Chapter 305: A world where only the older brother is injured has been achieved

"Besides these, there is one more item: regarding the devastation left behind after the earthquake, we need to arrange psychological counseling for the ordinary citizens as well as the soldiers and military doctors who participated in the rescue..."

"Psychological counseling?"

"Yes, an earthquake is a natural disaster with extremely high destructive power; it is an act of nature, not a man-made calamity..."

"However, ordinary citizens will suffer major psychological shocks—helplessness, bewilderment, and the negative psychological state following the loss of their closest loved ones..."

"We must not only consider post-disaster reconstruction but also help them treat their psychological trauma, help them walk out of the shadows, recover their normal lives, and find the courage and motivation to keep living..."

"This item of psychological counseling is not just for ordinary citizens, but also for the groups who participated in the rescue, such as soldiers and military doctors."

"Having witnessed such tragic, hellish scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, even soldiers with firm ideologies will feel troubled..."

Jiang Ye calmly stated his views and suggestions. Having experienced it personally, even he was impacted; how much more so for ordinary people?

When they returned, inside the warship, the officers and soldiers who had initially set out to sea for rescue with high spirits were unable to sleep at night, occasionally showing signs of stress responses, talking to themselves, and so on.

Even he had such symptoms.

"Good, Li, you've noted all of this down, right?"

"Yes, reporting to the Section Commander, I have noted it all down."

"Convene a meeting this afternoon, draft the agenda, and implement this matter."

"Received!"

With the serious business concluded, the fragrance of knife-cut noodles wafted out from the kitchen.

"Brother Duan, stay for lunch. I've boiled a big pot of knife-cut noodles; the portion is large, enough for everyone."

Old Master Lu spoke up appropriately to keep him for a meal. Although it was just noodles, filling one's stomach was all that mattered.

"Alright, I'd be rude to refuse. Brother Lu, another day I'll invite you to the canteen for soy-braised pork knuckle."

Section Commander Duan readily agreed and promised an invitation in return. Soy-braised pork knuckle—the canteen only made that once every few months!

"That would be wonderful. I'll have to bring a bottle of white spirits then, so we can have a proper drink with it."

Old Master Lu thought of it and felt happy; his mouth watered, he was craving it.

Communications Officer Li closed his notebook and silently played the role of an invisible person.

The amount of information was huge; he needed a moment to process it.

In the main room, Old Master Lu woke up his grandson, who was sleeping like a pig, and took care of him so he could eat before sleeping again.

Although Lu Xiu Bai had only slept for an hour, it was more sound than ever; he slept super well.

He kissed his daughter's little hand and, under the strange gazes of others, climbed up from the straw mat.

"What's wrong? Why is everyone looking at me? Is there something on my face?"

Lu Xiu Bai had this straightforward personality; if he had a question, he asked it.

"Lian Lian has been picking at your nose the whole time."

Pei Yan Ting carried her daughter away and kindly gave her husband an explanation:

"You just kissed her hand."

Isn't that just...

"..."

Lu Xiu Bai realized it belatedly and, without a word, went to the side of the well to draw water to wash his face and hands.

Shen Man fell silent; silence was the Cambridge of this evening.

Quietly I depart, just as I quietly came.

I wave my sleeves, taking not a single cloud away.

A world where only the older brother is injured has been achieved.

When the few of them were at Hong Shan, they were all under long-term mental tension, with aftershocks coming at any time, and they hadn't slept well at all.

At this moment, after eating the knife-cut noodles made by the grandfather and tasting familiar food, they all had a feeling of having survived a disaster.

"Leave the bowls and chopsticks, I'll wash them. You all go wash up and sleep; get some good rest. Only after you've adjusted to the time difference will you have the energy to handle important matters."

"With us here, the children will be fine."

"Be polite to outsiders; we don't stand on ceremony among our own."

The old masters were all very understanding and worked hard to share the household chores for the sake of their grandchildren.

"Meow."

Master, I will take care of the little masters and the others; you all rest easy first!

Who else has such an understanding cat?

Shen Man raised her hand; her family does!

The children had finished their milk and eaten a little supplementary banana puree; they all began to nod like chicks pecking at rice, then blinked their eyes, and soon fell asleep in various postures.

In the Jiashuyuan, almost every other family was in the same situation.

Only, the military wives discovered a problem: the eyes of their own men had changed—they had become strange, numb, and hollow.

They were also prone to zoning out, and at the slightest sign of movement, they would subconsciously drop to the ground...

Their hearts were very heavy and uncomfortable; these were perfectly fine people, so what had they encountered and what had they seen?

How could it be like this?

No matter what, it was good that they had returned safely!

For the rest, they would use time to smooth over the devastation in their husbands' hearts.

"Brother Gangzi, tell me, what happened to you?"

"Wuwuwu, wifey, I'm so scared. During an aftershock, a steel plate came crashing toward me. If it weren't for Brother Lu, my head would have been smashed open!"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. It's good that you returned safely. Fear is human nature; you don't need to suppress your terror."

"Wuwuwu, I saw so, so many corpses of our compatriots, and even infants about the size of our Jiaozi. They were still so small, they hadn't even had a chance to see the beauty of this world..."

Liu Da Gang broke down and wept, holding his head. This mission was an experience he would never forget for the rest of his life!

In order to pry apart the rocks, there wasn't a single piece of good skin left on his hands.

For so many days, he and his comrades had gritted their teeth, acting like walking corpses, carrying out the rescue mission.

But their inner hearts were all broken!

There was one county town where no one survived!

The bodies couldn't even be excavated; they could only erect monuments on the spot and mark the locations.

Countless mass graves, countless people left forever in the gaps...

Rest?

They felt a sense of guilt for even a second of rest; they didn't dare to rest, they absolutely didn't dare to rest!

As soon as they closed their eyes, they dreamed of those who died miserably asking them why they didn't save them?

Why did they come so late?

Why did they die?

Guilt and remorse were everywhere; everyone was incomparably painful!

Occasionally, when they saved a survivor, the survivor's grief was greater than the death of their heart. Among them, there was one survivor whom they had clearly rescued, but he still jumped back into the ruins without hesitation, choosing to stay with his family...

Ye Qinghong stuffed her son into her husband's arms, wrapped her arms around her husband's shoulders, and comforted him softly:

"Brother Gangzi, you have already done very well; you all have already done very well!"

"Aba, aba."

Jiaozi in his arms reached out to touch his father's cheek. Finding that his father was crying, he hurriedly imitated his mother's way of comforting him, gently patting his father's shoulder.

"Look, Jiaozi agrees too. Don't blame yourself anymore. The dead are gone; what we can do is pray for them to be reincarnated soon, and pray for the living to walk out of the pain soon..."

Ye Qinghong gently comforted her husband, and gradually, the sound of even breathing came from her shoulder... ===== CHAPTER 306 =====