Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 288 United as one
The lights of the makeshift hospital in the stadium were particularly glaring in the night.

Stretchers kept bringing the wounded from all over the place, and groans, cries, and the urgent instructions of medical staff were all mixed together.

Inside the operating tent, under the operating lights, Hu Wenxue and several other surgeons' surgical gowns were soaked with sweat and stained with blood. They took turns working, with almost no rest.

He Yuzhu came over and took a look, then was stopped by Hu Wenxue, who was being substituted to rest due to exhaustion: "Mr. He, I have something to tell you."

"Dr. Hu, please speak."

"The temporary hospital can't take in that many injured people. You need to think of another way as soon as possible. Also, we don't have enough manpower."

"I understand. I'll go find someone to coordinate this matter right away." He Yuzhu nodded.

"Okay, I'll get back to work now." Hu Wenxue turned and walked towards an operating room.

He Yuzhu went straight to the disaster relief command center, but the people inside were so busy that no one noticed his arrival.

Old Zhao, his eyes bloodshot, was on the radio talking to someone, saying only one thing: "We need rescue! Urge for supplies!"

After Lao Zhao finished his call, He Yuzhu came over. "Zhuzi, you're here. How's the situation at No. 12 Middle School?"

"The most dangerous part of the dormitory building has been dealt with; now all that's left is to slowly find the people."

"That's good, that's good. Thank you for your hard work. By the way, what brings you here?"

"Where around can we receive the wounded? The temporary hospital here is already full. We also need more doctors and nurses."

"The hospitals are not nearby. Medical staff are already gathering in Tianjin, Beijing, and even some more distant county towns. You know, many roads outside are blocked."

"Then let them all gather at Tianjin Port. I'll take helicopters there to transport people, and also have them prepare to receive and treat the wounded."

"it is good."

"Also, contact Lao Fang and ask him when the helicopter squadron will arrive."

"He still has this?"

"I sent a batch of helicopters last year, but I don't know where they are in service."

"Understood, I'll contact the person right away. Is there anything else?"

"You urge the transportation of the goods to be delivered from Tianjin Port as soon as possible."

"You've put in both money and effort, that's impressive." Old Zhao gave a thumbs up.

"My Aunt Xia and the others?"

"They're not here, they're all in Beijing, don't worry."

"Okay, let's catch up after this is over. I have to go now." He Yuzhu nodded.

"Be careful, if something happens to you, I bet a lot of people will be making trouble for me."

"Understood." He Yuzhu waved without turning his head as he walked out.

The first thing He Yuzhu did after he came out was to have Wolf Fang refuel all the helicopters, and then the helicopter belonging to Wolves also flew back.

He Yuzhu instructed Company Commander Zhou to organize people to begin transporting the seriously wounded who had already received treatment onto the helicopter.

Actually, there are far fewer people in the stadium now. Most people have food, and after a short rest, they went out with the rescue team to help people. The rescue team is composed of temporary cadres, party members, and police officers. They had been anxious all day, and the rescue in the industrial city is finally starting to look like it's working properly.

Half an hour later, seven helicopters left the stadium and flew towards Tianjin.

Due to a lack of facilities, the 'Wolf Fang' helicopter training did not include long-distance night flights, so He Yuzhu personally led the team this time.

As the helicopter swept across the land of eastern Hebei, He Yuzhu could see large and small groups of torches everywhere on the roads and paths outside the industrial city. They looked up when they heard the noise in the sky, but they could only see flashing red signal lights. After the helicopter flew over, they continued to move towards the industrial city.

The cabin was packed with seriously wounded soldiers; the smells of blood, disinfectant, and suppressed groans mingled together.

"Boss, are they just going to go like this? Are they carrying farm tools?" Prairie Wolf in the passenger seat asked.

“Because they only have people!” He Yuzhu said in a deep voice.

"Understood!" The prairie wolf stopped asking questions.

At this time, the docks of Tianjin Port were brightly lit, a far cry from the scene when He Yuzhu and his group set off.

Temporary searchlights illuminated the parking spaces as bright as day, making people look like ants and vehicles shuttle back and forth.

Ships, more ships, are slowly approaching the shore or are already unloading cargo.

