Several days had passed, marked by the monotonous routine of squatting within the musty confines of the bunker.
Having shared more than a dozen meals provided by their seniors, the soldiers stationed alongside Lin Yu had grown quite familiar with her, each sharing their names and fragments of their past.
All except one.
Their previous conversation, where she’d gently urged him to speak less of the emperor, seemed to have sparked his displeasure.
For two full days, he had completely ignored Lin Yu.
Finding her attempts to converse met with a cold shoulder, Lin Yu wisely decided against pressing the issue, allowing him to sulk in peace.
When he finally deigned to speak again, their exchange went something like this:
” ‘I offered you a kind suggestion, and this is how I’m treated? Honestly, I’m under no obligation to mend your social standing.’ ”
” ‘I cannot forsake my loyalty to His Majesty merely to make friends. If I am forced to choose, I would rather die in solitude, my heart brimming with devotion to my emperor.’ ”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yu was overcome with an overwhelming urge to wish him and his emperor permanently shackled together for all eternity.
Yet, she refused to stoop to the level of an imbecile; she would simply cease all conversation with him.
Rolling her eyes, she banished all thoughts of him, redirecting her full attention to the demanding routine of a battlefield medic.
Though, admittedly, her current duties bore little resemblance to the typical image those words conjured.
The soldier who had suffered a bayonet wound days prior had returned to the front lines completely unharmed.
Having, no doubt, heard countless accolades from Nangong, he now enthusiastically proclaimed Lin Yu’s glorious deeds to anyone who would listen.
He spoke of her extraordinary medical prowess, her miraculous ability to bring the dying back to life, her gentle and considerate nature, her sweet voice, and her delicate, frail body that was ‘easy to push’…
‘Alright,’ she thought, ‘that last part definitely didn’t come from Nangong. That boy undoubtedly added his own perverse embellishments.’
‘Indeed,’ she mused, ‘another flat-chest fetishist has been added to my hit list.’
As for whether the true situation matched his exaggerated claims, Lin Yu was confident she would send anyone bold enough to test her theories retreating in utter defeat.
In any case, the ‘Grim Reaper’ rumors were swiftly fading, dispelled by his vibrant, widespread proclamations.
If she could just heal a few more soldiers, the moniker ‘Battlefield Angel’ would undoubtedly become deeply ingrained in the hearts of her unit, throughout the entire trench, and among every single person under Commander Yang’s command.
‘To die a violent death after being treated by me?’
‘Such an outrageous claim could never be true. It’s mere conjecture, slanderous gossip.’
‘Just look at him, full of life and vigor! Look at everyone in the trench, safe and sound. The undeniable truth is that since my arrival at the front lines, the First Task Force Assault Team has not suffered a single casualty, neither in combat nor otherwise.’
The cigarettes and alcohol generously provided by their seniors also played a crucial role.
Her unit, numbering several dozen, saw each soldier receive, on average, a few cigarettes and a small flask of wine.
Those fortunate enough to be stationed directly with her, however, now invariably carried a full pack of cigarettes and a bottle of liquor, often showering Lin Yu with cheerful flattery.
As for the ‘idiot’… or ‘corpse,’ or ‘lunatic,’ as she sometimes thought of him, he was only interested in alcohol.
Consequently, Lin Yu had specifically traded his share of cigarettes for additional liquor.
The outcome was predictable: he accepted the two glass bottles with a stern, unreadable expression, promptly stashing them away in the wooden crate behind him, without so much as a perfunctory word of thanks.
‘Hmph,’ she thought, ‘he’s earned himself a new nickname now: “Ungrateful Wretch”.’
Noticing another soldier approach the entrance, letter in hand, requesting her assistance, Lin Yu offered a rare, genuine smile.
She accepted the sheet of paper from him and began to read its contents aloud.
” ‘Ah Bai, Father’s illness has improved, so please don’t worry. I used the military pay you sent to buy your younger brother a new set of clothes; he won’t be cold this winter.’ ”
Illiterate, these soldiers would often agonize for ages over letters from home.
Lin Yu, discerning their plight, seized the perfect opportunity to address this critical need, launching a complimentary service for reading and writing their family correspondence.
News of her service spread like wildfire, and soon, burly soldiers crammed the doorway, besieging the already cramped bunker until it was impassable.
Through a concerted effort of propaganda, tangible benefits, and emotional support, Lin Yu’s reputation swiftly recovered.
The Grim Reaper was now a relic of the past; the bunker now housed an angel of healing.
Indeed, the praise had grown so effusive that some in the trenches had begun to compare her to the legendary ‘Fairy Nangong’ of historical renown.
‘How wonderful it would be if I could truly become someone like that…’
” ‘Haven’t they been saying victory is close at hand? Please take care of yourself on the battlefield; we’ll all be waiting for your return.’ ”
As the family letter concluded, the burly soldier before her was already brimming with tears, too overcome with gratitude to utter a word.
When Lin Yu added a few more auspicious wishes for his continued success in battle and a triumphant return home, he wept with an intensity that made him seem more like a fifteen-year-old girl than Lin Yu herself.
Watching him clutch the letter tightly as he stumbled out, leaning on the wall for support, Lin Yu accepted yet another family letter from the next person in the queue.
