23. Between Life and Death

When Tong Zhenzhen climbed down from the stilt house and touched the ground, she felt the earth trembling.

"An earthquake?" Tong Zhenzhen asked the hostess as she ran.

"It’s a mudslide!" the hostess replied in terror.

*No way.* Although Tong Zhenzhen had never personally experienced a mudslide, she was well aware of the destructive power of such natural disasters. She instantly sobered up, scooped up the hostess’s daughter, less than five years old, and kept pace with the fleeing crowd.

Running through the darkness, stumbling over uneven terrain, and facing the torrential rain, it was a miserable experience. But when life is in danger, human potential is often ignited. Amidst the stumbling run, Tong Zhenzhen could hear the roar of the mudslide, the desperate cries of the villagers, and the weeping of children.

Fortunately, the villagers were familiar with the mountain paths, and Tong Zhenzhen finally followed them to a high ground with a solid foundation. The hostess took her daughter back, showering Tong Zhenzhen with endless gratitude.

Exhausted to the point of speechlessness, Tong Zhenzhen could only wave her hand and sink to the ground. It was then she realized she had lost one of her shoes somewhere along the way. But being alive was enough. She simply took off the other shoe and pressed her bare feet into the earth, finally feeling a sense of grounding.

After a moment of rest, her frantic heartbeat began to slow down. The sky was slowly turning light.

"Help!" A woman’s shrill scream tore through the night sky.

Startled, Tong Zhenzhen jumped up and pushed through the crowd, only to see a woman being swept away by the mudslide. To her horror, the woman was holding a bundle—an infant.

Without a second thought, Tong Zhenzhen rushed toward the danger.

"Come back! Come back!"
"It’s too dangerous!"

With two lives hanging in the balance, Tong Zhenzhen ignored the protests. She ran to a position as close as possible to the woman and the baby and jumped in. She figured that since she used to be on the swimming team, she should be able to save them both.

"Teacher Tong!" The voices calling her name were soon left far behind.

In the surging mudslide, Tong Zhenzhen swallowed mouthfuls of silt, but she struggled fiercely toward the woman. The woman, driven by a desperate will to survive, managed to grab hold of a low-hanging tree branch.

*Thank goodness!* Tong Zhenzhen grabbed onto another, thicker branch nearby.

"Reach out to me! I’ll save you!" Tong Zhenzhen shouted.

Unexpectedly, the woman held out the infant instead. "I... I have no strength left... Please, save my... child..."

"Hold on, I will save you both!" Tong Zhenzhen grabbed the edge of the baby’s blanket and pulled him over.

Just as she was about to find a way to reach for the woman, she saw the woman let go and get swept away by the current. Was it an illusion? Tong Zhenzhen thought she saw the woman’s lips move, as if saying "thank you." Tears burst from Tong Zhenzhen’s eyes, carving two white tracks through the mud on her face. The baby began to cry.

***

Is there any love in this world more selfless than a mother’s? Tong Zhenzhen sniffled, held the baby close, and climbed toward a thicker part of the branch.

Lying on the sturdy branch, she held the baby tightly, not daring to move a muscle for fear of snapping the wood. "Baby, don’t cry. Your mother sacrificed herself for you, so you must be a good boy. Someone will surely come to save us." She coaxed the infant softly, her tears falling into his mouth.

The baby smacked his lips and blinked, as if he understood her, and truly stopped crying. Tong Zhenzhen didn't know how long she held that position; her body felt nearly numb. She was so sleepy, but she didn't dare close her eyes. She feared that if she fell asleep, she might fall—and if she did, she couldn't let the baby fall with her. That would be a betrayal of his mother.

"Tong Zhenzhen! Where are you?" The shouts drew nearer.

Was it a hallucination? Tong Zhenzhen bit her lip hard, using the pain to stay awake. It was real. And the voice sounded so familiar. Her will to live surged.

"Help! I’m here!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The baby cooperated by letting out a loud cry.

Closer and closer. Although she couldn't turn her head to look, she heard voices—a lot of them.

*Thank goodness!* Tong Zhenzhen wept with joy. Then, she heard the sound of people diving into the water. Someone shouted, "Teacher Tong, hold on! Your boyfriend is here to save you!"

*Boyfriend?* She didn't have a boyfriend. Tong Zhenzhen was filled with suspicion, but she couldn't turn to look.

"Little girl, I’m here."

When she heard that voice, she was stunned. Wasn't that Jun Lengche’s voice?! Before she could process it, she was scooped up. A familiar, clean, and bracing scent surrounded her.

"Be careful, we’ll climb down from the branch first. I have a rope tied around my waist; once we’re in the water, they’ll pull us to the bank," Jun Lengche said clearly in her ear.

