"She's going to jump into the sea!"
Li Erhong shouted, and all four women's faces changed instantly. Forgetting about hiding, they rushed forward.
However, all four of them were from inland and couldn't swim at all. That was why they had only been staying near the shore lately, afraid of going deeper into the water in case they were swept away by the waves.
Unfortunately, although they reacted quickly, they were still slower than Sister Zhao. Her determination to jump into the sea showed she had already made up her mind.
"What should we do?"
The four women lay on the rocks, their faces pale with fear.
This was the ocean, not a river. Once someone fell in, there could be sharks, and they might be completely lost.
Tang Qiyue looked around but didn't see anyone nearby. She guessed the soldiers were all training, and people from the fishing village rarely came here since this area belonged to the camp.
If she went to find Old Li and the others, Sister Zhao might already be gone.
"I'll go down and check!"
Tang Qiyue handed the wooden bucket to Xu Qiuju, quickly took off her shoes and jacket, and placed them on the rocks.
"Sister-in-law, you can swim?"
Xu Qiuju grabbed her arm in panic. She didn't remember Tang Qiyue ever saying she could swim.
Tang Qiyue reassured her, "I learned a bit from Shanhu before. I can manage. I won't act recklessly—if I can't find her, I'll come back immediately!"
With that, she pinched her nose and jumped into the sea.
Xu Qiuju was terrified. She didn't believe her at all. How could someone who only learned for a few days dare to save someone in the ocean?
"Sister Sun, go find Battalion Commander Zhan! Sister Li, go call Uncle Li! I'll stay here and watch!"
Xu Qiuju wanted to go too, but she knew someone had to stay in case Tang Qiyue managed to bring Sister Zhao back.
Li Erhong and Sun Maisui didn't hesitate and ran off in different directions.
Meanwhile, Tang Qiyue, whom they were worried about, was much calmer than expected. As soon as she entered the water, she placed a small underwater breathing device—something she had exchanged from the system—into her mouth.
This allowed her to breathe underwater, though it couldn't counter water pressure. She still had to rely on her swimming ability.
After adjusting to the seawater and forcing herself to open her eyes, she looked around.
The seabed beneath the reef was deep, filled with coral and fish swimming around curiously.
Tang Qiyue waved them away and searched below—but Sister Zhao was nowhere in sight.
Calming herself, she followed the direction of the current. Since Sister Zhao couldn't swim, she must have been carried away.
After searching for some time, she finally found her.
Sister Zhao was unconscious—she had clearly inhaled seawater and fainted.
Relieved, Tang Qiyue grabbed her. Thanks to buoyancy, pulling her wasn't too difficult, but lifting her upward was exhausting.
After much effort, she managed to bring her to the surface.
By then, she had drifted far from the reef into deeper waters. The waves made it hard to return to shore, especially while dragging someone else.
Just as she struggled, she saw people running along the shore.
Soon, help arrived.
Uncle Li came first, though he couldn't swim. Several soldiers rushed into the water to assist.
"Sister-in-law, give her to me!"
A dark-skinned young soldier reached her first and took hold of Sister Zhao.
"She's unconscious—she choked on water. Take her up quickly!"
The soldier nodded and swam away with her much faster.
Tang Qiyue followed behind, exhausted.
By the time Zhan Zeyi arrived, Tang Qiyue was already sitting on the shore, soaked and trembling, with Xu Qiuju and the others supporting her.
"Are you crazy? You barely know how to swim, and you jumped into the sea to save someone?!"
Zhan Zeyi picked her up immediately, his face dark with anger.
No one dared to speak.
Tang Qiyue, too tired to argue, said weakly, "Put me down… Sister Zhao needs help…"
She struggled free and went to check on Sister Zhao.
Her face was pale, and her stomach was swollen—she had swallowed a lot of water.
Tang Qiyue lifted her upside down briefly to drain the water, but it wasn't enough.
She then laid her flat and began pressing her abdomen before starting CPR.
When Tang Qiyue gave mouth-to-mouth, the crowd gasped.
"What are you staring at? She's saving her life!"
Zhan Zeyi shouted, silencing everyone instantly.
He glanced around angrily and barked, "Where's Company Commander Wang? Why isn't he here yet?!"