” ‘Fourth Brother, do not fret over household matters…’ ”
Only by articulating these mundane details of daily life, these heartfelt longings from every corner of the vast land, could Lin Yu truly grasp the profound humanity of these soldiers.
Parents yearned for their children, wives for their husbands, and children for their fathers.
These myriad emotions, woven into words, penned onto letter paper, and dispatched to the front lines, eventually found their way into her hands, to be meticulously read aloud, word by word.
Beyond merely reading their letters, she offered them solace—an invaluable advantage that soldiers who previously sought help from literate comrades privately simply couldn’t provide.
In the trenches, where else could one find such a charming soul to wish them a safe journey?
To be frank, in the brutal reality of war, a few deaths were an utterly commonplace occurrence.
The accusations Lin Yu had previously endured were, in truth, merely the consequence of malicious propaganda orchestrated by her detractors, compounded by her own naive, wishful thinking.
The deliberate machinations of unseen enemies had led some to harbor a distorted perception of her.
Moreover, her own conviction that her healing touch brought misfortune had caused her to interpret any unrelated discussion as direct criticism.
The soldiers who recovered, returned to the front lines, and then tragically perished were, for the most part, those stationed at the very vanguard—the same individuals who had initially whispered disparaging remarks about Lin Yu behind her back.
Having personally witnessed the deaths of their comrades, they were, understandably, the most susceptible to such baseless rumors.
Ironically, by virtue of their proximity to Lin Yu, they had also reaped the greatest benefits from the senior medics.
‘Grim Reaper? Misfortune? Aren’t they all still alive and breathing?’
The rumors were clearly false.
What was real, truly tangible, was the cigarette dangling from their lips and the fiery liquor warming their throats.
‘Men are truly simple creatures,’ she mused.
‘A few cigarettes and a bit of liquor are all it takes to make them happy.
In my previous life, winning over a single woman demanded immense effort; here, appeasing an entire group of men merely requires lighting a cigarette and offering a flask of wine.’
Moreover, Commander Yang truly committed herself to the task; when there were benefits to be had, she genuinely delivered.
By persistently supplying cigarettes, liquor, and hearty meals, she had painstakingly erased Lin Yu’s ill repute from the minds of these soldiers, resolving a major predicament for Lin Yu.
For this, she owed Commander Yang her profound gratitude.
‘The enemy artillery is slacking off; how wonderful.’
‘Being a battlefield medic; how wonderful.’
‘Meeting everyone; how wonderful.’
These three distinct blessings intertwined, and this tri-layered happiness, in turn, blossomed into an abundance of even greater joys.
She had, at last, found herself immersed in a truly dreamlike period of contentment.
****
An acquaintance now stood before her makeshift desk, extending a sheet of letter paper towards her.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she unfolded it and began to read its contents aloud: ” ‘Yu Zai, Mama has received the money you sent back. Papa took it to the market and bought several *shi* (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of dry measure, roughly equivalent to 100 liters or 150 catties) of rice, and even added new tiles to our roof.’ ”
As she read these lines, a sudden realization dawned upon Lin Yu: the person before her was literate and certainly didn’t require her assistance.
Moreover, “Yu Zai” was not a reference to Lieutenant Xia, who stood opposite her, but rather to herself.
Lieutenant Xia, sensing her confusion, offered a timely clarification. ” ‘There’s hardly a need to read your own family letter aloud, is there? The moment I saw you listed as the recipient during the review process, I rushed right over.’ ”
She instantly pivoted, scrutinizing the entire letter from the very beginning, her gaze more meticulous than if she were deciphering an imperial edict, fearful of missing even half a character.
” ‘Our Yu Zai has truly made something of herself! A girl, joining the army, and earning more money than the neighbor’s child, even without formal schooling. But Mama hopes you won’t undertake dangerous endeavors for money. Please, do not strive for military honors like being the first to scale the enemy walls (TL Note: A particularly dangerous military feat, often resulting in heavy casualties for those who lead the charge). ‘ ”
The voices of her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in nearly two months, seemed to resonate directly in her ears.
This time, it was she who silently shed tears.
Carefully folding the letter as if it were a priceless treasure, she tucked it deep within her clothing.
Wiping away her tears, she stood up and gently nudged Lieutenant Xia away from the desk. ” ‘Please, you must leave quickly; we’re closed for the day…’ ”
These were not the ‘convenient parents’ found in transmigration novels of her previous life; they were her true, beloved kin, who had lovingly raised her for fifteen years.
She needed to quickly compose a reply and send it, reassuring them of her well-being, and explaining that she wouldn’t be scaling city walls with ladders like some ancient warrior.
She was a medic, now reassigned as a battlefield medic, but her sacred duty remained, as always, to heal the sick and save lives.
Even if the enemy forces advanced directly upon her position, they would surely not harm a non-combatant such as herself.
After instructing others to help hang a wooden sign, emblazoned with the words ‘Resting,’ onto the nails embedded in the logs outside the bunker, Lin Yu retrieved a hefty dictionary.
She meticulously flipped through its pages, then, like a diligent primary school student, picked up her pen to compose her letter.