1026 How Much Longer



Qiao Mei did not back down at all and said, "I'm also very determined. I have to go up the mountain today. If we can't reach an agreement, I'll go up the mountain myself. No one can stop me."

Just as the two of them stood eyeball to eyeball with daggers drawn, Xia Wen quickly stood up and said, "Godfather, I'll bring Qiao Mei up. Don't worry, she's just feeling too worried about my father. She has a stubborn temper, so don't lower yourself to her level."

Xia Wen hurriedly gave Xia He a look and she immediately reacted. She quickly went forward to hold Zhuang Pin's arm as she led him towards the camp. As they walked, she said, "Godfather, let's go back to the camp first. There are so many people here! We should not make her look bad in front of them."

After Xia He utilized her power of persuasion, Qiao Mei was finally able to follow them up the mountain. As Zhuang Pin also needed manpower at the camp at the foot of the mountain, he could not assign too many people to them. He picked six elite soldiers from the team to go with them and escort them up the mountain.

Everyone carried a load of emergency items with them. As Qiao Mei was pregnant and it would be difficult for her to walk if she carried heavy items on her back, Zhuang Pin tagged two soldiers to her and ordered them to stick close to her. These two soldiers were trustworthy people who had been personally trained by Xia Mao. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves to save Qiao Mei, they would definitely do it without any complaints.

"Look, my godfather's bark is worse than his bite. He actually still cares about you," Xia He whispered into Qiao Mei's ear.

In this military camp, other than Xia Mao, Zhuang Pin had the final say. He also wanted to go up the mountain to take a look at Xia Mao's situation, but Zhuang Pin had his own mission and orders to follow. If he left his post, the troops at the foot of the mountain would be in a mess. Therefore, he could only stare at the phone every day and wait for updates from the camp halfway up the mountain.

"He just wants to do right by Father. After all, I'm pregnant with the Xia family's children," Qiao Mei said bluntly.

She did not hate Zhuang Pin. Instead, she liked people like him very much. Zhuang Pin was the kind of person who would say whatever was on his mind and did not hide anything. Qiao Mei liked to talk to people who were straightforward as it made things so much more convenient.

It did not matter to her even if Zhuang Pin did not like her. It was impossible for everyone in this world to like her. In the eyes of outsiders, her current behavior was indeed very crazy.

It was people like He Ning that Qiao Mei hated more. If He Ning had not begged her for the ginseng, she would not have bothered with him!

Along the way, everyone was very vigilant and paid full attention to their surroundings. After walking on the mountain path for five hours, they finally reached the camp halfway up the mountain only when it had turned completely dark. This was the place where Xia Mao was being treated.

Xia Wen did not rest at all. He rushed into the camp and asked, "Where is Xia Mao? I'm his son!"

The doctor inside the tent was shocked. He immediately took out a gun and pointed it at Xia Wen's head as he questioned, "How can you prove that you're his relative! And how did you get here!"

He was just a medic. When he saw that Xia Wen was not wearing a military uniform, not accompanied by anyone he knew in the army and barging in alone, he thought that Xia Wen was someone sent by the enemy. He could not let anyone get close to Xia Mao so casually and he had to ensure that Xia Wen was not a dangerous person.

Just as Xia Wen was about to explain, the team leader of the elite soldiers accompanying the group walked into the tent quickly and said, "We're all on the same side! We're on the same side! Put down your gun!"

The doctor reluctantly put away his gun and said mockingly, "Captain Sheng, you don't follow rules and neither do the people you bring with you."

Sheng Dong laughed embarrassedly and said, "I have no choice. This is an urgent situation. We seek your understanding."

"How's my father's condition now? Can we go in and take a look?" Xia Wen asked anxiously.

The doctor's face fell. He opened the folder beside him and said, "As a family member, you need to be mentally prepared. This bullet has already been removed, but your father is in very bad shape. We've tried our best to save him but the vital signs are weak. I think… he has been hanging on to wait for you guys to get here."

Xia Wen suddenly felt as if the world was spinning. He had to use both his hands to grab the table to support himself and said in a choked voice, "My father… he… how much longer does he have…"

"If there's no improvement in his condition, it's probably three to five days." The doctor lowered his head after saying that.