Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 278 - 270: Giving Hope Only to Bring Despair

"77, can you count how many people there are in total?"

"Host, there are a total of 883 people. Counting those lightly injured, there are about 1,100 or so. Additionally, there are 136 injured in our team, and fourteen died during the battle at the riverbank."

Upon hearing these staggering numbers, Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but take a sharp breath, "So many!"

She had tried her best to think of everything, but still, more than ten people died, sigh!

War is always cruel. In those TV dramas, only the enemies die and one’s own people suffer no casualties. But in reality, all have flesh and blood; no one is more noble than another, and in the chaos of battle, who wouldn’t get hurt?

The vast troop arrived at a larger, taller, and more spacious house.

This place used to be a storage warehouse. The middle was relatively open, and makeshift shelters were built on either side with shabby coarse cloth and mattresses, housing many injured people. Spaced at intervals, there were racks drying many yet-to-be thoroughly washed blood-stained clothes. The figures bustling around were mostly women and older children.

"Captain!"

"The captain is back."

As they walked along, everyone greeted Yang Fan. Seeing so many unfamiliar faces had piqued everyone’s curiosity, but since each person had a patient to care for, no one came forward.

The confused one lagging behind, however, became the target of everyone’s inquiry, so as soon as he stepped through the door, he was called to a stop.

Just as the dismayed Chi Cuixia stepped out of the small room, she saw Yang Fan striding in.

She ran up, anxious and shouting, "Instructor Yang, Instructor Yang, we’re running out of polished rice! Suddenly, there are so many injured people. What will we use to cook tomorrow?"

Yang Fan initially wasn’t here, and Chi Cuixia had come to find Ming Shan for advice, only to find that Ming Shan was badly injured. Not only did she not solve the problem, but she also had to comfort and counsel Yang Ying for a while before coming out. Just as she was worrying, she saw her savior.

"Then make it thinner." Yang Fan frowned, feeling deeply embarrassed, madly signaling the person opposite, but couldn’t stop the other person from blurting out.

"There’s hardly any left from the past few days; the porridge is so clear now you could see your reflection, and there really aren’t many grains left." Chi Cuixia was helpless; even a skilled woman can’t cook without rice!

What could she do...

Yang Fan’s fairly handsome face turned red instantly. He had meant to welcome their benefactors properly, but now, in front of them, their scarcity was exposed, and he was utterly embarrassed, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

He forced a faint smile, "Then Aunt Chi, arrange for someone to go back to the mountain and get some."

Trying to regain some dignity, Yang Fan aimed to appear calm to prove they still had some resources but ended up facing someone who was sincere and couldn’t pick up on hints.

"Didn’t you say the stored grains aren’t to be touched?" Chi Cuixia looked puzzled. This was a strict order from Instructor Yang himself, so how could he contradict himself?

"We have guests today, and they are our benefactors who saved our lives. We must show our gratitude, so just do as I say and arrange it quickly!" Afraid that Aunt Chi would say something more inappropriate by staying, Yang Fan hurriedly dispatched her.

"Brother Yang, there’s no need for such courtesy. We have our own food supplies," Cheng Xiaoxiao quickly added.

Seeing their granary almost empty, she couldn’t bear to add to their burden as soon as she arrived.

"How can that be, yours is yours. We should properly treat you heroes, but unfortunately, given our limited circumstances, all we can offer is thin porridge. It’s truly embarrassing."

Just as Cheng Xiaoxiao was about to speak, the system’s voice interrupted her, "Host, didn’t you say you wanted a generous reward?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao twitched her lips: That’s not what I meant!

"But that’s how it came across! So puff up even if it’s just a facade."

Forget it! She wasn’t about to wrong her own stomach.

So she straightforwardly changed the topic, "Let’s talk about food later; we should check on the injured first! After we’ve seen the patients, who knows what time it will be, by then Aunt will surely have things arranged."

Taking a detour wasted quite some time again, and Yang Fan was quite frustrated, so he instructed, "Aunt Chi, please hurry and do as I said."

Then he led the group into the innermost room, where there were two separate rooms on either side.

In one of the rooms lay Vice-captain Ming Shan.

Ming Shan was already unconscious, while a young woman on the side, Yang Ying, wept softly.

For such severe injuries, without a doctor and medication, everyone received the same treatment, relying on their willpower. Those who survived returned to the battlefield, and those who didn’t were carried to the mountains for burial.

Seeing her husband growing weaker, Yang Ying’s heart ached, with despair swelling larger, nearly leading her to collapse.

As she silently wiped her tears, footsteps approached from outside the door. She turned slightly and saw the hurriedly approaching Yang Fan, "Big brother, why have you come? How’s it going over there?"

"Sister, how is Ming Shan?"

Once her brother asked about her husband’s condition, Yang Ying started crying again, choking out, "Not well, the bleeding has stopped, but we’re afraid to pull the arrow out, or else it will be quicker. Now he’s already unconscious, wailing! Brother, what should we do? What should I do?"

Yang Fan comfortingly patted his sister’s shoulder, "Don’t cry, I’ve brought a doctor."

Yang Ying lifted her swollen eyes, seeing hope light up in them, "Really?"

"Yes!"

Then he looked back and called out, "Doctor Han, Doctor Han, please come and take a look."

Seven or eight people squeezed into the room, and among them stepped forward an elderly man, Doctor Han from the Han Family, his face showing displeasure. If it weren’t for the Family Head’s orders, he wouldn’t deign to treat these commoners.

Behind him was a young attendant carrying a medicine box, face full of disdain.

Yang Fan had heard that most good doctors had eccentric tempers and didn’t think much of it, making way and respectfully said, "This is the patient. The arrow wound was inflicted two hours ago."

Doctor Han reluctantly stepped forward to check and found the patient indeed seriously wounded.

The arrowhead had almost pierced through the entire shoulder. Extracting the arrow would tear the surrounding flesh, causing extensive bleeding. If the arrowhead were driven deeper and cut off after emerging from the back, there would be secondary damage, and extracting the arrow might make survival impossible, possibly resulting in death during the process. Currently, he didn’t have much wound medicine either, and saving a life was uncertain.

He shook his head and elaborated on the pros and cons of two treatment plans.

The hope that had just ignited in Yang Fan and Yang Ying was extinguished, and the feeling of having hope snatched away again after despair was crushingly hard to bear all at once.

Yang Ying staggered back a couple of steps, nearly fainting on the spot.

If it weren’t for Yang Fan’s timely support, and the reassurance in his firm eyes, she might have already collapsed.

At this moment, a clear female voice arose, "Since Doctor Han isn’t confident, why not let Grandpa Huang give it a try! During our flight, we encountered similar situations and it was Grandpa Huang who treated them, with quite a high success rate."

Yang Ying’s spirits lifted immediately, "Really?"