Compared to the cautious movements of people walking through the ruins, Erniu was much more agile. With a few leaps, he ran to a collapsed roof and started barking.
In the morning light, the large dog looked majestic, mesmerizing the Crown Prince.
Look at Erniu’s graceful form, nimble movements, and smooth fur – far more pleasing to the eye than many people.
Erniu’s barking attracted a lot of attention.
Yu Jin walked over and asked Erniu, “Is there something alive inside?”
Erniu pawed at the rubble and barked several times.
Yu Jin immediately called over a team: “Be careful, there might be something alive in there.”
The village head, with his sharp ears, immediately shouted, “Quick, come here! There are still people alive!”
A crowd of people rushed over.
Yu Jin frowned. “Let these people do what they’re supposed to do. Crowding here will only hinder the rescue efforts.”
The village head’s face reddened as he shooed the people away, but stayed behind himself, muttering, “This is Gou Sheng’s house.”
Yu Jin glanced at the village head.
The village head explained, “Gou Sheng is that big fellow. His daughter had a fever, and he insisted on going home…”
At this point, the village head wiped his eyes and shouted at the ruins, “Gou Sheng, you stubborn boy! You had to insist on going home and taking your wife and child with you. That poor child is only three years old—”
Nearby townspeople who heard the village head’s shout had tears in their eyes.
Among all the young people in the town, Gou Sheng was the most capable. Despite having no parental support, he lived a prosperous life and even married the most beautiful woman within a hundred li. Their daughter was adorable too. But now—
“There might still be people alive down there. Maybe Gou Sheng’s family is alright…” People waited with a glimmer of hope.
Seeing Erniu’s reaction, the Crown Prince no longer planned to leave.
He wanted to stay and witness Erniu’s miraculous abilities.
Yu Jin stood not far from Erniu, reminding the rescue soldiers, “Be careful. Watch out for secondary collapses and falling debris that might injure those below.”
The rescue proceeded smoothly, but when they saw what they had rescued, an odd silence fell over the scene.
A fat pig with a broken leg was grunting, its small eyes darting around, warily observing its surroundings.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The pig saw the fierce-looking Erniu, froze for a moment, then quickly limped away.
Watching a pig sprint through the ruins, everyone silently looked at Erniu.
All that effort to rescue a lame pig?
Erniu, however, felt no shame.
Wasn’t a pig a living creature too?
If it were trapped underneath, his master would surely rescue it.
Yu Jin nodded approvingly at Erniu. “Erniu, well done. See if you can find any more living things.”
Pleased with his master’s praise, Erniu wagged his tail happily, barked once at Yu Jin, and then pawed at the ground.
Yu Jin’s expression turned serious. He thought for a moment and asked, “Is there something else alive down there?”
“Woof woof!” Erniu barked more urgently.
“Roughly where?”
Erniu circled some debris, lowered his head to sniff, and then barked once at Yu Jin.
Yu Jin pointed to that spot and ordered the soldiers, “Continue!”
The village head came over, his expression odd. “Your Highness, this old one remembers that Gou Sheng’s family raised two fat pigs…”
Having just expended great effort to rescue one lame pig, were they about to rescue another…?
Imagining the scene, the village head shook his head inwardly.
Yu Jin looked at the village head and said seriously, “As long as it’s alive, we can’t give up.”
The village head was taken aback and nodded repeatedly. “Your Highness is right. This old one was thinking wrongly.”
Half an hour passed, and the Crown Prince grew bored. He approached Yu Jin and said, “Seventh Brother, let Erniu come with me to check on their temporary shelter.”
He was planning to win some hearts there.
“Second Brother, haven’t you seen that Erniu is most useful here?” Yu Jin kept his eyes on the soldiers moving debris, not even glancing at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince smirked, “Isn’t it just rescuing a fat pig—”
Suddenly feeling a pain in his buttocks, he looked down to find the large dog biting his backside.
The Crown Prince cried out in shock.
The attendant, too frightened to be afraid, stammered, “You beast! How dare you attack His Highness! Someone come quickly—”
“Erniu, let go.” Yu Jin gave Erniu an exasperated look.
Erniu reluctantly released his grip and licked his lips.
“Erniu has a lot of pride. Hearing Second Brother speak like that hurt his ego. You won’t hold it against him, will you?”
The Crown Prince, clutching his stinging buttocks, grimaced, “Of course not—”
What else could he do? Bite back?
“Seventh Brother, can Erniu understand what we’re saying?” After his annoyance subsided, the Crown Prince’s curiosity was piqued.
“He can understand simple commands. Of course, he doesn’t understand complex things, but he can judge good from bad based on people’s tone and emotions.” As Yu Jin spoke, he glanced at Erniu, though he wasn’t so certain in his heart.
He felt that Erniu was becoming increasingly clever. Not only could he understand, but he could even be jealous!
“We found something!” a soldier suddenly shouted, his expression turning strange after he called out.
Yu Jin immediately walked over and peered inside.
The burly man whose voice had boomed just yesterday now stood motionless like a sleeping mountain.
He was hunched over, with the skirt of a woman barely visible beneath him.
Those who saw this scene fell silent, imagining the moment of the earthquake.
This man must have shielded his wife beneath him in the instant disaster struck.
A faint cry could be heard.
Erniu pawed at the edge of the pit, barking more urgently.
Yu Jin’s expression changed as he shouted, “The child is still alive!”
Before anyone else could react, he leaped down into the pit.
“Your Highness—” Several cries of alarm rang out.
“Long Dan, come down and help.”
Long Dan quickly jumped down after him.
The temporarily cleared space in the rubble held many dangers. Yu Jin instructed Long Dan, “You support these bricks and tiles. I’ll get the people out first.”
The burly man was like a small mountain, sheltering a woman beneath him, who in turn had arched her body. Together, they had created a small space for their daughter.
It was this space, created by the parents’ flesh and blood, that had allowed the three-year-old girl to survive miraculously.
Yu Jin carefully lifted the little girl out and passed her up.
“Master, they—” Long Dan, his back supporting the bricks and soil that could collapse at any moment, asked hesitantly.
Yu Jin’s tone was cold, “Don’t bother with the dead.”
He didn’t have the unnecessary kindness to risk his subordinate’s safety just to ensure the dead were properly buried.
The two climbed out one after another. Just as Long Dan emerged, the cleared space suddenly collapsed, burying the couple beneath.
The little girl cried weakly in the village head’s arms, her small face burning red with fever.
“Long Dan, take her for medical treatment.”
Long Dan took the little girl, sighing inwardly: Another one, this was the third, wasn’t it?
Afterward, Erniu found no more survivors.
The entire rescue operation continued until dusk, with over fifty bodies recovered. The three-year-old girl turned out to be the only survivor.