*Forget it, in a life-or-death moment, there’s no time for questions.* Tong Zhenzhen followed his lead obediently. Once in the water, Jun Lengche held her waist tightly, while she held the infant high. The villagers on the bank pulled the rope with all their might, dragging the three of them toward the shore.

As they neared the bank, Tong Zhenzhen reached out and handed the baby over first. Someone quickly took him. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard Jun Lengche gasp, "No!"

Then, she felt him pull her into his chest, and a spray of blood bloomed before her eyes.

*Why is Jun Lengche vomiting blood?!* Before she could grasp what was happening, he closed his eyes and let his head rest on her shoulder.

"Oh no, he was hit by a rock!" The cries from the bank made her realize: to protect her, Jun Lengche had used his back to shield her from a falling boulder. She saw the massive stone behind him.

The villagers had relaxed their hold on the rope, thinking they were safe, but the sudden impact of the rock had ripped the rope right out of their hands. Tong Zhenzhen and the unconscious Jun Lengche were swept back into the mudslide, rising and falling in the murky water as they were carried downstream.

Buffeted by the mud waves, Tong Zhenzhen clung tightly to the unconscious man. Fortunately, she collided with a large tree trunk wedged across the flow and got snagged.

***

"Jun Lengche, wake up!" Tong Zhenzhen used every ounce of her remaining strength to grab his hand, preventing him from being swept away. His weight, combined with the force of the current, made her feel as if her arms were about to be dislocated. Still, she refused to let go.

"Little girl... let... go..." Jun Lengche finally stirred, his eyelids fluttering open as he saw her plight. "Let go... or you... will be dragged down too." He noticed the branch she was clinging to was swaying, ready to snap.

"Nonsense!" Tong Zhenzhen cursed sharply, gritting her teeth and refusing to budge.

*Snap.* A sharp, clear sound echoed—the branch had broken. As they fell back into the current, she heard Jun Lengche mutter, "You idiot."

*Jerk. I’m risking my life to save you and you’re still insulting me?!* As she bobbed in the mud, Tong Zhenzhen cursed him in her heart.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in her forehead caused her to lose consciousness. She had been struck by a rock. She was instantly swallowed by the mud.

"Am I dead? I haven't even taken my revenge yet. How could I face my mother?" When Tong Zhenzhen woke up again, she opened her eyes to a blinding white light and thought she had reached heaven.

Thinking of the note her mother left before jumping into the sea, the will asking her to take revenge, Tong Zhenzhen felt immense regret. If she had known she would die so soon, she shouldn't have grabbed Jun Lengche’s hand. Not only would she have had company in death, but she also could have let the "other woman" suffer the pain of losing a child.

"You’re awake. Don’t move." A slightly hoarse voice filled with surprise sounded by her ear.

*That voice?* It sounded so much like Jun Lengche’s. Was he dead too? Unable to distinguish her own feelings, she turned her head.

*Wow.* It was really him. He was usually so immaculate; why did he look so disheveled and bloodshot now that he was dead?

"Are you dead too?" she asked in surprise.

"Silly girl." Jun Lengche brushed her cheek lightly, leaned down, and hugged her tightly.

*Wait.* Why was his embrace warm? Tong Zhenzhen realized something was wrong. Peering over his shoulder, she saw a smiling middle-aged doctor and several nurses wiping away tears.

It dawned on her—she was alive.

"Let go!" His hug was so tight she could barely breathe.

Surprisingly, Jun Lengche obeyed, sitting up straight. The corners of his mouth turned up. Was he smiling?

"Director Jun, it’s good that your girlfriend is awake. However, she needs to rest and recover. She’s young and has a strong constitution, so the fetus wasn't affected, but you still need to be careful. You must make sure she gets plenty of nourishment," the doctor said with a kind smile.

"Yes, Director Jun, your undying love has spread throughout the hospital. It’s so touching," a nurse with a round face added, her eyes brimming with tears.

*Wait!* What was going on? *Fetus? Love?* Tong Zhenzhen blinked hard, her brain unable to keep up. She struggled to sit up, and when she saw the room decorated in pink, her jaw dropped in shock.

"Thank you both. I have something to discuss with my girl." Seeing the confusion on her face, Jun Lengche stood up and politely ushered the doctor and nurses out.

"Jun Lengche! What, what, what is going on?!" Tong Zhenzhen roared.

"Don't get excited." Jun Lengche closed the door and walked over quickly. "You’ve been unconscious for two days. Getting too worked up will make you dizzy."

Tong Zhenzhen waved her hand. "Cut the crap! What happened to me? What fetus?"

Jun Lengche walked to the foot of the bed, took a paper from her medical chart, and handed it to her.