Cargo ships, passenger ships, and even several warships were on board, their decks piled high with boxes of supplies and bags of grain. These ships were all brought in from various places. The railways in eastern Hebei were completely cut off, and only the sea routes were open.

He Yuzhu and his team flew to the port, and someone immediately radioed from below: "New helicopter formation, this is the port command center. Please identify yourselves! Identify yourselves!"

"We came from the industrial city, and the plane is full of wounded. Requesting permission to land!"

"Command center received. Land according to instructions. Land according to instructions."

"Roger that!"

During the descent, the prairie wolf shouted, "Boss, look at the two o'clock direction."

He Yuzhu looked in the direction of the sound.

There, streams of people in uniforms of different colors were orderly flowing down the gangway.

Wearing white lab coats, green military uniforms, and dark blue overalls, they carried their respective equipment and quickly assembled and dispersed under unified command.

Huge banners fluttered in the night wind: "When one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides" and "The whole nation is united to overcome difficulties."

The helicopter landed in the designated area, and before the rotor had completely stopped, the cabin door was suddenly pulled open.

The stretcher team and medical staff who had been waiting nearby immediately rushed over.

"Quick! Take this to the central hospital."

"Those here should be sent to the orthopedic hospital."

"Send these to the port hospital first!"

He Yuzhu jumped off the plane and asked someone, "Where is your command center?"

"The brightest lights are in the command center."

"Thank you!"

However, before He Yuzhu could even get there, someone came looking for him.

"Comrade He Fei, right? Hello!" A middle-aged military officer wearing a four-pocket uniform strode over, followed by several people who looked like local cadres.

"Hello, I'm He Fei!" He Yuzhu shook hands with the visitor.

"I am the deputy commander-in-chief of the command center responsible for the transfer of disaster relief supplies and personnel coordination in the Tianjin Port area. My surname is Chen!"

"Commander Chen!"

"Let's not stand on ceremony. To make a long story short, how many people and how much supplies can your helicopter squadron carry?"

"One company of people, about ten tons of supplies."

"Great! I'll arrange for people to load the supplies right away. The medical staff are already on standby. Can we board now?"

"Yes, it would be best to pack the emergency supplies brought by my fleet."

“Understood. Your supplies are much more plentiful and better than ours. We’ll find other ways to handle the rest.” Deputy Commander Chen nodded. He had already had someone take inventory, and he was quite surprised. Even without transferring supplies from elsewhere, the supplies brought from Hong Kong were enough to deal with the initial situation.

"Then give the order now, the wounded are almost evacuated."

"Okay, Xiao Wang, go make the trip."

"It's Vice President Chen."

Soon the fuel truck arrived, and a thick fuel line was connected to the helicopter's fuel tank.

Blood plasma coolers, boxes of emergency medicines, and compressed biscuits were quickly loaded into the cabin.

A team of medical personnel in green military uniforms with white backgrounds and red cross armbands began to board the plane.

"Comrade He Fei, can you make a few more trips? You know that the highways and railways are all cut off. We don't know how long it would take to get here on foot."

"Sure, I'll also have the tracked trucks unload and come back to pick up people and supplies. Also, there are insulated boxes in the supplies. Vice President Chen, could you please mobilize people in Tianjin to donate blood?"

“Sure, I’ll go back and have the commander-in-chief coordinate it. He’s the secretary of Tianjin.”

"Has anyone been repairing the highway?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Yes, an engineering brigade stationed around Tianjin has already started construction."

Are there still troops heading to the industrial city?

"Yes, but I can't say which unit it is. It's about ten regiments."

The two then exchanged information about other aspects of the situation, mainly regarding the key items to be transported and the necessary tools.

"Comrade He, the supplies and personnel are in place."

"Vice President Chen, I'll head back to the industrial park now. We'll return as soon as possible."

"Thanks for your hard work!"

"Serve the people!"

He Yuzhu's words earned him a military salute.

He Yuzhu boarded the cockpit and announced, "Attention all aircraft, pre-flight check! Pre-flight check!"

"Unit 1 has been checked!" Prairie Wolf's voice came through the radio.

"Unit Two checked!" Wolf's voice came through the radio.

"Calling command center, helicopter formation requesting takeoff, requesting takeoff."

"permit."

