She was tricked into marriage for three years, then remarried a childless, tough guy and became preg

The rope suddenly taut.

"Pull!" Shen Tang shouted to the soldiers pulling the rope.

Several people simultaneously pulled back, and the rope caught the force, slowly being pulled back inch by inch.

The rope was taut underwater, tearing a gash in the water.

It was pitch black. Shen Tang used the faint light of her flashlight to stare intently at the water's surface, but no one appeared.

"Don't rush, pull slowly!" Master Zhou shouted.

The soldiers gritted their teeth and slowly pulled the rope back up. The rope rose section by section, but there was no movement on the water's surface, only churning currents and constantly cascading rocks.

Shen Tang lay on the ground, her fingernails digging into the soil, her eyes fixed on the rope, not daring to blink.

The rope suddenly felt lighter. The person pulling the rope stumbled back half a step.

"Stop!" Shen Tang's voice rose, "Don't pull yet—"

The group stopped in their tracks at the same time, the rope hanging in mid-air, swaying slightly.

Suddenly, a head emerged from beneath the water, followed by a shoulder.

Cheng Lei was lifted out of the water.

Immediately afterwards, Huo Xiuyuan surfaced from the water, panting heavily.

He gripped Cheng Lei's collar tightly with one hand. Cheng Lei's face was up, his eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly open.

"We're up!" Yilan called out from the shore.

Huo Xiuyuan had just pulled Cheng Lei above the surface when the current was too strong, and the two of them were swept back into the water.

"Pull it up!" Master Zhou shouted.

Shen Tang's hands were trembling, clenched into fists.

The rope was worn down by the stones, and the edges were frayed, with the fibers breaking apart one by one.

"Stop pulling! The rope is going to break!" Shen Tang shouted, her voice already trembling with tears.

The person pulling the rope dared not move any further; the rope hung taut in mid-air, like a string that could snap at any moment.

Huo Xiuyuan held Cheng Lei with one hand and grabbed a large tree that had leaned into the water with the other. The tree trunk was tilted by the water, but its roots were still firmly planted in the soil on the bank.

"Pull him up first."

Huo Xiuyuan's voice came from the water, but it was broken and intermittent due to the sound of the water.

He bit the rope with his teeth, wrapped it around Cheng Lei's waist twice with one hand, and tied a knot that couldn't be tied.

"What are you going to do?" Shen Tang lay on the water's edge, looking at Huo Xiuyuan underwater in the darkness.

"I can hold on." Huo Xiuyuan grabbed the tree, looked up, and said, "Pull!"

Several people pulled at the same time, and the rope tightened. Cheng Lei's body was gradually pulled out of the water.

Huo Xiuyuan's grip on the tree trunk loosened, and the tree roots emerged.

"Hurry! Hurry up!" Shen Tang shouted.

Cheng Lei was dragged ashore, unconscious, his face pale and his lips already turning purple.

"Cheng Lei—Cheng Lei, wake up—" Yi Lan knelt beside him and patted his face, but Cheng Lei did not respond.

Yilan turned Cheng Lei's head to one side and pressed hard on his chest.

"Lower the rope quickly!" Shen Tang shouted.

She swung the rope towards Huo Xiuyuan: "Catch!"

The rope unfurled in the air and fell onto the water.

"Click—"

The tree broke off at the base. Huo Xiuyuan's hand grabbed at the air, then fell into the water along with the tree root, disappearing instantly beneath the murky surface.

"Huo Xiuyuan!"

Shen Tang's voice rang out sharply. Her body leaned forward, sending pebbles tumbling into the water. Master Zhou grabbed her arm from behind: "Watch out!"

Shen Tang was pulled back to reality. Her eyes were fixed on the direction where Huo Xiuyuan had disappeared, and her mind went blank for two seconds.

She stood up, untied the rope from the tree, hugged it to her arms, and turned to run downstream.

"Follow her!" Master Zhou shouted.

Several soldiers followed her downstream.

Shen Tang kept her eyes on the water as she ran.

It was too dark and the water too murky to see anything at all.

Her gaze swept back and forth across the water, but she couldn't spot Huo Xiuyuan.

A few hundred meters ahead, there is a dead tree lying by the water, leaning horizontally into the water. It is the only thing in this section of the river that can stop people.

Shen Tang handed the rope to the soldier closest to him:

"Run faster, wait by that fallen tree. If he gets swept down, he'll definitely grab onto that tree."

The soldier took the rope and ran forward, and Shen Tang followed after him, catching her breath.

She calculated the time; Huo Xiuyuan should have drifted here by now, so why hadn't he surfaced yet?

The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became, and her vision began to blur.

"Huo Xiuyuan—Huo Xiuyuan—" Shen Tang shouted loudly.

No one answered her; only the rushing water could be heard. The murky surface was empty, save for the occasional twig or pebble that rolled down and was swept away by the current.

Shen Tang didn't wait for Huo Xiuyuan. She pulled back the rope and continued running downstream.

"Comrade, we can't go any further. It's already dark, and we can't see the road ahead. It's very dangerous!" A soldier caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

Shen Tang snatched the flashlight from his hand, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

"Comrade!" The soldier caught up again.

"Get out!" Shen Tang roared, desperately holding back her tears, and stumbled down the river.

The soldier frowned, his eyes reddened, gritted his teeth, and followed behind her.

Shen Tang scanned the water surface with his flashlight. Not far ahead, in the middle of the river, lay a huge, jagged rock, which must have rolled down from the hillside and was stuck in the middle of the river.

Shen Tang stopped, wrapped the rope around the tree, tied a knot, and then tied it around her waist.

"What are you trying to do?" The soldier behind her blocked her way.

"I'll jump onto the rock. If he gets swept there, I can grab him."

"No! It's too dangerous!" The soldier stood in front of her. "That rock might not be stable either."

"Either help me, or leave me alone," Shen Tang said.

The soldier gritted his teeth: "I'll go down."

"You stay on the shore. If I catch someone, you pull us up," Shen Tang said. "There's no time, hurry up."

"I'll jump forward, and you give me a push," Shen Tang said.

"Yes!" the soldier replied.

Shen Tang took a few steps back, stared at the stone, gritted her teeth, and quickly ran over, shouting, "Push!"

The soldier gave Shen Tang a strong push from behind, and Shen Tang's body was thrown into the air before landing on the rock.

She landed on her knees first, bracing herself with her hands on the stone surface. She gritted her teeth to steady herself, raised her flashlight, and shone it into the water.

"Huo Xiuyuan—Huo Xiuyuan!"

Her flashlight swept back and forth across the water, the sound carrying far into the night.

The only response she received was the sound of flowing water.

The flashlight beam swept back and forth across the water, but Huo Xiuyuan remained unseen.

"Huo Xiuyuan—come out here quickly—"

Shen Tang's voice was hoarse, but she still refused to give up.

Looking at the dark water, Shen Tang finally couldn't hold on any longer and burst into tears.

"Huo Xiuyuan—come out quickly... I'm coming to save you, can you hear me?"

"If you don't come out, I'll never speak to you again!"