Le monde des arts martiaux est un véritable cloaque

Chapitre 44

Xiang'er tried to break free from Xu Shirong's grasp and run away again, but Yang Huan shouted angrily, "Stay put! Don't cause any more trouble!" Xiang'er pouted, tears streaming down her face. Xu Shirong quickly hugged her and whispered words of comfort.

"Found it! Found it! It still has gas!"

Just then, cheers rang out from ahead. Looking up, they saw a crowd hurriedly carrying someone out. Xiang'er was overjoyed and rushed over. Although the person was covered in mud, he recognized him as his father. He was filled with both joy and sorrow. Seeing the crowd carrying the laborers they had just found onto a cart to be taken to the county town for treatment, he quickly followed.

Seeing that everyone was alright, Xu Shirong breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up, she saw Yang Huan still glaring at her unhappily, knowing that he still had things to deal with and wouldn't be able to go back for a while. She smiled slightly and said softly, "I'll go back first. You should come back soon too."

Yang Huan mumbled something, grabbed her hand, and headed towards the parking lot. Seeing that the driver was still waiting, he had just put her in the car when he heard a commotion from the crowd behind him. Knowing that something must have happened again, he hurriedly told the driver to take her home and then turned back himself.

As soon as Yang Huan arrived, everyone gathered around. County Magistrate Mu exclaimed in panic, "Sir, something terrible has happened! Just now, only the back side of the river collapsed. We were in such a hurry to dig people out that we didn't fill in the gaps. Now, the tide is eroding the east side fiercely, and it looks somewhat unstable as well. What should we do?"

Yang Huan cursed and shouted, "Is that even a question? Protect the dike!"

An older man in the crowd said, "Sir, we must use sandbags filled with soil to stack them on the slope in a staggered pattern, piling them up to a height above the tide line, in order to protect our feet and foundation. We can then make further repairs after the tide recedes."

Yang Huan raised his eyebrows and said, "We'll split into three groups. One group will fill in the collapsed area on the west bank and compact it firmly. Another group will quickly move the straw bags. The young and strong ones, come with me into the water to fill in the straw bags!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of voices of protest erupted from all around: "Your health is paramount, you must not go into the water! We'll go down right now!" With that, seven or eight people had already jumped into the tide, clinging to the dam. The rest of the group also dispersed to fill in soil and carry straw bags.

Because this section of the construction had just been completed, there were still piles of leftover materials from some time ago nearby, including straw bags. With many people, the transport was quick, and soon straw bags began to arrive. One by one, the straw bags filled with mud, sand, and gravel were thrown into the water. Seven or eight laborers, submerged in chest-deep water, struggled against the surging tide, painstakingly stacking the straw bags layer by layer. Just as they were piling them higher and higher, suddenly screams erupted. The straw bags, which were almost above the tide, collapsed again. It turned out that the slope near the water was steep, and the bottom layer of straw bags had slipped out, causing the already stacked bags above them to collapse into the water, nearly burying the men. Fortunately, they were all good swimmers and managed to avoid being swept away.

Standing on the dam, Yang Huan saw that his great work was about to be ruined again. Seeing the tide rising higher and higher, he worried that the dam, which was already prone to landslides, would not be able to withstand the erosion. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and shouted, "First, drive a layer of wooden stakes into the foot of the dam, and then fill it with straw bags. That way, it won't slide outwards!"

The people on the embankment perked up and hurriedly scrambled to carry wooden stakes over, driving them in one by one along the foot of the embankment. However, the tide was too high, tossing everyone from side to side and making it difficult to stand, so progress was extremely slow, and several stakes that had not been driven in deeply were swept away. Yang Huan became anxious, cursed, and jumped down himself, braving the surging tide to help the person at the front to hold up the teetering stake.

Seeing that the county magistrate had disregarded the rapid tide and cold water and jumped down, the crowd was immediately stirred and followed suit. Several people huddled together to hold onto a wooden stake and drove it firmly into the ground. Soon, a row of stakes over ten feet long was erected. People on the embankment rolled straw bags down, which were caught by those below. They piled up a layer of straw bags on top of the stakes, and then piled them up one by one until the embankment slope was firmly compacted.

