we were at the place where you were buried.”
Wei Mingting’s face instantly lit up. He didn’t say a word, but his smile revealed his feelings.
“Let’s leave this place first and regroup back at the village,” Wei Jinyi ordered.
Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, regardless of their daily martial arts training, were exhausted. After being trapped overnight, their bodies weakened. They needed immediate medical attention.
Leaving the valley they borrowed a villager’s house and Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were able to take hot baths and change their clothes.
The access roads to the village were blocked, and given their physical condition, Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong couldn’t risk taking a rough journey, especially crossing over the mountains. So they decided to stay at the villager’s house until the roads were cleared.
While Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong were bathing and changing clothes,
Ruoruo took the pulses of the frail family of three.
All three had suffered from the chilling weather and were running hot temperatures. The lack of oxygen had also disrupted their bodies’ functions.
Although they were unable to get medicine from outside at this time, luckily, Ruoruo had brought a large quantity of medicine with her, which could stabilise the three people’s condition temporarily.
Afterward, Ruoruo went outside where she saw Wei Jinyi sitting at a small table. She sat down next to him and started preparing medicine from the bottles she brought.
Wei Jinyi quietly watched Ruoruo working on the medicines in her hands..