"Target: Industrial City, move out!" He Yuzhu's voice came through the radio.

"Unit 2 received!"

"Unit 3 received!"

"."

"Buzzing, buzzing"

Seven giant steel eagles took off again and flew towards the industrial city.

Inside the command center, the commander-in-chief said to Deputy Commander Chen, "Helicopters are really great. If we had a hundred or so, we could transport two regiments over in one night."

"Forget about it. The biggest one is from the Bald Eagles. We can't buy it at all. We asked the monkeys for the ones they captured, but they made all sorts of excuses. I'll go ask when our Mi-8s will arrive."

"Boss, there are way more fires down here than when we came!" Prairie Wolf's voice came through the earpiece.

"This is just the beginning; there will be many more people." He Yuzhu gripped the joystick tightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd below.

"The cohesion within China is much stronger than in Hong Kong. Hong Kong hasn't experienced anything like this during several major typhoons," Prairie Wolf said.

"Things will get better in the future," He Yuzhu replied calmly.

More than an hour later, seven helicopters landed on the stadium's temporary parking area. Medical personnel in green uniforms quickly disembarked, and the supplies unloading team organized by Lao Zhao began unloading the supplies rapidly.

"Zhu Zi, you still have to fly," Old Zhao said to He Yuzhu as he boarded the aircraft.

"No problem, you can coordinate my people."

“Some vehicles and construction machinery have already arrived in the central area, and I will make the arrangements.”

"it is good."

Outside the helicopter, Company Commander Zhou shouted hoarsely, "Quick, quick, get the wounded onto the plane!"

Even though they were from the military, the newly arrived doctors and nurses were still taken aback when they arrived at the temporary hospital.

The makeshift surgical tent was open, and shadows moved under the operating lights. The sounds of hemostats clashing, bone sawing, and patients' suppressed screams mingled together, assaulting everyone's senses.

"What are you all standing there for? You're here to save people!" Hu Wenxue was wearing a simple mask, only revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes. He had just come from an amputation surgery, and his surgical gown was splattered with dark red blood.

"Are you in charge?" A person stepped out from the military-uniformed medical staff.

"It's temporary. You're their leader, right? I'll overstep my bounds and do this for them. Surgical staff, come with me to shed number three! Internal medicine staff, go to the minor injuries triage area! Head nurse, take the team to receive the supplies and count the plasma and antibiotics! Quickly!"

"Execute the order!" the man who had just asked the question shouted when he saw his men still standing there in a daze.

"Yes." His shout was like cold water poured into a boiling oil pan. The newly arrived medical staff were jolted awake. Their professional instincts overcame their initial shock, and they quickly acted according to the instructions.

Soon, the helicopter took off again, but before it flew out of the industrial city, He Yuzhu called out to Shi Bin.

"Shi Bin, reply received, reply received!"

"boss!"

"How's your progress?"

"Very slow."

"Find an open space so the trucks can unload supplies and set up a temporary camp. The empty trucks can then pick up people on the road. Rescue teams are coming from all directions, but they are moving too slowly."

"Understood, I'll make arrangements right away."

At 6:00 a.m. on July 29, 1976, when it was already bright, the helicopter formation landed at a temporary camp and unloaded a team of medical personnel. A temporary hospital had already been set up there.

This was their fifth trip, and everyone was exhausted. The helicopters, which had been flying continuously, also needed maintenance. He Yuzhu led the squadron back to the stadium to have the aircraft inspected, while he went to the command center.

"Zhu Zi, you're back!"

"Old Zhao, how's the situation?"

"The situation is not optimistic. There were dozens of aftershocks that night, and many places that had just been dug up collapsed again, burying many rescuers."

"Today is the last day of the golden rescue time. Thousands of rescuers have already entered the scene, and there are still many more on the way."

"Hey, take the pilots to rest. We still have to fly today, it might be all day. There are much more wounded today than yesterday."

When will the support pilots arrive, and what about the helicopters?

"It will be at least noon today."

"I see."

Temporary hospital tent number two.

Just as Hu Wenxue cut the last stitch, his vision suddenly went black, his body swayed, and he grabbed the metal frame of the stretcher next to him.

"Dr. Hu!" Nurse Xiao Chen hurriedly helped him up. "You should go and rest for a while."