Xu Shirong hadn't followed Yang Huan's instructions to return. Instead, he told the coachman to wait while he moved closer and watched from a distance. He saw Yang Huan directing the men to protect the embankment amidst the blazing torchlight, his actions decisive and resolute—a stark contrast to his usual lazy demeanor. Xu was momentarily mesmerized. Then, seeing Yang Huan himself jump into the tide, Xu remembered he couldn't swim. Anxious, he rushed to the embankment, climbed up, and peered down.

Yang Huan had jumped down to protect the dike in a moment of bravado, not realizing the danger at first. But now, as the situation calmed down, he saw the surging tide violently crashing against the dike, whipping up a row of tidal surges that nearly submerged him, making him almost lose his footing. Fortunately, people nearby came to his aid, and they all climbed back onto the dike using the straw bags. People quickly gathered around, asking him all sorts of questions, and the county magistrate even took off his outer robe to drape over him.

Yang Huan waved his hand, then looked up sharply. He saw a beautiful woman, wrapped in a fur cloak, standing gracefully not far from the seawall outside the crowd. In the torchlight, her beautiful eyes, filled with concern, smiled at him. His heart warmed, and he immediately parted the crowd to stand before her.

Chapter 54

"Didn't I tell you to go back? Why won't you listen to me!"

When Yang Huan arrived in front of Xu Shirong, he immediately said this, his face somewhat somber.

Xu Shirong saw that he had just come out of the water, completely soaked, with water droplets still rolling down his hair and around his eyes; the water must have been icy cold. Ignoring the stares of everyone around her, she took his hand, which was indeed ice-cold. Feeling a pang of heartache, and disregarding his earlier words, she whispered a reproachful complaint, "Since you can't swim, why did you insist on going in? I saw the tide was surging so fast, what if…" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Yang Huan felt a surge of joy in his heart, and his previous expression vanished. He hurriedly said, "I saw that person couldn't even hold onto the stake in the water, let alone drive it in. In my panic, I didn't think much and jumped in. And look how safely I got up!"

Xu Shirong hummed in agreement, then felt another gust of cold wind and hurriedly said, "Hurry back and take off your wet clothes. It's so cold, don't catch a cold."

After she finished speaking, Magistrate Mu immediately said, "The situation is now stable, and I will arrange for more people to patrol. Lord Yang, please return quickly. Those who went into the water have all gone back." The crowd echoed her sentiments and gradually dispersed.

Yang Huan then felt a truly biting chill. He nodded, took a torch in one hand to light the way, and grasped Xu Shirong's hand in the other. The two then headed towards where the car was parked. After walking a few steps, they saw a small mountain of straw bags piled up at the foot of the pond. These were the straw bags that everyone had carried over earlier but hadn't used, and they were still haphazardly stacked there. The two went down the slope and were about to go around when they suddenly heard a burst of laughter coming from above. Looking up, they saw several boys climbing on top of the straw bag pile, jumping and playing around. One of them looked like a mudfish.

Yang Huan chuckled and called him a "little rascal," then pulled Xu Shirong away quickly. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise from the side. Turning around sharply, he saw that the straw bags above them were loose and about to collapse. It turned out that everyone had been rushing to load them here, and they were already stacked shakily. Now, with the children stepping on them, they had become unstable. In the blink of an eye, the top few straw bags rolled down and hit Xu Shirong, who was walking on the inside.

Xu Shirong, thinking of Yang Huan who was still cold and soaking wet, felt increasingly anxious, wishing she could fly back into the house immediately to warm him up. She was completely oblivious to the commotion beside her. Suddenly, she heard Yang Huan shout "Watch out!" Before she could react, he shoved her, causing her to stumble a few steps before regaining her balance. Behind her, she heard a low groan. Turning around abruptly, she saw Yang Huan lying on the ground, a straw sack on top of him, slowly rolling down the slope beside him.

