It was late at night. Yang Milan and Li Mercy were exhausted after a long day of work and were just about to go to bed when sudden shouting echoed outside.
Although Milan couldn't make out the words, he quickly threw on his clothes and opened the door.
In the darkness, he saw a figure at the yard gate.
"Who is it?" Milan called out.
"It's me, Guoqiang!" came the reply.
"Fourth brother? Why are you here so late?" Milan asked in surprise.
"The cowshed collapsed! The production team sent word. Dad asked you to go check it out!"
"Alright, I'll be right there!"
Li Guoqiang hurried off to notify the next family, while Mercy, who had overheard, quickly came out.
"It's cold at night—wear more clothes!" she urged.
Milan smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and said, "You go to sleep first. I'll go handle it." Then he set off into the night.
---
Chaos at the Cowshed
The cowshed was at the back of the production team's yard. When Milan arrived, Li Tau, Chen Jianying, Zhang Genwang, and several others were already there, directing people to clear away the ruins.
From a distance, Milan could hear Chen Jianying's furious roar:
"Why wasn't I told the rafters were this rotten? Look at this! The whole pen has collapsed. Who's going to take responsibility for the crushed livestock?!"
At that moment, a boy of about seven or eight rushed over, tears streaming down his face.
"Captain, please! My father is buried inside the cowshed! Save him!"
But Jianying snapped impatiently, "Out of the way! Don't you see the animals buried down there? We need to dig them out first!"
The boy broke into sobs. "If you don't save him, my father won't make it…"
"Then that's his bad luck! How can his life compare to the big animals?" Jianying shot back coldly.
Milan frowned. Though harsh, Jianying's words carried a cruel truth: in this impoverished brigade, livestock were more valuable than human lives.
Still, as someone with education and conscience, Milan couldn't watch a child's pleas be ignored.
---
Taking Responsibility
Milan strode forward and crouched before the boy.
"Where is your father buried? Take me there."
The boy pointed with trembling hands. "In cowshed number nine!"
Ignoring Jianying's dark glare, Milan turned to his brothers-in-law.
"Big brother, second brother, third brother—come with me. Let's go save him!"
Though they often looked down on Milan, they knew their sister, Li Mercy, was stubbornly devoted to him. Reluctantly, they agreed and followed.
Heavy rain from the previous day had weakened the old structure. Four cattle pens collapsed, leaving weeds, broken wood, and mud everywhere. The scene was chaos.
The boy pointed again. "It's here!"
"Is it just your father inside?" Milan asked.
"Yes, just the two of us live in this shed. Only my dad is inside!"
Milan nodded firmly. "Then let's rescue the person first!"
Together with the brothers-in-law, he began digging frantically. Fortunately, the cowshed was made of adobe and straw, not stone. Soon, they uncovered a man's leg.
"Careful!" Milan shouted, pulling it free.
But the man didn't respond. Milan's heart sank.
---
The Rescue
The boy rushed forward, crying, "Dad! Dad!" His pitiful wails pierced the night.
Milan's chest tightened. From the way the boy addressed his father, he realized this family wasn't local—they must be from a big city.
"Where are you from? Do you have any relatives here?" Milan asked quickly.
"My family… we're from the capital. We don't have any relatives here," the boy sobbed.
Milan sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll do everything I can to save your father. Step back!"
Throwing himself back into the rescue, Milan and the others finally pulled the man free.
The sight was grim. The man was unconscious, thin and frail, his body covered in old wounds. His arm was badly broken, bone piercing through the skin, blood pouring out.
"He's alive," Milan said after checking. "But he's lost too much blood. If we don't stop it now, even the gods won't save him."
He stripped off his own shirt, tore it into strips, and bandaged the wound tightly to slow the bleeding.
Then he turned to his brothers-in-law:
"We must get him to the hospital right away! Big brother, fetch the cart. Second and third brothers, help me lift him!"
But the three hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances.
"Why are you standing there? Hurry, or he'll die!" Milan barked impatiently.
Li Jianguo, the eldest, spoke at last in a low, serious tone.
"Brother-in-law, are you certain you want to interfere in this? Their background isn't simple. Helping them could drag us into big trouble."
Milan clenched his fists. "So what? A human life is at stake!"
Jianguo shook his head. "Their identity is too special. If we're not careful, we may not be able to protect ourselves."
At once, Milan understood. None of the people who ended up in this remote brigade had simple pasts. But looking at the broken man and the boy's tear-stained face, he thought back to his own early days—ostracized, bullied, nearly broken—until Mercy stood by his side.
Without her, he might not have survived.
Taking a deep breath, Milan said resolutely:
"Brothers, it's a human life. If anything happens, I'll bear the responsibility!"
Seeing his determination, Li Jianguo finally nodded. Together, they prepared to carry the wounded man away.