"It's nothing, just low blood sugar." Hu Wenxue picked up the glucose bottle next to him and took a few big gulps. "Next," his voice sounded like sandpaper.

The curtain was lifted, and two soldiers carried in a young girl.

His left calf was a bloody mess, with white bone fragments piercing through his work clothes and trousers.

The soldier carrying the stretcher had cracked lips and said urgently, "They dug it out of Workshop No. 3 of the steel plant. It's been trapped for almost thirty hours!"

Hu Wenxue put on blood-stained gloves and bent down to examine the wound: "Prepare a wound cleaning kit, rinse with saline solution, notify the blood bank, type O blood, at least 800cc!"

He looked up at the soldier and said quickly, "You, go outside and get some glucose water; your legs are shaking."

"Thank you, doctor!" The soldier saluted, knowing that the doctor in front of him was much more tired than they were.

Hu Wenxue paused for a moment, then continued what he was doing. The operating light came on, and the slight clicking sound of the hemostat biting into the blood vessel was particularly clear in the tent.

In the ruins of the steel mill's residential area, Shi Bin could no longer shout and could only desperately use hand gestures.

A yellow excavator from the Yellow River brand rolled over a pile of broken bricks, its huge bucket hanging above a rickety load-bearing wall.

The faint sound of a child crying could be heard coming from the cracks in the wall.

"Stop!" Shi Bin rushed to the cockpit and pounded on the hatch.

Driver Xiao Zhang poked his head out, his face covered in sweat and cement dust: "Brother Bin, if we don't hold this wall up, the inside will be completely buried!"

"If the wall moves, the child will be gone!" Shi Bin pointed to several newly opened cracks at the base of the wall. "Use a steel chisel and dig them out by hand!"

Several Taishan team members and local men in work clothes immediately rushed over and used crowbars and their bare hands to dig out the broken bricks from the foundation.

The broken bricks were sharp, and soon some people's fingers were covered in blood, but no one stopped.

The gap widened little by little, and the crying became clearer and clearer.

"I've seen a child! It's a girl!" someone shouted in a hoarse voice.

A small hand covered in dust reached out from the crack, grabbing at the air haphazardly.

Shi Bin leaned half his body into the gap, unaware that his arm had been cut by the steel bars, and finally grabbed that little hand.

"Don't be afraid, little girl, we've got you!"

On a highway outside the city, a "Rock" half-track truck got stuck in a ditch, with more than twenty militiamen from a neighboring county crammed into the truck bed.

"Get off the vehicle and push it!" the militia captain shouted, and the militiamen jumped off the vehicle.

"One, two! Heave-ho!" The shouts echoed in the morning breeze.

The driver jumped out of the truck, pulled a thick rope from under the driver's seat, attached one end to the tow hook on the front of the truck, and tossed the other end to the bulldozer that had just arrived behind: "Hey bro, give me a hand!"

The bulldozer engine roared, and the rope taut instantly.

The half-track vehicle struggled in the mud for a few moments before suddenly leaping onto hard ground.

The militiamen cheered as they climbed back into the carriage, their faces covered in mud, only their eyes shining brightly.

In the stadium command center, the radio crackled with static.

Old Zhao gripped the microphone, his voice hoarse from shouting, and could only slowly say, "...Yes, the spare parts for the construction machinery must arrive today with the third batch of convoys. What? A section of the railway has been cleared? Good! Good! Send people over first, I need them here!"

He put down the microphone and found that He Yuzhu was standing at the door at some point.

"Is the helicopter ready?" Old Zhao asked.

"I'm leaving now, just wanted to let you know." He Yuzhu handed over half a pot of water.

Old Zhao tilted his head back and gulped down water, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

Water trickled from the corner of his mouth, mingling with a glimmer of moisture in the corner of his eye, before disappearing into the grime on his collar.

He didn't wipe it, but shoved the water bottle back into He Yuzhu's hand: "Your people are all excellent."

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Nobody here. Let's go."

Old Zhao watched his retreating figure and murmured, "More than ten years have passed, and this kid is still the same, uncorrupted by money."

"Deputy Commander, do you know Comrade He before?"

"I guess so," Old Zhao mumbled.

(End of this chapter)