Xu Shirong then realized that if he hadn't been pushed, he would probably be the one trapped. With a cry of surprise, he almost tumbled and crawled to his side. The straw bag was filled with stones and mud, usually used for diverting water and filling pits. Each one weighed several hundred kilograms, and the force of it falling from such a height was unimaginable.

The commotion had already attracted the people on the seawall. When they arrived with torches, they were shocked to find Magistrate Yang trapped under a straw sack. They hurriedly lifted the sack from his legs, creating a chaotic scene of discussion and commotion. Mudskipper and the others, realizing they had caused trouble, scrambled down and stood there, frozen in place.

Xu Shirong gently lifted Yang Huan's head. Seeing that his face was deathly pale and his eyes were closed, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out. She kept patting his face and calling his name, tears welling up in her eyes and splashing onto his face.

Yang Huan felt excruciating pain in his leg, as if it were about to break, and nearly fainted. Suddenly, he felt a heat on his face, tasted a salty flavor on his lips, and heard his beloved calling his name incessantly. He forced his eyes open and managed a weak smile, saying, "Why are you crying? Didn't I tell you, I have nine lives, I won't die so easily. I'm still waiting to go back and be with you..." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the crowd surrounding him and swallowed his words.

Hearing him still so glib, Xu Shirong was still somewhat heartbroken, but seeing that he still had the energy to say these things, she felt a little calmer. Those who had come to their senses rushed forward and carefully lifted Yang Huan, placing him gently on the carriage.

When Yang Huan was being carried, the movement aggravated his injury. When he was put down, he was wincing in pain, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He only saw Xu Shirong by his side, her eyes still watery. Afraid of aggravating her worry, he forced himself to remain silent.

Seeing that his leg had been crushed by such a heavy object from above, Xu Shirong knew that even though he had dodged it, the bone must have been broken and the pain excruciating. The man who used to complain for half a day about even a minor headache or fever was now completely silent. Knowing he didn't want her to worry, Xu Shirong quickly took off her cloak and covered him with it, then gently placed his head on her lap. Holding his hand, she said with tears in her eyes, "If it hurts, just cry out. Maybe the pain will lessen."

When Yang Huan saw that she had asked him to rest his head on her lap and was constantly shedding tears, he was overjoyed and felt a pang of pity. He suddenly felt that the pain he was in today was worth it. He snuggled closer to her lap and then, enduring the pain, said with a grin, "If you treat me like this, I would be content even if I died."

Xu Shirong shook his hand without replying, but urged the coachman to hurry up and rush back to the county government office. This startled everyone in the office, and they hurriedly carried him into the house. Some of the people who had accompanied him back went to fetch a traditional Chinese medicine doctor specializing in trauma. After a flurry of activity, everything was finally settled by dawn.

Xu Shirong sent Xiao Que and Qing Yu, who had been attending to him for half the night, to rest. Only then did she sit by the bed, staring blankly at Yang Huan, who had finally managed to drink his medicine and fall asleep after a restless night. She recalled the doctor's treatment of his bones—setting them, applying his family's ancestral bone-healing ointment, and clamping them with peach wood—saying that a few months of careful rest would be enough and he wouldn't be unable to walk. This reassured her somewhat. She only regretted the limited resources available at the moment and her own inability to help. She could only hope that the doctor's words were true and that there would be no lasting effects. Seeing Yang Huan's furrowed brows even in sleep, his expression showing pain, she knew he was truly in great pain this time, and that the pain would likely continue for several days. She couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Xu Shirong stayed with him until he woke up, personally feeding him and giving him his medicine, and then carefully wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. Yang Huan noticed that her eyes were slightly sunken, knowing that she had been staying by his bedside without closing her eyes since last night, and felt a pang of heartache, urging her to go and rest.

