Chapter 2: Holding Hands! Part 1!

In the mangroves washed by the torrential rain, many soft sobs could be heard.
It was a disaster—far beyond what could be described as such for the Liu Family Camp.
Twenty-seven members, including Liu Yu and Jiang Ningxue, were sent out. After a day and night of searching, Liu Yu and Jiang Ningxue only found ten of them and two injured individuals.
Seven bodies remained on the riverbank: four belonging to villagers, and the other three to the members of the Liu Family Camp.
The rest of their comrades had disappeared into Vietnamese territory. If Liu Yu took no further action, they might never be found again.
“We must not abandon one of our brothers!” Liu Yu’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a maturity beyond his years. “We must not give up on our loved ones and brothers!”
Throughout his life, he had never abandoned his brothers, friends, or family.
During his military career, he had braved raging currents and towering waves, even giving his life jacket to a little girl who clung to his legs and cried in a storm.
This was just a small challenge.
Jiang Ningxue followed Liu Yu with satisfaction, watching him mature instantly as he directed the men, women, and children of the Liu Family Camp in their search for survivors, his voice still tinged with youth.
The slightly more mature Liu Yu seemed more charming than the once-innocent boy, but no matter what happened or what he became, Jiang Ningxue would stand silently behind him.
No matter what, no matter what the Liu Family Camp would become, she was still his fiancée.
Jiang Ningxue was ready to face any storm.
Among the three bodies found on the riverbank was the familiar face of Uncle Liu. Though separated by time, Liu Yu wept over the body, refusing to let go.
From the memories he had received, he felt immense gratitude toward his uncle.
Uncle Liu was now the strongest man in the entire Liu Family Camp and also Liu Yu’s own uncle.
Liu Yu’s rise to become the young leader was entirely thanks to his uncle.
But now that his uncle was dead, he had to face all challenges alone.
The Liu Family Camp was small—even with all the men assembled, there were less than a hundred people. Including the old, weak, women, and children, the total was only about 115. Yet he could not give up.
Time was running out. It was already 1878, just five years away from the Sino-French War of 1883. He had to seize every opportunity to repay the friendship of the French Republic.
He walked at the forefront of the group, pushing aside the dense branches and leaves while shouting the names of those missing.
It was through such actions that he found the two injured men who had given up on themselves and convinced everyone to accept his leadership as the young leader.
But hope grew thinner. They had searched the surrounding areas for miles. Perhaps those people had taken the chance to desert, blending in with the crowd in a foreign land, and might never be found again.

Now they were almost starving. Throughout the day and night, everyone had only hastily picked some unknown fruits, leaving their stomachs even emptier. Moreover, they seemed to have ventured near an enemy Catholic village, where conflicts with fellow believers could occur at any moment.

He wouldn’t give up.

“Should we go back? Or take a break and try again tomorrow?” A boy around Liu Yu’s age collapsed to the ground, exhausted. “I really can’t walk any further!”

But Liu Yu persisted, “Don’t give up! We’ll definitely find them!”

The sun blazed fiercely in the sky. Liu Yu’s face was covered in sweat, and he carried a heavy shotgun on his shoulder. His stomach protested silently, yet he kept moving forward.

But someone was faster than him—Jiang Ningxue had already snatched his shotgun. Liu Yu resisted fiercely for a while, but she was already struggling to lead the group.

The entire group set off again, continuing their search.

As they searched, they also had to be wary of retaliation from the Catholics, who were said to have hidden many weapons, including advanced breech-loading rifles.

Even Jing Shiyi, who had initially suggested giving up and was usually delicate, had no choice but to follow after seeing Jiang Ningxue take action with the shotgun. His legs were so weak he could barely walk.

“Thank goodness!” Finally, their search paid off. Half a mile ahead, two disheveled young men carrying an injured person rushed toward them. They hugged them tightly, saying, “I thought I’d never see you again! Finally, we’ve found you…”

Even Jing Shiyi’s steps became lighter. They hugged each other repeatedly, exclaiming, “Thank goodness! We’ve finally found you!”

When the guns fired yesterday, they knew something terrible had happened and fled immediately. But unfamiliar with the area, they soon got lost. After days of hunger and with an injured person, they were in a desperate situation. Thankfully, rescuers had arrived.

Their faces lit up with smiles, but tears soon followed. Everyone cried and laughed at the same time, except Liu Yu, who tightly bit his lip.

Twenty-seven people were sent out; three died in battle, leaving seventeen alive. Even Liu Yu gave up hope of continuing the search.

There might have been more tears, but they couldn’t just flow uselessly like this.

With the rescued injured person, Liu Yu’s group tried searching again but failed. Under his leadership, they quickly retreated.

Dusk fell.

Everyone ate the food gathered by Liu Yu, their eyes filled with tears and admiration for him. They felt that after this tragedy, Liu Yu had grown up significantly. Now, he was the backbone of their group—the young leader of Liu Yu’s camp, just as he should be.

The campfire glowed brightly, but closing his eyes, Liu Yu thought of the proud tricolor flag as he planned his future by the fire.

Memories from past and present intertwined, too complex to sort through. Yet seeing Jiang Ningxue across from him calmed his heart.

She had been on the go all day, covered in dust and exhaustion; her whole body was weak, not a single finger would move, yet she still carefully took care of everything for her fiancé before sitting down.
Jiang Ningxue’s gaze remained fixed on Liu Yu. It seemed she had many things to say to this young husband, but she chose to sit there quietly instead.
To Liu Yu, she was like a light in the darkness.
She was a perfect wife, but she was just too good to him.