Chapter 221: Stubborn to the End

As a matter of fact, it turned out exactly as Su Ruo had expected; when the rescue work was nearing its end, Wang Lihua sought out the leader of the military region in charge of rescue.

Wang Lihua burst into tears upon seeing the leader, her words inside and out all meaning the same thing: she now had nothing left, not even her reputation; if Song Jingyu didn't marry her, she couldn't go on living.

The leader of the military region held Song Jingyu in high esteem; as Song Jingyu's superior, he knew how difficult it had been for Song Jingyu to get to where he is today.

Originally, because of Song Jingyu's brave performance, he was sure to receive commendation upon his return, but he never expected something like this to happen.

The leader knew this matter had to be handled properly, otherwise even Song Jingyu's future prospects might be affected.

So the leader immediately had someone summon Song Jingyu to explain the situation; when the little soldier came to deliver the message, Su Ruo happened to be beside Song Jingyu.

Upon hearing the soldier's words, Su Ruo said: "I'll go with you!"

Song Jingyu was used to going about alone and disliked bothering others, but upon hearing Su Ruo's words, he did not refuse.

Su Ruo turned back to her tent, and when she came out again she held a thick notebook in her hand, then said: "Let's go!"

As they came out of the tent, they happened to meet the village head of Dakuwa Village; Su Ruo immediately stepped forward to explain the situation and asked him to accompany her.

The village head of Dakuwa Village was named Zhang Dagang; upon seeing Su Ruo, Song Jingyu, and their companions, he originally had a smiling face.

Zhang Dagang was very grateful to Su Ruo and her group; without Su Ruo and her companions and these People's Militia soldiers, his village didn't know how many would have died.

But upon hearing Su Ruo's words, Zhang Dagang's face immediately darkened; he never expected that the eldest daughter of the Old Wang Family would do such a thing.

They had saved her, yet she actually tried to take advantage of the situation to extort them; when they refused, she even went to their leader to file a complaint—this was utterly heartless.

Zhang Dagang immediately said: "Doctor Su, rest assured; since Wang Lihua is from our village, I will certainly handle this matter properly—even if I have to carry her back myself today, I will not let the hero feel chilled."

Su Ruo thanked Zhang Dagang with a smile; she deeply knew that some things are better handled locally than by county officials, and with Zhang Dagang as the village head, many matters would become much easier to resolve.

Several people soon arrived at the leader's large tent; upon seeing Su Ruo, Wang Lihua's heart jumped, and she felt somewhat afraid of Su Ruo.

Upon seeing the stern-faced Zhang Dagang behind Su Ruo, she involuntarily became even more nervous, her body trembling slightly.

But now that the matter had come to this point, she could not back down; moreover, this affair concerned the rest of her life.

Su Ruo stepped forward and respectfully introduced herself to the leader: "I am a student of the Jingda Medical Academy; this time I came with my instructor to participate in the rescue work, and I am also Wang Lihua's attending physician. Having heard that she has some condition here, I have come specially to explain the situation."

This is the village head of Dakuwa Village, Zhang Dagang.

Zhang Dagang, upon hearing Su Ruo mention himself, hurried forward and gave the leader a somewhat nervous greeting; having never seen such a high-ranking official in his life, he was inevitably a little tense.

The leader was not angry at Su Ruo and her party for coming uninvited; on the contrary, he looked at Su Ruo with appreciation, having held this position for so long that he rarely saw anyone who did not fear him.

Unexpectedly, Su Ruo showed not the slightest fear upon seeing him for the first time, which aroused the leader's interest in this young girl.

Then the leader's gaze swept over Su Ruo and Song Jingyu several times; the smile in his eyes deepened, and his usually stern face softened a bit.

The leader spoke gently: "You've come at just the right time; even if you hadn't come, I would have sent people to find you. This comrade Wang Lihua has just come to explain some matters to me, and I want to verify with you whether what she said is true."

"Comrade Wang Lihua, everyone is now present; what exactly happened? Please say it again. Rest assured, after the matter is clarified, if it truly is Song Jingyu's fault, I will certainly make him take responsibility for you."

Wang Lihua sat in her wheelchair, her face instantly flushing crimson; just moments ago, when she was slandering Song Jingyu, she had spoken with righteous confidence.

But now, in front of so many people, she could not, no matter what, repeat those words.

Most importantly, Wang Lihua knew that if she dared to utter a single falsehood, Su Ruo would immediately step forward to expose her, giving her no face at all.

So Wang Lihua hesitated, hemmed and hawed for a long time, before finally giving a watered-down version of her story.

Upon hearing Wang Lihua's contradictory words, the leader's face immediately darkened; anyone capable of sitting in his position could not be a fool, so he instantly realized he had been deceived, and Wang Lihua's motive for deceiving him was obvious.

At this moment, the leader's gaze toward Wang Lihua grew icily cold; setting aside expediency, in such a life-and-death moment, even if Wang Lihua were clothed, or even if she were truly naked, Song Jingyu's contact with her body while saving her life would not seem wrong to the leader.

If that were to let Song Jingyu marry her, it would be utterly absurd.

Moreover, Wang Lihua is clearly of ill intent at first glance; Song Jingyu is his finest soldier, and every bit of his military merit has been earned by risking his own life.

The leader would never allow Song Jingyu to marry a woman like Wang Lihua, for he understood better than anyone the principle of marrying a virtuous wife.

If Song Jingyu were to bring such a woman as Wang Lihua into his home, his household would surely be unsettled, and how could he then serve the country and its people?

Although the leader had already guessed the general outline of events, he still looked at Song Jingyu with a stern expression and asked him to explain the situation again.

Song Jingyu respectfully gave a military salute to the leader, then detailed his entire rescue process.

After Song Jingyu finished speaking, Su Ruo stepped forward and said: "Leader, as Wang Lihua's attending physician, I can attest that Comrade Song Jingyu committed no fault whatsoever during the rescue."

At the time, Song Jingyu, worried that Wang Lihua might expose herself, took off his own coat and wrapped it around her.

Furthermore, I and everyone else present in the medical tent at that time can confirm that Wang Lihua was wearing clothes.

Comrade Song Jingyu absolutely did not engage in any overly intimate behavior toward her beyond rescue.

This is the witness testimony of all the doctors, nurses, and wounded personnel in the tent at that time, with each person's signature on it, sufficient to guarantee its authenticity; you may take a look.

After Su Ruo finished speaking, she respectfully handed over the notebook with both hands, and Wang Lihua's face changed instantly.