Xiao Peng's eyes rolled back, in extreme discomfort.
Da Peng's insides burned, wishing he could suffer in his brother's stead.
Gu Qingcheng moved behind Xiao Peng, clenched her fist at his lower ribs and abdomen, and then pushed upwards with her fist.
The Heimlich maneuver, her father had taught her at home.
Once, twice, thrice, there was no sign of movement. Had her action been incorrect?
Gu Qingcheng pushed hard once more. After this push, something "splashed" out of Xiao Peng's mouth.
Xiao Peng gasped for air, clutching his chest, but his complexion had already shifted from a purplish-red.
"He's alive! He's alive!"
"A miracle doctor! They actually saved him?"
The surrounding soldiers exclaimed.
Seeing Xiao Peng recover, Da Peng dropped to his knees before Gu Qingcheng with a "thud."
Gu Qingcheng was startled and quickly helped him up, saying:
"Brother Da Peng, there's no need for such a grand gesture!"
"My benefactor, we brothers will never forget your great kindness!"
Da Peng's head thudded as he kowtowed.
"It was a small matter, hardly worth mentioning."
Gu Qingcheng quickly and forcefully helped him up.
Fortunately, she had enough strength to support Da Peng.
"It's no small matter. Without you, I would have been dead today!"
As soon as Xiao Peng's breathing normalized, he could speak.
He was in the thick of it and knew it best.
Truly, he had felt as though he were dying. He had wished he could tear open his own throat to breathe freely.
Unexpectedly, Gu Qingcheng had saved him. How could he not be overcome with gratitude?
Da Peng's eyes welled with tears as he said:
"Young Master Gu, when we brothers joined the army, our parents instructed me, as the elder brother, to take good care of my sibling. If anything happened to Xiao Peng, I wouldn't know how to face them.
Your immense kindness, we will repay you by being your oxen and horses!"
Anyone could say pretty words. Gu Qingcheng casually activated the loyalty test.
Wang Da Peng, Excellent: Loyal and trustworthy.
Wang Xiao Peng, Excellent: Loyal and trustworthy.
After spending two "satisfaction points," Gu Qingcheng unexpectedly gained two loyal followers.
At this moment, the system once again dispensed a benefit: 1280 satisfaction points, sourced from: Saving a life, an immense satisfaction!
Gu Qingcheng took out a thermos from her backpack, shaped like a bamboo tube, filled with hot water. She had Xiao Peng drink it first to help him recover.
She wore the backpack to conceal her retrieving items from her spatial storage, so no one suspected anything.
Upon drinking the hot water, Xiao Peng immediately felt much more comfortable.
For people like them, who worked in the freezing snow all day, it was impossible to have hot water.
They only had a few sips of hot soup during meals.
During the previous great drought, the city had a water shortage, which had cultivated their tolerance for drinking less water.
Later, when the blizzard hit, there was no shortage of water, but they didn't have enough fuel to boil it. Most of the time, they could only hold snow in their mouths, letting it melt before swallowing. As a result, their digestive systems and bodies were not in good condition.
Drinking hot water at this moment was more effective than a ginseng soup; it made him feel entirely at ease.
The official in charge, having witnessed Xiao Peng's near-death experience, did not dare to rush them to work immediately. He allowed the brothers to rest nearby.
Gu Qingcheng saw their fraternal affection. Xiao Peng drank a few sips of hot water and handed it to Da Peng. Da Peng, reluctant to drink it all, took a small sip and passed it back to Xiao Peng.
Those who were good to their families at least had a moral bottom line.
Gu Qingcheng's trust in the brothers' character increased.
After recovering, they still had to work. Xiao Peng was about to start digging again.
Da Peng stopped him and told him to return to the city with Gu Qingcheng to carry ice sculptures, while he would continue digging.
Frankly speaking, carrying "ice sculptures" was much easier than digging. At least they could rest more when the truck was empty on the way.
Gu Qingcheng had essentially assessed the situation of the two brothers. On their way back to the city, she told Xiao Peng that she wouldn't be coming tomorrow; she was going to assist her father.
She cautioned Xiao Peng about something important: he must remember that if he saw the ice and snow melting, he was to find her on the cliff at all costs.
Xiao Peng felt that the melting of ice and snow was a matter of time, but seeing Gu Qingcheng's earnest warning, he took it seriously and said he would definitely look for her then.
After entering the city, Gu Qingcheng intended to leave. She took six meat buns from her "backpack" and gave them to Xiao Peng, telling them to nourish themselves.
Xiao Peng was immensely touched. Such tempting meat buns, how long had it been since he last ate them?
Just smelling the aroma made his mouth water.
Xiao Peng quickly declined, saying it was improper to accept food from someone who had saved his life.
Gu Qingcheng insisted on giving them to him, bid him farewell, and returned to the clinic.
As expected, Gu Chaobei was still incredibly busy.
Seeing her father busy, Gu Qingcheng went to her room and took out abalone, sea cucumber, fried noodles, and lamb tripe soup from the restaurant. She enjoyed a hearty, high-calorie, high-protein lunch.
Gu Chaobei, having drunk water mixed with the vitality pills, was full of energy and showed no fatigue. He had seen over 50 patients alone that morning and had completely forgotten to rest, not returning until late at night.
Gu Qingcheng, on the other hand, slept after lunch. When she woke up, her father had still not returned, and it was past 10 PM. The streets were likely deserted. She then secretly slipped out.
To conceal her identity, she retrieved a white coat from the cabinet and put on a white ski helmet. She then climbed over the back wall of the clinic and headed straight for the scrap depot of the military camp.
Gu Qingcheng had already learned from Da Peng that the official in charge of the scrap had frozen to death. There was no precise record of how much armor or weaponry had been discarded.
She had scouted the path during the day and now, familiar with the route, she dodged and weaved, evading the patrolling soldiers, and successfully reached the abandoned armory.
Due to the lack of manpower, this place was still unguarded. No one would have thought that someone would be interested in these scrap materials at this time.
If someone were to steal now, it would be food and drink. Who would steal these cold iron implements?
Gu Qingcheng gently pushed the door of the warehouse, and it opened.
As soon as she entered, she began to hoard things extensively. They were indeed iron implements, after all.
Gu Qingcheng collected two-thirds of the scrap iron implements from the interior in one go, leaving one-third. She dared not collect it all, otherwise, if someone came to check tomorrow, they would discover the scrap missing.
Then, she tiptoed out, closed the door, and with an excited skip, returned happily to the clinic.
The back wall of the clinic's courtyard was not very high. Using a small tree nearby, she easily scaled the wall and landed in the yard.
As an athlete, she possessed the basic skills for such maneuvers.
Upon entering the yard, she first observed. With no one around, she quickly slipped into the house.
As soon as she entered, she saw her father looking at her with a look of apprehension. He asked:
"Where did you go? And why are you dressed so strangely in the middle of the night?"
Gu Qingcheng quickly took off her white coat and then explained the whole story.