Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Feng Xia's consciousness was fuzzy; she was vaguely aware that she was lying face down, and the intense, sharp pain in her back told her she was alive, not dead. The girl slightly curled her lips, then sank into deeper darkness.

Lin Feihu's arm wound was gradually healing. The period when the scab forms and new flesh grows was particularly unbearable; he felt as if tiny insects were crawling through the wound, an intense itch. Fortunately, Lin Feihu had a strong will and endured it.

His ward was on the third floor, and next to his ward lay the little girl. Today was the tenth day of the first lunar month; the New Year was over. A succession of leaders came and went, and even the highest base commander, Division Commander He, came personally, instructing the medical staff to take good care of the young girl—she was a hero of the Flower Kingdom.

Feng Xia, eleven years old, skilled in wielding a Tang saber, possessed extraordinary strength. According to estimates, she had the ability to lift over 1,500 jin. In 1970, she followed the Vanguard Unit in a sneak attack on a Cherry Blossom Country military base, killing 164 enemies, including 11 senior officers, making a great contribution to the operation and earning a first-class merit. Additionally, Feng Xia had extremely high intelligence; together with her mentor Mr. Wan Fulin and other researchers, she developed a silencer, making a great contribution to the country's military strength and earning a third-class merit. To protect this young prodigy, her file was classified as top secret with the highest viewing clearance, sealed indefinitely.

Such a file, personally written by Division Commander He, was collected and submitted level by level, reaching the highest authority. The name Feng Xia was noted by the top leader, who praised upon receiving the file: "A strong youth makes a strong nation. With such a youth, the future holds great promise."

Lin Feihu pushed Yuan Biao; one with a broken hand, the other with a broken foot—like two brothers in misfortune. The three wards were adjacent. The deputy squad leader pushed the squad leader to see the special member of the Vanguard Unit. The little girl on the hospital bed lay quietly, her back wrapped in bandages. Lin Feihu had seen her wounds; bloody and mangled could not describe the severity of the injuries. The bright red flesh was scorched black by the blast, and the girl's once jade-white skin was completely destroyed. Both shoulder blades were fractured by the impact, with bones jutting out of the flesh—a horrifying sight.

Lin Feihu and Yuan Biao looked silently at the little girl. If not for Feng Xia, their entire Vanguard Unit would have been wiped out. The Cherry Blossom Country runt had too many explosives—dozens of jin of grenades and rockets. At the last moment, Feng Xia threw the man into the sky, giving everyone an explosive firework. Without that throw, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Recalling the explosion and looking at the dying girl on the hospital bed, their hearts clenched with pain. This girl, why was she so stubborn at critical moments!

Suddenly, the girl on the bed moved her eyelids. Yuan Biao could picture those big, bright black-and-white eyes darting around. Her dry lips slightly parted, and a faint sound announced she was awake: "Water... water."

Lin Feihu hurried out to call the doctor. Yuan Biao took a cotton swab from the table, dipped it in water, and moistened Feng Xia's dry lips. The doctor arrived quickly, checking her heartbeat and pulse. The little girl on the bed seemed annoyed by all the commotion and forced open her heavy, weak eyes. She said, "I'm... hungry!"

Mr. Wan Fulin heard news of his little disciple again on the eleventh day of the first lunar month while walking to the cafeteria. Two old political commissars were chatting with each other, and Wan Fulin walked slowly behind. He wasn't one to eavesdrop, but the two political commissars were so loud that he heard everything.

Political Commissar A: "That girl is incredible. No wonder Qian Jun brought her over so early and supported her with his own money. At first, everyone said Qian Jun had lost his mind, but now they're probably all sour with envy, their eyes turning red with envy!"

Political Commissar B: "Yeah, I heard that girl is also very smart. She even made a silencer. When you shoot with it, there's no noise at all. Did your regiment get equipped? I tried it in mine; it's really good!"

Political Commissar A: "Right, right, it's very useful. But that girl is badly injured this time! I just hope she recovers fast. We old bones don't matter if we die, but we must protect these outstanding young talents!"

Wan Fulin immediately realized they were talking about his youngest disciple. How did she get hurt? Wasn't this a secret mission? Weren't secret missions supposed to be safe?

The old professor hurriedly changed direction and went straight to Regiment Commander Qian Jun's office. Without a word, he sat there with a gloomy face, staring at Qian Jun with a piercing gaze, making Qian Jun feel extremely uncomfortable. After sighing repeatedly, Qian Jun had no choice but to take him to Feng Xia's ward.

Feng Xia had woken up the day before and immediately complained of hunger. The medical staff dared not neglect her; they gave her two bottles of glucose first, but Feng Xia still said she was hungry. She looked at them with big, sparkling eyes, like a clear spring in springtime, melting people's hearts. The young girl was pale and severely injured. All the medical staff knew she was a true hero, injured for the country. They loved and respected Feng Xia and couldn't bear to see her pitiful state.

A nurse went to the cafeteria and brought a jar of chicken soup, feeding Feng Xia spoon by spoon. There were also many nutritional gifts from leaders—malted milk, canned goods, and such. Lin Feihu opened them directly for Feng Xia to eat. Feng Xia's mouth never stopped for 24 hours a day, except when sleeping.

After examination, the doctors were amazed at her astonishing healing ability; her wounds healed three to four times faster than an ordinary person's. This body seemed born for war—a true fighting machine.

At that moment, when Old Gentleman Wan Fulin walked in, he saw his pale-faced disciple being fed broth by a little nurse. The girl, whose cheeks were once rosy, now lay in bed swathed like a mummy, with several scabbed wounds on her face, looking pitiful. The old man's hands trembled with heartache. He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. His old, calloused hand touched his little disciple's bandaged head; her hair had all been shaved off. His heart was filled with an indescribable sadness.

"Teacher, I'm fine. I'll be up and about in a couple of days. Don't worry, and take care of yourself. If you fall ill, I'll worry about you. Didn't I tell you the mission was safe? These are just flesh wounds," Feng Xia comforted the old man, smiling, her dimples as sweet as before, making Wan Fulin's eyes well up even more with tears.

Wan Fulin spoke kindly: "You've had enough adventure this time. Now stay with me at the base and do research. Stay for a year, calm down a bit. I think you're too reckless." The old man was truly frightened; he decided to keep the girl by his side and watch her closely, not letting her act recklessly. He knew Feng Xia was serving the country, and he wouldn't stop her, but she was too young—so easy to lose.

The teacher and student talked warmly. Qian Jun watched the little girl eat and drink while talking. Her mouth never stopped; she drank chicken soup, then malted milk, then canned fruit and milk cake, her cheeks bulging as she chewed. The nurse beside her didn't mind at all; she looked at Feng Xia with sparkling eyes and occasionally wiped her mouth, moving quickly.

Even Wan Fulin, whose eyesight was not so good, noticed this. He hesitated and asked, "Feng Xia, aren't you eating too much? Should you be eating like this while recovering?"

Before Feng Xia could reply, the nurse explained directly: "Sir, our attending physician said that this little hero's self-healing ability is very strong; she needs to eat more to replenish the energy she consumes. Don't worry, we give her the best food every day, and we'll make sure she's well fed."

Upon hearing this, Wan Fulin immediately said, "I still have a few cans of malted milk at home; I don't like drinking it anyway. I'll bring them to you later, along with some cookies and longans—all for you."

Without waiting for refusal, he hurried off. Feng Xia couldn't stop him.

Qian Jun also left. When he came home from work in the evening, he saw Old Lady Wu sitting next to his wife. His head ached immensely. Damn it, this was really a big headache.