Seeing that he seemed to have recovered somewhat, Xu Shirong was slightly relieved. She herself did feel quite tired, and hearing that Xiao Que would stay by his side to take care of him, she went to another room to close her eyes for a while. By the time she got up, it was past noon. The rest of the day she was busy like a spinning top. First, County Magistrate Mu and his entourage came to visit, but she stopped them. Everyone knew that Magistrate Yang was reluctant to be disturbed after his injury. They asked about his injury and then asked her to relay that the cause of the seawall accident last night had been found. First, the soil had not been completely dried before being exposed to several days of heavy rain, and with the high tides for several days, the soil was too saturated with water. Second, the foundation at the dam's closure point had not been completely removed during the foundation construction a few days ago, resulting in an unstable foundation. Now that the tide had receded, repairs were underway, and they would definitely pay more attention to this in future construction. They told Magistrate Yang to rest assured and recover from his injury. Xu Shirong thanked them and had just seen them off when the woman, nicknamed "Loach Girl," and several other women came over, pulling their own children and grabbing old hens, saying they wanted to apologize to Magistrate Yang. Xu Shirong quickly stopped them, saying it was an unintentional mistake by the children and there was no need to worry. Unable to take them away, he had no choice but to keep the chickens. Afterwards, he sent some rice and flour to each of their homes, and also sent Xiaodie to Xiang'er's house with some money, telling her to stay home and take care of her father. He was busy like this until dark before he could finally catch his breath. In the following days, people who had heard that Magistrate Yang was injured came one after another, bringing strings of fish or pieces of meat, but they would quietly leave them at the entrance of the county government office and then leave.

As night fell, a roaring stove blazed in the room. Xu Shirong sat on the couch beside Yang Huan, gently massaging his uninjured leg while recounting the many acts of concern shown to him by the people over the past two days. Yang Huan rested his head on his hands, watching her soft hands gently caress his body, her attentive manner filling him with contentment.

Seeing that he slept more peacefully last night, no longer suffering from the pain that kept him awake all night like the previous nights, Xu Shirong was pleased. When she heard him groan that he had been lying in bed for several days and felt aches and pains all over his body, she began to massage him without him even asking.

Yang Huan stared at her for a while, worried that her hand would get tired, so he told her to stop. Seeing that she just smiled and her hand was still moving, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side, pressing her down to lie down.

Xu Shirong gently tapped his chest and chuckled, "You have no sense of proportion. What if I accidentally step on your leg and you can't sleep well at night because of the pain?"

Yang Huan held her hands and kneaded them, finding them soft and boneless. He could faintly smell the fresh scent of her floral soap after her bath. With a thought, he embraced her and sighed, "I'm afraid you really won't be able to sleep well."

Xu Shirong looked up at him, puzzled. Yang Huan coughed, leaned close to her ear, and whispered something that surprised and embarrassed her. She pulled her hand away, sat up, and turned back to scold him, "I've never seen such a shameless person! I didn't hear you complain of pain, and you immediately started having all sorts of wild thoughts. You can't even move your leg now, how can you do 'that'? You should just focus on healing your injury!"

Yang Huan recalled how he had finally managed to coax her into submission last time, only to have him fail to reach the desired destination and then abandon the attempt halfway through, leaving in a hurry. The thought still made him extremely frustrated. A few days ago, the pain from his injury had been so severe that he hadn't been able to think about it, but today the pain had eased somewhat, and the desire was stirring within him again. Seeing the two blushes on her face, he couldn't resist any longer. He grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her close, grinning as he said, "Who said I have to move to do that? I won't move; you can move on top of me."

Chapter 55

Hearing this, Xu Shirong's face flushed red, and she scolded him angrily, "I was so glad last night that you didn't complain of pain and slept soundly until dawn, but you're causing trouble today! The doctor said you need to rest, do you want to ruin your leg and become a cripple? If you keep acting up, I really won't care about you anymore!"

Seeing that although her face was flushed, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her fair face held a hint of arrogance, Yang Huan's anger was immediately dampened. Still somewhat resentful, she muttered a complaint, "I feel unwell, I can't sleep!"

Seeing his pout and displeased expression, Xu Shirong softened, remembering that his injury was caused by saving her. She sighed, glanced at his wound, and lowered her voice to comfort him, "I was just afraid of aggravating your leg injury, I was thinking of you. How can a grown man like you be so unable to distinguish between what's important and what's not?"